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Chapter Text

Kira frowned when she stepped out of her quarters and found a package sitting outside her door. The package was quite small, and upon examination, had no information aside from the delivery address to be her quarters. She hadn't place an order for anything in quite some time, and when she did, she had it set up so that she was notified when her order was delivered. It should've been a mistake, but her name was right there on the delivery address.

Beneath the wrapping, there was a wooden box, nothing fancy, but clearly hand carved. There were no holidays coming up, nor was her birthday happening anytime in the near future, and she couldn't think of any other occasion for someone to send her a gift.

What was inside the box gave her a pause.

Gold glinted in it. A long delicate chain with two ends attached, perhaps a clasp for a necklace? But they didn't connect when she attempted to put it on, nor were there any magnets on the ends to connect that way. It seemed a little too long for a necklace as well, but she wasn't sure what else it could be. Not only what it could be, but she wasn't sure who it could be from. Shakaar knew she wasn't one for jewelry aside from her ear piece, but she couldn't think of anyone else who would send her something like that.

But truly, what even was it? It wasn't anything recognizable, as far as Bajoran jewelry went. Was it possibly a non Bajoran piece? She'd have to ask someone about it, possibly Jadzia. She'd also be able to get a better idea of who sent it after that.

She held it in her hand and looked at how the gold caught the light. It was certainly a beautiful piece, even if she wasn't sure what it was. Someone had taken a lot of care to find something like it and find a nice box for it as well. If only she knew who they were…

"They are what?" Kira asked aghast.

"Nipple clamps," Jadzia said simply. "And very nice ones. Do you know who sent them?"

"No," Kira groaned. "Shakaar said he hasn't sent me anything recently, nor did he recognize them. What are they even for?"

"Well," Jadzia said carefully. "Some people find them to be rather pleasurable. They're meant to be attached to your nipples to provide stimulation. Some come with an added chain to be attached to the clitoris. Emony enjoyed using them."

Kira set the piece back in the box like it had burnt her.

"If Shakaar didn't send this, then who did? I don't have that sort of relationship with anyone here."

"Quark does sell things like this under the table," Jadzia mused. "Could be someone bought these from him, if he didn't send you this himself."

"Quark." The word tasted like poison in her mouth. "Of course he'd be behind it."

She shut the box harder than necessary and sucked in a breath. There were several possibilities of what to do. She could report him to Odo for sexual harassment, though he'd probably find a way to slip out of any real punishment. She could simply mail the box back to him, but he would only feel emboldened and would try another way of buying her affections. That left only two options, which was ignore it entirely, which wouldn't work, or she could go confront him directly.

"I can see the gears turning in your head," Jadzia said. "What do you think you're going to do?"

"Teach that little rodent a lesson, that's what. he ought to know better by now."

"Have fun," Jadzia called as she left. "Don't go too hard on him, I don't want to have to report to you in the brig."

"Quark!" She stomped over to the bar, box in hand, and shoved it onto the counter top. "You have five seconds to explain yourself before I haul you over the counter."

"Major, major, there's no need to speak to me like that." Quark hurriedly put away a glass he'd been polishing. "If you have a problem, you only need ask."

"My problem? You can't take a hint Quark, that's what. How many times have I told you that I'm not interested? What do you think you're playing at, sending me this?" She opened the box and pulled out the gold chain.

"Major, I don't know what you're talking about." He grabbed the chain from her hand and examined it. "I never sent this to you." He inspected the clamps. "I had no idea you had any interest in this type of thing. If you had told me, I would've arranged something." He leered at her. "Of course, I'm more than happy to show you how it works, if you don't-"

"One more word Quark, and you will end up in sickbay, I promise you."

Quark gulped and backed away.

"I did receive an order for one of these just two weeks ago, although I'm not sure who it was for, they were very secretive, they had me deliver it to one of the cargo bays after hours. We only communicated over subspace, and whoever was ordering it had a pretty high encryption, so I have no idea who it was." Upon seeing Kira's face, he kept talking. "But they were on station at least two weeks ago, possibly for longer if it only just got delivered to you from them." He added. "They might even still be on station for all I know."

Kira took the box back, with less anger than she had gone in with. Quark was still a slimy man, but he wasn't the one who'd sent it to her. Admittedly, it was till frustrating, as she only had more questions than answers. If he hadn't sent it, who had? Were they still on station? Was it someone she knew?

The last thought sent a shiver down her spine. Whoever had sent it clearly had intentions towards her, intentions she didn't know.

Kira was due to have lunch with Ziyal that day, and the distraction from her debacle was more than welcome. Ziyal was a sweet girl, and Kira was glad to see her blossoming so well on the station. Prophets know how she would've fared if she'd stayed with her father on the Groumall. On the station, she was able to continue her exploration of the arts and socialize with people her own age. True, she and Ziyal weren't that far apart in age, but Kira still felt a maternal responsibility to her. She knew what it was like to lose a mother at a young age, and she wished she'd had some guidance at Ziyal's age.

The replimat was buzzing with activity, but Ziyal was already there with a table when Kira got there, and she'd also taken the liberty of ordering them both some soup. She was engrossed in an art piece and didn't notice Kira was there until she sat down across from her.

"Nerys," she said with a shy smile. "How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, Ziyal. You look busy, new piece?"

Ziyal nodded.

"I'm working on a series of works exploring the female body. When I was on Cardassia, father took me to a museum that had an exhibit focusing on the Cardassian form, but it was mostly focused on male bodies. I thought it'd be interesting to work on a series exploring women."

"Just Cardassians, or will you be including others?"

"I'm focusing on Cardassians and Bajorans. I feel like its unfair to only do one group and not the other. It'd be discounting part of me, to only do one."

"Of course," Kira said. "I'm glad you've found a project to work on. Are you basing it off of holophotos, or are you using models?"

"For the Cardassian pieces, I need to use holophotos, since there aren't any other Cardassian women onboard, and using the holosuite for each piece would get expensive," she explained. "But I'm planning on finding a model for my Bajoran pieces to use as reference."

"I'm sure someone can convince Quark to let you use it, for educational purposes, and if not, I'd be willing to rent it out a few times for you."

"Thank you Nerys." Ziyal smiled again at her, but it quickly became more mischievous. "Speaking of Quark, I heard you had a bit of a run in with him this morning."

"That's one way of putting it." Kira tried some of her soup, but found it was no longer warm. "What'd you hear?"

"Not much really." Ziyal nibbled at the end of her pen. "Just that he'd done something to upset you, that he'd sent you some sort of gift."

"It's what I thought," Kira said. "But he's refusing to claim responsibility."

"What was it? Was it something more… romantic?"

Kira let out a short laugh.

"That's one way of putting it, I suppose."

"What was it then?" Ziyal put her pen down and looked at Kira intently.

"Ziyal, I… it's inappropriate." Kira swallowed nervously. "I doubt you want to hear about it."

"Nerys, I am an adult." There was a slight edge to her voice, even if her smile remained sweet. "You don't need to tiptoe around certain subjects just because of me."

"I'm sorry," Kira said. "You know I don't mean you're not an adult, I just worry sometimes. You spent an awful lot of time away from anyone your own age."

"There's no need to worry about me, Nerys. I'm doing just fine. Now," she said. "Will you tell me what it is that someone sent you?"

"Well…" Kira cast a furtive look around the replimat and leaned across the table. "Someone sent me a box, and I thought it was just a chain or necklace at first, but I showed it to Jadzia."

"And?" Ziyal leaned in closer as well. "What'd she say it was?"

"She said it was… nipple clamps." Kira shut her mouth and looked around. No one seemed to have taken any notice of their conversation, but she couldn't be too sure. "I'm not sure if you know what those are, I only learned after Jadzia explained it-"

"Oh, I know what they are Nerys," Ziyal interrupted. "You don't need to explain them to me." She rested her chin on her hands. "So who do you think sent them? Maybe Quark knows more than he let on."

"Hold on, where'd you learn what those are?" Kira demanded. "I didn't think you were seeing anyone."

"Oh, I'm not. Nog just showed Jake and I some of his uncle's wares that he sells in the back, and I saw those."

"And Nog hasn't reported Quark?"

Ziyal shrugged.

"He said he doesn't want to get him in trouble for something like that, and apparently it is legal, he just sells them like that because Odo threatened to write him up for indecency."

"I can see why." Kira said dryly. "Knowing Quark, he would be selling them right next to the temples if he could."

"But you don't think he's the one who sent them to you?"

"I doubt it." Kira swallowed some of her soup and regretted it. "Ugh, I didn't think the soup would get so oily like this."

"Sorry," Ziyal said. "I got here too early and should've waited for you before ordering our food. If you want, I can see about getting a new bowl." The line to the replicators was growing steadily, and if Ziyal were to wait, they'd be there all day.

"It's fine," Kira brushed off. "I'll just swing by the Klingon place and grab something small before I head back to ops."

"So if you don't think it's Quark…"

"I'm not sure who it is. Shakaar said he didn't do it, and I can't see him lying about that."

"Do you think it's someone's way of trying to tell you they're interested?"

"Terrible way, if you ask me. I have no way of knowing who it is, and it's very uncomfortable."

"Why?"

"You're asking me why it's uncomfortable to receive something like this from someone I'm not in a relationship with?"

Ziyal stirred her own cold soup and pushed her artwork to the side of the table.

"Nerys, you know I'm not familiar with how relationships start around here. I remember my father courted women by sending them gifts, so I assumed that's just how things are done around here."

"Oh Ziyal." Kira put her hand on Ziyal's. "I didn't realize that you don't know about these things, of course your only exposure would be seeing how your father does it." She squeezed her hand. "I'm willing to talk to you about this, if you'd like. Soon enough, there will be someone interested in you, and you'll want to know what to do. Or what to do if you're interested in someone."

"Thank you Nerys." She removed her hand, and Kira worried she'd been overbearing. "I appreciate it. Maybe the person who sent that to you also didn't realize it was inappropriate? There are a lot of people here who may not realize it's unacceptable to do that. They may not have intended to make you uncomfortable."

"Maybe," Kira said doubtfully. "But I'm not sure about that."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. You always do."

Chapter Text

Three days after the gift had been sent, and Kira was no closer to figuring out who sent it to her. She'd carefully studied the behavior of her coworkers, and no one was acting any differently, and it was enough to make her wonder if maybe it really had been mistakenly addressed to her. She didn't want to consider the idea of someone she didn't know sending it to her; it reminded her too much of the crime novels Jake read, where the killer stalked his victims and sent them threatening messages, frequently of a sexual nature.

She'd told Odo of the clamps, and allowed him to examine it himself, as well as the box and packaging, and even after he interrogated Quark, he wasn't able to find any leads himself. He changed the locking pattern for her quarters, installed a camera outside (Kira was a little surprised he didn't already have plenty lining the hallways), and told her to inform him if anything else happened.

Having the locking mechanism changed and a camera installed only made her more apprehensive. Odo was paranoid, but was there a serious risk in someone breaking in? The thought made her stomach twist up in knots, and she felt like she was ten years old again and scared of the dark.

After three days of dealing with those nerves, she finally asked Ziyal if she wanted to spend the night in her quarters. She'd intended to frame it as just wanting to have a sleepover of sorts and spend some time together, but Ziyal was able to see right through it. She'd given Kira a warm hug and said she would love to spend the night, and Kira did feel a bit of relief; she didn't feel like keeping up a lie all evening about just wanting company, and she knew her demeanor would likely give herself away.

When Ziyal came to her quarters, she came lugging her art supplies and a few canvases. Kira wasn't all that surprised, with how dedicated she was to her studies.

"Are you working on your current series tonight, or is this something else?" Kira asked as she helped Ziyal set down her pencil set and paints.

"My current series, I want to get it finished soon, the deadline for where I'm submitting it is coming up."

"Where are you submitting it?"

"Just a small exhibition on Bajor. I'm not sure how well it will do, since it contains Cardassian subjects, but I'm hoping the judges will look past the races, and instead appreciate it as art."

"I hope so too, Ziyal."

Kira shifted through the different canvases. Three were filled in; two Cardassian subjects, and one Bajoran subject. One of the Cardassian women caught her eye and looked closer. The woman was sitting nude on a chair, her hair unusually loose, and her shoulders relaxed. Kira felt her face heat up as she noticed the way the woman's hair barely covered her breasts, and how soft her ribcage looked. But as she studied the woman more, she looked uncomfortably familiar.

"Ziyal, is this… is this you?" Kira set the canvas down and willed herself not to look at Ziyal's breasts. It was highly inappropriate for her to see Ziyal in such a way, even if it were just in art. Ziyal was her charge, not someone she was just friends with.

"Oh, yes. I modeled myself one night when I couldn't find the right holophotos for what I wanted. Do you like the piece?"

"It's very…" Kira struggled for words. "Nice."

"Is something wrong with it?" Ziyal set up some of her paints on the table.

"I just didn't expect to see you in that way, is all," Kira confessed. "It's beautiful art, I was just caught off guard."

"I understand," Ziyal said. "Nudity in art isn't especially common in art on Bajor right now, even if it was before the occupation."

"It definitely was more common when we were able to create art more freely," Kira said. "But between the occupation, and Cardassian disapproval of that type of art, it isn't very popular anymore."

"But," she added. "Your art does remind me of a painter that was around before the occupation, Uryal Aita. She was quite famous for her studies, some of which have been used in medical textbooks."

"I saw a few of her pieces in a museum, I did get some inspiration from her. I quite liked the piece Forbidden Fruit, have you seen it?"

Kira had in fact seen it, and blushed at the thought. The painting was incredibly sensual, depicting two women locked in an embrace on a bed, both just barely covered up.

"I'm surprised that's the one you like," she said. "I'd have expected you to prefer her studies, or her animal paintings."

"I like those too," Ziyal nodded. "I just appreciate the beauty of Forbidden Fruit, I love the lighting and color palette she used for it."

A fleeting image passed through Kira's mind of Ziyal in the painting, and she pushed it away. She needed to relax and move on from the nude she'd painted. She didn't know what had gotten into her, maybe it was just the stress from what she was dealing with.

"It is a beautiful piece," Kira agreed. "Like I said, I'm just surprised that one is your favorite."

"Maybe one day, you and I can go to that museum and see her pieces together." Ziyal set her blank canvas up and peeked at her from behind it. "It'd make for a nice trip."

"Maybe, we'll see."

Kira settled down on the sofa while Ziyal busied herself with her art. Whoever had sent her those clamps must've been trying to get in her head, there was no other explanation. They weren't spying on her, weren't sending any other packages, and had made zero attempt to contact her. She didn't know what they got out of scaring her like that, and frankly she didn't really want to know. All she wanted was to forget about it and go back to normal.

But it still irked her, not knowing who had sent it. Quark had clammed right up about who had bought them, but Kira felt that he was actually telling the truth. Odo was frequently able to make him confess to what he had done, but Quark had still claimed to have zero knowledge of the buyer.

But that didn't mean other people didn't.

"Ziyal," she asked. "Does Nog still hang out at Quark's a lot?"

"Some," Ziyal replied. "Why?"

"I was thinking that he might know something Quark doesn't, about the clamps."

"What do you think he knows?" Ziyal turned away from her art to look at her. "Do you think he knows who it is?"

"No, but he might be able to find out who it is."

Kira jumped up with a realization.

"If I remember correctly, he should be off-duty right now. Why don't we go see him?"

"Right now?" Ziyal asked. "Why now?"

"Well why not?"

"I just, I need to finish my pieces. My deadline is coming up pretty soon, and I can't waste anytime."

"You don't need to come with me, Ziyal," Kira said. "I'll be back soon, you can keep working on your art."

"But I want to know too!" Ziyal protested.

"Well, make your choice," Kira said as she pulled her boots on. "I don't want to waste anytime in the purp covering up his tracks."

Ziyal, in spite of her insistence about needing to work on her art, still accompanied Kira while she sought out Nog.

He was relatively easy to find, as he was just in his and Jake's shared quarters. Jake wasn't there, and Kira was thankful for that, because explaining to her Commanding Officer's (and Emissary) son that someone sent her nipple clamps, was a conversation she didn't want to have.

"Because the call was so deeply encrypted, I won't be able to pinpoint exactly where it came from, but I might be able to figure out the general area on the station that my uncle received the call," Nog said as he messaged Quark for the information. "You'll be able to narrow down the suspects, depending on the location. After that, it's just a matter of questioning the most likely people and seeing who confesses."

"Thank you, Ensign," Kira said with a smile. "I appreciate it."

"It's no problem Major, I don't mind at all." Nog resumed typing at his computer. "Alright, my uncle sent me the information, it shouldn't take too long, but go ahead and have a seat while I work on this."

Kira sat down on the nearest chair that didn't have any of Jake's various belongings on it, and Ziyal did the same. Ziyal had been acting rather strange; she'd been far more fidgety than normal, and she hadn't made any small talk with Nog. Kira supposed she was just nervous about her deadline, but she hadn't appeared that anxious earlier in the week.

"Have you heard from your father lately?" Kira took a deep breath as she tried to imagine whatever it was that Dukat could've said to put Ziyal in such a state.

"My father?" Ziyal asked while perking her head up. "No, I haven't heard from him in a few weeks, why?"

"Just wondering." Kira leaned forwards on her elbows. "You just seem a little anxious this evening."

"I'm fine." Ziyal picked at some nonexistent lint on her dress.

"Alright, just wanted to check." Kira would have to talk to her later, in private.

"I've got it!" Nog nearly shouted. "It came from the habitat ring, section eight."

Kira hurried over and peered over his shoulder. There were twenty people in that section, most of whom Kira only knew in passing. Several of the quarters were used by families, and Kira made quick note to rule them out. A few of the others were used by people Kira actually knew, one of them Ziyal.

Ziyal, who was standing next to her wringing her fingers. Kira would have to see if she wanted to talk to someone in counseling about whatever was bothering her.

Ziyal leaned over her shoulder, and Kira caught the scent of her floral perfume. It was sweet, but not too overpowering, more subtle. It made her want to lean in closer and inhale deeply. The scent was closest to her neck, which would be considered obscene to Cardassians, even if normal for other species-

Kira caught herself before she continued that line of thought. She needed a strong sonic shower and to see Shakaar soon, clearly being away from him for so long wasn't doing her any favors. Ziyal would still spend the night, but one of them would have to take the couch. Kira didn't trust her unconscious body not to do something she'd regret.

Not to mention the fact that Ziyal may as well be her daughter, with the role she took in her life. Well, maybe not daughter, but younger sister. Someone she needed to take care of, to keep safe. Exploring… whatever her body was feeling wasn't keeping her safe.

But, the nagging voice in her head said, she isn't actually your responsibility, she's her own person and can make her own choices.

No, she argued to herself. I'm not what she needs. She needs me to be there for her, because who else is?

And who better to truly bring her to adulthood?

Kira looked down at her hands and saw that she'd broken the skin of one of her palms with her fingernails. She discretely wiped it off on her jumpsuit and looked back at the names Nog had pulled up.

Frustratingly, none of them seemed to be likely suspects. All of them were either married, had little contact with her, or had zero interest in her. The signal was rather close to Ziyal's quarters, which Kira had to keep herself from laughing at. Maybe it was one of the family quarters that it was coming from, Kira knew that a teen boy lived in one, and it wouldn't be super unlikely for him to potentially send her the clamps without knowing the true consequences. She'd send Odo to talk to him, maybe see if he could come up with anything.

After thanking Nog for his help, Kira and Ziyal made the walk back to her quarters. Having a better idea of who it may be alleviated some of her anxiety, and she found herself smiling on the walk back. She didn’t need to worry about the clamps anymore, there was no serious threat. Everything was fine.

…. Except for Ziyal, who even when they got back to Kira's quarters, was still jumpy and refusing to speak about what it was that was bothering her.

Maybe sexual harassment is a touchy subject for her, Kira mused. But she was fine hearing about it a few days ago, so it can't be the one thing upsetting her so much.

Whatever it was that was bothering Ziyal so much had to have been important; she was usually so placid and relaxed, Kira had never seen her in such a state.

When they returned to her quarters, Kira threw herself down on the couch and heaved a sigh of relief. Ziyal on the other hand, was biting at her fingernails while she paced next to the table, her art supplies ignored.

“Nerys, can I ask you something?” Ziyal finally stood still, though she avoided making eye contact with Kira.

“Of course, what’s the matter?” Kira straightened up. “You’ve been acting odd ever since we went to see Nog.”

Ziyal chewed at her lip, and Kira could practically see the gears working in her head.

“You see, I have my last piece to finish for my portfolio, and it’s going to be a Bajoran subject. I was hoping you could model for me,” she said, “It’d be easier than relying on a holophoto, I’d be able to capture the light and shadows better.”

“Model for you?” Kira felt her cheeks flush. She’d never been the subject for any art, much less for a study of her body. “You want me to model for you?”

“Only if you want to,” Ziyal said quickly. “If you don’t want to, it’s okay, I’ll find someone else, you don’t need to worry about it.”

The idea of someone else posing for Ziyal sent a brief flash of jealousy through Kira’s chest. She wouldn’t say no, how could she? Ziyal wanted her for her art, and Kira knew that other people would see it as an invitation. She was better than that, she wouldn’t do anything untoward.

“Well, if you really want me to.” Kira tried not to sound like she was jumping at the opportunity. “I don’t mind.”

Chapter Text

“Can you move your arm a little more to the side? It’s casting too much shadow on your torso.”

Kira obeyed and moved her arm to rest against the couch cushion. “Is this better?”

“Yes, perfect.” Ziyal continued sketching on her canvas across from her. “Just stay still while I finish the sketch, you can take a break afterwards.”

Kira raised an eyebrow at the demands, but said nothing. Ziyal spent several long minutes working on her canvas, all the while with Kira’s eyes trained on her. Ziyal always looked very intense when working on her art, it was as if she were in a whole other world. Kira had never been able to focus like that; not being aware of her surroundings would’ve lead to her death during the occupation.

Ziyal’s fingers, though calloused from her time as a prisoner, were also long and slender, perfect for an artist. They were still delicately soft, which always came as a surprise. How she managed to keep them so soft was a mystery to Kira.

For a fleeting moment, she had the image in her mind of Ziyal moving her into the position she wanted her in for her art. Would she be gentle in her movements, or would she be more forceful? Kira could almost feel her fingers pressing into her ribcage.

“Nerys?”

Kira was shaken from her thoughts. “Yes, sorry?”

“I was just thinking,” Ziyal said, “the portrait might not draw much attention if it’s just you in it, no offense.”

“What are you thinking?” Kira tried to push the thought of the two of them posing together out of her mind.

“I wonder if maybe you should have some sort of jewelry on? Something that will catch the viewer’s attention, but not take away from the rest of the piece. It doesn’t even have to be jewelry, just something shiny.”

“I already have my ear piece on, wouldn’t that be enough?” Kira touched her ear.

“No,” Ziyal said, “I’m thinking of something more central, around your neck or chest.”

“I don’t think I have any necklaces, so I don’t know what we can use.” She sat up and stretched her arms out. Even if she hadn’t been posing for very long, she still felt a bit stiff.

“Why don’t we look around?” Ziyal suggested. “Maybe you have something that’ll work.”

“Alright, let’s look.” With that, Kira threw on her bathrobe and went into the bedroom, Ziyal close behind.

She spent several minutes looking through her dresser drawers in hopes of finding something she’d forgotten about. The clamps floated around the back of her mind, but the idea of wearing them was humiliating. She’d have to find something that could at least pass as a necklace.

But she had little luck; the few jewelry pieces she owned were either ear pieces, or bracelets, and none of the bracelets could be extended into a necklace.

“I don’t know Ziyal, I’m not having any luck. Have you found anything?”

Ziyal turned towards her, and in her hands were the blasted clamps. “Why not these?”

“Ziyal, I,” Kira started, “I can’t wear those for your art!”

“Why not? They’ll reflect the light perfectly, and will make it more dynamic.”

“Because it’s not, I’m not,” Kira struggled for the right words. “It’s not appropriate for me to wear those in front of you.”

“Nerys, please, at least for a few minutes, just so I can capture them, you won’t need to afterwards, I promise.”

“You promise?” Kira looked at her begrudgingly.

“Of course,” Ziyal said. “I just need you to wear them for a little while.”

The clamps were cold on her skin and held her nipples tighter than Kira was comfortable with, and she hoped her discomfort didn’t show too much. She didn’t want Ziyal to feel guilty, even if she didn’t enjoy it.

She settled back on the sofa in her original pose. She had to admit, the clamps, from what she could see, did seem to be catching the light rather nicely. Maybe they would actually improve the piece. Hopefully none of the judges recognized her. Perhaps she could ask Ziyal to change her facial features a bit, maybe make her hair longer.

Ziyal was hard at work, and Kira admired her for it; even though her family had been artists in the past, she never had an eye for it. Any art she made resembled a child’s work, and not a very artistic child at that. The only reason she even bothered to try to make art was because Ziyal had asked her to, after she learned of what D’jarra her family had been.

Kira wondered what her ancestors would think if they saw her, posing nude as a half-Bajoran, half-Cardassian girl painted her. Would they approve that she was engaging in art at all, or would it be seen as deviant, allowing herself to be painted in such a way by a girl whose ancestors had been the cause for their subjugation?

Would they approve of the thoughts she’d had about the girl, the girl she had promised to protect?

Kira felt her body warm up as she remained under Ziyal’s penetrating gaze. What would Ziyal think, if she knew? She’d probably cut all contact with Kira, avoid her. Maybe even return to her father, if she were disgusted enough.

And she’d be right to, because what good person had those thoughts about someone they were in charge of, someone who was practically a guardian?

Kira was lucky that there weren’t any telepathic species permanently stationed there, otherwise she’d be in trouble.

“Nerys, would you mind if I adjusted the clamps? I want the light to hit them differently.”

“If you think it’ll help,” Kira said. “Go ahead.”

Ziyal twisted the clamps and Kira hid a wince. The clamps were already tight enough, and Ziyal’s hands were very cold on her chest. When she twisted them again, Kira gasped.

“Ziyal, please be careful.”

“Sorry,” Ziyal looked rather sheepish. “I didn’t realize it was painful.”

“It’s not exactly painful,” Kira stopped herself before she continued. “Just be careful, that’s all.”

Ziyal nodded and removed her hands from the clamps. Kira missed the sensation of her hands, and internally scolded herself. She needed to stop before things got out of hand. In fact, she had to put a whole stop to it all.

“Ziyal, do you think you got enough for your work? I think I’m done here.” Kira sat up and pulled the clamps off, wincing at the sharp feeling that came with it.

“Oh? I’d like if you posed a bit longer, if it’s not an issue.”

“Ziyal, I really think I’m done.” Kira pulled her robe on and closed it. “I don’t want to continue.”

“Nerys, please, don’t stop just yet.”

Ziyal grabbed her arm and Kira had to fight off every instinct that screamed at her to shove Ziyal away. Ziyal was not her enemy, and she had no idea what she was doing to Kira. It wasn’t her fault, it wasn’t her fault. Kira squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for a hole to swallow her up, where she would be thoughtless and without a body.

“Nerys? Nerys, please tell me what’s wrong!”

“What’s wrong,” Kira croaked, “Is that I am not the person you should be doing this with.”

Ziyal went silent, and in that moment, Kira knew that Ziyal knew. She knew what Kira meant. She knew what she felt. And Kira knew that everything was ruined.

“Ziyal,” she said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for…” Kira struggled with what to say. Didn’t mean to become attracted to her? Didn’t mean for her to find out? Didn’t mean to put Ziyal in such a position?

She didn’t mean for any of it to happen.

“Nerys, I,” Ziyal began. “I don’t know what to say.”

“I know,” Kira whispered. “I’m sorry, you can leave, it’s okay.”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” Ziyal let go of her arm and stood in front of the viewport. “I’m not upset with you.”

Kira joined her by the viewport and stared out. The wormhole closed, and Kira felt as if the Prophets were closed off. There were no prayers to get her out of the situation, she was truly all alone.

“I’m not upset with you, quite the opposite, really.”

Kira clenched her jaw and turned. Ziyal wasn’t looking at her and was looking through the wormhole, and yet Kira still felt that Ziyal was watching her. Gauging her reactions. Studying her.

“I don’t understand, you ought to be.”

“Nerys, I wanted you to be attracted to me.” The words hit Kira hard, and she felt ready to fall down. Ziyal? Wanting Kira to be attracted to her?

“What do you mean,” Kira asked slowly, “That you wanted me to be attracted to you?”

“I mean,” Ziyal said. “I am attracted to you, and I was hoping you would feel the same.”

“Ziyal, no, you shouldn’t be…”
“But I am,” she said defiantly, “And there’s nothing changing that.”

“Ziyal, I’m far too old for you, not to mention that I promised your father I’d look after you. Don’t you realize that?”

“I’m the one that sent the nipple clamps, Nerys.”

“You what?” Kira turned around and gripped the couch for support. There was no way, no way Ziyal could have sent them. That wasn’t her, that wasn’t the sweet girl Kira knew.

“I sent them, because I wanted to try and tell you I was attracted to you. I meant for there to be a note attached, but in my haste, I forgot to include it.”

“No, you didn’t, you didn’t send them.” Kira swallowed hard. “Tell me you didn’t, Ziyal. Tell me.”

“I’m sorry Nerys, but it’s the truth. I sent them to you.”

“Why would you even - never mind, I remember, you were inspired by your father.” Kira shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose. How could she have missed it? The way Ziyal was so curious, how anxious she was when they went to Nog for help, the way she defended the anonymous sender…

“I didn’t realize it would upset you so much, otherwise I would’ve sent you something else. Nerys, please listen to me, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Ziyal, do you realize how much it scared me? To have an anonymous person sending me such a charged gift?”

Ziyal blanched, and Kira knew the answer was probably yes.

“I didn’t think about how it would affect you, please forgive me Nerys.”

“Ziyal, I,” Kira said, “I just don’t know why you’d…”

“Please just listen to me Nerys, please. Afterwards I’ll leave and we can never speak of this again if you want, but please hear me out.”

Kira inclined her head for Ziyal to go ahead.

“Nerys, you were the very first person to show me true kindness since I ended up in the work camp. Sure, some people there were nice, but when you showed up you were like a shining beacon.

“You saved me, if it hadn’t been for you, my father would’ve killed me there. But I feel like I hadn’t truly been alive in years. So when you saved me, I came alive again. I was set free.

“But that’s not all. You could have saved me and forgotten about me, leaving me to my father, but you didn’t. You still cared for me, and when I came here, you promised to continue to care for me, and you kept that promise.

“At first you may have felt like a mother to me in a sense, but I quickly realized I wanted more. First I thought I wanted you to be closer, more like a sister, and then a friend. I’d never really had friends before, so I thought that it was normal when I felt jealous about you and Shakaar.

“But the jealousy never went away, it instead grew. I wanted to be the one you were spending time with, not him. I wanted to be one you embraced, not him.”

“Ziyal,” Kira said, “Please, don’t tell me, please don’t.”

“I fell in love with you, Nerys,” Ziyal said in a soft voice. “I realized that I wanted to spend my life with you. I know you’d prefer me finding someone else, but it’s you I want. I don’t want anyone else.”

Kira stayed quiet. What was there even to say to Ziyal? The poor girl had confessed to falling in love with her, and Kira couldn’t reciprocate. It was wrong, it didn’t matter that she wanted it too. She would wreck Ziyal, and she would never forgive herself.

But how could she say no, when Ziyal was right there, and wanting her?

And so she kissed her.

Kissing Ziyal wasn’t something Kira had ever thought of, but she was glad she hadn’t; no daydream would ever measure up to the real thing.

Ziyal may have been more naive, but her lips told a different story. Somehow, she knew just how to caress Kira’s lips with her own, how to meld her tongue to hers, and how to just make a breathy noise that had Kira aching inside. Where had she learned to do all that? Maybe it was best she didn’t know the answer.

When they broke apart, Kira gasped for air like a fish out of water. Why had she never done that? Why hadn’t she realized for so long that it was Ziyal she wanted and needed?

Ziyal was gasping for breath as well, and Kira felt her heart flutter. Her scales were far more blue than they had been, something Kira had only ever associated with the disgusting lust of Cardassian men, but the blue looked beautiful on her. More than beautiful, she looked enchanting.

Ziyal reached over and pulled at the sash of Kira’s robe, and she let her. The robe pooled around Kira’s ankles, leaving her naked as the day she was born, and Ziyal sucked in a breath.

Kira took her hand and led her to the bedroom.

Chapter Text

There was a fire in her body that Kira had never felt before. Not with Bareil, not with Shakaar, not with anyone.

And yet, the young woman standing in front of her stirred such a fire in her, and Kira didn’t know what could possibly quench it.

Ziyal was on her quick, quicker than Kira expected from such a girl. Had she ever…?

Kira wasn’t blind to what went on in prisoner camps, be it rape or illicit relationships. There was a good chance that Ziyal had some sort of experience in there, that Kira wasn’t her first.

Was it wrong that she was relieved by the possibility of not being her first? Of not being the one to corrupt her?

But it didn’t matter; she wanted her all the same.

It didn’t take much time to strip Ziyal of her clothes. Her dress clasps were easy to undo, and her dress just slipped right off afterwards.

Kira had never seen a nude Cardassian-Bajoran hybrid before. Against her will, she’d seen nude Cardassians, though usually male, and she had certainly seen nude Bajorans, but neither could compare to seeing Ziyal.

Her abdomen was soft, as were the insides of her thighs, but the outside of her legs were scaled, as well as her ribcage. Her breasts were far more mammalian than those of a Cardassian woman, while her pubic region resembled an ajan more than the genitalia of a Bajoran.

And she was beautiful. Her scales were tinged blue, while the ones closest to her ajan were cerulean blue and seemed to shimmer in the light. The flesh of her abdomen looked tantalizingly soft, as did her thighs, which Kira longed to bite into.

Ziyal smiled at her shyly, and Kira stopped her hungry look. She needed to touch her.

Ziyal was quick to hop into bed, and Kira followed suit. She needed to touch Ziyal everywhere, not just look.

Kira dragged her hand down Ziyal’s front and marveled at just how soft she was, even in the scaled areas. Was it normal, to love another woman’s softness so much? To love it so much that she wanted nothing more than to be enveloped in her?

Ziyal nibbled at her ear, and she gasped. She pulled Ziyal closer until their bodies were pressed together and pressed her thigh between the younger woman’s legs. Her genitalia were at a slightly different angle, but judging by the soft noises she made, Kira was doing something pleasurable.

She massaged Ziyal’s breasts, trying to blindly locate her nipples. Were they as sensitive as a Bajoran’s, or were they more dull like a Cardassian’s? Kira got her answer when Ziyal whimpered in her ear.

How would the clamps affect her? Kira knew they were meant for her own use, but maybe…

She blindly reached by the bed to where she had dropped them in their frenzy. She slipped them over her fingers and pulled herself away from Ziyal’s fervent neck kisses. And oh, looking at Ziyal was making her ache inside, she wanted her so badly. Surely she would agree to the clamps? She wouldn’t have gifted them if she hadn’t intended for them to not be used.

“Nerys,” Ziyal rasped, “Please touch me Nerys, please, I need you.”

And so she did.

Kira held the clamps in her hands for Ziyal to see them, and she nodded her approval. Kira attached them to Ziyal’s nipples with shaking hands. And oh, she was beautiful. The gold glimmered against her body, and the tips of her nipples peeked out from the clamps. Kira bent her head down and flicked her tongue against them, tasting the metal and Ziyal’s flesh while Ziyal gasped. Kira kept moving her tongue against one while her fingers gently pinched the other.

Ziyal wriggled beneath her, and Kira pulled back to give her a brief break. She sat back on her haunches and looked down at Ziyal. She was breathing hard, her scales blue, and her nipples glistening. Kira traced her fingers along the chain connecting the two clamps. Did Ziyal realize how beautiful she was in that moment? She’d always been a pretty girl, but in that moment, she was even more.

Kira had only been with a woman once before, and it was when she was still a teenager, not much younger than Ziyal. But she still remembered on how she was directed to use her fingers between her legs, as well as paying attention to the breasts.

She pinched one of Ziyal’s nipples again, just to tease her, and Ziyal whimpered, that was all it took for Kira to be on her again.

Kira dipped her hand between Ziyal’s legs and gasped at the wetness she was met with. Her micro-scales were slick and bordering on purple. Kira traced a finger along the seam of her opening and did her best not to bring her hand between her own legs. Instead, she pressed the tip of her finger into the opening to test how tight Ziyal was, which she wasn’t. Ziyal’s ajan accepted her finger eagerly, and it was easy for Kira to press her finger even deeper in.

Ziyal was breathing quite hard and squirming against her hand. Kira pressed a second finger in at a quicker pace, and wiggled them inside her. The inside of Ziyal was warm and spongy. Her internal area was significantly wider than that of a Bajoran’s, and Kira had plenty of room to stretch her fingers.

Kira pulled her now slick fingers out and popped them into her mouth. Ziyal tasted sweet, though she had a bitter aftertaste. It reminded her of an herbal treatment she had to take as a child when she was ill. Kira found Ziyal’s eyes, who was looking at her with an almost dream-like expression.

It scared her how much younger Ziyal was than her. If they had met just a few years prior… No, she couldn’t think that. She hadn’t met Ziyal when she was a child, they were both grown women, and she would treat Ziyal like one.

Kira knelt down and settled her mouth between Ziyal’s legs. Just as she tasted sweet and bitter on her fingers, she tasted so straight from the source. Kira lapped at the edges of her ajan as Ziyal squirmed, and then licked directly along her seam. Her mouth was filled with the taste, and her nose filled with Ziyal’s scent. How could another woman taste so good? Kira pushed Ziyal’s thighs wider apart so she could properly bury her face between them. The taste was intoxicating…

Kira pulled back to breathe before diving back in. She pressed her tongue inside ever so slightly, and heard Ziyal let out a muffled yep. The taste was even stronger, and Kira longed to feel it all over her tongue. She could feel Ziyal’s fingers in her hair pulling, and she kept lapping at her ajan like a man dying of thirst. She could’ve laid there forever with her mouth between Ziyal’s legs.

Ziyal’s fingers pulled harder, and Kira was forced to move away from her spot between Ziyal’s legs. She immediately latched her tongue onto one of Ziyal’s nipples again and sucked. Her hand went back to Ziyal’s other breast and massaged at the flesh, occasionally pulling at the metal chain to hear Ziyal’s gasps. Had Ziyal intended to be on the receiving end of the clamps, or had she truly intended them to be on Kira? Kira suspected that she was supposed to be on the receiving end, but clearly Ziyal didn’t mind what was happening.

“Nerys,”, Ziyal gasped out. “Kiss me Nerys, kiss me.”

Kira hungrily pressed her lips to Ziyal’s while continuing to gently tug at the clamps. Ziyal melted into her and arched her back as Kira pulled on the clamps even harder. Kira could feel Ziyal’s nipples harden even more as she continued her assault on her breasts. Ziyal’s mouth was scorching hot as they kissed, and her breasts even warmer.

Kira finally pulled back from the kiss, a line of saliva connecting her and Ziyal’s mouths. She pressed her mouth back to Ziyal’s breasts. How long had Ziyal fantasized about something like this? Was this even something she fantasized about? Kira gently closed her teeth around one of the nipples and pulled at it. While doing that, one of her hands wandered back down to Ziyal’s ajan and traced along the seam.

Like before, she plunged her finger inside of Ziyal, this time while nibbling at Ziyal’s breasts. She curled her finger inside of Ziyal and felt Ziyal’s inner walls tighten around her finger. She slowly pumped it in and out while continuing to tease her nipple with her teeth.

Ziyal’s orgasm was quieter than Kira expected. There was a spasm, a loud gasp, and then Ziyal’s body went still.

Kira’s body was hot with desire, but she didn’t mind Ziyal resting. She curled her body around the younger woman. She removed the nipple clamps, though she still cupped Ziyal’s breasts as they curled into each other on the bed. They lay there for hours, Kira awake for longer.