Title: The First Time

Author: Opal Smith

Characters: Helo/Sharon/Hera

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Beta: My very patient husband!

Notes: Ficlet set sometime in season 3 after Hera returned to them - fluffiness warning

Karl woke suddenly terrified by a nightmare that he was trapped by a dead weight crushing down on his chest.

Then as the confusion of being thrust from unconsciousness began to clear, Karl discovered Sharon had him pinned to the bed with her body while she flicked her loosened hair over his face and giggled softly to herself.

"Hey babe, what are you doing?" He asked still groggy from being woken from a deep sleep

"What do you think?!" Sharon whispered softly in his ear, adding to the enticement, "Hera's fast asleep and we have time."

"What time is it exactly?!" Karl whispered back, trying to make sense of why he felt so tired.

"0500, I can't sleep," Sharon leaned forward to plant a soft wet kiss on his lips. Then she backed off, her face suddenly serious, "Can I ask you something?"

"Yeah," Karl had only managed to crawl into their bed at 0100 after a very long and hard day dealing with the refugees and their many problems. He thought that answering a question was about all he was good for.

"Tell me about your first kiss, what was she like?" Sharon started playfully biting at his bottom lip while Karl absorbed her question. Why did it have to be one he really didn't want to answer?

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm curious and the fact you won't answer is making me more curious!" Sharon stared intently at Karl who closed his eyes to escape her scrutiny. But there was to be no escape as she nuzzled at his neck before announcing, "You can't go to sleep until you answer my question."

"It's not something I like talking about," Karl admitted, hoping she might take pity on him. But Sharon didn't move a muscle as she waited for him to give it up. Karl sighed deeply realising the only way he was going to get a break was if he told her the whole sorry story.

"Promise me, you won't tell a living soul."

Sharon nodded in agreement.

"My best friend dared me to kiss her, I was eight, she was ten…and taller than me…"

Sharon started to laugh silently, her shoulders shaking as she hid her face on his chest.

"Stop laughing or I'm not saying another frakking word!" Karl demanded, even though he was also finding it difficult to keep a straight face.

Sharon clapped her hands tightly over her mouth, although her amusement was plain to read in her glittering eyes.

Karl took a big breath and rushed the rest of the story out in one go, "I was nervous so I rushed it, missed her mouth completely, made contact with her nose, gave her a hell of a fright...so she frakking head butted me, knocked me out cold and I ended up in a hospital emergency room!"

Sharon collapsed in uncontrollable fits of laughter. Tears were streaming down her face as Karl joined in and their laugher filled their quarters until silenced by the cries of Hera, angry at being woken up.