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You ever have those days where you’re like: 'This might as well happen?'
That was exactly what Kira Nerys thought when doctor Bashir had informed her and Ezri Dax that though they did have each other consciousness swapped between themselves he emphatically did not have any way to reverse it.
And it wasn't even that Ezri had a terrible body (even though she had to re-learn how to stand properly, muscles seemingly in completely different places than she was used to), she had a great body… Actually it didn't bear thinking about Ezri's body at all . Never mind all that.
And that was, of course, the moment that Dax chose to visit her quarters, chiming on the outside of her door. Kira pauses for a moment, not sure what she could say to Dax. This whole situation was stressing her far too much.
The door chimes again: "Nerys it's me, can I come in?" Ezri says. Kira could see that it was her, her PADD flashing with the identification of the guest chiming at the door. Well, technically the PADD informed her that she, herself was at her own door, but she appreciated that Dax would chime the door instead of entering. She knew she could always trust Ezri to respect her privacy.
She got up, dusted her uniform a little, and then directed herself at Ezri, "Yes, please Dax come in."
The door opened and in stepped Ezri Dax, currently inhabiting the body of Kira Nerys.
It was incredibly weird to be face to face with herself, if Kira was being honest, even if it technically wasn't really herself. She had half a thought that Starfleet must have a very long list of operational technicalities for it to have survived so long after so many people had gone through some of the same absurdities she was going through.
Ezri cleared her throat, standing hesitantly around Kira's quarters, "Miles and Worf went to contact one of their friends from the Enterprise , Commander Data, who had previously studied transporter malfunctions," she smiled slightly at Kira, "Apparently Keiko was transformed into a twelve-year-old for a week."
Kira almost starts to huff about that but then she stops herself. Who is she kidding, she'll huff and complain, and say that that's all ridiculous, and then it'll happen again next week.
Instead she lets out an incredulous, half-delirious laughter, "You know what i'm not even surprised at all at this point," Kira shakes her head, "You know, it's incredibly hard to concentrate on anything for any amount of time with eight distinct voices inside my own head."
Maybe she sounded bitter, it's true. But it was a specially unpleasant novel experience, having so many other people inside your own head. Well, they weren't technically, but what had remained of the past hosts? Their memories, at least. Well, and Jadzia's .
She was valiantly trying not to think about how every time she looked at her own face the little memory of Jadzia that now lived inside her let out a metaphysical sigh of longing. She didn't have the intention of invading Dax' privacy, she just couldn't control the thoughts surfacing on her own brain, with such regularity it always took a moment for her to notice that these weren't her thoughts.
Ezri cleared her throat again, taking Kira out of her momentary reverie, "You know," she said, finally looking Kira in the eyes, "I don't know if I'll ever have the same clarity of mind that I have right now about, well, about this whole situation but especially how I, uh." Her anxiety shining through her face, Ezri takes a step forward, "About how I- uh, feel about you ".
Her last sentence comes rushed, as if Ezri's not sure she'll have any other chance of saying it.
Kira can feel a fierce blush on her face. She pauses for a moment, gets closer to Ezri, "And how is that, Ezri?" she lets out as if in an exhale, "How do you feel about me?"
Ezri looked her in the eyes again, fierce resolution on her face, "I'm in love with you." She says, and grins as if she can't quite believe she said it, "I thought it had been a vestige of Jadzia's love for you, of her adoration for you," Ezri shakes her head, "It may be true that she loved you, but even more important to me now, is that I love you."
Kira feels herself grin at Ezri's confession, she had imagined it in the past, if it was strange for her to have loved Jadzia and now to love Ezri. She decided that she didn't care anymore. She was perhaps a little surprised at the memory of Jadzia that resided on the symbiont being so joyous for her and Ezri, but she had always known Jadzia to be a selfless person.
Kira shook her head, smiling, "I love you too Ezri." she said, grinning like a fool, "Maybe after all this is sorted we can go on a proper date." she pauses for a moment, her face turning pensive "Meanwhile… do you want to watch this springball game with me? We can replicate some snacks. Have a quiet time, you know, like Julian asked us to." She grins a little at the end.
Ezri gives her her most wide grin, perhaps just a touch strange, coming from Kira's own face and says: "I'd love to."