Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
He awoke with arms wrapped around him and he leaned contently into her chest. This was the second time he had started the day like this, in her arms. She stroked his hair in greeting, but when he tried to move, he winced in pain. She gently pulled him back to where he was, and he tried not to breathe too deeply; his abdomen hurt when he took a deep breath.
Vamshi kissed his cheek and carefully slid out from behind him, then held out her hand. He took it and she led him to the washroom.
"Can you stand in the shower by yourself?"
He blushed and nodded, and she started the water.
"I'll be right outside if you need me. If you'll hand me your clothes, I'll put them through the washing cycle. Throw them next to the door and close the shower curtain, and I won't see a thing."
Weyoun nodded and took off his shirt, which she took.
"Hey...this is one of the more awkward parts of caring for you, but one of these days, we'll look back on this and laugh." She stroked his cheek. "And no, you're not a burden."
She left him standing there half naked, and once the door was closed he carefully removed the rest of his clothes and tossed them toward the door. Steam rolled out of the shower and he stepped in. The water pounded over him, massaging away all the aches and pains in his neck and back. He rolled his head experimentally, and it didn't hurt nearly as much as it did two days ago. His ribs may have been mended and his bruises healed, but his body ached like it had never had before. He was loathe to tell Vamshi about it, but he feared that he would have to. He couldn't stand the pain anymore, but hopefully she would call Kelaren back and he could get a pain reliever.
If Vamshi knew, she would probably massage his back or rub his shoulders, and that frightened him. But shouldn't I be happy that a Founder touches me? he thought to himself. It wasn't that she touched him, it was the way she touched him. She stroked his hair, kissed him fifteen times a day on average; she had tickled him until he lay breathless on the floor.
It wasn't the fact that her touch made him uncomfortable, quite the contrary. He was frightened because he liked the way she touched him.
The familiar, unapologetic way that she kissed, hugged, caressed and held him made him tremble with delight. His heart pounded at the memory of the sheer passion beneath her kisses, the tender yet protective way she held him, the intensity of her gaze when she looked into his eyes. The thought that she might have passion for him, a lowly servant, that equaled what he felt for her was nearly unbearable. His heart was overflowing with devotion and dedication to her; all Vorta were passionate about their gods. He was used to showing this passion in the work he did, but now, on break and on the mend, he hardly knew how to express himself. But then, he may have been completely wrong about the way she felt about him.
He froze and broke off his thoughts as he heard the door open. He heard Vamshi humming for about ten seconds, then the door shut and he knew she had gone. He peeked out from the shower curtain and saw that his clothes were gone and new ones had been set on the toilet seat. He smiled and closed the curtain again, then quickly finished showering. When he stepped out and dressed, he noticed a PADD on the sink, and he picked it up and read it.
Weyoun,
I'm regenerating in the bucket in the corner of the bedroom, and I'll be in there for an hour. I want you to keep working on your art project and to TAKE IT EASY. You need your rest. If you have any problems, call Kelaren. If someone calls for me, tell them I'm unavailable and that I'll get back to them as soon as possible. Thank you, sweetheart. I'll see you in an hour.
-Vamshi
He smiled at the term of endearment, then gathered his art supplies, sat on the bed and worked. Every once and a while, his gaze would stray to the bucket, and as his eyes roamed over the surface of Vamshi in her natural state, he could almost feel her arms around him, caressing him, squeezing him-
He shifted and shook his head of those thoughts, concentrating on his work. He averted his eyes as was proper for a Vorta, and he tried to ignore the dull ache in his back.
Thankfully, the distraction he needed came when he heard the door buzzer. He carefully got up and walked into the other room, then opened the door.
Dukat smiled at him over the threshold, and the Cardassian looked on the verge of laughter. "May I come in?" he said with a grin.
Weyoun glared at him. "These are not my quarters, so I'm not at liberty to let you in. If you're looking for Vamshi, she's unavailable at the moment."
"Really?" Dukat came in anyway, and the Vorta took a step back. "I already knew that. I was actually looking for you, Weyoun. Imagine my surprise when the computer told me you were here, in the Changeling's quarters."
He looked the Vorta up and down. "How the mighty have fallen. I hear the Jem'Hadar made short work of you."
Weyoun took another step back, and Dukat continued to advance.
"Ziyal tells me she's never seen anyone so...helpless. You had to be carried like a child to this room, she tells me. The doctor stayed in here for quite a while."
"As you can see, I'm healed now."
The Cardassian chuckled. "I think they may have missed a spot." He reached out and tried to touch the purple tinted skin on Weyoun's cheek, but the Vorta slapped his hand away.
"Don't touch me," he hissed. His heart began to beat faster, this time in fear.
Dukat grinned malevolently. "And who's going to stop me? The Female Founder? She wanted you dead not four days ago. Do you think Odo cares one inkling for you?"
Weyoun winced as his words cut him to the core. "Vamshi cares."
This only made Dukat laugh. "Yes, I'm sure she loves having you here. Tell me, has she taken you to bed yet? That's what you want, isn't it? To be close to your gods?"
Weyoun's eyes widened as the horrifying and infuriating thought washed over him. "How dare you suggest such a-"
"I've seen the way she looks at you, Weyoun...I know she wants you. My only question is why you haven't let her have what she wants. I thought you were engineered to obey the Founders."
"I obey the Founders in all things," he spat back. "Thankfully, they are far above such base urges that seem to be your only concern."
Dukat scowled, and the next thing he knew, Weyoun was on the floor, his cheeking stinging with fire. He reached up and touched the tender skin, causing him to hiss in pain. Dukat raised his hand again, but a large, fast-moving black blob in his peripheral made him turn his head.
A jet-black tiger barreled into him, sending him crashing to the floor. Two massive paws weighed down on his chest, and a maw full of razor-sharp teeth was inches from his nose. Blazing yellow eyes glared at his, and ten claws dug into the material of his uniform. He was grateful it was so thick, else he might have more than an angry tiger to deal with.
A deep, throaty growl pushed past her pursed lips, and Dukat got the message. As he crawled backward toward the door, Vamshi turned back into her humanoid form.
"Get out of my room," she growled, her voice still half that of a tiger's, "and don't come back. If you ever touch him again, I. Will. Make. You. Pay."
The Cardassian stumbled out, and the door hissed shut behind him. Vamshi turned back to Weyoun, who was still half collapsed on the floor. A bruise was starting to form on his cheek, and the Changeling shook her head.
"The only reason I didn't tear him limb from limb was that he's Ziyal's father. That was the only thing standing between him and a very painful night in the infirmary."
She knelt down in front of him. "He slapped you?"
Weyoun nodded. "I'm fine, Vamshi, there's really no need to worry."
"I agree. I won't call Kelaren down here just for this. I've got a dermal re-generator around here somewhere."
She searched through her drawers as Weyoun stared at the door, a little stunned.
"Here we go..." She ran it over his cheek, and he sighed in relief as the pain faded. Her other hand gently kept his head still as she worked.
"I overheard your conversation...does he always talk like that?"
The Vorta sighed. "This isn't the first time he's implied such a relationship between us."
Vamshi glared at the door. "Bastard..."
She helped him to his feet, and his back ached as he stood up. He couldn't hide his wince of pain from her, and she frowned.
"What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "My back..."
She gently led him back to the bedroom, then sat behind him and lifted his shirt. Her hand gently explored his smooth skin.
"Where does it hurt the most?" She put her hand on the middle of his back and waited.
"A little down, and to the left."
She went there, then transformed her hand back to its natural state. Weyoun gasped as the warm gel-like substance touched his back; her transformed hand throbbed and tingled with a life of its own, and it nearly drove him crazy to feel that throbbing and tingling sensation on his sensitive skin. She pressed her hand against the area and massaged it, moving her arm in soft, slow circles.
Weyoun closed his eyes and leaned slightly forward, supporting himself by pressing his hands on his legs. A gasp escaped him as she pressed a little harder.
"Do you want me to stop?"
He considered it, then shook his head. "No," he breathed.
She smiled. "Then may I remove your shirt? It's getting in the way."
He took off his vest and shirt and set them aside, then leaned forward again. Half-solid fingers kneaded his muscles, and he gasped and groaned in satisfaction. She continued to rub his back with gentle pressure.
"By heaven, you're tense. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"
"I didn't want to bother you," he said in a small voice.
She rolled her eyes, but then smiled and wrapped her other arm around his front, keeping him steady as she massaged lower.
As she slowly made her way back up his spine, he blushed at the intimacy of the situation, how he was shirtless and in her arms as she slowly massaged him. His heart pounded at the thought, but he couldn't deny how wonderful it felt for her to touch him like this. It was heaven to have her fingers knead his muscles, to make his flesh tingle and throb as his pain was slowly erased. The gravity of the situation crashed down on him and nearly overwhelmed him: a god was working for his sake, seeing to his physical comfort without complaint or thought of compensation. More than this, a god was sheltering him in her home, and had already proven that she would protect him.
"There," she murmured, her hand turning solid again. "Better?"
He nodded and threw her a small smile, then he pulled his shirt back on. Both her arms wrapped around his core and she gave him a quick kiss on the neck, right behind his ear.
"Oh," he gasped, his voice small and timid. Then he let out a long, shuddering breath and closed his eyes.
"Weyoun?"
"You seem to have found a...sensitive area," he said with a nervous laugh. Her arms returned to her sides and he put on his jacket.
"How far along are you on your art project?"
"Nearly finished," he replied, happy that they had changed the subject. She smiled.
"Keep working on it, ok?"
As he finished his work, she sat on the floor, playing the piano piece she had written.
"Weyoun?"
"Yes?"
"Besides Kelaren, how many other Vorta are there? On the station, I mean."
"There are two other Vorta doctors working in the infirmary."
"What are their names?"
"Rulyen and Jumana."
He tilted his head as she punched something into a PADD, then she smiled.
"'Quarrelsome' and 'little bird'?"
He nodded in understanding. "Yes, that is what their names mean."
"And you're 'faithful one'."
He turned to her and raised his eyebrows at her expression. She was staring at him intently, and he could hardly bring himself to hold her gaze. His eyes trailed downward to the floor.
"Yes," he said softly.
He heard rustling, then soft, warm lips pressed to the top of his head, and he closed his eyes and sighed.
"You're a credit to your name, Weyoun," she murmured softly, lifting his chin. He held in his gasp as her thumb gently caressed his cheek, and a flood of conflicting emotions overwhelmed him. He never wanted her hand to leave his face, and the intensity of her gaze was making him tremble. Despite every doubt he had about her, he had a feeling that she was proud of him. He was bred to read people, and that look was very clear in her eyes.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" she said with an uncertain smile.
Weyoun let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "Are you...proud of me, Vamshi?"
She laughed and held his face in her hands. "More than you know."
She kissed his forehead, then turned at the door buzzer. "I'll be right back."
Vamshi walked into the other room and opened the door, then smiled at her visitor.
"Odo!"
He threw her a small smile and walked in. "I haven't seen you in a while, Vamshi. How have you been?"
Her smile was pained. "I've...been alright."
Odo shook his head. "Really? Does that have anything to do with the encounter you had with the Female Changeling four days ago?"
Vamshi nodded. "What about it?"
"Why did you go behind her back? She gave Weyoun a direct order not to see you, yet you insisted on being defiant!"
She frowned. "She has no right to tell me who I can and can't see, Odo."
He sighed. "I know that, but she can tell the Vorta what to do!"
"And what is that supposed to mean?"
"Ziyal told Kira that she almost had him killed because of you! I know you've been spending time with him, so I know you don't want him dead."
"No, Odo, I don't."
"Then why did you disobey her orders?"
"Because Weyoun deserves better than to be tossed aside like a worthless plasma coil! I'm not going to let her ruin our friendship. I promised him that...I owe him that much."
Odo shook his head. "Vamshi...I know you've become Weyoun's friend, and I understand that you're angry, but you need to be careful. There are limits to friendship. You're walking a very dangerous line."
"You're right, I'm angry! You should have seen the bruises, Odo. He had two broken ribs and a broken arm, and he's been in pain ever since."
"I'm sorry to hear that, but if you don't want this to happen again," he paused and lowered his voice, "then I suggest that you distance yourself from him."
Vamshi stared at him, fuming. "That's exactly what she wants me to do, Odo. Do you think she can even fathom friendship? I doubt she knows the meaning of the word, and I'll be damned if she's going to make me distance myself from someone she considers to be less than the dirt beneath her feet."
"You're defending one of the most hated men in the Alpha Quadrant, Vamshi!" he hissed.
"The Founders made him that way! She made him that way, like all the Vorta. But if you could see his face when I'm close to him...he's like this poor little child, Odo. All he wants is to make me, you and her happy. All he ever wanted. He wants to be close to me, and to you, and I decided to give him that chance. I've seen a side of him...can't you see, Odo?" Her voice became soft. "The Changelings make this creature, and all he wants is to make them proud, and no matter what he does, they will never let him get close to them." Her expression and voice hardened. "Well...no more. If Weyoun wants to be close to me, I will let him. And I'll guard him with my life if necessary. She won't hurt me, no matter how much I frustrate her."
Odo sighed and shook his head. "Vamshi..."
"If she had beat up Major Kira, would you still be standing here defending her?"
His head jerked up and he stared at her, then his gaze softened. "I'm not defending her actions. I'm just saying...be careful."
Vamshi nodded. "I will, Odo, I promise you that."
A soft smile graced his lips. "You care a great deal about him, don't you?"
She nodded and he shook his head, but it was more a playful gesture than one of frustration. "Never thought I'd see the day...take care of yourself, Vamshi, and give Weyoun," he nodded toward the bedroom door, "my regards."
"How'd you know?" she whispered.
"I'm chief of security...and part of your family. It's my job to know."
Despite herself, she laughed and hugged him. He stroked her cheek, then left her quarters.