The BLTS Archive- In The Fullness of Time
#3: In The Light of Day
by T'Lin (LinkyS@aol.com)

---

Warning: This story is centered around a m/m relationship, and I aint
talking friendship here! They are lovers, plain and simple ... if this
offends you, or you are uncomfortable with the concept of same sex
relationships, you're in the wrong place.

Disclaimer: Paramount/Viacom owns the characters and the STAR TREK
universe. I just like to borrow them occasionally, and explore their
lives in more intimate detail than we would ever see on TV. This is
all in fun, I make no profit off of this, nor does anyone else.

October, 1999

---

Julian walked into the sickbay nearly an hour late, but nobody seemed
to notice. There were a few patients in the ward, but no one  new in
the past week. His staff was working efficiently, and apparently he
hadn't been needed.

This was a good thing as far as Julian was concerned. After the events
of the night before, and his extreme lack of sleep, he had serious
doubts about his ability to concentrate on anything other than Elim.

When he awoke this morning, only to realize that it had not been a
dream, he was elated! After all the endless nights of dreaming about
making love to Garak, to finally have it true was almost too much to
bear. His only regret was that he had to leave him in bed this
morning. Their time together last night was much too brief for his
liking ... not to mention clouded by his intake of alcohol earlier in
the evening.

They had made plans for lunch, as usual, but that would not alleviate
the ache he felt upon leaving his side this morning. Funny, eating
lunch with Garak used to be enough ... after all, Julian thought it
was all he would ever have of the elusive tailor. However, now that he
has had a taste (both figuratively and literally) of a more intimate
relationship, the thought of settling for less wouldn't do any more.

As Julian sat at his desk, contemplating plans for the future he
envisioned with Garak, his intercom chirped. "Sisko to Bashir."

"Bashir here... what can I do for you, Captain?"

"Are you busy with a patient, Doctor?"

"No... why do you ask?"

"Well, you were supposed to be in the briefing room 10 minutes ago ...
and I was just wondering why you were not here yet." Sisko replied,
sounding very annoyed with his CMO.

"I'm sorry, Captain." Julian quickly scanned his daily schedule to see
what the briefing was about ... a planning session for the next major
offensive ... it had totally slipped his mind.  As he did, he informed
the Captain, "I was going over some files, and lost track of the time
... I'll be right there".

"Make it fast ...we have a lot to discuss today." said the Captain.

"Aye, Sir ... Bashir out."

As Julian gathered the necessary files for the briefing, he swore to
himself ... damn! So much for spending some quality time with Garak
... I'll have to call and cancel lunch.  He tried his own cabin first,
thinking that Garak could still be there, but there was no reply.  He
then called Garak's quarters, but again, he wasn't there.  Realizing
that any further delay would only anger the Captain, he left a message
on Garak's terminal ... it wasn't what he wanted to do, but he had no
choice ... he hoped Garak would understand.

----

"Glad to see you could make it, Doctor", said the Captain as Bashir
finally entered the briefing room.

"Sorry, Sir" Bashir said, looking rather embarrassed, and taking the
only empty seat in the room.

Ezri looked at him out of the corner of her eye as he sat next to her. 
In a conspiratorial whisper, she asked "are you alright?"

"Yes" he whispered back, only to see the Captain look their way with
anger in his eyes.  Both Julian and Ezri gave the Captain their
undivided attention.

"As I was saying ..." said the Captain, and continued with the
briefing.  Plans were discussed, contingency plans made, discussion on
options and probabilities were tossed around.  After all was said and
done, the Captain announced "the DEFIANT will be leaving in two
hours".

Bashir was not happy. He'd have to let Garak know. // Damn ... why
now! // he thought. // maybe I'll see him on the promenade ... if not,
I'll have to call him again when I get onboard ... I hope I can
actually talk to him about this//

"Well, if there are no further questions ..." There were none, so he
continued, "Let's get underway."

The crew left the briefing room, and headed for the DEFIANT.  As they
walked through the Promenade, Julian hoped for a quick word with
Garak, but his shop was closed, and there was no sign of him anywhere.

Ezri, noticing him searching the crowds, asked "who are you looking
for?"

Startled, Julian stopped, and looking down at her replied "ummm ...
nobody..." but he continued to look around the promenade.

"What is it ... you seem very preoccupied today" Ezri commented with a
smile, as she prompted him to start moving again.

"Oh ... it's nothing ... I ... um ... didn't get much sleep last
night." Before he could elaborate further, they were in the lift with
the rest of the DEFIANT's crew, on their way to the docking ring. 
Ezri decided that this was not the best time to confront Julian about
his lack of concentration, or the fact that he looked exhausted. 
After they were on their way, she would find the time to confront him
privately. Until then, she would just have to keep her eye on him.

She was worried about him. This morning, while she was eating
breakfast with Quark in the replomat, he mentioned Julian's activities
over that past few weeks.  Quark wouldn't admit it, but he was worried
about the doctor, and how much time he was spending alone.  What
really had him worried was his preference for alcohol ... he refused
to let Quark give him synthehol, no matter how much he had to drink.

After what Quark said, and Julian's behavior this morning, so was
Ezri.  As a Councilor, she knew (theoretically) what the signs of
alcoholism were, and knew also that Julian fit the profile of a prime
candidate for this condition.  She hoped she was wrong, but she also
vowed to do what she could to help him if she wasn't.  Of course, rule
number one in cases like this is ‘you can't help someone who doesn't
want to be helped'.  Ezri hoped fervently that, if there was a
problem, Julian wanted to be helped ... as far as she was concerned,
there was no option.

---

Garak arose to an empty bed.  Although he had remained awake long
after their brief lovemaking the night before, he had finally drifted
off to sleep before Julian got up.  Obviously, he had not been gone
for long, as the bed was still warm.  Looking at the chronometer, he
realized that Julian must have gotten to sickbay late, he hoped there
were no repercussions for his tardiness.  Luckily, he had no such time
restraints, for there was much he needed to do before tonight.

After a quick shower, Garak left Julian's quarters to make plans for
that night.  He wanted everything to be perfect.  Dinner, followed by
the wonderful process of getting to know one another ... in body, mind
and soul.

Garak had spent a great deal of time learning all he could about human
male sexuality ... especially as it pertained to one specific human
male ... never dreaming he would ever get the chance to use this
knowledge.  But last night, just as he had given up any hope, his
dreams had at last been fulfilled. True, they had only touched on the
most superficial aspects of lovemaking, but tonight, and for the rest
of his life, he wanted to explore them all.  He was also eager to show
Julian all the subtle ways there are to arouse a Cardassian ... and
even the not so subtle ways.

Garak smiled as he walked along the Promenade ... he had never looked
so happy in his life. Several people, noticing him, did double takes
... and those who knew him well wondered what he was up to.  After
all, Cardassia was in league with the Dominion ... and Garak was an
exile in 'enemy lands' as it were.  What could he possibly be up to to
make him so cheerful?

Before he made any further plans, he had to stop by his shop to remove
the sign he had left on his door the night before, and the data padd
in his office. //thank the powers that I decided to confront Julian
personally last night // he thought, as he deleted the message that he
had left for the good doctor. That done, he made his way to his own
quarters to make everything ready for that night. He resolved to keep
Julian in the dark about his plans for the evening, other than to
invite him for dinner.

Julian had never been to Garak's quarters for a social visit, just as
Garak had never been to Julian's before last night.  Funny how neither
one had ever made the invitation.  Garak knew his reason for never
inviting the Doctor ... and after last night, apparently Julian had
had similar reasons for never inviting him.  It had always been
'safer' to meet in neutral territory, where conversation was their
only interaction.

As Garak approached his quarters, he thought of meeting Julian for
lunch, and started to laugh. //Guls... how am I going to control
myself over lunch? The mere thought of being that close to him, unable
to touch the soft skin or kiss those sensual lips would be agony// he
thought. It had always been difficult, but thinking it was the only
option made it bearable ... but now! He didn't think he could do it
... not today, at least.

As he entered his security code, he decided to call and cancel lunch
... and tell Julian that he would make up for it over dinner in his
quarters. He crossed the room, noticing that there was a  message
waiting for him. He keyed the comm, to hear Julian's voice:

"Elim... I'm so sorry ... I must cancel lunch today.  I forgot about a
briefing that I must attend ... I know it will go through lunchtime. 
I'll talk to you when it's over ... perhaps we can get together later
today."

Garak smiled as he heard Julian's voice ... and the regret that was
evident in it. //there is no 'perhaps' about it ... we will
*definitely* get together later today!// Garak thought, as he mentally
revised his plans for that night ... //Julian is going to be beat ...
mentally if not physically ... Hmmm ... what can I do to relax him?//

There were some items Garak would need to create the right atmosphere
for his encounter with Julian tonight.  He quickly made a list on his
padd, then proceeded to the Promenade where there were a couple of
specialty stores ... scented candles, massage oil, wine and food ...
all designed to relax the good Doctor, and enhance their time
together.

---

When Garak returned to his cabin several hours later - his purchases
made, and all his plans for the night set - there was another message
... it was also from Julian:

"Garak, I'm so sorry, but another change of plans. The DEFIANT will be
departing at 1500 hours. I'm not sure exactly when we will return, but
I doubt we will be gone more than a couple of days." After a small
pause, he continued,  "I wanted to speak to you personally, but you
weren't in your shop when we left, and I didn't have the time to find
you.  Now, I wish I had woken you up before I left this morning, to
tell you how much I loved last night ... and how much I long to be
with you again ..." another pause, then "I love you, Elim ..."

Garak looked at the chronometer ... it was 1648, and the DEFIANT was
long gone.  Garak swore.  The euphoria he had been feeling all day
dissipated rapidly as he listened to Julian's message.  As he sat
down, trying to accept the sudden change of plans, he couldn't help
but think of all the times he had said goodbye to someone, thinking
they would return, and never seeing them again ... and even worse, all
the times the goodbye's were never said to begin with.

He tried to get this morbid thought out of his mind, but couldn't. 
After all, there was a war on, the DEFIANT was a warship ... and Garak
had no idea where they were headed, or what their mission was.  He
sat, paralyzed by the fear of losing Julian, for many long minutes. 
How ironic it would be to finally admit their feelings, only to be
denied each other's company.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was in actuality only about 20
minutes, Garak pulled himself together.  He must believe that the
DEFIANT would once again come through it's mission safely, and return
everyone to the station in a couple of days.  In the mean time, he
would have to revise his plans somewhat in preparation for Julian's
homecoming.

---

Julian was bored and depressed.  The mission was routine, protect a
convoy of medical supplies to the front lines.  So far, they had been
lucky ... no sign of Jem'Hadar or Cardassian ships.  This was good, in
that there were no casualties to care for, but it also left Julian
with a lot of time on his hands to think.  What he had to think about
was Garak.

Julian had been in love with Garak for a long time ... even if he
hadn't admitted it to anyone, including himself.  Apparently, the
tailor had been hiding his feelings for the Doctor from the moment
they had met.  So, if this was the case, why had Garak come to his
quarters last night? He must have had something on his mind other that
what happened ... after all, Garak was quite surprised to discover
that his feelings were reciprocated.  This was something that had been
bothering Julian all afternoon.

The Doctor - someone who was usually capable of five tasks at once,
without batting an eye - was completely lost in thought ... and the
Captain was losing his patients.  Suddenly, Julian felt a tap on his
shoulder, and looked up to see Miles nodding his head in the Captain's
direction. "Ummmm ... yes, Captain" he said, obviously puzzled.

"I don't know where you were, Doctor, but I do hope you can spare us a
moment of your time" said the Captain sarcastically.

"I'm sorry, Captain.  I was lost in thought ... it won't happen
again."

"See that it doesn't".  Getting back to business, "Doctor, we need you
to coordinate the transfer of these medical supplies, beam down to the
planet and see that everything arrives safely ... Mr. O'Brien, would
you go with him?"

"On my way, Captain" he said, as he left the small bridge for the
transporter room.  Miles followed, with an "Aye", and a look of
concern for his friend.

After they left, the Captain asked no one in particular, "what's wrong
with him today?"

Ezri spoke up, albeit timidly, "He said he didn't get much sleep last
night".

"Well, keep an eye on him ... out here we can't afford to have anyone
at anything less than there best ... it could be a matter of life or
death".

There was a chorus of "Aye's" and "Yes, Captain's" around the small
bridge as they sat, waiting for the convoy to unload their supplies so
that they could all head home.

---

Miles and Julian materialized in the small dispatcher's office, where
they were supposed to meet with the head of this little resistance
group.  Instead, there was a padd on the desk, with a handwritten note
addressed to "Starfleet Personnel" attached.  Julian opened the note,
and read "Sorry, I've been called away for a brief time.  Could you
see to the off-loading and distribution of the medical supplies, and I
will join you ASAP.  A complete list of items, and their destinations
is on the padd."

"Rather odd, wouldn't you say" commented Miles, as he looked around
the small office.

"Yes ..." Julian looked around, too.  He was definitely feeling a
little uneasy, but there was no reason for it.  "Come on, let's
contact the ship, and get this started".  Activating his communicator,
he went on, "Bashir to DEFIANT ... please start transport of the
medical supplies".

"They're on their way" said the technician on duty.

As the supplies materialized, Julian checked them off of the list
provided to him, and told Miles where they were intended to go. 
Miles, in turn, double checked this information against the ship's
manifest, and then turned each shipment over to the work crews.

Everything was going smoothly, leaving Miles and Julian a little time
to talk.  Eventually, Miles was able to maneuver the conversation to
Julian's preoccupation of the morning.  "You know, Julian, it's not
like you to be late for meetings."  Miles stopped what he was doing
for a minute, and looking at his friend, gave a little chuckle, as he
asked, "So ... where were you last night? Hot date or something?"

Julian froze. What was he going to tell Miles?  Of all the people on
DS9, he would probably be the least likely to accept any relationship
between Garak and himself, yet he was also his closest friend.  If he
couldn't bring himself to tell Miles, then everything he said to Garak
last night about acceptance was a lie.  "Well ... it didn't start out
that way ... but I guess you could say it ended that way".

Of course, this got O'Brien's attention.  He stared at Julian for a
moment, expecting him to come out with a name.  When the Doctor was
not forthcoming, Miles prompted, "Well ... who was she?"

At this, Julian looked away ... not wanting to see Miles' reaction,
"*He* was ... Garak".

Silence ... Julian wasn't sure how to interpret that, so he finally
turned to look at Miles, and was surprised to see him smiling. 
"Congratulations!!!" he said, and crossed the small space to slap him
on the back. "It's about time you two got together".

Bashir was stunned ... this was not the reaction he had expected,
although it was the one he wished for. "You're not shocked ... or
surprised?"

"Not at all ... as a matter of fact, the two of you have been the
subject of a pool for some time". He laughed, "you certainly took your
time seeing what the rest of us saw years ago ... a couple of people
actually gave up on you." He stopped, as if considering something,
"you know, I'm not sure, but I think Jadzia may be the winner ... I
guess that means Ezri gets to keep the winnings."

"I don't know what to say". Bashir said, as he realized that their
work was backing up on them. Pointing this out, he then went on to
tell Miles about Garak's visit the night before, leaving out the
graphic details of his 'return visit'. "What has me 'preoccupied', as
you and Ezri so blatantly pointed out, is that I never found out why
Garak came to my quarters in the first place last night".

As the last shipment materialized, Miles said, "Look ... there's
nothing you can do until you see him again."

"I know ..." He shook his head, then continued, "I've gone out on the
DEFIANT hundreds of times, and never once thought about anything
happening to me ... until now. I've never 'left anyone behind' before,
and I think the whole idea of leaving the station, without the chance
to talk to him first, made me a little crazy".

"It never gets easier" Miles said as he sent the last shipment on its
way. "A little friendly advice for you ... never get too busy to say
'good morning' and 'good night' to your partner ... or let a day go by
without an expression of love if it's possible".

"I'll keep that in mind". After a moment, Julian continued, "by the
way, Miles ... could you keep this to yourself for now? Garak's a
little concerned about the reaction our relationship will get, and I
think it would be best if we went slowly here".

"If you want ... but you know as well as I do that nothing travels
faster that WARP 10 like gossip about personal relationships on a ship
or station". Julian smiled, "yeah ... I know there is no way this will
remain a secret, but I would like the chance to make him more
comfortable over it if possible".

"Don't worry ... I won't say a word ..." Miles smiled, and gave Julian
a friendly hug, "I know what it's like ... Keiko and I kept our
relationship private at first, too."

With this, they realized that they had finished, and there was still
no sign of the rebel leader. Puzzled, but not overly concerned, they
left a note for him on the padd, and prepared to leave. Suddenly,
there was an explosion in the distance and the sound of phaser fire.
Bashir contacted the ship as the door blew in, sending fragments in
all directions. O'Brien was far enough from the door to avoid being
hit, but the doctor was not so lucky. Already stunned by injuries from
the blast, he tried to defend himself from the Jem'Hadar troops who
swarmed through the blown out wall. He was severely outnumbered, and
quickly overcome. Blackness descended ...

---

Garak paced nervously in his office. It had been nearly four days
since the DEFIANT left the station, and as far as he had been able to
determine, there had been no word from them.  In and of itself, this
was not unusual ... after all, in a war zone, radio silence was the
norm ... but that didn't matter to Garak.  Four days was a long time. 
His fears were starting to overpower him, and the walls were starting
to close in around him.  If they didn't return soon, he would have a
major anxiety attack ... and without the good doctor here to help him,
he didn't know what he would do.

Suddenly, his comm chirped, making him jump. "Yes?" he said.

"Thought you'd like to know ... the DEFIANT is returning ... will dock
at 1340 hours," and the connection was broken.

Garak's heart raced as he looked at his chronometer.  It was now 1256
hours, less than an hour till Julian returns.  There was nothing left
to do but wait ... his quarters were all ready for an intimate evening
with Julian, the Bajoran Spring Wine was chilling, and he had all the
food programmed into the replicator waiting for his orders.

He sat at his desk, contemplating whether or not to meet the DEFIANT
at the dock, or wait for Julian to come to him here, at his shop. 
Julian had assured him that the crewmembers of this station would not
find anything wrong with their relationship, but Garak was still
insecure about openly showing his affection for the doctor.  On
Cardassia, he would be ostracized for his actions ... after all, a
union with someone of another species, or of the same gender, was a
crime ... and Elim Garak was guilty of both counts.

Not trusting the reaction of the others, Garak decided to let Julian
come to him.  Besides, he wasn't supposed to know that the DEFIANT was
coming back in the first place.  As he had some new designs to work
on, he pulled out his sketch pad and went to work.  Later, when the
shop door opened, he put down his pad, and scanned the chronometer ...
nearly two hours had passed. He stood, and made his way out front
expecting to see Julian standing in the doorway, only to discover it
was Ezri.

His face fell as he saw her. "What's wrong?" he said.

"It's Julian ... he's in sickbay ... he wanted me to bring you there".

"Is he alright?" he asked, as he followed her out the door, and
quickly locked his shop.

"He will be ... but he wouldn't rest until I promised to get you."

"What happened?" Garak asked with great concern.

"Jem'Hadar ... there was an ambush ... I don't know all the details
... we've been a little too busy on the return trip for me to ask him
or Miles what happened".  She finished, as they neared sickbay.

As they entered, Garak took stock of the room, noticing that Julian
was the only member of the DEFIANT's crew who was apparently injured
... his right hand was bandaged, as was his temple, and he had a black
eye.  Garak crossed the room to be at his side, and took his left hand
in both of his.  From this close, he could also see that the beautiful
lips were swollen, and there was a cut on the corner of his mouth.

At Garak's touch, Julian opened his eyes as best he could. "Did you
miss me?" he said with a crooked smile which quickly turned into a
grimace of pain.

With a smile of his own, he replied, "where you gone?" As soon as he
said it, he regretted his words ... the look in Julian's eyes was
enough to make him want to pick him up and carry him off to a place
where they could spend eternity together, safe from ever being hurt by
words or actions again.  Gently squeezing his lover's hand, and
looking deep into the doctor's eyes, he said "my dear Doctor, of
course I missed you!"

Julian could see the love and concern in Garak's eyes, and was
content. Pulling his hand out from Garak's, he caressed the ridges
along the tailor's jaw line. "I love you, Elim" he said, then closed
his eyes as his hand dropped from Garak's face.

Garak looked around, and seeing nobody looking their way, he quickly
bent to kiss Julian's forehead, and whispered "sleep well, my love".
As he left Julian's side, he approached the Bajoran Doctor who was on
duty. "How badly is he hurt?"

"Nothing too serious ... mild concussion, a few bruises, nothing more
... he'll be much better after a few hours sleep", replied the doctor. 
After a moment he continued, "I'll be releasing him in the morning,
and recommending to the Captain that he be given a few days off".

"Thank you", and with that, Garak left sickbay.

---

As Garak walked out of sickbay, his mind was a roil of confusion.  He
was relieved that Julian was going to be alright, but concerned.  What
had happened?  Why had he been the only one hurt?  Luckily, his
curiosity was not as great as his desire to let the young man rest. 
There would be plenty of time to find out what happened in the
morning.

So lost in thought, he didn't at once realize that he was not alone. 
He stopped, and turned to look at Ezri, who had joined him as soon as
he left sickbay.  "Was there something I can do for you?" he asked.

"Actually ... if you have a few minutes ... I'd like to ... ummm ...
ask you ..." she stammered. Looking down at her feet, she seemed to
compose herself, then continued, "look ... I know that something is
bothering Julian .. and ... well ... since you and he are such close
friends ... I ... ummm ... thought you might know what it is."

"Bothering him, you say?" Garak said, curious as to what Ezri knew of
the situation, if anything.

"Well, I'm not sure if that's the correct term or not.  Ummm ... do
you mind if we go someplace less 'public' to talk about this?"

"Of course not, my dear ... shall we go to my office?"

"That would be fine." and the two went the rest of the way in silence. 
Garak was thinking about how much he should tell the young councilor. 
At the same time, Ezri was trying to decide if she should be doing
this at all ... but as they entered Garak's shop, she realized that it
was too late, she had approached him, and there was no going back.

As they entered Garak's office, he motioned Ezri to a seat, and
crossed to the replicator. "Can I get you something, Councilor?" he
asked, hoping to keep this on a professional level by using her title.

"Ummm ... yes, some Altair Water would be fine ... thanks".

Placing the order, he soon joined her - Altair Water and Rocassa Juice
in hand - "So ... you wanted to talk", he said, smiling solicitously
... and sat back to see what she had to say.

"Yes ... actually, I hope you can help me". She took a sip of her
water, as if using it as a means to compose her thoughts. Finally, she
asked "before the DEFIANT went on this mission, had you seen a lot of
Julian ... say in the past week or so?"

Not sure where she was going with this, he answered cautiously "not
really ... between one thing and another, we hadn't even had lunch
together for over three weeks". Taking a sip of his juice, he decided
that he could trust her with the truth, or at least partial truth. "I
did see him briefly the night before you left ... and we had planned
on having lunch the next day".

"The night before ...." her voice trailed off as she repeated this.
"I'll be honest with you ... Julian has not been himself lately. Late
for his shift, distracted, forgetting meetings ... it's not like him.
After hearing from Quark about all the nights he's spent alone,
drinking ... I'm worried about his state of mind.  If you don't mind
... could you tell me what you talked about?" quickly, she added, "I
don't want to pry."

Garak stood ... started to pace in the small office, trying to decide
what he could tell Ezri that would relieve her concerns, and protect
his privacy. After a moment of consideration, he decided that he could
not tell her the truth ... not now ... after all, there had been over
a day since the DEFIANT left, and when it had arrived at it's
destination for Julian to tell Ezri about their assignation. Keeping
this in mind, he turned to face Ezri, saying, "Our conversation was
private ... and until we can *finish* that particular conversation, it
will remain so". Seeing the look of disappointment on Ezri's face, he
continued "be assured, Councilor, that you do not have to fear for his
state of mind ... and I can almost promise you that his nights at
Quark's, alone, are a thing of the past". Looking down at her, he
asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Clearly noting that the interview was over, Ezri stood, saying, "No
... thank you ..." and left Garak's office. She smiled.  With his
*non-answers*, Garak conveyed more to her than he knew. There would be
no further need to worry about Julian ... at least she hoped there
wouldn't.

---

Garak had spent a nearly sleepless night. His thoughts kept returning
the Julian. Apparently, while he had been depressed, and contemplating
leaving the station, Julian had been going through some tough times,
too ... but he had been too wrapped-up in himself to even notice. By
the end of the night, he had decided that he would do whatever was
needed to help Julian through whatever it was that was bothering him.
It was time to put someone else first in his life, and not always
think of himself.

Not sure of when Julian would be released, he called his room, and
left a message. "My dear, I hope you are feeling better this morning.
I will be in my shop all morning, but have no appointments this
afternoon. The Doctor told me yesterday that he was recommending that
you have a few days off ... I hope the Captain agrees ... Call me when
you get the chance ... we have a lot to talk about".

With that, he went to his shop. As soon as he opened, he was busy ...
people picking up orders, getting fittings, and the occasional
browser. The morning went quickly. Before he knew it, it was almost
lunch time. Funny, Julian hadn't called him yet.

As this thought crossed his mind, the door opened, revealing the
Doctor, dressed in civies - a casual outfit of dark brown silk that
Garak had designed just for him. The sight of him took Garak's breath
away. His appearance was much improved over the day before - the
bruises were gone, and his sensual lips had been repaired - the only
sign that anything had been wrong was the sling his arm was in.

Garak quickly crossed the room to the door, set the lock, and put the
closed sign in the window. He then approached Julian, and tenderly
took him in his arms. Their kiss was deep and loving, full of passion,
but without the urgency he had anticipated.

Julian was the first to pull away, not out of any desire to be
separated from Garak, but out of a need to breathe. "I've missed you"
he said, and stroking the side of Garak's face with his good hand, he
resumed kissing him. After a few minutes, he pulled away again. "I was
so worried that I would never see you again".

"As was I". All the built up anxiety and desire from the past few days
was starting to take it's toll.  If he didn't do something soon, they
would not be able to stop. And this was not the time or the place for
what he wanted from the Doctor.

With determination, Garak pulled away from Julian, eliciting a moan
from those sensual lips. "Please ... not here" he said, as Julian
looked at him with questioning eyes. After a few moments to compose
himself, he went on, "I was going to invite you to lunch ... but I
fear we would make a spectacle of ourselves". With a wicked grin, he
continued,  "no matter how *accepting* people may be, I don't think
they're ready to see us *en flagrante*".

Julian, very much aware of his arousal, and assuming that Garak was in
a similar state, could only agree. "Well, if not lunch ... and not
here ... what do you suggest?" he said, with a mischievous grin of his
own.

"My quarters ... if you could meet me there in about 15 minutes?" He
would love to go there with Julian this instant, but didn't trust
himself not to ravish him in the turbolift ... for now, it wasn't a
good idea to be in public with the good Doctor.

Julian, realizing that Garak was uncomfortable with being seen with
him still, made for the door, saying, "I'll see you in 15 minutes".
Just before he activated the lock, he added, "By the way ... don't let
this sling fool you ... my arm is fine ... this is just for the
Captain's benefit". And he left the shop.

---

Garak closed up his shop and returned to his quarters in record time.
All the preparations had been made for this encounter already, it was
just a matter of removing the food from it's stasis field, and setting
up the glasses for the Bajoran Spring Wine.  The lights were dimmed,
candles lit, cushions places just so, food laid out, and the wine
properly chilled ... everything was perfect. Garak quickly removed his
clothing, and put on something a little more casual ... lose fitting,
silk pants, with a matching jacket, held closed by a sash. The silk
was black, and the jacket was embroidered with an intricate pattern in
gray and blue ... the color was subtle, but matched his skin and eyes
perfectly.

Garak was just turning on some soft music as the door chimed, "Come"
he said.

"Don't mind if I do", said Julian, with a grin.

Realizing the double meaning of the word, Garak smiled in return, "all
in good time, my dear".

It took his eyes a moment to completely adjust to the candlelight, but
he loved what he saw. He was impressed by Garak's quarters ... and the
preparation that had obviously gone into this encounter. He was even
more impressed with Garak ... he was beautiful, in a way that he had
never been before. For the first time, Julian got a real good look at
the Cardassian's body. The silk jacket and pants were loose fitting,
but clung to every ridge and rippling muscle. For once, he was wearing
something that didn't hide his physique ... or his arousal.

Julian was very glad that he was not in uniform ... his own clothing
was as comfortable, and revealing, as Garak's was.  As they embraced,
he wondered in Garak had envisioned such an encounter when he designed
their respective outfits ... the feel of the silk against his flesh
enhanced his arousal, and by the feel of things, was doing the same to
Garak.

This time when they kissed, they allowed the urgency they had both
been feeling before to come to the surface. Julian's hands started to
explore every inch of the Cardassian's body, just as Garak was doing
the same to him. Julian removed the sash holding Garak's jacket
closed, and slid it off of his shoulders. As the jacket hit the floor,
Garak scooped Julian up and brought him over to the cushions.

"Let me love you" he said, as he laid him gently down. Resting on one
elbow, he started to caress the tight nubs on Julian's chest through
the silk ... pinching one, and then the other ... each time applying
more pressure, and getting a groan of pleasure from the doctor. Soon,
Garak opened the shirt, and lifted Julian's shoulders enough to remove
the garment. Quickly, his mouth replaced his fingers, making the nubs
swell and harden each time he flicked his tongue over them.

Garak was somewhat surprised that Julian was remaining passive, as he
knew from his reading that human men did not usually take to the role
of a *bottom* very well, but perhaps he had done some reading of his
own. Most Cardassian's believed that the ultimate *gift* you can give
a partner is unselfish love ... mutual gratification is nice, but if
you bring your partner to fulfilment, without asking anything of them
in return, it is the purest sign of your love for them.

Gradually, he moved away from the nipples, and worked his way down the
torso, sucking and nibbling along the rib cage ... his stomach ...
everywhere his hands went, his mouth soon followed.

As he moved lower, he couldn't help but notice the bulge in Julian's
pants ... he ran his hands along the inside edge of waste band,
immediately followed by his tongue.  Not wanting this to end too soon,
he didn't remove the pants, nor did he touch the doctors engorged
flesh. That would come in time, but not now.

Changing tactics, he removed Julian's boots, and started to caress his
feet ... gently massaging them, and sucking on the toes. His hands
moved up the legs, where the silk still covered him. As his hands
caressed the insides of his thighs through the silk, Julian started to
writhe with pleasure. Knowing he couldn't prolong this too much, but
wanting to take him as close to the brink as possible before removing
the wonderfully erect penis, he lightly touched the silk enshrouded
shaft.

Julian moaned, and tried to push his cock more fully into his hand. He
could only imagine how this felt to the doctor, as he knew what his
own engorged flesh felt like with the silk sliding against it. As soon
as this thought registered, he pulled away - making them both moan
with desire.

"Oh, god ... let me come!" cried out Julian as he thrust his hips,
trying to get Garak to bring him to his fulfilment. Garak was pleased
to see that he didn't try to remove his pants, or bring himself to
orgasm ... he knew his role well.

"Shh ... I will ... but not just yet, my dear" he said, as he moved up
to kiss Julian on the forehead. "I want you to relax for a moment", he
kissed his earlobe, "then I'll remove your clothing", another light
kiss, "and then we will see".

Each kiss made Julian shudder, but he was no longer at the brink of
oblivion. As his breathing slowed, Garak was aware of it, and soon
deemed it safe to unfasten his slacks without causing him to come. As
the fabric was parted, Garak was pleased to see that the good doctor,
like himself, had dressed to take full advantage of the fine fabric.
Silk was meant to be felt ... and there was nothing more sensuous that
the feel of silk against sensitive skin. 

As Julian's cock was released from its silk confinement, he shivered.
Garak deftly removed the slacks, and quickly grasped the pulsing
shaft. Kneeling between the doctors parted legs, he ran his thumb
across the tip of his cock, massaging in the drop of moisture that
leaked out of the tip.

Julian thrust his hips up, forcing more pressure on his throbbing
cock. Garak grabbed the lower shaft in a firm grip, and took the balls
in his other hand, then flicked his tongue around the head. More
pre-cum leaked out, and Garak sucked it up greedily. He couldn't wait
any longer - and neither could Julian. Opening his mouth wide, he took
the magnificent shaft into his throat. Applying pressure with his
lips, he drew it out, then back in again slowly. Julian quickly
matched the rhythm, and almost instantly, his hot juices hit the back
of Garak's throat.  He swallowed convulsively, not wanting to lose an
drop of the salty fluid.

As the doctor lay there, spent, he realized that Garak had done
nothing for himself. He reached out to caress his head as it lay on
his stomach. "Give me a minute, and I'll take care of you" he said,
but no sooner had the words come out of his mouth when felt strong
hands roll him onto his stomach, and lift his hips in the air. Once
again, his legs were parted, and he felt the tip of Garak's penis
touch his tight opening.

Ever so slowly, he felt him penetrate - it was maddening how slowly he
entered him - each small thrust sending renewed pleasure, until the
flat, wide shaft was deep inside, and the doctor was once again fully
aroused.

Garak's thrusts were matched by Julian's, each one harder and deeper
than the one before, until Garak's seed burst out in a hot gush. With
a shout of triumph, Julian also came. Soon, they collapsed onto the
cushions, Garak spooned behind Julian, still deep inside of him. They
remained like this for some time, the only sound in the room was their
raged breathing.

Finally, Julian broke the silence, "Elim ... I don't know what to
say". He tried to turn slightly to face the Cardassian, but couldn't
as long as he was still impaled on the glorious shaft. Sensing this,
Garak reluctantly pulled out,  allowing then to face each other.

"There is no need to say anything" Garak said, and kissed his lover.
"Let's get up and have something to eat" he said with a smile, "I
don't know about you,  but I'm famished". Then, he sat up, and looked
at his lover, continuing in a more serious tone, "I believe we have
much we need to talk about ... both our past, and our future".

Julian agreed, "yes ... like why you came to see me the other night?
You obviously had a reason".

"Yes ... I suppose I do owe you an explanation about that". He stood
up, and helped Julian to his feet. "I guess I can tell you that while
you tell me why you had been spending all your nights in Quark's
getting drunk", a pause, then, "after all, if we're going to be
lovers, we had best start being honest with each other ... and
ourselves".

As Garak poured two glasses of wine, Julian went to freshen up a bit.
When he came back, Garak had put on a silk robe, and there was a
matching one draped over the back of a chair for him to wear. He
quickly donned it, and sat next to Elim. Taking his glass in hand, he
raised it in a toast, "To love ... may we never deny ourselves again!"

They clicked glasses, and drank ... looking deep into each others
eyes. "To the banishment of fear, and the fulfilment of desires" added
Garak.

---

The Beginning