Truth or Clothes [1/2]
Title: Truth or Clothes [1/2]
Ship: Skye/Carter
Genre: UST/Romance/Humor
Rated: PG-13 (this chapter)
Word Count: 2525
Summary: Stuck in an outpost Skye and Carter play a friendly game of poker to pass the time.
A/N: Thanks to crystalkei for the beta and general awesomeness. (any leftover mistakes are mine).
… … …
Skye sighs audibly as she looks around her surroundings, forced into an outpost by a herd of Nykos along with one of her least favorite people. She looks across from where she sits as Carter speaks into the comm to the command center, listening as he relays their information. It was suppose to be a simple outing, they needed some herb for the hospital and Carter, having spent three years being the medicine man in the Sixer camp, knew where to find them.
She’d been surprised when he volunteered to help but then it seemed that Carter and the rest of the Sixers who had returned to the gates after the Phoenix group’s occupation of the colony, were full of surprises, the most startling being their desire to be helpful in the place they had once been so intent on destroying.
“Taylor says they can’t send anyone until morning,” Carter calls out to her, breaking her from her thoughts. “Seems they’re tracking the herd, but it’s not moving out of the area and it will be dark soon, they don’t want to risk it.”
She nods absently, the sun had started to set when they’d made to the metal doors of the outpost, as much she wished to be out here already she knew Taylor wouldn’t risk his men unless they were in grave danger and while they could hear the animals moving outside, every once in a while slamming themselves against the metal structure, they were deep in the ground, designed to withstand even bigger animals, nothing was getting in.
“You okay there?” Carter asks as he turns to look at her, pausing in his reach for provisions.
Nothing was getting in, but they weren’t getting out either. Kill her now.
Carter studies her quietly a slow smile spreading over his mouth and she braces herself for whatever mocking comment was sure to come out of it. “You’re not scared, are you, Princess?”
“No,” she answers shortly, rolling her eyes at him when he raises an eyebrow. “It’s just the thought of spending the night here with me bored out of my mind and you being a total ass make me realize…” she pauses for effect looking around. “This is hell; I always thought it would be warmer.”
His lips twitch and the corners of his eyes crinkle and she hates it. Hates that he’s amused by her and hates that she’s more than a little proud at being able to do that, she shouldn’t care if she can make Carter smile or laugh, but she does. She can’t deny that she enjoys it when he seems genuinely happy or entertained instead of his usual mask of sarcastic indifferent attitude.
“Well,” he drawls as he leans against the table he’d been standing by. “Give it a couple of hours and I’m sure it’ll get warmer here, not a lot of ventilation and I’m sure we can think of something to do so neither of us get bored during the night.”
“You’re a pig, Carter,” she says as she stands, turning away from him she looks through the shelves of stocked items for when the soldiers stay in the outpost, hoping he doesn’t notice the blush his words and the images that came with them created.
He laughs softly and she can hear the shuffle of his boots against the floor as he walks up behind her. She holds her breath as his chest brushes her back, his own breath warm as he leans in to talk into her ear.
“I didn’t say anything, Sweetheart,” he starts softly and she closes her eyes, embarrassed as she hears the smile in his words. “Whatever dirty little thing your mind just conjured was your doing; you wanna share those thoughts with me?”
“No,” she bites out; the word stammered causing him to laughs again before moving away from her, as he heads into another room he looks back at her with a wide grin and shakes his head.
Leaving her there, she sighs tiredly, they haven’t even been in the outpost an hour and she’s already made a fool of herself, something, that knowing Carter, will use to the fullest.
“Just kill me now,” she murmurs to herself.
… … …
She wanders through the place, it’s bigger then she originally thought and she comes to the conclusion that this is one of the posts they use for longer stays. She finds sleeping quarters, a shower and a small kitchen. She finds Carter there, thankful that one; he doesn’t mention her disappearance and two; that he’s cooking something.
“What are you making?” she asks as she sits at a small table, watching as he moves around.
“Soup,” he answers not looking up from his task, his face the same picture of concentration she’s seen on it when he’s patching someone up, his brow at bit furrowed as he cuts and measures with precision. “Found dried grains and some other stuff.”
“I think this is one of the posts the science department uses when they go out on their expeditions, it’s restocked often, I found the dormitory.”
“Thinking about getting me in the sack already, Princess?” He asks, the side of his mouth tilting upward as she scoffs. “There’s time, no need to rush.”
Skye closes her eyes and counts to ten, when that doesn’t help she starts again.
“How’s that meditation working out for you?”
She opens her eyes, taking another deep breath determine that he’s not going to get a rise out of her this time. Instead she tries to smile, it turning somewhat amused when he looks at her with caution. “Need some help?”
Carter snorts at the question. “From you?” he points at her with the spoon in his hand letting out a sarcastic chuckle when she nods. “You must be joking, I know you’re history, Tate, that roommate of yours, Tasha, she told me how you once gave her and those other poor saps that live with you food poisoning.”
“I did not!” she exclaims standing up, as she tries to get closer to the stove, he moves acting like a human shield over the pot.
“They spent two days throwing up and feeling like crap,” he points out.
Skye narrows her eyes. “I still maintain that it was the moonshine they had earlier that day and not my stew, they didn’t listen when I told them it wasn’t ready to drink.”
“Mmm-hmm,” he hums unconvinced.
“Why are you talking to my roommate anyway?”
“Tasha Guzman is a lovely girl,” he answers, a smile breaking out as she continues to stare at him. “She’s entertaining.”
“Whatever,” she mutters, turning away, hating the weird turn in her stomach at his words.
“She’s not a lovely girl?” he questions, the taunt obvious but she can’t help but react.
“I didn’t say that,” she exclaims, annoyed that that smile is still firmly in place. “Tasha is the greatest, she’s my best friend.”
“Maybe she’s my friend too,” he answers calmly, stirring more than the pot.
“You?” she questions doubtful. “You don’t have friends much less female friends, Carter, just sleeping buddies.”
He shrugs his face blank giving nothing away. “Maybe that’s what I meant.”
“Tasha would eat you alive and then spit you out,” she taunts earning herself a raised eyebrow filled with innuendo. She gives him a look of disgust that, of course, doesn’t faze him in the least. He’s continues to stir his pot, occasionally giving her a sideways glace the hint of a smile on his lips like he knows a joke she doesn’t.
Ignoring it she pulls herself up on the counter next to the stove and quietly watches him work.
As he continues cooking she can’t help but replay their conversation, logically she knows nothing is going on between Carter and Tasha, her friend, bless her, wasn’t known for her ability to keep a secret, especially about men and since the return of the man next to her, her friend had expressed enjoyment of (Tasha’s words) Carter’s many fine attributes which as much as she hated to admit it and never verbally agreed with her friend, the man was more than nice to look at, in that dark, edgy, less than pure thoughts kind of way. If Tasha did have something going on with Carter there was no way she wouldn’t have shared every last detail with her, whether she wanted to hear it or not and yet the mere suggestion had turned her insides, even now, she could feel an irrational wave of anger at the thought.
“Taste this.”
Skye blinks rapidly and leans back when she finds Carter standing directly in front of her holding a spoon out to her. “What?”
“Taste this,” Carter repeats this time slower giving her a questioning look. “I want to know if it’s good.”
“Oh,” she says dumbly.
“You okay, Princess?” he asks giving her a curious look.
She nods and opens her mouth as he holds the spoon a bit closer. Closing her mouth around the spoon Skye also closes her eyes at the taste. It’s good, better then she expected for the supplies they had.
“Well?” he asks softly.
Skye moans in appreciation opening her eyes as she swallows the last bit almost swallowing her tongue when she finds that he’s even closer than before, his already dark eyes pitch black as they stare at her or more importantly her mouth. Helpless to stop it she finds herself licking her bottom lip catching a drop of the flavorful soup on it. As she does, Carter’s eyes flash up to hers. His face is tight and she can see his jaw overwork as it clenches, in the quiet outpost she realizes that they are both breathing heavier than before, the sound filling the silence and while she’s not sure what’s happening, she know that something has suddenly shifted.
“Good?” he asks, his already deep voice coming out more guttural, sending a shiver up her spine.
“Yeah,” she answers her own voice raspy. “Yeah, it’s really good.”
Carter continues to watch her in an unreadable expression, his hand holding the spoon has dropped away but out of the corner of her eye she sees him raising the other and as it nears her face she holds perfectly still, doesn’t even breathe and with wide eyes on him waits to see what he’ll do. She can’t help the small gasp that escapes as his thumb brushes against the corner of her mouth.
“Little bit of soup,” he explains as he pulls away. If she’s a bit breathless and he’s tense, tight like a coil, neither mentions a thing. “Okay, so it’s good, great and I can guaranty no food poisoning.”
She lets out a breath, grateful for his effort to relieve the tension, rare for him but still appreciated. “It was the moonshine.”
Carter laughs as he turns the pot off and pulls out two bowls. “Whatever you say Sweetheart.”
“When we get back we’re settling this with my roommates,” she continues taking one of the bowls from him, following him to the table. “I might not be the best cook but I can hold my own and I don’t get people sick!”
Carter sits down still laughing as he stirs the spoon in his bowl, blowing on it as he takes a taste and Skye laughs softly too as she follows his lead. They eat quietly. It isn’t lost on Skye that it’s the comfortable soft of silence neither feeling the need to disturb it.
… … …
“I’m bored,” he whines for the third time in the last 15 minutes, after finishing dinner and cleaning up, they had moved on to a common area, more and more Skye realized this was a science outpost meant for long duration. The place had more luxuries than soldiers needed or used and it seemed like the kind of things Dr. Wallace would request for his teams.
Skye didn’t bother looking up from the plex in front of her, it had science dribble that didn’t really interest her and while she was bored herself she wasn’t going to pander to Carter’s annoying repetition. “So go play with yourself,” she blurts out the catty comment before she can curb it, closing her eyes in dread once the words are uttered. Anyone else would be embarrassed by what she said; Carter would be amused or even worse take her up on the suggestion.
“There’s an idea,” he says slowly dragging out the words. “You wanna watch?”
Skye groans tiredly putting the plex to the side. “Bite me, Carter.”
Carter gives her a wolfish grin that has her pulse spiking and she has to bite the side of her mouth to keep from smiling, even when he irritated her there were moments when she found herself almost charmed by the looks he gave her. “Tell me where, Princess, just tell me where.”
“Stop,” she says letting a small laugh escape. “God, you’re always on, aren’t you?”
Carter shrugs his shoulder at her, unbothered.
“Okay what do you want to do to pass the time,” she asks, raising her hand when he smirks. “Save me the smartass comments, please, just find us something to do, go.”
He returns a few minutes later, if possible the grin on his face has grown and the glint in his eyes scream with mischievousness, she wonders briefly what he must have been like as a child with jet black hair and eyes, running around causing all kinds of havoc but charming the pants off everyone with that playful grin.
“I bring deliverance,” he exclaims cheerful as he pulls her from the couch she’s sitting on to the table across the room, showing her some ancient cards as they sit down. “You know how to play poker?”
She nods as she watches him shuffle. “What are we playing for?”
“What do you got?” he answers with a question of his own.
“Nothing,” she replies. “We’re OTG no reason for money, all I have is my pack and the clothes on my back.” The second the words leave her mouth she knows they’re the wrong ones, the slow curve of his lips, the gleam in his eyes tells her it’s exactly what he was hoping she would say.
“I guess we found our currency,” he answers giving her clothes a once over.
“Never going to happen,” she scoffs as she stands, his next words freezing her in place.
“Tasha would.”
She hates, hates, that those two words and the innuendo behind them are enough to stop her in her tracks. Turning, she levels him with a glare as she crosses her arms.
“I’ll do you one better,” he continues, not the least put off by her expression. “A question, whoever wins a hand gets to ask a question, any question, if it isn’t answered then a piece of clothing is removed.”
“I don’t have to take my clothes off?” she repeats suspiciously, cause she knows, she knows, that’s what he really wants.
The left side of his mouth kicks up. “Not if you answer the question.”
... ... ...
A/N: Can I just take a moment say I love how this crack!ship has been embraced? It will never happen on the show, but I love it and I'm glad so many have come to love it too.