The BLTS Archive - Carpe Diem
by halwen

---

Published: 02-21-07

Updated: 02-21-07

This results from yet another ambush by the Evil Plot Bunnies of
Doom™, who caught me at an inopportune moment while I was looking at a
book of haikus, and remembering lessons on French 'carpe diem' poetry.
They dragged me away from an important meeting with their incessant
hopping, and forced me to sit in front of a computer and type this out
with still-recovering fingers (I broke several fingers awhile ago, but
they're taking a long time to get better).

I have to admit, however, that this story also owes a great deal to my
watching too much Xena with my Subtext Radar ™ on. I mean, really, how
many ways are there to interpret Xena grabbing Gabrielle from behind
while holding a pair of turnips (thus ensuring that the turnips are
squarely over Gabby's chest) and telling her to 'seize the day'? Come
on, people.

WARNINGS: unsubtle m/m references. rated for our two lovely boys
kissing.

DISCLAIMER: Let's see. . .  I own two watches, an empty roll of
slidefilm, and several honey sticks. Not Xena: Warrior Princess, or
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Or the haiku quoted herein.

NOTE ABOUT THE TIMELINE: I try not to do these, but it's useful for
this one: this is set post-Improbable Cause, and pre-Dr Bashir, I
presume. Also, this has no direct affiliation with any of my other DS9
writings.

---

"Doctor?"

"What is it, Garak?"

"What is the meaning of this. . .  poetry?" The Cardassian pronounced
'poetry' as if he was giving the letters on the padd before him that
title only as an honorific and not because they deserved the name.

Julian looked up at his friend, laying the book of Cardassian proverbs
he had been perusing on the table in front of him.

"Why, what is it?"

"Something I picked up somewhere, but I can't see the point of it!"
Garak actually sounded genuinely frustrated - a somewhat atypical
display of transparency for a usually quite opaque person.

Julian took the padd from his friend, and read

/In my hut this spring

There is nothing-

There is everything!/

--Yamaguchi Sodo--

Slowly, he began to smile.

"Garak, you've been reading haiku?" He tried, he really did, to keep a
smile out of his words, but wasn't entirely successful.

"Well, I thought it might be interesting to read something by a
contemporary of that Shakespeare fellow, but this is complete
gibberish!" Poor Garak actually sounded a little put out. Still,
Julian knew that his friend was perfectly capable of displaying any
emotion he wanted, but didn't necessarily feel any of them.

Luckily, though, Julian actually knew what this poem was. He had run
across it some time in school, and had remembered it due to his
genetically enhanced memory.

"It's a form of poetry called haiku that developed on Earth sometime
during the 19th century. In the original language it's supposed to
have a very specific-"

"My dear doctor, I don't want a history of Terran poetry - just of
this one example."

Julian could have sworn that Garak was grinning at him. Well, smirking
at any rate.

He settled himself back in the cushions of his couch, which tastefully
(or so he liked to think) matched the utilitarian Starfleet
wall-to-wall carpeting, and inoffensive-to-the-point-of-being-bland
walls of his quarters. Garak hadn't commented on the choice in the
several months that they had been reading literature together, but had
nevertheless made clear to the doctor that if he ever wanted to
renovate, the Cardassian would be willing to help.

"This particular haiku is about the joy of living, and the importance
of savoring each individual moment of life."

Garak still looked confused. He scooted over the cushions so that he
could look over Julian's shoulder at the padd.

"I don't see how you arrived at that conclusion, Julian."

"Well, in traditional Earth culture, spring is a time for joy and
appreciation of life, because it shows the renewing of the cycle of
the seasons. When the narrator says 'there is everything', he is in
effect saying that all he wants, he can find in the spring, and that
he wants to appreciate the individual moments of the season." Then
Julian grinned, remembering something his teacher had drilled into his
brain. "Carpe diem, in fact."

"Carpe diem?" Garak turned to look at his friend, obviously (perhaps a
little too obviously?) perplexed.

"It means 'Seize the day' in Latin. 'Live the moment!' 'Appreciate
every instant of life!'" He was gesticulating wildly with every
exclamation, flinging his arms around in every direction.

Garak carefully captured Julian's hands and brought them back to rest,
eyebrows raised at his friend.

"I don't see why anyone would want to 'seize the day', my dear Julian,
if they do not like the day, nor 'appreciate every instant of life' if
their life is boring and monotonous."

Julian was acutely aware of Garak's hands on his arms. It was an
interesting feeling - slightly scaled skin, just a hair colder than
Julian's own body temperature.

They were almost hip to hip now, turned to face each other. Julian
lowered his voice so as not to shout while they were so close
together. It would be rude, after all, though he was careful to still
be audible to Cardassian hearing.

"Maybe they should open their eyes to other opportunities, then."

Quickly, so as not to lose his nerve, he leaned in and kissed Garak.
The contact was momentary, and when he drew back he saw that Garak had
frozen, face inscrutable. Had he made a mistake? Had he misjudged?

He made to get up, but was stopped by Garak's pull on his arms. He
looked at his friend (could they still be friends?), and was surprised
to see that Garak was staring at him with that gleeful look he got
when Julian had finally figured out something Garak had been hinting
to him for ages.

"You know Julian, I'm not sure I fully savored that moment. Do you
think we could appreciate another one?"

Now Julian grinned too.

"You know, I think that might be a good idea!"

---

The End