Disclaimer: not my characters! But you're not playing with these right now, are you? Go work on that new Trek Series I've been hearing about.
A/N: In Defiant Kira reveals to Dax that she's seeing someone, apparently mentioning it for the first time. Then in the next episode everyone seems to know. I thought that required some explaining.
Icon / cover by makintosh.
Girl Talk
Jadzia Dax had been very patient. Of course she had to wait for Kira to return from her unplanned sojourn to Cardassian space. When Kira returned, she waited until after the debriefing, till all the reports were written and discussed. And then, finally getting Kira alone to talk, she'd listened until she had finished telling her all about her kidnapping by the Maquis. Now, sitting at a dark table at Quark's, near the Dabo table so its noise sheltered their conversation, Dax finally asked the question that had been on her lips for days. 'So, who is this someone you're involved with?'
Kira didn't quite turn red, but there was a definite flush on her features and she suddenly started stammering, obviously caught off guard.
'He must be quite something for you to ignore Riker.' Dax teased her further.
'Well… I…' Kira sputtered awkwardly, clearly at a loss for words.
Noting her discomfort, Dax decided to take pity on her friend. 'It's Vedek Bareil, isn't it?' she asked knowingly. That helped Kira regain her voice, though the flush remained.
'What? How did you know?' She exclaimed.
'Well, the three days he spent mostly in your quarters were kind of a give-away. Not to mention all those strolls around the promenade!' The blush Kira had been fighting won as she valiantly searched for words but found none. Seeing her consternation, Dax' teasing lilt turned to a soft smile.
'Kira, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. He's a good man and I'm happy for you.'
At these words, Kira ducked her head, acting more shyly than Dax had ever seen her. But after a few moments she relaxed and when she looked up Dax saw that a genuine smile had spread across her face.
'You're right. I don't have anything to hide.' Kira said. Dax hid her smirk over the fact that those words were spoken in as close to a whisper as was possible in the loud bar. 'I just, I don't know what I'm doing. I never thought he'd like, well, me!'
Dax smiled gently at Kira, who suddenly seemed so much younger than her own seven lifetimes. 'You're in love, Kira, it's perfectly natural.'
Kira let out a delighted laugh. 'I am, aren't I?' Dax smiled tenderly at her simple joy.
After letting Kira bask in the feeling for a few moments, Dax prodded her, her tone curious and playful. 'Now tell me, what is he like?' Dax listened patiently as Kira told her about her relationship with Bareil. So happy and in love. The smile momentarily froze on Dax' face as she remembered the last time she'd felt that way: with Deral on Meridien. It had only been a few weeks and the separation still hurt. But, after a moment, she pushed her pain aside and focussed instead on the happiness of her friend. Dax wished fervently that Kira's relationship would turn out better.
The End.