They called it Quark's. Quark owned it, ran it, made lots of gold press latinum from it, so it fit. Snugly. Like the leather on... Quark handed Kira her drink and dropped a salacious line. She made her response by rote. Non-committal. Like she didn't care anymore about him, about what he wanted. It was a game, she knew, and that night she just didn't feel like playing. Especially not with Quark. Of all the men on the Station, especially not Quark. "Is this seat taken?" She looked up, saw Dax's neatly smiling face. She shook her head, invited the other woman to sit. "Why so down?" Kira shrugged, turned her gaze back to her glass. There was silence around her and Dax, blocking out the noise she knew was clouding everywhere else. "Nothing," her lips moved. She didn't even hear the word come out of her mouth. Dax put her hand on her shoulder, and Kira felt the simple touch go deeper, through her uniform, through her skin and bone. Shockingly, unexpectedly deep, like... ... looking and seeing her own eyes look back with such hunger in them, power in them. Saying that in this world I do what I want and I want you... me. And that laugh. Her own, but with something else. An edge, as if she'd been a spoiled child and was used to getting what she wanted. That thought brought a tightness to her throat, constriction. Hating the idea... No, not only hate, but... desire... Kira turned and looked at her colleague. "Not here," she said. Both glanced at Quark, knew what each other meant, and left. They went to Kira's quarters like fugitives, spies, silent and invisible; bypassing the possibility of conversation with any of the station staff by staying in the shadows. Bypassing the possibility of distraction, of excuses. Kira knew all the ways, and led Dax through the dark to her haven. She saw the phantoms of friends, long gone, saw them grinning at her victory. She saw herself as she was then, lost waif on a mission, and herself as she is in that other place. Child and adult, one and the same. Both wanting the same. At her door she took Dax's hand in hers, caressed it briefly with her thumb. She was surprised by the response, expected something other than the warm clasp and gentle squeeze in reply. They entered her abode and she spoke the necessary commands: lock the door, dim the lights, play some of the music she'd once heard Dax request. Like a child, a little child, she sat her prize down and found her looking back at her, expectation shining in her soft eyes. Her skin was glowing, the pattern of spots gleaming as Kira had never seen them gleam before. *The prophets would frown on this as you are alien. Just as they frown on union of same; man to man/woman to woman. From those unions no seed can be planted, just as from you and I no seed can grow. And you know how the Bajora need that seed to be planted on fertile ground.* "Dax, I--" Uncertainty cracked her voice. Dax brought her finger up to her lips, "Shh." And the smile that was always there deepened somehow, came from deeper within. *Dax* wanted her, was speaking with her, not Jadzia. Focus pull back on Dax's nails; sharpen on the sharpness of their form. Imagining, Kira backed away, "I, no. Not..." The mood distorting, disappearing. Dax reached out, grabbed Kira, grabbed the mood and brought it back to envelope them both. "It's all right. I won't hurt you." Her finger found the Bajoran uniform catch, undoing it, tugging it gently to release Kira from the jacket. Kira used her body, twisting and turning to help her friend--and the cloth fell. And Kira was helping Dax remove her uniform, slipping it off until it was gone and Kira saw the naked flesh underneath and was transfixed away from her concerns, her worry. *Across the rift, that part of her that was the Intendant said yes. The Prophets can be so wrong.* Bone china white skin speckled with that pattern she'd got used to seeing on Dax's neck, that pattern she'd wanted to touch from the first time she'd really noticed it amongst the general alien-ness of the Federation officers. Cautious, timid, treating Dax as though she *was* fine-crafted pottery, Kira stretched out her fingers and ran them gently down, following the curve of Dax's breast, reaching the tip and circling the deep coloured nipple resting, and growing, and was suddenly erect. She stifled a childish giggle, and, fascinated, moved her hand to the other breast and did the same, this time circling the nipple faster with her finger, stronger, more sure. The muscles spasmed, clenched. Tensing. Coiling the spring and Dax uncoiled in an instant, embraced her, hugging, pressing close. Somehow she used the closeness to peel the rest of Kira's clothes off, and both were free. Quick kiss, fleeting. Dax on Kira's lips, held Kira captive for a little while, and down in a flurry of movements in the valley between her breasts. Tongue darting, leaving a little track of silver saliva, then on nipples already erect, sending gooseflesh all over the Bajoran, sending a ripple down, through her body, a wave of pure feeling that she had to release with a long, low moan. Mechanical movement. Up. Out of that room and into the comfort of the bedroom. Dax threw herself on the bed, bounced up and down, playful, laughing. "Do your worst, Major." Instinct saw Kira jump on the bed, straddle Dax, dip her head down to taste Dax's breasts. Leave her little tracks, blow on the wetness, laugh with Dax for a moment, then down to suck the nipple. *Kei... by the Prophets*; the simple suckling made her want to do more. What? And Dax's hand guided one of hers down, over the bump that housed Dax. Kira squeezed, and felt the Trill move like a baby in the womb. Excited like no baby ever was. And down further, down to where the patterns grew out. Fingers out, exploring. Other fingers, Dax's, guiding and playing on her hand and wrist. Kira closed her eyes not wanting to see what she felt. She wanted that for her imagination. Body tingling, already, feeling more alive than it had for a long time. Her fingers played in the fur, twisting and curling the longer strands further down, down, down into the slit that was warm... ... and wet and slippery. Her finger slid easily into the valley there. Found the hole, and rubbed, finger going in and out, faster and faster, and the body under her spasmed, all over, and a word escaped from Dax, something Kira didn't catch. Shift position. Kira moved further down, turning. She kissed the body underneath as she travelled, another snail's trail leading down. And her tongue was there, licking the juices. Unexpected taste: tangy, and sweet. Her tongue probed the flesh, found a nub, darted over it, played with it. Tried to catch it... She felt Dax's tongue find her, flicker in and out, fast and sure. It felt like a phaser bolt sending a sudden shock through her very being. Electric charge ripping up her spinal column, making her back arch, come down, hugging, caressing, running her nipples along the sheen of sweat all over Dax's slippery body. Slip her finger in and out, faster. Play the flesh and make her sing. Taut like the bow string - quiver - *By all the Prophets!*. Full mouth open to catch everything, every delicious drop. Greedy, but, *Kei*, she needed this. Feel the blood pounding... more, more. She withdrew her tongue from Dax, flung her head back, panting. *More, more* - or, she may have spoken the words. Muscles constricted, straining, Dax's tongue moving faster, in a steady pattern. Rolling up and down. She found the rhythm of Kira's body, steady, driving her wild. Just keep moving... Shudder as the energy's released from every single muscle in her body. Deep, profound. As though all the secrets of the universe would come flooding in if she could just keep feeling this... pure, undiluted feeling. Overwhelming. Grab on tight as the spasms racked through her very being. Fingers kneading Dax's thighs, desperate, teeth finding the mark. *KEI!* Frightened, somehow, of the power racing through her very being *stop. Please, stop.* Like sobs... In a fluid soldier's movement Kira rose off Dax. Dax reached out for her, and Kira calmed her with a, "Shh." She moved round, nestled into the curves and niches, nestled her head in between Dax's breasts. Rising and falling, both breathing hard. With her finger, she traced a nipple, gently, lazily, and Dax's hand played idly with the Bajoran's short hair. Later, they kissed, mouths once warm now cooled. Both explored each other's mouth, tongues probing, past the urgency. Gentle. Both fully relaxed now, lying together so calm and peaceful. Sleep bordered on their consciousness, sleep lulling. The end of another day, and Kira was left to her own devices... again. Left with the question: what to do on a station working regular station hours when all you've ever known was to fight all day? You don't have off-duty down-time when you're a freedom fighter. Kira sat at Quark's, nursing her drink just thinking about having the luxury of regular work hours, at least some of the time. Quark dropped his line, she made a cutting rejoinder. Keep this one in his place. He was nothing like the Quark who haunted her, the Quark of that other place. Her Quark left to annoy one of his other customers. She lifted the glass to her lips, catching the scent that had remained on her fingers all that day. Pleasant reminder of the side of Dax she hadn't known had even existed. The side of herself she hadn't really known. She smiled at the thought, smiled at the possibility of doing it again. Maybe. At least just one more time.