in the arms of sleep
For kleenexcow. Hope you feel better soon!
Title: Hold Me Like a Baby
Characters: Karl Agathon, Sam Anders, Kara Thrace
Time Period:
Summary: When Sam has bad dreams, Karl comforts him.
Sam tried to scream as he was pulled under, but water rushed in and cut off the sound. He desperately reached for one of the fishing nets but it tore under his grasp. A man's voice called his name from far away as his vision narrowed and spun. Was that his father's voice?
He woke up with a gasp, his heart pounding, sweat dripping from his forehead. Karl knelt next to him, concern creasing his gentle face. “Sam? Hey, Sam?”
“Hey,” he croaked. “I'm-I'm okay...” he coughed as he reached out and patted the other man's freckled shoulder. “It's cool.”
“Hang on, buddy,” Karl said. He rose and padded into the bathroom. Sam smirked as he saw Karl's boxers sitting awkwardly, backwardly, on his lanky frame. Kara was snoring in their bed, oblivious and shutting the world out in her slumber. He tucked one of his wife's messy blonde locks behind her ear and pressed a light kiss to her bare shoulder. She made sleepy noises and shifted, the spiraling lines of the starry wing on her arm gleaming blackly in the dim room.
Karl returned, handing a glass of water to Sam, his underwear turned around. “You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”
Sam sat up and drank, the liquid soothing his scratchy throat. “Yeah.”
The younger man sat at the foot of the bed, shoving the pile of ropes from the previous evening onto the floor. One of the dogs nuzzled his toes and he patted her speckled head. “Hey, pretty girl.” He smiled down at her, then smiled wordlessly at Sam.
“I have these dreams sometimes...” Sam started, then stopped. He didn't know how to tell his wife's best friend, their lover, about the trauma that had ushered him into adulthood. Kara knew, of course; she'd had her own horrors, and those stories had unfurled cautiously under the light of love. He didn't know where to start, if to start, so he changed the subject. “Can I make you some tea?”
If Karl sensed the other man's discomfort, it didn't show. “I love tea!” he said happily. “I'll put the water on.”
“Um, Helo...” Sam smiled tiredly, the fog of his terrorized sleep lifting. “Remember the last time you cooked? Why don't you get the cups?”
Karl laughed. “Yeah, probably best not to set anything else on fire by accident,” he replied. “I'll let you be the kitchen god.”
Sam put the water glass on his bedside table and tugged on his boxers, then followed Karl out. In the kitchen, he put the kettle on to boil, then filled his favorite teapot with a mixture of spearmint and ginger and chamomile. Soon enough, the steaming tisane filled the room with its pleasant herbal smell. Sam listened as Karl told stories of his DJ days during Kyros Summerfest on Aquaria, thinking about how the stars must have looked very different in that part of their solar system.
After they'd finished their tea, Sam rinsed out the mugs and left them next to the sink, then patted his leg to call the dogs to follow him back to bed. Bandit nosed Cookie and the two dogs loped down the hall to their cozy nests on the bedroom floor. Sam paused in the doorway and Karl nearly bumped into him. “Hey,” Sam said quietly. “Thanks for talking.”
“Anytime,” Karl answered, his gaze meeting Sam's. “Now, shove Starbuck over and get in the middle of the bed.” Crinkles appeared at the corners of his blue eyes as he grinned. “Time to be little spoon.”
Sam beamed and nudged his wife to the side, tucking the sheets around her. “Baby?” she murmured. “Love you, baby,” he answered, touching her lips. He laid down next to her, his head next to hers on the pillow, leaving enough room for Karl. The younger man folded himself into the big bed, then lifted his arm. Sam turned to face his wife, fitting himself into Karl's embrace. He could feel his friend's muscled chest against his back. As they returned to sleep, Sam counted the steady beats of Karl's heart, giving silent thanks to the universe for this loving safety.
Title: Hold Me Like a Baby
Characters: Karl Agathon, Sam Anders, Kara Thrace
Time Period:
Summary: When Sam has bad dreams, Karl comforts him.
Sam tried to scream as he was pulled under, but water rushed in and cut off the sound. He desperately reached for one of the fishing nets but it tore under his grasp. A man's voice called his name from far away as his vision narrowed and spun. Was that his father's voice?
He woke up with a gasp, his heart pounding, sweat dripping from his forehead. Karl knelt next to him, concern creasing his gentle face. “Sam? Hey, Sam?”
“Hey,” he croaked. “I'm-I'm okay...” he coughed as he reached out and patted the other man's freckled shoulder. “It's cool.”
“Hang on, buddy,” Karl said. He rose and padded into the bathroom. Sam smirked as he saw Karl's boxers sitting awkwardly, backwardly, on his lanky frame. Kara was snoring in their bed, oblivious and shutting the world out in her slumber. He tucked one of his wife's messy blonde locks behind her ear and pressed a light kiss to her bare shoulder. She made sleepy noises and shifted, the spiraling lines of the starry wing on her arm gleaming blackly in the dim room.
Karl returned, handing a glass of water to Sam, his underwear turned around. “You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.”
Sam sat up and drank, the liquid soothing his scratchy throat. “Yeah.”
The younger man sat at the foot of the bed, shoving the pile of ropes from the previous evening onto the floor. One of the dogs nuzzled his toes and he patted her speckled head. “Hey, pretty girl.” He smiled down at her, then smiled wordlessly at Sam.
“I have these dreams sometimes...” Sam started, then stopped. He didn't know how to tell his wife's best friend, their lover, about the trauma that had ushered him into adulthood. Kara knew, of course; she'd had her own horrors, and those stories had unfurled cautiously under the light of love. He didn't know where to start, if to start, so he changed the subject. “Can I make you some tea?”
If Karl sensed the other man's discomfort, it didn't show. “I love tea!” he said happily. “I'll put the water on.”
“Um, Helo...” Sam smiled tiredly, the fog of his terrorized sleep lifting. “Remember the last time you cooked? Why don't you get the cups?”
Karl laughed. “Yeah, probably best not to set anything else on fire by accident,” he replied. “I'll let you be the kitchen god.”
Sam put the water glass on his bedside table and tugged on his boxers, then followed Karl out. In the kitchen, he put the kettle on to boil, then filled his favorite teapot with a mixture of spearmint and ginger and chamomile. Soon enough, the steaming tisane filled the room with its pleasant herbal smell. Sam listened as Karl told stories of his DJ days during Kyros Summerfest on Aquaria, thinking about how the stars must have looked very different in that part of their solar system.
After they'd finished their tea, Sam rinsed out the mugs and left them next to the sink, then patted his leg to call the dogs to follow him back to bed. Bandit nosed Cookie and the two dogs loped down the hall to their cozy nests on the bedroom floor. Sam paused in the doorway and Karl nearly bumped into him. “Hey,” Sam said quietly. “Thanks for talking.”
“Anytime,” Karl answered, his gaze meeting Sam's. “Now, shove Starbuck over and get in the middle of the bed.” Crinkles appeared at the corners of his blue eyes as he grinned. “Time to be little spoon.”
Sam beamed and nudged his wife to the side, tucking the sheets around her. “Baby?” she murmured. “Love you, baby,” he answered, touching her lips. He laid down next to her, his head next to hers on the pillow, leaving enough room for Karl. The younger man folded himself into the big bed, then lifted his arm. Sam turned to face his wife, fitting himself into Karl's embrace. He could feel his friend's muscled chest against his back. As they returned to sleep, Sam counted the steady beats of Karl's heart, giving silent thanks to the universe for this loving safety.