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Garak reached Julian’s quarters at precisely the appointed time. Punctuality was considered a sign of respect among Cardassians and he aimed to show this respect to Julian, who returned the favor. (If detained by an unavoidable medical delay, Julian never failed to inform Garak that he would be late. Lapses in punctuality that resulted from duty were not in any way disrespectful.)
Julian smiled when he first laid eyes on Garak, a phenomenon of which Garak never tired. He too was pleased to see his partner and they shared a brief kiss, but the moment was interrupted when Julian yawned.
“Sorry. It’s been a long day. I was called in for emergency surgery at 0540. That alone took over five hours, and then Paral Siat went into labor. I was busy all day.”
Garak appreciated the Parals, who operated the station’s hair cuttery, as both husband and wife treated him better than most Bajorans tended to. They never refused him service and were entirely professional in their interactions. He made a note to offer his congratulations on the birth of their child when next he saw them.
“Should we reschedule?” he asked.
Julian shook his head. “No, I want to spend time with you, so long as you forgive that I’m not the most exciting company tonight.”
“I always enjoy your company,” he replied sincerely. “Perhaps this is an appropriate occasion for another movie date.”
“Yes, that fits my energy level. Dinner first, though. Is there anything in particular you’d like?”
“Whatever you’re having will be fine.”
“You’re possibly the least choosy eater I’ve ever met.”
Garak had cultivated the trait of necessity. “I have my preferences.”
“Such as?”
“I’ve yet to find anything Klingon which appeals to me. Among other factors, I prefer that my meals not move on the plate of their own accord.”
“I don’t like gagh either. As a cultural preference it’s a sensible adaptation, though.”
“How so?”
“Gagh reproduce quickly and require minimal resources. Klingons need a great deal of protein and gagh is the most efficient source.”
He hadn’t heard the explanation, but it seemed reasonable to a point. “They could still kill it before eating.”
“I’m told it’s an acquired taste but have never felt the need to acquire it.”
“I find human cuisine much more palatable.”
“There has to be something you don’t like,” insisted Julian.
He admitted, “I’m not overly fond of asparagus.”
“I can take it or leave it.” Julian thought for a moment. “How about baked stuffed flounder tonight?”
“I don’t believe I’ve tried flounder.”
“It’s a type of fish. You seem to like fish.”
That was true, though Earth salmon wasn’t his favorite variety and he hoped flounder was dissimilar. “I also enjoy trying new dishes.”
Julian ordered two servings of baked stuffed flounder from his replicator, with sides of roasted root vegetables and sautéed green beans. Placing them on the table, he asked, “Anything to drink besides water?”
“No thank you.”
The flounder was quite good; he already knew that green beans were acceptable; as for the roasted root vegetables, Garak liked the beets, had no objections to or praise for the sweet potato, and did not care for the parsnips. He ate the parsnips anyway; leaving food uneaten was both wasteful and rude.
That was one good thing about eating with Klingons. If one failed to finish a serving of gagh, one’s Klingon dining companions reliably consumed anything before it escaped the table.
Movie night was a good suggestion. Julian thought a couple hours sitting with Garak enjoying the simple pleasure of being together would be an ideal end to his busy day.
While he set up the holoprojector Garak surprised him by asking, “Would you object if I turned off my translator when we are alone? I believe it would help my Federation Standard considerably.”
Julian had known about Garak’s language study for some time, but Garak had always kept it very private and declined Julian’s offer of conversing, preferring the computer program. He was touched by the suggestion. “I’d like that.”
Garak thumbed off the device clipped to his waistband. After a moment of looking uncharacteristically shy he asked, “Do you have a movie in mind?”
His voice was the same, but without the translator his accent changed considerably to something with harsher consonants and softer vowels. Julian loved knowing that this was his boyfriend unfiltered, exactly as he spoke.
“We’ve received a few newer releases and I’ve heard one of them is quite good. It’s apparently an Andorian folk tale set on modern Earth.”
“Zat sounds intriguing,” said Garak. Julian guessed Cardassi didn’t have a ‘th’ sound, but he made no mention of this because he suspected Garak was self-conscious.
Instead he sat on the couch and said, “Thank you for letting me hear you without any interference.”
“Hearing you as you truly speak was a motivating factor for me as well.”
He kissed his boyfriend. “Do you want popcorn?”
“Not now, but I would enjoy ze hand holding.”
Julian added full-body leaning together to the hand holding and started the movie.
The Federation, in standing with their openness, made freely available a computer program which tutored Standard. Garak had availed himself of the program immediately upon the arrival of Starfleet crew. He believed that in the long term his energies were better directed to learning Federation Standard than the Bajoran language.
Despite many hours of study and practice he’d never used Standard with a living person. Garak crafted his personas carefully and required precise language to do so. It was a risk, by his standards, to allow anyone to see so much of him as he was without a persona, but he thought Julian worth the risk. Certainly Julian took his own risks in this relationship, not least of which was the potential for negative career ramifications.
Besides the opportunity to improve his Standard Garak wanted to hear Julian’s voice as it was without being translated into Cardassi. It was quite satisfying, and he looked forward to hearing Julian say his name.
While the movie was interesting – better than most – and he rarely had difficulty with its Standard he would not have enjoyed it nearly as much were he viewing it alone in his quarters. Much of his pleasure derived from having Julian’s body pressed next to his and their hands entwined, hearing Julian chuckle at a joke Garak failed to grasp and occasionally shifting so they touched in a slightly different manner.
It was a bit frightening how quickly he’d grown accustomed to this relationship, but he’d resolved to enjoy it thoroughly for as long as he was able. Julian brought great pleasure to his life, and he didn’t need the man to be exciting company that evening. Simple presence was enough for Garak to enjoy a contentment which, until the recent commencement of their romantic relationship, he’d not felt for some time.