Title: Valentine's Day
By: Gryvon
Pairing: Garak/Bashir
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Rating: NC-17
Summary: Bashir introduces Garak to Valentine's Day.

***

The door chimed. Bashir fidgeted with the table settings one last time before calling out "Enter."

Garak's smile widened as he stepped inside and took in the elaborate place settings on the table, complete with two white candles and a vase of roses. "My, my, doctor. To what do we owe the occasion?"

Bashir blushed and ushered Garak to his chair. "It's an old Earth tradition called Valentine's Day." He looked over at the table. "It's too much, isn't it?" He reached for the candles, but Garak's hand rested over his, stilling him.

"No, dear Bashir. I think it's quite lovely."

Bashir offered a weak smile. "Really? We don't have to, you know. I'm just being silly."

Garak smiled widely. "I like your brand of silly, doctor."

"Thank you." Bashir pressed the preset button on the replicator and carried the dish that appeared over to the table.

"What's on the menu?"

"Lobster and crab fettuccini in white wine sauce." Bashir pointed the serving spoon towards Garak in obvious invitation.

"Well it does look quite interesting. What are the stringy things made of? Worms?"

Once upon a time, Bashir might have taken offense to the comparison, but that was before he'd been introduced to real Klingon cuisine. "No, flour and egg mostly. It's a traditional Terran dish."

"Quite full of tradition today."

Bashir smiled and poured them both some wine. "Well, it is our first Valentine's. I wanted to make it special."

Garak smiled back and took a bite of the fettuccini. He hummed appreciatively. "I must say, you chose wisely. This is much better than most Terran food I've tried."

"You will be amused to note that the meat portions come from crustaceans, sort of similar to giant sea spiders."

"Aren't spiders considered a sort of pest on Earth?"

"A necessary one, but yes. Unless they come from the sea, in which case they are delicious."

Garak laughed. "You Terrans and your double standards."

"The better to confound you Cardassians."

Garak smirked. He often teased Bashir for his Terran hang-ups, particularly when it came to their relationship, as new as it was. "Tell me more about this Valentine's Day. It's an annual occurrence, I assume?"

"Yes." Bashir paused to take a bite of food. He adored good fettuccini, though the replicator didn't quite do justice compared to the little restaurant he'd found when he'd been at Starfleet. Sometimes there was no substitute for homemade. "It's a romantic holiday shared between established lovers."

"Sounds quite risqué."

Bashir grinned. "It can be. Dinner is traditional, as is sometimes the exchanging of gifts." He blushed. "Other, more carnal activities have been known to occur."

Garak grinned back. "Something to look forward to then." He reached across the table and squeezed Bashir's hand. "Though we hardly need a holiday for that to occur."

"It's more than that." Bashir pursed his lips. "It's about celebrating love and showing appreciation for the love that you have."

Garak chuckled. "Weddings, anniversaries, Valentine's Day. You Terrans certainly seem to care a great deal about love."

"It's important. Both culturally and personally."

Garak leaned over the table with a grin. He had yet to move his hand away from Bashir's. "Is it, now?"

Bashir could feel a blush growing across his cheeks. He let his fingers intertwine with Garak's. "It is. I love you. I just... I wanted you to know that."

"I was aware, my dear." The look on Garak's face was quite fond, a look that was more and more frequently directed Bashir's direction of late.

"Do you have any Cardassian traditions to show affection?"

Garak grinned. "Shall I show you?"

Garak stood and Bashir followed, leaving their dinner half-eaten on the table. Garak's hand stayed entwined with Bashir's and using their joined hands, Garak pulled Bashir close and into a bruising kiss. Garak's free arm came around Bashir's waist to pull him close. Garak leaned into their embrace, forcing Bashir to stumble backwards until they bumped into the wall next to his bed. Still Garak pressed into him, even after they were stationary, pressing Bashir back against the wall until the line of Garak's body was nearly as firm a barrier as the wall behind them.

Garak's mouth pulled away and he stared down at Bashir with smoldering eyes.

"I think I get the idea," Bashir said. He licked his lips and Garak's gaze followed.

"I think a little more demonstration is in order."

"Yes. Quite."

Garak's hands slid underneath the hem of Bashir's shirt, pressing against the skin beneath, teasing. His fingers were slightly cold against Bashir's skin, a tempting counterpoint to the heat inside of him. Fabric was pulled away from flesh and they tumbled naked to the bed.

This was not Bashir's first time in bed with Garak but it felt like the first. Garak's slick fingers slid inside of him and he gasped, arching off of the covers. He spread his legs in obvious invitation and Garak slid closer, until Bashir could wrap his legs around Garak's waist. Garak's fingers crooked inside of him and he howled.

"My, my, doctor. What will the neighbors think?"

"I'll... have you... know... there is... excellent... soundproofing," he gasped.

Garak chuckled and repeated the motion of his fingers, earning him another loud and enthusiastic noise from Bashir. "A good thing indeed. You are quite the vocal one."

Bashir trembled as he stared up at Garak coyly through lowered lashes. "You enjoy it."

"Immensely. I could play you like this for hours, my own private lute."

Bashir moaned at the thought.

"You would like that, I think. The most exquisite of torture." Garak spread his fingers wide as he pulled them out, giving on last incredible drag on Bashir's insides. "Not tonight, though. Tonight I'm to show you how Cardassians express their love."

Garak shifted his hips, moving slightly forward so that his dick pressed against Bashir's entrance. "Sex makes us vulnerable, but it can be used as a weapon as well." Bashir gasped as Garak slid inside of him, filling him up until he felt like he was going to burst from pleasure. "But there's a form of sex, a way of doing it that is reserved for those we hold in the deepest trust."

Garak's hands came under Bashir, pulling him up until he was face to face with Garak. He shifted, twisting his legs until he could get his knees under him. Garak's hands held him securely around the waist, waiting until he settled before encouraging him to move.

His head fell forward onto Garak's shoulder. He thought he'd felt full before, but it was nothing like this. He could feel every inch of Garak inside of him and it was amazing. Garak was amazing. Bashir could barely breathe. His breath escape in loud, gasping puffs.

Garak's hand combed through Bashir's hair before guiding his head closer to Garak's neck. "Bite."

"What?"

"Bite me."

He did, tentatively settling his teeth at the base of his neck. He felt Garak lean forward, felt teeth close upon his skin and he gasped. Garak thrust up hard, making Bashir's mouth close down reflexively. There was an answering tightening of Garak's teeth and he shivered. It was all one giant feedback loop. Garak thrust inside of him, forcing Bashir forward into Garak's neck and then biting down on Bashir's neck in response.

He couldn't take it. Not much. He lasted two more thrusts and then he was done for, spilling his seed between their bodies in a hot, sticky mess. Garak kept thrusting. His fingers tightened in Bashir's hair, pressing Bashir's face against his neck and he took the hint, biting down hard.

Garak came inside of him.

They stilled slowly, bodies moving together on autopilot before slowing, stilling. Garak's hand rubbed against Bashir's lower back as he pulled out, prompting a slight wince from Bashir.

"Wow," Bashir said.

"Indeed." Garak's fingers trailed over Bashir's neck. "You're going to have an impressive bruise there."

Bashir smiled and joined his fingers with Garak's against his neck. "Does it have meaning in your culture? I mean, you don't seem to bruise as easily."

Garak smirked. "It does take a lot to bruise us, but yes, those that know you're with me and know of Cardassians would guess the significance."

"Then I shall wear it as a badge of honor."

Garak laughed at that. "You never fail to surprise me, doctor. Too bad your Federation uniform will cover most of it."

Bashir leaned back in bed and pulled Garak down on top of him. "Then you'd best enjoy it while you can."

Garak pressed a kiss to the join of Bashir's neck and shoulder. "Oh, I shall, my dear. I shall."

***