I'm Right Here
Picks up at the tail end of Resurrection Ship, Part II, and goes AU almost immediately. More emotional than smutty,
but I figured I'd err on the side of caution in the rating.
“That’s the problem. I didn’t want to make it back alive.”
She’s stunned, at a loss for words, so she just keeps her hand on his arm. After a minute or two,
he tugs at her hand and asks, almost sheepishly, “Can I hold you?”
“Yeah, Lee.” This she can do. She kicks off her shoes, climbs into his rack, pulls the curtain closed
and settles in against his side, with her head on his shoulder. They don’t say anything at all, and
the sound of their combined breathing lulls them into sleep.
Some time later, Kara’s awakened by something. It sounds like he’s crying. She stays where she
is, just holds him tighter, lets him get it out without any commentary from her. She still doesn’t
really know what to say to him, anyway.
She’s about to doze off again a few minutes later when she feels the hand around her back move
up to stroke her hair, and smiles to herself. He pulls at her hair a little bit and she looks up at
him. He looks at her for a long time, then uses both hands to pull her closer, half on top of him,
and kisses her slowly.
“Lee? What....” she doesn’t finish before he breaks in.
“Just...I need this. I need you.”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
He kisses her again, and she keeps her hands flat on his body, even when he pushes her to her
side and moves up against her. He’s barely aroused, so she’s unsure of herself, unsure of what he
needs from her. His hand moves into her hair and lightly holds the back of her head as he spreads
light kisses over her lips, jaw, face, neck. She lets him set the pace, making no moves of her own,
just letting him love on her.
Out of the blue, he rolls to his back with a frustrated sigh, putting his arm over his face. She rolls
with him, putting her hand flat on his abdomen. “What is it, Lee?”
“Can you at least pretend to be enjoying this?”
“I’m not enjoying this?” she asks with a faint tinge of irritation in her voice.
“There’s no shortage of Marines willing to talk about how Starbuck is loud and doesn’t seem to
care who knows she's frakking you in your rack. Or anywhere else.”
“Lee.”
He moves his arm and looks at her. She pretends not to notice the hint of moisture back in his eyes.
Now she knows what to say, even if their friendship has never been the talky sort. “You’re right.
Starbuck doesn’t much care who knows who she’s frakking. I just thought you’d rather have me
here tonight. And I am here, right here, and there isn’t anyplace else I’d rather be.” She moves
forward and kisses him lightly on the lips, stroking his jaw with her fingertips, waiting for him to
re-engage.
He just lets her kiss him, not even moving his mouth really, until finally he puts his arm around her
and pulls her into him tightly, and kisses her back.
It stays slow, gentle; their clothes come off a piece at a time, with more tender caresses on each
new bit of skin. When they’re finally both naked, Lee pulls her leg over his and pushes in at a
frustrating turtle-like pace. He seems to need the connection more than anything, and when he
comes, it’s quiet, so quiet she almost misses it.
He puts both arms around her and hugs her before his free hand roams down her side, across her
waist, her hip, her thigh and delves between her thighs. He keeps it slow and she’s pretty sure it’s
not going to work for her, but he’s determined. And patient. Lee kisses her again, harder, just as
he finally tips her over the edge, and she’s leaving bruises on his biceps and biting his lip to keep
quiet. He doesn’t so much ask her to stay as just hold on to her and keep her from leaving until
just before the morning shift change.
After that, he seems better most of the time, more like himself, and their friendship is as normal as
it has ever been. Then he’ll give her that look, from behind the podium or across the deck or in the
mess, and she knows he needs her. She also knows without consciously thinking about it, that she’ll do
whatever it takes for as long as it takes to give Lee a reason to keep wanting to come back alive.
A/N For the purposes of this story, Dee is not lurking outside the door, eavesdropping on their
private conversation.
but I figured I'd err on the side of caution in the rating.
“That’s the problem. I didn’t want to make it back alive.”
She’s stunned, at a loss for words, so she just keeps her hand on his arm. After a minute or two,
he tugs at her hand and asks, almost sheepishly, “Can I hold you?”
“Yeah, Lee.” This she can do. She kicks off her shoes, climbs into his rack, pulls the curtain closed
and settles in against his side, with her head on his shoulder. They don’t say anything at all, and
the sound of their combined breathing lulls them into sleep.
Some time later, Kara’s awakened by something. It sounds like he’s crying. She stays where she
is, just holds him tighter, lets him get it out without any commentary from her. She still doesn’t
really know what to say to him, anyway.
She’s about to doze off again a few minutes later when she feels the hand around her back move
up to stroke her hair, and smiles to herself. He pulls at her hair a little bit and she looks up at
him. He looks at her for a long time, then uses both hands to pull her closer, half on top of him,
and kisses her slowly.
“Lee? What....” she doesn’t finish before he breaks in.
“Just...I need this. I need you.”
“I'm not going anywhere.”
He kisses her again, and she keeps her hands flat on his body, even when he pushes her to her
side and moves up against her. He’s barely aroused, so she’s unsure of herself, unsure of what he
needs from her. His hand moves into her hair and lightly holds the back of her head as he spreads
light kisses over her lips, jaw, face, neck. She lets him set the pace, making no moves of her own,
just letting him love on her.
Out of the blue, he rolls to his back with a frustrated sigh, putting his arm over his face. She rolls
with him, putting her hand flat on his abdomen. “What is it, Lee?”
“Can you at least pretend to be enjoying this?”
“I’m not enjoying this?” she asks with a faint tinge of irritation in her voice.
“There’s no shortage of Marines willing to talk about how Starbuck is loud and doesn’t seem to
care who knows she's frakking you in your rack. Or anywhere else.”
“Lee.”
He moves his arm and looks at her. She pretends not to notice the hint of moisture back in his eyes.
Now she knows what to say, even if their friendship has never been the talky sort. “You’re right.
Starbuck doesn’t much care who knows who she’s frakking. I just thought you’d rather have me
here tonight. And I am here, right here, and there isn’t anyplace else I’d rather be.” She moves
forward and kisses him lightly on the lips, stroking his jaw with her fingertips, waiting for him to
re-engage.
He just lets her kiss him, not even moving his mouth really, until finally he puts his arm around her
and pulls her into him tightly, and kisses her back.
It stays slow, gentle; their clothes come off a piece at a time, with more tender caresses on each
new bit of skin. When they’re finally both naked, Lee pulls her leg over his and pushes in at a
frustrating turtle-like pace. He seems to need the connection more than anything, and when he
comes, it’s quiet, so quiet she almost misses it.
He puts both arms around her and hugs her before his free hand roams down her side, across her
waist, her hip, her thigh and delves between her thighs. He keeps it slow and she’s pretty sure it’s
not going to work for her, but he’s determined. And patient. Lee kisses her again, harder, just as
he finally tips her over the edge, and she’s leaving bruises on his biceps and biting his lip to keep
quiet. He doesn’t so much ask her to stay as just hold on to her and keep her from leaving until
just before the morning shift change.
After that, he seems better most of the time, more like himself, and their friendship is as normal as
it has ever been. Then he’ll give her that look, from behind the podium or across the deck or in the
mess, and she knows he needs her. She also knows without consciously thinking about it, that she’ll do
whatever it takes for as long as it takes to give Lee a reason to keep wanting to come back alive.
A/N For the purposes of this story, Dee is not lurking outside the door, eavesdropping on their
private conversation.