“Speaking of loneliness, I’ve been thinking a lot about you and me— us,” the Captain said, as his hand somehow found its way across the table and folded over Beverly’s.
“What have you been thinking?”
“About our relationship.” His intense blue eyes wandered over her face. “I was wondering if perhaps it isn’t time to get a little closer.”
“Is that what you want, Jean-Luc?” Beverly asked softly, tilting her head. “To get a little closer?”
He smiled ruminatively at her in the flickering light and shadows. “Yes.”
“I think I’m satisfied with our relationship just the way it is now,” she said in her way of gentle practicality, yet she did give his hand an affectionate squeeze and nodded once. “I think we should enjoy a healthy friendship long before we look at possible romance. We agreed on that a long time ago… and so far it has worked wonderfully.”
There was a long silence following her statement, and the Captain rose from his chair and walked across to the old mahogany music-box: upon flipping its switch, ethereal strains of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata drifted into the air. “Would you care to dance?” he asked, turning abruptly to face her with eyes that glinted merrily.
“I thought you didn’t dance.” Beverly raised one eyebrow in playful skepticism.
“Only on special occasions,” he said, looking at her in a way that, strangely, she could not resist. “Come on, Beverly— one dance.”
She smiled and thus got up, gently placing her arms round him as they began a slow, sweeping, graceful dance round the cabin. It was not a lengthy song but it did seem to fly past like the wind, and when at last it did end they found themselves halting and staring at each other: and before they knew it they leaned in and their lips met. Beverly did not resist, softly relaxing to Jean-Luc’s caresses, until suddenly she jerked to reality and somewhat breathlessly broke away from him. “I should go,” she said softly, as she adjusted the sleeve of her dress that had somehow been knocked askew.
The Captain looked deeply disappointed as he walked her to the door and they exchanged a very swift, awkward goodnight in the form of a very swift and awkward kiss; and when the door of the cabin had closed Beverly leaned against the wall in sudden weariness and struggled to process all that had happened. What was that? she wondered with a shiver, hastening her steps to her own cabin without a backward glance.
~ Star Trek: The Next Generation
(Episode "Allegiance")