Fic: Cardassian Courtship 2/3 (Star Trek DS9)

[ladydrace]

Crossposted to doctor_tailordoctor_tailor . 

Title: Cardassian Courtship
Series: Star Trek, Deep Space Nine
Pairings: Garak/Bashir
Part: 2/3
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Uhm... sex? Like you need a warning... ;o)
Beta: Ain't got one. Probably loads of weird errors and typos, but at least it's only myself who's to blame.
Feedback: Yes please.
Disclaimer: I don't own any sex-oozing Cardassians or puppy-dog-cute Doctors. Or even the concepts thereof. *sigh* Not mine. At all. Oh I only wish.
Summary: Bashir suddenly connects some dots.doctor_tailor

At their next lunch, Julian was deliberately a few minutes late to make sure that Garak arrived first. And sure enough, the tailor was sitting at a table reading a datapadd to pass the time. Taking a deep breath and hitching just the right face on, Julian made his way slowly to his friend. He sat with his back to him so everything was perfect. The tailor heard his footsteps and made a slight move, as if to turn around, but before he could, Julian stepped up very close behind his friend, and placed both hands deliberately on the warm, scaly shoulders.

Garak hesitated, and Julian couldn't repress a smile. A reaction. Perfect.

“Hello Garak. I'm sorry I'm late.”

A slight squeeze to the shoulders and then he slowly let go and went to his seat, letting his one hand linger just a little longer on the shoulder nearest to him. As he sat down Garak's face was rather blank, but he was quite friendly.

“That's perfectly alright doctor. I was just passing time perusing one of your ghastly love stories again. I thought maybe a second reading would increase my understanding of it, but so far I must confess I've not had much luck.”

How fortunate. This choice of subject would suit Julian's plan perfectly.

“Which one is it?”

Garak placed the padd on the table and pushed it away with a single finger, as if it was uncomfortable even touching it.

“Romeo and Juliet. I'm afraid it's still quite pointless to me.”

They debated their earlier conversations on the very same book as they got their food and returned to the table. After a few mouthfuls, listening to Garak's displeasure with the story, Julian decided there was no time like the present. He laid down his fork and folded his hands in front of him while fixing Garak with a steady gaze.

“Garak, what exactly is your idea of love?”

The Cardassian returned his gaze calmly.

“I'm not sure I understand what you mean?”

“Well, we've discussed poetry, mystery novels and great works of literature for years, but we always seem to get nowhere when our discussions reach the subject of love. I'm starting to wonder if we are simply talking about two entirely different things. So now I thought it was time to ask you about it, to avoid future confusion.”

Garak huffed in a dismissive kind of way.

“Well your question was rather vaguely put, if you don't mind me saying so. The answer you get depend greatly on what exactly it is you're asking. If for instance you're asking about my view of love as a Cardassian and I reply from the assumption that you meant my personal opinion, the answer would not deliver the desired information. You will have to be much more specific.”

Julian chewed the inside of his cheek, considering how to continue.

“Hmm. I see your point. But I think I'll start with your personal perception of love, since my goal was to lessen confusion in our private conversations.”

Julian could have sworn he saw the tailor grin to himself before hitching his confused face back on.

“I'm afraid you're still being very vague my dear Doctor. Love is a thing of many facets. My love for the Empire is very different from my love for... say... poetry. And if you are talking about my most personal thoughts of love, you should perhaps consider the possibility that such things are simply too private to share. So what exactly do you hope to gain by posing such a difficult question in such an unclear manner?”

Tough cookie eh? Well, Julian was not nearly done yet. But he decided to play along for now and let his frustration show as he always did.

“Garak... sometimes I wonder if you avoid answering my questions, purely for the satisfaction of confusing me.“

This time Garak's smile suddenly looked very sincere.

“Really Doctor, I thought you knew that already. Besides, you must admit that our lunches would not be half as entertaining to you, if you did not still hope to discover I am the Cardassian spy you've accused me of being from the very first time we met. And I must admit that I find great pleasure in watching you try to decide what is a lie and what is not. I'd say we have a mutual interest in keeping things confusing. If I suddenly decided to confess everything, would you not then be bored?“

Julian was pretty thoroughly shocked. How could Garak so quickly and efficiently pinpoint what the conversation was really about? It was so accurate sometimes that it was quite scary. But never mind. If they both knew the game, it was going to be even more fun.

“I don't know. Do you have anything to confess?”

The Cardassian didn't even attempt to hide his wicked grin this time around.

“Of course I do. We have all done things that would warrant a confession to someone. But I fear my confessions would not give you the answers you want.”

Julian had gone so far as practise this next particular facial expression in front of a mirror, to get the exact effect he wanted. So, prepared to read anything his friend's face might reveal, he smiled in a way he would describe as flirtatious, maybe even sexual, and just as a finishing touch, he attempted a rather feminine flirt of bowing his head a little and look at Garak through slightly lowered lashes.

“As interesting as your whole idea of confession might be, you're still avoiding my question. What is your personal view of love? Provided of course, the question is not too... personal.”

Julian could not have asked for a more interesting reaction. The look seemed to take Garak completely by surprise and his jaw dropped the smallest notch before he caught it and then clamped up completely. He was silent for so long that Julian considered asking him if he'd even heard what he said. But instead Julian averted his eyes and took a casual sip of his drink, before returning to his perfectly normal relaxed gaze. When a reply finally arrived it sounded... annoyed? Perhaps. There was certainly a strain to Garak's voice that wasn't there before.

“I thought I explained this to you already. If you ask so vaguely, you must expect a vague answer in return.”

Making his exasperated sigh so pronounced that it pretty much sounded as fake as it was, Julian pretended to be ready to give up as usual.

“Fine! Let me hear a vague answer then.”

Garak flared up in his very familiar way, that usually showed how much he was enjoying the argument when it turned to half hidden insults and insinuations.

“Oh please! Would you really forsake all concerns of accuracy, simply to have some blurred image of my opinion, to base you perception of me on? Would you display an incomplete mosaic, simply because you have found one small piece? You know as well as I do, that the mosaic will never be complete, and you will never even begin to glimpse the big picture before you have gathered many many more pieces.”

Time for one more nudge. This time Julian's face stayed calm, but he let his voice drop to a slow, husky murmur he usually only used in bed with a particularly arousing companion. His voice was practically oozing sex.

“So... what you're saying is... I need to start small?”

Obviously utterly unprepared for another body language attack so soon, Garak's jaw dropped completely this time and his eyes searched his companion's face with unconcealed wonder. The cogs were obviously spinning very fast, trying to gauge his friend's intentions. It took a very pronounced swallow and a small cough before Garak could resume.

“That... might be advisable yes...”

Reverting to his usual voice and manner, Julian took up the conversation again as if nothing had happened.

“Alright. Answer me this then. What is the first word that comes into your mind when I say the word love? One simple word, that's gotta be small enough.”

Garak looked very suspicious, but his voice was the same mockingly insulting as always.

“Would you really have me define all my views on love in one word? Doctor, have mercy on a poor tailor...”

“No, that's not what I asked for. The first word. The very first. I don't expect it to be any kind of truth. Simply a word. A word connected to your perception of love, and maybe we can start from that point. When I feel that word has become a reasonably fitting piece of the mosaic, I will ask you what the second word that enters your mind is. I will not give this up, no matter how much you manipulate my words.”

Again Garak looked genuinely surprised, but this time he seemed content letting it it show. Either that, or he had caught on to Julian's game and had already turned the tables. A warm smile appeared and he leaned forwards just a little.

“Weeeell. Looks like I managed to teach you something after all, Doctor Bashir.”

The leaning in didn't escape Julian and he kept the steam up now that the debate was going in the direction he had hoped for.

“First word please.”

Garak's voice dropped, as if he didn't want the next table to hear, which was of course a possibility, but by now Julian was positive that Garak was catching on to his game. He would have to be ready.

“Very well. 'Selflessness'.”

Not a word he would have expected, but with Garak, the trick was to expect the unexpected. Julian followed suit and let his voice drop to 'confidential' level.

“Oooh, tricky. But then again, maybe not. You could be referring to the willingness to sacrifice your own needs for a lover. Or for your Empire perhaps. And yet, it might be even simpler. It might be the simple fact that love for someone or something shifts your focus away from yourself.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Julian was sure the tables had been suddenly turned on him. Garak was now openly staring at him, and very pointedly licked his lips in a suggestive way that made the doctor sweat nervously like he hadn't in years. Oh darn. Keep it together. If he lost it now, he would never know anything. He would have to gamble.

“Oh my, you have been an attentive student haven't you? And since the goal here is to achieve greater mutual understanding, then perhaps I may ask the same thing of you? Your first word?”

Perfect. Garak had apparently decided to take the bait. Now, would he let himself be caught, or would he evade at the last minute?

“Certainly. 'Passion'.”

Julian whispered out the last word, lacing it with as much sex as could possibly be woven into a single word. Garak was now on to him, and didn't let any reaction show. Instead he treated it like a relaxed debate on just about any subject.

“Very good Doctor. Passion can apply to partners, activities or subjects. A very informative first word there. But it's hardly a surprise that you value passion in love. It's no secret that you are a very passionate man Doctor Bashir.”

Time to go for broke. Keeping his voice husky and his manner inviting he put in the finishing touch.

“I suppose not. I put my heart and soul in everything I love. My job. My friends. My lovers. When I see something I like, I must have it now. Not in another week.”

With that, he rose from the table, leaving his lunch all but untouched. Stopping beside Garak, he laid his hand on the upper arm of his companion and slowly let it slide to the shoulder for a firm squeeze that wrenched a little intake of breath from the Cardassian and even from the side his stunned face was quite visible.

“I have to go back to the infirmary now, but I'm really quite tired. I think I'll go to my quarters soon and have an early night.”

And with that open invitation, he left Garak sitting with the remains of lunch and looking quite out of breath. Now it was all up to Garak. Oh he would have his revenge for this like everything else, of that Julian had no doubt. But at least Julian would know if Garak showed up at his quarters tonight... he would know.

 

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