An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapter 29: The Price of Knowing You
Summary: Julian meets with Garak for a date in the Paldar sector.
Heād been watching Garak without really meaning to. When he propped his chin in his hand, his sleeve nudged the rim of his glass, nearly tipping it. He caught it at the last second, heat rising in his cheeks.
Garakās eyes moved to the glass, then back to Julian with a knowing smile.
āCareful, my dear,ā he teased affectionately. āIf I distract you this easily over dinner, I can only imagine what weāll be like at home.ā
What weāll be like at home. Like it was decided. Julianās heart skipped, meeting Garakās gaze with quiet boldness. He let the thought unfold, not as some distant future, but as something already taking hold. He imagined the rhythm of their days weaving together in small, certain ways.
Garakās modest house, with its narrow rooms and uneven stone floors, would shift to hold two lives instead of one. A second cup on the kitchen shelf. A medical datapad left beside Garakās latest tailoring on the table by the window. His lab coat draped over the back of a chair; Garakās fabrics stacked with their usual neatness on the benchtop.
Outside, the garden still sparseāvines just beginning to climb the trellises, seedlings tucked into beds they'd turned together. In the evenings, he imagined setting aside his work, pulling on his gloves, and joining Garak among the rows as the sun dipped. Garak kneeling to fix a bed while Julian watered the new shoots, their conversation meandering without urgency through the cool air.
Later, they would sit together on the garden bench, their bodies angled easily toward one another. Julian would lean his head against Garakās shoulder, the fabric warm with the dayās lingering heat. Garak would tilt his head just enough for their temples to rest together in quiet acknowledgment of belonging.
The garden would draw a soft circle around them, as though it had been waiting for this all along.
The clarity of it startled himāthe depth of it, too. He almost smiled at himself, embarrassed by the ease with which he could build a future out of a single phrase.
āWho says Iād mind the distraction?ā
Something softened in Garakās expression. āNo,ā he said, voice dipping a little, āI donāt suppose you would.ā
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