Summary: Set during the mini-series, Kara walks in on a certain young man as he enjoys a shower.

Pairing : Lee/Kara

Rating : PG

Word Count : 1,721

Feedback: I appreciate constructive criticism above all else

Disclaimer: Battlestar Galactica 2003 is the creation of Glen A. Larson and Ronald Moore. The characters in the story are the property of Glen A. Larson and Ronald Moore. Battlestar Galactica 2003 is copyright of the Sci Fi Channel. Battlestar Galactica is a trademark and copyright of Universal Studios. No copyright infringement intended. No profit is gained by this work.

UNEXPECTED SURPRISES

To understand this situation. You had to understand the people involved. You see the one doing the staring was a woman by the name of Kara Thrace and the one being stared at? A man by the name of Lee Adama. Best friends for countless years and gone through more hell together than any one person could ever imagine. Lee Adama had been the talk of the fleet even since his first arrival onboard the Galactica. But not all the talk was about his skills and his ability to take over from where Ripper left off.

Some talk revolved around his uniform and how nicely he filled it out. A lot of women went mad for his baby blues but of course Lee was oblivious. A workaholic to the core and an idiot taboot. But that was just Kara's opinion and she tended to be a little biased when it came to the Adama men. She could definitely remember a time where she had put her hands over her ears and sung very loudly just to drown out the speculations about what lay beneath the uniform. Kara was beginning to wish she had listened to the speculations as they might have prepared her for what she had just walked in on.

Granted she was only seeing the back of Lee Adama but the back was more than enough. Water fell in steady waves over toned muscles and scarred flesh. Kara's eyes travelled in the same direction as the water and her gaze came to rest on the back of his thighs. As it did, Kara felt a shiver run down her spine. She fought it to the best of her ability as reality reminded her that the man she was so openly staring at was Lee Adama. He wasn't some random pilot. He was Zak's brother and most of all, he was her CAG. She shouldn't be watching him; it went against everything that was right and everything that was proper.

Kara's attention was drawn away from Lee's thighs as his hands ran through dark strands of hair and she was forced to swallow as she saw the veins rising across the skin and she could see the definition on each of his fingers. Her eyes tracked across his broad shoulders and she watched as every muscle tensed to help Lee wash his hair. Kara knew she should leave. Let Lee shower in peace. Leave before he had a chance to catch her staring but there was just something entrancing about the way he stood and moved beneath the spray of the water.

She found herself comparing Lee's physique to that of Zak's. Zak had always been shorter and sturdier than Lee and at the time Kara had liked the difference. Time had a funny way of changing a person, warping their perceptions and altering their beliefs or thoughts on other people. This current moment in time had definitely done that. Kara was more than appreciative of Lee's physique and she found that her breathing had turned shallow. This was frakking insane, it was only Lee's back and she couldn't count the many times she had seen Lee's front and not had such an extreme reaction. Of course, the rest of him had been clothed at the time but he was totally without clothes and completely unaware of her presence.

Maybe that's what made it exciting. The fact that Lee didn't know that she was there and none of his walls were up. The walls he used to keep people at arm's length, the same walls that hid the real Lee from people. Kara's arms lifted to slide across her chest and her head tipped to one side as Lee's head turned and his eyes appeared to be shut as hands worked the soap over his legs. His dog tags hung from around his neck and the metal glinted as a few drops of water fell from the edges.

She bit her bottom lip as she took in everything about Lee's profile. The high cheekbones, the strong jaw and the fine hairs that stood out against his skin. He obviously hadn't had the time to shave but strangely enough, Kara enjoyed this slightly rough look that Lee had going for him. It showed that he was human. That even the great Apollo had his off days. And just as Kara allowed herself to be lost in her thoughts and in the physical prowess of Lee Adama, he turned and those bright blue eyes locked with her own.

There was a silence for a few moments as each took in the shock. One of being caught staring and one of being stared at. Eventually Kara grinned in that way of hers and grabbed the nearest towel before holding it out towards Lee." Towel?" She asked with a lift of her eyebrows.

Lee choked out a burst of laughter and simply shook his head as he accepted the towel. The shower was turned off and the towel went around his waist to hide the one thing Kara hadn't seen. He stepped out of the shower and raked his hand through his hair. He noted the blush in both of Kara's cheek and he couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her, even a little." See something you like?" Lee's lips curled into a slow grin and his cheeks dimpled as he did.

A smirk lifted Kara's lips and hardened her features." Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Guess you'll have to keep guessing." Her eyes lit up with mischievous intent and she had absolutely no idea why she was engaging in a conversation like this with Lee of all people. But Kara rarely knew what she was doing. Her life was lived to the fullest and risks were taken. This appeared to be one of those risks.

Lee took a step closer to her and she responded by taking a step back. This behaviour continued for another five steps until the space between them ran out and Kara's back was pressed up against the wall." Frak!" Kara exclaimed before she turned her head and met Lee's triumphant gaze. Her eyes narrowed and his did the same almost mimicking the action. Kara then remarked." Well now that I've checked you're capable of showering yourself, I'll be headed on my way." She cleared her throat, straightened her already rumpled uniform and turned on her heel to walk straight out of Lee's quarters but a muscular arm stopped her retreat.

" Uh-uh, you're not going anywhere." Lee remarked in a surprisingly low voice. His body still glistened from the water that remained on his skin. One arm blocked Kara's exit on one side and another soon moved to rest on her other side so she was effectively pinned in." How long were you standing there for?"

Kara turned to meet Lee's gaze as she really had no choice. Of course, she could push past him and make the space she needed in order to leave but for some reason, she didn't want to do that. Maybe it was the close proximity between them or maybe it was the way he smelt or looked. Whatever it was, it held Kara firmly in place." Long enough." She muttered with another smirk.

Lee tipped his head to one side." That's not an answer." Lee knew that the woman stood before him was Kara Thrace. The woman known as Starbuck. The same woman who had been engaged to his brother and the same woman who was the closest thing he had to a best friend but at this moment, Lee didn't care about the facts. He cared that Kara had actually stood and stared as he showered. It gave him some hope that maybe something could happen.

He had never planned on feeling this way but then again he had never planned for Zak to die and he had never planned for the Cylon attack but life did that. It flipped and it switched on you so fast, you were often left disorientated. Kara was the one thing that kept Lee sane and gave him some stability. That thought was funny in itself, Kara was the furthest from stable and she was ever changing. Her moods switched from one extreme to the next but it was her fire that Lee had the most respect for. He didn't understand her motivations at times and he sure as hell didn't understand why she did some of the things she did but her fire was amazing. He admired her passion and he sometimes found himself wishing that he could share the same passion for everything that she did.

" I know." Kara muttered back rather lamely as she lost herself in Lee's blue gaze. She could see every raw emotion as Lee processed it in his mind and she could see the honest truth staring back at her. She needed to see it mirrored in Lee's eyes before she could accept it. Somewhere along the line, in this frakked up Universe, the pair of them had grown past just friends. They had become something else. Neither one of them had spoken about it but both had been silently hoping and both had been striving towards a goal. A goal that hadn't been clear until now.

Lee went to say anything but a slender finger across his lips silenced him and Kara's head shook." Don't." If he said anything, they would find some way to avoid this. To pretend that nothing was between them. They would explain away Kara's reasons for watching Lee as he showered and she didn't want that. She wanted to feel this moment, really feel it. Very slowly her finger dropped away from his lips and each took a step closer to the other." Let's not over think this. I know how you love doing that."

Lee rolled his eyes." Shut up Kara." He could see that Kara was about to say something along the lines of "make me" and without the words. He did just that by putting both arms around her and pulling her close to his body. His mouth captured hers and they shared their very first kiss. A kiss neither one fought and neither one would regret. Sometimes all you could do was live in the moment.