Trapped
Title: "Trapped"
Author: PrettySirenx
Rating: PG-13
Genre: fluff, slight humor, romance, slight smut
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Don't own SGU.
A/N: This is for aleysiasnape's "trapped" prompt.
__________________________________
Rush banged his fist against the console. His cheeks were colored by stress and heat. He ran his fingers through his hair; his other hand went to his chin, stroking it pensively.
“There’s nothing else for it,” he said to Brody and Eli. “I’m going to have to reset it manually.”
His eyes fell to Chloe, who leaned against the wall in the corner. She was only there because she was waiting for Eli to be done with his shift. And, for the past half-hour, she’d been keenly distracted by the new “candy” she’d discovered (a strip of bark from an alien tree which tasted like honey); she had no clue why six eyes -- but most acutely Rush’s -- were staring at her.
“Will you accompany me, Miss Armstrong?” he asked.
She blinked. Her eyes clearly asked the question: “Me?” ; he added to explain, “I need someone to hold the torch.”
They walked side-by-side in silence as they made their way to the far-flung, uninhabited regions of the ship. Finally, they reached their destination: a sealed-off door. Rush opened it with ease, and they walked inside and into the darkness.
“Where are we?” Chloe asked, turning on the flashlight.
“We’re fairly certain this room acts as the main power hub for this part of the ship. For some reason, we can’t connect to it remotely,” he explained; she nodded solemnly, pretending to understand the significance of the situation.
The room did look somewhat technical, as far as Chloe could tell through the dim light. Its design was still elegant, though; the Ancients had mastered both the science of function and the art of form. (And that alone was evidence of their striking superiority.)
“Can you bring the light closer?” Rush asked; Chloe obliged, shinning the flashlight over his shoulder.
He’d torn off the panel of one of the consoles, imbedding his hand deeply in the tangled mass of dry-rotted insulation, wires, and cables. Chloe jumped when she heard a sharp crack.
“Bleeding hell!” Rush groaned, withdrawing his hand quickly; he’d been shocked.
“Are you alright?” Chloe asked, taking his hand in hers for examination: his fingertips were red and slightly singed; he was lucky. She brought his fingers to her lips and kissed them softly. And then she dropped his hand quickly; her cheeks reddened as she realized he wasn’t a baby like Scott or Eli: he was a grown man -- a grown man who was probably confused by her bizarrely tender response.
“You should be more careful,” she said firmly and evenly.
“There’s an exposed wire,” he said; his voice was higher and softer than usual. He guided her hand to where he wanted the flashlight to be; she trembled slightly at his touch, and bit her lip as she watch him repair the damage.
He worked quickly; it wasn’t long before the console flickered to life, casting the room in its dim, blue light. Chloe smiled, relieved that they were finished. But she smiled too soon. Everything went dark once more. Rush cursed again; she felt his arm brush her as he searched for something.
“Damn it,” he muttered. “I left my radio back in the lab.”
Chloe furrowed her brow, trying to understand the significance of this new development.
“The wiring in here needs proper repairs with proper tools I currently don’t have. The last fuckup shorted out the door, which means we’re going to have to rely on Mr. Wallace and Mr. Brody to have the sense to eventually come look for us.”
Chloe didn’t have a good feeling about their chances. But, at the same time, she didn’t really have anywhere else to be. Granted, there wasn’t a lot to be done in the dark. She sat down on the cold floor. He paced for a moment, but eventually joined her when it was apparent their rescuers weren’t coming anytime soon.
“It’s cold in here,” she said, breaking the silence.
“Climate control isn’t a priority in this part of the ship.”
More silence. It made her nervous. She felt like she should be saying things, but everything she thought of to say sounded so dumb in her head, she wouldn’t dare spit the words out. Nicholas Rush was a serious man. He could care less about what Dr. Park did in the mess or what kind of plants Dr. Inman has growing in hydroponics. He cared about science -- something she knew little about; however, she knew she could stand to know a bit more.
“What will happen when you do get this hub working?” she asked. “What will it be used for?”
“It would be nice to set up an auxiliary command station in this part of the ship, should we ever become compromised again. But there are other tactical and practical uses, of course. We’ve been needing more space for awhile now -- especially since people have started breeding.”
Chloe laughed.
“You mean T.J. and Young?” she asked. “I think it’s -- it’s sweet. I mean, as long as we’re stuck out here, why not? Besides, she really loves him. That’s what’s important, right?”
Rush gave a humorless laugh. “I feel sorry for her,” he said. “I think she doesn’t see how complicated he is -- or dangerous.”
“She’s so in love she doesn’t care.”
Chloe felt funny. The words tumbled out of her mouth a little too effortlessly, and it made her blush. She could just make out his eyes penetrating through the darkness. She looked down; embarrassed for she felt compelled to add, “Is that wrong?”
“Love is never wrong,” he said quickly. “Nor is it ever right. It just is.”
She couldn’t argue with that notion, but she pondered doing so -- just so she could readily have something else to say to him to combat the impending silence. She liked speaking with him -- she liked hearing his voice. He was comfort in the cold darkness -- and not just the cold darkness of that room, but the cold darkness of space. It was strange, but this rough and tumble Scotsman made her feel safer than she ever thought she could possibly feel. She was more than comfortable to spend an indefinite amount of time with him, trapped in a forgotten room.
He wouldn’t speak first. It wasn’t his style. He was stubborn like that. And she knew he knew she couldn’t stay quiet too long.
“Why did you ask me to come with you?”
That question certainly caught him off-guard; somehow, the silence in the room managed to grow more silent and Chloe felt like crickets should be chirping any moment. Still, she didn’t regret asking it, because she wanted to know.
“You’re not Eli.”
“I find general truths irritating,” she replied curtly.
“You’re Chloe.”
“Well, at least you’re getting slightly more specific, though that still falls under the general category of things about me.”
“You were there.”
Was he teasing her?
“You’re being an ass,” she said, nudging his leg with her foot.
He laughed.
“Those are some of the reasons -- of which there are more than just a few,” he said. “And many of those reasons have to do with the fact I don’t mind being trapped here with you.”
She nudged him again.
“You planned it?”
“I didn’t plan it,” he said. “I knew it would be likely.”
She rose up on her knees and wrapped him playfully on the arm.
“You’re such a dweeb!”
“But I’m a charming one,” he said as he caught her arms and pulled her into his lap. “And I’m ninety-nine percent sure I’m going to kiss you right now. That is, if you don’t slap me. Though, if you did, I’d be tempted to kiss you even harder.”
But she beat him to the punch. She’d been wondering what his lips tasted like for a long time, and she refused to wait any longer to find out. He pulled her into him harder and she could feel his bulge rise, she could feel it against her own pants, and the sensation made her feel more alive than she’d ever felt on that broken-down ship. She wondered feverishly if they’d be able to have sex before being rescued from this wonderful bliss.
She didn’t have to wonder long, though. The door made a hissing sound and they jumped apart; she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back into place.
“Everything alright?” Eli asked, pointing a flashlight right into their eyes. They sat there two feet apart from one another, staring back at him with great annoyance.
“Peachy,” Chloe said as he pulled her to her feet. She gave one last, longing look over her shoulder at Rush. He looked as though the moment hadn’t happened, but she knew it did -- she wasn’t crazy or dreaming. And she’d make sure they continued where they left off later that night.
Author: PrettySirenx
Rating: PG-13
Genre: fluff, slight humor, romance, slight smut
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Don't own SGU.
A/N: This is for aleysiasnape's "trapped" prompt.
__________________________________
Rush banged his fist against the console. His cheeks were colored by stress and heat. He ran his fingers through his hair; his other hand went to his chin, stroking it pensively.
“There’s nothing else for it,” he said to Brody and Eli. “I’m going to have to reset it manually.”
His eyes fell to Chloe, who leaned against the wall in the corner. She was only there because she was waiting for Eli to be done with his shift. And, for the past half-hour, she’d been keenly distracted by the new “candy” she’d discovered (a strip of bark from an alien tree which tasted like honey); she had no clue why six eyes -- but most acutely Rush’s -- were staring at her.
“Will you accompany me, Miss Armstrong?” he asked.
She blinked. Her eyes clearly asked the question: “Me?” ; he added to explain, “I need someone to hold the torch.”
They walked side-by-side in silence as they made their way to the far-flung, uninhabited regions of the ship. Finally, they reached their destination: a sealed-off door. Rush opened it with ease, and they walked inside and into the darkness.
“Where are we?” Chloe asked, turning on the flashlight.
“We’re fairly certain this room acts as the main power hub for this part of the ship. For some reason, we can’t connect to it remotely,” he explained; she nodded solemnly, pretending to understand the significance of the situation.
The room did look somewhat technical, as far as Chloe could tell through the dim light. Its design was still elegant, though; the Ancients had mastered both the science of function and the art of form. (And that alone was evidence of their striking superiority.)
“Can you bring the light closer?” Rush asked; Chloe obliged, shinning the flashlight over his shoulder.
He’d torn off the panel of one of the consoles, imbedding his hand deeply in the tangled mass of dry-rotted insulation, wires, and cables. Chloe jumped when she heard a sharp crack.
“Bleeding hell!” Rush groaned, withdrawing his hand quickly; he’d been shocked.
“Are you alright?” Chloe asked, taking his hand in hers for examination: his fingertips were red and slightly singed; he was lucky. She brought his fingers to her lips and kissed them softly. And then she dropped his hand quickly; her cheeks reddened as she realized he wasn’t a baby like Scott or Eli: he was a grown man -- a grown man who was probably confused by her bizarrely tender response.
“You should be more careful,” she said firmly and evenly.
“There’s an exposed wire,” he said; his voice was higher and softer than usual. He guided her hand to where he wanted the flashlight to be; she trembled slightly at his touch, and bit her lip as she watch him repair the damage.
He worked quickly; it wasn’t long before the console flickered to life, casting the room in its dim, blue light. Chloe smiled, relieved that they were finished. But she smiled too soon. Everything went dark once more. Rush cursed again; she felt his arm brush her as he searched for something.
“Damn it,” he muttered. “I left my radio back in the lab.”
Chloe furrowed her brow, trying to understand the significance of this new development.
“The wiring in here needs proper repairs with proper tools I currently don’t have. The last fuckup shorted out the door, which means we’re going to have to rely on Mr. Wallace and Mr. Brody to have the sense to eventually come look for us.”
Chloe didn’t have a good feeling about their chances. But, at the same time, she didn’t really have anywhere else to be. Granted, there wasn’t a lot to be done in the dark. She sat down on the cold floor. He paced for a moment, but eventually joined her when it was apparent their rescuers weren’t coming anytime soon.
“It’s cold in here,” she said, breaking the silence.
“Climate control isn’t a priority in this part of the ship.”
More silence. It made her nervous. She felt like she should be saying things, but everything she thought of to say sounded so dumb in her head, she wouldn’t dare spit the words out. Nicholas Rush was a serious man. He could care less about what Dr. Park did in the mess or what kind of plants Dr. Inman has growing in hydroponics. He cared about science -- something she knew little about; however, she knew she could stand to know a bit more.
“What will happen when you do get this hub working?” she asked. “What will it be used for?”
“It would be nice to set up an auxiliary command station in this part of the ship, should we ever become compromised again. But there are other tactical and practical uses, of course. We’ve been needing more space for awhile now -- especially since people have started breeding.”
Chloe laughed.
“You mean T.J. and Young?” she asked. “I think it’s -- it’s sweet. I mean, as long as we’re stuck out here, why not? Besides, she really loves him. That’s what’s important, right?”
Rush gave a humorless laugh. “I feel sorry for her,” he said. “I think she doesn’t see how complicated he is -- or dangerous.”
“She’s so in love she doesn’t care.”
Chloe felt funny. The words tumbled out of her mouth a little too effortlessly, and it made her blush. She could just make out his eyes penetrating through the darkness. She looked down; embarrassed for she felt compelled to add, “Is that wrong?”
“Love is never wrong,” he said quickly. “Nor is it ever right. It just is.”
She couldn’t argue with that notion, but she pondered doing so -- just so she could readily have something else to say to him to combat the impending silence. She liked speaking with him -- she liked hearing his voice. He was comfort in the cold darkness -- and not just the cold darkness of that room, but the cold darkness of space. It was strange, but this rough and tumble Scotsman made her feel safer than she ever thought she could possibly feel. She was more than comfortable to spend an indefinite amount of time with him, trapped in a forgotten room.
He wouldn’t speak first. It wasn’t his style. He was stubborn like that. And she knew he knew she couldn’t stay quiet too long.
“Why did you ask me to come with you?”
That question certainly caught him off-guard; somehow, the silence in the room managed to grow more silent and Chloe felt like crickets should be chirping any moment. Still, she didn’t regret asking it, because she wanted to know.
“You’re not Eli.”
“I find general truths irritating,” she replied curtly.
“You’re Chloe.”
“Well, at least you’re getting slightly more specific, though that still falls under the general category of things about me.”
“You were there.”
Was he teasing her?
“You’re being an ass,” she said, nudging his leg with her foot.
He laughed.
“Those are some of the reasons -- of which there are more than just a few,” he said. “And many of those reasons have to do with the fact I don’t mind being trapped here with you.”
She nudged him again.
“You planned it?”
“I didn’t plan it,” he said. “I knew it would be likely.”
She rose up on her knees and wrapped him playfully on the arm.
“You’re such a dweeb!”
“But I’m a charming one,” he said as he caught her arms and pulled her into his lap. “And I’m ninety-nine percent sure I’m going to kiss you right now. That is, if you don’t slap me. Though, if you did, I’d be tempted to kiss you even harder.”
But she beat him to the punch. She’d been wondering what his lips tasted like for a long time, and she refused to wait any longer to find out. He pulled her into him harder and she could feel his bulge rise, she could feel it against her own pants, and the sensation made her feel more alive than she’d ever felt on that broken-down ship. She wondered feverishly if they’d be able to have sex before being rescued from this wonderful bliss.
She didn’t have to wonder long, though. The door made a hissing sound and they jumped apart; she ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it back into place.
“Everything alright?” Eli asked, pointing a flashlight right into their eyes. They sat there two feet apart from one another, staring back at him with great annoyance.
“Peachy,” Chloe said as he pulled her to her feet. She gave one last, longing look over her shoulder at Rush. He looked as though the moment hadn’t happened, but she knew it did -- she wasn’t crazy or dreaming. And she’d make sure they continued where they left off later that night.