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Garak took a careful step forward. Cold air struck his face like a blow. He looked up. Something fell from the sky. It gently landed on his nose. He didn’t flinch.
“Oh, it’s snowing. Do you need an umbrella, Castellan? I could go replicate one.”
“I suppose so. It would be appreciated if you replicated me some clothes to put on.”
“You’d better stay inside, sir. I’ll be right back.”
So Garak stepped back. It was his first time on Earth. He had heard numerous times that it had a variety of climates — some hot as Cardassia, some freezing as Andoria. It seemed that he picked a wrong time. It wasn’t as if he had a choice.
Garak chimed the holosuite door. It opened with a swish, and a hand shot out to drag him. Garak stumbled inside. His feet immediately felt cold. The white, white field pierced through his pupils and blurred the vision. He shivered. His doctor was anything but a considerate man. Julian grinned.
“I told you to wear something warmer.”
“You didn’t tell me it’d be this cold.”
“You got cold feet?”
Garak glared. Julian laughed. He began to walk further inside.
“Come on! I’ll get you a set of waterproof shoes and warm coats.”
He could walk away just then. The man was truly insufferable. But if he did, Julian might get too disappointed to meet him at lunch. He gave up and silently followed him. Snow felt soft under the boots, but he almost didn’t feel it since his feet felt numb from the cold.
Julian came back with a pair of shoes and a thick coat in his hands. It was more bearable with the clothes on but he still couldn’t see the joy in staying in the cold. He whined.
“If you told me what it was about, I wouldn’t have agreed to come in the first place.”
“You never seen snow?”
“I have. Sorry to disappoint you, doctor. I’ve been to Andoria to trade materials. Andorians have quite a sense in fashion, in case you’re wondering.”
“So?”
“I hated the time there.”
“I hope I can change that.”
“I highly doubt it,”
Right then Julian picked up a fistful of snow and smeared it on his neck. Garak yelped. Julian laughed again and ran away. Thick snow made running almost impossible but he managed to move quite fast. So it was a game. Garak lowered himself to scoop up snow and pressed it to a shape of a ball. He threw it at Julian’s back with more force than he intended. Julian made a playful shriek and pretended toppling. He turned and threw a ball which hit Garak in the face. So much for Order training. Garak threw another in return, but Julian dodged with ease. This time Garak was quicker and gave another blow of snow, which managed to reach Julian’s collar.
“Hey! It’s got into my shirt!”
“I could say the same for you, my dear, since you rubbed it on my neck.”
“Alright, alright! Let’s take a break, shall we? I’m starting to feel cold.”
“You’re wearing ridiculously little clothes. Why didn’t you wear something thicker?”
“Thanks to enhanced metabolism, I don’t feel much cold.”
“Ah, it’s an augment thing then. Do you feel hotter in the heat?”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
“How convenient. I wish I could control mine.”
Garak said grimly. Julian, however inconsiderate, noticed the shift in mood and led Garak into a log cabin. He set two chairs near the fireplace and they both sat down. They stayed silent for some minutes. Julian spoke up.
“I’m sorry. I knew you don’t like cold.”
“It’s quite alright. I enjoyed it.”
“Which one? The cold or the snow?”
“Neither. But your company was enjoyable.”
Garak said with genuine affection. Julian glanced at his face as if to check his sincerity.
“I know I’ve been distant. I just wanted to show aspects of Earth apart from the spy programme.”
Garak knew Julian avoided him after the return of Defiant. He didn’t put much meaning into it. At least he tried to. He didn’t expect everything to be salvaged by a short time spent in the holosuite, but accepted the friendly gesture nontheless. He patted the doctor’s hand.
“It was nice of you to invite me.”
To Garak’s surprise, Julian held his hand.
“Your hands are cold! Are you still feeling cold? I think it’s time to leave.”
Garak would have enjoyed nothing but the doctor’s presence beside him. To his chagrin, he agreed.
“Yes, I think it is.”
“Castellan! Sorry for the inconvenience. The weather on Earth can be nasty at times.”
“Don’t bother. Shall we move?”
“The hotel is not far from here. I requested to keep your room warm.”
“How thoughtful.”
Garak murmured and headed toward the building. Back in the days on DS9, he often pictured his first time setting foot on Earth. There wasn’t a single time Julian wasn’t beside him in his imaginations. Now he was on Earth while Julian lied in his bed, in his house on Cardassia. Some things could not be salvaged. It was one of them.