Archive of Our Own ^beta

The moment Worf got the announcement that the Enterprise was ordered back to Earth for an important refit, he audibly sighed. Being back at Earth meant his parents would want to see him, and seeing his parents meant all sorts of prying into his business that he didn’t want. He absolutely loved his parents, but as the years wore on and he got older, they, specifically his mother, started pestering him about his love life, something he didn’t actively pursue… for many reasons. He liked to keep to himself.

The subtle jabs and questions had started a few years ago, and in every subspace call, every time they saw each other in person, the look in his mother’s eyes seemed to progressively get more… sad? Disappointed? Something that made Worf feel like he had swallowed a chunk of lead.

He hated seeing her that way.

The second huff he let out echoed through his empty quarters. Alexander was spending time with friends, and thus the quarters were left to Worf. The silence was deafening, and Worf almost wished he was on duty now, instead of being left alone, left to let these feelings suffocate him.

So much of his life had been spent shoving his emotions into a dark corner of his mind, dealing with anything and everything alone, that any time he was left to his own devices, it was like he couldn’t breathe. He had to close himself off. When people got close, and he got comfortable, people got hurt. Worf couldn’t let people get hurt. Not if he had something to say about it.

Worf slumped forward and held his head in his hands. He supposed that if his parents were to visit, he would need to be prepared. He needed to make a list of questions they would probably ask, and have answers ready to go, convincing them (and himself) that he was good. He was fine.

After all, he had Alexander. Ever since the boy had been brought into his life things had been… lighter, in a way. He was less lonely, and had another thing to focus on, thus distracting himself from his constant internal conflict. Worf would be the first to admit that he knew next to nothing about parenting, but every time Alexander smiled at him, it was like breathing for the first time. 

But, on the other hand, Alexander served as a reminder that people he was close to got hurt. That thought plagued his mind every time he saw Alexander run and play and laugh with his friends, and he had vowed since the first day K’Ehleyr had brought him aboard (and subsequently died), that he would stop at nothing to keep Alexander safe.

And since Alexander had been brought into Worf’s life, his parents had been overjoyed. They spoiled Alexander and loved him to pieces, and their trip would no doubt be focused on him. Worf preferred it that way. But he knew that at some point the conversation would come back to him, and the same questions as always would fall from his mother’s lips.

He had to be ready. He didn’t want to disappoint them once again.

If only there was some way for… Worf cut off that train of thought. A wave of embarrassment coursed through him at the idea. All of a sudden he felt way too hot and constricted in his Starfleet uniform. His face felt like it was on fire, and he took a deep, shaky breath. He tugged at the collar of his uniform, as if that would get rid of the tightness in his throat.

It would work, but was going to be humiliating. Sacrificing his pride for a few days was worth seeing his mother happy. There was honor in putting others before yourself, after all.

Worf sat there for a moment, mind racing, before he shook his head and stood up quickly, heading toward the replicator and ordering himself dinner. It would be best to forget about this and deal with it tomorrow. For now, he would just eat his dinner in peace, trying to forget that this was even going to happen.

 The next morning during duty, Worf was fidgety. He kept shifting his weight from foot to foot, hands gripping the tactical console so tight he was afraid it was going to break. He just wanted his damn hands to stop shaking. Commander Data had given him a strange look at an especially loud sigh he had let out, but thought better of commenting, turning back around and facing the viewscreen.

Captain Picard was reviewing some upgrade down in engineering, and Commander Riker was sitting in the observation lounge, trying to deal with some issue among crewmates. After another few minutes of trying to get his nerves in check, Worf stood up straight and took a deep breath. Then the door to the observation lounge opened and two younger officers came walking out, talking to each other excitedly. Riker followed close behind, smiling at them fondly and shaking his head.

Worf stared right at him, his jaw clenching so tight it started to hurt. He swallowed around the lump in his throat. Riker noticed Worf then, smile falling from his face and a confused look replacing it. He tilted his head slightly (almost like an Earth dog, Worf’s brain supplied unhelpfully), and he raised an eyebrow as an unspoken question.

The second their eyes met, Worf felt his face heat up again, and he looked sharply down at the console in front of him. He heard the shuffle of feet, no doubt being Data returning to his seat and Riker taking the captain’s chair, and Worf felt his heart hammer in his chest. Once Riker sat down he turned to look up at Worf, forcing their eyes to meet again because of the angle.

“Something wrong, lieutenant?” he asked, voice laced with concern despite the formal address.

Worf immediately shook his head.  

“No, sir,” he said. Even to his own ears it was not a very convincing lie, and Worf internally cringed. Riker seemed to study him for a moment, before nodding and turning away. Worf’s shoulders sagged in relief. He feared the actual conversation that was to come. If simply the thought of this idea got him so wound up, Kahless only knows how horribly the conversation will go. Worf briefly entertained asking someone else, but no one would be as willing, and there was no one Worf trusted more than Commander Riker.

Now he just has to wait until the end of the shift. Worf was sure he would die waiting.

 “Commander, may I speak to you privately?” Worf asked as the shift came to an end and the night watch crew was coming onto the bridge. How he managed to keep his voice from shaking is beyond him, but he was thankful for it.

Riker looked to him, watching for a moment, before nodding. “Sure. My quarters okay?”

No. Absolutely not.

“Very well.” 

Dammit.

Riker smiled and led the way, the two of them stepping into the turbolift together, riding down to the residential levels of the ship. During the short trip Worf wished that Kahless himself would take pity on him and save him from this conversation. He frowned and closed his eyes, trying to keep it together and not flee like every part of him was begging him to. He could feel Riker’s eyes on him, and could tell he wanted to say something, but kept his mouth shut.

Once the doors opened, Riker led the two of them into his quarters, and he went straight for his couch, collapsing on it. His eyes were trained on Worf where he was hovering near the doorway, frown still on his face.

“Now, spill. What’s been eating at you all day?”

Worf nearly jumped at that, looking guilty. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it, frowning again.

Riker frowned as well at the silence, his eyebrows furrowed together. “I know you like to close yourself off or whatever, but when you’ve got something on your mind, it’s painfully obvious. Is it something I did? Or somebody else? I can-”

“I have a favor to ask of you,” Worf said, interrupting Riker’s rambling. Riker looked shocked for a moment at the interruption, but nodded.

“Hit me with it. Whatever you need.”

Worf took a deep breath and crossed his arms. “You are aware that we are visiting Earth in a few days, correct?”

Riker laughed. “Uh, yes. I am the first officer, after all. It’s my duty to-”

“Humor me, commander.”

Riker looked shocked at the second interruption as well. Normally Worf was one to let others finish talking before speaking, so this was out of the ordinary. He felt his concern grow.

“Yes. I’m aware that we’re stopping at Earth for a few days,” he said slowly.

Worf nodded and cleared his throat. “Yes. Well, my parents will be visiting. They wish to see Alexander and I.”

“I… okay. I don’t see the issue there. Many other officers will be off the ship or have family visiting as well,” Riker said, looking confused.

Worf’s hands felt sweaty and his heart was racing. This was such a bad idea. He moved away from the door and instead leaned against the wall, using it as support if he were to collapse, and to get a few more feet between him and Riker, as if that would calm his nerves. He felt Riker’s eyes following him. He kept his gaze on his shoes.

“Well. For many years my mother has been… concerned about me. During her visits she always asks about my friends… and love life. She feels as though I am lonely and should be finding someone to settle down with, and every time she asks it seems to wear on her more and more. She and my father are getting old, and I loathe the fact that this is causing her pain, despite how… irrelevant the concern may seem to me.” He took a deep breath.

He didn’t know how to interpret the silence coming from Riker, so he continued.

“As I do not wish to cause her more anguish, I have a request for you, commander,” he said, then looked up, meeting Riker’s eyes. He was staring at Worf curiously, and Worf could practically hear the gears turning in his head.

“I wanted to ask if you would be willing to… feign a relationship with me while my parents are visiting, to help me make this easier for them.”

The moment those words left his mouth, Riker’s face broke out into a grin, and he started laughing, head thrown back against the couch. 

Worf’s scowl deepened and his arms were pulled tighter against his chest.

“I fail to see the humor in my request." His voice was low and almost a growl.

Riker just sat back up and continued smiling. He stood up off the couch and walked toward Worf, shaking his head. Worf would have taken a step back, except for the fact that he was already against the wall. He felt like a caged animal, gaze searching Riker’s face for any sort of malice.

“No, no, Worf. I’m not laughing at you,” he said, stopping a couple feet or so in front of Worf. “This was just the last thing I was expecting to hear from you. I thought you were going to tell me you had an issue with someone on your security detail or something. Not this. You just surprised me, is all.” Riker was grinning, his gaze soft, and Worf felt his face heat up again.

“I… I apologize. I did not know how else to talk about this, and decided you were the best person to ask this of,” Worf said. His words were slow, measured, as he was still nervous about Riker’s response.

Riker’s gaze turned into something almost… fond, and it made Worf’s heart skip a beat. His smile was soft, and the look in his eyes held a lot of unspoken emotion that Worf didn’t know how to interpret. After a moment, he took a small step forward, reaching an arm out to touch Worf’s shoulder.  

“I’m honored you chose me for this little… plan of yours. I’m more than happy to play along for a little bit. Just tell me what I need to do and I’m on board,” Riker said, hand tightening on Worf’s shoulder.  

Worf frowned minutely, eyebrows creasing. He hadn’t really thought this far ahead in his plan, too occupied with just asking Riker. He broke eye contact with Riker and looked to anywhere but the man in front of him.

“I did not think this far ahead. And considering you have more… experience with relationships than I do, I will gladly accept your input,” he said.

Riker nodded and took his hand off Worf’s shoulder. He cocked his head in thought as well.  

“Well. The big things are that we need to come up with a cover story,” Riker said, breaking away to slowly pace the room, Worf’s eyes following him. “When we got together, what our first date was, that kind of thing.” 

Worf nodded even though Riker couldn’t see him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Riker continued. 

“I can think of something. Don’t worry about it. We can meet up again tomorrow to discuss the logistics of our story and whatever. Sound good?” he asked, turning to face Worf again.

“Very well,” Worf said. He wanted to say more, but this whole interaction made Worf feel like his brain had turned to mush. This was so much to take in at once, and his mind was racing. 

Riker stared at him for a moment before breaking into a large grin.

“Now, the fun stuff,” he said.

The glint in Riker’s eyes made Worf’s blood run cold.  

“They’ll expect us to be cuddling, holding hands, and things like that. How do you feel about kissing?” he asked, grin growing wider, if that was even possible.

Worf could practically feel the blood drain from his face. He had absolutely not thought this through. 

“I- uh,” he started, but didn’t even know what he wanted to say. How did he feel about kissing? He had barely kissed anyone in his whole life, and had never thought about kissing Riker before. Now that he was thinking about it, his whole body felt warm, with something he didn’t want to put a name to.  

Riker must have taken his silence as a “no,” so he turned away and continued pacing.  

“It’s fine if you don’t want to. Might make our job a little bit harder, but we’ll just have to really sell the hand holding. Should be fine.” 

“I- I apologize. I did not put any thought into… kissing… so I was not prepared for the question,” Worf said, making Riker turn to look at him. “I do not know how I feel about it.”

Riker nodded. “That’s fine. We won’t do anything you’re not one hundred percent on board with. We can revisit the idea later.”

“Alright,” Worf said. Then, he turned to the clock on the wall and grimaced at the time. “I’m afraid I must go. Alexander will be home for dinner soon.”

“Sure thing. I’ll do some thinking and get back to you tomorrow. This will be so much fun.”

“I’m glad one of us thinks so,” Worf grumbled. Riker just barked out a laugh and slung his arm around Worf’s shoulder, pulling him in for a half hug before nudging him toward the door. 

“Have a good night, Worf. See you tomorrow.”

“You as well,” Worf said, voice quiet. He paused right in front of the door and turned back around. “Thank you, commander. For being willing to aid me in this.”

Riker smiled at him. “Come now. Call me Will. I think that’s more than warranted at this point.” 

Worf nodded and left the room. The second the doors shut behind him, he let out a huge sigh.

He was going to regret this.

 The few days following Worf’s initial conversation with Rik- Will, had been a whirlwind, and he didn’t quite know how to act. Will, on the other hand, had taken the challenge in stride and went all out with their backstory.  

They had apparently gotten together after an away mission had gone wrong a few months ago, where Will had gotten hurt and Worf hadn’t left his bedside until he was better. The shared company raised some feelings, and they had been together since then. Worf didn’t know how he felt about that, but Will had said “trust me, it’ll work. I don’t partake in Beverly’s plays for no reason. We got this.” 

Worf was inclined to believe him, despite his brain yelling the opposite.  

As for their first date, Will had the genius idea for it to have been a mountain hike up the Ural Mountains in Russia on the Holodeck, considering their shared upbringing in cold environments. Worf had been surprised about that suggestion, but it seemed more believable than the getting together story, so he went with it.  

Will had also, thankfully, taken the opportunity to inform the rest of the senior staff as to their plan, after getting clearance from Worf. The last thing Worf wanted was for them to think this was a real thing, and at least now they would play along if need be.  

Captain Picard had been confused, but otherwise stoic about the idea. Worf knew he preferred to keep out of the personal lives of his officers. Beverly and Geordi had been excited and amused at the idea, casting Worf a grin every time they saw him, much to Worf’s annoyance. Data had been almost as confused as Picard, taking the opportunity to ask Worf a multitude of slightly invasive questions, which Worf instead fielded to Will. 

Deanna had the reaction Worf had been expecting the least. The first time he saw her after Will had told her (she had been the first, obviously), she looked at him with a gentle smile that set him on edge. She looked like she knew something he didn’t, and he tore his gaze from her, knowing very well she could feel the embarrassment wash over him in waves.  

Worf also had the worst responsibility of all, which was that he had to tell Alexander. He brought up the conversation awkwardly during dinner a couple of days before they got to Earth, explaining both what was happening and his reasoning as to why he was doing this. Worf knew he didn’t completely understand, but he seemed to get it enough, harboring no hard feelings for Worf supposedly being over K’Ehleyr. That had been one of Worf’s main concerns, and he nearly sighed in relief knowing Alexander was okay with this.  

Even better, Alexander had taken the act in stride and began seeking out Will, spending some time with him when the three of them were having dinner together one night. Worf was unsurprised at how good Will was with Alexander. He had always been good with kids. People in general, really. He had watched the two of them play with some sort of gadget on the floor of their quarters that night, biting his lip in thought.   

Now, the Enterprise was docked at Earth and the repairs were getting underway. Worf had been essentially relieved from duty, and Will had made sure to clear his schedule for a couple hours in order to meet Worf’s parents. He couldn’t be completely off duty like other officers, but he had managed to work something out.  

Currently, Worf was standing in the transporter room with Alexander in front of him, hand on the boy’s shoulder. Will was standing behind the two of them, grin on his face. Worf pointedly ignored him. 

The three of them nearly jumped at the voice coming from the console, letting the transporter chief know that people were ready to be beamed aboard. Worf swallowed around the lump in his throat as his mother and father materialized on the transporter pad, lighting up once they saw Worf and Alexander.

“Alexander, my dear boy!” Sergey exclaimed, causing Alexander to tear himself away from his father’s grasp and run at his grandfather. Sergey picked him up, with a little bit of effort, hugging him tightly. Helena stepped over to them, pinching Alexander’s cheek before joining in on the hug.  

“Worf, how good to see you again,” Helena said after a moment. She pulled away from Sergey and Alexander and walked toward Worf, smiling widely. She cupped his face in her hands as well, giving him a kiss on each cheek before pulling him into a hug.

“You as well, mother. Father,” he said, nodding to his father before giving the man a handshake. Sergey smiled at him before looking over his shoulder, right at Will, who was no doubt grinning. 

Worf sighed, bracing himself before turning to face Will, grabbing the man’s hand. Will squeezed his hand, trying to be comforting, but it just served to make Worf more nervous.  

“Mother, father, this is Commander William Riker. He the first officer aboard the Enterprise. And he is my… partner.” 

The moment the word partner fell from his lips, Worf watched as both of his parents’ faces lit up even more, looking quickly between Worf and Will. 

“Oh, how wonderful!” Helena just about yelled, throwing herself at Will, wrapping her arms around him. Will stumbled in surprise, but quickly regained his footing, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders. She pulled away after a moment, smiling up at him. “Worf has so far failed to mention this in our correspondence, so forgive me for acting surprised.” She playfully glared at Worf, then looked back. “It’s lovely to meet you, dear.”

“And you as well, Mrs. Rozhenko,” Will said, nodding. “And Worf has not mentioned it at my request, forgive me. We wanted to take it slow at first. It is wonderful to finally meet you. I believe we missed each other the last time you were on board, but now the circumstances are quite different.” 

Worf looked a little shocked at Will’s ad-libbing, but was silently thankful for taking the blame for the lack of communication. It was one less thing he would be grilled about later.  

Helena simply hummed in reply and moved to hook Will’s arm around her, practically dragging him out of the transporter room. “Come, we must talk,” she said, to which Will looked to Worf, smiling at him and letting go of his hand, letting her lead him away. 

Sergey came up to him then, patting Worf on the shoulder, his smile soft. “I am happy for you, son. It is good to see you with others.” Then he pulled away and led a grinning Alexander out the door with him, following after Will and Helena.  

Once the doors shut behind them, Worf let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face. This was going to be an exhausting few days. He turned to look at the transporter chief, who was staring at him with the most confused look Worf had probably seen on anyone. Worf glared at them. 

“Do not speak a word of this to anyone,” he said, voice low. Once satisfied with the chief’s enthusiastic nod, Worf took off as well. 

Worf was practically sprinting through the hallways, trying to figure out where they had gone. What few officers were left easily stepped out of his way, slightly confused, but Worf paid them no mind. Once he caught up to the four of them at the turbolift, he slowed. They all smiled at his presence.  

“Worf! Your lovely Will here was just telling me about the refit that the Enterprise is currently undergoing,” Sergey said excitedly. “Very interesting stuff.” 

“Yes, very interesting,” Worf said. His voice was completely blank.  

Will just laughed and stepped back over to Worf, brushing his hand along his back. Worf had to physically stop himself from tensing at the touch. 

“Yes, well, speaking of the refit. I’m afraid I must go. Duty calls,” Will said, turning to Worf. There was a hint of concern in his eyes but Worf ignored it.

“I understand, Will,” Helena said, stepping forward to take Will’s free hand in hers. “But I would like the opportunity to get to know you better. Would you two be willing to join us for dinner tomorrow night?”

Worf internally groaned, but kept his face stoic. The hand on his back pressed a little firmer, no doubt trying to comfort him.  

“Very well, mother. We will have dinner with you tomorrow.” He looked down to Alexander. “Alexander, how about you show them around the ship? I’m sure they would love another tour.” 

“Okay!” Alexander beamed and grabbed both of his grandparents’ hands, tugging them into the turbolift and talking excitedly about a new holoprogram he had been playing with recently.  

The second the doors shut and he and Will were alone again, Worf practically sagged in relief. Will’s hand dropped from his back, and Worf found himself missing the touch.  

“I think that went pretty well, don’t you think?” Will asked.  

“Yes, I think it went well,” Worf said. His voice was quiet, and Will furrowed his eyebrows in concern again. 

“Hey, are you okay? Was the back touch too much? I won’t do that again. We can back out of this at any time, I can make myself busy and miss din-”

“No, no,” Worf interrupted. Will looked at him quizzically. “It was fine. This is just… a lot. I am glad my parents are happy, though.” This was getting dangerously close to Feelings Territory, and Worf’s brain was screaming at him to abort mission.  

Will didn’t seem convinced but dropped it anyway. “Okay. If you change your mind about anything please tell me. I don’t want you to make yourself do something you don’t want to do.”

Yep. Definitely too close to Feelings Territory. 

“I’m fine, commander,” Worf said. Will didn’t look too happy about the formal address, but didn’t comment on it.

“Okay. Well. I do actually have to get back to work, but let me know if you need anything.”

Worf just nodded, and watched Will walk down the hall.

A couple of hours later, Worf was standing in sick bay, going over the security plans for a relatively dangerous specimen that was going to be brought aboard in a few days. A security detail had to be assigned to both the transport and storage of the specimen, which left Worf in charge of collaborating with Doctor Crusher.

They were just wrapping up their plans, a bunch of PADDs spread out on the doctor’s desk between them, when Beverly grinned. She kicked her feet up on the edge of the desk, tossed a PADD onto the pile, and beamed at Worf. 

“So. How are things with you and loverboy?” Her voice had a teasing tone to it and Worf wanted to phase into the floor.

“He’s not…” Worf started, but trailed off. He didn’t want to get into this. “Things are fine. My parents seem to approve. So I would say so far we are achieving the goal. We are eating dinner with them tomorrow evening.” 

Beverly’s grin widened. “Wonderful. You know, he’s so great with people, I would be surprised if they didn’t like him. No wonder you picked him for this little scheme of yours.” 

“Doctor…” Worf warned, scowling at her. He absolutely did not want to talk about this, about just why he asked Will of all people. One conversation with Will himself was already too much. He couldn’t do it with Beverly too. He wasn’t built for sharing… feelings. 

She laughed and waved him off. “Fine, fine. I’ll stop teasing. But I expect a full report back after this is all over. And if I can’t get it from you, I’ll definitely be able to get it from Will.”

Worf grumbled in response. 

The next twenty four hours were more or less painless. Most of Worf’s parents’ time was spent with Alexander, and Will had been so busy with the repairs that Worf hadn’t really seen him except for a couple check ins here and there.  

But now Worf was standing in his quarters, straightening out his uniform and retying his hair, waiting for Will to come get him so they could walk to dinner together. Alexander was off with friends for the night again, thankfully, but that also meant that the conversation would only be focused on him and Will. Worf dreaded it.

A chirp sounded in the room and Worf looked to the door through the mirror. 

“Come in,” he said, finishing up tightening his ponytail and letting it fall against his back. 

The doors opened and Will stepped inside, his civilian clothing contrasting Worf’s uniform. Will looked at his outfit skeptically.  

“What, do you not have any other clothes? Do you sleep in that thing?” he asked, leaning against the wall.  

Worf glared at him. “I do have other clothing. I just prefer to wear this.” 

“Okay, okay!” Will held his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, wasn’t trying to be rude.” 

“Let us go. The faster we can get this over with, the better,” Worf grumbled, pushing past Will and marching right out the door. He heard hurried footsteps as Will rushed to catch up to him. 

“May I remind you that this was all your idea,” Will said, falling into step beside Worf.

“I know.”

The two of them fell silent as they made their way to Ten Forward. When the doors opened and Worf’s eyes fell on his parents, already there and sitting at a table, he froze in place. Will seemed to notice this and came to stand next to him, taking his hand and leaning in so his lips were close to Worf’s ear. Worf suppressed a shiver at the feeling of his breath against his skin. 

“It’ll be fine. I promise. You’re okay,” he said quietly, before leading the two of them toward the table.  

Worf felt his face burn at the words. Leave it to Will to read him like a book.  

Upon seeing the two of them, Sergey and Helena beamed, ushering them into seats next to each other, talking excitedly about something that happened on the ship that day. Worf was thankful that the conversation didn’t start on him and Will, but knew it was coming soon. He just held his breath and hoped for the best.  

The topic change came just as they were finishing dinner, much to Worf’s relief. That left only a short amount of time for them to actually grill them before it would be acceptable to retire for the evening.  

The first question had been, predictably, about how and when they got together. Worf and Will answered that question with practiced ease, and then the subsequent questions about the details and first dates and all of that. Worf was feeling confident about the way they had been answering questions, and his parents seemed to have no sliver of doubt. 

And then, the conversation got turned to him directly.  

“So, Worf, what was it about Will here that finally got you to… go after him, so to speak?” Helena asked, taking a sip of her drink. “You’ve always been so reserved, I was starting to think you wouldn’t be in a relationship again.” 

A ball of lead formed in Worf’s stomach. There were so many issues with what she had just said. The final comment was way too deep and personal for him to talk about with Will, and now he was just being handed Worf’s issues on a silver platter. And, on top of that, now he was meant to describe, in detail, why he was romantically interested in Will? This was actually the worst thing to ever happen to him.

Will looked at him sharply, expression panicked, before steeling it and giving him a small smile. The expression only lasted a second, and only his eyes held concern now, so he was sure his parents had missed it. Worf just stared at this parents for a moment, eyes wide, barely breathing. A hand came to rest on his thigh under the table, and his hand came to rest on top of it, squeezing it just a bit too hard. Normally he would be more reserved about any sort of affection, but his brain currently felt like it was running on fumes.  

Worf opened his mouth to reply, but Will cut him off before he could say anything. 

“Actually, I was the one who asked him out. After we had been spending a lot of time together I was interested in starting something together, and I basically kept bugging him until he said yes,” Will said, voice light, ending the statement in a laugh.

Helena and Sergey laughed as well, taking that admittedly poorly executed answer and eventually changing the topic. Even though he wasn’t looking at him, Worf could practically feel Will relax. He squeezed the hand on his thigh again in thanks, getting a squeeze back in response. Worf looked to him, seeing a small but hesitant smile on Will’s face. He nodded minutely, then turned back to his parents.  

Crisis averted. 

As the evening came to a close, Worf found himself exhausted. He could tell that Will was hitting his limit as well, but was too polite to say anything about it. Worf reached forward and knocked back the rest of his drink, placing his hands flat on the table.  

“Well, mother, father, I believe it is time for us to retire for the night. Lots of work to be done tomorrow, after all,” Worf said, standing up. Will looked up to him and followed his lead. 

Sergey and Helena smiled at them both and nodded. They stood up as well. 

“Let us at least walk you two to your quarters,” Sergey said, and Helena nodded vigorously in agreement.  

Will and Worf nodded in agreement, and the four of them left Ten Forward, walking toward their quarters. Helena had taken Will’s arm again, pushing Sergey and Worf to the back. 

“It’s wonderful that Worf has someone to share quarters with again. He’s always been one for isolation, so I’m sure you and Alexander make his home life a lot more lively,” Helena said to Will, glancing over her shoulder back at Worf momentarily.

Of course. Of course she would assume that they lived together.  

Worf clenched his teeth together and kept quiet, where as Will managed to easily reign in his surprise. He laughed and gave Helena’s arm a pat. 

“Yes, well, it sure has been something. Wouldn’t trade it for the universe, though.” 

Helena grinned.  

The four of them came to a stop in front of Worf’s quarters, Helena letting go of Will’s arm and allowing him to move back to stand next to Worf again, taking his hand.

“This was wonderful, thank you Helena, Sergey,” Will said. “I hope to see you two again before you leave.” 

“You as well, commander,” Sergey said, shaking Will’s hand politely.  

They quickly finished their goodbyes and Will and Worf stepped into Worf’s quarters. As soon as the doors shut, Worf groaned, burying his face in his hands. Will just smiled at him gently.  

“Your parents are lovely, you know,” he said, voice laced with warmth. Worf ignored the way it tugged at his heart. 

“I can’t believe they think we live together,” Worf said in lieu of responding to that comment.  

“I mean, it’s not super surprising. I just wasn’t expecting them to walk us here or anything.” Will paused for a moment, looking around the room. “I can maybe wait a few minutes, then leave to go back to my quarters.” 

Worf looked up then, shaking his head. “No. Don’t underestimate my mother. She will find out if we haven’t slept in the same quarters. I don’t know how, but she will, and I don’t want to risk it.” 

Will huffed out a laugh, but didn’t say anything. A few moments of silence passed and Will looked to the couch.  

“I can sleep on the couch. Then I can go back to my quarters quickly in the morning before I have to be on duty.” 

Worf stared at the couch for a second before scowling. “No. You can take my bed. I will take the couch.”

"Worf…” 

“Take it,” Worf said. Then walked over toward his dresser, pulling out two pairs of pajamas. He tossed one of them to Will. “I am going to change quickly, but feel free to use the bathroom after me if you need to.” 

Worf didn’t give Will a chance to respond as he nearly bolted for the bathroom, letting the doors shut behind him. He quickly stripped off his uniform and put on the pajamas, roughly pulling the ponytail holder out of his hair and letting it fall over his shoulders. He leaned heavily against the sink, staring at himself in the mirror. The counter groaned under the pressure of his rough grip, but Worf ignored the sound.

Not for the first time, Worf wondered if he was doing the right thing. Seeing his parents happy was all he ever wanted, but guilt was eating away at him. He was lying to them. There was no doubt that any self sacrifice on his end was worth their happiness ten times over, but it didn’t mean that he didn’t feel horrible about it. He stared at himself in the mirror for another moment before sighing, tossing his uniform into the laundry basket and heading back out.

As soon as he stepped out of the bathroom, Worf’s eyes fell to Will. He was sitting on Worf’s bed, only wearing the pajama bottoms Worf had given him, his chest bare. Once he saw Worf he smiled.

“Thanks for the pajamas. I’ll make sure they’re clean before I give them back.” 

Worf just waved him off and walked past him into the living area. “I am going to sleep. Good night.” 

“Night,” Will called after him.  

Worf collapsed onto the couch, grabbing the blanket off the back of it and pulling it over himself. He was turned so he faced the back of it, staring into the fabric, warm breath being reflected back onto his face. He listened as Will went into the bathroom, coming back out a few minutes later. He heard the soft rustle of sheets as Will crawled into bed, then the click as he turned the lights off.  

A few minutes of silence passed and Worf still found himself awake. He shifted onto his other side, pulling the blanket tighter around him. When that didn’t work he huffed softly and turned onto his back instead. That didn’t work either.  

A soft sigh came from where Will was sleeping and Worf froze as he heard the sheets rustle again and footsteps coming toward him. He looked up to see Will standing over him, staring at him, a frown on his face. 

“You’re a big baby, you know that?” 

“What?” Worf furrowed his eyebrows.  

Will shook his head. “Share the bed with me.” 

Worf frowned. “I am fine.” 

“No, you’re not. Share the damn bed with me. It’s fine.”

Worf opened his mouth to refuse again, but what resistance he had to the idea faded at the gentle but firm tone to Will’s voice. He sighed and sat up, making Will grin smugly. Bastard. 

He walked over to the bed, standing at the foot of it. He looked back to Will questioningly. 

“Get in,” Will said.

Worf just nodded and climbed into bed, curling into himself and getting as close to the edge of the bed as he could. There was only so much room, and considering how big the both of them were, it was going to be a bit cramped. Will followed after him, climbing onto the other side of the bed. Worf felt the bed shift and froze in place as Will’s arm came up to wrap around his waist.

“Is this okay?” Will asked, whispering.  

“Yes,” Worf practically choked out, trying to calm the rapid beating of his heart.

The arm around his waist tightened and Worf felt Will pull closer, chest pressed to his back, forehead against the back of his neck. 

That night, Worf got the best sleep he had in years.

The next day, Worf was back in Ten Forward, nursing his glass of prune juice and the meal he had ordered for lunch. It was surprisingly quiet for the time of day, but Worf was thankful for it.  

That morning, he had woken up to an empty bed. The pants Will had borrowed were folded on the end of the bed, with a small note with a smiley face drawn on it on top. Alexander was back from staying the night with his friend, eating breakfast in the living room, so Worf dragged himself out of bed, asking Alexander about his evening.

Just as Worf took another sip of his juice, a gentle hand touched his shoulder. He flinched in surprise but relaxed when he noticed Deanna’s face smiling down at him.  

He looked to the empty seats around him, the back to Deanna, and eyebrow raised. “Would you care to join me?” 

Deanna laughed softly. “I’m afraid I can’t. I’ve got an appointment in a few minutes,” she said. “I just wanted to check on you see how you were doing.” 

“I’m alright,” Worf said, taking a bite of his food.

Deanna hummed, staring at him. 

Worf frowned.

“You do not believe me.” It’s a statement, not a question. Her eyes were swimming with a bunch of different emotions, and Worf had a hard time figuring out exactly what she was getting at here. 

“I know you’ve had a lot on your mind recently. I want you to know that if you want to talk, I’m always available,” she said gently, squeezing his shoulder. 

As much as he admired Deanna, there’s something about her that terrified Worf. She could always read him like a book, and although Worf knew that part of that was due to her Betazoid heritage, having his feelings understood without any of his own input was unsettling. He was a private person, after all.  

He appreciated the gesture. He really did. But this was the last thing he wanted to talk to people about. 

“I do not-” he started, but Deanna cut him off. 

“I know. I know you don’t really do feelings. But I just want to make sure you knew that people are here for you, even if you don’t want to talk.” 

Worf nodded and lifted his drink to her as a toast. “Thank you, Deanna.” 

She smiled at him and turned to leave, taking a step away from him, before turning back around again. This time, she looked conflicted, and it made Worf uneasy. 

“It’s okay. You know that, right?” 

“What?” Worf asked, confused. It was like he missed a whole part of their conversation. 

Instead of clarifying, Deanna shook her head. “Never mind. Have a good afternoon, Worf,” she said before turning around and leaving, Worf staring after her, more confused than ever.  

 Later, Worf was walking with his mother down the hallway, trying to make plans for another dinner together before her and his father left the next day.  

“You know, Worf,” Helena said, smiling up at him. “I really like Will. He seems like a wonderful man. He seems good for you.” 

Worf could feel his face heating up with a blush. He stared down at her, saying nothing. 

“I’m very happy to see that you’re branching out, spending more time with people. It’s good for you. He’s good for you. He looks at you with such admiration, and the look you give him in return is so filled with love.” 

Worf’s brain short circuits. He what? 

He knew he was staring at his mother like a deer in the headlights, but she continued.

“It’s a look I’ve never really seen on you, but it makes me so happy. I’m happy you’re happy, my boy,” she said, held one of his hands in hers, squeezing softly.  

She must have taken his silence to mean something good, because she changed the subject, talking about Alexander instead. Worf registered that she was saying things to him, and his responses were bland and automatic, but his brain was just repeating that statement on loop: the look you give him in return is so filled with love. 

 Worf managed not to panic until he was stumbling into his quarters, not even making it to the couch and instead collapsing against the wall. He slid down it and had his head pressed down between his knees, his breath coming out in shallow pants. This was so bad. So, so bad.

“Worf?” a voice called out, and his head shot up to see Will sitting on the couch, reading a PADD. Except the PADD was now discarded, and he was staring at Worf in concern. 

What did he do to deserve this? The last thing he needed was for Will, the person who was the center of his panic, to be present while he was panicking. He really needed to be alone. Worf just put his head back between his legs, hands coming up to grip his head tightly. 

“Worf? Are you okay?” Will tried again after Worf ignored him the first time.  

“I’m fine,” Worf ground out, not looking up. He could hear shuffling as Will walked over to him, crouching in front of him so they were eye level. 

“Hey,” Will said softly. Worf ignored him. Hands reached out to tear his fingers out of his hair, bringing his hands down to his sides. Then the hands came to cup Worf’s cheeks, forcing him to look up and meet Will’s eyes. The hands were soft, warm, and Worf had to restrain himself from leaning into the touch. 

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Will asked, raising an eyebrow at him, eyes full of concern.  

Worf shook his head, not saying anything. He just stared at Will, staring into his eyes, before his gaze fell to Will’s lips. First he gets the shocking news that he stares at Will like he’s actually in love, and now he’s here, staring at Will’s lips, wanting to kiss him? What is happening? 

He must have been staring too long because Worf could tell the second Will noticed Worf staring at his lips. He looked confused for a moment, before realization dawned on his face, and a pink blush crawled over his cheeks. Worf tried not to think about how good he looked like that.  

“Oh,” Will said quietly, still staring at him, blush spreading even wider now. He was still crouched on the ground, and his hands were still warm against Worf’s face. 

Worf made a choked noise in the back of his throat, staring wide eyed at him. Will looked nervous, eyes flitting around his before settling on his lips as well. 

“I…” Will tried again, trying to get a grip on his words. He eventually gave up, sighing softly and tightening his grip on Worf’s face. After repositioning himself so he was more or less sitting on the ground, Will leaned forward slightly, looking to Worf’s lips again, then back up to Worf’s eyes. 

Worf’s heart hammered in his chest. 

“Is this okay?” Will asked quietly.  

They were close enough now that Worf could feel his breath against his face, and Worf’s eyes widened even more, if that was even possible. Worf let out a shaky sigh as his eyes fell closed, nodding. 

There was nothing for a moment, and then soft lips were being pressed to his own. It was soft, hesitant, and it made Worf’s breath hitch. After getting over the initial shock, Worf pressed into it, his own hands coming up to cup Will’s head as well, just holding onto him. The kiss remained gentle, neither one of them trying to deepen it, but it was one of the best kisses Worf had ever had, in his limited experience.

One of Will’s hands creeped backward and sunk into Worf’s hair, making Worf let out a happy sigh, smiling into the kiss. He felt Will’s lips curl up in a smile as well, forcing them to break the kiss. He laughed softly and pressed his forehead to Worf’s. Both of them kept their eyes closed, relishing in the moment. Worf let one of his thumbs rub against Will’s cheek, making Will press another chaste kiss to Worf’s lips. 

“That was… nice,” Worf said, causing Will to break out into laughter. He cracked his eyes open then, finding Will staring at him lovingly. Worf’s heart caught in his chest as he realized that this is the look his mother had been talking about, and that he had definitely seen it on Will earlier in the week. 

“I’m glad,” Will said. Then he pulled away and looked over to the couch. “Can we move this conversation, though? This is not the most comfortable position to be in.” 

Worf nodded and let Will pull him up from the floor. The two of them walked over and sat down on the couch. Will basically collapsed onto it, propping his legs up on the coffee table, while Worf sat down gingerly next to him, sitting up straight. He was suddenly a lot more nervous than he had been a minute ago. Will seemed to notice this. 

“So,” Will started, watching Worf carefully. “Did that have any meaning behind it, or were you just curious?” 

Worf stared at him for a moment, a look of concentration on his face, before replying.  

“The first one. I think.” 

“You think?”

“I… I do not know what I am feeling right now. All I know was that I wanted to kiss you, and that I enjoyed it,” Worf grumbled, almost frustrated with his own inability to discern his own feelings about the situation.

“That’s okay, you know. You don’t have to know everything right now. If you want to keep testing things out, that’s okay,” Will said gently.  

Worf scowled at that and shook his head. He stood up and started pacing around the room.

“No. It’s not okay,” he said sharply. He wasn’t looking at Will, but could practically feel his frown.  

“Worf-”

“No,” Worf said, looking at Will. “I do not… I do not do relationships. You heard my mother at dinner. This is not typical for me, and I do not know what I am doing.”

Will sighed and stood up as well, coming to stand in front of Worf, forcing him to stop pacing. 

“That’s okay, Worf. We can take our time with this. You don’t have to rush into anything.” 

Worf just shook his head. He was so bad at this. Dealing with his feelings. There was so many layers to this that it was impossible to explain, and Worf was getting off to a bad start. 

“When I let people get close, they get hurt, and I can not let that happen again. Not with you,” Worf said taking a step back. 

Will’s hands came up to grasp at Worf’s shoulders. “How about you let me decide that for myself, huh? I’m a big boy. I can take care of myself.”

“Bu-”

“No,” Will said, forcing them to make eye contact. “I won’t pretend to know what’s going on in that head of yours, but that’s the thing. I want to understand. I want to get to know you better and understand why you’re you and what makes you tick. In this line of work I can’t promise I won’t get hurt. I know that and you know that. But I want to try. I want to figure out what is going on between us, okay? If that turns out to be a relationship with you, then fantastic. If we figure out you’re not interested in me that way, that’s okay too. We can still be great friends. I just want to get to know you.” 

Will was staring at him earnestly, one hand pressed against Worf’s chest, over his heart, and Worf could find no trace of malice in his eyes. As much as Will had said being just friends was going to be okay, something about the way he was speaking and staring at Worf said exactly the opposite.

Worf watched Will carefully, letting his words wash over him in waves. After a moment, he nodded, causing Will to grin brightly. 

“I… it’s probably the first one,” Worf said hesitantly. 

“The relationship one?”

“Yes,” Worf said. “But… I can not guarantee anything. However, I would like to try. Test things out with you.”

“Wonderful,” Will said before bringing a hand up to cup Worf’s neck, pulling him in slightly. “Just double checking, but kissing is okay?”

Worf nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. Kissing is very much okay.” 

Will just laughed and closed the gap between them.