"Veiled Truths" - Adama/Roslin Drabble
Title: Veiled Truths
Pairing: Adama/Roslin
Rating: T
Word Count: 300 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or universe.
A/N: Thanks to redrockcan for her encouragement. I shamelessly took a line from King Lear. Bonus points for those who can spot it.
“I know.”
Laura looked up from her report to see Bill hovering by the couch nervously.
“About Adar,” he clarified. “I know that you had a relationship with him; that you were his lover.”
Laura closed the report and removed her glasses. Her entire body was coiled tightly.
“And I don’t care,” he blurted out. “But if you need time to mourn, I understand.”
He looked hopelessly lost. His wife had left him for her extra-marital lover. He knew how solid those kinds of relationships could become. If Laura still cared for him (and the thought alone was tearing him apart) then he needed to stop being selfish and let her mourn her lover.
“Bill-“
“It’s fine Laura, I need to stop pushing.” He sat next to her; he hung his head in defeat. “What the two of you had -“
“Was nothing, absolutely nothing compared to what we have,” she said as she caressed his forearm.
He remembered their brief kiss the other day. He could still feel the imprint of her lips on his.
He loved her.
She remembered how he had kissed her the other day. In seven years Richard had never kissed her like that.
She loved him.
Time was running out, her cancer was spreading; she could feel herself growing weaker everyday.
She had known the man in front of her for just a few months; had been able to tolerate him for an even smaller amount of time. Yet he had left a larger imprint on her heart than Richard could have ever hoped to.
Time was running out; Laura leaned forward and kissed him gently.
Time was running out. She couldn’t yet heave her heart into her mouth.
When they parted, his smile made her heart ache.
Time was running out.
This would have to do.