Circle of Fantasies - chapter 2

ZZZZZZZZ

Two days later, Kara and Lee were lying on their backs under Lee's Viper doing engine maintenance. Strictly speaking, this was Tyrol and his crew's job, but being the CAG and outranking Tyrol, Lee had chosen to do it himself. And of course when Kara had seen him working, she'd joined in. Anything to do with a Viper and Kara was in - she loved those ships heart and soul, and was of the same opinion as Lee about maintaining them.

"So Kara, I was thinking about the other night," Lee began, waiting to see if she would take the bait. He'd thought about little else for the past two days, wondering how he could bring up the subject with her. They were the best of friends, but somehow seemed to avoid talking about certain subjects. Most notably, sex. Unless it was to joke around about other people's lives.

"What about it?" she asked innocently, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Her heart began to beat faster and she began to sweat.

"Our card game - you know, the one with the fantasies."

"Someone's fantasy interest you particularly?" She feigned nonchalance and hoped he was buying it.

"Yours," he answered bluntly, avoiding looking at her. "Pass me the spanner."

She handed it over and stole a glance at him. He looked like his usual self. Damn! She'd hoped he'd been excited hearing about it. "So, what ... your two jobs don't keep you busy enough? You have to spend time thinking about my sexual fantasies?"

"I just thought it was rather interesting."

"Really? How so?"

He turned to look at her, realizing suddenly that they were only about six inches apart, both flat on their backs on the dollies. "Starbuck, the greatest rule-breaker ever, the woman who doesn't take any shit from anyone WANTS a man to dominate her? It boggles the mind."

"Who said it had to be a man?" she said, straight-faced, but immediately broke into laughter.

"Don't tell me I'm learning something else about your secret fantasy life - you like women now too?" He grinned broadly.

"Well, maybe ... " she said, trying to look serious. "Nah, I'm just frakking with you."

Lee turned back to face the engine. "Yeah, so what else is new?" he muttered under his breath. They worked in silence for a while, breaking it only to ask for tools.

"So I've been thinking, you must have someone particular in mind for your fantasy."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, I know Starbuck pretty well," he began ...

"You think so?" she interrupted playfully, turning to smile at him.

"I know so." She made a face at him and he smiled. "Seems to me from what I know of her that Starbuck always needs a challenge, and being dominated by just anyone wouldn't be satisfying. She needs someone who would be her match." Their gazes locked and held and their eyes searched each other's for several minutes.

"You must be imagining things," she suddenly said , standing up and walking away.

Lee let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding and felt his cheeks burn. He wondered for a moment if he should let it be, but decided to follow her and press the issue. He likely wouldn't be able to find the courage to confront her on it again, and he was pretty positive his reasoning was spot-on. The question was, did she consider Lee her equal?

"Am I?" he said as he hurried after her.

"You must be," she said, though now sounding somewhat uncertain.

He came alongside her and nudged her towards an alcove on the flight deck. She stumbled for a moment as she tried to avoid stepping on his feet, and suddenly she found herself pinned against the wall, Lee's powerfully muscled arms on either side of her.

"I don't think so," he said quietly, noting every detail of her body language. Her face was flushed and two red spots on her cheekbones nearly glowed. Her breathing was shallow and rapid, and her pupils were dilated. Lee remembered enough from his school sociology class to know those were the signs of sexual desire. Good - he'd guessed right. And that knowledge filled him with pride, and the confidence to keep pressing. A lesser man would have quit - Starbuck had a reputation for grinding men's self-esteem into the dust when they presumed to assume she was interested in them.

"Well, it seems you've been doing a lot of thinking lately," she said just as quietly, eyes boring into his.

"I've always heard it said that women like a man who can think."

"It depends with which head," she said, a smile crossing her face.

"It seems I have the advantage then - I can do both."

"How talented," she commented dryly, then burst out laughing. "It's good to know you're multi-talented."

Lee flushed a deeper shade of red. "Do you have a preference for which head I should think with?"

"Well, you do tend to overthink things with the big head ... " She stopped and smiled provocatively at him. "Look at how much time you've spent thinking about my sexual fantasies."

"So, are you saying I should think about them with the OTHER head?"

"I wouldn't presume to suggest what you should do, Captain." She emphasized that last word.

"You're very frustrating, you know that?"

"I think I've been told that before once or twice."

"Probably by me."

"Definitely by you."

Their conversation was interrupted by a call over the intercom. "Captain Adama, report to CIC." Not a moment too soon - Lee was beginning to tire of playing mind games.

"Sometimes I wish you'd just be honest with me and stop playing games," he said wearily, then turned and walked away. He hadn't gone more than a few steps when he heard Kara's voice quietly speaking behind him.

"Be careful what you wish for Lee." He stopped for a beat, then continued walking without looking backwards.

ZZZZZZZZ

Coincidentally, the same group of six people found themselves playing cards again after the day shift was over that evening.

"So, anyone's fantasies come true?" Crashdown asked. "Other than mine , that is," he added modestly, blushing slightly.

Lee and Kara glanced at each other for a split second then looked back at the others. Gaeta had a wicked smile on his face.

"Looks like SOMEONE else got some," Crash said smiling. Cally and Tyrol flushed. Lee cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"You guys ARE aware of the frat regs, right?" he asked.

"Don't get all righteous Apollo, all kinds of stuff goes on around here than you're not aware of," Kara said.

"Really," he said dryly, stealing a glance at her.

"Maybe you should try loosening up a little yourself," she added, smiling broadly as she put a hand on his thigh under the table. She'd made sure to sit beside him so she could begin the first phase of ' how to be honest with Lee." Of course it began with innuendo and a little teasing, but she knew Lee - he'd confront her later and then ... then it would be time to see where things might go. He'd made it abundantly clear earlier in the hangar bay that he was interested in being the one to fulfill her fantasy, and she couldn't be happier.

Lee nearly groaned aloud as he felt his arousal at her touch. It was one thing for her to tease him in private, but here? Right at the card table in front of the others? That was unfair. And he was going to make her pay for it later.

TBC