#and even after no matter how much garak begins to hate him there’s a small part of him that still finds him attractive as well it’s mwah

[1960z]

thinking of a stitch in time and how barkan lokar is described as literally the ideal of a cardassian male and the inherent symbolism of garak killing him and that being the last assignment he carries out before he’s exiled.

also thinking about the inherent homoeroticism in passages like garak saying that he’d never been in a “manlier, more attractive presence” and garak being on the wire during lokar’s interrogation meaning anytime lokar assaulted him all garak felt was blinding pleasure-

[nonbinaryezrabridger]

a lovely little garden

My first fic for star trek secret santa! The prompt was garashir from @lisjjabe. @startreksecretsanta

Rating: T. Words: 1883. ao3 link

“My dear doctor, Cardassia is no place for a wedding.”

“Elim, this is our home now.”

“I’m certainly not here because I enjoy it, Doctor. I’m here because I, unfortunately, feel a sense of duty to my people. If we’re going to get married, please, let us do it anywhere but here. Even that metal monstrosity you call deep space nine would be better than here.”

Julian laughs, runs a comforting hand over Garak’s wrist. Garak leans into the touch, drawing strength from the gentle brush of his lover’s fingers over his scales. Julian pulls away after a minute and picks his padd off the console he’d left it on, sauntering out the door. He yells over his shoulder as he leaves:

“I’ll find us somewhere beautiful, dear.”

Once again left alone with his dreadfully boring work, Garak closes his eyes and breaths in the hot, dry air of his home planet. As much as he enjoys not being cold all the time, Cardassia holds nothing for him but reminders of how far his people have fallen. Even worse, he can’t escape the simple fact even before the Dominion war, his people were terrible, hateful warmongers.

Some would say he’d been corrupted by the federation, and Garak would firmly but politely disagree. And then he’d punch them in the face.

He’s gotten less diplomatic with age.

------

When Julian first suggests a lovely little garden on Bajor, Garak thinks it’s a joke and laughs heartily. It’s only the hurt in his doctor’s eyes that tips him off to the fact that it’s a real suggestion. His mind is a whirlwind of apologies, but all he manages to say is an incredulous question:

“Bajor? With a Cardassian husband?”

Julian’s face softens, the hurt easing as he understands.

“Elim, Bajor’s wounds have healed enough for us to visit. And this venue is very private, it’s in the middle of nowhere.”

Elim nods weakly, but his scales are still curling with distress. Julan brushes a soothing hand over his ridges and pulls up images of the venue. It is beautiful, with flower covered walkways and delicate crystal chandeliers hanging inside the buildings.

Elim still isn’t sure it’s a good idea, but Julian loves it, so he says yes. Julian claps happily and presses a kiss to Elim’s cheek. Elim sends him off to pick centerpieces for the tables and goes to message Kira, just to make sure it’s actually okay. Julian hasn’t been on Bajor for months, while Kira will know the current climate well enough to advise him. She assures him that it will be fine and he resigns himself to worrying silently about it until they’ve actually set foot on Bajor.

--------

Julian had given Elim complete control over the outfits for the wedding. He’s a little nervous about it, but Elim was upset about the venue and fashion is so important to him...but please don’t be polka dots. Polka dots were in season last year and no matter how much Julian complained, Elim put them in all his creations.

Julian arrives at Elim’s workshop and knocks on the doorframe, not wanting to barge in an accidentally ruin the surprise. Elim shouts from inside:

“Come in!”

Julian steps inside, bracing himself to see some very fashionable but still hideously ugly creation.

Instead, a pair of beautifully simple tuxes hang on the rack. One is black, with delicate blue embroidery on the cuffs, and the other is white with purple embroidery. The black is obviously fitted to Julian and the white to Garak. They’re perfect, and not at all what Julian was expecting.

“Elim, They’re amazing!”

Elim smiles proudly and runs his hand over the white suit sleeve.

“I went with traditional human bases, in the human wedding colors, but the embroidery is cardassian. It’s the list of our family lines as far back as I could find. I don’t want much of my culture in our wedding, but that part is essential.”

Julian looks closer at the tiny Cardassian text. The needle work must have taken ages. Then he throws himself at his fiancee and hugs him as tightly as he can.

“I can’t wait to wear them!”

Elim wraps his arms around him and buries his face in his neck, blushing at the praise.

-----

They both agree not to invite their families to the wedding without discussing it. However, that leaves them both without someone to walk them down the aisle. Julian puts off asking Kira; he’s sure she’ll refuse him. When he finally works up the courage to ask her, she agrees enthusiastically. Elim endures Ezri’s lecture on taking care of himself even when she’s not there to force him in order to ask her. She’s just excited as Kira and Garak hopes he doesn’t regret his choice. Through no fault of her own, the trill can be quite overwhelming at times.

They carefully write up invitations. While Julian helps Miles secure time off to come t the wedding, Elim takes a trip to the deserts of the Cardassian equator in order to invite Ziyal. She gladly leaves her art studio in order to join them. She stays with them in the guest room of their apartment until they leave for Bajor.

Soon enough, it’s time to travel to Bajor and prepare the venue. Ziyal begs to be in charge of the decorations and they eagerly say yes, glad to have one thing on their giant list taken off. She dances through the small building, making sure all the crystal glimmers to her satisfaction and all the flowers match. Julian shakes his head at her fondly and checks over the menu one last time.

Elim lets the sunlight spill over his scales and just tries to let it sink in that this is actually happening. He’s about to have a beautiful wedding, on Bajor of all places, to his beautiful fiancee, who happens to be a starfleet officer and a human. He had never expected this to become his life, but he’s glad it has.

He’s surrounded by people who love him and that’s the most he could possibly hope for. As he watches Ziyal and Julian rush around the bright room, covered in flowers and jewels, he realizes how truly happy he is. The affection swells inside him and he rushes to Julian’s side, pulling him into an embrace and waltzing around the room.

Ziyal giggles behind them and Julian laughs too, surprised and breathless. He’s still holding a spray of flowers in one hand and he’s practically glowing in the soft sunlight. Elim feels overwhelmed by it all; Julian’s beauty, their upcoming wedding, how strongly he loves this man. He twirls Julian one last time and breaks away with a bow, making space for him to catch his breath.

------

Julian’s head spins as he walks down the aisle and he’s glad for Kira’s steadying arm linked with his. The bright red of her Bajoran uniform blazes against the black of his own suit and focuses on that contrast, using it to calm himself. All eyes are on him as Kira walks him down the aisle, Ziyal showering the path with soft pink rose petals. She’s in love with the title of flower girl, and takes her job very seriously.

They make it to the altar and Julian smiles at Miles and Keiko, who are sitting in the front row. Molly and Kirayoshi stand in front of their parents, ready to ring the rings up. Julian steps up to take his place, careful not to step on the flowing robes of the Kai who Kira had convinced to officiate the wedding. He tries not to look at the crowd watching him; his collar feels tight enough already.

Then Elim steps into the aisle, Ezri’s small frame hanging onto his larger one. Suddenly, Julian can’t feel the crowd’s eyes on him at all. All his senses are trained on his fiancee, and everything else fades away.

Elim looks amazing. He’s tailored the suit to be properly tight, and the crisp white blazes against his grey skin. He’s tinted his lips and his forehead indent purple to match the embroidery on his sleeves. Julian rarely gets to see him like this; the painted indent is still considered feminine, and Cardassians disapprove of men looking anything but warrior-like.

Elim begins his walk down the aisle, Ziyal giving him a shower in petals as well. Julian feels like he’s overheating despite the pleasant breeze flowing throughout the open air building. Elim gets closer and closer and he only becomes more overwhelming. He’s so beautiful and graceful, he hardly seems real. If the Kai told Julian he was a prophet made flesh, Julian would believe her wholeheartedly.

The vows pass in a blur. His head is too full of love for him to process anything other than how Elim’s eyes shine or his lips curl up in a smile. Julian is a zombie until the Kai says something short and then Elim is kissing him. Julian kisses back and then his hearing rushes back, bringing the roar of the crowd with it.

Julian is filled with his love and the building is filled with the crowd’s celebration and everything is perfect.

------

They stumble into their small apartment, exhausted from the after party. Julian lets the mound of presents and leftovers in his arms fall onto the table in the entryway and collapses on the couch. Elim follows him and they rest for a moment in silence.

“Thank you for dancing with me, Elim. I know music doesn’t do much for you.”

Garak chuckles and runs inhumanly warm fingers over Julian’s neck. He leans into the touch, smiling up at his husband.

“It’s not your fault my species has weak hearing, dearest. Simply being near you is enough for me, even if I can’t appreciate the music being played.”

Julian laughs and looks at the container Garak’s abandoned in the entryway, stuffed full of cake. He jokingly scolds:

“I see you enjoyed the wedding cake though. Did you even leave any for the guests?”

Garak huffs, a low rattling undertone vibrating in his chest. Julian presses a hand to his skin to feel it as well as hear it. It’s a happy noise, one that Cardassians rarely make. Julian has gotten good at coaxing the purr out off him, but he never gets tired of hearing it.

“It’s our wedding cake, and we payed for it. I think I should have as much as I want.”

Julian swings his legs up onto the couch and over Garak’s lap. Garak quickly wraps an arm over his knees, holding him close. Julian rests his head on the armrest and sinks into the couch, perfectly comfortable.

“Now that you’ve brought it home, I’m sure we’ll be eating it for weeks.”

Julian ends the sentence with a yawn, his eyes slipping closed. It’s been a long day, and wrapped up in his husband, all he wants to do is sleep. Garak doesn’t complain about being trapped underneath his weight, instead pressing a soft kiss to his forehead.

“Sleep well, my dear doctor.”

-------

The next morning, they stumble into the sunlit kitchen and eat wedding cake for breakfast. Garak accidently smears icing across his lips in his sleepiness, and Julian kisses the sweetness away.