Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!elnk-atl-nf1!newsfeed.earthlink.net!c01.usenetserver.com!c03.atl99!atl-c02.usenetserver.com!news.usenetserver.com!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!newsread.com!newsstand.newsread.com!POSTED.monger.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: From: "Penumbra" MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: NEW DS9 Truth and Grooming (G/B) [PG-13] (challenge) Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lines: 129 Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 12:55:01 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: monger.newsread.com 1093438501 209.198.142.218 (Wed, 25 Aug 2004 08:55:01 EDT) NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 08:55:01 EDT Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:83057 X-Received-Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 05:55:03 PDT (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) Title: Truth and Grooming Author: Penumbra Contact: penumbra at clinched dot net Series: DS9 Rating: PG-13 Codes: challenge, G/B Part: 1/1 Archive: Knock yourself out. Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue. Viacom/Paraborg is god. Summary: Garak's morning habitus elicits discussion. "Let the punishment be equal with the offence." ~ Cicero ------------------------------------- Truth and Grooming by Penumbra (c) 2004 ------------------------------------- His hair still wet from the shower, Bashir fastened the closures of his uniform jacket and exited the bedroom. The sight that greeted him at the table brought a puckish grin to his lips. "I thought I heard the door chime while I was showering." "You heard right," Garak replied, his eyes on a PADD. "Odo wanted to discuss one of the Cardassian messages I recently decoded. Something having to do with troop movements, I believe." "And he offered no comments on your present state? Finally, Garak looked up, and there was a smile on his face. "Should he have?" "If not scandalised, I would think he'd be at least curious." Indeed, it was 0900 hours in the morning, yet Garak was still dressed in his Tholian silk robe, a cup of tea at his elbow serving as breakfast. His gleaming, black hair was sticking out in all directions in cheerful contrast to its normal groomed state and his lips appeared swollen. "As it happens, he did remark on my unkempt habitus with an air of curiosity about him," Garak said and put his PADD down. "And which explanation did you give him?" Bashir asked and requested toast and tea from the replicator. "Surely not the truth?" "Although his reply to that would've been terribly amusing, I did not. The news, as we agreed, should be delivered gently and not in an off-hand manner over official business." Garak's lips twisted into a sardonic smile. "The downside to this is that he will, no doubt, re-double his efforts to install surveillance equipment in my quarters." Deciding to disregard the implications of that statement, Bashir sipped his tea, his eyes on his lover. "So you lied." "Naturally." "Yet isn't truth the highest of virtues, Garak? An ideal to be admired, a goal to strive for," Bashir pronounced with as much solemnity as he could manage without breaking his composure. "The most noble of quests, even?" "Ignoring your appalling interpretation of the value of truth for a moment, let me make one thing clear," Garak said, leaning forward as he eyed Bashir with curiosity. "You are of the opinion that I should have disclosed the truth to Odo? That the unfortunate state of my hair is entirely due to Dr. Bashir's woeful inability to find the bedpost and his subsequent decision to make do with my scalp as an adequate substitute in its stead?" Garak's voice was hoarse -- possibly because he had spent a considerable portion of the previous night screaming into the pillows, Bashir theorised -- yet the carefully constructed ire was clear in it. Hiding his impending smile, Bashir decided on the offensive. "Don't try to claim innocence in the matter, Garak. May I remind you that it was you who rendered me to a state where I was liable to grasp the nearest convenient object, regardless of ownership, or else lose my bearings -- not to mention my consciousness -- altogether?" At this, Garak offered a coquettish pout and sat back, his languid form the very portrait of an epicure. "Any port in a storm?" "I prefer to think of it as any anchor in a maelstrom, but yes." Garak hid his smile in his teacup. "Because I happen to be in a good mood, I'll disregard your torture of a perfectly decent metaphor. Also, I still maintain that some sort of retribution should be in order for what you've done to my reputation." "Your reputation?" Bashir repeated, finally losing his composure and laughing. "I knew you were picky when it comes to fashion, but I was unaware that you were so particular about the =E9clat your hair elicits." "Don't go off on these tangents, Julian. We were discussing recompense." Still smiling, Bashir stood up and went around the table to stand in front of Garak's chair. Bending down so that they were at face level, he touched the disorganised coiffure that was the source of Garak's mock indignation. "I rather prefer it this way, Elim," he said, his voice quiet and intimate. "Yes, it's all my fault, and as my penance, I promise to rearrange it back to this state again as soon as humanly possible." "Mmm. Tonight?" Bashir straightened, enjoying the frisson of pleasure that went through him. Of course, he knew Garak was a man capable of great innuendo, yet Bashir wondered how exactly he did these things to him with mere words and his voice. "Tonight," he promised. --------------------- End of part 1/1. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: