Icon by @ThatSpookyAgent. Call me Tir or Julian. 37. He/They. Queer. Twitter: @tirlaeyn. ao3: tirlaeyn. 18+ Only. Star Trek. The X-Files. Sandman. IwtV. OMFD. Definitionless in this Strict Atmosphere.
It has a content warning at the start. It might be a bit overdone, but I wasn’t taking chances.
The end scene is a warm sleepy lizard in a nest of blankets, because I needed it. Thank you to those who did fanart of Garak in a blanket nest, you inspired me before I even started writing this.
In one of the cleanup crews on their devastated planet, Elim Garak and Kelas Parmak meet again.
Scenes of a romance on post-fire Cardassia.
“Elim, I know what you have been, better than many. I think I also know something of who you are now. I am asking who you will be – who you hope to become.”
What are you to do when the kids want to go carolling and almost nobody on the station celebrates Christmas? Bring them to your Muslim friend and his Cardassian boyfriend, of course.
Miles hesitated a moment before ringing. There was a not insignificant chance that Julian was ‘entertaining’ at this hour. Miles never came over unannounced for precisely this reason. But tradition was tradition, and the kids could sing one song and then they’d be on their way and Julian and any special friend he had over could continue with whatever they were doing. And anyway, no one was forcing Julian to answer if he was otherwise occupied.
He pressed the button.
“Who is it?” Julian called, almost immediately. So he wasn’t that busy, then.
“Miles. And Molly. And the Petersen boys.” All the same, Miles thought it best to make the kids’ presence very, very clear before Julian opened the door.
“Oh! Right! Just a moment!” The door swept open to reveal a slightly confused Julian, wrapped in a shiny blue and gold thing that even Miles could tell was tasteless. The room behind him was atmospherically lit, about 40 per cent normal station levels, if his engineer’s eye was any judge. A couple of candles flickered away on shelves, and what appeared to be the remains of dinner for two sat on the table. They were definitely interrupting.
“Hello kids, Miles.“ Julian’s confused look was replaced with a grin as he took in the sight before him — Molly and her two friends dressed in red and wearing red and green stocking caps with bells on the tassels, and Miles in a badly-fitting knitted jumper with a stylised red-nosed reindeer on the front. “Don’t tell me it’s Christmas already!”
Miles shrugged apologetically. “Sorry, Julian. I know you don’t do Christmas, but the kids wanted to go carolling.” And as not many people on the station would be even passingly familiar with the custom, he’d had no choice but to come to Julian. At least Julian had been raised in a part of the world that still maintained some Christmas traditions. Miles had gambled on him being able to recognise Christmas carolling when he saw it.
“That’s no problem!” It genuinely was no problem, if Julian’s delighted face was anything to go by. “Garak! Come here! Speaking of Earth traditions!”
Wait, Garak? Had Julian finally…? Or were they just…? Miles didn’t have time to even frame the question properly in his mind before the Cardassian slipped into the doorway beside Julian. And stood very close to him.
Characters: Julian Bashir, Elim Garak, Miles O'Brien
Additional Tags: Short One Shot, Garashir - Freeform, Scent Marking, Scent Kink, Forehead Kisses, Jealousy, Romantic Soulmates, Idiots in Love, Established Relationship, i love these two, Let’s give them the happy ending they deserve, Consensual Sex, Sexual Content
Summary: Julian gets a kiss on the forehead. From Miles. Garak isn’t having it, but Julian likes its effects.
Tonight, they sit on Agent Bashir’s balcony. Julian hadn’t run the full Bond program. Just the background settings in the bold hope of escape from the crushing pressure of the impending war.
In the meanwhile, Garak gets a little existential and decides some things about some stuff.
Part of an ongoing series of stand-alone, one off short stories.
