FIC: Forbidden Fruit (the Pandora’s Box remix); K/L, K/Z rated R
Title: Forbidden Fruit (the Pandora’s Box remix)
Author: lotus79
Summary: Months later you’ll wonder if this is when your game of ‘make Lee want to frak you’ really started. AUish (i.e. doesn’t adhere to ‘Daybreak’ pigeon/table canon.)
Pairings: Kara/Zak, Kara/Lee
Rating: R, to be safe.
Words: ~2000
Author Notes: Written for bsgremix, this is a reimagining of Taragel’s Brotherly Love. It was actually quite difficult to write despite (or maybe because of) the fact that I was assigned an author whose work I’ve always enjoyed. I think it’s hard to come up with a different way to write a story you thought was just fine to begin with! Many thanks to Tara for giving me the opportunity to play about in her sandpit!
Beta Thanks: misscam for slavedrivingencouragement on MSN and for looking it over for me. Remaining idiosyncrasies are mine, because I can’t leave well enough alone.
~ * ~
It was supposed to be just a game.
When Zak introduces you to Lee, you look him up and down with a critical eye. It’s only natural to compare him to his brother, right? Turns out they’re not that much alike. Where Zak’s eyes are warm and brown, Lee’s are clear blue. Zak’s hair is much darker than his brother’s and Lee’s a little taller.
Zak’s smile is open and guileless, while Lee’s is guarded.
Zak never made a secret of his attraction to you; the very first day he turned up in your class, he leered at you throughout your lecture and then hung back afterwards to invite you to a club. (You said no, of course. While instructor-student relationships aren’t against regs, they aren’t encouraged either. Even though you figured you’d probably give in eventually, you didn’t want to make it too easy.) Lee, on the other hand, at first doesn’t appear interested at all-but as you dance you feel his eyes on you; piercing and blue.
You don’t mean to flirt with Lee, really. He just seems in need of loosening up, so you hold out your hand and invite him to dance. He hesitates, and when you tell him, “Don’t overthink it” (the first words you’ve spoken to him directly) he almost gives in. But then he sees Zak returning with the next round of drinks and it gives him pause.
He stays where he is.
When the club closes, you all head back to Zak’s place. Lee sleeps on the couch, and you follow Zak to his bedroom and make love to him for the first time. You’re quite sure the idea of Lee on the lounge being forced to listen to the sounds of you and Zak frakking each other senseless has nothing to do with your enjoyment of the encounter.
And even if it does, it’s only because you’re a little bit of an exhibitionist. It’s not because it’s Lee.
~ * ~
Zak’s inordinately proud of his brother’s exploits in a Viper and you soon grow so tired of hearing about them that you demand he pit his prowess against your own. Lee seems reluctant, but Zak’s thrilled at the idea.
Afterwards, you’re forced to admit Apollo really does live up to the hype. You zip through some of the tightest turns you’ve ever attempted, and he matches you without breaking formation for an instant. The man is talented.
When you’re done, you’re both covered in sweat from the workout and you’re so exhilarated from the experience that it almost feels like a workout of a different kind. Zak appears to congratulate you both and you kiss him thoroughly before turning to Lee.
“So, Apollo,” you say. “You do know how to wiggle your stick after all!”
Zak roars with laughter and Lee turns a lovely shade of pink.
“Hold her down for me, bro,” Zak says, and before you have time to wonder what he’s up to, Lee’s got your upper arms in an iron grip and Zak’s tickling for all he’s worth.
(Months later you’ll wonder if this is when your game of ‘make Lee want to frak you’ really started but right now you squeal and twist and vow revenge on the pair of them.)
~ * ~
The next time Lee gets shore leave, Zak’s too busy studying to go out partying with his “big bro” (you called Lee that once, and it seemed to annoy him so much that you make a point of it, just to get a reaction) so you and Lee head off by yourselves.
“Where shall we go?” he asks, and you look at him speculatively.
You haven’t hustled a game of pool in quite a while (Zak’s no good at bluffing) so you suggest the local bar. A pair of marines seem all too eager to bet against you after you deliberately miss a few easy shots, and you end up walking out of that bar with a hundred more credits than you had when you went in.
Unsurprisingly, “Lieutenant Ethics” (and he likes that nickname even less than “big bro”) has a problem with you pretending to be no good at pool in order to cheat people out of their money. “What the frak was that, Kara?” he complains. “Did you just use me as your wingman to hustle those guys?”
You roll your eyes at him. “It’s not like they weren’t trying to hustle us first,” you rationalise. “Gods, Lee. Do you have to overthink everything? Anyway,” you add, “Now we can afford to really enjoy ourselves.” You wave the credits under his nose and his glower fades a little.
Forty five minutes later you’re at Rica’s and you persuade Lee to do some shots with you. You’re determined to get him out on the dance floor this time and if you have to spend all your credits liquoring him up first, you will. When his eyes become just a little unfocused, you stand and hold out your hand to him. “Dance with me, Lee.”
He tilts his head sideways and considers you for a moment, as if trying to get your measure. Then he threads his fingers through yours and allows you to drag him to the dance floor.
The press of bodies makes you lightheaded. Lee tries to keep a proprietary distance, but it’s next to impossible in this crowd. You casually drape your arms around his neck and lean forward to whisper your usual advice in his ear: “Don’t overthink it.”
Surprisingly, he doesn’t. He surrenders, swaying with you to the music that’s more a pulse than a rhythm. It’s hypnotising and you find yourself caught up in it too. His arms settle on your hips and he leans in closer, eyes intent.
Suddenly it’s too much, too close. You lean away from him and grin. “Are we having fun now, big bro?”
Lee blinks and seems to sober a little. His hands fall away.
~ * ~
Your game escalates after that, and you mentally give yourself a point every time you make Lee’s control slip, even a little.
And if you sometimes catch him looking at you with a little more than brotherly affection, you tell yourself it doesn’t matter. It’s just a game.
~ * ~
It stops being a game when Zak’s buried deep inside you and suddenly his face is not his own but Lee’s instead. No matter how you try you can’t seem to turn this fantasy off so you close your eyes to it. And when you breathe his name in the throes of orgasm you can’t remember whether you should be saying “Zak” or “Lee” and so you settle for “Adama” because it’s safer.
Frak, this is not good. It’s Zak you want. Zak you love. You never doubt it. Well, hardly ever. And when you do, it only takes one of his sunny smiles to chase those doubts away.
Even so, you’ve become addicted to the game.
~ * ~
You return from shopping one day to find Zak and Lee on the couch talking intently. “Apollo!” you exclaim, interrupting them to throw your arms about Zak and kiss him thoroughly. “When did the cat drag you in?”
“Oh, an hour or so ago,” he replies. “Zak called me. He needed a little brotherly advice.” Lee looks uncomfortable, and you wonder just what it was they were talking about when you walked in.
You deal with the awkwardness the way you always do; with bravado. You smirk at Lee and flop down on the couch between the brothers. “So, do tell. What kind of advice does the great Apollo have to share today?”
An apple falls from your shopping bag onto Lee’s lap and he picks it up, contemplating it for a moment. “I just told him not to overthink things.”
“Hmm. That’s good advice, big bro. Sounds like something I’d say.” You snatch the apple from his fingers and bite into it. The juice runs down your chin and you keep your eyes on Lee’s. Playing the game; daring him to look away first.
He does; his gaze flitting behind you to where his brother sits. You feel Zak shift his weight and feel guilty that you’d almost forgotten he was there.
“As if you ever think about anything,” Lee teases.
You feel a strange urge to poke your tongue out at him but instead you finish eating the apple and toss the core into his lap. “Oh, you might be surprised, Apollo.” You know you shouldn’t but there’s some part of you that needs to go one step too far. It’s the same part that pulls crazy stunts in your Viper and laughs them off later.
You drop your eyes to his pants (there’s a wet spot near his groin where the apple core landed) and slowly draw your gaze upward to meet his eyes. Your meaning is plain. “I have a very… active imagination,” you croon. He swallows carefully and you score yourself another point.
~ * ~
The (quickly hidden) look of dismay on Lee’s face when Zak tells him the news of your engagement makes you realise it’s no longer a game for him either. If it ever was.
“Now you really will be my big bro,” you grin and (because you just can’t resist playing with fire) pull his face down to yours and plant a kiss on his lips.
Zak laughs. “Kara, you’re embarrassing him,” he chastises.
You turn to Zak and kiss him much less chastely. “You’re jealous, Zak Adama!”
He laughs again. “Of Lee? Nope, never. I have everything I could ever want right here in my lap.”
You smile and kiss him again.
~ * ~
You’ve just dismissed your latest batch of nuggets when the staff sergeant pokes his head around the door. “Call for you, Lieutenant. Says his name’s Adama.”
You smile to yourself as you lift the phone to your ear. “You, me, a bottle of ambrosia and a pair of handcuffs,” you croon, pitching your voice low for effect. “Tonight your pretty ass is mine, Adama.”
“Kara, it’s me,” Lee’s voice trembles just a little, and you don’t hear anymore than that because suddenly you know Zak isn’t coming home tonight, or any night.
You slide to the floor and let the receiver fall from your hand.
~ * ~
After the funeral, there really isn’t any more to say. For a few weeks afterwards, Lee makes regular visits to make sure you’re okay. He’s careful to keep his distance but you know he still feels something for you-he tries to hide it but it’s in his eyes every time he looks at you. The only time you see him show any emotion at all is when he screams at his father for pushing Zak into flight school and an early grave.
Lee’s solicitude is discomfiting. Even though nothing ever happened between you, it still feels like a betrayal because now that Zak’s dead you’re forced to admit flirting with Lee became much more than a game for you. Neither of you makes a move but the inevitability seems to shimmer constantly in the air when he’s near, even though you both resist it.
When Bill Adama offers you a place aboard Galactica, it seems like an escape. You tell Lee of your plans and though you knew he’d be unhappy, the vehemence of his anger surprises you.
You realise he wasn’t resisting at all. He was waiting.
You can’t even explain to him that maybe this might have worked if you hadn’t wanted him while Zak was still alive. But you did and it can’t and so you follow the commander to his ship and burn your bridges with Lee for good.
Game over.
~ * ~
Author: lotus79
Summary: Months later you’ll wonder if this is when your game of ‘make Lee want to frak you’ really started. AUish (i.e. doesn’t adhere to ‘Daybreak’ pigeon/table canon.)
Pairings: Kara/Zak, Kara/Lee
Rating: R, to be safe.
Words: ~2000
Author Notes: Written for bsgremix, this is a reimagining of Taragel’s Brotherly Love. It was actually quite difficult to write despite (or maybe because of) the fact that I was assigned an author whose work I’ve always enjoyed. I think it’s hard to come up with a different way to write a story you thought was just fine to begin with! Many thanks to Tara for giving me the opportunity to play about in her sandpit!
Beta Thanks: misscam for slavedrivingencouragement on MSN and for looking it over for me. Remaining idiosyncrasies are mine, because I can’t leave well enough alone.
~ * ~
It was supposed to be just a game.
When Zak introduces you to Lee, you look him up and down with a critical eye. It’s only natural to compare him to his brother, right? Turns out they’re not that much alike. Where Zak’s eyes are warm and brown, Lee’s are clear blue. Zak’s hair is much darker than his brother’s and Lee’s a little taller.
Zak’s smile is open and guileless, while Lee’s is guarded.
Zak never made a secret of his attraction to you; the very first day he turned up in your class, he leered at you throughout your lecture and then hung back afterwards to invite you to a club. (You said no, of course. While instructor-student relationships aren’t against regs, they aren’t encouraged either. Even though you figured you’d probably give in eventually, you didn’t want to make it too easy.) Lee, on the other hand, at first doesn’t appear interested at all-but as you dance you feel his eyes on you; piercing and blue.
You don’t mean to flirt with Lee, really. He just seems in need of loosening up, so you hold out your hand and invite him to dance. He hesitates, and when you tell him, “Don’t overthink it” (the first words you’ve spoken to him directly) he almost gives in. But then he sees Zak returning with the next round of drinks and it gives him pause.
He stays where he is.
When the club closes, you all head back to Zak’s place. Lee sleeps on the couch, and you follow Zak to his bedroom and make love to him for the first time. You’re quite sure the idea of Lee on the lounge being forced to listen to the sounds of you and Zak frakking each other senseless has nothing to do with your enjoyment of the encounter.
And even if it does, it’s only because you’re a little bit of an exhibitionist. It’s not because it’s Lee.
~ * ~
Zak’s inordinately proud of his brother’s exploits in a Viper and you soon grow so tired of hearing about them that you demand he pit his prowess against your own. Lee seems reluctant, but Zak’s thrilled at the idea.
Afterwards, you’re forced to admit Apollo really does live up to the hype. You zip through some of the tightest turns you’ve ever attempted, and he matches you without breaking formation for an instant. The man is talented.
When you’re done, you’re both covered in sweat from the workout and you’re so exhilarated from the experience that it almost feels like a workout of a different kind. Zak appears to congratulate you both and you kiss him thoroughly before turning to Lee.
“So, Apollo,” you say. “You do know how to wiggle your stick after all!”
Zak roars with laughter and Lee turns a lovely shade of pink.
“Hold her down for me, bro,” Zak says, and before you have time to wonder what he’s up to, Lee’s got your upper arms in an iron grip and Zak’s tickling for all he’s worth.
(Months later you’ll wonder if this is when your game of ‘make Lee want to frak you’ really started but right now you squeal and twist and vow revenge on the pair of them.)
~ * ~
The next time Lee gets shore leave, Zak’s too busy studying to go out partying with his “big bro” (you called Lee that once, and it seemed to annoy him so much that you make a point of it, just to get a reaction) so you and Lee head off by yourselves.
“Where shall we go?” he asks, and you look at him speculatively.
You haven’t hustled a game of pool in quite a while (Zak’s no good at bluffing) so you suggest the local bar. A pair of marines seem all too eager to bet against you after you deliberately miss a few easy shots, and you end up walking out of that bar with a hundred more credits than you had when you went in.
Unsurprisingly, “Lieutenant Ethics” (and he likes that nickname even less than “big bro”) has a problem with you pretending to be no good at pool in order to cheat people out of their money. “What the frak was that, Kara?” he complains. “Did you just use me as your wingman to hustle those guys?”
You roll your eyes at him. “It’s not like they weren’t trying to hustle us first,” you rationalise. “Gods, Lee. Do you have to overthink everything? Anyway,” you add, “Now we can afford to really enjoy ourselves.” You wave the credits under his nose and his glower fades a little.
Forty five minutes later you’re at Rica’s and you persuade Lee to do some shots with you. You’re determined to get him out on the dance floor this time and if you have to spend all your credits liquoring him up first, you will. When his eyes become just a little unfocused, you stand and hold out your hand to him. “Dance with me, Lee.”
He tilts his head sideways and considers you for a moment, as if trying to get your measure. Then he threads his fingers through yours and allows you to drag him to the dance floor.
The press of bodies makes you lightheaded. Lee tries to keep a proprietary distance, but it’s next to impossible in this crowd. You casually drape your arms around his neck and lean forward to whisper your usual advice in his ear: “Don’t overthink it.”
Surprisingly, he doesn’t. He surrenders, swaying with you to the music that’s more a pulse than a rhythm. It’s hypnotising and you find yourself caught up in it too. His arms settle on your hips and he leans in closer, eyes intent.
Suddenly it’s too much, too close. You lean away from him and grin. “Are we having fun now, big bro?”
Lee blinks and seems to sober a little. His hands fall away.
~ * ~
Your game escalates after that, and you mentally give yourself a point every time you make Lee’s control slip, even a little.
And if you sometimes catch him looking at you with a little more than brotherly affection, you tell yourself it doesn’t matter. It’s just a game.
~ * ~
It stops being a game when Zak’s buried deep inside you and suddenly his face is not his own but Lee’s instead. No matter how you try you can’t seem to turn this fantasy off so you close your eyes to it. And when you breathe his name in the throes of orgasm you can’t remember whether you should be saying “Zak” or “Lee” and so you settle for “Adama” because it’s safer.
Frak, this is not good. It’s Zak you want. Zak you love. You never doubt it. Well, hardly ever. And when you do, it only takes one of his sunny smiles to chase those doubts away.
Even so, you’ve become addicted to the game.
~ * ~
You return from shopping one day to find Zak and Lee on the couch talking intently. “Apollo!” you exclaim, interrupting them to throw your arms about Zak and kiss him thoroughly. “When did the cat drag you in?”
“Oh, an hour or so ago,” he replies. “Zak called me. He needed a little brotherly advice.” Lee looks uncomfortable, and you wonder just what it was they were talking about when you walked in.
You deal with the awkwardness the way you always do; with bravado. You smirk at Lee and flop down on the couch between the brothers. “So, do tell. What kind of advice does the great Apollo have to share today?”
An apple falls from your shopping bag onto Lee’s lap and he picks it up, contemplating it for a moment. “I just told him not to overthink things.”
“Hmm. That’s good advice, big bro. Sounds like something I’d say.” You snatch the apple from his fingers and bite into it. The juice runs down your chin and you keep your eyes on Lee’s. Playing the game; daring him to look away first.
He does; his gaze flitting behind you to where his brother sits. You feel Zak shift his weight and feel guilty that you’d almost forgotten he was there.
“As if you ever think about anything,” Lee teases.
You feel a strange urge to poke your tongue out at him but instead you finish eating the apple and toss the core into his lap. “Oh, you might be surprised, Apollo.” You know you shouldn’t but there’s some part of you that needs to go one step too far. It’s the same part that pulls crazy stunts in your Viper and laughs them off later.
You drop your eyes to his pants (there’s a wet spot near his groin where the apple core landed) and slowly draw your gaze upward to meet his eyes. Your meaning is plain. “I have a very… active imagination,” you croon. He swallows carefully and you score yourself another point.
~ * ~
The (quickly hidden) look of dismay on Lee’s face when Zak tells him the news of your engagement makes you realise it’s no longer a game for him either. If it ever was.
“Now you really will be my big bro,” you grin and (because you just can’t resist playing with fire) pull his face down to yours and plant a kiss on his lips.
Zak laughs. “Kara, you’re embarrassing him,” he chastises.
You turn to Zak and kiss him much less chastely. “You’re jealous, Zak Adama!”
He laughs again. “Of Lee? Nope, never. I have everything I could ever want right here in my lap.”
You smile and kiss him again.
~ * ~
You’ve just dismissed your latest batch of nuggets when the staff sergeant pokes his head around the door. “Call for you, Lieutenant. Says his name’s Adama.”
You smile to yourself as you lift the phone to your ear. “You, me, a bottle of ambrosia and a pair of handcuffs,” you croon, pitching your voice low for effect. “Tonight your pretty ass is mine, Adama.”
“Kara, it’s me,” Lee’s voice trembles just a little, and you don’t hear anymore than that because suddenly you know Zak isn’t coming home tonight, or any night.
You slide to the floor and let the receiver fall from your hand.
~ * ~
After the funeral, there really isn’t any more to say. For a few weeks afterwards, Lee makes regular visits to make sure you’re okay. He’s careful to keep his distance but you know he still feels something for you-he tries to hide it but it’s in his eyes every time he looks at you. The only time you see him show any emotion at all is when he screams at his father for pushing Zak into flight school and an early grave.
Lee’s solicitude is discomfiting. Even though nothing ever happened between you, it still feels like a betrayal because now that Zak’s dead you’re forced to admit flirting with Lee became much more than a game for you. Neither of you makes a move but the inevitability seems to shimmer constantly in the air when he’s near, even though you both resist it.
When Bill Adama offers you a place aboard Galactica, it seems like an escape. You tell Lee of your plans and though you knew he’d be unhappy, the vehemence of his anger surprises you.
You realise he wasn’t resisting at all. He was waiting.
You can’t even explain to him that maybe this might have worked if you hadn’t wanted him while Zak was still alive. But you did and it can’t and so you follow the commander to his ship and burn your bridges with Lee for good.
Game over.
~ * ~