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Title: Interspecies Courtship Rituals.
Fandom: Star Trek: DS9.
Pairing: Garak/Julian Bashir.
Categories: Romance
Length: Medium.
Warnings: Deals with some unwanted sexual overtures that border on non-con but do not get that far.

Author on LJ: klramage 
Author Website: Kathryn's DS9 Fanfiction.

Review:  
Many romance novels have the disturbing habit of showing reluctant heroines that, after being unwillingly bedded by the strapping male lead, fall hopelessly in love -- portraying violence against one’s partner and non-consensual sex as incredibly romantic (there have been some great discussions about this habit in fanfiction over at epic_rants).

“Interspecies Courtship Rituals” shows how this cliché should play out: scared by the aggressive way Garak has been courting him, Julian, despite already being in love with the Cardassian, refuses to give in and enter in a relationship where he will not be an equal, but a submissive partner. Not only does he stand up for himself, but he also has no qualms about asking for help when he knows he could easily be physically outmatched.

I love the way that Julian stands up for himself. While Garak is not portrayed as the villain of the piece (he is acting according to time honored Cardassian traditions and truly can’t seem to understand why the doctor won’t give in when he clearly desires him), he is not allowed to get away with acting in a way his partner finds unacceptable. This fic is a breath of fresh air for all of us who are tired of seeing characters get away with abusive behavior and sometimes even be rewarded for it.

Interspecies Courtship Rituals.