BSG fic - First Impressions 2 / 11
It's the weekend and my cold seems to have gone away, so I might just do some writing. Meanwhile, here's chapter 2 of this one.
First Impressions 2 / 11
Author : suffolkgirl
Spoilers: Set pre-mini series, so none.
Pairings: Kara/Lee, Kara/Zak
Disclaimer: This world isn't mine, I just borrow it.
Zak takes Kara home for the holidays to meet his family....my take on how Lee and Kara first met.
First Impressions 2
Chapter Two
Kara stopped, surprised. She hadn’t thought they’d been gone long enough to get to the spaceport and back. She started down the stairs.
A man entered and closed the door behind him. Hearing her steps on the stairs, he looked up.
“Mum, I’m here-”
He stopped, staring at Kara. He looked taken aback for a moment, and then grinned.
“Well, either my mother has moved house and not bothered to tell me, or you must be Zak’s new girlfriend.”
Kara smiled. “That’s me.” She came down the rest of the stairs.
He smiled and held out his hand. “Kara, isn’t it? I’m Lee, as you may have guessed.”
Kara shook his hand and they looked each other over for a moment, taking stock.
Kara couldn’t help but admire what she saw. Zak’s brother was gorgeous. There was really no other word for it. He could have done with a little more height - he was barely taller than she was - but otherwise…well, if she wasn’t already firmly taken, she would have had a second look.
Lee seemed to like what he saw of her as well; at least his smile shifted from polite to friendly.
“Mum and Zak around?”
Kara frowned. “Aren’t they with you? They went to meet you at the spaceport half an hour ago.”
“Ah.” Lee grinned ruefully. “Well that explains why they weren’t there to meet me four hours ago when my shuttle landed.”
“Four hours? You were early?”
“No, I was on time,” said Lee, mouth tightening. “I told Zak I’d be arriving at ten-”
“He told me you’d said two.”
“No, I definitely said ten,” said Lee stubbornly.
“Well, he thought it was two.” Kara shrugged. “In any case, you should have called.”
Lee looked irritated. “I did call. First I tried Zak’s phone-”
Oh. “He - um - realised on the shuttle he’d left that behind in Picon,” Kara explained. “He has a habit of doing that.”
“Then I tried calling here.” Lee walked over to the phone and sighed. “And I see that Mum has still not mastered the art of replacing the receiver properly.”
Kara couldn’t help laughing. “I see Zak comes by his scattiness naturally.” The exasperated expression on his face made her laugh even harder. “I bet the pair of them drive you crazy, don’t they?”
“Sometimes.” Lee smiled at her reluctantly. “Well, Zak’s forgetfulness is going to bite him back now, as we can’t call him to let him know I’m here. I wonder how long they’ll hang around at the spaceport?”
“Well, actually we can ring them,” Kara revealed. “I gave Zak my phone in case he needed to call.” She grinned at him. “But as you’re the offended party, I leave the decision up to you.”
Lee looked puzzled. “Decision?”
Kara grinned wickedly. “About how long you want to leave them hanging around in the spaceport before you call them. A few hours, maybe?”
Lee stared at her, an appreciative grin spreading across his face. “You’re evil.”
“I try,” said Kara blandly. “So, how long are you going to leave it?”
For a moment an answering wicked light danced in Lee’s eyes, but then it faded. He sighed. “If it was just Zak, I’d leave him there, but Mum’s with him, and she’ll worry if I don’t appear. I’d better call them.”
Kara laughed. “You’re too nice for your own good, Lee Adama.”
She gave him the number, and listened with amusement to the conversation.
“No, Zak, I didn’t say I was arriving at two…well yes, I did say I was leaving Aerilon at eight, but…gods, Zak, haven’t you ever heard of the words ‘time difference’?...eight in Aerilon is five in the morning here…oh never mind, just head back here and try not to get lost…no I am damned well not going to have dinner on the table when you get here…well if I do there’ll be none for you…bye.”
He put down the phone and turned to Kara. “Well, they’re on their way back, but it’s nearly rush hour now, so I expect it’ll take them a while.”
“Oh.” Kara felt awkward. She hadn’t expected to have to deal with any of this family without Zak to act as a barrier.
She looked up, and caught Lee watching her with an equally awkward expression on his face. She hadn’t expected the Lee she’d pictured in her head to even know what awkwardness felt like.
Suddenly she felt better. Maybe the scary older brother wasn’t so scary after all. She smiled at him. “Looks like we’ll have to entertain ourselves.”
“Looks like,” replied Lee. “Any ideas?”
Kara couldn’t help grinning. She knew one sure way for two strangers to get to know each other - and it might be profitable as well.
“You know how to play triad?”
----
Lee looked at Kara in disbelief. “Are you kidding? How the hell do you think I managed to get through three years of Academy without learning to play triad?”
Her mouth quirked. “I didn’t think it was possible. But Zak tells me you spent the entire time with your nose stuck in a book, so I thought maybe you’d dismissed it as too frivolous.”
Lee groaned. “Let’s get one thing straight right now. Just ignore everything Zak told you about me. He came to visit me maybe once a year in Academy yet now he thinks he’s an expert on my time there.”
“Oh?” Kara looked intrigued. “So you have a wild side Zak doesn’t know about?”
“Perhaps,” he said mysteriously, enjoying teasing her. “I am the oldest, you know. I have to keep up appearances. Set an example.”
“Well I hope you didn’t set an example in triad,” said Kara. “Zak is the worst player I've ever met. I like a challenge before I grind my opponents into the dust.”
Lee laughed out loud at that. “Gods, you’re cocky.”
“With reason.” She smirked.
“We’ll just see about that,” said Lee. “I’ve got a deck of cards upstairs - let me dump my bags and then we’ll settle down for a game.”
As he headed upstairs he decided he was pleasantly surprised by Zak’s new girlfriend. To be honest, he hadn’t been too pleased when he heard she was coming to stay for Solstice. The main thing he enjoyed about coming home was the chance to just chill out and relax for a few days - with only Zak and Mum around he could be as anti-social as he pleased. With a stranger present he’d have to be on his best behaviour and make polite conversation all the time. He always found it an effort talking to people until he got to know them a little.
He’d had no such problems with Kara Thrace though. After the first moments of awkwardness, he’d found himself chatting easily, even joking. He’d have to get to know her better, of course, but at the moment he would certainly be giving Zak a big thumbs-up. Kara was miles better than that last girl he’d brought home - the one with the annoying giggle and no sense of irony whatsoever. Lee had found himself making ever more sarcastic comments just to see if he could get her to react, but she’d taken everything he said absolutely seriously. It had driven him crazy.
Kara was far better, even if she was a bit cocky. Lee unlocked the cupboard in his room and hunted around for his pack of triad cards. He was sure they were in here somewhere…perhaps he should move some of this stuff out into the bedroom, clear some space. He didn’t really need to keep it all locked away, Zak wasn’t fourteen anymore…
He finally found the cards. A quick trip to the bathroom, and then he headed downstairs with a grin. He’d see if Kara was still so cocky after a few hands of triad. He wasn’t a bad player if he did say so himself.
----
They settled down at the kitchen table with beers and crisps to stave off their hunger. Kara shuffled the cards while Lee emptied his mother’s change jar for coins to use as betting counters.
“So, what are the stakes?” Kara asked.
“Stakes?” Lee looked at her in surprise. “I thought this was just a friendly game.”
“It is.” She looked back with equal surprise. “But where’s the fun without a stake? Triad just isn’t triad without something decent to bet on.”
Lee eyed her narrowly. “I’m not playing for proper money,” he said sharply. “Mum wouldn’t like it in her house.”
Kara’s hands paused slightly as she shuffled. “I didn’t mean - I wasn’t talking about money,” she said scornfully. “I just meant - a bet, or something.”
Lee didn’t like the look in her eye. “What kind of bet?” he asked warily.
“I don’t know. Like - like I’ve heard you’re good at cooking,” she said with sudden inspiration.
“In comparison with Mum, that’s not saying much,” said Lee drily. “But you’re right, I do cook. So?”
“So if I win, you cook me my favourite meal tomorrow night,” said Kara. “Deal?”
“Maybe. Depends what your favourite meal is,” said Lee suspiciously. “I’m no trained chef, you know.”
“Gods, lighten up, Adama,” said Kara, rolling her eyes. “It’s only a stupid bet.”
“I just like to know what I’m getting into,” said Lee stubbornly.
“All right! It’s sausage and mash.”
“I can manage that,” said Lee, relieved.
“With onion gravy.”
“Goes without saying.”
“So what do you want?” asked Kara as she began to deal. “In the unlikely event that you win.” She grinned as he pulled a face at her. “I warn you, after all the fuss you made over mine I’ll be considering your request carefully.”
Lee thought for a moment. “I want an embarrassing story about Zak. Then I can get my own back next time he’s telling his friends how boring I am. Deal?”
“Hm.” Kara frowned. “Maybe. Nothing sexual, though.”
Lee blanched. He didn’t need those kind of images when it came to his younger brother. “Certainly nothing like that. An idiotic stunt while drunk will do just fine.”
“I can definitely manage that.” Kara grinned widely. “In fact, I’ll have a choice of stories. I hope I can trust you not to reveal your source?” She fixed him with a mock glare.
“I’ll be as silent as the grave,” Lee promised.
“Okay. Now that’s all settled, perhaps we can finally get started,” said Kara. She winked at him. “Best of luck, Lee.”
First Impressions 2 / 11
Author : suffolkgirl
Spoilers: Set pre-mini series, so none.
Pairings: Kara/Lee, Kara/Zak
Disclaimer: This world isn't mine, I just borrow it.
Zak takes Kara home for the holidays to meet his family....my take on how Lee and Kara first met.
First Impressions 2
Chapter Two
Kara stopped, surprised. She hadn’t thought they’d been gone long enough to get to the spaceport and back. She started down the stairs.
A man entered and closed the door behind him. Hearing her steps on the stairs, he looked up.
“Mum, I’m here-”
He stopped, staring at Kara. He looked taken aback for a moment, and then grinned.
“Well, either my mother has moved house and not bothered to tell me, or you must be Zak’s new girlfriend.”
Kara smiled. “That’s me.” She came down the rest of the stairs.
He smiled and held out his hand. “Kara, isn’t it? I’m Lee, as you may have guessed.”
Kara shook his hand and they looked each other over for a moment, taking stock.
Kara couldn’t help but admire what she saw. Zak’s brother was gorgeous. There was really no other word for it. He could have done with a little more height - he was barely taller than she was - but otherwise…well, if she wasn’t already firmly taken, she would have had a second look.
Lee seemed to like what he saw of her as well; at least his smile shifted from polite to friendly.
“Mum and Zak around?”
Kara frowned. “Aren’t they with you? They went to meet you at the spaceport half an hour ago.”
“Ah.” Lee grinned ruefully. “Well that explains why they weren’t there to meet me four hours ago when my shuttle landed.”
“Four hours? You were early?”
“No, I was on time,” said Lee, mouth tightening. “I told Zak I’d be arriving at ten-”
“He told me you’d said two.”
“No, I definitely said ten,” said Lee stubbornly.
“Well, he thought it was two.” Kara shrugged. “In any case, you should have called.”
Lee looked irritated. “I did call. First I tried Zak’s phone-”
Oh. “He - um - realised on the shuttle he’d left that behind in Picon,” Kara explained. “He has a habit of doing that.”
“Then I tried calling here.” Lee walked over to the phone and sighed. “And I see that Mum has still not mastered the art of replacing the receiver properly.”
Kara couldn’t help laughing. “I see Zak comes by his scattiness naturally.” The exasperated expression on his face made her laugh even harder. “I bet the pair of them drive you crazy, don’t they?”
“Sometimes.” Lee smiled at her reluctantly. “Well, Zak’s forgetfulness is going to bite him back now, as we can’t call him to let him know I’m here. I wonder how long they’ll hang around at the spaceport?”
“Well, actually we can ring them,” Kara revealed. “I gave Zak my phone in case he needed to call.” She grinned at him. “But as you’re the offended party, I leave the decision up to you.”
Lee looked puzzled. “Decision?”
Kara grinned wickedly. “About how long you want to leave them hanging around in the spaceport before you call them. A few hours, maybe?”
Lee stared at her, an appreciative grin spreading across his face. “You’re evil.”
“I try,” said Kara blandly. “So, how long are you going to leave it?”
For a moment an answering wicked light danced in Lee’s eyes, but then it faded. He sighed. “If it was just Zak, I’d leave him there, but Mum’s with him, and she’ll worry if I don’t appear. I’d better call them.”
Kara laughed. “You’re too nice for your own good, Lee Adama.”
She gave him the number, and listened with amusement to the conversation.
“No, Zak, I didn’t say I was arriving at two…well yes, I did say I was leaving Aerilon at eight, but…gods, Zak, haven’t you ever heard of the words ‘time difference’?...eight in Aerilon is five in the morning here…oh never mind, just head back here and try not to get lost…no I am damned well not going to have dinner on the table when you get here…well if I do there’ll be none for you…bye.”
He put down the phone and turned to Kara. “Well, they’re on their way back, but it’s nearly rush hour now, so I expect it’ll take them a while.”
“Oh.” Kara felt awkward. She hadn’t expected to have to deal with any of this family without Zak to act as a barrier.
She looked up, and caught Lee watching her with an equally awkward expression on his face. She hadn’t expected the Lee she’d pictured in her head to even know what awkwardness felt like.
Suddenly she felt better. Maybe the scary older brother wasn’t so scary after all. She smiled at him. “Looks like we’ll have to entertain ourselves.”
“Looks like,” replied Lee. “Any ideas?”
Kara couldn’t help grinning. She knew one sure way for two strangers to get to know each other - and it might be profitable as well.
“You know how to play triad?”
----
Lee looked at Kara in disbelief. “Are you kidding? How the hell do you think I managed to get through three years of Academy without learning to play triad?”
Her mouth quirked. “I didn’t think it was possible. But Zak tells me you spent the entire time with your nose stuck in a book, so I thought maybe you’d dismissed it as too frivolous.”
Lee groaned. “Let’s get one thing straight right now. Just ignore everything Zak told you about me. He came to visit me maybe once a year in Academy yet now he thinks he’s an expert on my time there.”
“Oh?” Kara looked intrigued. “So you have a wild side Zak doesn’t know about?”
“Perhaps,” he said mysteriously, enjoying teasing her. “I am the oldest, you know. I have to keep up appearances. Set an example.”
“Well I hope you didn’t set an example in triad,” said Kara. “Zak is the worst player I've ever met. I like a challenge before I grind my opponents into the dust.”
Lee laughed out loud at that. “Gods, you’re cocky.”
“With reason.” She smirked.
“We’ll just see about that,” said Lee. “I’ve got a deck of cards upstairs - let me dump my bags and then we’ll settle down for a game.”
As he headed upstairs he decided he was pleasantly surprised by Zak’s new girlfriend. To be honest, he hadn’t been too pleased when he heard she was coming to stay for Solstice. The main thing he enjoyed about coming home was the chance to just chill out and relax for a few days - with only Zak and Mum around he could be as anti-social as he pleased. With a stranger present he’d have to be on his best behaviour and make polite conversation all the time. He always found it an effort talking to people until he got to know them a little.
He’d had no such problems with Kara Thrace though. After the first moments of awkwardness, he’d found himself chatting easily, even joking. He’d have to get to know her better, of course, but at the moment he would certainly be giving Zak a big thumbs-up. Kara was miles better than that last girl he’d brought home - the one with the annoying giggle and no sense of irony whatsoever. Lee had found himself making ever more sarcastic comments just to see if he could get her to react, but she’d taken everything he said absolutely seriously. It had driven him crazy.
Kara was far better, even if she was a bit cocky. Lee unlocked the cupboard in his room and hunted around for his pack of triad cards. He was sure they were in here somewhere…perhaps he should move some of this stuff out into the bedroom, clear some space. He didn’t really need to keep it all locked away, Zak wasn’t fourteen anymore…
He finally found the cards. A quick trip to the bathroom, and then he headed downstairs with a grin. He’d see if Kara was still so cocky after a few hands of triad. He wasn’t a bad player if he did say so himself.
----
They settled down at the kitchen table with beers and crisps to stave off their hunger. Kara shuffled the cards while Lee emptied his mother’s change jar for coins to use as betting counters.
“So, what are the stakes?” Kara asked.
“Stakes?” Lee looked at her in surprise. “I thought this was just a friendly game.”
“It is.” She looked back with equal surprise. “But where’s the fun without a stake? Triad just isn’t triad without something decent to bet on.”
Lee eyed her narrowly. “I’m not playing for proper money,” he said sharply. “Mum wouldn’t like it in her house.”
Kara’s hands paused slightly as she shuffled. “I didn’t mean - I wasn’t talking about money,” she said scornfully. “I just meant - a bet, or something.”
Lee didn’t like the look in her eye. “What kind of bet?” he asked warily.
“I don’t know. Like - like I’ve heard you’re good at cooking,” she said with sudden inspiration.
“In comparison with Mum, that’s not saying much,” said Lee drily. “But you’re right, I do cook. So?”
“So if I win, you cook me my favourite meal tomorrow night,” said Kara. “Deal?”
“Maybe. Depends what your favourite meal is,” said Lee suspiciously. “I’m no trained chef, you know.”
“Gods, lighten up, Adama,” said Kara, rolling her eyes. “It’s only a stupid bet.”
“I just like to know what I’m getting into,” said Lee stubbornly.
“All right! It’s sausage and mash.”
“I can manage that,” said Lee, relieved.
“With onion gravy.”
“Goes without saying.”
“So what do you want?” asked Kara as she began to deal. “In the unlikely event that you win.” She grinned as he pulled a face at her. “I warn you, after all the fuss you made over mine I’ll be considering your request carefully.”
Lee thought for a moment. “I want an embarrassing story about Zak. Then I can get my own back next time he’s telling his friends how boring I am. Deal?”
“Hm.” Kara frowned. “Maybe. Nothing sexual, though.”
Lee blanched. He didn’t need those kind of images when it came to his younger brother. “Certainly nothing like that. An idiotic stunt while drunk will do just fine.”
“I can definitely manage that.” Kara grinned widely. “In fact, I’ll have a choice of stories. I hope I can trust you not to reveal your source?” She fixed him with a mock glare.
“I’ll be as silent as the grave,” Lee promised.
“Okay. Now that’s all settled, perhaps we can finally get started,” said Kara. She winked at him. “Best of luck, Lee.”