Title: Learn – Epsilon Sentence Ficlet

Author: Monti

Date: November 29, 2008

Rating: M

Word Count: 3557

Category: L/K AU

Warnings: None

Spoilers: None

Disclaimers: Don't own these people. Just borrowing them for a little while. I promise to put them back when I'm finished.

Author's note: Day two of the 12 Days of Fic. Friendly neighborhood beta: ez_as_pi.

Summary: A game of triad and a losing bet equals pilot fun…

10 – You'd think he'd learn…never, ever bet against Starbuck…no matter how good the hand you were holding.

LEARN

Lee's four on a run was just trumped by Kara's full colors. Watching as she scooped up her winnings, accepted a round of congratulations and downed a freshly poured shot, Lee decided to take his leave. You'd think he'd learn…never, ever bet against Starbuck…no matter how good the hand you were holding.

He was almost to the hatch when Kara cleared her throat to get his attention. "Hey Apollo…you still have to pay up.

Damn. He'd almost made it out, too.

Turning around, Lee raised an eyebrow. "You're wanting all ten favors now, then?"

Kara pretended to ponder the thought, then smirked. "Nah, just making sure you don't forget what the bet was." She grinned, listing out the terms. "Anytime. Anyplace. Anything."

Lee snorted. "Don't worry. I won't forget." As if she'd let him.

Turning, he made his way to the hatch.

Kara waited while her glass was topped off again and Lee was just exiting before delivering a parting shot. "Be prepared, Lee. Remember, anything." He raised his hand in acknowledgment, but didn't look back.

Kara tossed back the shot, a thoughtful look on her face.

**********

Two weeks later, Lee was coming off shift in CIC when Kara caught up to him. She'd just come in from flying CAP and probably looked as fried as she felt.

She thrust her helmet into Lee's hands while she tugged the top half of her flight suit down. "Gods, I need a shower." She grabbed the black tank and pulled it over her head, flipping it over her shoulder. "My helmet needs a thorough cleaning…you can handle that for me, can't you?"

She didn't wait for an answer, leaving Lee speechless as she ducked into the head lifting the bottom tank over her head and tossing it on the table with the other one. Wriggling out of the flight suit, she glanced up to see Lee still standing outside the door, a questioning look on his face.

Kara rolled her eyes. "Time to pay up, Lee. Favor number one. You didn't forget, did you?" She kicked the flight suit off to the side and started lowering her panties while he shook his head to keep up.

"I didn't forget." Lee was following the downward motion of her hands, caught himself and blinked…then dragged his gaze up to hers. "Clean and shiny. Got it." Letting out a small sigh, he tucked the helmet under his arm and reluctantly turned to exit.

A little smile tugged at Kara's lips. She grabbed her supplies and made for the showers.

**********

Showered and feeling much better, Kara was back in quarters rummaging through her stuff for fresh clothes. Grumbling under her breath, she was cursing the very messy state of her locker. She rose and backed up two steps to plop down on her bunk just as Lee entered to return her now pristine and damned if it wasn't sparkling helmet.

After he placed it on the table, she thanked him then nodded toward her ransacked storage area. "Can you do anything to straighten that mess up?" When he raised an eyebrow at the odd request, Kara shrugged. "Hey, your organizational skills are better than mine." She added another stipulation as he turned toward her locker. "When you get to the clothes…throw some my way."

Getting a closer look at the inside of Kara's space, Lee turned back toward her. "Are you sure there's anything clean in there?"

Kara snorted. "Ha. Funny." Anchoring the towel, she moved back on the bunk giving him some space if he needed it.

She had a feeling he would.

Lee went to work…by taking everything out. He rifled through the rumpled clothing and gathered up the basics: socks, bra, panties, tanks and pants. He also shook a fatigue shirt, one that had the fewest wrinkles, and handed the whole lot over to Kara.

Then he really got down to business. He stowed what he figured were lesser used items out of the way while putting her personal belongings in obvious places so they'd be simple to find and access. His next task was to neatly sort and fold the casual clothing Kara would use for off-duty hours and place it within easy reach. After that, he set to hanging her uniforms in their proper place. Utilizing one of the hooks for her dress sash, Lee spied her picture of herself and Zak, with him standing off to the side. Lee smiled, tracing his finger over Zak and Kara, remembering life when it was happier.

Turning, he found Kara staring at him intently. "What?" He was surprised that she wasn't dressed yet, clad only in her bra and panties, sitting on the edge of her bunk.

Kara opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. She was going to say she still missed Zak, but she didn't want to bring the ghost of his dead brother between them. Not now.

Instead she shrugged and lifted her leg to slide a sock over her foot. "Have you always been that meticulous?" A nice, safe topic since she didn't think her locker had ever been that neat…not even when she first boarded Galactica.

Lee snorted softly. "Apparently since birth." He grabbed the last item, her combat boots and stooped to place them on the bottom shelf. "Used to annoy my—" Lee forgot what he was going to say when he stood to find Kara inches away, pants pulled up but undone with her tanks draped over her shoulder as she peered into her locker. "What?" He was going to get a complex if she kept it up with the weird looks and sneaking up on him stuff.

Kara flicked her glance to him. "Nothing. It looks good." She tugged her shirts over her head. "Thanks, by the way." Kara tucked them in and fastened everything up. "So…that's two down…only eight more to go." Grinning coyly, she headed for the hatch, enjoying the smile he cracked as she exited.

She couldn't wait to call in the rest of her favors…especially if she was reading his reactions correctly. She was pretty sure she was.

**********

Two days later, Kara caught up with Lee as he carried a tray of food from the galley toward the mess. Falling into step with him, she walked along his side until he got settled then she plopped down across from him. He didn't even get a chance to take his first bite before she snagged the tray and slid it in front of herself.

At his questioning glance, she shrugged. "I'm hungry…and you still owe me some favors." She twirled his fork in the pile of noodles then pursed her lips to suck the long strand into her mouth.

Lee sat watching her, mesmerized by the sensuous display. Kara wasn't sure which made her hotter, the spicy noodles or the spark of interest in Lee's eyes. She ate three more mouthfuls of the pasta before she couldn't stand it anymore and switched to the ripe, sweet fruit in the dish next to the plate. It was blessedly juicy and cool.

Savoring the flavor, she chewed slowly then swallowed. "You know…I could use a drink. The noodles seem spicier than usual." She speared another piece of fruit and popped it into her mouth, talking while she chewed. "And this fruit won't last long. They never give you enough to go with the noodles." She held back a grin when Lee sighed and rose, ready to procure her requested beverage. "You should get yourself something while you're up."

Watching him leave, she felt a little bad for what she was putting him through. She was being a pain in the ass. But if he continued to be such a good sport, she had a feeling he'd be okay with her remaining list of favors.

She'd purposefully waited a bit to remind him of his obligation. One…it gave him time to wonder whether she'd even remember the bet. The alcohol had been flowing freely that night. Two…and the main reason for letting some time pass…it allowed her to plan logistics. And she'd planned carefully. Thought everything out, weighed the good versus the bad, pondered whether she was insane and decided she didn't care if she was or not.

She wasn't imagining Lee's response to the not so subtle teasing she'd been doing.

Her lips quirked upward when Lee reentered the mess carrying another tray of food along with two drinks. Using her foot, she pushed out the chair so he could sit back down.

Placing the tray on the table, Lee set a beverage in front of her. "Your drink…nice and cold." Seating himself, he reached for his fork then paused. "Is there, uh, anything else you require?" The smile in his eyes had Kara grinning back at him.

Picking up her glass, she answered him. "Nah…I'm good for now." Raising the rim to her lips, she took a long drink, swallowing several times while noting that Lee was staring again. It was time to set up the last of her favors.

Placing the drink back on the table, she grinned when Lee seemed to snap his attention back to his food.

"I'm going for a run later…wanna join me?" She knew he'd been running in the mornings, but he didn't have time earlier today.

With his mouth full, Lee nodded while he finished chewing. "Sure. Give me a couple of hours. I've got to finish the flight schedule." His fork paused midway to his mouth when she slurped in another forkful of noodles.

She might have to thank the galley crew for serving tonight's entrée. It was making it very easy to lay the groundwork for her future plans.

**********

They were both hot and sweaty after completing a double rotation around Galactica's main corridors. Kara was contemplating the riskiest part of her plan as they made their way to the showers. The head was usually pretty empty at this time of day and she hoped it held true.

They were going to need privacy for the rest of her 'favors'.

It seemed like luck might be on her side. As she and Lee entered there were only two pilots finishing up and packing for what looked like time off ship. Kara stripped off her tanks and tossed them in an empty locker before turning to seek out Lee.

His shirt was draped over his shoulder while he downed half the contents of a water bottle. Sensing her eyes on him, he held the bottle in her direction silently offering her the rest. Kara let her fingers stay on his longer than necessary when she took it. Then she tilted her head back to drain what was left.

Kara grinned when Lee appeared to be transfixed on her actions. "You know…I'm gonna start getting ideas if you keep doing that." Wiping her lips with the back of her hand, she tossed the bottle in the recycling bin.

Looking a little sheepish, Lee responded. "I would apologize if I didn't think I was doing exactly what you wanted." He slowly closed the short distance between them. "Am I wrong? Wanna fill me in on what's going on in that head of yours?"

Kara's smile was impish but sexy. "Noooo…you're not wrong." She leaned in close to Lee, pitching her voice low. "I've got my last six favors all picked out. I just needed to know if you'd be…" Her gaze dropped for a moment, the tip of her tongue wetting her top lip. "…uh, up for them."

Lee's held tilted back in understanding. "Ah…I see." He returned her bold perusal with his own. "I'm pretty sure I can be 'up' for anything." It was his turn to lean in close, lowering his head, his lips just a whisper away from hers. "What's the first favor, Kara?"

Caught up by his proximity, Kara had to think for a moment. "Ummm…" She blinked to clear her head. "Massage…" Her breath hitched and she had to clear her throat. "A massage would be really nice."

Lee smiled and stepped back. "A massage. Coming right up." Grabbing a towel, he draped it over a changing bench. "Your table awaits."

Kara smiled and stripped off her shorts and bra, then settled herself comfortably on the bench. She let out a long groan when Lee's hands began with a deep kneading of her muscles. It was sooooo good.

Either she was more tense than she thought, which was very possible…or Lee had magic in his fingertips because Kara felt like a boneless mass by the time he was finished. Whichever, Kara figured she could happily lay right where she was if it weren't for the other five favors.

Letting out a very contented sigh, Kara all but slid to the floor in a relaxed heap. Her skin was warm and tingly and her nerve endings hummed.

Usually it took a lot more flirting and foreplay to make her feel that way. "Gods…that was incredible. Who knew you had that particular talent?" From her vantage point she could tell Lee hadn't been unaffected either.

Lee didn't hide his reaction, but neither did he comment. Instead he shrugged and held out his hand to help her up, adding the other when she stumbled forward on unsteady feet.

Letting his hands linger on her shoulders, he replied softly. "That was fun…I'm very interested in favor number two." He skimmed his fingertips down her arms leaving a trail of gooseflesh in their wake.

Unable to suppress a shiver, Kara gave rein to the desire and let it unfurl, weaving its way through her system. She licked her bottom lip, dragging it between her teeth, using the gesture to keep herself from jumping him where he stood. Hopefully that would come later.

Blowing out a short breath, Kara's fingers grasped the waistband of her panties and inched them past her hips. "The second favor involves getting wet…" Keeping her gaze on his, she let the garment fall to the deck then turned toward the showers. "You coming?"

Lee hissed out a breath and followed, shedding his shorts on the way.

Kara already had the shower turned on, her head bent forward with the water sluicing over and through her hair. She held out a bottle of shampoo, trusting that Lee would take it. "Numbers two and three." Lifting her face, she rubbed the water from her eyes. "Wanna guess what they are?"

Lee eyed the shampoo. "Pretty obvious what the second one is." His eyebrow rose. "The third?"

Kara moved out from under the spray. "Those magic fingers and a deep scalp massage."

Lee didn't disappoint. He lathered up and rinsed her hair…twice. Then he proceeded to work his fingers over every inch of her head.

It was bliss.

Kara wasn't sure, but if she had to guess…this wasn't the first time Lee had done this kind of thing. When her brain wasn't melting with the sensations he was creating, she'd have to remember to ask. She was enjoying it so much she was caught by surprise when Lee gently lifted her chin.

"Can we move on to number four?"

Nodding, Kara turned the shower on to its highest level. "Four and five go together, too." She grabbed two washcloths and handed one to Lee. "You scrub mine and I'll do yours."

The quizzical look on his face had her grinning, and she answered the question before he could ask. "How is me scrubbing your back a favor for me?" Kara squirted some cleanser on the cloth then handed it to him. "Trust me, Lee. It just is."

Filling the palm of her hand with more soap, she got the cloth nice and frothy. She started on Lee's arms, while he did the same with hers. Moving down to his torso, Lee followed suit, mimicking her method of sensuously dragging the washcloth over his skin. Her nipples drew to sensitive peaks when the sudsy fabric slid over her breasts.

It was impossible not to see Lee's reaction. His penis was full and hard and it bumped against her as if seeking contact. Kara kept that in mind as she turned, presenting her back for Lee to wash. He began at the base of her neck, sliding the cloth over the skin of her shoulders then back to trail down her spine. It tickled, causing her to bend forward slightly bringing her ass cheeks into contact with his cock. It swelled more fully against her and a rush of need burned its way through her.

Stepping away, Kara grabbed the washcloth from Lee and walked behind him. She relished running her hands along the breadth of his shoulders, the slippery cloth moving with ease. She focused on the rest of his back next, smoothing the soapy suds down one side, up the other, and then down the center to the base of his spine.

She moved forward, her breasts pressing against his back as one hand moved to rest on his hip. The other continued over the other hip to grasp his erection, the sudsy cloth enabling her to work her hand back and forth with ease.

Lee sucked in a harsh breath and a shudder went through him as his head dropped forward and he braced a hand on the wall in front of him. Kara smiled when his stomach muscles clenched in anticipation when her other hand joined the first. He shuddered again and gasped at the increased stimulation.

A moan escaped as his hips bucked almost against their will. It didn't surprise Kara when Lee turned and lifted her, switching their positions and backed her against the wall. His hands cupped her chin and his mouth moved to hover just a breath away from hers.

"Number six, Kara." Lee's lips snagged hers quickly before moving to press kisses along her jaw, down her throat and back up again.

He slid a hand between her legs and groaned. She was hot and wet.

"Tell me what the sixth favor is."

Kara gasped as Lee inserted a finger inside her. She licked her lower lip, looked at him then leaned forward to whisper. "You…me…here…now."

It was all Lee needed to hear. His mouth crushed hers in a burning kiss while his hands grasped her hips pulling her flush against him. As good as it felt, Kara couldn't wait to have him inside her. Bracing her shoulders against the stall, she grabbed Lee's biceps, fingers digging in with purchase. She wrapped a leg around him and Lee did the rest, sliding his hands around to cup her ass, raising her up enough to slip easily inside until fully seated.

Kara was caught up in the feeling that they couldn't fit together any better. And then Lee moved, pulling almost all the way out only to plunge back in and she groaned…the friction was exquisite. Back and forth, slow then fast…it was too much and not enough all at the same time.

Her breath was coming out in short little gasps and she wanted to tell him how damn great it was but her mouth wouldn't form the words. Her mind couldn't focus on anything tangible. She decided to give it up and let her senses take over.

The sound of their bodies as they moved together, a frantic rhythm of skin hitting skin, thrummed in her ears. The smooth texture of Lee's shoulders contrasted with the roughness of his hair as her hands sought something, anything to hold onto. The heat between them released the tangy scent of soap that rose on the steamy mist surrounding them. The intense look in Lee's eyes sent a powerful wave of sensation coursing through her and Kara shattered, shuddering and moaning Lee's name.

His mouth closed over hers and with one final thrust, he followed, legs stiffening with his release then going weak from the exertion. Sliding them both to the deck, water still pouring over them, Lee collapsed with her on his lap. She huddled close, resting her forehead against his, while he reached up to switch the water off. Kara shivered against him, mainly from the aftershocks still working their way through her system, but also from the quickly cooling air.

Reaching up, she pulled down a towel and draped it over Lee's shoulders. She grabbed another one and did the same to hers. Not ready to move yet, but knowing they couldn't stay, Kara slowly made the effort to stand. Lee followed and by unspoken agreement they dried each other off. Kinda the perfect way to cap off the list of favors…something else for mutual benefit.

Kara trailed Lee back to the dressing area, trying to think of a way to let him know she was open to pursuing something more. She was halfway dressed when inspiration struck. Slipping her tanks over her head, she padded over to sit beside Lee on the bench.

Nudging his shoulder, she waited until he looked her way. "You gonna sit in on some triad later?"

Lee gave her a searching look before answering. "I wasn't going to…should I?"

Kara nodded. "I think so." Leaning in, she pulled him into a lingering kiss. "Word has it there's a really good chance you'll be the winner of ten favors if you do."

A slow smile spread across Lee's face before he caught her lips for a quick kiss. "In that case…count me in."

FIN