Any other way
Author: coldspace
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Kara/Lee
Words: ~ 3000
Set: after S3, so spoilers up to CR2
Disclaimer: not mine
Summary: Starbuck follows orders for once, Lee discovers his poetic side, and together they set out to prove something that might save humanity.
Huge thanks to ferr89 for the beta!
Feedback makes me happy.
Any other way
Lee sends the guards away with a nod and turns to fully face Starbuck.
She´s sitting on the only chair she has in her cell, her feet propped up on the bunk.
“You here to make me confess to some eerie cylon plan?”
Lee grins, pulls something out of his BDU’s and waves it in front of her face.
“Yep, I figured this ought to make you spill.”
She’s on her feet immediately, and although her hands are shackled she’s practically ripping the stogie out of his hands.
“Move it,” she demands, smacking his arm several times when he isn’t fast enough to produce a lighter.
“I love you too, Starbuck,” he mutters, his sarcasm lost on her; she is too busy lighting her cigar.
With a content sigh she plops back onto the chair, taking a deep drag.
Her eyes close as she exhales with obvious pleasure, a steady stream of smoke rushing past her lips.
Lee looks away, busies himself with putting the lighter back into his pocket.
“I won it from Helo,” he says after a moment, sitting down on her bunk.
“Yeah, right.” Starbuck squints at him skeptically. “What are you gonna tell me next? That Tigh is a cylon?”
”Hey, I had the perfect bluff going on.”
Starbuck rolled her eyes and starts poking his thigh with her feet until he finally grabs her ankles, conceding.
“He wasn’t set on winning, I guess. It seems Helo wanted you to have it.”
A comfortable silence falls, with Starbuck enjoying her stogie, her lower legs resting on his lap.
Lee leans his head against the metal post of her bunk, relishing the quiet.
Eventually Starbuck shifts in her seat, and when he turns his head he sees her staring straight at him.
“Lee, you don’t …..You don’t think I’m a cylon, do you?”
He shrugs helplessly, emotions flitting across his face.
He wants to believe her, needs her to be human, but he was there. He saw her show first hand, not just a blip that disappeared on dradis.
He shivers at the memory because there’s no way a human could have survived that.
Eventually he leans forward until they are face to face, his grip tightening on her legs.
“Cylon or not Kara, you are my friend. That’s all I care about.”
They stare at each other, and he finds both, disappointment and relief on her face.
“That’s sweet, Lee. No really.” She leans even closer, blows smoke right into his face.
“Now stop being corny.”
He has to cough and bends back, somewhat annoyed.
“If I had the chance to build something not burdened with human flaws, something somewhat rational,” he casts a meaningful glance at her, “I surely wouldn’t come up with you.”
“Gee, I’m not sure my processor can handle all these compliments. Just order a new me when I overload.”
“Only if you come with a mute button,” he sardonically tosses back.
“Sure. You want inflatable breasts, too?”
He grins and eyes her speculatively. “They seem just fine to me.”
His gaze lingers a bit; he’s always liked her figure; strong, not likely to be blown away by the first breeze. It fits her.
“Damn right, they are,” she replies.
She finishes her cigar, slouching against the backrest.
“Did you find Baltar?”
Although her posture seems relaxed her fingers are moving restlessly.
He starts sliding his hands up and down her lower legs in what he hopes is a soothing manner; she isn’t going to like his answer.
“No. He’s the head of some obscure religious movement now. They’ve managed to hide him so far.”
Kara snorts, “Let me guess. Baltar’s temple of the Sissies? Church of Self-Seeking? No? Maybe Cylon’s Crusade?”
Despite her jokes he can feel her tense beneath his hands.
“It’s God’s Children….. Kara…..we are gonna find him.”
“I guess you are. It’s just… his fabulous cylon detector never worked that convincing. I just wish there was a way, any way, of proving I’m not a cylon.”
He shifts uncomfortably. “Well you know…actually….” She glances at him sharply, hope in her eyes.
Lee tries not to feel too self conscious.
“I talked to Helo today and….When they are together… Athena….. There are certain situations…uh.”
Kara looks at him impatiently.
“Apollo, god of eloquence, will you just spit it out.”
“Fine,” he nearly shouts, “It seems that during intense orgasms Athena’s spine glows red.”
Silence.
Lee doesn’t want her to think he’s a total prude, so he looks up. Sluggishly.
He’s rewarded by the totally stumped look on her face, yet while he’s looking her expression changes into something he knows a whole lot better, and he doesn’t much care for it.
It’s pure Starbuck bravado, which, outside her viper, has only ever meant one thing: trouble.
Her legs move in his lap, and she smiles up at him, suggestively.
“Okay. Let’s get to it then.”
Lee is decidedly uncomfortable now. He’d like to feel totally unaffected by her ridiculous behavior, but he isn’t, and so he jumps up, shoving her feet away with more force than he intended.
Kara shapes her lips into a completely exaggerated pout, looking less like Starbuck than ever.
“I didn’t know you could do that,” he says, grinning despite his uneasiness.
“Hey, I use it all the time.” She flutters her eyelashes. ”And this works pretty well, too. Makes the pilots do as I say.”
“`cause they are scared to death by it?”
“Lee.” She gets up; her voice turning serious. “I need your help on this one.”
His mouth gets dry; he tries to gauge if she really is asking what he thinks she is.
“You … you want me to watch your spine while ….? That’s insane, Kara, I’m not doing it.”
“We’ve had sex before.”
“Yeah. And didn’t we have fun afterwards?” he retorts, his voice harsh.
She is standing in front of him, shackled arms hanging down her front, motionless.
“You’d rather have me rotting in this cell while the cylons find Earth?”
When he doesn’t react to her words, Kara moves towards him; forcing him to take a step back to maintain some distance.
“Actually it’s your duty as a soldier.”
Lee rolls his eyes, but Kara is just beginning.
“You swore to protect and serve the people. You swore to put their good before your own. You might not be our military glamour boy anymore, but those are the basics, remember?
I know the way to Earth, and it’s your duty to get me out of this cell so I can get us there.”
She closes the space between them, lowering her voice.
“You know, the future of humanity may very well be decided right here, in this very moment Lee. The fate of our race lies in your hands.”
“Now you’re doing it,” he says.
“What,” she asks, thrown off.
“That corny thing.”
He smirks, but she ignores it, takes another step forward and leans against him, rests her head against his chest.
Her hair tickles his nose; blond wisps smelling of algae soap and cheap tobacco. Strangely enough he likes it.
“You are my friend, Lee. You owe me. I would do the same for you.”
She’s right. It really isn’t that much to ask compared to what the stakes are. She’d do it without hesitation if the tables were turned. His pulse suddenly speeds up.
“Friends huh?”
She nods, and it alarms him how well she knows him, because she lifts her head and smiles at him the exact moment he makes his decision.
Her eyes shine with gratitude, yet of course her tone is insolent.
“Yay, I found me a frak buddy.”
She hops back towards her bunk and leaves him standing there, trying to sort out if eagerness or a slight panic will prevail.
Eventually he hears an aggravated sigh.
“Lee? I could start up fireworks and you wouldn’t see it from there.”
He shuffles his feet. “I thought I’d just wait here, while you…while you….and then come looking when it happens.”
She answers in a long suffering tone.
“Intense, Lee. I can get to satisfactory on my own, but I do need some male help for intense. Especially with these.”
She’s holding up her shackles, wriggling her fingers. His stomach drops.
“Come on, Lee. Don’t be a total prude.”
That settles it.
Contrary to what she believes he’s neither shy with women nor with sex. Normally.
If she is fine with this, then so is he.
He stalks over to her bunk, nudges her hip and sits down next to her lying form.
“I tried proper not prude, but it seems a complete waste on you.”
He puts his hands on her naked shoulders, starts with a slow stroking. She watches his every move, her muscles slightly tensing under his hands. It’s awkward.
“Kara,” he says indignantly.
“What!”
“Relax for frak’s sake.”
“I’m perfectly relaxed,” she shouts.
There is a moment of silence where they glare at each other; then Kara starts to giggle.
“Sorry. Keep going.”
He shifts forward so he can touch her face; trails his fingers over her cheek.
“Close your eyes, Kara,” he murmurs, and to his amazement she does. There is a slight frown between her eyes and he travels over it lightly, wills it to disappear.
When it does he marvels at her features. They seem somehow different, almost breakable; he didn’t know she could look like that.
His fingertips flow down the sides of her face, and then up again, then down towards her throat. He lingers there a bit, enjoying feeling the drum of her pulse.
“You gonna remove these?” She lifts her hands up a bit, indicating the shackles.
“No. Strict Presidential orders.” He cups her shoulders, flexes his fingers.
“Kinky bastard, “she whispers, keeping her eyes closed. He slides his hands up and down her arms again and again, loving the feel of her skin.
Finally he moves his hands over hers; she twines her fingers into his until he starts tugging her arms up and over her head.
She doesn’t put a lot of strength into it, yet he senses her resisting, so he keeps one hand closed around her wrists, keeping her arms in place.
With his free hand he starts drawing lazy circles on her belly, right where her tank has ridden up. Slowly he inches higher, brushes the underside of her breasts; there is still her bra between her skin and his fingers, but it earns him a sharp intake of breath nonetheless.
He keeps stroking her; his tender hand wandering over her belly, along the soft curves of her waist, up to her breasts. Kara is breathing faster now; her body starts to tremble under his fingertips, making his blood pound harder through his body as his breathing sped up to match hers.
She lifts her arms a bit, tries to reach for him, but he gently pushes her down again, smiles at her.
“Open the frakking cuffs, “she mutters.
When he shakes his head she struggles a bit, but he knows how strong she is, and he recognizes a bluff when he sees one.
So does she, because she snorts when she hears his answer.
“Can’t. No keys. “
He sits up, removes first his and then her shoes and socks, and then lies down next to her, bringing his mouth close to her ear.
“Let me be in charge, Kara.”
Her face is flushed and she’s licking her lips nervously. He realizes that this is not the way she plays normally; following orders has never been easy for her.
He skims his mouth along her ear, nibbles a bit and looks up when he feels her heartbeat quicken. Their gazes lock, her lingering wariness superseded by desire, mingled with something that might be affection, or maybe even more.
Just friends, he thinks and turns his head away, stares at her breasts, eyes unseeing.
There is a moment of soundlessness until her voice snaps him out of his confusion.
“Fine, but only if I get some eye candy. How about you show me your godly abs, Apollo?”
His body really wants to move things along by now, so he doesn’t hesitate slipping off his tanks.
Her gaze trails along his upper body; over his well defined chest, then down towards his stomach muscles, leaving him hot all over.
There are goose bumps on her arms; her fingers are stretching and flexing constantly. She seems desperate to touch him, but he shakes his head at her and presses her arms down once more.
Kara’s reaction to him delights him; it seems as though working his butt off in the gym was worth all the pain.
He grabs the hem of her tank, tugs it over her head, and then does the same with her bra, shoving both clothes up until they are tangled in her hands, in her cuffs.
His breath hitches when he looks down at her.
She reminds him of his bird; sleek forms, well used muscles, function more important than design, but frakking beautiful nonetheless.
He starts sliding over her body again, bare hands on naked skin; this time there is nothing to keep him from seeing where he touches.
Cool on the outside, repellent, but once you’ve made it into the cockpit it responds to your merest touch.
He bows his head as he softly closes his teeth over her nipple; she gasps, arches up in a way that can’t be mistaken.
He slows down his movements. “Like a viper,” he murmurs, “strong, stunning shape and - “
“Dangerous. Frakking deadly if you don’t get on with it,” she pushes out, voice rough.
He drags his fingers over her soft, damp skin. “Ready to soar, wings spread out, glistening beneath the stars.”
Frak, did he really just say that?
“Oh my gods, Lee. Contain your inner romantic and Get On With It.” She writhes impatiently.
“Only if you contain your inner caveman. “
He would have smiled at her frustration if he wasn’t feeling pretty frantic himself.
He hasn’t been with a woman since Dee left him; still he’s not sure that fact alone explains his growing desperation.
He moves towards Kara’s hips, fumbles with her BDU’s, slides them down over her legs. She stirs eagerly; trying to get his hands on her and makes a relieved sound when he drags her briefs down as well.
Leisurely caresses, tantalizing brushes; never quite reaching where she needs him to be, until he realizes it’s not enough anymore.
Ignoring his increasingly enthusiastic body he moves down between her legs, then lowers his head further to taste her.
“Frak.” She flings up her arms in sudden shock, and sits up.
He stops.
“I thought we’ve established that,” he growls, his warm breath deliciously flowing over her, making her quiver even more.
She groans and mutters something unintelligible that sounds suspiciously like “dipstick”.
Nevertheless, she lies down rather quickly, throwing her arms up over her head.
She is engulfing him with her smell, her taste and the urgent sounds she makes.
It’s intoxicating that he can make her react like that. She is shaking helplessly, nearly there; her muscles are contracting involuntarily, and all because of him - his body, his fingers, his mouth.
Eventually he has to grip her hips forcefully to keep her from falling off the bunk.
He grabs into his pockets blindly, pulling out the keys for the cuffs, and then fumbles to remove them from her hands.
It takes him forever, his fingers are shaking violently and she isn’t helping matters much either.
Finally he manages to open the lock, and she starts working on his trousers immediately, pure want fuelling her motions.
At long last they are naked, and they crush their bodies together almost painfully, two equals meeting.
“Frak, Lee, Lee.” She presses up against him, moaning desperately, wraps her legs around him; frantically needing him to move forward to quench the delectable ache between her legs.
He nearly does it too, but no, intense, he aims for intense. So he turns her around sharply, ignoring her surprised hiss, then without further warning pushes into her.
“Gods, Kara.”
The feel of her beneath him, around him, it’s exquisite, excruciating in its perfection. She breaks almost immediately, crying out, quaking wildly, all power over her body lost.
It doesn’t take him long after that.
For a long while they just lie there; his weight surely crushing her, but she doesn’t complain, and so he stays.
Finally Kara starts to move, and he rolls off her, lets her sit up.
“Mission accomplished, I guess. Did I glow?” Her voice is tinged with embarrassment and she keeps her face away from him.
“Good news. You are not a cylon.” Lee is relieved, yet ill at ease.
This didn't feel like a frak between friends.
“It’s been a while, so…”she falters.
He racks his brains, scrambles for something to lighten the mood, to make them feel less awkward.
“It’s because I’m frakking talented. There is a reason I am named after a god.”
Lee groans inwardly, feels heat rise into his cheeks. So much for lessening the embarrassment.
She pauses putting on her trousers, eyes still averted. He swallows, stares at his hands.
“Hey, the god routine is mine.”
“Yeah, but it fits me so much better.” He grins up at her, still a little flustered, and then she grins back and he knows they are gonna be okay.
She lifts her hand towards him, lets it fall down again before it reaches his face, and he is grateful she doesn’t touch him.
Delusion, yes, denial, sure; it’s just like old times.
Sadly enough that’s how their relationship works best. It’s right where they started, and after everything they’ve been through he’s amazed they have made it back.
Pretension is a safe haven, and he isn’t ready to leave. Not yet.
They don’t speak again until they are both dressed, and then Kara fondly bumps his shoulder.
“So, am I out of here?”
“Sure, I’m just gonna go and tell the Admiral the good news.” Lee says and bangs his fist on the hatch, signaling the guard to open the cell.
He pauses before stepping out through the opening and turns around with a troubled look on his face.
She shrugs, her cheeks slightly flushed.
“Frak Kara, give me some out-of-the-box-thinking here. How am I gonna explain my cylon detection method to my dad?”
The only reply Lee receives is the sound of Kara’s giggles.
*****
“Admiral, it’s the President.”
Bill picks up the phone; he’s been waiting for this call.
“So, I hear you found a new cylon detection method?”
“That’s right. It’s complicated to explain, though. Rather …. Scientific.”
There is a slight pause.
“No details, then. Is Captain Thrace a cylon or not?”
Bill puts a hand over the earpiece and turns towards Helo.
“Lieutenant Agathon?”
“I told him this morning, sir.”
The Admiral nods and removes his fingers with a confident smile.
“We will know any moment now.”
The End