Kisses
By Kara
Pairing: Lee/Kara
Spoilers: Home Pt. 1
Summary: There had always been kisses.

There had always been kisses. The first had been a light brush on the cheek—an air kiss, something society demanded when they first met at some stupid social function in flight school. He'd surprised her with the kiss, had been more surprised when she laughed back at him. And he never tried it again.

There were other kisses, brother kisses in congratulations when she started dating Zak. When she became engaged to Zak. They were hesitant kisses, the same light brush on the cheek that was expected by society. The kiss was a seal of approval that said he believed that they would make something of themselves, that it wasn't a mistake being made by two impulsive kids. That he believed that this was one thing she wouldn't frak up.

The kiss of death—lips to forehead as they clung tightly to each other after the funeral. Neither of them cried, because they didn't cry, but there had been a kiss then too. Because no one else would kiss her anymore. And that one night, that one night he'd allowed himself because she needed it, when kisses were hungry and angry and other words that could never describe how either of them felt. That night, when mouths attacked each other in a gross mockery of what would've been her wedding night, because they needed the reassurance and the release.

This was the kiss of life, no cautious pressure against her lips but an affirmation of the fact that they were together again. His lips were different from Anders', softer, lacking the desperation that she'd felt a few hours ago. It was the kind of kiss that went against their unspoken promise, the one that ended when she said his name when she was sleeping with someone else. At least she hadn't made that mistake twice.

"Good to see you too, Captain." There wasn't much else she could say. Not here. Not with the memory of Anders' arms still around her, his lips on her knuckles, the promises they both made. Not with Apollo's arrow hanging from around her neck.

He had the courtesy to blush and laugh, but they both knew it was different now. One more complication in their already beyond-complicated lives.

"Remind me to send you to the brig later" was his only response.

You gonna join me? was her immediate thought. "Yeah, well..." There would be other words later, other kisses. This was enough to think about for now.