A/N: This might be getting out of hand...awww, who am I kidding, I love this!

Bashir's mouth twitched.

Garak steadfastly ignored him.

The corner of the human's lips tried to curl up.

Garak's small arms crossed over his chest.

Bashir's entire body seemed to vibrate then.

Garak let out a tiny sigh. "Oh, just get it over with, Doctor."

The good doctor collapsed onto the couch, laughing so hard tears sprang to his eyes.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry," he stuttered between heaving laughs. "R-r-really, I a-a-am."

"Of course."

Bashir stuffed the last few chuckles away. He wiped his eyes. "Honestly, I am. I know this is no laughing matter. It must be…"

Garak peered up at him.

Bashir had become a little pale.

"Doctor?" Garak pressed, something like indigestion nagging at his gut.

"I'm sorry. You must be struggling with all this, and here I am laughing at you. After you trusted me with your care." Bashir flushed.

Garak smirked. Humans and their 'feelings'. "Come now, Doctor, if situations were reversed, I might indulge in a chuckle or two myself."

Bashir shook his head. "You might, but…how are you feeling?"

Garak let the obvious subterfuge work. "Well enough…for being all of four inches high."

A snort escaped Bashir. He colored again. "Sorry. Right. Mind if I run a scan on you?"

Garak waved a teeny hand – hating how weak it looked. "Of course not. Proceed."

Bashir clicked open the grey tricorder – it now seemed the size of a small nomad ship to Garak – and rushed the thing up and down. Garak shuddered as he felt the ion particles hit his body. Small as it was now, he could feel every bombardment like a little pinch. He hadn't told that to Bashir, of course. These scans were necessary to returning him to normal size. Had he told Bashir, the human would've overreacted and stopped all tests.

Most inconvenient.

Therefore, Garak endured in silence.

That didn't mean the doctor's genetically enhanced eyes didn't pick up the shivers. Huge eyes narrowed into cavern-like slits. "Are you still cold?"

"A bit," Garak allowed. Better an imagined weakness, then a real one. "I can bear it."

"But I can –"

"Doctor, you'll find that when a Cardassian says 'he can bear it', he can." Garak softened his gaze – humans always fell for the 'puppy eyes'. "I'd prefer you not turn the heat up anymore."

"All right then." Bashir snapped shut the tricorder. "But if it continues into tomorrow, I'm overriding your decision."

Garak liked the way the man said 'your decision'. Sentimental as it was, it made Garak feel as if he had a modicum of control left. A ripple of ire passed through Garak's bones. How far had he fallen to want reassurances from a human? Tain would…no, Garak pushed that thought out.

"Here," Bashir's voice announced.

A second later a plate – Garak sized – lay in from of Garak. The Cardassian raised a ridged brow. Larish pie? The doctor must be more worried than Garak supposed. He eyed the human watching him expectantly. Oh, very well, he'd pander to the man's sensibilities.

A few minutes later he cursed himself for it.

Bashir had obviously put sedatives in his meal.

Curse his human sense of kindness!

Garak vowed…

He never did get to finish that vow, as the sedatives worked their magic and Garak – trained operative of the obsidian Order – fell asleep.

0/0/0/0/0

Something was off. Garak could feel it. Had been feeling it for a day now. He slid down the couch's back and onto its arm. The room's door hissed open and Bashir crossed the darkened room, several times glancing at where he thought Garak was still asleep.

Intriguing.

What was the good doctor trying to hide from him now?

"Computer, lights full," Garak commanded. Days into this awkward situation, Bashir had made O'Brien program the station computer to be able to hear and obey Garak's now tiny voice commands. Now, Garak was grateful for that oversight.

Bashir yelped and cringed at the room is suddenly bathed in bright lights. He blinked.

"Doctor," Garak shouted – at this distance, he had to, or else Bashir might not hear him, even with his enhanced ears.

Bashir found him, and darted to his side. "Garak, I thought you were asleep. Is everything all right? Are you sick? New symptoms?"

The doctor started to search for his tricorder.

"No, Doctor, I am quite all right." Garak had no need to shout, now that Bashir was this close. He welcomed that. It was humiliating to have to stoop to such measures to be heard.

Bashir's large brow furrowed. "Then why –"

"This is the second evening you've exhibited caution when entering your rooms."

"Oh. Really?" Bashir rubbed – self-consciously, Garak thought – at his wrist. "I hadn't noticed, really."

"Come now, Doctor, you expect me to believe that?"

"…."

"It's Dukat, I presume," Garak stated. "He's found out that I've…shrunken."

"That's…" Bashir trailed off at Garak's hardened look. "If you must know, he's been trying to get to you since yesterday."

"To eliminate me, I suppose."

"That was the implication he gave."

"I suppose he's tried to 'force' the issue on you?"

"We've talked." Bashir gave a wan smile. "I refused."

"That went over well, I take it."

"As ever."

"How droll." Garak promised himself to hurt Dukat where it counted when this was all resolved. How dare that male! Bashir was his…Garak refused to use the word 'friend'. Too soft. Asset. Yes, Bashir was his asset. Dukat had made a mistake in harming such a useful one, such as Bashir.

It simply would not do.

But for now: "He might have at least tried the transporters first."

"Garak!" Bashir's eyes snapped fire. "He's threatened your life! This isn't the time to joke."

"Ah, but I find a bit of humor always helps, doctor." Garak settled himself comfortably on the couch arm.

"…He won't get you, Garak." Bashir's shoulders straightened. "I've told Odo and Captain Sisko about it. There's already two security guards outside now."

"I feel safer already."

"You really can't help yourself, can you? Insulting people, I mean."

"I will have you know, I was being nothing but honest and truthful in that statement."

"Even the lies…" Bashir sighed, a fond smile playing on his face.

Garak grinned. "Especially the lies."

End of part one. The next will be a reverse, with Julian small and Garak normal-sized.

For the sake of simplicity, let's just say Julian has a magical vision or something and finds the cure. Garak is gets big again (hurray!). Dukat tries, and fails, to kill Garak. Ooo whoops his butt. The end. Yes, yes, I could've included it all, but it wasn't really calling to me, you know? I hope you can forgive that.

Review?