Challenge #160 - Remainder (Around the Clock) - Babylon 5
Author: lil_utterance
Prompt: #160 - Remainder (Around the Clock)
Fandom: Babylon 5
Pairing: Susan/Talia
Rating: PG
Word Count: 189 + 251 + 233 + 228 + 157 + 147 = 1,205
09:00 / planned (189)
At some point they traded coffee for mixed drinks.
Ivanova herself suggested it one day as the two of them were finishing their hot beverages, and the abandon implied by such an offer made Talia wonder if there was more than coffee in the other woman's mug.
Wisely, she did nothing more that morning than murmur assent.
But now she’s seated scant inches from Susan, working on her second drink - and wondering. So she lets her hand drift, allows her glove to brush the commander’s arm.
Her efforts earn her cool appraisal and a single word. “No.”
It’s not until Talia’s hand is once more around her glass that Susan speaks again.
“When you take those off,” she nods at the gloves. “I’ll-”
“What? Be even more afraid of my touch?”
“No. Just the opposite.”
“Commander. The Corps requires that-”
“Exactly.” Susan takes a sip of her drink then turns to fully face Talia. “When you take those off, when you are no longer constrained, we can...re-evaluate...our relationship.”
For the first time, Talia knows she’s not the only one that’s getting tired of being unable to touch.
11:00 / punctual (251)
It feels like a first date.
She hadn’t really even thought about her actions until she reached Susan’s door, but now she’s just standing outside feeling foolish, wine in one hand, glasses in the other, and no idea what to do when the door opens.
And nothing comes to mind once she steps inside and actually sees Susan. Relaxed, tousled, ready for bed - and suddenly Talia is too-aware of what the other woman is wearing and the liberty she’s taken in coming here.
She covers her hesitation with a bold smile. “I bring gifts.”
“Ms. Winters, it’s late.”
Though Susan’s made it perfectly clear her mind is off-limits, she’s become increasingly generous with facial expressions. Talia now reads her face like a book, and what’s written there let’s her know that the commander is resigned to taking part in their usual battle.
She doesn’t know that Talia is willing to meet the terms of her surrender. Doesn’t know that Talia is tired of the pursuit, tired of watching predator turned prey.
“I know…I just wanted to say that you were right, and I was wrong.”
Susan says nothing.
“About the Corps,” Talia clarifies. For a moment she feels terrified - has she waited too long? Then Susan looks up, and the tension between them re-emerges, a connection to fuel her courage.
“I…um…can’t go into details.” Talia methodically pulls off her gloves. “But in light of recent events…” She finally manages to meet Susan’s eyes. “I think we need to re-evaluate our relationship.”
10:00 / wristwatch (233)
Talia removes the link from Susan’s hand very, very gently. The commander - brave though she may be - at this moment looks ready to retreat back to her corner of the couch and that’s not exactly the type of surrender Talia wants right now.
But when the link joins the Psi-Corps badge sitting on the table, both women are distracted.
“Earthforce and the Corps in bed together.” Susan’s voice is flat.
“In name only.” Talia knows the protest is true, even as she herself finds the sight of the symbols together somewhat perverse. “I understand why you wanted me to take the badge off. Right now, this is just about us.”
“Is it? Does my being a member of Earthforce offend you?”
Talia has never really thought about it. She supposes it should, considering it’s the government that’s responsible for the creation of the Corps, and thus indirectly responsible for orphaning her not once, but twice. But unlike most of her contemporaries, it’s the Corps Susan really fears - not telepaths.
“No. It doesn’t offend me.” Talia leans forward to lay a hand against the other woman’s cheek. “I just didn’t want to be disturbed when I-”
But apparently Susan has decided the conversation is over, so Talia revises her method of communication as her lips and tongue lose the shape of words and gain the knowledge of Susan Ivanova’s mouth.
18:00 / afterlife (228)
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Talia turned and pressed a reassuring kiss to Ivanova’s shoulder. “Mathew has friends in high places. I knew Earthforce wouldn’t be able to hold him. I’m just glad that it’s unlikely he’ll reappear here.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind seeing him try. Garibaldi’s reserved him his own private airlock.”
Susan’s grin should have been unsettling, but Talia found it’s edges oddly reassuring. She decided to return the favor, and a coin went flying across the room to embed itself in the wall.
“Not exactly helpless myself,” she reminded her lover.
Susan’s considering look expressed the same wary approval she had shown when Talia first showed her the trick several weeks previously.
Without even waiting for the commander to raise an eyebrow toward the damaged wall, Talia used her recently acquired talent to retrieve the coin.
Susan rested her head on Talia’s shoulder. “Do you miss him?” she asked, touching the coin.
“Who, Jason? Sometimes.” Talia sighed. “But I’m glad for him. He’s finally reached a stage where what binds us no longer affects him. No worries about divisions within his species. He’s utterly unique.” She paused for a few moments. “Some days I wish I could just step outside of it all.”
Ivanova studied the new hole in her wall and forced herself not to ask if and when such a day might be expected.
15:00 / unpredictable (157)
Talia gives Susan’s silky purple robe an appreciative once-over. She knows that another might be surprised at the delicateness of the garment. She, however, is not.
She is unsurprised that Susan seems as aggressive and uncompromising in her femininity as she is in everything else she commits herself to. The entirety of the effect before her is probably not due to conscious choice - the commander’s curves, once freed from the confines of her uniform, are difficult to deny - but most of it is just Susan being Susan. Even her body admits no half-measures.
Talia finds this facet of Susan's personality endlessly intriguing. For the only uncertainty regarding her determined nature is where, how, and to what - or who - she’ll commit herself to.
Not that there aren’t the knowns. Her colleagues. Her work.
But the unknowns - that’s where Talia’s hope lies.
She wants to see what it’s like when Susan Ivanova falls in love.
04:00 / insomnia (147)
How far is too far?
Susan had not asked this question of herself in years.
At least, not really. Not with regards to relationships.
She stopped asking the question about physical interactions with lovers long ago.
She had gone as far as she considered possible. And that was pretty far.
She stopped asking it about emotional interactions not that much later.
She had gone as far as she ever wanted to. And that, as she had recently learned, was not that far at all.
So why did she suddenly feel the need to push her own boundaries? Why did she find herself wondering about the hue, heft, and consistency of Ms. Winter’s thoughts?
Only one person had ever entered her mind. Letting another person in would literally be going as far as she could go.
And yet, somehow, the distance between the thought and its realization was becoming increasingly negotiable.
Prompt: #160 - Remainder (Around the Clock)
Fandom: Babylon 5
Pairing: Susan/Talia
Rating: PG
Word Count: 189 + 251 + 233 + 228 + 157 + 147 = 1,205
09:00 / planned (189)
At some point they traded coffee for mixed drinks.
Ivanova herself suggested it one day as the two of them were finishing their hot beverages, and the abandon implied by such an offer made Talia wonder if there was more than coffee in the other woman's mug.
Wisely, she did nothing more that morning than murmur assent.
But now she’s seated scant inches from Susan, working on her second drink - and wondering. So she lets her hand drift, allows her glove to brush the commander’s arm.
Her efforts earn her cool appraisal and a single word. “No.”
It’s not until Talia’s hand is once more around her glass that Susan speaks again.
“When you take those off,” she nods at the gloves. “I’ll-”
“What? Be even more afraid of my touch?”
“No. Just the opposite.”
“Commander. The Corps requires that-”
“Exactly.” Susan takes a sip of her drink then turns to fully face Talia. “When you take those off, when you are no longer constrained, we can...re-evaluate...our relationship.”
For the first time, Talia knows she’s not the only one that’s getting tired of being unable to touch.
11:00 / punctual (251)
It feels like a first date.
She hadn’t really even thought about her actions until she reached Susan’s door, but now she’s just standing outside feeling foolish, wine in one hand, glasses in the other, and no idea what to do when the door opens.
And nothing comes to mind once she steps inside and actually sees Susan. Relaxed, tousled, ready for bed - and suddenly Talia is too-aware of what the other woman is wearing and the liberty she’s taken in coming here.
She covers her hesitation with a bold smile. “I bring gifts.”
“Ms. Winters, it’s late.”
Though Susan’s made it perfectly clear her mind is off-limits, she’s become increasingly generous with facial expressions. Talia now reads her face like a book, and what’s written there let’s her know that the commander is resigned to taking part in their usual battle.
She doesn’t know that Talia is willing to meet the terms of her surrender. Doesn’t know that Talia is tired of the pursuit, tired of watching predator turned prey.
“I know…I just wanted to say that you were right, and I was wrong.”
Susan says nothing.
“About the Corps,” Talia clarifies. For a moment she feels terrified - has she waited too long? Then Susan looks up, and the tension between them re-emerges, a connection to fuel her courage.
“I…um…can’t go into details.” Talia methodically pulls off her gloves. “But in light of recent events…” She finally manages to meet Susan’s eyes. “I think we need to re-evaluate our relationship.”
10:00 / wristwatch (233)
Talia removes the link from Susan’s hand very, very gently. The commander - brave though she may be - at this moment looks ready to retreat back to her corner of the couch and that’s not exactly the type of surrender Talia wants right now.
But when the link joins the Psi-Corps badge sitting on the table, both women are distracted.
“Earthforce and the Corps in bed together.” Susan’s voice is flat.
“In name only.” Talia knows the protest is true, even as she herself finds the sight of the symbols together somewhat perverse. “I understand why you wanted me to take the badge off. Right now, this is just about us.”
“Is it? Does my being a member of Earthforce offend you?”
Talia has never really thought about it. She supposes it should, considering it’s the government that’s responsible for the creation of the Corps, and thus indirectly responsible for orphaning her not once, but twice. But unlike most of her contemporaries, it’s the Corps Susan really fears - not telepaths.
“No. It doesn’t offend me.” Talia leans forward to lay a hand against the other woman’s cheek. “I just didn’t want to be disturbed when I-”
But apparently Susan has decided the conversation is over, so Talia revises her method of communication as her lips and tongue lose the shape of words and gain the knowledge of Susan Ivanova’s mouth.
18:00 / afterlife (228)
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Talia turned and pressed a reassuring kiss to Ivanova’s shoulder. “Mathew has friends in high places. I knew Earthforce wouldn’t be able to hold him. I’m just glad that it’s unlikely he’ll reappear here.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t mind seeing him try. Garibaldi’s reserved him his own private airlock.”
Susan’s grin should have been unsettling, but Talia found it’s edges oddly reassuring. She decided to return the favor, and a coin went flying across the room to embed itself in the wall.
“Not exactly helpless myself,” she reminded her lover.
Susan’s considering look expressed the same wary approval she had shown when Talia first showed her the trick several weeks previously.
Without even waiting for the commander to raise an eyebrow toward the damaged wall, Talia used her recently acquired talent to retrieve the coin.
Susan rested her head on Talia’s shoulder. “Do you miss him?” she asked, touching the coin.
“Who, Jason? Sometimes.” Talia sighed. “But I’m glad for him. He’s finally reached a stage where what binds us no longer affects him. No worries about divisions within his species. He’s utterly unique.” She paused for a few moments. “Some days I wish I could just step outside of it all.”
Ivanova studied the new hole in her wall and forced herself not to ask if and when such a day might be expected.
15:00 / unpredictable (157)
Talia gives Susan’s silky purple robe an appreciative once-over. She knows that another might be surprised at the delicateness of the garment. She, however, is not.
She is unsurprised that Susan seems as aggressive and uncompromising in her femininity as she is in everything else she commits herself to. The entirety of the effect before her is probably not due to conscious choice - the commander’s curves, once freed from the confines of her uniform, are difficult to deny - but most of it is just Susan being Susan. Even her body admits no half-measures.
Talia finds this facet of Susan's personality endlessly intriguing. For the only uncertainty regarding her determined nature is where, how, and to what - or who - she’ll commit herself to.
Not that there aren’t the knowns. Her colleagues. Her work.
But the unknowns - that’s where Talia’s hope lies.
She wants to see what it’s like when Susan Ivanova falls in love.
04:00 / insomnia (147)
How far is too far?
Susan had not asked this question of herself in years.
At least, not really. Not with regards to relationships.
She stopped asking the question about physical interactions with lovers long ago.
She had gone as far as she considered possible. And that was pretty far.
She stopped asking it about emotional interactions not that much later.
She had gone as far as she ever wanted to. And that, as she had recently learned, was not that far at all.
So why did she suddenly feel the need to push her own boundaries? Why did she find herself wondering about the hue, heft, and consistency of Ms. Winter’s thoughts?
Only one person had ever entered her mind. Letting another person in would literally be going as far as she could go.
And yet, somehow, the distance between the thought and its realization was becoming increasingly negotiable.