Word Count: 2,138
Date: 9/20/05
Series: Pre-mini
Rating: K+
Category: Relationship
Pairing/Focus: Lee/Kara
Warnings: Fluff in all its fluffy goodness. Possibly AU since
its been implied that Kara knew Zak first and this has her knowing Lee first.
Summary:
Spoilers/Disclaimers: None that I'm aware of. We all know where
they're eventually headed. This was written just to be a snapshot of a moment.
Keep Believing The Things That You Tell Yourself Everyone Needs Something They Can Tell Themselves To Hold On To Cause After All Of It's Said And Done
Confession Is Stay Don't Go
At Times You Find That The Truth Is The Best Way Out Sometimes Telling The Truth Is The Best Way Out
"Stay Don't Go" by Spoon
"Stay. Just stay Kara."
"Lee, I can't. If I leave now I can still catch the last train and then it's only a 15 minute drive back to the Academy."
"Kara… come on… it's a non-issue. You're drunk and there's no way I'm letting you get behind the wheel."
"I'm not…" Kara sighs. She doesn't know why she's fighting Lee on this. Not when all she wants to do is stay. "I'm not that drunk…" she asserts, doing a damn fine job of not slurring her words. But she knows she's not quite standing up straight. And she can't be still for more then a few moments.
It was good to see Lee again. It'd been too long. He was home from War College for just a few days so she'd taken 36 hours and traveled home to spend the day with him. She had to be back by tomorrow afternoon, though, and he knew it. Kara's heart fluttered with the thought that he was reluctant to let her leave for the same reasons she hated having to go.
"Sit here and I'll go get you a pillow and some blankets," Lee says leading her towards the overstuffed couch in their living room. Kara loves that couch. Years earlier when she'd come home with Lee on holiday breaks they'd spend rainy afternoons curled up on it watching movies, waiting for the weather to change, allowing them to get outside.
"Lee, wait. I'm gonna just go. What will your mom think when she comes downstairs tomorrow and finds me passed out on her furniture? It's best if I go." It sounds like a flimsy excuse to her, but it's all she can muster at the moment.
"What are you talking about? What will she think? She'll be ecstatic. You know she thinks of you as the daughter she never had. And I think she's already decided you're going to be part of the family one way or another so just sit your ass down on that couch and get comfortable."
No, she didn't know that. And what did he mean one way or another? Damn her foolish heart. She had been so sure that being away from Lee had cured her silly infatuation. She'd been so sure, right up until she saw him this afternoon. If she was honest, somewhere between graduation and today she'd fallen in love with him. She couldn't pinpoint the moment it changed. The letters and phone calls over the past year had never been about anything more important than how ready they both were to get assigned to ships and spend more time in vipers. Granted, Kara flew fairly often, but her role as flight instructor found her spending more time with nuggets in simulators than in the actual Viper cockpits she loved.
"Hey there sleepy." Damn her traitorous body. She must have dozed off waiting for him to come back downstairs. "Look, if I'm staying I need to shower. I reek like bar and I'm not going to risk making your mom's couch smell."
"That's fine. I was gonna jump in there too. You wanna go first?"
"No go ahead. I don't suppose you have an extra toothbrush sitting around though?"
"Ummm I'm not sure, but come on upstairs and we'll check."
"Lee Adama are you trying to lure me into your bedroom." Kara jokes feeling a bit more alert after her brief nap.
"Why don't you shower first and I'll look for an extra toothbrush. Here's a towel, now go." Giving her a gentle shove in the right direction.
***************************************
Lee steps into his bedroom and doesn't even notice her at first. She's so quiet and breathing so steadily he finally realizes that she's fallen asleep again, this time on his bed. She also helped herself to a shirt and a pair of old running shorts she must have dug out of his closet. Chuckling at the way Kara seems to have made herself at home, Lee pulls shorts and a shirt for himself out of his duffle before turning back to his bed.
Kara looks peaceful; he can't bring himself to wake her and send her back downstairs. So he crawls up the bed and curls himself around her, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her back into contact with his chest.
He hadn't realized how much he missed her until she had tried to go home. He couldn't bear to think their short visit was over so quickly. He expected her to have put up more of a fight about staying though, which only reinforced the fact that she probably was too drunk to have safely driven.
Lee feels Kara shift in his arms pressing her back more firmly against him, making herself more comfortable. He can't help but smile sleepily and tighten his arm around her waist in a gentle squeeze as he begins to drift off to sleep.
`This is going to be awkward in the morning,' he thinks to himself. But he just can't bring himself to care.
Feeling his arms squeeze around her, Kara sighs and smiles to herself. She knows her memory of tonight will get her through any long days ahead.
*****************************************
Kara awakes like every morning: Left arm thrown back over her head, cool air on her stomach where her shirt has rucked up from being unable to lay still even in sleep. The only thing different from normal, she slowly realizes, is that it isn't her own arm lying across her stomach, but rather Lee's. Her right arm is pinned to her side by Lee's body.
Bringing her left arm down, Kara places her hand lightly on top of Lee's as she opens her eyes to see if he's awake yet.
`I guess not' she thinks to herself. Kara takes a moment to enjoy his presence and their current position before he wakes up and things get awkward.
Breathing evenly, Lee is sleeping on his stomach. Right arm across her and left tucked up under his pillow, he faces her and drools a bit in he sleep, Kara notices. Smiling to herself, she files that information away for use at a later date.
The first thing Lee notices after awaking is soft fingertips drawing patterns on top of his hand. The second thing Lee notices is the warm skin and firm muscles beneath his hand.
`Kara,' Lee thinks, memories of how they got here flooding his mind. Not wanting to give away that he's awoken, Lee struggles to remain perfectly still except for his right hand. He slowly flattens his had out, stretching the fingers in a slow caress of her stomach before letting his hand return to it's original position. Hearing her gasp slightly at his movement, Lee can't help but smile ever so slightly.
"Lee Adama are you awake in there?" He knew she was likely watching his face and would be given away by his smile. So he makes a show of rolling to his side a bit and stretching out down the bed, all the while leaving his hand on her stomach. Head now propped up on his left arm, Lee knows he's a goner as soon as he opens his eyes. Kara looks way too good for first thing in the morning. Hair slightly messed from sleep, eyes not quite focusing. Although he hopes that second part has something to do with the way he's moving his fingers ever so slightly across her skin.
"Enough. I should have known you'd try and take advantage of having me in your bed" Kara jokes as she presses down on his hand, halting his maddening movements.
Her smile doesn't quite meet her eyes as she rolls to face him, removing his hand and tugging her shirt back into place. "I guess we should go down stairs and get some breakfast." Kara says, feeling the moment between them already fading away. She doubts Lee thought to leave a note for his mom mentioning they had a guest, so this will be an interesting surprise.
Rising from the bed, Kara stretches and tells Lee, "I'm gonna use the bathroom and I'll meet you down stairs." And with that she escapes out the door, across the hall and into the other room.
**********************************************
Lee throws on his favorite red hoodie and heads down stairs. He can hear his mom in the kitchen and wonders if she noticed the pillow and blankets he left on the couch. *snort* `Of course she noticed, you fool.' Stepping around the corner Lee briefly meets his mother's eyes before slipping into a seat on the far side of the bench that wraps around the kitchen table. "Good morning," his mom says far too cheerfully. "Did Kara get off ok last night?"
"Um, well no, actually she stayed."
"Oh"
"Yeah, she fell asleep with me up stairs."
"Ok"
Lee knows he looks guilty, sitting there tracing patterns into the table top with his fingers. He hasn't looked up yet and doesn't know what kind of reaction he'll see when he does. He wasn't lying when he told Kara his mom would be happy she stayed… on the couch in the living room. Lee's not sure how she'll feel knowing Kara slept in her son's bed with him.
"Lee. Look at me." Uh oh here it comes. He's surprised to see her smiling when he meets her gaze.
"I'm glad. I'm glad she spent the night."
"Noth-" "Stop right there," she says, holding her hand up. "I didn't ask and I don't want an answer. You're not a child. I know the timing isn't right. I just want to know you're happy."
Lee ends up stammering as a response and finally gives up and just smiles. "I am. You're right. And the timing is wrong." His smile falters a little at the end. He doesn't get a chance to continue, as he hears Kara coming down the stairs.
Lee can't see her yet, but his mom looks in Kara's direction. "Morning. How'd you sleep?" Lee wants to smack his head against the table, but he catches his mom's quick glance at him and notes the smile she can't quite hide.
Talk about stepping into the lion's den. Kara doesn't know what to think about that question. How much does she know? What did Lee tell his mom? She doesn't want to let the silence drag out, but finds herself wishing she could see Lee before answering. "Good." She finally responds.
Two more steps carry her around the corner so she can take a seat on the bench next to Lee. His mom just smiles and asks what they'd like for breakfast.
"I can make pancakes? Or how about some eggs and bacon? Just some cereal?"
Kara looks to Lee, letting him make the decision.
Looking a bit flustered, he says, "well… umm… you know, pancakes would be great." He smiles looking at Kara and she wishes she could read his thoughts.
"Mmm yeah, that would be wonderful," Kara adds. She had been hoping for a quick exit this morning, but knows a home made breakfast means she'll be staying a while longer. `Eh, it'll be worth it.' She thinks. `As long as there aren't any more awkward innocently asked questions.'
********************************************
"I should get going. I have to be back on base by noon." Kara says handing Lee the last dish she had dried. It only seemed fair that they would clean up since his mother had cooked.
"All right. Thanks again for visiting."
"Don't stay gone for so long next time." She says punching him lightly on the arm. Lee knows that's as close as she'll get to admitting she missed him. So he grabs her arm and pulls her into a hug.
"I missed you too." He whispers into her hair. Lee gives her a tight squeeze and then lets her go. He knows his honesty has set her on edge. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable so he tries to make her smile instead. "Now, were you planning on leaving in my clothes or returning them?"
"Haha. Oops," Kara laughs. "I guess I forgot. How about I take them with me and send them back after washing them? I can't really face putting my smelly clothes back on."
"Yeah that'll work." Lee knows the odds of him ever seeing that particular shirt again are slim. She'll send the shorts back, because they're too big and probably not as comfortable as her own. But the shirt… He expects some sort of story about how she spilled on it or accidentally tore it. But he doesn't mind. Lee kind of likes the idea of her hanging on to it, just because it's his.
"Thanks"
"Any time"
"Well. See ya."
With a last smile and a wave Kara steps out the door.