[star trek: ds9] The Mature Impulse
Filler scene for "The Dogs of War." Silly little fluff piece.
Title: The Mature Impulse
Pairing: Julian Bashir/Ezri Dax
Rating: G
Summary: Julian reneges on an agreement, or what happened between the habitat ring and Ops.
“You’re staring at me.”
To be more accurate, he was staring at the back of her head. And her neck, where her spots disappeared under her uniform - imagining, absently, how neat a line they drew over her shoulders and waist. The fact of the matter was that he was facing her and she was facing the door, and unless she had eyes in the back of her head (which Julian could presently attest she did not), she couldn’t possibly be certain of her claim.
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes I do. It’s a trick of Jadzia’s.”
She still wasn’t facing him, and he still wasn’t looking away. “To be able to sense when people are staring at you?”
“To be able to sense when you’re staring at me.”
“… Ah.” He felt a little sheepish at that. “Well, I’ve stopped.”
“No you haven’t.”
No he hadn’t.
“You could always retaliate. Stare back.”
Ezri shifted just slightly - straightened, as she did more and more often around him recently, just as he tended to gesture more with his hands when she was near.
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because then I’ll be staring at you, and you’ll be staring at me, and we’re in a turbolift. And if we’re both staring at each other in a small, enclosed space… I don’t trust myself.”
He laughed a little. “Frankly, I don’t trust myself either.”
“But you’re already staring at me, so your half the battle is already lost. We decided to be mature adults, remember? I’m sticking to that decision.” She didn’t sound convinced.
Julian nodded. “That’s very grown-up of you.”
“Thank you.”
“Can you tell what I’m staring at?”
She stiffened. “Excuse me?”
“I mean specifically. Obviously I’m staring at you. But what part? How sharp is Jadzia’s extra-sensory perception?”
It was almost impossible to notice, but she swallowed. “Not that sharp.”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“No.”
“All right then.”
The silence that followed was short and begging to be broken. “You better not be staring at my -”
“I’m not!” He could lead her on only so much. “I’m not a cad. Though if any part of you were worth staring at…”
“It would be my face.”
“Yes, but that’s sorely out of reach right now.”
“So what are you staring at?”
He made a noise of contemplation. Was he being unfair? Probably. “For me to know.”
She sighed. “And me to find out.”
“If you want to.” And he knew she did.
“Fine.” He grinned, and she continued, speaking over her shoulder. “But just for a second, and then I’m turning back. And since I’m going to look, it means you have to stop. Looking, I mean. Once I turn back. No more staring at me. Deal?”
“Deal.”
A beat, and no change between them. He thought for a terrible moment she wouldn’t risk facing him after all. Then the twist started in her shoulders and the rest of her body followed. Her little half-spin was slow and reluctant, but her expression was extremely decisive. She surveyed his face a moment. “You were staring at my spots.”
His eyes met hers finally, Julian still wearing that grin that was somewhere between insufferably arrogant and stupidly lovestruck. “Guilty.”
A moment that seemed longer than it really was passed; he counted the number of times she blinked.
“Aren’t you going to turn back?” he asked. “That was the deal.”
Ezri said nothing, her gaze dropping only marginally. And my, they distance between them was much less wide when they were face to face.
“You’re the one staring now.”
She shook her head, blushing a little. “Am I? I didn’t mean to. It’s just that… I don’t know. I really shouldn’t have turned around.”
“But you did.” His voice lowered. At what point had he started leaning toward her? “Now what?”
Gaze flickering from his eyes to his lips, she swallowed again. “This was such a bad idea.”
“Possibly.”
“We’re going to be in Ops soon.”
“Definitely.”
“I should really turn back around.”
“I hope you don’t.”
“Julian?”
“Yes?”
“I think I underestimated chemistry.”
“And thank God for that.”
The turbolift chimed, announcing their arrival in Ops, just as their lips met.
Title: The Mature Impulse
Pairing: Julian Bashir/Ezri Dax
Rating: G
Summary: Julian reneges on an agreement, or what happened between the habitat ring and Ops.
“You’re staring at me.”
To be more accurate, he was staring at the back of her head. And her neck, where her spots disappeared under her uniform - imagining, absently, how neat a line they drew over her shoulders and waist. The fact of the matter was that he was facing her and she was facing the door, and unless she had eyes in the back of her head (which Julian could presently attest she did not), she couldn’t possibly be certain of her claim.
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes I do. It’s a trick of Jadzia’s.”
She still wasn’t facing him, and he still wasn’t looking away. “To be able to sense when people are staring at you?”
“To be able to sense when you’re staring at me.”
“… Ah.” He felt a little sheepish at that. “Well, I’ve stopped.”
“No you haven’t.”
No he hadn’t.
“You could always retaliate. Stare back.”
Ezri shifted just slightly - straightened, as she did more and more often around him recently, just as he tended to gesture more with his hands when she was near.
“No, I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because then I’ll be staring at you, and you’ll be staring at me, and we’re in a turbolift. And if we’re both staring at each other in a small, enclosed space… I don’t trust myself.”
He laughed a little. “Frankly, I don’t trust myself either.”
“But you’re already staring at me, so your half the battle is already lost. We decided to be mature adults, remember? I’m sticking to that decision.” She didn’t sound convinced.
Julian nodded. “That’s very grown-up of you.”
“Thank you.”
“Can you tell what I’m staring at?”
She stiffened. “Excuse me?”
“I mean specifically. Obviously I’m staring at you. But what part? How sharp is Jadzia’s extra-sensory perception?”
It was almost impossible to notice, but she swallowed. “Not that sharp.”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“No.”
“All right then.”
The silence that followed was short and begging to be broken. “You better not be staring at my -”
“I’m not!” He could lead her on only so much. “I’m not a cad. Though if any part of you were worth staring at…”
“It would be my face.”
“Yes, but that’s sorely out of reach right now.”
“So what are you staring at?”
He made a noise of contemplation. Was he being unfair? Probably. “For me to know.”
She sighed. “And me to find out.”
“If you want to.” And he knew she did.
“Fine.” He grinned, and she continued, speaking over her shoulder. “But just for a second, and then I’m turning back. And since I’m going to look, it means you have to stop. Looking, I mean. Once I turn back. No more staring at me. Deal?”
“Deal.”
A beat, and no change between them. He thought for a terrible moment she wouldn’t risk facing him after all. Then the twist started in her shoulders and the rest of her body followed. Her little half-spin was slow and reluctant, but her expression was extremely decisive. She surveyed his face a moment. “You were staring at my spots.”
His eyes met hers finally, Julian still wearing that grin that was somewhere between insufferably arrogant and stupidly lovestruck. “Guilty.”
A moment that seemed longer than it really was passed; he counted the number of times she blinked.
“Aren’t you going to turn back?” he asked. “That was the deal.”
Ezri said nothing, her gaze dropping only marginally. And my, they distance between them was much less wide when they were face to face.
“You’re the one staring now.”
She shook her head, blushing a little. “Am I? I didn’t mean to. It’s just that… I don’t know. I really shouldn’t have turned around.”
“But you did.” His voice lowered. At what point had he started leaning toward her? “Now what?”
Gaze flickering from his eyes to his lips, she swallowed again. “This was such a bad idea.”
“Possibly.”
“We’re going to be in Ops soon.”
“Definitely.”
“I should really turn back around.”
“I hope you don’t.”
“Julian?”
“Yes?”
“I think I underestimated chemistry.”
“And thank God for that.”
The turbolift chimed, announcing their arrival in Ops, just as their lips met.