[fandom_muses December prompt]
What do you do when you can't sleep?
(RP with cylon_prophet, set in the Earth!AU 'verse (not canon).)
The nightmare woke her up, covered in sweat despite the cold, heart racing like she was in the cockpit and facing an army of Cylons.
But she wasn't, she was in her bedroom on Earth, and the battle was over. The only Cylons were the two asleep in their respective rooms, alone, because Kara wasn't good at sharing her space. She tried to go back to sleep, but the images were too vivid. She sat up and looked around, as if she were going to find the answers in the shadows.
Kara sat huddled on the edge of her bed for a long time, thinking. Finally, she gave up and pulled her robe around her, padding barefoot into the hallway. Sam's door was open, so she peeked inside. He was sound asleep on his back, one arm flung sideways, his head turned. She expelled a breath and watched his chest rise and fall. Alive, see? He's alive. No one shot him, no one made you watch while they killed him.
Dreams about her own death, she could go back to sleep after those. It was the ones that showed her the people she loved being taken away from her, those were the bad ones, the ones that kept her up. But Sam was asleep, and alive, and she could crawl into bed with him like she sometimes did, and he'd put his arms around her and then she'd go back to sleep.
The problem was, she wasn't just dreaming about Sam anymore. She turned towards Leoben's door, which was closed, and bit her lip. She'd seen Leoben die enough times that she shouldn't have nightmares about it, considering how many times she'd killed him. But this particular dream had been very bad, enough that it had woken her up in a panic. Which somewhat perversely annoyed her, to be honest, and she stood outside his door a long time with her hand on the knob.
Frak it, she thought, and opened the door.
Leoben was asleep, on his side, his back facing her. Above his bed, the mural she'd painted for him was a blur in the darkness, but she knew what it was. Two stars captured in the blackness of space, orbiting a fiery sun. His had been the first one she'd finished.
Logically, she knew he was alive. But logic wasn't helping her forget her dream, and Kara had never been the best of friends with logic anyway, so she walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. She put a hand lightly on his side, felt the motion of his chest moving evenly in sleep.
It was cold in his room. Kara moved so that she was lying on her back next to him, and she felt stupid and worried he was going to wake up, and then angry at herself for being worried. Why was everything so hard, with the two of them?
Leoben was still next to her, but she thought maybe he was awake. "I had a nightmare," she said softly, thinking about the mural. Two bright stars in the dark. "It was about you."
There was a long pause. "What did I do?"
Kara closed her eyes, something tight in her chest. "You died."
Leoben was still for so long, she thought she imagined that he'd said anything at all. Then he shifted and moved so he was on his side facing her. She turned her head, but it was too dark to see his eyes. They lay there for a long time, not speaking, and then Leoben put his hand on her stomach, his breath warm against her neck.
(RP with cylon_prophet, set in the Earth!AU 'verse (not canon).)
The nightmare woke her up, covered in sweat despite the cold, heart racing like she was in the cockpit and facing an army of Cylons.
But she wasn't, she was in her bedroom on Earth, and the battle was over. The only Cylons were the two asleep in their respective rooms, alone, because Kara wasn't good at sharing her space. She tried to go back to sleep, but the images were too vivid. She sat up and looked around, as if she were going to find the answers in the shadows.
Kara sat huddled on the edge of her bed for a long time, thinking. Finally, she gave up and pulled her robe around her, padding barefoot into the hallway. Sam's door was open, so she peeked inside. He was sound asleep on his back, one arm flung sideways, his head turned. She expelled a breath and watched his chest rise and fall. Alive, see? He's alive. No one shot him, no one made you watch while they killed him.
Dreams about her own death, she could go back to sleep after those. It was the ones that showed her the people she loved being taken away from her, those were the bad ones, the ones that kept her up. But Sam was asleep, and alive, and she could crawl into bed with him like she sometimes did, and he'd put his arms around her and then she'd go back to sleep.
The problem was, she wasn't just dreaming about Sam anymore. She turned towards Leoben's door, which was closed, and bit her lip. She'd seen Leoben die enough times that she shouldn't have nightmares about it, considering how many times she'd killed him. But this particular dream had been very bad, enough that it had woken her up in a panic. Which somewhat perversely annoyed her, to be honest, and she stood outside his door a long time with her hand on the knob.
Frak it, she thought, and opened the door.
Leoben was asleep, on his side, his back facing her. Above his bed, the mural she'd painted for him was a blur in the darkness, but she knew what it was. Two stars captured in the blackness of space, orbiting a fiery sun. His had been the first one she'd finished.
Logically, she knew he was alive. But logic wasn't helping her forget her dream, and Kara had never been the best of friends with logic anyway, so she walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. She put a hand lightly on his side, felt the motion of his chest moving evenly in sleep.
It was cold in his room. Kara moved so that she was lying on her back next to him, and she felt stupid and worried he was going to wake up, and then angry at herself for being worried. Why was everything so hard, with the two of them?
Leoben was still next to her, but she thought maybe he was awake. "I had a nightmare," she said softly, thinking about the mural. Two bright stars in the dark. "It was about you."
There was a long pause. "What did I do?"
Kara closed her eyes, something tight in her chest. "You died."
Leoben was still for so long, she thought she imagined that he'd said anything at all. Then he shifted and moved so he was on his side facing her. She turned her head, but it was too dark to see his eyes. They lay there for a long time, not speaking, and then Leoben put his hand on her stomach, his breath warm against her neck.