#it would've been finished faster if I didnt have to go eat dinner

[youngpettyqueen]

2 garashir 👀

lessee 2 is... sick! YES. GARASHIR SICK FIC BE UPON YE I looooooove a good sickfic tysmmmmmmmm

please enjoy alien flower shenanigans, Julian being a big baby, and Garak dealing with the mortifying ordeal of loving somebody and wanting to be soft for them

"Doctor," Garak says, lovingly, patiently, with a smile, "You need. To eat."

Julian, lying amidst the tangle he's made of his sheets, pouts at him like a disobedient child and says, "Don't wanna."

Garak counts to 3 and reminds himself that he loves this man very much. "Julian," He tries, sweet as honey, "You haven't eaten a thing all day, and it's dinnertime. You need to eat to build up your strength, or else you're going to end up in the infirmary on a nutrient solution," He reminds him, "What would you rather have, a nutrient solution, or this delicious soup I replicated just for you?" He holds the bowl up invitingly.

Julian scowls at him, the way he always does when he knows that he's right. The sight is usually amusing, but right now, with Julian's face flushed red as Earth tomatoes with fever and every part of him soaked with sweat, it just looks... well. Pathetic.

"...Soup." Julian mumbles petulantly.

Garak's smile widens. "There's a good boy," He says, which only makes Julian's scowl deepens. He shifts how he's sitting, moving closer to Julian so that he can get a spoonful of soup and hold it out to him, "What is it Mrs. O'Brien says to the little one? Here comes the airplane?" He hums.

Julian looks at him like he wants him dead. Even so, he blows on the spoonful of soup, then lets Garak feed it to him. His scowl softens, as Garak knew it would- it's a curry soup, one of his favourites- but he does make an uncomfortable face to indicate that the nausea hasn't fully passed.

Garak tries not to let his concern show as he feeds his doctor another spoonful. Julian came back from his latest away mission sick, after inadvertently triggering the defense mechanism of some sort of flower, which had stuck his hand full of thorns. Jabara told him the thorns were coated in some sort of toxin, which had infected Julian and left him delirious with fever and stuck at a dangerously high temperature. The antidote, synthesized from the toxin itself, has brought his temperature down enough that his brain won't boil, but the fever still stubbornly refuses to break, and Julian is still uncomfortably overheated nearly constantly. The toxin has been potent enough that Julian is still sick two days later, but he's slowly getting better with regular injections of the medication.

Even seeing Julian get better before his eyes, Garak still can't help but worry. Humans are so very prone to toxins, especially those of the fatal varieties, and Julian's augmented immune system can make things... unpredictable. Sometimes something will barely faze him, and other times it will hit him even harder than it would another Human.

"'S hot." Julian mumbles after another spoonful. There's a sheen across his forehead again.

Garak grabs for the cloth he's taken to keeping handy and gently wipes at his face. Julian's hair curls and sticks to his forehead, and he takes a moment to brush it away before it dries. "I know, dear," He says sympathetically, "But you won't eat the gelatin because it, quote, feels bad, and anything else turns your stomach. Soup is the only thing you've been able to keep down," He glances at the bowl, which isn't steaming, but he knows it's warm because he can feel the heat through the bowl, "I could always ask the replicator to make this cold if-" Julian makes a face, and he sighs, "Never mind, then."

Julian winces, looking very much like a little animal that's been kicked out into the rain. "Sorry..." He offers miserably.

Garak sighs quietly. He can't be annoyed with Julian when he's this pathetic. "You've nothing to apologize for," He tells him softly, "It isn't your fault you aren't well. Just a bit more, that's all I ask." He holds out another spoonful.

Julian hesitates, and Garak braces himself for an argument. But, then, Julian puts on his best brave face and eats. Garak balances the bowl on his lap so that he can dab at the doctor's forehead again as he feeds him a few more spoonfuls, getting about halfway through the bowl before Julian finally shakes his head and refuses another bite.

"I can't," He says, "'M sorry, I can't..."

"That's alright," Garak soothes, with a tenderness that would've turned his stomach a year ago. He's never been the softest of people, but this situation requires a certain gentleness. He's found, in the months since their relationship became official, that being gentle is easier when one is hopelessly and dangerously in love, "You did well. I know it wasn't easy." He sets the bowl aside on the bedside table, to be taken away and recycled later.

He turns back to Julian. "How's the temperature?" He asks.

"Hot," Julian groans, "God, it's so hot... are you sure it can't... it can't go lower?" He asks.

Garak can only nod. "I'm sure," He replies. The temperature in here is as low as it can possibly go. He's been freezing his tail off, even bundled in a plush jumper that Julian had gifted him, but he'll gladly suffer the cold if it means his partner might get some relief, "I could get another cold compress, if you like." He offers. He's been running so hot they only stay cold for a short period, but it's better than nothing.

Julian shakes his head. "No," He mumbles, "No, don't... don't want you to go." He reaches out blearily, fumbling through the tangle that is his sheets before he finds Garak's hand, which he weakly grabs hold of.

Garak can't help but chuckle softly. "Really, my dear, I'll only be gone for a moment," He gently frees his hand, and Julian whines softly and tries to take it back, to no avail, "I'm sure you can spare me for just a brief moment, if it means you'll be able to cool down a bit." He suggests.

Julian rolls over towards him, and Garak is hit with the full force of what he's come to know as the puppy dog eyes. An expression so named for how it resembles an Earth puppy, and for how completely disarming it is to anybody who looks upon it. Julian is very good at this expression, especially when he's feeling poorly.

"I don't want to be alone." He tells him, and his voice is so sincerely miserable that Garak can't even be annoyed at how ridiculous the sentiment is, because Julian would literally be alone for less than a minute.

"Alright," Garak concedes in a sigh, if only because he thinks Julian might actually try to get up and come with him if he insisted on going, which would only end in disaster seeing as how he's had to practically carry him to use the fresher, "Alright, I'll stay. But," He reaches over, rests his hand on Julian's cheek in a gesture of sickeningly sweet care, "If it becomes unbearable, I expect you to-"

Garak's hand makes contact and Julian shivers in response. He starts to pull away, alarmed, but Julian moves the fastest he's moved these few days to grab hold of his wrist and plant his hand right back against his face.

"Julian?" He prompts, way more concerned than he should be.

Julian sighs contentedly, rubbing his cheek against Garak's palm. "Cold." He says simply.

Ah. That would... that would make sense. The room is cold, and despite the jumper, Garak still feels as cold as ice. Were he on Cardassia he would be able to retain heat from the sun, but here on this station, getting warm is a hero's journey in and of itself, and it's nearly impossible to stay warm. Add in a room that is, to him, freezing cold, and he imagines he must feel like one great big ice pack.

He brings his other hand up and, hesitating only momentarily, he places it on Julian's other cheek. Julian murmurs happily, also grabbing hold of that hand and holding it in place. Garak can feel the fever heat radiating off of Julian's skin, and it feels... nice. Alarming, to feel that he's still so warm, but Garak is a simple Cardassian and he can't deny that the heat is pleasant to his frigid hands.

How hadn't he thought to do this earlier? He can forgive himself for the couple days prior- Julian's skin had been hypersensitive and anything rougher than his blanket had him gasping in pain, so Garak had scarcely touched him- but since yesterday that particular symptom had dissipated. He could've been doing this all day. It probably would've worked better than the multiple cold compresses that have hardly touched the burning fever that rages through his doctor's system.

"Better?" Garak asks, unable to help a smile. Annoyed as he is with himself, he's far more pleased to see Julian content and happy in his hands, a silly smile on his face as he squishes Garak's hands against his cheeks. He looks rather like a Cardassian who's found a nice patch of sunlight to bask in.

Julian nods. "Much," He hums, very nearly purring like a cat might, "Can you do this... forever?" He requests.

"You have an hour until I need to get your next dose." Garak replies.

"Aw," Julian whines. Garak just raises a brow ridge at him, and he relents, "Alright, alright," He sighs. Still holding Garak's hands against his face, he smiles again, and adds, "Sorry for being... such a handful."

Garak softens entirely, melting like he's been left out in the sun too long. "My dear doctor," He murmurs, his thumbs brushing over Julian's lovely cheekbones, "If I may borrow one of your sayings... you may be a handful, but you're my handful," He leans in, and presses a sweet kiss to Julian's forehead, "And I wouldn't have you any other way."

It's not particularly pleasant, kissing Julian like this. He's sweaty, and sticky, and the smell of infection hangs around him like a sickly sweet perfume. But it makes him smile, draws a raspy little chuckle out of him, so Garak finds he can stomach the unpleasantness. In fact, he finds he can stomach it enough to give Julian a kiss on the nose, just so he can hear that huffy little laugh again.

How hopelessly soft he's become. Not for the first time, he thinks it wonderful that the thought no longer makes him want to retch.