Circle of Fantasies - chapter 3
ZZZZZZZZZZZZLee lost badly that night. His concentration was seriously off thanks to Kara. Her very presence was making it difficult - not only for him to concentrate on the card game, but also for him not to grab her and frak her right there on the table in front of everyone. She wasn't being overtly sexual like she sometimes was, but Lee felt as though her every comment was directed at him, and she made sure to touch him more often than usual as well.
While Lee's heart beat faster and his cheeks flushed at the knowledge that she'd picked up on his signals earlier, this wasn't really the time. He was terribly distracted, and finding himself getting hotter by the minute.
"Are you okay Apollo? You look kind of flushed." Trust Crashdown to notice.
"Fine. I'm just warm."
"Finding it hot in here?" Starbuck teased. "Maybe we should change the game to strip triad. At the rate you're going, you'll be naked in a few minutes." She grinned as the others laughed. Lee just stuck out his tongue at her. Well, it wasn't the ONLY thing sticking out, but THAT he was desperately trying to hide.
"I don't know about that," Tyrol said, flushing red. "I have the early shift tomorrow. I think I'll call it a night." And he exited hurriedly.
"Yeah, me too," Cally echoed, following him closely.
"Techs, they've got no guts," Crashdown lamented, shaking his head at their behaviour.
"I'm in if everyone else is," Gaeta added.
"That's what I like to hear - a man with guts."
"That's because he's been winning all night," Lee complained.
"So are you saying you're chicken Apollo?"
"Ooh, is that a challenge I hear?" Starbuck put in, winking at Lee.
"Damn straight." Crashdown nodded.
"Another time people, I've got the early shift too." Lee stood up, his body finally under control. He'd had to spend most of the last few minutes imagining Tigh naked to do so, but it had worked like a charm.
"Never stopped you before," Gaeta put in slyly.
"Yeah, and there's still a woman at the table yet."
Kara smacked Crashdown. "Thanks for noticing."
"Wouldn't want to make THAT mistake twice now would I?" Kara hit him again. "Ouch! Stop abusing me!"
"Guess I'm just in the mood." She winked surreptitiously at Lee again. "Anyone else want to volunteer for some abuse?"
"This is definitely my cue to leave," Lee said, and strode out of the room before anyone could see the flush rising to his cheeks. Good - that was what Kara wanted - a way to get him alone.
"Guess I'm off in search of greener pastures," she sang out, trying not to follow Lee too obviously.
"Good luck" she heard as Crash and Gaeta burst out laughing.
ZZZZZZZZZZShe found him a few minutes later, in the bathroom brushing his teeth.
"What are you doing?" she asked, leaning against the wall behind him and watching him in the mirror.
"What does it look like?" he said sarcastically, through a mouth full of toothpaste so it came out "a os i ook ike?"
"Like the great and mighty Apollo is hitting the sack early."
"Bingo." He spit and rinsed, grabbing a towel from the rack beside him.
"Somehow I never pictured you as someone who'd run from a challenge," she taunted. "Nope, I never would have thought Apollo would turn out to be a quitter."
Quick as lightning, Lee had turned, covered the few strides between them and pinned her to the wall. She blinked a few times in surprise but said nothing.
"Don't play games with me Kara. Not unless you're willing to play by my rules." HIs voice was low, harsh and held a tone of genuine warning. Kara was shocked at his emotional intensity. He never reacted to her teasing this way. So she resorted to what she knew best - sarcasm.
"Well, aren't you just a take-charge kind of guy all of a sudden."
"I hear you like that in a man," he shot back, words playful but the undertone still charged emotionally.
"Depends which man," she added playfully, giving him one of her best flirty smiles.
"Then you'd best be careful which men you choose to play with." And with that last thought given, he released her and left the bathroom quickly.
Kara stood frozen in place, watching herself in the mirror. She almost looked afraid. To be honest, she actually was a little afraid. This was a side of Lee she'd never seen before. He always took her teasing with a grain of salt - either playing back or telling her plainly he wasn't in the mood. But this ... this was as though something inside him was fighting to get out, and he was barely holding it in. And from the glimpse she just had, she was beginning to wonder if Lee Adama had hidden depths that had never yet seen the light of day. The thought that she might be the one to bring them out was at the same time exciting and almost terrifying. The usual Lee she knew how to handle. This one might prove to be more than she expected.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZLee lay in bed at war with himself. He'd wanted so badly to let her know that he was aware of the game she was playing, but his feelings had taken over, pushing reason aside. Their confrontation in the bathroom had scared him, truth be told. He'd wanted to play with her a little but his control had slipped and the feelings he worked so hard to mask had risen to the surface. Her look of shock and, yes, even fear had been enough to let him know that he shouldn't have done what he did.
But it WAS what she wanted though. There was a part of him that couldn't deny it. He'd made the first move, left the ball in her court so to speak, and she'd responded. Eagerly in fact. So what was he so afraid of? She wanted this part of him - the part that dreamed of being in control and having her beg for whatever she wanted from him. He wanted it, she wanted it, so what was the problem?
Control. Lee always had to keep control, he never let it go. With Kara, you had to be emotional, impulsive, fly by the seat of your pants - all the things Lee had never liked doing because it meant you had to relinquish control and just go with the flow. He'd trained himself to do that in battle, but in his personal life? Never.
When Kara came into the bunkroom a few minutes later, Lee was already tucked in and facing the wall. Pretending to be asleep, obviously. She quickly undressed and climbed into her own bunk, facing away from him as well.
They lay quietly, each aware that the other wasn't sleeping, hard as they were trying to fool one another. Kara wondered idly why the two of them were the only ones in the room, and when that convenient state of affairs might end. Only two other pilots shared the room with them - Crashdown and Boomer - the rookies had their own quarters. Crash was busy with games and drinking and likely would be till very late - he was even more of a party animal than Kara, and Boomer and several of the rookies were on CAP this evening. Looked like they had the room to themselves for a couple of hours.
"Lee," she whispered. He didn't answer. Frak. He couldn't be asleep yet, could he? "Lee," she repeated, a little louder.
"Mmm?" he murmured, not even remotely close to sleeping. He just wasn't sure if he could trust himself to speak.
"I'm willing."
"Willing? Willing to do what?"
"Willing to play by your rules."
He rolled over suddenly and stared at her across the small room. "Really. Are you sure?" His voice was barely more than a whisper.
"I'm sure." And she rolled over as well, looking him straight in the eyes. He got out of bed, clad only in boxer shorts, and came and stood beside hers.
"There's no going back once the game has started," he warned.
"I don't quit, you should know that by now." Her eyebrows raised and a smile formed at the corners of her mouth.
She barely had time to blink and Lee was on top of her, straddled over her hips, arms holding hers down over her head against the pillow. His face was right above hers, the almost savage look back in his eyes.
"It seems there are a lot of things about you I still need to learn." His breath tickled her face, and he moved down to brush her lips with his in a feathery-light kiss. "And learn I will."
TBC
ZZZZZZZZZZZZSorry folks, I had planned on actually beginning the fantasy in this chapter, but somehow the 'getting to it' took longer than planned. Just wait - chapter 4 ought to warm you up just a little. :)