Title: Clink

Author: Emily Lydic (SG1SamFan)

Character(s): Lee, Kara

Date Written: 8/23/06

Word Count: 606

Pairing: Kara/Lee

Spoilers: "Lay Down Your Burdens" as well as speculation for Season 3.

Rating: T

Summary: The only thing she notices as he slaps down Full Colors is that when the back of his left hand strikes the table, there isn't the cold metallic clink of a wedding band. AU.

Disclaimer: I do not own Battlestar: Galactica or its characters and receive no profit from this story.

Archive: Please ask me first.

A/N– I recently started wearing a ring constantly, and I idly noticed that when I hit my hand on something, it clinks. I know, a silly think to write a fic about, but the idea kinda grabbed at me and begged me to write it. The format (summary sentence and title) was inspired by Mystic83's "Requests."

A/N 2.0: I've had this sitting on my hard drive forever! Could've sworn I posted it, but I guess not. LOL

­­­­­­­­ The first time Lee and Kara play triad after the battle for New Caprica is two tense months after she comes home. They're only playing for chips, but the stakes seem higher than that.

After the hell of New Caprica, it's almost too much for Kara's broken soul.

Only a fool could miss the way things have shifted between Kara and Lee since she left, and she finds herself mourning their complicated non-relationship. It's the little things she misses: They don't flirt or tease each other like they used to. They don't steal glances like it's forbidden, don't fight like what they really want to do is frak each other senseless. They're acting like friends, and Kara knows they've always been more than that even though it's always gone unspoken.

But this whole situation is her fault. She's the one who pushed him away over and over, so why should it come as a surprise when her desertion to New Caprica pushed him all the way to the altar with Dee?

She was always too afraid of being vulnerable to let him in. She's never felt anything as intense as what she feels for Lee, and it used to scare her. She was afraid of loving anyone so much.

But now she realizes that she's loved him for a long time. This may be tough, but it's home. She's home.

With that thought, Kara lays down her winning cards—Full Colors—and feels like Starbuck again for a moment. She smirks. Lee groans in disbelief, and Kara's smirk widens into a cocky grin.

Then her eyes drift to Lee's left hand, to his wedding band, and the moment shatters like ice.

It's all her fault.

The chips clink hollowly as she sweeps them toward her.

————————————————

When Lee and Kara find time to play again, it's a few months later. Kara's a little more whole, and their relationship has started to slip back to normal.

She threads her fingers through her hair. She cut it short several months back, when she rejoined the military.

At first she'd felt naked, vulnerable, without the long hair obscuring her face, but now it's a relief to be rid of it. She only grew it out for Sam, anyway.

Now that he's gone, the thought strikes her that in all their time together, he never saw her without the long hair.

Lee has.

But it's too late now to wonder about what that might have meant. Lee's married, and that isn't going to change. It doesn't matter how she feels. Not anymore.

Under her tanks, her dogtags clink as she studies her cards.

————————————————

The first time Lee beats Kara after New Caprica doesn't feel like a loss.

The only thing she notices as he slaps down Full Colors is that when the back of his left hand strikes the table, there isn't the cold metallic clink of a wedding band. Silence rings in the air.

Her eyes lift to his with wide surprise and transparent hope.

Lee glances at his bare left hand and shrugs nonchalantly, but there's a promise in his smile. And the same silvery glint in his eyes Kara used to see when she'd catch him staring. It feels like a lifetime ago.

And it feels like tomorrow.

Kara wonders what she should do. Look away? Crack a joke?

Instead, she holds his gaze, and grins. She's pushed Lee away long enough, and she won't lose him this time.

When Lee sweeps the bars of soap he just won from the center of the table, there's something Kara finds oddly comforting:

They don't clink.

finis

A/N 2.5: Whether you loved it or hated it, please leave me some feedback. Constructive criticism is as welcome as praise. : )

© Emily Lydic, 2006