Work Text:
Julian entered the turbolift with a delighted bounce in his step. He had finally finished off his latest paper and had eagerly submitted it. Piles of PADDs and research had been sorted and mostly tidied back into place in his office, and for the first time in weeks, he had left work early.
The sound of the turbo lift thrummed in his ears as he fidgeted and bounced on the balls of his feet eagerly waiting for it to reach his floor.
He practically launched himself into his shared quarters, pausing only long enough to order himself a Tarkalean tea before flopping gracelessly on the couch next to one, now distracted, Cardassian.
Garak delicately placed the book he had been reading on the table, picked up his tea and leaned back on the couch as he held up a palm. Julian twined their fingers together, palms pressed flush sending warmth between them. With a sudden grin and a gentle tug Julian pulled Garak close enough to land a kiss on his lips.
"Such indecency, my dear," chastised Garak with a dip of his head to hide the smile that had crept onto his lips unbidden. "I trust your research went well, seeing you're home so early?"
Julian straightened up with a grin, launching eagerly into a wild and excitable explanation of Tribleustes ventricosus and reactions to certain medications within the neurovascular system. Julian rattled off the details both big and small he'd discovered in writing the paper and just how fascinating it was.
"Julian… Would you object if I tied you up?"
The question came out of the blue and Julian turned and stared across their couch at Garak as his brain stuttered to a halt. He knew he'd been gesturing wildly, deep within the explanation of the paper he'd been working on for the past few weeks, thoroughly distracted in his recitation of the work and how exciting it all was.
"Elim!! I know I tend to get carried away but really that's a bit much don't you think?"
Julian was thoroughly indignant, crossing his arms with a huff he glowered across at the infuriatingly smug Cardassian.
Garak just smiled softly at Julians pouting face and crossed arms. This was going to be fun.
"Hardly my dear, while I simply adore how animated and passionate you are about your research projects, I may have had some… other ideas on how to spend the evening."
Those grey eyelids lowered and a dangerous grin took over Garaks face.
"If, of course, you're amenable to the idea."
Julian floundered and blushed furiously, only just noticing that his partner had been idly toying with a long length of rope he'd procured from who knows where without him noticing.
"I… oh, well uhh… maybe. I can't say I've ever… Oh hell, it could be fun," Julian said with a grin, train of thought now completely derailed and onto newer, exciting topics.
Julian slid his hands up Garaks knees to rest on his thighs. "Well then," he murmured, "should we go somewhere more comfortable, perhaps somewhere with a headboard?" That impish grin widened more as he peered at his partner.
Garak lightly took Julian's hands into his own, stood and pulled the other man to his feet with him. Releasing one hand, he prowled like a Hara cat around his partner, coiling around him until he was standing at the Doctors back. One hand resting on Julian's hip and the other still holding onto the other man's hand, now wrapped around his body. Garak pulled him closer and nestled his nose behind his partner's ear.
"Oh I think just here will be just fine," he purred into his ear. "Though I recommend getting out of this dreadful uniform." The words were sending warm puffs of air to ruffle his hair slightly and tease over the skin at the nape of his neck.
"And you said kissing was indecent, now you want me to strip in the living room?" Julian chided with a laugh as he tugged his way out of his clothes. Garak seizing them from Julian's grasp before they could be carelessly thrown into the couch. Once folded Garak pressed a hand to the small of the Doctor's back, leading him to the centre of the room.
"Alright my dear, before we begin this, there's a few little things we need to go through first."
Garak took Julians hands into his own, feeling the warmth between. His face was serious as he began to explain.
"I need you to tell me immediately if anything is uncomfortable, even mildly. I don't want you to dismiss any discomfort. This will take some time and if anything is bothering you at the beginning I'm quite sure near the end it will be infuriating if not painful or damaging. Your safety is more important to me than any amount of pleasure either of us will gain from this."
Garak held the length of rope up between them.
"I hope the feel of the rope is alright? I searched the computers database for both softest texture but still with a high grip so it can't doesn't slide, there wasn't much of a range that could do both I'm afraid."
Julian smiled as he took the length of rope, sliding it between his hands and feeling the texture on his skin. Slightly prickling, but still mostly smooth, it glided over his skin without discomfort. He took a moment to test it more thoroughly, winding a small section around his arm to properly test his comfort levels before giving delighted hmm and passing the coiled length back to his partner.
"It's perfect, it feels quite nice actually,” Julian grinned. “So, when do we begin?”
"Mmmmm keen are we? Well, just one last thing I must stress my dear. You must tell me the moment anything becomes a discomfort or if you need anything. A moment's pause, to stop, a snack, water. Anything. Don't push yourself to feel like you must finish this if something is bothering you. A tie too tight can cut off circulation easily and I will need time to loosen the ties if you notice anything I've gone some distance past. I'll be checking every loop to the best of my inexperienced ability, but your input is the most valuable."
"Inexperienced ability? You haven't done this before? I see you've been doing some research."
"Of course, I wanted this to go as smoothly as possible."
"Did you really need to go through all that while I'm standing here undressed?" Julian said with a huff, arms around his chest.
"Maybe I just wanted you naked for longer," Garak said as he smirked back.
"Are you ready?"
"Yeah, see what this is like." Julian breathed as Garak pulled his hands back and slid them down his bare skin, shoulder down to elbow, in a tender gesture of affection.
"Alright my dear, stand with your feet together, not tightly just comfortably. For now just keep your arms loose."
Garak knelt and gently looped the rope around his partner's feet, carefully keeping the excess out of the way before looping it under then back up around the ankle loops.
"Julian, let me know the moment you feel any discomfort, chafing or if this becomes uncomfortable in any way."
Julian gave a quiet nod of consent and rope then continued to slither along his body, pulled up parallel to his legs a short distance then around his calves, looped under itself, then back over itself creating a beautiful twisting knot at the front. The rope was then pulled higher up his legs and the twist around, loop, twirl at the front was repeated. Over and over the same loop was placed higher and higher up his body. Loops spaced evenly apart coiling around him.
A featherlight brush here, a twirl of a finger against his skin there. Rope slid across his thighs and twined gracefully around him. Knotwork and loops beginning to secure him. A breathy exhale as light pressure rose higher up his ankles, calves, thighs and the clamour in his mind about the paper faded into delightful sensation and textures.
Touch, slide, tighten, adjust. A cool hand sliding over the bumps, flesh and arches of rope, gently feeling the tightness and pressure on every loop to ensure its safety.
A murmured whisper.
"You are a work of art, my love."
A soft hum and the cool slide of a hand down his side to the jut of his hip.
Tightening pressure and cinching rope around his waist.
Lines of reassuring kisses planted between lines of cord as delightful tension moved higher.
Twist, adjust, tighten and twist again. The newest knot settled against his chest as cool hands rested lightly on his shoulders.
Somewhere on the edge of his awareness he felt soft kisses against the back of his neck and those cool, supple hands ran down his arms and lightly grasped his wrists, bringing them together.
His breath hitched slightly as his back arched gracefully with the new arm position. A shiver coursed through him as a grey arm slid around his chest to steady him.
"Too much?"
"N-no, this is fine."
Another shiver passed through him along with a soft gasp. Garak shifted his grip and immediately started loosening the tie at his chest.
Julian twisted his arms, grasping wildly at the hand Garak still had behind his back to hold him steady.
"No, no it's fine, I promise. It's just… intense, good intense, please don't stop."
The movement at his chest stopped and Garak shifted behind him, moving closer and nuzzling behind his ear. He felt a tender kiss pressed to his neck.
"Alright, let me know the moment it becomes too much, my dear."
The rope around his chest tightened again and Julian arched back, the glorious tightness of the rope constricted against his skin and he pressed his wrists back to Garak's hands.
There was a soft huff of laughter that ruffled the hair next to his ear and he felt a soft nip at the sensitive skin of his neck. The hand on his chest slid down over his body, feeling down the rope ties and tender skin.
Garak shifted again, pulling back slightly and split the rope into two, looping one around each opposing shoulder then back through the front tie. Looping it through and then reversing the shoulder loops around and adding to the twist that had settled beautifully between Julian's shoulder blades.
Using the same loops and ties he'd used down Julian's body he continued down Julian's arms.
Rope travelled down, looped then twisted under itself then back over and back through and down his arm further. The loops and ties continued down, four delicate knots starting at his elbow and ending at his lean wrists.
There was a small amount of excess rope hanging from his wrists. Just enough for Garak to give a delighted grin and give the length a soft tug and looped it artfully through the tie at his partners hips, securing his arms in place and keeping him in a beautiful curve.
Garak stepped back close to Julian, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Feeling alright?"
"Yes… good for the moment."
Garak gave a hum of assent and soft squeeze of his shoulder.
He moved back, trailing his hand down Julian's side and feeling the rise and fall of skin between the looping ropes. He felt Julian shiver beneath his touch and he glanced up to check how he was feeling.
Julians eyes were closed, head slightly tilted back with that glorious length of neck exposed. His breathing had evened out and slowed to a peaceful rhythm of contentment.
Garak slowly walked around Julian, finally fully taking in the sight of him. Starlight played across his skin in the curves and rises between lines of rope. The rise and fall of his breathing throwing patterns of shadow across him like paint on a canvas.
"Mmmm, they look like ridges on you."
Garak slid his hands down Julian's chest, leaned in and kissed along his collar bone then trailed up the arched and offered neck in silent reverence. Gently he kept his partner steady with secure hands on the ties at his hips. Already he could feel the slow rising tension from holding still for so long building with small shivers. Garak pulled back and drank in one last appreciative look across the decorated body before him.
Stepping back behind Julian, Garak began unlooping the tie holding his wrists at his waist.
"Time to come back, my dear. This is long enough for the first time."
There was no response but once the wrist tie was loose Julian shifted his arms to an easier position for the rope down his arms to be untied. Slowly rope fell away and left nothing but small indents to mark its presence.
The unwinding sent shivers through Julian as rope started to loosen, his arms first falling comfortably back to his sides.
Rope slithered and glided.
Tension released.
Those cool hands returned and traced the indents left in skin, relining his body as rope left it.
He wobbled slightly as the tension of the rope holding him upright slid away. A steadying, cool hand held him a moment and a breathy whisper in his ear murmured, "Hold yourself upright a moment longer, Beloved."
He felt boneless. Eased and relaxed. Endorphins coursed through him and he half collapsed with a soft laugh into Garaks arms once the final ankle tie was released.
Garak supported Julian's shivering body to the bed where he lay him tenderly down and covered his marked body with a blanket. A glass of something sweet was pressed to him, which was gratefully sipped at until Julian returned more fully to himself.
Garak lay next to him, leaning upright on a hand as he smiled down at his partner. With a hum he traced the line of Julian's eyebrow with a thumb.
"Better?"
Julian scooted closer and wrapped his arms around the Cardassian, planting a light kiss on his chest.
"Better. I feel… Content, like I'm floating."
"No pain, numbness, tingling?"
Julian let out a soft whine.
"I'm fine , I promise."
Julian nestled in closer, tucking himself under Garaks chin and pulling the other man tight against him. He felt himself drifting, content and warm. The rhythmic breathing of his partner lulling him into sleep.
Somewhere in the haze he felt the soft press of lips to his forehead and the arm around him rubbing circles into his back.
"Sleep, Beloved"
He hummed a half conscious reply as he slid into a peaceful sleep.