Fire Magic - Ivanonva/Delenn, Babylon 5
Third in the graduation celebration stories: kjabernathy and I have talked often about how the any sort of friendship between Ivanova and Delenn was kind of ignored throughout the show after the moment where Delenn, post-change, reaches out to Ivanova for advice, where it seemed like it would have naturally developed between these two. That deliberate connection between them was notably absent in Hour of the Wolf (and I really am obsessed with this episode, aren't I?), where the two of them are grieving for the loss of the same man and they somehow manage not to say more than a few words to one another. I'd like to imagine something like this happened, something that was built on a long-term friendship between two similar woman. This story's song became When We Were Young by the Killers, because John doesn't look a thing like Jesus, but he talks like a gentleman, like we imagined when we first thought about love.
Title: Fire Magic
Fandom: Babylon 5, set during Hour of the Wolf
Pairing: Ivanova/Delenn
Rating: Sort of gen-ish?
After a dinner she doesn't eat and a duty roster she doesn't read, Ivanova walks to Delenn’s quarters like she's been meaning to do since the moment John left. She has a hundred things to say to Delenn, words that she hopes will makes sense once she speaks them aloud. But no one answers the door, not even Lennier. Ivanova leaves a BabCom message with the computer, but forgets what she said in several glasses of vodka later that night.
It’s only when she's alone with Delenn in the corridor of the humming ship when they're on their way to Z'ha'dum that she remembers all of the rambling, wrought words that poured out of her. She hopes Delenn will not ask her now why she came then, because Ivanova doesn’t have an answer. She didn’t even have much of a reason, except that this was Delenn, who would understand.
But now they’re going to go to Z’ha’dum, and they’re going to find John and bring him back and there will have been no need for this pain and for the tears she shed. She relieved, until Delenn turns abruptly and presses her up against the smooth pearlescent wall of the White Star.
Delenn leans in and presses her forehead to Ivanova’s, and the connection is so intense that Ivanonva thinks there must be magic involved. For all she knows, Delenn could know magic, Minbari magic, magic that makes her feel like a light is shining down from far, far above her, illuminating every dark corner of the world.
“Breathe with me,” Delenn says, and there's a weakness in her voice that makes Ivanova reach out her hands to Delenn's shoulders, to steady her, although Delenn's grip of Ivanova's arms is solid and strong. “You reached out to me,” Delenn says, “and I am reaching out to you, as I should have done when you first came to me."
"But -"
"Breathe," Delenn says again, and Ivanova breathes in deeply. Delenn’s mouth is incredibly close to hers, and as she breathes out and in again, slow and deep, she feels her breath mixing with Delenn’s. She closes her eyes just before they start to tear. She won't cry. Not here, no matter what magic Delenn is doing.
"I listened to your message many times. Your thoughts were a comfort to me when little else was. You have trusted me with your pain and your grief. Trust me, also, with this.”
“With what?” Ivanvova says, just as Delenn leans in to kiss her, strong and determined and fiery. This is passion, something Ivanova thought she had been drained dry of. Ivanova can’t resist tasting it, and winds her fingers through Delenn’s hair at the nape of her neck and holds Delenn against her mouth. Ivanova chases Delenn's tongue and bites her bottom lip and then she comes back to herself and breaks away with a gasp.
“Delenn,” Ivanova says, her pulse beating wildly, her hand still on Delenn’s neck, which she slowly pulls away.
“Do not ask the question you are going to ask,” Delenn says gently. “We share each other’s grief. Now, we also share this. My fire is in you now, and yours is in me.”
Lennier’s voice sounds further down the corridor, calling for Delenn.
“Remember this,” Delenn says, kissing Ivanova softly on the corner of her mouth and turning to walk toward her attendant.
Ivanova touches her fingers to her lips, and then rubs her forehead, which still tingles as though pressed against Delenn's skin even now. There is something new inside her, she can feel it, and it burns.
Title: Fire Magic
Fandom: Babylon 5, set during Hour of the Wolf
Pairing: Ivanova/Delenn
Rating: Sort of gen-ish?
After a dinner she doesn't eat and a duty roster she doesn't read, Ivanova walks to Delenn’s quarters like she's been meaning to do since the moment John left. She has a hundred things to say to Delenn, words that she hopes will makes sense once she speaks them aloud. But no one answers the door, not even Lennier. Ivanova leaves a BabCom message with the computer, but forgets what she said in several glasses of vodka later that night.
It’s only when she's alone with Delenn in the corridor of the humming ship when they're on their way to Z'ha'dum that she remembers all of the rambling, wrought words that poured out of her. She hopes Delenn will not ask her now why she came then, because Ivanova doesn’t have an answer. She didn’t even have much of a reason, except that this was Delenn, who would understand.
But now they’re going to go to Z’ha’dum, and they’re going to find John and bring him back and there will have been no need for this pain and for the tears she shed. She relieved, until Delenn turns abruptly and presses her up against the smooth pearlescent wall of the White Star.
Delenn leans in and presses her forehead to Ivanova’s, and the connection is so intense that Ivanonva thinks there must be magic involved. For all she knows, Delenn could know magic, Minbari magic, magic that makes her feel like a light is shining down from far, far above her, illuminating every dark corner of the world.
“Breathe with me,” Delenn says, and there's a weakness in her voice that makes Ivanova reach out her hands to Delenn's shoulders, to steady her, although Delenn's grip of Ivanova's arms is solid and strong. “You reached out to me,” Delenn says, “and I am reaching out to you, as I should have done when you first came to me."
"But -"
"Breathe," Delenn says again, and Ivanova breathes in deeply. Delenn’s mouth is incredibly close to hers, and as she breathes out and in again, slow and deep, she feels her breath mixing with Delenn’s. She closes her eyes just before they start to tear. She won't cry. Not here, no matter what magic Delenn is doing.
"I listened to your message many times. Your thoughts were a comfort to me when little else was. You have trusted me with your pain and your grief. Trust me, also, with this.”
“With what?” Ivanvova says, just as Delenn leans in to kiss her, strong and determined and fiery. This is passion, something Ivanova thought she had been drained dry of. Ivanova can’t resist tasting it, and winds her fingers through Delenn’s hair at the nape of her neck and holds Delenn against her mouth. Ivanova chases Delenn's tongue and bites her bottom lip and then she comes back to herself and breaks away with a gasp.
“Delenn,” Ivanova says, her pulse beating wildly, her hand still on Delenn’s neck, which she slowly pulls away.
“Do not ask the question you are going to ask,” Delenn says gently. “We share each other’s grief. Now, we also share this. My fire is in you now, and yours is in me.”
Lennier’s voice sounds further down the corridor, calling for Delenn.
“Remember this,” Delenn says, kissing Ivanova softly on the corner of her mouth and turning to walk toward her attendant.
Ivanova touches her fingers to her lips, and then rubs her forehead, which still tingles as though pressed against Delenn's skin even now. There is something new inside her, she can feel it, and it burns.