Summer Nights (3/?)
Title: Summer Nights (3/?)
Author: Nytel
Rating: NC-17 (or at least it will be)
Spoilers: Nada. It's a pre-mini AU fic.
Pairing: Kara/Lee
Genre: Romance
Summary: Neither of them had been expecting anything other than a normal summer break.
Word Count: 3,231
Beta:
nebakanezer
Disclaimer: I am merely borrowing them. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 3
Kara didn’t have to wait much longer until she heard the sound of a key in the lock. She pushed herself off of Sam’s couch and practically bounced toward the entrance of his apartment.
“Hey,” she said through a grin as the door opened to reveal her boyfriend.
Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he stopped halfway in, a weird look on his face. “Kara… What are you doing here?”
She felt the smile slide from her face-she’d been expecting a bit more of a warm welcome than this. “I’m surprising you.”
When Sam continued to simply stand there and stare at her, she began to feel uneasy. “Whatever,” she said quietly as she turned to look for her sandals. “I’ll see you later I guess.”
Her words seemed to affect him, because the next thing Kara knew she heard the soft thump of a duffel bag hitting the floor and felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. “Don’t go,” Sam murmured against her neck. She felt a small shiver run up her back from the vibrations of his lips against her skin. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you. That’s all babe.”
“Yeah?” She felt the smile creep back onto her face as she turned around in his arms.
He smiled down at her. “Yep.”
Kara slid one hand up to the back of Sam’s neck, threading her fingers lightly in his hair. She pulled herself flush against him before bringing his head down to meet hers. It was times like this when she wished Sam wasn’t quite so tall; it would make things so much easier.
But soon the thought was erased from her mind, because Sam’s tongue was running along her lips, seeking entrance. She opened her mouth, more than happy to oblige, and her tongue pressed firmly against his.
The next thing she knew Sam was maneuvering the two of them across the room, and in hardly no time at all, Kara found herself naked and pinned between Sam and the couch. Her movements were frantic as she rushed to rid him of his boxers; the only thing left separating them. Sam wasted no time and angled his hips just enough to slip inside her.
Kara let out a small moan of pleasure. Sam began to move against her and her head tilted back as she arched her back, letting herself get lost in the wonderful sensation.
***
Hours later, just as the sun was beginning to set, Kara carefully pulled herself out from under Sam’s arm so as not to wake him. It had taken them two tries to get to the bed, and once they had made it, they hadn’t left.
A smug smile tugged at the corners of Kara’s lips as she sat up and looked over the edge of the bed, trying to spot her clothes. Seeing nothing on the floor at all, she remembered that the garments were scattered somewhere between the door and the couch.
She slipped free of the covers and made her way to Sam’s closet, which she opened as quietly as she could. It made a small squeak, but when she turned her head to look at Sam, he was still sleeping soundly.
Kara pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of training shorts. Once dressed, she headed for the kitchen. Her stomach was growling and she remembered that she hadn’t eaten anything that day other than a nutrient bar before her run.
When she searched the cupboards she only found a few boxes of stale crackers. The fridge didn’t yield any better results.
Staring at the contents of the fridge, Kara tried to figure out if she was really hungry enough to eat mayonnaise on crackers. She nearly jumped when she heard the creak of a floorboard. She looked up to see Sam walking into the kitchen, wearing only a pair of boxers.
“Whatcha doing?” He asked through a yawn as he came to stand behind her.
“You have no food,” she stated, turning her attention back to the fridge.
“I was gone for a month.” He stepped closer to her so that his chest was pressed up against her back. He leaned down to suck lightly on the spot where her neck met shoulder. “Besides,” he whispered. “Who needs food?”
Kara smiled lightly at his words, but still pulled herself free from his grasp. Turning to face him she said, “I do. Maybe they fed you some fancy ass food on your flight, but I’m starving.”
Sam groaned as he ran one hand through his sweat-dried hair. “Fine,” he relented. “We can go grab a pizza, but then we’re coming back here.”
Kara’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?” She asked, bristling at his tone. She had to fight the urge to fold her arms in front of her chest.
“You know I didn’t mean it like that, Kara,” he stated firmly.
When she didn’t say anything, and continued to stare at him, his expression softened. “Look, I’m sorry.” He stepped forward and placed his hands lightly on her upper arms. “It’s just that I start training again the day after tomorrow, and I want to spend as much time with you as I can before life gets crazy.”
She nodded and let him pull her into a hug, but something felt off. It wasn’t anything that she could place specifically, but the feeling was there.
***
Sometime that day, Lee and Michael decided that they would spend the evening hanging out and watching movies. In all honesty, Lee couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that, though it had probably been with Zak. It made him regret not going home, just a little. He and Zak had always been fairly close, but ever since Lee had gone to college, and then to the Academy, they’d found less and less time to do things together.
“You seen this one?” Michael asked as he picked up a movie from the shelf at the rental store.
Lee read the title. “No.”
Michael turned and gave him an odd look. “Have you seen any movies?”
Lee shrugged. “I told you, I’ve been busy all semester at the Academy.”
“But that busy?” Michael didn’t wait for an answer. He picked up another movie and held it up. Lee shook his head, not recognizing the title of that one either. “That’s just sad, man.”
“Oh, and you weren’t busy?”
Michael added the two movies in his hand to another that he’d given Lee earlier. “Of course I was, but I still found time to do stuff that wasn’t related to school.” They started to walk towards the checkout. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Kara had the time to do a lot of crap. First year at the Academy can’t be that trying.”
“It is,” Lee said through half-gritted teeth. “And maybe Kara did have a lot of free time, but how do you know she didn’t do badly in her first year?”
They reached the line for the checkout and Michael reached into the pocket of his shorts for his wallet. “I thought I remembered Dad saying that she was doing well, but hey, maybe you’re right. I have no idea.”
Michael paid for the movies, and they left the building. The Delphi sidewalks were packed, not that it surprised Lee at all. Caprican summers, especially those close to the capital city region, were known for their almost unbearably hot days. It made sense that people would come out later when things were starting to cool down at least a little bit.
They walked south, heading for the pizzeria that was only two blocks down from the movie store. All they needed to do was pick up the pizza that they had already ordered and paid for, and then they were heading back to the acreage.
When they got close, Lee caught a glimpse inside-it was packed.
“What the hell?” Michael exclaimed when he saw the crowd too. “I know that this is a popular place, but I’ve never seen it this busy.” It looked like a single person would barely be able to squeeze through to the counter. “I’ll go,” he said, turning to look at Lee. “It’s probably safer.”
Lee laughed. “Okay, I’ll wait out here.”
Michael left Lee waiting by the door. For a few minutes Lee just stood there and watched the people walking by. He hadn’t been expecting to see Kara, but when he caught a glimpse of short blonde hair out of the corner of his eye and turned to look, there she was, walking towards him with a case of beer in hand.
While he was busy staring, she must have seen him, because she met his gaze and quirked her lips-it wasn’t a smile, but it was a look of acknowledgement. Lee smiled at her.
“Hey,” she said when she got close enough, stopping beside him.
“Hey.” He looked at her for a second-she looked good, really good. “So, uh… I thought you were at your boyfriend’s or something.”
She nodded. “Yeah, but he has no food at his place,” she said as she inclined her head towards the pizzeria. “What are you doing here, and why don’t I see my brother anywhere?”
“He’s in there,” Lee explained, pointing towards the door.
Kara snorted. “Hope he has fun trying to get through the crowd.”
“It’s pretty busy,” Lee commented casually.
Kara sighed. “It’s just my luck that Sam and I picked the pizza place that’s hosting the year end party for a high school pyramid team.”
Lee gave her a questioning look.
“He’s in there somewhere,” she explained, a hint of something creeping into her voice. “Probably right in the frakking middle.”
Lee felt a sudden surge of sympathy for her. She had seemed so excited before she left to go meet Sam, and only hours later he appeared to be ignoring her for some stupid pyramid fans.
They both turned to look at the door of the shop when it opened, tiny bells above the entrance ringing. A tall man with somewhat messy hair emerged sporting a stupid grin. Kara turned and looked at him.
He leaned down and kissed Kara on the cheek. If Lee hadn’t been watching so closely he wouldn’t have noticed the slight tensing of her body.
“Sorry about that babe,” Sam said as he handed Kara the pizza box he’d come out with. “But you know how it is. Autographs to sign and all that.”
“No, I don’t know how it is,” she replied sharply as she pushed the pizza box back into Sam’s hands. “Let’s just go, okay?”
Lee watched as Sam gave her a funny look, almost like he didn’t understand why she was mad. “Okay, fine.” He glanced at Lee, before turning back to look at Kara. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sam, Lee. Lee, Sam.”
“Nice to meet you,” Sam said happily, holding out his hand.
Not wanting to seem rude, Lee shook it. “You too.”
“Lee’s a friend of Michael’s. He’s staying at our place for the summer.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Uh huh,” Kara said, not seeming at all enthused. “We should probably go before the pizza gets cold.”
Sam smiled. “Or before more people ask for my autograph.”
Lee thought he saw a glimpse of sadness highlight Kara’s features, but only for a moment. “Yeah, that too,” she said blandly. She turned to look at Lee. “I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you later.”
She gave him an almost smile before walking away, and Lee nearly cursed himself when he felt his stomach do a small flip.
***
The next afternoon, Lee was in the kitchen of the Thrace house frying bacon when he heard the back door open. He gave Kara a smile when she walked out of the boot room and into the kitchen.
“Oh Gods, that smells good,” she said as she plopped herself down in one of the chairs at the table. “Where’s Michael?”
“Still sleeping. Do you want one?” Lee asked as he turned to look at her.
“One what?”
“B.L.T.”
She grinned and nodded. “Yeah, I’m starving.”
Lee turned back to the stove and flipped the bacon one last time before turning off the burner and leaving it to finish cooking. After digging out what he needed from the fridge he said, “So Sam really doesn’t have any food in his apartment.” He tried his best to keep his voice light.
Kara groaned. “Nothing.”
Lee quickly made the sandwiches, and as he was reaching into the cupboard to grab two plates he heard, “I don’t want a plate.” So he pulled out only one, and walked over to the table.
Kara took her sandwich from his outstretched hand and didn’t wait for even a second before taking her first bite. “This is good,” she stated around a mouthful of food.
Lee held back a laugh as he sat down across from her and took a bite of his own sandwich. She was right; it wasn’t too bad. When he was only half way done with his sandwich, Kara was finishing hers.
“Thanks,” she said before swallowing the last bit.
“No problem.”
When Kara didn’t leave, and instead just sat there staring at him, Lee began to feel slightly uncomfortable. “So,” he said breaking the silence. “You just finished your first year at the Academy, right?”
“Yep.”
A few more moments of silence until, “Michael only told me yesterday.”
Kara rolled her eyes, but Lee was pretty sure it wasn’t at him. “Yeah, he doesn’t find it that important to share information. You’re at the Academy too.”
It didn’t really sound like a question, but Lee nodded anyway. Suddenly he realized that he knew hardly anything about her. It seemed stupid given that they’d be spending the entire summer living under the same roof. Maybe he could change that. “So you’re a viper pilot.”
Kara nodded. “Yeah, it’s great.”
Lee smiled back when he saw the look on her face. Only another viper pilot could truly understand how great it was. “It is.”
Kara stared at him for a few seconds before asking, “So, what’s your callsign?”
Lee groaned. “You have to promise not to laugh.” If there was one thing he could have changed about his first year, it would be his callsign. Not only was it embarrassing, but it also made it also made him seem like he was perfect, something that he most definitely was not.
Kara raised one eyebrow. “I’m not promising anything.”
“Fair enough.” Lee sighed. “Apollo.”
He wasn’t greeted with the laughter he’d been expecting, but instead by a shocked look on Kara’s face. “You’re Apollo?” She asked incredulously, while looking like she was trying to hold back a smile.
He nodded, trying to figure out her reaction. “Yeah.”
Then she laughed. “So you’re the one who keeps trying to beat my sim records.”
Lee felt his jaw drop open slightly as he thought back to the electronic top score board that was hung on the wall of the Picon sim room. Every week it was updated with the top scores from all of the first year pilots. Since each of the colonies’ had its own division of the Academy, it meant that only about one twelfth of the names on the board were familiar to any one pilot. However, that didn’t lessen the shock any. “Wait… You’re Starbuck?!”
She grinned wickedly. “The one and only.”
Lee’s mind was still reeling over the information. “I can’t believe it.”
“What, that I’m a good pilot? Or that I’m a woman?” She questioned defensively.
“No,” Lee said quickly, not sure why she was jumping to those conclusions. “It’s just out of all the pilots in the Academy, my best friend’s sister turns out to be the one who’s my unknown rival.”
Her grin was back. “I guess I’m not unknown anymore.” With that she stood up and headed for the living room, leaving Lee thinking about what he’d just learned.
Not only was Kara a viper pilot, she was the best first year pilot in the Academy, out of all twelve colonies. Lee sighed as he leaned back in his chair-so much for leaving behind anything and everything military. But as he watched her leave the kitchen he couldn’t help but smirk a little-maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
***
Kara woke up to the harsh beeping of her alarm clock. She slammed it off and got out of bed. She didn’t like getting up early, but it was the only time she could run in the summer without risking heat exhaustion.
She half wondered if Sam was up yet. He would be starting training with the team again today, which was why she was in her own bed in the first place. He hadn’t wanted to get ‘distracted’, or so he’d said, so she’d come home yesterday afternoon.
As she changed into a sports bra and pair of running shorts her mind drifted back to the previous afternoon. She smiled. So Lee was Apollo. And laugh at his callsign? She wanted to roll her eyes. She was pretty damn sure she knew why it was his callsign, and it wasn’t so much funny as fitting.
After finding her knee brace and putting it on, Kara made her way downstairs, trying to be at least somewhat quiet. When she made it to the boot room, she nearly jumped when she saw that she wasn’t the only one awake. Lee was just finishing tying up his running shoes.
“You run?” she asked, half-whispering while she grabbed her own shoes from the floor.
Lee looked a little surprised to see her, but to his credit he didn’t jump. “Yeah. You too?”
She nodded as she finished with her last shoe. “Where are you going?” She bit her tongue right after the words left her mouth. Why the hell was she asking him? She didn’t care.
Lee shrugged. “Just down the road.”
“Well, that’s boring.” Kara eyed him for a second. He looked like he could probably keep up… “Come on,” she said, moving past him and opening the door. “I’ll show you the trails.”
***
Lee followed Kara, barely managing to keep up with her grueling pace. He had to admit; it was better than running down a gravel road and back. Kara’s route took them through the trees by her house, and into what he suspected was their neighbor’s property, though he could be wrong as he had no idea how much land they owned.
Eventually they were heading back in the direction of the house. Kara seemed to push on a bit harder, and Lee matched her pace. His sides were heaving and he could hear her breathing just as heavily. He probably could have caught up with her, but it was a narrow path, and it didn’t hurt that he was thoroughly enjoying the view.
Lee thought the trees might be beginning to thin, and he was pretty sure he could see a field where they ended.
Kara looked over her shoulder at him, not breaking stride. “Race you to the field.” Not waiting for an answer she took off.
Lee found himself grinning as he sprinted after her, determination fueling his steps.
TBC
Previous Chapters
Author: Nytel
Rating: NC-17 (or at least it will be)
Spoilers: Nada. It's a pre-mini AU fic.
Pairing: Kara/Lee
Genre: Romance
Summary: Neither of them had been expecting anything other than a normal summer break.
Word Count: 3,231
Beta:
nebakanezer
Disclaimer: I am merely borrowing them. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter 3
Kara didn’t have to wait much longer until she heard the sound of a key in the lock. She pushed herself off of Sam’s couch and practically bounced toward the entrance of his apartment.
“Hey,” she said through a grin as the door opened to reveal her boyfriend.
Sam’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he stopped halfway in, a weird look on his face. “Kara… What are you doing here?”
She felt the smile slide from her face-she’d been expecting a bit more of a warm welcome than this. “I’m surprising you.”
When Sam continued to simply stand there and stare at her, she began to feel uneasy. “Whatever,” she said quietly as she turned to look for her sandals. “I’ll see you later I guess.”
Her words seemed to affect him, because the next thing Kara knew she heard the soft thump of a duffel bag hitting the floor and felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her waist from behind. “Don’t go,” Sam murmured against her neck. She felt a small shiver run up her back from the vibrations of his lips against her skin. “I just wasn’t expecting to see you. That’s all babe.”
“Yeah?” She felt the smile creep back onto her face as she turned around in his arms.
He smiled down at her. “Yep.”
Kara slid one hand up to the back of Sam’s neck, threading her fingers lightly in his hair. She pulled herself flush against him before bringing his head down to meet hers. It was times like this when she wished Sam wasn’t quite so tall; it would make things so much easier.
But soon the thought was erased from her mind, because Sam’s tongue was running along her lips, seeking entrance. She opened her mouth, more than happy to oblige, and her tongue pressed firmly against his.
The next thing she knew Sam was maneuvering the two of them across the room, and in hardly no time at all, Kara found herself naked and pinned between Sam and the couch. Her movements were frantic as she rushed to rid him of his boxers; the only thing left separating them. Sam wasted no time and angled his hips just enough to slip inside her.
Kara let out a small moan of pleasure. Sam began to move against her and her head tilted back as she arched her back, letting herself get lost in the wonderful sensation.
***
Hours later, just as the sun was beginning to set, Kara carefully pulled herself out from under Sam’s arm so as not to wake him. It had taken them two tries to get to the bed, and once they had made it, they hadn’t left.
A smug smile tugged at the corners of Kara’s lips as she sat up and looked over the edge of the bed, trying to spot her clothes. Seeing nothing on the floor at all, she remembered that the garments were scattered somewhere between the door and the couch.
She slipped free of the covers and made her way to Sam’s closet, which she opened as quietly as she could. It made a small squeak, but when she turned her head to look at Sam, he was still sleeping soundly.
Kara pulled out a T-shirt and a pair of training shorts. Once dressed, she headed for the kitchen. Her stomach was growling and she remembered that she hadn’t eaten anything that day other than a nutrient bar before her run.
When she searched the cupboards she only found a few boxes of stale crackers. The fridge didn’t yield any better results.
Staring at the contents of the fridge, Kara tried to figure out if she was really hungry enough to eat mayonnaise on crackers. She nearly jumped when she heard the creak of a floorboard. She looked up to see Sam walking into the kitchen, wearing only a pair of boxers.
“Whatcha doing?” He asked through a yawn as he came to stand behind her.
“You have no food,” she stated, turning her attention back to the fridge.
“I was gone for a month.” He stepped closer to her so that his chest was pressed up against her back. He leaned down to suck lightly on the spot where her neck met shoulder. “Besides,” he whispered. “Who needs food?”
Kara smiled lightly at his words, but still pulled herself free from his grasp. Turning to face him she said, “I do. Maybe they fed you some fancy ass food on your flight, but I’m starving.”
Sam groaned as he ran one hand through his sweat-dried hair. “Fine,” he relented. “We can go grab a pizza, but then we’re coming back here.”
Kara’s eyebrows shot up. “Excuse me?” She asked, bristling at his tone. She had to fight the urge to fold her arms in front of her chest.
“You know I didn’t mean it like that, Kara,” he stated firmly.
When she didn’t say anything, and continued to stare at him, his expression softened. “Look, I’m sorry.” He stepped forward and placed his hands lightly on her upper arms. “It’s just that I start training again the day after tomorrow, and I want to spend as much time with you as I can before life gets crazy.”
She nodded and let him pull her into a hug, but something felt off. It wasn’t anything that she could place specifically, but the feeling was there.
***
Sometime that day, Lee and Michael decided that they would spend the evening hanging out and watching movies. In all honesty, Lee couldn’t remember the last time he’d done that, though it had probably been with Zak. It made him regret not going home, just a little. He and Zak had always been fairly close, but ever since Lee had gone to college, and then to the Academy, they’d found less and less time to do things together.
“You seen this one?” Michael asked as he picked up a movie from the shelf at the rental store.
Lee read the title. “No.”
Michael turned and gave him an odd look. “Have you seen any movies?”
Lee shrugged. “I told you, I’ve been busy all semester at the Academy.”
“But that busy?” Michael didn’t wait for an answer. He picked up another movie and held it up. Lee shook his head, not recognizing the title of that one either. “That’s just sad, man.”
“Oh, and you weren’t busy?”
Michael added the two movies in his hand to another that he’d given Lee earlier. “Of course I was, but I still found time to do stuff that wasn’t related to school.” They started to walk towards the checkout. “Besides, I’m pretty sure Kara had the time to do a lot of crap. First year at the Academy can’t be that trying.”
“It is,” Lee said through half-gritted teeth. “And maybe Kara did have a lot of free time, but how do you know she didn’t do badly in her first year?”
They reached the line for the checkout and Michael reached into the pocket of his shorts for his wallet. “I thought I remembered Dad saying that she was doing well, but hey, maybe you’re right. I have no idea.”
Michael paid for the movies, and they left the building. The Delphi sidewalks were packed, not that it surprised Lee at all. Caprican summers, especially those close to the capital city region, were known for their almost unbearably hot days. It made sense that people would come out later when things were starting to cool down at least a little bit.
They walked south, heading for the pizzeria that was only two blocks down from the movie store. All they needed to do was pick up the pizza that they had already ordered and paid for, and then they were heading back to the acreage.
When they got close, Lee caught a glimpse inside-it was packed.
“What the hell?” Michael exclaimed when he saw the crowd too. “I know that this is a popular place, but I’ve never seen it this busy.” It looked like a single person would barely be able to squeeze through to the counter. “I’ll go,” he said, turning to look at Lee. “It’s probably safer.”
Lee laughed. “Okay, I’ll wait out here.”
Michael left Lee waiting by the door. For a few minutes Lee just stood there and watched the people walking by. He hadn’t been expecting to see Kara, but when he caught a glimpse of short blonde hair out of the corner of his eye and turned to look, there she was, walking towards him with a case of beer in hand.
While he was busy staring, she must have seen him, because she met his gaze and quirked her lips-it wasn’t a smile, but it was a look of acknowledgement. Lee smiled at her.
“Hey,” she said when she got close enough, stopping beside him.
“Hey.” He looked at her for a second-she looked good, really good. “So, uh… I thought you were at your boyfriend’s or something.”
She nodded. “Yeah, but he has no food at his place,” she said as she inclined her head towards the pizzeria. “What are you doing here, and why don’t I see my brother anywhere?”
“He’s in there,” Lee explained, pointing towards the door.
Kara snorted. “Hope he has fun trying to get through the crowd.”
“It’s pretty busy,” Lee commented casually.
Kara sighed. “It’s just my luck that Sam and I picked the pizza place that’s hosting the year end party for a high school pyramid team.”
Lee gave her a questioning look.
“He’s in there somewhere,” she explained, a hint of something creeping into her voice. “Probably right in the frakking middle.”
Lee felt a sudden surge of sympathy for her. She had seemed so excited before she left to go meet Sam, and only hours later he appeared to be ignoring her for some stupid pyramid fans.
They both turned to look at the door of the shop when it opened, tiny bells above the entrance ringing. A tall man with somewhat messy hair emerged sporting a stupid grin. Kara turned and looked at him.
He leaned down and kissed Kara on the cheek. If Lee hadn’t been watching so closely he wouldn’t have noticed the slight tensing of her body.
“Sorry about that babe,” Sam said as he handed Kara the pizza box he’d come out with. “But you know how it is. Autographs to sign and all that.”
“No, I don’t know how it is,” she replied sharply as she pushed the pizza box back into Sam’s hands. “Let’s just go, okay?”
Lee watched as Sam gave her a funny look, almost like he didn’t understand why she was mad. “Okay, fine.” He glanced at Lee, before turning back to look at Kara. “Aren’t you going to introduce me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Sam, Lee. Lee, Sam.”
“Nice to meet you,” Sam said happily, holding out his hand.
Not wanting to seem rude, Lee shook it. “You too.”
“Lee’s a friend of Michael’s. He’s staying at our place for the summer.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Uh huh,” Kara said, not seeming at all enthused. “We should probably go before the pizza gets cold.”
Sam smiled. “Or before more people ask for my autograph.”
Lee thought he saw a glimpse of sadness highlight Kara’s features, but only for a moment. “Yeah, that too,” she said blandly. She turned to look at Lee. “I’ll see you around.”
“Yeah, I’ll see you later.”
She gave him an almost smile before walking away, and Lee nearly cursed himself when he felt his stomach do a small flip.
***
The next afternoon, Lee was in the kitchen of the Thrace house frying bacon when he heard the back door open. He gave Kara a smile when she walked out of the boot room and into the kitchen.
“Oh Gods, that smells good,” she said as she plopped herself down in one of the chairs at the table. “Where’s Michael?”
“Still sleeping. Do you want one?” Lee asked as he turned to look at her.
“One what?”
“B.L.T.”
She grinned and nodded. “Yeah, I’m starving.”
Lee turned back to the stove and flipped the bacon one last time before turning off the burner and leaving it to finish cooking. After digging out what he needed from the fridge he said, “So Sam really doesn’t have any food in his apartment.” He tried his best to keep his voice light.
Kara groaned. “Nothing.”
Lee quickly made the sandwiches, and as he was reaching into the cupboard to grab two plates he heard, “I don’t want a plate.” So he pulled out only one, and walked over to the table.
Kara took her sandwich from his outstretched hand and didn’t wait for even a second before taking her first bite. “This is good,” she stated around a mouthful of food.
Lee held back a laugh as he sat down across from her and took a bite of his own sandwich. She was right; it wasn’t too bad. When he was only half way done with his sandwich, Kara was finishing hers.
“Thanks,” she said before swallowing the last bit.
“No problem.”
When Kara didn’t leave, and instead just sat there staring at him, Lee began to feel slightly uncomfortable. “So,” he said breaking the silence. “You just finished your first year at the Academy, right?”
“Yep.”
A few more moments of silence until, “Michael only told me yesterday.”
Kara rolled her eyes, but Lee was pretty sure it wasn’t at him. “Yeah, he doesn’t find it that important to share information. You’re at the Academy too.”
It didn’t really sound like a question, but Lee nodded anyway. Suddenly he realized that he knew hardly anything about her. It seemed stupid given that they’d be spending the entire summer living under the same roof. Maybe he could change that. “So you’re a viper pilot.”
Kara nodded. “Yeah, it’s great.”
Lee smiled back when he saw the look on her face. Only another viper pilot could truly understand how great it was. “It is.”
Kara stared at him for a few seconds before asking, “So, what’s your callsign?”
Lee groaned. “You have to promise not to laugh.” If there was one thing he could have changed about his first year, it would be his callsign. Not only was it embarrassing, but it also made it also made him seem like he was perfect, something that he most definitely was not.
Kara raised one eyebrow. “I’m not promising anything.”
“Fair enough.” Lee sighed. “Apollo.”
He wasn’t greeted with the laughter he’d been expecting, but instead by a shocked look on Kara’s face. “You’re Apollo?” She asked incredulously, while looking like she was trying to hold back a smile.
He nodded, trying to figure out her reaction. “Yeah.”
Then she laughed. “So you’re the one who keeps trying to beat my sim records.”
Lee felt his jaw drop open slightly as he thought back to the electronic top score board that was hung on the wall of the Picon sim room. Every week it was updated with the top scores from all of the first year pilots. Since each of the colonies’ had its own division of the Academy, it meant that only about one twelfth of the names on the board were familiar to any one pilot. However, that didn’t lessen the shock any. “Wait… You’re Starbuck?!”
She grinned wickedly. “The one and only.”
Lee’s mind was still reeling over the information. “I can’t believe it.”
“What, that I’m a good pilot? Or that I’m a woman?” She questioned defensively.
“No,” Lee said quickly, not sure why she was jumping to those conclusions. “It’s just out of all the pilots in the Academy, my best friend’s sister turns out to be the one who’s my unknown rival.”
Her grin was back. “I guess I’m not unknown anymore.” With that she stood up and headed for the living room, leaving Lee thinking about what he’d just learned.
Not only was Kara a viper pilot, she was the best first year pilot in the Academy, out of all twelve colonies. Lee sighed as he leaned back in his chair-so much for leaving behind anything and everything military. But as he watched her leave the kitchen he couldn’t help but smirk a little-maybe it wouldn’t be so bad.
***
Kara woke up to the harsh beeping of her alarm clock. She slammed it off and got out of bed. She didn’t like getting up early, but it was the only time she could run in the summer without risking heat exhaustion.
She half wondered if Sam was up yet. He would be starting training with the team again today, which was why she was in her own bed in the first place. He hadn’t wanted to get ‘distracted’, or so he’d said, so she’d come home yesterday afternoon.
As she changed into a sports bra and pair of running shorts her mind drifted back to the previous afternoon. She smiled. So Lee was Apollo. And laugh at his callsign? She wanted to roll her eyes. She was pretty damn sure she knew why it was his callsign, and it wasn’t so much funny as fitting.
After finding her knee brace and putting it on, Kara made her way downstairs, trying to be at least somewhat quiet. When she made it to the boot room, she nearly jumped when she saw that she wasn’t the only one awake. Lee was just finishing tying up his running shoes.
“You run?” she asked, half-whispering while she grabbed her own shoes from the floor.
Lee looked a little surprised to see her, but to his credit he didn’t jump. “Yeah. You too?”
She nodded as she finished with her last shoe. “Where are you going?” She bit her tongue right after the words left her mouth. Why the hell was she asking him? She didn’t care.
Lee shrugged. “Just down the road.”
“Well, that’s boring.” Kara eyed him for a second. He looked like he could probably keep up… “Come on,” she said, moving past him and opening the door. “I’ll show you the trails.”
***
Lee followed Kara, barely managing to keep up with her grueling pace. He had to admit; it was better than running down a gravel road and back. Kara’s route took them through the trees by her house, and into what he suspected was their neighbor’s property, though he could be wrong as he had no idea how much land they owned.
Eventually they were heading back in the direction of the house. Kara seemed to push on a bit harder, and Lee matched her pace. His sides were heaving and he could hear her breathing just as heavily. He probably could have caught up with her, but it was a narrow path, and it didn’t hurt that he was thoroughly enjoying the view.
Lee thought the trees might be beginning to thin, and he was pretty sure he could see a field where they ended.
Kara looked over her shoulder at him, not breaking stride. “Race you to the field.” Not waiting for an answer she took off.
Lee found himself grinning as he sprinted after her, determination fueling his steps.
TBC
Previous Chapters