you bury me
Title: Full of Opiates & Shadows: Extended
Author: wicked_sassy
Summary: Kara and Lee meet at a bar.
Characters: Kara Thrace, Lee Adama, Zak Adama, Louanne Katraine (with mentions of Karl Agathon, Louis Hoshi, Kendra Shaw, Sherman Cottle, Bill Adama, Kacey Brynn)
Rating: PG-13
Length: ~2800 words
Warnings: sexual innuendo and behavior; some swearing; no spoilers for the show.
Author Notes:
1) This is a longer version of a drabble written for letterstonorah, who kindly betaed this for me.
2) This is a dodecahedron.
3) 1123 are the first four numbers of Kara's jump coordinates and the first four numbers of the most common Fibonacci Sequence.
4) Ya’aburnee is an Arabic word meaning “You bury me,” a declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person because of how difficult it would be to live without them.
Kara glared at the computer monitor. “Frak!” she shouted, displeased with the small amount in her bank account. She made sure to buy only what she needed, but the funds she’d inherited after her mother’s death were steadily dwindling closer to nothing. Previously, Kara had slept on a couch in the apartment shared by her step-sister Kat and her friend Kendra; now Kara lived with her best friend Karl and his partner Louis. The two men, both architects, owned a small home in one of Delphi’s more run-down neighborhoods. They charged her rent only because she insisted. Some of her other friends cleaned offices after the sun set, served coffee at all-night diners, or cared for numerous small children. Her job as a bike messenger barely allowed her to make ends meet.
She jabbed a finger into the computer monitor and turned it off. She had enough cash to buy herself a drink at the bar; there were always desperate men hanging around who mistook her blond hair for lack of intelligence. It was time to play up their foolishness to her advantage.
Kara stood up from her computer and stretched. She’d biked all over the city during the day’s shift, delivering bundles of paperwork and oddly-shaped packages. One distinctive envelope addressed to BILL ADAMA in looping green script had been covered with stickers of roller skates and fuzzy kittens and purple robots. Deftly maneuvering her way through the city’s streets, she'd mused about KACEY BRYNN, whose name was listed as the envelope’s sender.
She laid back on her quilt-covered bed and watched the sun set for a while, head propped up on her bare arms. The sky faded from steel gray to streaks of purple and gaudy pink slashed with orange before settling into light-pricked blackness. It was a cool autumn night. She wondered how it felt to be up in the stars, watching moons orbit around their worlds, never sleeping, never caring. She breathed deeply. The breeze from a nearby open window wafted a twangy snippet of music from a nearby car up to her ears: “Pens that won't run out of ink/ And cool quiet and time to think...” Kara grinned, recognizing the song. It had been a while since she’d had passionate kisses. Maybe tonight was her lucky night.
*****
Rain trickled down as she pulled into the rapidly filling parking lot at Salt of the Earth. Her favorite dive bar saw a steady flow of travelers seeking respite from conferences at the convention center, politicians avoiding their home world constituents, soldiers on leave who sought to forget their responsibilities. Kara vaguely wondered if her step-sister was working tonight, then grimaced and flicked her middle finger as the dashboard low-fuel light winked on. She’d need to deal with it later, but not now; she cranked the keys in the ignition and turned off the rattling vehicle. Reaching for her favorite pool cue lying on the backseat, bones in her neck cracked and popped. She licked her lips and palmed the wooden rod; she was hungry for a good frak, and she was eager to empty some wealthy wallets into her own after triumphing at a few rounds of pool. Everyone has a skill, and those were two of hers.
The staff at Salt of the Earth knew Kara well. She tipped after every drink, broke up more bar fights than she caused, and had a sharp wit to match her quick temper. There was even a drink named after her: “Special K” was a combination of ginger beer, rum, and a spicy pepper to round it out.
“Hey!” she called as she strolled into the dimly lit room, shrugging off her damp red leather jacket. Couples and groups of friends clustered at tables near the lurking single patrons. The pool tables were unoccupied. Zak was behind the bar with Kat; they often snuck kisses in the tiny liquor closet off the main room. Zak’s dad owned the bar, but he was in the military for the long haul and was rarely around. A guy named Sherman Cottle, who everyone called Doc, served as the cook and manager; he smoked endless cigarettes while breaking eggs, flipping bacon, slapping burned cinnamon toast onto chipped plates and growling “order up!” at the pass. He left plates of food for the homeless veterans that often slept in the unlit back alley between garbage cans.
Kara straddled a scuffed stool by the beer taps and grinned widely at her friends. His smile matching hers, Zak ambled over and handed her a glass. She liked ambrosia with a candied citrus garnish. “What do you hear, Kara?” he asked, knowing she was up to something.
“Rent is due soon,” she answered, tossing half of the bright green drink down her throat. Some of the liquid dribbled out and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Know any rich frakwits?”
Zak laughed and pulled a clean rag from his apron to wipe down the shiny wooden bar. “Oh, you’ll figure out something, you always do.” His attention was momentarily diverted to Kat, who leaned against a chest full of ice a few yards away. Kara rolled her eyes as the younger woman bit the head off a pickle, then sucked on the thick remainder. He sighed audibly, then turned his gaze back to the laughing blond woman in front of him. “Right, uh... Hey, my brother Lee said he’d come by the bar tonight. He missed his flight back to Gemenon and rebooked it for tomorrow morning. If you’re not too busy winning some loser’s hard-earned money, could you show him a good time? He’s not so good at talking to women on his own.” Zak leaned a bit closer. “He has a weak spot for blondes...”
She smirked at the young bartender, lifted her chin. “I’m on it.”
*****
An hour later, Kara was restless. The single men had departed and the single women didn't suit her desires. Someone had turned up the volume, blasting the latest hit from the Sixes and Eights on the jukebox. She aimlessly tossed darts at a tattered board, mentally shrugging as each tiny arrow hit the bulls-eye with a thunk. She was good, but she preferred a bit of competition to stir her blood.
As she swept her gaze over the room, she spotted someone who hadn’t been there before. There was an unfamiliar muscular guy with short brown hair chatting with Zak. He wore dark jeans and a gray jacket; his angular jaw matched his stiff posture, too proper and upright to be a civilian out in the worlds. “Fresh meat. Just in time,” Kara thought to herself.
She strutted forward, flipping her pool cue and clearing a path. As she made her way over, she grinned at Kat, who tossed her a wink before filling more drinks.
“Hey boys,” she drawled, edging in just a little too close to Zak’s visitor.
“Hey hey, hotshot,” the bartender greeted her. “This is my big brother Lee.”
As he spoke, the new guy turned to face her, his leg brushing hers. Kara felt momentarily dizzy as she met his clear blue eyes. Who was this man? Why did she suddenly feel like the worlds had just spun and set her down in a different place? Pool cue at her side, she extended her right hand. “I’m Kara.”
Hand firmly grasping hers, Lee’s gaze swept over her body. Kara knew she looked good tonight in her v-necked blue shirt, dark jeans, heeled cowboy boots; she liked how he looked, too. She shifted and slid a fingertip down the pool cue. He held onto her hand, callused fingertips pressing into her skin. She licked her lips and tasted salt on her tongue from the margarita she’d drank earlier. This close, she could see the lines around his eyes, the crinkle between his brows. Her heartbeat thudded loudly as Zak’s amused voice broke into her consciousness. “Do you two need to find a room already?”
Kara dropped the handshake and laughed. She leaned in, batting her dark blond eyelashes. “How are you at pool? Care to play a few rounds with your little brother’s buddy?”
The sharp lines of Lee’s face broke into creases as he smiled. It didn’t quite reach his eyes; maybe that would change later, she thought to herself. Night time is full of promise. “Alright, it’s on. May the best one win.” He picked up the mug of beer at his elbow, quirked an eyebrow at his younger brother, and followed her to the pool tables. She could feel his stare burning into her ass as she sashayed in front of him. Oh, she was going to get lucky tonight.
The two of them were well-matched opponents. Kara mentally plotted the geometric possibilities of each move; she could tell that Lee knew how to set up each shot to benefit himself and hinder her. Kara let Lee win the first round. After that, she’d beat him soundly, blonde hair and all.
She decided to amuse herself and play dirty. When he bent over the green to eye the balls, she bumped against the table; when he set up his pool cue, she stood nearby and poked him with her elbow. She knew she’d win on her own merits, but it was more fun to frak with Zak’s brother. She saw him swallow convulsively when she ran her hand slowly down the shaft of her pool cue. She hadn’t had this much fun in a while, and it was barely beginning for them.
After two subsequent rounds in Kara’s favor, she decided to let Lee win again. She deliberately pocketed the eight ball early, then turned to Lee, tapping her tongue against her top lip. “Frak! Guess you’ll have to kiss me and make it better, huh?”
*****
The damp night grew old and faded into dry young morning; Zak and Kat shouted out “last call!” over the hubbub of the remaining patrons. Kara propped one shoulder against the wall and beamed smugly at Lee. “Well, looks like I cleaned your clock, mister.”
He stepped away from the pool table and into her space, close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin. “Three out of five’s not bad. What kind of payment do I owe you?” His blue eyes darkened, his expression unreadable as he gazed down a few inches from her face. He lifted one hand, tucked a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered: “Come home with me, and we’ll work out your down payment.” His quick intake of breath and tightened embrace circling her waist told her all she needed to know. This close, he smelled of soap and sweat. She wanted to taste him, wondered how he’d feel against her skin.
“As you wish,” he murmured. She pulled back and looked into his eyes; they glinted now with desire, and he had a tiny smile on his face.
“C’mon, Lee.” She picked up her pool cue and pulled on her jacket, then took his hand in hers. They walked together to the bar where Kat and Zak were scraping grimy dishware into the washtubs. “Say goodnight, boys, I’ve claimed my prize.”
Zak shook his head and laughed, reaching out to shake his brother’s hand affectionately. “Give me a call tomorrow, dude. We’ll meet up. Drinks on me, Kara... hey, don’t I get a goodnight kiss?”
Kara rolled her eyes and loudly kissed the younger man’s cheek. “That’s all you’ll ever get, stud, so don’t push it. I know Kat can kick my ass.”
The redheaded woman punched the air and flashed a dimpled grin. “You know it, and Zak loves it.”
Lee cleared his throat and nodded solemnly to his brother, then tossed a salute to Kat. “Later, kids.”
The chill of the night wrapped around Kara and Lee as they exited the bar. Kara held Lee’s hand in hers; she patted the rusted hood of her truck as they approached under the glare of guttering streetlamps. “This is Mattilda, my somewhat trusty chariot. Shall we?”
Pulling her keys from her pocket, she unlocked Lee’s door. He got in and started to buckle his seatbelt. Before he could close the door, Kara climbed onto his lap, pressed her mouth to his. He cradled her close; she could feel the sinewy strength in his arms. He kissed her gently, eyes closed. She kissed him fiercely, eyes open. She pressed him back into the seat and pulled him closer. They broke apart for breath, hot air passing visibly between them. Running a fingertip over her mouth, she smiled at him, this new enigmatic man between her thighs. He was quieter than Zak, more barrel-chested, more tightly coiled. “Now we shall.”
She clambered off his lap and slid into the driver’s seat. As she started the engine, she heard Lee swearing quietly to himself, then reach under one leg and pick something up. He palmed the oddly shaped trinket and showed it to her. “It’s pretty. What is it?”
Kara smiled and tapped the tiny silvery dodecahedron that Lee had found. “My best friend Karl did some metalwork classes a while back, and he made that for me. I thought I’d lost it, but it must’ve just fallen off. I used to wear it by my heart. The twelve sides represent the twelve colonies.” She closed Lee’s fingers around it. “You keep it. Take it, lose it, find it again. It’s good luck.”
He studied her intently, unspoken questions hanging between them, then lifted her hand for a kiss. “Roger that.”
She looked at him a moment longer, then dropped her hand to his knee. Maybe she’d let him stay for breakfast. “Time for me to collect my payment. Home’s not very far away.”
Kara drove out of the parking lot, keenly aware of Lee next to her. He stroked her fingertips and palm gently; the city’s omnipresent neon lights and skyscrapered landscape screamed brightly through the open car windows. They wordlessly followed zigzagging taxis and a stray city bus making the rounds. She steadfastly ignored the glare of the low-fuel light; if he saw it, he didn’t comment on it.
*****
“Well, here we are, 1123 Ya’aburnee Street.” She parked on the street in front of the small house, turned everything off, and hopped out of the truck. Lee took a minute longer, carefully untangling himself from his seat belt, rolling the window shut before stepping out to follow her up the crumbling concrete stairs. Kara unlocked the front door and stepped inside, gesturing for Lee to join her before she locked the door behind them. She absently toed her boots off and tossed them onto the floor, her jacket landing nearby. Lee followed suit, untying the laces of his expensive-looking running shoes and placing them next to the slippers lined up on a shelf.
“Fuzzy bunny slippers, Kara?” He chuckled, the smile finally in his eyes. “I’ve just met you, but I wouldn’t picture you to be the type...”
She laughed loudly in response, then covered her mouth. Speaking in a softer tone, she replied, “I just might surprise you yet, Lee, but no, those belong to my roommates Helo and Hoshi. Their bedroom is on this floor. Let’s go upstairs so we don’t wake them up.”
“Lead the way,” Lee whispered, draping his coat over hers. The refrigerator hummed loudly from the kitchen, then clicked off.
Kara led him up a narrow flight of creaky stairs. Their sock-covered feet slid on the wooden risers and he held tightly onto her hand. At the top, she flicked a light switch, illuminating a sitting room furnished with wide, battered couches, a drafting table, and piles of books. There was a slightly crooked poster in the room featuring elephants at a watering hole. Large suitcases were stacked by the couches, smudged cups and an empty peanut butter jar containing a spoon resting on top along with assorted oddments.
She led him forward to an open door. Inside her room, there was a wall of exposed brick, a desk holding a computer and more books, and a wide bed covered in multiple quilts. Moons beamed through the skylight. She tugged him into the room, then kicked the door shut behind them.
“Well, friendly stranger, time to pay up,” she said, running a finger down his chest.
Lee pulled her close, hands cupping her ass. She felt him harden against her thigh as their lips met; his fingers stroked the soft flesh under her shirt. She broke the kiss, hooked a finger into his belt, and pulled him onto the bed with her.
They curled into each other, and he licked a slow line from her chin to her throat. As he paused, mouth by her ear, he murmured, “Just so you know, Kara... I always pay my debts.”
Thanks to those who voted and provided prompts: Helo (from requialexa, kag523, kl_shipper1, and embolalia); Doc Cottle (from word_vomity); Bill (from sci_fi_shipper); Zak (from kdbleu); Kendra and Kat (from letterstonorah; Hoshi (from apodixis) Kacey (from rirenec); cinnamon toast, roller skates, dizziness (from requialexa); the sound of rain fading away in the distance, the taste of salt on one's tongue, an oddly shaped trinket found after being lost (from kag523); peanut butter, turning up the volume (from letterstonorah); broken egg yolks, the elephant in the room (from embolalia); a pen out of ink, low-fuel light (from apodixis); landscape, good night kiss, running shoes, Kara & Kat as stepsisters (from sci-fi-shipper); breakfast, suitcase (from kdbleu); a pair of slippers, the hum of the fridge (from n-e-star); a missed flight (from kl-shipper1); a red coat, a pile of books and oddments (from rirenec).
Author: wicked_sassy
Summary: Kara and Lee meet at a bar.
Characters: Kara Thrace, Lee Adama, Zak Adama, Louanne Katraine (with mentions of Karl Agathon, Louis Hoshi, Kendra Shaw, Sherman Cottle, Bill Adama, Kacey Brynn)
Rating: PG-13
Length: ~2800 words
Warnings: sexual innuendo and behavior; some swearing; no spoilers for the show.
Author Notes:
1) This is a longer version of a drabble written for letterstonorah, who kindly betaed this for me.
2) This is a dodecahedron.
3) 1123 are the first four numbers of Kara's jump coordinates and the first four numbers of the most common Fibonacci Sequence.
4) Ya’aburnee is an Arabic word meaning “You bury me,” a declaration of one’s hope that they’ll die before another person because of how difficult it would be to live without them.
Kara glared at the computer monitor. “Frak!” she shouted, displeased with the small amount in her bank account. She made sure to buy only what she needed, but the funds she’d inherited after her mother’s death were steadily dwindling closer to nothing. Previously, Kara had slept on a couch in the apartment shared by her step-sister Kat and her friend Kendra; now Kara lived with her best friend Karl and his partner Louis. The two men, both architects, owned a small home in one of Delphi’s more run-down neighborhoods. They charged her rent only because she insisted. Some of her other friends cleaned offices after the sun set, served coffee at all-night diners, or cared for numerous small children. Her job as a bike messenger barely allowed her to make ends meet.
She jabbed a finger into the computer monitor and turned it off. She had enough cash to buy herself a drink at the bar; there were always desperate men hanging around who mistook her blond hair for lack of intelligence. It was time to play up their foolishness to her advantage.
Kara stood up from her computer and stretched. She’d biked all over the city during the day’s shift, delivering bundles of paperwork and oddly-shaped packages. One distinctive envelope addressed to BILL ADAMA in looping green script had been covered with stickers of roller skates and fuzzy kittens and purple robots. Deftly maneuvering her way through the city’s streets, she'd mused about KACEY BRYNN, whose name was listed as the envelope’s sender.
She laid back on her quilt-covered bed and watched the sun set for a while, head propped up on her bare arms. The sky faded from steel gray to streaks of purple and gaudy pink slashed with orange before settling into light-pricked blackness. It was a cool autumn night. She wondered how it felt to be up in the stars, watching moons orbit around their worlds, never sleeping, never caring. She breathed deeply. The breeze from a nearby open window wafted a twangy snippet of music from a nearby car up to her ears: “Pens that won't run out of ink/ And cool quiet and time to think...” Kara grinned, recognizing the song. It had been a while since she’d had passionate kisses. Maybe tonight was her lucky night.
*****
Rain trickled down as she pulled into the rapidly filling parking lot at Salt of the Earth. Her favorite dive bar saw a steady flow of travelers seeking respite from conferences at the convention center, politicians avoiding their home world constituents, soldiers on leave who sought to forget their responsibilities. Kara vaguely wondered if her step-sister was working tonight, then grimaced and flicked her middle finger as the dashboard low-fuel light winked on. She’d need to deal with it later, but not now; she cranked the keys in the ignition and turned off the rattling vehicle. Reaching for her favorite pool cue lying on the backseat, bones in her neck cracked and popped. She licked her lips and palmed the wooden rod; she was hungry for a good frak, and she was eager to empty some wealthy wallets into her own after triumphing at a few rounds of pool. Everyone has a skill, and those were two of hers.
The staff at Salt of the Earth knew Kara well. She tipped after every drink, broke up more bar fights than she caused, and had a sharp wit to match her quick temper. There was even a drink named after her: “Special K” was a combination of ginger beer, rum, and a spicy pepper to round it out.
“Hey!” she called as she strolled into the dimly lit room, shrugging off her damp red leather jacket. Couples and groups of friends clustered at tables near the lurking single patrons. The pool tables were unoccupied. Zak was behind the bar with Kat; they often snuck kisses in the tiny liquor closet off the main room. Zak’s dad owned the bar, but he was in the military for the long haul and was rarely around. A guy named Sherman Cottle, who everyone called Doc, served as the cook and manager; he smoked endless cigarettes while breaking eggs, flipping bacon, slapping burned cinnamon toast onto chipped plates and growling “order up!” at the pass. He left plates of food for the homeless veterans that often slept in the unlit back alley between garbage cans.
Kara straddled a scuffed stool by the beer taps and grinned widely at her friends. His smile matching hers, Zak ambled over and handed her a glass. She liked ambrosia with a candied citrus garnish. “What do you hear, Kara?” he asked, knowing she was up to something.
“Rent is due soon,” she answered, tossing half of the bright green drink down her throat. Some of the liquid dribbled out and she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Know any rich frakwits?”
Zak laughed and pulled a clean rag from his apron to wipe down the shiny wooden bar. “Oh, you’ll figure out something, you always do.” His attention was momentarily diverted to Kat, who leaned against a chest full of ice a few yards away. Kara rolled her eyes as the younger woman bit the head off a pickle, then sucked on the thick remainder. He sighed audibly, then turned his gaze back to the laughing blond woman in front of him. “Right, uh... Hey, my brother Lee said he’d come by the bar tonight. He missed his flight back to Gemenon and rebooked it for tomorrow morning. If you’re not too busy winning some loser’s hard-earned money, could you show him a good time? He’s not so good at talking to women on his own.” Zak leaned a bit closer. “He has a weak spot for blondes...”
She smirked at the young bartender, lifted her chin. “I’m on it.”
*****
An hour later, Kara was restless. The single men had departed and the single women didn't suit her desires. Someone had turned up the volume, blasting the latest hit from the Sixes and Eights on the jukebox. She aimlessly tossed darts at a tattered board, mentally shrugging as each tiny arrow hit the bulls-eye with a thunk. She was good, but she preferred a bit of competition to stir her blood.
As she swept her gaze over the room, she spotted someone who hadn’t been there before. There was an unfamiliar muscular guy with short brown hair chatting with Zak. He wore dark jeans and a gray jacket; his angular jaw matched his stiff posture, too proper and upright to be a civilian out in the worlds. “Fresh meat. Just in time,” Kara thought to herself.
She strutted forward, flipping her pool cue and clearing a path. As she made her way over, she grinned at Kat, who tossed her a wink before filling more drinks.
“Hey boys,” she drawled, edging in just a little too close to Zak’s visitor.
“Hey hey, hotshot,” the bartender greeted her. “This is my big brother Lee.”
As he spoke, the new guy turned to face her, his leg brushing hers. Kara felt momentarily dizzy as she met his clear blue eyes. Who was this man? Why did she suddenly feel like the worlds had just spun and set her down in a different place? Pool cue at her side, she extended her right hand. “I’m Kara.”
Hand firmly grasping hers, Lee’s gaze swept over her body. Kara knew she looked good tonight in her v-necked blue shirt, dark jeans, heeled cowboy boots; she liked how he looked, too. She shifted and slid a fingertip down the pool cue. He held onto her hand, callused fingertips pressing into her skin. She licked her lips and tasted salt on her tongue from the margarita she’d drank earlier. This close, she could see the lines around his eyes, the crinkle between his brows. Her heartbeat thudded loudly as Zak’s amused voice broke into her consciousness. “Do you two need to find a room already?”
Kara dropped the handshake and laughed. She leaned in, batting her dark blond eyelashes. “How are you at pool? Care to play a few rounds with your little brother’s buddy?”
The sharp lines of Lee’s face broke into creases as he smiled. It didn’t quite reach his eyes; maybe that would change later, she thought to herself. Night time is full of promise. “Alright, it’s on. May the best one win.” He picked up the mug of beer at his elbow, quirked an eyebrow at his younger brother, and followed her to the pool tables. She could feel his stare burning into her ass as she sashayed in front of him. Oh, she was going to get lucky tonight.
The two of them were well-matched opponents. Kara mentally plotted the geometric possibilities of each move; she could tell that Lee knew how to set up each shot to benefit himself and hinder her. Kara let Lee win the first round. After that, she’d beat him soundly, blonde hair and all.
She decided to amuse herself and play dirty. When he bent over the green to eye the balls, she bumped against the table; when he set up his pool cue, she stood nearby and poked him with her elbow. She knew she’d win on her own merits, but it was more fun to frak with Zak’s brother. She saw him swallow convulsively when she ran her hand slowly down the shaft of her pool cue. She hadn’t had this much fun in a while, and it was barely beginning for them.
After two subsequent rounds in Kara’s favor, she decided to let Lee win again. She deliberately pocketed the eight ball early, then turned to Lee, tapping her tongue against her top lip. “Frak! Guess you’ll have to kiss me and make it better, huh?”
*****
The damp night grew old and faded into dry young morning; Zak and Kat shouted out “last call!” over the hubbub of the remaining patrons. Kara propped one shoulder against the wall and beamed smugly at Lee. “Well, looks like I cleaned your clock, mister.”
He stepped away from the pool table and into her space, close enough that she could feel his breath on her skin. “Three out of five’s not bad. What kind of payment do I owe you?” His blue eyes darkened, his expression unreadable as he gazed down a few inches from her face. He lifted one hand, tucked a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered: “Come home with me, and we’ll work out your down payment.” His quick intake of breath and tightened embrace circling her waist told her all she needed to know. This close, he smelled of soap and sweat. She wanted to taste him, wondered how he’d feel against her skin.
“As you wish,” he murmured. She pulled back and looked into his eyes; they glinted now with desire, and he had a tiny smile on his face.
“C’mon, Lee.” She picked up her pool cue and pulled on her jacket, then took his hand in hers. They walked together to the bar where Kat and Zak were scraping grimy dishware into the washtubs. “Say goodnight, boys, I’ve claimed my prize.”
Zak shook his head and laughed, reaching out to shake his brother’s hand affectionately. “Give me a call tomorrow, dude. We’ll meet up. Drinks on me, Kara... hey, don’t I get a goodnight kiss?”
Kara rolled her eyes and loudly kissed the younger man’s cheek. “That’s all you’ll ever get, stud, so don’t push it. I know Kat can kick my ass.”
The redheaded woman punched the air and flashed a dimpled grin. “You know it, and Zak loves it.”
Lee cleared his throat and nodded solemnly to his brother, then tossed a salute to Kat. “Later, kids.”
The chill of the night wrapped around Kara and Lee as they exited the bar. Kara held Lee’s hand in hers; she patted the rusted hood of her truck as they approached under the glare of guttering streetlamps. “This is Mattilda, my somewhat trusty chariot. Shall we?”
Pulling her keys from her pocket, she unlocked Lee’s door. He got in and started to buckle his seatbelt. Before he could close the door, Kara climbed onto his lap, pressed her mouth to his. He cradled her close; she could feel the sinewy strength in his arms. He kissed her gently, eyes closed. She kissed him fiercely, eyes open. She pressed him back into the seat and pulled him closer. They broke apart for breath, hot air passing visibly between them. Running a fingertip over her mouth, she smiled at him, this new enigmatic man between her thighs. He was quieter than Zak, more barrel-chested, more tightly coiled. “Now we shall.”
She clambered off his lap and slid into the driver’s seat. As she started the engine, she heard Lee swearing quietly to himself, then reach under one leg and pick something up. He palmed the oddly shaped trinket and showed it to her. “It’s pretty. What is it?”
Kara smiled and tapped the tiny silvery dodecahedron that Lee had found. “My best friend Karl did some metalwork classes a while back, and he made that for me. I thought I’d lost it, but it must’ve just fallen off. I used to wear it by my heart. The twelve sides represent the twelve colonies.” She closed Lee’s fingers around it. “You keep it. Take it, lose it, find it again. It’s good luck.”
He studied her intently, unspoken questions hanging between them, then lifted her hand for a kiss. “Roger that.”
She looked at him a moment longer, then dropped her hand to his knee. Maybe she’d let him stay for breakfast. “Time for me to collect my payment. Home’s not very far away.”
Kara drove out of the parking lot, keenly aware of Lee next to her. He stroked her fingertips and palm gently; the city’s omnipresent neon lights and skyscrapered landscape screamed brightly through the open car windows. They wordlessly followed zigzagging taxis and a stray city bus making the rounds. She steadfastly ignored the glare of the low-fuel light; if he saw it, he didn’t comment on it.
*****
“Well, here we are, 1123 Ya’aburnee Street.” She parked on the street in front of the small house, turned everything off, and hopped out of the truck. Lee took a minute longer, carefully untangling himself from his seat belt, rolling the window shut before stepping out to follow her up the crumbling concrete stairs. Kara unlocked the front door and stepped inside, gesturing for Lee to join her before she locked the door behind them. She absently toed her boots off and tossed them onto the floor, her jacket landing nearby. Lee followed suit, untying the laces of his expensive-looking running shoes and placing them next to the slippers lined up on a shelf.
“Fuzzy bunny slippers, Kara?” He chuckled, the smile finally in his eyes. “I’ve just met you, but I wouldn’t picture you to be the type...”
She laughed loudly in response, then covered her mouth. Speaking in a softer tone, she replied, “I just might surprise you yet, Lee, but no, those belong to my roommates Helo and Hoshi. Their bedroom is on this floor. Let’s go upstairs so we don’t wake them up.”
“Lead the way,” Lee whispered, draping his coat over hers. The refrigerator hummed loudly from the kitchen, then clicked off.
Kara led him up a narrow flight of creaky stairs. Their sock-covered feet slid on the wooden risers and he held tightly onto her hand. At the top, she flicked a light switch, illuminating a sitting room furnished with wide, battered couches, a drafting table, and piles of books. There was a slightly crooked poster in the room featuring elephants at a watering hole. Large suitcases were stacked by the couches, smudged cups and an empty peanut butter jar containing a spoon resting on top along with assorted oddments.
She led him forward to an open door. Inside her room, there was a wall of exposed brick, a desk holding a computer and more books, and a wide bed covered in multiple quilts. Moons beamed through the skylight. She tugged him into the room, then kicked the door shut behind them.
“Well, friendly stranger, time to pay up,” she said, running a finger down his chest.
Lee pulled her close, hands cupping her ass. She felt him harden against her thigh as their lips met; his fingers stroked the soft flesh under her shirt. She broke the kiss, hooked a finger into his belt, and pulled him onto the bed with her.
They curled into each other, and he licked a slow line from her chin to her throat. As he paused, mouth by her ear, he murmured, “Just so you know, Kara... I always pay my debts.”
Thanks to those who voted and provided prompts: Helo (from requialexa, kag523, kl_shipper1, and embolalia); Doc Cottle (from word_vomity); Bill (from sci_fi_shipper); Zak (from kdbleu); Kendra and Kat (from letterstonorah; Hoshi (from apodixis) Kacey (from rirenec); cinnamon toast, roller skates, dizziness (from requialexa); the sound of rain fading away in the distance, the taste of salt on one's tongue, an oddly shaped trinket found after being lost (from kag523); peanut butter, turning up the volume (from letterstonorah); broken egg yolks, the elephant in the room (from embolalia); a pen out of ink, low-fuel light (from apodixis); landscape, good night kiss, running shoes, Kara & Kat as stepsisters (from sci-fi-shipper); breakfast, suitcase (from kdbleu); a pair of slippers, the hum of the fridge (from n-e-star); a missed flight (from kl-shipper1); a red coat, a pile of books and oddments (from rirenec).