The First Date

By Ginomo

Set at the end of "Looking for Par'mach in all the Wrong Places" and sheds a little light on the evolution of Worf and Jadzia's relationship from a friendship into something much more.

"One thing's for certain… You stopped thinking about Grilka."

The sound of Worf's laughter wasn't one Dax had heard much of, and it was surprisingly infectious. Seeing him smile made her smile. After a moment, the laughter died down and Worf and Jadzia stood quietly before one another, her hands gently gripping his arms and his hands loosely clasped around her waist. They stood there, embracing yet not, neither of them knowing exactly what to do or say next.

Jadzia nervously bit her lip and let her eyes drop from his. When she looked up, she could feel Worf gently pulling her body closer to his. She tightened the grip on his arms and their faces drew nearer. Jadzia thought her heart might beat right out of her chest. This is it, this was the moment that would make this thing between them, whatever it was, real. She let her eyes close and her lips part slightly as they inched close enough to feel the heat of each other's breath-

"You know, one of these days your 'battles to the death' just might end up that way," Dr. Bashir said as he entered the exam room where Worf and Jadzia were.

As if a switch had been flipped, Worf instantly snapped out of the trance her presence had put him in. He dropped his arms from around Dax's waist and stepped away from her quickly. His change of demeanor was so abrupt that it startled her. Julian approached her and she took a seat on the biobed. Worf hung back while allowing the doctor to focus on Jadzia. He folded his arms as he often did; it was his way of closing himself off and Jadzia knew that. She could barely follow whatever it was that Julian was rattling on about. When Bashir turned to Worf, he respectfully declined. These few scars and bruises would heal quickly.

Jadzia walked out of the infirmary first, followed by Worf. She could feel the distance between them, so much so that she fought the urge to reach out and touch his arm, anything to rekindle the spark that had burned so brightly just moments ago. Once on the promenade they paused for a moment. Her arms were clasped behind her back and his were folded across his chest again.

Worf finally spoke, "I have gotten behind in my most recent mission reports. I should get back to work."

"Yes, me too."

"We both should return to our duties."

"Yes," she sighed, "Our duties."

Worf gave her his signature curt head nod and walked away leaving Jadzia standing there, alone.

Worf did have work to do but that's not why he left Jadzia standing there by herself. He needed to be alone, this was all too overwhelming. How did this even happen? This was not like him at all. Worf didn't know what to make of it but he knew he had to get out of there, so he headed straight for the Defiant. Once there, Worf let out a relieved sigh as the quiet solitude of the ship washed over him. He headed straight for his favorite place, the bridge, where the lights were dimmed and all was quiet. Worf wearily sank into the command chair and closed his eyes. After a moment he opened them and his gaze settled on the pilot's chair before him- Jadzia's chair.

"How did this happen?" this time Worf asked the question aloud, as if her chair would respond. His mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts and emotions; Worf desperately needed to center himself. He stood and calmly entered the first position of mok'bara. It had been awhile since Worf had engaged in his meditative exercises and it showed. He was being impulsive and irrational- the last few days were proof of that. Worf had perfected the art of self control, but this thing with Grilka and now Jadzia was anything but.

Jadzia chose to work in her science lab the next morning, which conveniently meant no uncomfortable interactions in ops. Worf wondered if the choice was out of professional or personal necessity. Maybe she needed her space just as much as he did. The problem for him was even though she wasn't there, she was there. Worf could think of nothing else. His mind kept wandering back to yesterday in the holosuite. Her skin pressed against his. Her lips. Her arms around him. Her-

Worf shook himself from his daydream. All night he'd been asking himself how this could have happened when the answer was obvious. He wanted it. He wanted her. Worf had been attracted to Jadzia Dax from the moment he met her and had been denying it for just as long. The reasons for that were obvious- there was no way that a relationship between them could ever work. Or could it? They already had a great friendship. They enjoyed working together and spent much of their free time with one another This was just the next logical step, right? Worf had allowed himself to get caught up in his infatuation with Grilka because she seemed like a good match. But perhaps Jadzia actually was.

Suddenly, Worf had to find her. He left his work station and stepped onto the turbolift,
"Computer, locate Lieutenant Commander Dax."

"Lieutenant Commander Dax is on the replimat."

That's where Worf headed. What he was going to say or do he had no idea, but it would be something. He stepped onto the promenade, rounded the corner and stopped in his tracks.

Jadzia was seated at a table, the one she and Worf often sat at for lunch. But she wasn't alone. Next to her was a man Worf didn't recognize. He was a Trill and had the same dark hair and fair skin that Jadzia did. They were laughing. The man must have been hilarious because she couldn't stop laughing and smiling. Worf loved that smile, but not when it was directed at someone else. Jadzia placed her hand on the man's shoulder and he placed his on her knee. More smiles.

And Worf's heart sank.

"Come in."

Captain Sisko sat at his desk, padd in hand, "You know they never tell you at the Academy that you'll spend most of your time reading and filing reports."

"No, they do not."

"What can I do for you, Mr. Worf?"

"I would like to take the Defiant out for a few days of training exercises with some of the new junior staff members. There has not been much going on lately, now is a good time to make sure everyone is ready for whatever may come."

Worf handed the captain a padd with his crew roster and training simulations. "This looks good. You've done an excellent job keeping the Defiant functioning smoothly, so I trust whatever you think needs to be done," Ben scrolled through the roster, "You aren't taking Dax?"

Worf was taken aback by the question, "Commander Dax hardly needs any piloting practice. I would like Lieutenant DeSilva to get more experience at the helm."

"You two have been practically joined at the hip lately, I can't imagine what she'll do with herself while you're away."

Worf did not respond.

"How long with you be gone?"

"Three days, sir."

"Sounds good. Permission granted," Sisko handed the padd back to Worf.

"Thank you, Sir."

"Dismissed."

Jadzia Dax stormed into the Captain's office the next day, "Where's Worf?"

"You know, I'm still your commanding officer, Old Man."

"Sorry, Sir," she paused, "Well, where is he?"

"He took the Defiant out on training exercises with the new officers."

"Without me? You authorized that?"

"Worf is the executive officer of the Defiant and crew assignments are his responsibility."

She grunted, "He's such a coward."

"Is something going on between the two of you?"

"Apparently not. Not a damn thing."

The holosuite doors slid open with a hiss. The sound broke Worf's concentration but that was primarily because he knew who it had to be. Only one person would barge in on his training like this.

"So you're doing this without me too?" Dax commented as Worf conducted his weekly exercise session. Though lately his standing holosuite reservation had become theirs.

With a few quick movements Worf eliminated his holographic opponent and turned to face Jadzia.

"I thought you didn't like fighting holograms."

"I do not," Worf replied.

"So are we ever going to talk to each other again?" Jadzia asked.

"When there is something that needs to be said."

Silence.

Jadzia let out an exasperated sigh, "I don't know what I was expecting from you. Well, I know what I wasn't expecting. I wasn't expecting for us to finally make love only for you to give me the silent treatment and then disappear for three days."

Finally? Had she been wanting this all along?

"And still nothing. I suppose this is my fault. When Benjamin told me you were gone on some training exercise, at first I was angry. I knew what you were doing; you were trying to put some distance between us. But you could have confronted me and just admitted that we made a mistake instead of running away like a coward."

Worf was listening, even though his mind kept going back to flashes of the two of them in this very holosuite just days ago. Her arms, her skin, her lips…

Jadzia continued, "I admit, I was frustrated watching you pine after Grilka. I wanted to take our relationship to the next level and I threw myself at you hoping you felt the same way. Obviously, I was wrong."

Still Worf was silent, frozen almost. Maybe that was for the best. His silent rejection was a bit more bearable for Jadzia than hearing him say the words.

Jadzia looked up at the ceiling, hoping that the tears pooling in her eyes wouldn't fall down her cheeks. What a fool she had been, "My only regret is that I might have ruined what I thought was a really great friendship in the process."

Worf could see the tears she was trying to hold back. This wasn't supposed to happen like this. "Jadzia, I…" Worf wanted to say so much but he had no idea where to even begin.

Dax put her hand up, "No, you don't have to say anything. I shouldn't have put you in this position. Needless to say, it won't happen again."

Jadzia didn't wait for a response. She turned and left, just as those tears finally spilled over.

And Worf stood there, feeling like the coward she accused him of being.

Something was definitely going on, regardless of how much Dax tried to hide it. Captain Sisko sat at the head of the table in the ward room where the senior staff was assembled for their weekly briefing. It was a fairly routine day with one glaring exception- Worf and Dax were not sitting next to each other. It's not as if the Captain had assigned seats, but since Worf joined the crew a year ago he and Jadzia almost always sat together, especially in the last few months. Today they were sitting about as far apart as possible and doing everything they could to not make eye contact.

They were trying to casually ignore one another but their purposeful avoidance was obvious. Worf's mind wasn't on the meeting at all. He was counting the minutes until Sisko finally said, "Everyone has their assignments. Dismissed."

The rest of the staff rose from the table and began making their way out of the room. When Worf and Dax stood their eyes met momentarily. Jadzia stood there, frozen in his gaze. Worf clenched his fists nervously and began walking towards her. He stood next to her and waited until they were alone, "I would like to speak to you," he managed to say, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Yes Commander?"

She used his title. Not a good sign, "I was wondering if perhaps you were free this evening?"

"Why do you ask?" her tone was formal, almost cold. She was trying her best to sound like she didn't care.

"I," Worf was losing his nerve. He took a breath, "I would like to have dinner. With you."

Jadzia wanted to say yes right away, but she couldn't make it that easy on him, "Well I can't tonight. I've got plans."

"I see," Worf started to turn and leave in defeat but stopped himself. He couldn't give up that easily, "Tomorrow then. Or whenever you are free. I will wait."

Jadzia detected a hint of pleading in Worf's voice, she kind of like that, "Tomorrow works. What time?"

"20:00 hours?"

"Okay, where?"

"Um... " Worf hadn't quite thought that far ahead, "The Defiant's mess?"

"Sounds good," Jadzia paused, and then asked with a smirk, "Mr. Worf, is this a date?"

Worf reminded himself that confidence was the key to courting a woman, At least, that's what he'd read, "Yes. Yes it is."

One of those smiles Worf loved so much spread across her face, "Alright then. I'll see you tomorrow."

Jadzia left the room and Worf let out a sigh of relief. Tomorrow was good. That would give him an entire day to figure out what in the world he was doing.

Jadzia had joined Worf for dinner in the Defiant's mess hall- just the two of them- more times than he could count. Each time they'd come in, order something from the replicator, straddle the built in stools at one of the fixed-to-the-floor tables and eat while discussing their day. That said, Worf knew he needed something more tonight.

At exactly 20:00 hours the door to the Defiant's mess hall slid open and what Worf saw standing in the doorway left him speechess. He could only remember seeing Jadzia out of her uniform when they were training together in the holosuite, but never like this. Tonight she was wearing a dress Worf had never seen her in before. It was sleeveless, which allowed his eyes to wander down the length of her graceful neck and to her bosom, where her spots disappeared into the purple material. Her hair, usually neatly coiffed at the back of her neck, hung freely across her shoulders.

Worf manager to breath a few words, "Jadzia… you look…"

"If you say 'glorious' I'm going to turn around and leave."

"Beautiful. I was going to say beautiful."

That smile that he secretly loved spread across her face, "That's more like it. I figured I'd leave the uniform at home seeing that this is a date and all," she said with a tease.

Worf looked down at his own attire- Starfleet issue gray and red, "I am sorry, perhaps I should have-"

"Oh, don't worry about it, I can't have you looking prettier than me. We both know you've got better hair."

There were times when Worf didn't like Jadzia's levity, but right now he both understood and appreciated it. It was her way of lightening tense and awkward moments, like the one they were in right now, "That is true," he said, adding to her banter.

She gingerly stepped into the room. Now it was her turn to be amazed, "Worf, did you do all this?" There had to be at least a hundred candles placed throughout the room. The lights were dimmed and Jadzia could hear the faint sounds of one of her favorite Klingon operas playing in the background.

He nodded, "Please, have a seat."

Worf gestured to a table in the center of the room. It wasn't one of the normal mess hall tables, and it was beautifully set. As she sat, Worf pushed her chair in and took his seat across from her. Jadzia scanned the table and found herself pleasantly surprised. The flower arrangement at the center, the place settings, the utensils, they were all from Trill.

"You did this?" she asked again.

"Does asking twice mean you approve?"

"It's wonderful," Dax responded sincerely.

Worf couldn't remember the last time he was this nervous. Probably never. His stomach was in so many knots that he wasn't sure he'd be able to eat a bite of the meal he'd ordered for them. Worf tried to steady himself as he poured wine into their glasses. Next to their intimate table for two was a serving cart that Jadzia recognized as being from Quark's. Worf lifted the lid and placed her meal in front of her. Jadzia instantly recognized an assortment of her favorite foods from back home.

"Okay, you've got to tell me how you did this."

"I had some help,' he paused, "From Quark."

"Quark?" Jadzia laughed out loud at that, "Oh, I would have given anything to see you and Quark planning all this together."

"He did owe me, you know." Worf reminded her.

Just then, Jadzia realized that this was exactly like what Worf had advised Quark to do for Grilka. Prepare a meal from her home region, play her favorite operas and make your intentions known sincerely. The anticipation of that last part put knots in Jadzia's stomach.

They began eating and engaged in some light small talk but it was clear that they were both a little nervous. Jadzia had to lean over and help Worf use the Trill eating utensils, which were nothing like their Human or Klingon counterparts. She was pretty sure he didn't like the food, but she was impressed that he was eating without complaint for her sake.

"Your earrings… they are Klingon are they not?" Worf asked.

Jadzia reached up and touched one, "Yes they are. They were given to me by..." she decided now wasn't the time to tell him they were a gift from her former host's wife, "By a friend."

"They suit you," he replied, still trying to process just how beautiful she was.

"Thank you."

As they finished their meals the nervous chit chat descended into an awkward silence, which was a first for the two of them. Jadzia knew one of them would have to dive into why they were really here. Dax wasn't known for being shy and wasn't going to start now, "Worf, why did you take the Defiant out without me? And don't give me the excuse you gave Benjamin."

Her question startled him, and snapped him back into the reality of what was really going on between them, "I…" Worf sighed, "I needed to get away."

"From me?"

Worf lowered his eyes, "Yes."

"Why?"

Worf looked back at Jadzia. He could see it in her eyes, she was hurt by what he'd done, "I thought that putting some space between us was best and that it was what you wanted as well."

"Me? I know that things got kind of crazy in the holosuite and we certainly skipped a few steps, but how does having sex translate into you thinking I needed space?"

If I can face down an army of my enemies, I can have this conversation, Worf said to himself, "I saw you the next day on the promenade…" he began, hoping Jadzia would fill in the rest.

"And?"

"You were with someone."

She looked confused for a moment, then suddenly she remembered, "You saw us?"

"I was coming to find you, to tell you how I felt. When I saw the two of you, I thought that perhaps I had misunderstood everything. I am still wondering if that is true or not."

"If that's the case, then what made you bring me here tonight?"

"You calling me a coward in the holosuite after I got back. After I thought about it, I realized that you were right."

It all made sense now, "The man you saw me with, his name is Lared Pol. He and I were initiates together back at the symbiosis commision. He was waiting for a connecting transport ship and we were catching up with one another," she stopped, but then decided to continue, "Lared and I did date for a little while, but that was before either of us was joined. We're completely different people now, in fact he's recently married and has a young daughter."

"Then he is just a friend."

"Yes, a friend."

"You have a lot of friends," Worf remarked, trying his best not to sound jealous but failing miserably.

Jadzia sat back in her chair, she knew what he was getting at, "Yes, yes I do."

"How can I know where I stand amongst all the others?"

"You could ask," Jadzia replied bluntly. She knew this made him uncomfortable, but she wanted to challenge him to step out of his comfort zone and go after what he wanted, if she was indeed what he wanted.

"Tumek told me that I didn't know anything about Klingon women," Worf began, "I am afraid that extends to Trills as well."

Jadzia leaned forward and whispered "We all pretty much work the same way."

Worf was beginning to feel like this evening wasn't going as well as he initially thought it was. He'd done everything right- the meal, the candles, the music. But there was something missing and he didn't know what it was. Or more honestly, he knew what it was, he was just afraid to put himself out there.

As if she could hear this thoughts, Jadzia reached across the table and took his hand in hers, "You know, Worf, it's okay to let your guard down sometimes."

He shook his head, "I am sorry, Jadzia. Perhaps this was a mistake."

He wasn't letting him off the hook that easily, "Tell me why you were able to go after Grilka and make a complete fool of yourself, but you can't do the same for me?"

Without even thinking, Worf responded, "Because I love you."

Jadzia quietly gasped, the honesty and vulnerability in his voice shocked her.

Worf knew there was no going back now, "And I do not think I can handle knowing you do not feel the same way, so I would rather not know how you feel at all."

"Worf," she was trying to compose herself, "How long have you felt like this?" Jadzia managed to ask.

Suddenly, Worf was gaining a confidence he didn't know he had. That Trill wine must be kicking in, "If I am being honest with myself, I have been intrigued by you since the moment we met."

She squeezed his hand, "I remember meeting you in Quark's that day and I knew I wanted you right then," she laughed, "And I tried my hardest all year to get you to notice me but nothing seemed to work."

"That is because I never imagined someone like you could ever want to be with someone like me," Worf looked into her eyes, "I still cannot."

All at once, the table between them felt like an ocean. Jadzia rose from her chair and stood before Worf, "Then your imagination needs some work," she said with a smile.

He stood as well, "What does this mean for us?"

Worf had asked a similar question when they were in the infirmary, "We do everything we've been doing… plus a little more," she answered coyly.

"Only a little more?" Worf asked as he looped his arms around her waist and pulled her close to him. Now he was being coy and she liked that a lot.

Jadzia playfully cocked her head, "Maybe a lot more," her hands rested on his broad shoulders.

This time there was no hesitation, Worf and Jadzia finally shared that kiss they'd both wanted in the infirmary days ago. Effortlessly, they settled into one another's arms as if this was where they were meant to be, where they should have been all along. Once again, Worf could feel the coolness of her skin, the strength of her arms and the warmth of her lips upon his. His body ached to feel even more of her.

"You know, the promenade gets pretty dark at this time of night," Jadzia said, her lips brushing his as she spoke, "Wanna walk me home?"

"Yes," Worf answered eagerly, almost too eagerly.

"What about all this?" she asked, gesturing to their table and the bevy of candles.

"Quark is sending one of his bartenders to clean up," Worf had anticipated- or perhaps hoped- that the night would go well enough that he wouldn't have time to do it himself.

"Wow, he really did owe you."

"Jadzia, before we go," Worf began, because after that kiss they both knew what 'walk me home' meant, "There is something that I need to know."

"What is it?" she asked, tightening her arms around his shoulders and kissing the tip of his nose.

"I need to know that if you and I are to continue, that it is just you and I," his voice was gentle yet firm.

"You want me all to yourself, huh?"

"If it is not your way then I understand, and we can part with no hard feelings."

Curzon had pretty much sworn off monogamy and that meant Jadzia had inherited those same attitudes about relationships. That said, she knew what Worf was asking was not too much and that frankly he deserved no less. Normally, she would have thought the idea of being with just one person was stifling, but when she realized that one person would be Worf it felt good. Really good.

"Worf, If I'm with you there's no way I can handle anyone else."

"Good."

"Now, come on," she smiled, then whispered, "I'm ready for bed."

At the next senior staff meeting, Captain Sisko noticed that all his staff members were right back to where they always sat. Two in particular were even sitting a little closer than usual. As the meeting ended and everyone made their way out of the room, he noticed those same two officers smiling at one another. They headed down the corridor together and as they turned the corner, Benjamin saw her slip her hand into his.

"What's that about?" Major Kira asked the Captain, she'd just seen the same thing he did.

"You mean Worf and Dax? It's been coming for awhile, I'm actually surprised it took them this long."

"Well, this is definitely going to be interesting," she replied.

"Very."

~finis

July 7, 2016