Chapter Text
The trouble had started when he noticed her holding back. Any time Ziyal had hesitated in telling Garak something, it meant trouble.
They were on one of their holosuite ‘dates’. Garak was hesitant to call them such, but Quark was insistent on calling them such whenever he gave them the access code for the booked suite. He knew she had something to say before she’d even opened her mouth. From where he lay on his back looking at the ceiling, he could see her in his peripheral, lying on her stomach, chin resting on her hand, fingers on her other drumming against the rock she lay on. She was staring at him intently, and he could just see her pinched mouth behind her hand, which he knew she did when she was thinking.
“If you have something on your mind,” he’d encouraged, not looking away from the ceiling, “don’t hold back.”
Ziyal didn’t bother asking how he knew she was thinking about saying something, knowing by now that Garak could read her better than she could herself. Still, her mouth opened and closed several times, hesitant before she finally spoke.
“Can you keep a secret?”
“Better than anyone else you know.”
“Well its just because normally I’d be taking something like this to Kira, but she’ll tell Dax and Dax will tell Quark and before I know it the whole station-“ at this point Garak was giving her a pointed look, and when she glanced back at him and noticed she stopped, punctuating with a small laugh and a cleared throat.
“Sorry,” she mumbled, “I must be nervous.”
“I guessed as much.”
“It’s just that...” she spun her hands in a gesture before knitting her fingers and resting her chin on them. After a long pause she finally said, “Is there anyone on this station you’d be unhappy with me getting involved with?”
Any of them, his mind said reflexively. Garak rolled onto his side and propped his head on his hand. That wouldn’t be the answer she wanted.
“As long as they treated you well and you thought they were worth your time, then I’d be perfectly happy with you being involved with anyone on this station. Although, I’m not sure why you’re asking my permission.” Ziyal had dropped her arms and folded them to pillow her head.
“Well, Cardassian girls usually ask their father’s permission before getting into a relationship, right?” Garak nodded. Ziyal’s smile was suddenly sheepish, and she couldn’t quite meet his eye. “Well, I consider you the closest thing I have on the station.”
Something deep in Garak stirred. It was a foreign feeling, one he hadn’t felt in a very long time, and it took him a while to realise that it was soft and warm affection for this girl who, given the choice, considered him a father to her.
“Thank you, my dear,” he said genuinely. “I’m honoured you think so highly of me.” He rolled onto his front and mirrored her posture. “So, who’s the lucky humanoid who’s caught your eye?”
Ziyal’s gaze went dreamy, and she looked up somewhere above Garak’s head.
“Jake Sisko.”
And suddenly the good warm feelings inside Garak froze and shattered like sheet ice. How was he going to put it gently that this was the worst idea he’d ever heard?
“Ziyal, are you sure pursuing young Mr Sisko would be a wise decision?”
She gave a slight, condescending laugh and raised an eye ridge. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Oh, my poor sweet child.
“It’s just that,” he sat up on the edge of his rock, “given the current political climate between the Federation and Cardassia, not to mention both of your fathers being at the forefront on either side of the fight, perhaps it wouldn’t be the best decision — diplomatically speaking — to engage him romantically.” Ziyal’s smile dropped and she looked at Garak like he was the foolish one.
“Jake and I aren’t our dads,” she scoffed. “Why should a war have any affect on how two people feel about each other?” She rolled onto her back and smiled at the ceiling. “Just having the chance to be with him would be worth it.”
Thinking with her heart before her brain, Garak though scornfully. How very Bajoran of her.
“There’s no way I can talk you out of this, is there?” He sighed.
She smirked, and for a fraction of a moment looked frighteningly like her father. “Doubt it.”
“Very well. Since I can’t seem to discourage you, you have my begrudging blessing to pursue Jake Sisko.”
“That’s great!” Her smile shrunk. “There’s just one problem.”
Garak groaned. “And what would that be?”
“I don’t know how.”
Garak’s face dropped. “You’re joking.”
“Garak, if I met another Cardassian-Bajoran I probably wouldn’t know how to pursue them. Jake’s a human. It’s completely different.”
“So, you need to learn how to engage a human.”
She looked at him hopefully. “Do you know anyone who could help?”
------
Julian’s brow pinched.
“You want me to help Ziyal get with Jake?”
“Surely there’s a better term to use than ‘get with’, doctor.” He followed Julian across the infirmary as the doctor catalogued their stock of medicines and hypos. “There’s nothing I’d be able to say to discourage her, but neither of us know anything about human courting practices.” He’d lowered his voice as a nurse walked past and glared at him.
“I’m just not sure why you’re asking me.” It wasn’t a ‘no, I will not,’ but a genuinely curious line of inquiry.
“Why, of course doctor, I’m sure every other human male on the station is falling over themselves at the opportunity to school her,” he jibed. “Shall I ask Chief O’Brien instead?”
“Alright, fair point.” He scanned the expiry date on an adrenaline hypo and tossed it into the plastic repurposing bin. “If you come by my quarters after my shift, we can work out a plan of attack.”
Garak decided to skip over a prod about how Cardassian he sounded strategising a romantic involvement.
“Thank you very much, doctor. I’m sure Ziyal will be most pleased.” Julian gave a little murmur, obviously very invested in his stock take. Garak walked out of the infirmary and had Ziyal at his side as soon as he was out the door.
“So? What did he say?”
“Doctor Bashir has very kindly agreed to help me help you.” Ziyal was beaming. “We’re to visit him after shift and discuss a strategy.”
“Thank you!” She pulled Garak into a tight hug. “Oh, goodness, um. I better tell Nerys I’ll be home late.” She practically skipped into the turbolift to Ops.
Finally, Garak let his own pleased smile shine through. An evening, at least, with Julian telling him everything he could hope to know about what attracted human males. Perhaps this wouldn’t be such a disaster after all.
------
Idiot, idiot, idiot!
Julian practically threw the expired vaccine into the repurposing bin. He should have said no, but he was too distracted that he’d barely been listening to himself when he’d agreed to help.
What was he going to say? ‘Human relationships usually involve dating, which means going out together as a couple, you would know Garak, we’ve been doing it for lunch for coming up five years now.’
Julian groaned. He could just picture Garak’s face as he realised that everything they’d been doing together for the past four years could be considered a human courtship. He’d be shocked, no doubt, appalled most definitely, probably at some point accuse Julian of manipulating him and declare they would never speak again. Fantastic. Just what he wanted.
Jake Sisko better sweep that girl off her feet, he thought bitterly.