Chapter Nine
"And welcome to the US National Figure Skating Championships!"
Kara nodded to the overly perky staffer at the sign-in desk and clipped her badge to her jacket, then followed Laura and Lee through the doors to the small but bustling ballroom. The room was packed, the droning buzz of conversation high. Skaters clad in a rainbow of warmup jackets dotted the crowd of agents, managers and general hangers-on, and Kara spotted some bright lights and tall men holding TV cameras on their shoulders at one far corner of the room. As they pushed through the crowd, Kara felt eyes on her from every direction and shifted uncomfortably. She couldn't help but feel like a butcher had just slapped a sticker on her forehead reading "Fresh Meat."
Pulling up alongside Laura, she murmured, "Remind me why we're doing this dog-and-pony show again?" If it were up to Kara, she'd be practicing right now, or maybe sleeping, but Laura had insisted their attendance was mandatory at the welcome party.
The woman's polished smile didn't even falter as she surveyed the room and muttered back, "Because US figure skating is only 80 percent talent and the other 20 percent is politics." She lifted a hand, waving to a cluster of older men and women that Kara recognized from television as some of the top skating coaches in the country. "And I certainly don't intend for us to lose because we didn't play the game."
She squared her shoulders and sailed off into the crowd. Kara just smirked and watched her go, wondering not for the first time if Roslin was wasted as a skating coach. She could've done a heck of a job running a small country.
Kara shifted, turning to Lee and took a deep breath, barely resisting the sudden urge to call out for Laura to come back. It was the first time all day they'd really been alone, and nerves twisted her stomach as she studied his profile. This was ridiculous, she told herself. She was acting like a teenager. Nothing had really changed, Kara insisted, as if she hadn't spent the hours before dawn cataloguing all the ways it felt like everything had.
Looking around at the sea of unfamiliar faces around them, Kara wished there was someone—anyone—else here that she knew. Unfortunately, Bill had had some business to attend to this morning. Heck, at this point, she might even rather chat with Gianne than have to try to make small talk with Lee. Speaking of… "Hey, where's the other half? How come she gets to miss out on all this fun?"
Lee was staring off into space and it took a moment for him to turn, his face creased with confusion "Hmm?"
"You know—Tall, blonde…" Sucks the joy out of a room faster than a two-dollar–
"Oh," he blinked, flushing slightly. "She—she had some calls to make. I'm meeting her later."
"Mmm, lucky her." The words hung in the air, heavy with a double meaning Kara hadn't even intended, and she cringed. She'd meant Gianne was lucky to skip the mixer, of course, but Lee's head was already lifting, focusing on her now. Was that a guilty look on his face? "Kara—"
The churning in her gut intensified and Kara turned into the crowd, calling over her shoulder. "Let's hit the bar. I could use a drink."
She didn't need to look to hear the frown in his voice. "Do you really think that's the best idea right now?" He followed her though, as they shoved through the throng and finally pulled up to the bar.
She rolled her eyes and said drily, "That Diet Coke is strong stuff, but I'll try not to let it go to my head."
Lee's expression smoothed into a slightly sheepish one. Kara ordered them both a soda, then took the glasses and moved down the bar, leaning back and resting her elbows on the counter behind them. "So," she said, gaze sweeping over the crowd, "who's our competition?"
"Besides us, I'd say there are five teams that are real contenders." Lee nodded towards the far right, leaning back against the bar next to her and mimicking her position. "The two in red?" Her eyes picked out a lanky boy with bad skin and a short girl with wild corkscrew hair, whom she could hear screeching something even from their relative distance away.
"Tweedledum and Tweedledumber? God, they look like they're in high school!"
"That's because they are," Lee chuckled. "Katraine and Costanza. They were last year's junior pairs champions and just moved up to seniors. Lots of energy, no finesse. They need more training but they could be a wildcard."
Kara snorted, dismissing them, and started seeking out the next potential threat. "What about them?" Her chin jerked towards a couple in green warm-ups near the windows. They were a striking pair, the woman exotically beautiful with a lush mane of black hair and the man, dark-eyed with a crop of tight black curls. There was something off about the way the man was standing, Kara thought, narrowing her eyes but she couldn't figure it out.
"That's Felix Gaeta and Tory Foster. She cries on command at the end of every program."
Kara tilted her head. "Is he limping?"
"He's got a prosthetic leg. "
Her eyes widened. A skater with a fake leg? "Well I guess we know who gets the sympathy vote," Kara muttered.
Lee tried valiantly but couldn't hide his smirk. Kara caught him and laughed, tilting slightly, her arm knocking into his shoulder. He pressed back, wearing an easy grin, and Kara felt some of the distance between them slipping away. She couldn't help but grin back, warmth spreading in her chest as their eyes met and held for a long moment. Finally, Kara forced herself to turn back to the crowd, clearing her throat. "C'mon, is there any real competition in this joint or what? Not exactly shaking in my boots, here, Lee."
"Real competition would be those two." He pointed over her shoulder towards a stunning supermodel-looking blonde and a shorter, wiry looking man with an intense face, also blond. "Leoben Conoy and his sister, Caprice Sechs."
Kara raised an eyebrow. "Sechs?" She smirked. "Tell me how you really feel."
He blushed to the tips of his ears. "I think it's German, actually."
"So they're the ones to beat?" Kara asked, thinking about how odd it must be to skate with your brother. She tried to picture herself doing some of their moves with Karl and grimaced. Talk about awkward. And he wasn't even a blood relative.
"They've won the past three National Championships like clockwork. Perfect programs every time. They never get ruffled." Lee leaned closer, his voice dropping lower. "People like to joke that they're really machines, not human at all. They kind of creep me out."
Kara studied the couple, and suddenly the guy, Leoben, swiveled his head and locked eyes with her. His stare was scrutinizing, unblinking, like he was trying to read her mind or something, and Kara shuddered suddenly and jerked her gaze away. "Yeah," she muttered to Lee, "Definitely creepy."
"Mmm, and speaking of creeps…" he murmured back, his face turned towards another couple that was making their way through the crowd.
"Hello, Ana," he said, in a friendly but closed-off tone. Kara's ears perked up. The petite, dark-skinned woman nodding must be Anastasia Dualla, Lee's last partner. Beside her stood a slender man with long dark hair tumbling past his shoulders. He'd look like a cover of a bad romance novel if he weren't so scrawny.
"Gaius," Lee said, tightly, his tone much less friendly this time.
"Leland," the man returned with equal disdain. He shifted slightly, his gaze darting to Kara as a somewhat lecherous smile creased his face. "And who have we here?"
"This is my partner, Kara Thrace. Kara, this is Gaius Baltar."
She could almost hear Lee's teeth grinding and wondered what was up, even as she stuck out a hand towards Gaius. "Good to meet ya."
Instead of shaking her hand, he wrapped his fingers around hers, twisting and lifting it to his lips. "Oh, it's my pleasure indeed. No wonder Adama's been keeping you tucked away at the mansion, all to himself." Kara rolled her eyes, barely resisting the urge to snatch her hand back and rub it off on her pants.
She caught the eye of Lee's old partner over Gaius's bent head and nodded to her. "Hey. Uh, is he always like this?"
The woman shook her head and slapped his shoulder. "Stop slobbering over the new girl, Gaius." She turned back to Lee and looked at him, a considering expression on her face. "It's good to see you back in the game, Lee," she said quietly.
"It's good to be back," he said, after a pause. Gaius dropped her hand finally and Kara turned and caught Lee's expression but couldn't quite read it. It seemed like a mixture of surprise and sadness…was it regret? Did he regret no longer having Ana for a partner? Her gaze flitted to the woman. She was poised, polished in a way Kara would never be.
"I must say, Adama, we were rather surprised to hear you're skating such a rigorous program," Gaius said, a slight sneer marring his features. "After the…unfortunate incident last time, it seems a rather ambitious choice, wouldn't you say?"
Lee glared at the man, a muscle in his jaw jumping, but he didn't answer.
"I mean, it would hardly be fair to your lovely new partner here if you suddenly found yourself freezing up at a crucial moment, perhaps?
"Gaius, that's enough," Anastasia said, her voice low but firm.
"No, Ana, really, I think the stunning Miss Thrace should know what she's getting herself into here. What with Adama's issues and all."
Lee stiffened next to her and pivoted abruptly, storming away from them without so much as a syllable. Kara watched his retreating back, then turned, narrowing her eyes at Gaius.
"Well really," Gaius sighed, "how rude."
His partner glared at him and shook her head, then moved away through the crowd. Gaius shrugged nonchalantly and turned his attention to Kara, who was scowling at him.
"What the hell was that?"
"I was merely trying to help by pointing out that perhaps your partner needs to get a better handle on—"
"Hey," Kara snapped, "doc, save the psychoanalysis for your therapy sessions."
"I was simply expressing my concern for –"
"The only thing you need to be worried about is how we're gonna kick your ass on the ice."
To her disgust, Gaius smiled. "Well, I do like a feisty woman." He leaned closer. "Perhaps after the performances tonight, we could explore that fiery side of yours in private?
"Perhaps hell will freeze over, first?" Kara shook her head, grabbed her glass and Lee's abandoned one too, and walked away, leaving the sleazeball gaping after her.
She launched back into the crowd of people in the direction Lee had gone, but it took several minutes before she could find him. He was in the far corner talking to a woman with caramel-colored hair dressed in an almost blindingly white blazer and pants, and clutching a notebook and a pen. Lee was frowning, his brow creasing heavily as the woman talked to him. Kara started to move closer but pulled up short when a bit of their exchange hit her ears:
"…thought you'd retired."
"I changed my mind."
"Nationals after four years out of the game, though. Surely, that has to affect your confidence levels."
"Well, no, actually, I'm very—"
"Tell me, Mr. Adama," the reporter barreled on as if he hadn't even spoken. "What kept you out of competition for all this time? Did the Calgary games do a number on your head? Is it true that you couldn't keep a partner because of that?"
Kara frowned, confused. What the heck had happened in Calgary? Bill had told her none of the female skaters had been good enough for Lee, but from this snotty reporter's digs, it seemed like maybe it'd been the opposite?
"Calgary isn't an issue," Lee said tightly. "My current partner and I have been skating together for more than a year, and—"
The woman was smirking with barely repressed amusement. "Right. The hockey player, you mean?"
Kara watched Lee shift, square his shoulders. "Yes, former hockey player," he said, in that overly calm way he had that—she had heard enough to know—meant he was really seething underneath.
"Well, I have to hand it to you, Adama. Picking someone with no experience. It's a bold move. The two of you are the talk of the competition."
"We're looking forward to showing everyone what we can do."
"Mmm." She tilted her head, a smug look on her face. "Let's ditch the canned responses and get real, shall we?" The reporter flashed a rather wolfish grin. "This is a last grasp at a career for you. Do you really think you can win with…" she made a face, "that hockey player?
Lee's face tightened, anger passing like a thunder cloud across his face. She watched him glare and shift, getting right in the reporter's face. "That hockey player is the best skater I've ever been on the ice with. She's so good, she'll make you cry."
Kara's eyes widened at the vehement words and she couldn't help grinning, but the reporter was less than impressed. "Quite the impassioned defense." She narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Lee like she was thinking about having him for dinner. "Are you sleeping with her?"
Kara watched in surprise as Lee's hand clenched into a fist, then rose, and she rushed forward to intercept, grabbing his arm and shoving his glass from the bar into his hand. "Hey, there you are!" She turned to level an even stare at the reporter. "This a friend of yours, Lee?
"Not exactly," he murmured, jaw still tightly clenched.
"Really? Because I would've guessed she was an awfully close friend, since she seems pretty comfortable prying into your personal life." She leveled a c'mon-and-try-me stare at the woman. "Which, by the way, unless you're looking for a threesome, I don't see as any of your goddamn business."
"Hmm, I'll keep the offer in mind." The woman smirked and Kara felt an urge to finish what Lee was gonna start and just pound the smug look right off her face. But then she held out a hand. "D'Anna Biers. Fleet News Service. Fleet, Michigan."
"Kara Thrace. That Hockey Player," she gave D'Anna a withering once over, ignoring the outstretched hand. "And on second thought, you're not our type."
The woman just smiled wolfishly and nonchalantly took her hand back, running it through her hair. She flashed her teeth at Kara. "We're all very interested to see what you can do on the ice tonight."
"Oh, I bet." Kara grinned, her eyes sparkling as inspiration struck. "Actually…since you are such a fan and all, we should really give you the inside scoop. What do you think, Lee?"
"The inside….scoop?" He raised a brow and Kara widened her eyes, urging him to go with it. "Yes, yes we…should do that."
Inwardly Kara rolled her eyes, making a mental note to never let Lee be in charge of cover stories. She turned to D'Anna instead and said, "Right, so, we're gonna shake things up out there on the ice. Really show the world that this ain't your grandma's figure skating, you know? "
D'Anna was looking intrigued, her pen already scribbling as Kara spoke. She was taking the bait.
"We've got some big ideas to really revolutionize the sport. First, we're thinking," she spread her hands wide, "PYROTECHNICS."
The reporter's eyes widened. "Pyro…technics?"
"Yup, flames will really heat things up, don't you think?"
"She's gonna triple toe through a fiery hoop." Lee added, deadpan, and Kara nearly lost it.
"Uh huh, and then for the climax… we're going to take a volunteer from the audience, maybe even a journalist like yourself," Kara said, her voice hardening into steel, "someone no one would miss, you know? And we're gonna see how many blade marks we can fit up and down her back. I think that one's gonna get us a perfect score."
Beers was glaring now and Kara smirked, leaning in and gesturing to the notebook with her half full glass of soda. "Did you get all that? It's Kara with a K by the way." She gestured again and this time, she tilted her wrist, sending the liquid in the glass all over the reporter's pristine white outfit.
The woman growled with frustration, and Kara grinned. "Oops, sorry."
"You'll regret that," D'anna hissed, then looked to Lee. "Good luck, Adama. You're gonna need it."
She stomped away, shoving people out of her way and Kara gave in to the giggles finally.
"You probably shouldn't have done that," Lee said, but his tone was more amused than angry.
"Are you kidding me? She was a total bitch. Trying to call you a has-been. It's insulting!"
Lee's brow creased, then a slow smile spread across his face until he was practically beaming.
"What?"
"That's the part that offended you?"
"She was way out of line!" Kara insisted. "You expected me to just take it lying down?"
Lee just stared at her for a minute, but he kept grinning. "I guess that was pretty silly of me."
"Damn straight," Kara nodded, eyes intent on him. "You're my partner." She smirked. "I'm the only one who gets to take that enormous ego of yours down a peg or two."
He shook his head, but slung his arm around her shoulders. Something lifted, expanded in Kara's chest
"Okay, but… threesome, Kara? Really?"
Her laughter was loud enough to turn a few heads.
"It's not funny," he said, even though he was still smiling. "You don't know how fast rumors spread in the skating world."
"Oh, so what?" she sighed. "Besides, it'll just help our image anyway, right? We're supposed to be giving the audience what they want, sex sells and all that?" Kara bit back a grin at his wide-eyed expression. "And hey, I figured it might be your kind of thing."
His eyes nearly popped out of his head this time. "My kind of thing?"
She smirked at him. "You're already sleeping on purple silk sheets, Leland? Can threesomes be far behind? Really?"
Lee made a face and dropped his arm, bumping his hip into Kara to knock her off balance. She stumbled, then returned the favor, and they waged a quiet battle trying to step on each other's feet until Laura finally came back, took one look at them and decried them as being worse than grade school kids, and dismissed them.
Kara stared out the limo's tinted window at the dimmed lights of downtown Chicago, drumming her fingernails anxiously against the door. After four long days of training and waiting, waiting and training, there was ninety minutes till pairs' short programs finally began, and she could already feel tension start thrumming in her body.
Rap-tap-tap. Rap-tap-tap.
Suddenly, Laura reached over, her hand stilling Kara's even as she flashed her a sympathetic smile. "They should be here soon and we'll get going."
Mere seconds later, the door whooshed open and Lee and Bill climbed inside. Bill reached out and pulled the door shut and Kara's eyes widened. She turned to Lee, who was settling onto the seat next to her, his face drawn, grim even. Across from her Laura asked what she was thinking. "Where is Gianne?"
Kara watched Lee's lips tighten into a thin line, his eyes trained on the carpeted floor of the car. "She's not coming," Bill answered quietly, his voice even. "A problem came up." His eyes skipped to Lee's and Kara knew there was something more going on here than they were letting on. "She had to go back to the Boston office and take care of it. Let's go!" The last part was directed to the driver, and as the limo pulled away from the hotel entrance, Kara's glance strayed towards Lee again.
This time he caught the look. "What?" he snapped.
Kara raised an eyebrow. Someone was touchy. Not that she could blame him. Gianne seemed to constantly be backing out of things, leaving him for some emergency or crisis, so this wasn't totally surprising. But still… this was Nationals. Suddenly, the whole thing made her angry.
"Trouble in paradise?"
"Kara," he breathed, sounding weary suddenly.
"You're just fine with her leaving like this? Taking off and missing y—"
"Let it go!" He interrupted, voice low and lethal. Kara felt a pang at the rebuke. Across from them, she caught Laura and Bill exchanging concerned glances.
"All I'm saying is—"
"You want to worry about something? Worry about our programs."
Kara frowned. As if she hadn't been doing that all damn week. "Fine," she hissed.
Her stomach churned and Kara turned her attention back out the window. A minute later, she closed her eyes, letting her head thunk back against the seat cushion, as she mentally replayed tonight's routine.
Their short program was meant to be an attention-grabber, all power and unexpected twists, something that would put them on the boards. It contained seven required elements, compulsories, that had to be completed, and their plan was to not just do the moves but outdothem. Lifts and throws that called for double or triple rotations would all be tripled, and in one risky move, quadrupled. Kara was about 90% on landing the quad cleanly in practice. If she could pull it off in competition, not only would they be the first pairs skaters to ever do side-by-side quad jumps, but she'd be the first female seniors skater ever to complete one in competition.
It was enough, more than enough, to keep her brain occupied and her stomach churning all the way to the arena, through dressing and warm-ups and the other teams competing. But it wasn't until they stood there, watching the last minute of Anastasia Dualla and Gaius Baltar's admittedly top-notch program that Kara started to feel truly distressed. They were elegant and polished,
Slight though he was, Gaius lifted the petite Anastasia with ease, throwing her high and her landings were light as a feather on the gleaming surface. In comparison, Kara felt clumsy and oafish just standing on the sidelines, and she brushed sweating palms against her spandex-clad thighs. Instead of a traditional skating dress bedecked with lace or feathers, she wore a body-hugging black unitard with an open back, a spray of red, pink, and orange rhinestones from shoulder to hip the only ornamentation. She matched Lee's form-fitting black pants and top, which had light blue stones bracketing the deep, open V that showed off his chest to its best advantage. Laura had been quite serious about playing up their assets and insisted the edgy, sexy, nontraditional costumes fit their program to a T.
Now though, as she watched Anastasia in a white lacy leotard with gauzy flowing skirts, Kara had a pang of self-consciousness. That was what ice skaters wore. That was how they moved, all ballet poses and artfully extended limbs. She couldn't do that.
"What?"
Lee was staring at her suddenly and she realized she must have said it out loud. "I can't do that," Kara said again, waving a hand at the ice. "Just look at them. I can't…I'll never be able to do that."
He frowned as he turned to face her, confusion on his face. "What are you talking about, Kara?"
"That. With the arms and the dress and…" Her chest felt tight now, her heart starting to pound as she watched their footwork sequence. "Look at her, she's like a perfect little ice princess or something."
She watched, eyes glued to their rivals, and barely registered Lee's murmur next to her about perfection being overrated. Kara's stomach flipped and her head filled with a rushing sensation. Why had she ever thought she could do this? Desperation forced the words out of her. "I'm not... graceful. I'm… I'm a jock. I'm never going to look like that on the ice."
"So what?"
Kara twisted her head finally, looking at Lee in confusion. "What?"
"So what if you don't look like that? Isn't that the whole point?" He chuckled slightly. "Out of the box is where you live, right?"
She just swallowed hard unable to answer with the way her insides were being twisted into knots suddenly.
Lee's face changed as he watched her, and he reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning closer and talking intently. "Look, this is just the nerves talking. You're fine. You are fine," he paused and smiled. "Because you are Kara Thrace, the best damn skater I've been on the ice with, remember that?" Kara inhaled slowly, nodding, trying to believe it, but like a magnet was pulling on her, her gaze strayed back to the ice.
"Hey, hey, Kara, look at me," Lee's hands settled on her face, turning her head gently and holding it still. "Look at my eyes, okay. Now breathe." She took another deep breath and he nodded encouragingly. "Good. Forget about all of that. Forget about everyone else. I don't care. You're here. I'm here. We made it. This" he paused, "is all that matters."
His palms were warm against her face, and some of the panic clawing at her subsided at Lee's reassuring words. Kara closed her eyes and tried to focus herself, breathing deeply. Lee's thumbs smoothed over her skin, tracing circles over her cheekbones and she felt his forehead brush against hers. His voice dropped to barely more than a whisper. "You're Kara. And I'm Lee. The rest of it isn't worth a damn, right?"
She took a long shuddering breath. He was right. They just needed to go out there and skate their way. Her eyes opened and Lee was practically nose-to-nose with her, his solemn gaze boring into her. "Now, we're gonna go out there and we're gonna do this and we're gonnawin."
The utter panic receded completely, a new calm settling within her at his conviction. Kara smiled finally and Lee smiled too, and they stayed like that, still for a few seconds, then abruptly he shifted back a step, dropping his hands and looking slightly embarrassed.
"So, how— how do you feel now?"
Strong, Kara thought, but she just grinned at him. "Ready to kick a little ass."
He grinned too and she reached for his hand, squeezing as she threaded her fingers with Lee's. Then time seemed to move into fast forward. They were announced and they took the ice, skating to the center of the rink and facing each other, raising their hands and pressing palm to palms as their music, a fast-paced piece full of pounding drums began to fill the arena. Adrenaline shot through her and then they were moving, covering the ice with fast synchronized strokes as they circled.
Fancy footwork changed to longer strides as they geared up for their first and biggest move, the side-by-side quads. If they could nail these early when they were fresh, the rest of the routine should be smooth sailing. They turned in unison, starting to glide into the setup and Lee held his palm out face up in their now-customary gesture. Kara reached out, brushing her fingers across but he caught her hand this time and squeezed her fingers for just an extra second, flashing her a smile, and suddenly the nerves were gone completely.
They turned together, one leg reaching back and picking down to launch them both up high off the ice. Kara sprung up hard, rotating through the air. One, two, three….FOUR. She barely felt her blade touch the ice again, the landing clean and smooth, as Lee set down next to her. Kara shouted in elation, unable to help herself, but she was drowned by the roar from the crowd who were on their feet for the record-setting double jump.
Lee pulled her into him as they dropped into the next move, a low sit spin, his arms locking around her back and her knee braced between his. They whirled faster and faster, everything receding into a blur except Lee's impossibly wide smile.
The rest of the routine flashed by on a tide of endorphins and gleeful pride. Their genderbending lift and throw jump went over well with the crowd, although the judges may have been less fond. It'd been a risk to play it so untraditionally, and Kara found herself gnawing her lip anxiously in the kiss-and-cry area as they waited for scores. The delay was agonizing and she all but squeezed the blood out of Laura's hand before the digital dashes and dots came up on the screen. Then finally, the stream of numbers popped up. Kara's eyes rapidly scanned them, trying to compute. They were high, high enough for… fourth place! That meant, if tomorrow night's program went well, they were in. They'd be going to the Olympics. Excitement and anticipation swirled in her chest as she was swept up in a crush of hugs and well wishes.
"Man, this overnight thing is brutal," Kara said later, as they were headed to their rooms. Lee was three doors closer to the elevators than her room, so they reached his door first. She leaned against the wall, tossing a small stuffed bear up in the air, a bouquet of flowers clutched in the crook of her arm, as Lee pulled his wallet out. Kara was restless, bending her knee and bouncing her heel against the wall. "Why can't it be a double header? Short program, long program. Same night, boom, you're out of there. You know what I mean?"
Lee was fumbling with his wallet, looking in different pockets for his key as he distractedly answered, "Mmm I know exactly what you mean."
"God, it's like, enough already! It's like…what's the word? C'mon you're the one who knows all the big words. You know the one I'm looking for?" She tossed the little bear higher and higher as the words tumbled out.
Next to her, Lee seemed to be having an awful lot of trouble fitting his key card into the slot. "Uh I- I dunno, expectation? Anticipation?"
"No, no, it's like… It's like…" She racked her brain for the word and finally… "FOREPLAY!"
Her outburst was punctuated by the beeping of the door unlocking as it finally read the key card and she looked over at Lee, who was staring at her with wide eyes, his mouth gaping. "F-foreplay?"
She smirked at the look on his face. Who knew his eyebrows could climb that high? "Yeah, you know, like foreplay." Since their whole damn existence lately seemed like one endless round of that, Kara knew he had to know what it meant.
"Yeah, I, uh, I got it."
"Well I guess you're used to it by now."
The horrified look on his face almost made her laugh.
"What do you mean?"
"With Gianne, being so far away all the time. I guess anticipation is like, kind of your kink."
Lee flushed bright red and she watched his Adam's Apple bob in his throat, as he fixed his attention back to the door. "Right," he mumbled, swiping the key card again and wrenching the handle open before the beeping stopped this time.
Kara turned toward him, pushing off the wall. "But still, wouldn't you rather just get on with it?"
He shook his head then looked back to her, his face a bit pale. "What?"
"Skating!" Lee looked at her blankly. "Long program? Chicago? Nationals?" She waved the bear at him.
He snapped out of it and grabbed the bear, squeezing it in his hand hard enough that his knuckles turned white, then he looked at Kara. "Sleep. I'd rather sleep. Goodnight."
She frowned as Lee disappeared into the room, wondering what that was about. Sleep? Kara shrugged and headed off to her own room, sniffing the bouquet in her hand and grinning.
A little less than twenty-four hours later, Kara stood at rinkside again, wiping sweaty palms against her thighs. Tonight's long program would, in some ways, be a bigger challenge than the explosive, technically difficult short program had been. The emphasis in the long program was on emotion, selling it for the audience and the judges. Making them believe in the passion for four and a half minutes. The problem wasn't that Kara feared they wouldn't be convincing. No, rather she was worried that she would be all too convincing.
All too soon, their names were being called. Lee grabbed her hand and they stepped out on to the ice, circling together as they waved to the stands.
"Hey, how's the nerves?" Lee whispered.
"Manageable." She wasn't going to tell him she'd puked twice already earlier.
"Good. Because this is it, Kara. This is the one that counts."
"I know."
"If we skate clean, we've got a real shot at this."
"I know."
They glided to center ice and slowed, moving into position.
"We have to just put it all out there. Really give it all—"
"Lee!" she hissed through a tight smile. "I KNOW!" Kara slid into his arms, pressing her body tightly to his, closer than she'd dared in their practices, since the night before they left Connecticut. Here we go, she thought. All or nothing. She splayed a hand on his chest and extended her other arm up and back, then raised her eyes to Lee's surprised face. "No holding back."
Lee stared at her for a second then smiled slowly, as he curled his arm around her waist and raised his free hand to her neck. Something shifted, clicking into place, and Kara drew a deep breath as their music began. The soft, almost-haunting melody filled the arena, and Kara could hear nothing but the sound of it, as they moved together in unison, every move, every gesture, every look as natural as breathing.
And then, it was over. Lee was catching her and lowering her to the ice, heads bent close as they caught their breath and the music ebbed at the crash of thunderous applause. They untangled themselves and bowed quickly to one side, then the other of the arena and then skated off the ice. Giddy with elation, they slid on skate guards and stumbled beyond the boards hugging Laura and Bill, and then Lee swept her up in a bone-crushing embrace, whispering in her ear "We did it, Kara! We did it." She squeezed him back hard, her heart full and her cheeks aching, she was grinning so much. But when she pulled back, Lee leaned forward, his mouth pressing firmly to hers in an unmistakable and thoroughly unexpected kiss.
Kara slid back in confusion, freezing as her eyes widened. Lee looked equally shocked, his face registering surprise, then bewilderment, then a sheepish look of discomfort that almost made her feel sorry for him. They just stared at each other for a few seconds, both seemingly at a loss for words, and then suddenly they were distracted by the roar of the crowd.
They were booing.
Quickly, Kara and Lee stepped apart, their heads snapping up to the scoreboard. The digital numbers streamed by, Kara's heart sinking with each subsequent digit. The scores were low, far lower than they'd deserved, and it wouldn't elevate them above the fourth slot they were holding onto. Their program had been flawless. More than that, there'd been an energy, a magic to it that had, quite clearly, resonated with the crowd, based on the chorus of displeasure they were raising now, but had somehow failed to move the judges.
Her gaze darted to Lee, who was watching the board and looking positively sick to his stomach. Standing beside him, Laura had a hand over her mouth and next to her, Bill stood, his mouth set in a grim line. Suddenly, a fierce wave of anger swept through Kara. "THIS IS BULLSHIT!" she yelled. "We skated our asses off out there!"
Lee just stared at her, still looking shell-shocked, but Laura stepped forward, tried to place a calming hand on her arm. "Sometimes, the judges, just don't see it the way we expect them to."
Kara shrugged her off, still seething. "We left our hearts out on that goddamn ice and you're telling me they couldn't see it?" She stalked through the curtains towards the backstage area, already pacing furiously as Laura, Lee and Bill stepped through behind her. Over the monitors rigged backstage, she heard the music start up for the last couple, that creepy German brother and sister team who were in first. "So we're done? Just like that, because a bunch of pansy-ass judges who probably couldn't do a double axel if their lives depended on it say so?"
Lee was studying the carpet, not meeting her eyes. Bill stared still looking furious and Laura just looked sad. It was Laura's face that made her lose some of her steam, the anger being replaced by sorrow that it should end this way. She wasn't ready for it to be over. Kara sagged, exhausted now, against the wall, then suddenly there was a large groaning noise, and her head shot up. The monitor was replaying some footage from the Germans' dance and she moved closer, reaching up to increase the volume on the set.
"….looked like she got caught in his lederhosen coming down from that lift, and her right blade sliced his calf. The medics are….no, they're shaking their heads now. It seems Conoy and Sechs are going to have to withdraw from this competition and that means…"
Kara swallowed hard. Laura looked back and forth between her and Lee, smiling. "We're going to the Olympics."
"You sure about this?"
Lee's head bobbed unsteadily but emphatically, and Kara shrugged and gestured to the bartender to fill the shot glasses lined up on the bar between them. It was their sixth round of shots, and even though this wasn't her first rodeo, it'd been a long time since she'd put them back like this and she was starting to feel it. She had no idea how Lee was still standing.
And not just standing, but dancing. He knocked back the two shots—salt, tequila, lime—not even wincing anymore at the taste and grabbed her arm, nearly pulling her off her stool and back out onto the dance floor. It was their fourth trip up to the crowded floor and despite the fast pace of the music, Lee seemed content to mostly sway in one spot. He slid one arm around her neck and reached up with the other hand to tug on a lock of her hair. Lee wrapped it around his finger and grinned at her lazily. " 's pretty. Shiny."
Kara shifted uncomfortably. This was such a bad idea. It had been Lee's idea to go out. Celebrate, he'd said, eyes shining and she hadn't been able to say no. Hadn't wanted to say no. She'd been all keyed up after the medals ceremony anyway, way too restless to go back to her hotel room, alone, and sleep. Laura and Bill had begged off, opting to go for dinner (Kara had whispered in Laura's ear before she left not to do anything she wouldn't do; she'd been shocked to get a wink from Laura and a murmured "right back atcha" in response) and then it had just been the two of them.
Which had seemed fine at the time. But now, with Lee's hand in her hair and the way he was staring at her, she was thinking she'd gotten it very wrong. He swayed wildly and she grabbed his hips to steady him. Lee tilted closer, so close she could feel his breath fanning her cheek. "Kara," he breathed, and her chest clenched and she forced out the first words that came to mind.
"So, did you call Gianne?"
Lee frowned at her. "What?"
"Gianne," Kara swallowed. "Did you call her and tell her we're going to the Olympics?"
"N-no." Lee looked confused for a second, and his hands slid out of her hair to rest against the nape of her neck. Suddenly his face looked terribly pained. "Gianne's gone," his tone was sulky, like a child. "She left me again."
The music changed to an even faster techno beat and Kara's head pounded in time with it. She felt hot and claustrophobic suddenly, bodies pressing in on them on all sides. Lee's hands were heavy, warm on her neck and he pulled her closer, his face just inches away as he stared at her with wide, earnest eyes. "Everyone leaves me," he said, slowly, his voice mournful. One hand slid forward, cupping her cheek, and Kara froze, immobilized by the look in his eyes and the feel of his skin on hers. "But not you."
Her breath skipped and Kara felt dizzy suddenly.
"You're a g-good partner, Thara Krace." Lee's own eyes widened and then he started laughing hysterically at his own slip-up.
Kara shook off the sting of disappointment, rolling her eyes. "Okay, you're cut off. Let's go." Lee protested, but followed gamely enough, when Kara tugged him through the crowd and out the doors. They made the short trip back to the hotel, up the elevator and down the hall to his room, Lee regaling her with a list of their triumphs at Nationals. At the door, Kara shifted, trying to boost her very drunk partner up a little as she fumbled to get the key card through the slot.
She frowned as the light blinked red, and she felt Lee start to slide against her hip. She tugged on the arm looped around her shoulders and quickly circled his waist, fingers hooking into the belt loop on his pants to pull him up. Kara grunted, already out of breath, and tried the card again. The green light flashed this time and she said a quick prayer of thanks as she twisted the handle and lugged Lee into the room, dumping him on the stuffed armchair nearest the door.
She flipped the key onto the desk, shrugged her coat off, and turned back to nudge the door shut. Then she looked at Lee, who was still muttering happily about their skating. Kara had to laugh. God, he was a mess. She ducked into the bathroom and ran the tap, filling a glass with water.
She came back and handed him the drink and the aspirin she'd scrounged from his travel case (she'd downed two herself already in a vain attempt to lose the headache), watching as he gulped it down noisily, both hands cupped around the glass like a child. Lee reached out to put it on the small table next to him, narrowly missing the edge and Kara's reflexes kicked in as she grabbed it and set it to rights. She rolled her eyes and chuckled. "You are going to have a killer hangover in the morning."
"'S worth it." He beamed at her and she just shook her head and leaned over, unlacing his shoes and tugging them off. He'd have to sleep it off.
"You were phom—phemon—phenomar—YOU WERE GREAT!"
"Thanks," she said, drily, grabbing an ankle and peeling a sock off.
"I was really good," Kara rolled her eyes at his self-satisfied declaration, as she reached for his other foot, stripping the sock off. "But you…" She froze, wary and waiting to see what would be revealed now with the help of a little 80-proof truth serum. "You make me better."
Warmth settled in her chest and Kara couldn't stop the smile that curved her lips, as she straightened up. Lee stood too suddenly, close enough that his knees bumped hers. "We were great out there," he said, quieter now. "We're always great out there."
The mood shifted with his tone again and Kara felt another buzz rush through her blood as she lifted her head. Blue eyes clouded with either alcohol or emotion locked onto hers and a frisson of awareness sizzled up her spine. Lee's hand raised, his palm sliding under the bronze metal she still wore, his thumb rubbing the coarse striped ribbon attached.
"We could be great together."
His voice was low and husky, hesitant, and Kara's breath caught in her lungs, her eyes widening at the implication. There wasn't enough air in the room suddenly and all she could focus on was his questioning eyes and the warmth of his hand against her chest.
His fingers curled, closing around the ribbon in a tight fist and she swallowed hard. "Lee…" but it came out as hardly more than a whisper and he tugged, pulling her towards him slowly, as his head tilted, eyes flicking down to her mouth. Kara had no time to process it, no time to think at all, and then his lips were brushing hers.
It wasn't like the quick, accidental kiss at the arena. This was soft, tentative, but completely intentional, and just the gentle pressure of Lee's mouth made her feel boneless. She realized dimly that part of her had been waiting for this, wanting this, all night. Kara sagged against him, arms instinctively lifting to circle his neck, and her brain went blank, save for the thought: finally.
Lee lifted a hand to her cheek, deepening the kiss, the tip of his tongue gliding over her parted lips and dipping into her mouth. She moaned, as his tongue rubbed against hers, tasting like lime and tequila, and the noise set Lee into motion. His hands slid down to her hips and then to her back, arms wrapping tight around her waist. Lee lifted her off the floor, raising her up so their foreheads tilted together, just as he'd done on the ice earlier. But this time Kara raised her legs, squeezing them around his hips and thighs and it was Lee's turn to moan.
Their kisses turned desperate, tongues clashing together, teeth tugging on soft skin as he stumbled the few steps to the bed and they fell heavily to the mattress. Kara's entire body felt electrified, pulsing with currents, as he pressed her down, his body blanketing hers. It wasn't enough though and she wanted more, so Kara fisted her hands in his shirt, yanking it up and sliding her palms under it to trace over familiar muscles tensing beneath unfamiliar skin. His body was hot to the touch as her hands pushed the fabric up over hard, flat abs and strong pecs, her thumbs brushing stiff nipples. Lee tore his mouth away from her skin and sat up, tugging the shirt off and dived down again, pressing his lips to hers. Kara sighed into his mouth, fingers digging into soft, smooth skin and pulling him closer.
He dragged his mouth down over her jaw to rasp his lips against her throat. Kara groaned, hands stroking through his hair, and writhed under him, hips lifting even as she tightened the leg crooked around his thighs, heel pressing him tighter to her.
Then Lee shifted over her, his lips burning a path down her jaw, then her neck, brushing over her collarbone even as his hands reached for the buttons on her blouse. Kara panted, her mind whirling. Everything was moving so fast. She gasped for breath, her eyes focusing briefly on the nightstand, narrowing on a small item on the wooden surface. A single pearl earring. Confusion filtered through her briefly before she remembered: Gianne.
"Lee," she breathed weakly. He was concentrating, fingers fumbling clumsily at the tiny closures, and grumbling slightly. "Lee, wait." She tapped his shoulders. "Wait."
His head lifted. "What?" He abandoned the shirt, shifting up again, his mouth pressed to her neck. "What is it?"
She grimaced, trying to focus on the thoughts instead of the pleasure. "We can't," she croaked, as he flicked his tongue over the pulse point in her throat. "It's not right. You're engaged."
"No, s' okay. We're through."
The words were low, muffled by her skin, and Kara wondered if she could have heard him correctly. "What?" She shoved at his shoulders till he lifted his head. "What do you mean?"
" 'S over." He raised a hand and spread his fingers wide. "Poof."
She stared at him in bewilderment, brain racing faster than her mouth could form words. "But how…why?"
"Ssshhhhhhhh" He placed a finger against her lips and lowered his head to her neck again. "Don't wanna think. Sick of thinking. Sick of talking."
The words should have been music to her ears, but Kara couldn't shake the feeling that this was all wrong. Lee had been engaged to marry someone else and now here they were, going from zero to sixty faster than she could blink. She wanted to know what happened. Had Gianne broke it off? No, she'd been thrilled to announce the engagement just five days ago. Kara couldn't imagine her calling it off. But what about Lee? Could he have been the one to end things? But why would he? Her gaze flicked back to the nightstand and that lone pearl earring again. It was typical Gianne, polished, refined, elegant. Everything Kara wasn't.
"Lee," she squeezed his shoulders and he pulled back to look at her. "Wait, what about Gianne? You… you were going to marry her. You love her. Gianne is—"
"Gianne 'sperfect. " He spat out, the exhale on the p sound making a strand of her hair flip. He looked down at her, eyes half-lidded, brow creased in concentration, his mouth drawn in a frown. "Everythin' s'always so perfect with her."
Something tore at her at the words, at the look on his face as he mumbled them, and Kara's eyes stung. She knew with cold certainty this was a bad idea. She wanted him, and yeah, maybe she loved him, but she still had enough pride not to be anyone's second choice. Besides, even if there wasn't Gianne in the picture, this had the potential to ruin everything. They were good. Well, they were okay. She could live with things the way they were. There was too much at stake to risk it all on a drunk indiscretion that he might not even remember tomorrow. She gave Lee a hard enough shove to rock him back and slid out from under him, scrambling off the bed.
"Where ya goin'?" Lee sat up, eyes clouded with confusion. His skin was flushed, hair disheveled, and Kara had to shut her eyes for a second to stop herself from climbing back onto the bed.
She paused. "You're gonna regret a lot of things tomorrow, I'm pretty sure." Kara felt her throat tighten and she shook her head. "I don't want to be one of them."
He called after her, but she ignored it, scooping up her coat and slipping out of the room. She refused to think about the things she'd be regretting tomorrow. Kara headed for the open doors of a waiting elevator and stepped in, punching the button for the lobby. Oblivion was only a hotel bar away.
Three beers later, she knew her plan was a wash. No matter how much she drank, she couldn't drive the taste of him away. Every time Kara closed her eyes, she saw Lee's face right before he'd leaned in and kissed her. She kept replaying it, looking for signs that it was more than just a drunken hookup with the nearest warm body. Kara scrubbed a hand over her face. She had to stop this. She had to try to forget.
She lifted her beer and downed the last of it, when an oily voice cut into her thoughts. "Drinking alone, Ms. Thrace?"
Kara placed the beer bottle on the counter and grimaced before she turned towards the rapidly approaching Gaius Baltar. Great. Now she had to deal with this tool.
"You see anyone else sitting here?" she asked, gesturing with the empty bottle at the stools around her.
"No, I do not, which is quite perplexing." He flashed her a smile that he no doubt thought was charming. "Because I can't believe there are men stupid enough in this hotel to let a lady such as yourself drink alone."
Kara rolled her eyes, though she begrudgingly gave him an A for effort. This guy didn't quit. "Well, I think you might just be the first person to ever call me a lady, so…" She shrugged.
"I'd say that's their loss then. May I buy you a drink?"
Kara thought for a second, but was surprised to find she didn't feel the need to scare him away. Hell, she could afford the distraction. And if he was buying, she was drinking. She gestured to the empty chair next to her.
Gaius sat down and flagged the bartender ordering a glass of scotch for himself and another beer for Kara. When the drinks were delivered, he took his and handed Kara hers, but didn't let go of the bottle. She looked at him expectantly. "We should toast to our mutual success."
Kara nodded obligingly. Gaius and Anastasia had won gold. He let go of the bottle and held his glass up. "Here is to your amazing, and record-setting might I add, quadruple jump. Here is to my first gold medal, and to those blasted German skating machines finally proving they're human after all." They both smiled at that. "And here is to the US National Figure Skating team. May we find equally good fortune in France!" They clinked glass to glass and drank.
"Mmm, except next time? We're taking the gold." Kara smirked.
"Oh really? Well, that's quite the challenge." Gaius smiled slyly. "You must be quite confident."
"I don't like to lose."
"Neither do I."
Something passed between them for a moment and Gaius looked at her appreciatively, then dug into his jacket pocket, pulling out a a small case and a lighter. He popped it open and pulled a thin cigarillo from the interior. "May I interest you? It's hand-rolled from some of the finest fumarello leaf on Cuba." Gaius picked one out and lit it, taking a deep draw that sent a plume of rich smoke her way.
The aroma was tempting. Kara hadn't had a cigar in months what with training. "You can't smoke in here."
He shot a wink at the bartender , who smiled and deliberately turned away. "Yes, well, without a little risk, life would be so dull wouldn't it?"
Charmed in spite of herself, Kara took one of the cigars, and leaned into Gaius so he could light it for her. Aside from the silly hair, he wasn't a bad-looking man, and clearly, he knew how to skate. His style was different from Lee's, far more showy and dramatic, but he had a certainflair. Maybe it was what she needed to just work this tension out of her system. It would be a way of forgetting. He was nothing like Lee at all.
"So you didn't answer my question? What's a stunning and talented woman like yourself doing, drinking alone at the bar in the middle of the night? That partner of yours isn't afraid someone might come along and steal you away?"
That partner of hers was probably drunk-dialing his perfect ex-girlfriend right now and begging her to come back, she thought with a pang. "We're….not together."
"Really? Well. Perhaps Lee Adama is an even bigger fool than I thought."
Kara swallowed hard, studying his face for a long moment, looking for signs that he was playing her. "Does this usually work for you? All this...smoke-blowing?" she said, a hint of sarcasm behind the tentative words.
"The only smoke here, Kara, is from the cigars," Gaius said, the picture of innocence. "You are truly…perfect. And any man who can't see that, well, he must be blind."
Her eyes widened. "Wha-what did you just say?"
"You're perfect."
Kara just stared at him for a long moment, then she stubbed out the cigarillo and picked up her beer and drained it, plunking the empty bottle down hard on the bar. She slid off her stool, and stepped directly in front of Gaius, who stared down at her in surprise, a look of anticipation on his face.
"Congratulations, Doc. You just said the magic word. Let's go."