Title: Gladness and Gaiety
Author: Trialia
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Rating: K
Word Count: 594
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Laura Roslin/Bill Adama
Spoilers: just Colonial Day, minor.
Summary: Laura can't stop laughing. Written for Cara (caramelapples11), prompt 'upside down'; beta-read by Lauren (coexistlove) and Katja (laharah).
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Laura Roslin couldn't stop laughing. It was absurd, really, she thought, but once she'd started there had been little to no chance of being able to stop on her own. She'd tried drinking from the wrong side of a glass of water, holding her breath - all the remedies for hiccups she could remember, hoping they'd work for her giggling - but all she'd been able to do was to be quiet for a few moments before letting out a choke of laughter as something else amusing came to mind. She was on the brink of hysteria and just glad the Quorum hadn't seen her in her present state --
A mental picture of Tom Zarek's face in that situation hit her, and she buried her face in her hands with another swallowed giggle.
She makes one hell of a picture, Bill Adama thought, smiling at the woman sitting on his couch as he came into the room. Laura's lovely auburn hair tumbled over her lap and, as she lifted her head at the creak of the hatch, her shoulders. Her skirt was rumpled slightly across her thighs, the matching lavender blouse was unbuttoned to mid-chest, jacket already discarded, and her legs were crossed at the ankles to display her bare feet; her cheeks were flushed and her green eyes bright. Beautiful.
"What's so funny?" he asked, crossing to the table and putting down the couple of files he held before going back to push the hatch closed.
She giggled again before pulling herself together enough to reply.
"Nothing in particular. I just can't seem to stop laughing!" She bit her lips and folded her hands together in another vain attempt to halt the flow of giggles before they started again.
Bill grinned. "Oh."
She snorted, slumping back and shaking her head at him, eyes sparkling. "Yes, 'oh'!" There was a comfortable pause of mutual amusement, during which Laura kept trying to stifle her tired chuckling and Bill settled beside her on the couch, beginning to unbutton his uniform jacket.
"What have you tried?" he asked her.
"Everything... I can think of," she managed after a few moments' effort, "I've been... like this... all morning! I can stop for a few... minutes... but then something else makes me... laugh and -- " she broke off into another laugh that was partly an aggrieved groan.
Bill tried not to grin at her, even though the sight was delightful; he knew that wouldn't make it any easier to stop. Instead he put his energies into thinking up some way to help her.
"Have you tried standing on your head?"
This time Laura clutched her aching stomach as she doubled up in a fit of giggles.
"Oh. Oh! Don't!"
He couldn't stop the smirk, this time. "Okay, so that's out. How 'bout..."
A sudden stroke of genius struck him, and he leaned over to her, tilting up her chin as he'd done once before. As his lips met hers she giggled against his mouth, but her laughter turned into a moan as he deepened the kiss and she responded to it hungrily, one hand wrapping around the back of his neck.
It was a while before they came up for air. When they did, Laura's smile had a slightly vague quality to it and her eyes were dark. She didn't start laughing again.
"That's some remedy," she said, still breathless. Adama smiled and pulled her down on his lap.
"Better than giggling?" he asked, stroking her arm lightly. She smiled at him, mischief in her gaze.
"Oh, yes."
-fin