Chapter Text
“Why?” Doctor Julian Bashir asked. “Why are you keeping secrets again? I was under the impression, Garak, that we were done with secrets.”
Elim Garak stared back with a blank expression. “My dear Doctor, calm yourself,” he said, letting his left hand move off Julian’s shoulder. “You’re acting childish.”
Julian stepped back, a look of hurt flashing across his eyes. “I am acting childish?”
The Promenade felt quieter now, even if no one had noticed the argument yet.
“How am I acting childish when you’re the one hiding something?” Julian asked, his eyes narrowed into a glare.
Garak glanced at the people around them with a slightly less calm expression, then he focused back on Julian. “Doctor… perhaps we should discuss this elsewhere?” he asked, placing a hand on Julian's wrist.
Julian pulled his arm away. “No. No, why do you even care?”
“Doctor, please,” Garak said, quieter. “Let’s just… discuss this later.”
A few officers were staring now. Not openly, but Garak could tell they were watching, and he just wanted this to be over.
“Why can’t we discuss it now?” Julian asked, stepping closer.
Garak had given up trying to calm Julian down; obviously, he was not ready to have a civilized conversation. So, of course, the second best option was to walk away from the situation.
Julian stared at him. “Where are you going? This conversation isn’t over, Garak!” he called, walking after the tailor.
Major Kira Nerys watched this happen. She glanced back at Captain Sisko. “Are they… bickering?” she asked, looking between Julian and Garak.
Sisko looked up from his PADD and stared at them for a second. “I’m not sure I want to know.”
Kira rolled her eyes. “So much for Starfleet officers being against workplace hostility,” she teased.
“You just do not give up, do you?” Garak asked, glancing back at Julian, who was still following right behind him.
Julian huffed, crossing his arms tightly across his chest. “No, I don’t.”
Garak kept walking, slowly, almost methodically, like he was thinking of the easiest way to get Julian to just drop this.
“You can’t avoid me forever!” Julian exclaimed, grabbing onto Garak's hand. “What are you so afraid of?!”
“Enough, Julian,” Garak said, nudging him away.
Julian stepped back as Garak pushed him away, a hurt frown crossed his lips.
Garak glanced back, noticing that Julian stopped following him. This was what Garak wanted, so why did he feel…guilty?
“I see how it is,” Julian said, swallowing. His throat felt dry and his hands were starting to tremble from his frustration. “Keep your secrets, I don’t want to know them.”
“Doctor-”
Julian had already started walking away, and Garak knew that he was in trouble. Oh, Garak was in so much trouble.
“He has not spoken to me in almost a full Earth day,” Garak said, staring down at his drink. “How do I make him forgive me?”
Quark stared back at Garak like he had lost his mind. “First off, you can’t make someone forgive you. And second, why are you asking me?”
“You upset the Constable every other day, and yet he does not avoid you…How do you do it?” Garak asked, as if that had been obvious.
The glass in Quark’s hands almost cracked. “What are you talking about? That’s not- It’s not like that,” he explained.
Garak raised an eyebrow.
Quark placed the glass onto the counter. “It’s our way of showing we care. Happy?”
“Very,” Garak said, taking a painfully slow sip of his drink.
“Back to you and your doctor,” Quark said, clearing his throat. “You did something bad?”
Garak sighed, putting down his drink. “I kept something from him, and now he won’t talk to me.”
“Mhm? Well, usually, when Odo is angry with me he just growls at me and pesters me more, I don’t think he’s ever given me the silent treatment,” Quark said, glancing over at Odo, who was standing by the exit of the bar, making sure no fights broke out.
Garak looked at Quark. “As usual, you are useless,” he whispered to himself before standing up and leaving.
Julian rubbed a hand over his eyes. “He is just so… Ugh!” he exclaimed, pacing. “He expects me to just accept his lies and go on with the day!”
Miles watched as Julian paced back and forth, then looked back down at his injured hand. “I can probably patch myself up-”
“Stay.”
“Or I can stay,” Miles muttered, sitting back on the biobed.
“Wouldn’t you be annoyed if Keiko kept a secret from you?” Julian asked.
Miles sighed. “I guess so?”
“How does he not understand that maybe-”Julian paused, looking back at Miles’s still bleeding hand. “Right…”
Miles raised an eyebrow. “Wow. You’re really worked up about this.”
Julian ignored the comment, focusing on Miles’s injured hand.
“So… Are you gonna forgive him?” Miles asked, looking back at Julian’s face.
“Depends on if he stops being such a…” Julian stopped talking before he said something he would regret.
Miles saw Julian’s hurt expression. “Are you angry at him or his actions?” he asked, watching Julian.
Julian took a second to think. He knew Garak couldn’t be trusted. He knew Garak lied.
“I don’t know.”
The sudden sound of the sickbay doors opening made Julian look over.
“Doctor,” Garak said.
Miles could feel the room become tense. “Anyways, thanks, Julian,” he said, getting off of the biobed.
Julian glanced over at Miles. “You’re still bleeding.”
“Really? I didn’t even notice!” Miles exclaimed, leaving before Julian could scold him.
“Miles!” Julian called out.
Silence refilled the sickbay.
Garak suddenly placed a bouquet of replicated Perek Flowers onto the nearby counter.
Julian looked at the flowers.
“I have heard that humans find flowers aesthetically pleasing,” Garak explained, staring at Julian.
Julian had to admit, it was actually really sweet.
“Thank you, Garak,” Julian said, taking the flowers. “But it’s going to take a lot more than flowers.”
He handed the bouquet to Garak and went back to work.
Garak took the flowers and left.
Garak knew there was no way he could talk his way back into Julian’s heart. He knew what he had to do.