He was fooling them well. Making everyone believe that he was all right, accepting his new identity, making a good show of how comfortably he was growing into his new state. He was doing a good job of it too -- even the good Major had ceased her frequent inquiries about his feelings and his moods. But Garak was not fooled. Never, in a million light-years, was Constable Odo 'all right'.

And he decided to prove his intuition. He made his move one afternoon, while the Constable was having a glass of beer at Quark's. He approached the table smoothly, his smile innocent, his traveling gaze unnassuming. He stopped right beside the empty chair at Odo's table and waved at it. "May I?"

Odo grunted his assent, resuming his thoughtful contemplation of his glass. They remained quiet for a moment, Garak slipping into the silent role of the listening counselor. Finally Odo looked up and sighed. "Was there something you wanted Garak?"

Feigning charming coyness, Garak shrugged daintily and waved at the air nonchalantly. "Oh I just thought you might like a bit of enjoyable company. After all, it has been a while since our last breakfast, hasn't it? I was beginning to wonder ..."

Odo frowned in suspicion, resting his glass on the table. "Yes?"

Genuine concern shadowed the tailor's face. "Is all well with you Odo? It seems you've been in a positively brooding mood ever since our return from the Gamma quadrant."

The Constable snorted derisively, taking a swig of his ale. "How would you know Garak? You've been in jail for six months."

The Cardassian heaved an aggrieved sigh and leaned back. "Yes, that was not an experience I would wish to reenact. But frankly Odo, your brooding mood has not changed an iota from your first day as a ..." His eyes widened fractionally. "It's that, isn't it? You despise being a humanoid. You make as if everything is fascinating, everything is new and challenging yet you loathe every minute of it."

"...Garak," Odo began but Garak silenced him with a shake of the head

"But it is true is it not? To be separated as such from your people ... from home ... exiled by the Greak Li--"

"That's enough!" Odo bawled, abruptly standing up and nearly knocking his chair back. "This has nothing to do with my people, and I would appreciate it if you left alone the matter. And me." He turned on his heels and disapeared onto the Promenade, leaving a startled Cardassian to stare after him.

He blinked away his bewilderment, and went after him.

"Odo, let me in please. I meant no offense back there ... I only wished to help."

The doors slid smoothly open, and Garak entered hesitantly, taking in the redecorated quarters. He'd seen it once in its prior state, when Odo and he had moved breakfast to his quarters. Now it looked ... as though a humanoid lived in it. A humanoid with spartan taste. A table, a chair, a vase of flowers (no doubt a gift) and a couch. No decorations, no pictures on the wall or on the shelves ... no momentos. Garak's heart suddenly ached.

He walked toward the hunched form on the couch, staring off absently. He sat carefully at the edge, keeping his distance as Odo shook his head and spoke, "You know, when I was on Terok Nor ... I used to have a wish. Something I thought about everytime I'd perform for the troops ... or whenever I had to do something humiliating or degrading. I used to think that being a Changeling was a curse. That being a humanoid meant being the same as everybody else. Meant freedom."

"It doesn't," Garak chimed in thoughtfully, staring at a distant spot.

Odo went on as though Garak hadn't spoken. "But now it's different. I'm finding myself wishing for the contrary. To have everything back to normal. I ... I'm not comfortable in my clothes. I keep waking up at night for no reason. I sneeze, I cough, I ...." and Odo did something next that Garak would have never expected. He blushed.

Garak only smiled, a knowing gleam in his eyes. "Ah, but that is one of being a humanoid's upsides."

Odo glanced reproachfully at him. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh now Mister Odo!" Garak laughed, his voice parodying a certain Bajoran that used to frequent his shop. "Don't tell me you didn't take that Bajoran up on her offer ..."

"I did not!" Odo replied petulantly. "I've never--" he blushed again and looked away. Garak leaned in, his teasing promptly evaporating.

"Constable? Do you mean to imply you've never made love?"

"Well what do you think!?" he bawled, getting up to gaze at space more closely. "Who'd want to get intimate with a Changeling except another Changeling? And now that I've become ... this, people think I'm a freak."

"I refuse to believe that," Garak said.

"And besides ..." Odo sighed, his eyes softening and flickering with the reflection of stars. "I wouldn't know how."

Garak had to chuckle at this. "Why Odo, is that a tacit way to ask me in bed?"

And while Garak expected a sudden outburst, Odo only slumped his shoulders and leaned his head against the heavy glass. "What would you say if I said you were right?"

Garak's usually sharp brain was at a loss to come up with a smart reply. All he did was breathe out slowly and approach the Constable. He rested a heavy hand on the surprisingly strong shoulder and whispered. "Only if you feel right about it ..."

"I don't ..." he said, turning into Garak's arms. "But right now, nothing feels right. So this can't render things much worse."

"I'll try to be gentle then," Garak said with a teasing smile, and promptly looked mortified when Odo pulled away with a wary look. "Odo! I was joking! Another humanoid trait you might want to ... learn."

"No jokes Garak ... I'm trusting you with something very important to me and I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to make me feel uncomfortable!"

"My apologies then," said Garak solemnly. He glanced back, then around the room. "Do ... you have a bedroom?"

"In there," he husked, walking uneasily toward the room while Garak trailed closely behind. He didn't know when or how it'd happen, but he found himself fascinated by just how hot the temperature had risen.

"Perfect," Garak cooed upon entering the small bedroom. He closed the door and locked it, turned to Odo and smiled disharmingly. "We could close the lights as well if it will make you more at ease ..."

"No ... no, I want to experience everything."

"Well, perhaps we won't cover everything tonight, but we can certainly try," Garak whispered, his pupils dilating noticeably. He'd often wondered what sex with Odo would be like ... one of the little things that had attracted him to the Constable in the first place. How ironic that he was about to make love to him as one humanoid to another. Hadn't Odo realised that his former shape was a kinky dreamer's fantasies come true?

He smiled at this and closed the distance between them, leaning forward slowly, giving the constable a good measure of time to draw away. When he didn't, Garak closed his lips over Odo's.

A rumble echoed within Odo's chest as the sensations washed over him. Garak's talented mouth had managed to part his lips and insinuate a wet tongue into his own, and caught unaware he simply did the same and dueled with the Cardassian. When he managed to thrust into the tailor's mouth, Garak whimpered and tightened his fingers over Odo's arms.

They pulled away breathless and Odo said, "I've never kissed that way before ..."

Lost in his own lust, Garak swallowed hard and began to walk forward, forcing the Constable back, against his bed, then over it. When he was on hands and knees over Odo, Garak breathed hotly in his ear, "It doesn't show," before his hands flew to the Bajoran unform's clasps. He tore through them swiftly, shedding the clothes unceremoniously. He eyed the body beneath him hungrily, such smooth skin, everywhere. Garak was himself bare everywhere on his body, save for the tell-tale scales and ridges, and it was fascinating to note the same of Odo.

When he moved to strip himself, Odo reached up and said, "No! Let me do that please ..."

Garak nodded, untrusting of his own voice as he settled against the hard mattress. Odo smoothly crawled over the hard body and began to undress the tailor, taking in the fascinating details, touching and admiring each scale and ridges. Only once had he been so fascinated; when he'd first lay eyes on a Cardassian.

He touched every inch of the tailor's skin, which wasn't helping Garak at all. He moaned helplessly, continuously, writhing beneath the smooth fingers as they explored with an eroticism so strong Garak wanted to yell. His eyes drifted close and he panted, wanting so desperately to ease his ache but at the same time respecting his friend.

Then he opened his eyes to Odo's kiss, and he murmured inside the hot mouth. Odo pulled away and frowned inquisitively.

"I ... I asked whether you wanted to ... to take me or that I take you ..." Garak said uneasily.

"For now, I think I'd want to take you ..." Odo replied with somethng quite wicked shining in his soft blue eyes.

"Then take me!" Garak growled with frustration, swiftly turning around and offering his ass. "Now, please!"

And as Odo indeed took him, he realised just how much Garak had been right ... how making love could be considered a ... big upside. He thurst in and out steadily, building himself a rhythme as he closed his eyes to fantasy. Under him, Garak did the same.

The release came upon them with a shattering sensation. For the first time Odo emptied himself with a blissful cry into the tailor while Garak grunted and moaned, buried his face into the pillow to smother the name, "Julian," into it. And as Odo collapsed on the tailor's back, a satiated grin on his face, the word "Nerys," flowed breathlessly from of his lips.

THE END

(Sophie cannot respond right now as she has dug a hole to which she has buried her head...)

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