Fic: Renewal
Title: Renewal
Author: jenrosebsg
Word count: 624
Notes: No beta. Just whipped it up quickly. Also, AU somewhere in early Season 1. Mostly angsty, and assumes they went to Academy at the same-ish time
Renewal
The nuggets were running around the deck, screaming solstice carols. Kara winced as Kat scraped out a particularly obnoxious high note. Gods, it was like being back at the Academy. She ducked into the bunk room, closing the hatch behind her.
Lee was at the table, pouring over paperwork. “This looks familiar.” She couldn't help laughing. Apollo studying. Some things never changed. He looked up at her, frowning, and she giggled some more. It was the holiday season, she was still alive, Lee was alive. The worlds had ended, but she felt like she had a lot to be thankful for. Even if she couldn't ever tell anyone why. Finally, she answered his unspoken question. “You, working, while there's fun happening just outside your door. It's Solstice, Lee. The time for rejoicing and renewal and remembering that light is born out of darkness.”
“I am rejoicing. That the hatch is between my ears and Kat's singing. Did she take lessons from an ally cat?” Kara shrugged and smirked. She had to admit that he had a point there. “And yes, I'm doing work in here. Someone decided it would be fun to turn the temperature down. The bunk room is warmer than my office.” He blew a warm breath into his hands, then stuffed them back under his arms.
Kara rolled her eyes but said nothing, just turned around and rummaged through her locker until she'd found what she was looking for. It was a bottle of ambrosia that she'd managed to squirrel away shortly after the worlds had ended.
“I think the nuggets and half the knuckle-draggers are planning a snowball fight on one of the hanger decks. Chief's got more kids in the mess, so I'm letting him deal with it.” She stood and grabbed the pair of shot glasses she'd stowed in the top of her locker then turned around to pour shots for both herself and Lee. “Here, this'll do a better job warming you up, flyboy.”
“Yes, it will.” He reached for his glass, and looked up at her, blue eyes clear and penetrating. It made her shiver in a way that had nothing to do with the cold. “To being alive.” He raised his glass briefly, then threw back the shot.
“To being alive,” she echoed, following suit. “So, Apollo. What else are you grateful for? What kinds of new beginnings are you looking forward to?” She paused while she refilled their glasses and sat down across the table from him. Looking up, she saw the look of incredulity on his face, eyebrow raised and amused grin combining to make her exceptionally defensive. “What?”
“Deep thoughts with Starbuck? Shouldn't you be running around throwing water balloons with the nuggets?” She could hear the laughter in his voice, barely held in check, and her back when up.
“Yeah. Nevermind.” She downed the contents of her shot glass, and re-corked the bottle before standing up. “Put the glass back in my locker when you're done with it.” He was right, after all. She didn't want to get into all the reasons she was grateful. It ruined the high, brought back everything they'd lost. The locker door slammed open and closed and she headed for the hatch.
“Kara, wait.” Something in Lee's voice stopped her heart and her feet. There was an ache there that she knew all too well. She just hid it better than he did. “I'm looking forward to the second chance to know people I've pushed out of my life.”
Kara licked her lips and turned around, her heart in her throat. Meeting his eyes, she nodded once. “Me, too.”
Author: jenrosebsg
Word count: 624
Notes: No beta. Just whipped it up quickly. Also, AU somewhere in early Season 1. Mostly angsty, and assumes they went to Academy at the same-ish time
Renewal
The nuggets were running around the deck, screaming solstice carols. Kara winced as Kat scraped out a particularly obnoxious high note. Gods, it was like being back at the Academy. She ducked into the bunk room, closing the hatch behind her.
Lee was at the table, pouring over paperwork. “This looks familiar.” She couldn't help laughing. Apollo studying. Some things never changed. He looked up at her, frowning, and she giggled some more. It was the holiday season, she was still alive, Lee was alive. The worlds had ended, but she felt like she had a lot to be thankful for. Even if she couldn't ever tell anyone why. Finally, she answered his unspoken question. “You, working, while there's fun happening just outside your door. It's Solstice, Lee. The time for rejoicing and renewal and remembering that light is born out of darkness.”
“I am rejoicing. That the hatch is between my ears and Kat's singing. Did she take lessons from an ally cat?” Kara shrugged and smirked. She had to admit that he had a point there. “And yes, I'm doing work in here. Someone decided it would be fun to turn the temperature down. The bunk room is warmer than my office.” He blew a warm breath into his hands, then stuffed them back under his arms.
Kara rolled her eyes but said nothing, just turned around and rummaged through her locker until she'd found what she was looking for. It was a bottle of ambrosia that she'd managed to squirrel away shortly after the worlds had ended.
“I think the nuggets and half the knuckle-draggers are planning a snowball fight on one of the hanger decks. Chief's got more kids in the mess, so I'm letting him deal with it.” She stood and grabbed the pair of shot glasses she'd stowed in the top of her locker then turned around to pour shots for both herself and Lee. “Here, this'll do a better job warming you up, flyboy.”
“Yes, it will.” He reached for his glass, and looked up at her, blue eyes clear and penetrating. It made her shiver in a way that had nothing to do with the cold. “To being alive.” He raised his glass briefly, then threw back the shot.
“To being alive,” she echoed, following suit. “So, Apollo. What else are you grateful for? What kinds of new beginnings are you looking forward to?” She paused while she refilled their glasses and sat down across the table from him. Looking up, she saw the look of incredulity on his face, eyebrow raised and amused grin combining to make her exceptionally defensive. “What?”
“Deep thoughts with Starbuck? Shouldn't you be running around throwing water balloons with the nuggets?” She could hear the laughter in his voice, barely held in check, and her back when up.
“Yeah. Nevermind.” She downed the contents of her shot glass, and re-corked the bottle before standing up. “Put the glass back in my locker when you're done with it.” He was right, after all. She didn't want to get into all the reasons she was grateful. It ruined the high, brought back everything they'd lost. The locker door slammed open and closed and she headed for the hatch.
“Kara, wait.” Something in Lee's voice stopped her heart and her feet. There was an ache there that she knew all too well. She just hid it better than he did. “I'm looking forward to the second chance to know people I've pushed out of my life.”
Kara licked her lips and turned around, her heart in her throat. Meeting his eyes, she nodded once. “Me, too.”