Paint My Skin with Marks That Last, PG
Written for the_applecart the In The Fleet Challenge with the prompt, 'Pilots getting tattoos, either Kara or Lee or both'.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” He groused as she pushed him into the chair.
“I didn’t talk you into anything. You lost a bet. These were the terms. Suck it up pretty boy, it’s about time you had something gritty to mar up all that nice clean skin of yours.”
Rifling through the pages of book on the table thoughtfully, she eventually showed something to the greasy man sitting before Lee. With a laugh like a machine gun rapport, she told him, “This one. This one is perfect.”
“Kara…” he was prepared to beg for generosity here.
“Chill.” She told him, rolling her eyes. “It’s not bad, I swear.”
He wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, but-“
“Can you just trust me?” She asked exasperated.
He swallowed his other reservations and nodded. “Fine.”
Placated, she sat down beside him and held onto his left hand while the other man worked at the forearm of his right. Every time he tried to turn his head to see what the man was gouging into his now raw flesh, she’d tug his chin back to face her, laughing in that playful way that told him so many things about her that she never had.
“Poor baby,” she teased in mock concern when he flinched at the needle. “Think you’ll survive?”
Squeezing her hand roughly, until she bit her lip, he responded with an icy, “You know I’m gonna get you back for this, right?”
“Oh c’mon!” She told him, pulling his face back for what felt like the hundredth time. “I thought you LOVED the Prometheus. Figured you’d appreciate the trip over.”
His eyes widened fractionally at the insinuation, before he looked away. “Dad tell you?”
“No one needed to tell me, Lee.” She said flicking her hand at him lightly. “I’m not an idiot, contrary to popular belief.”
He grunted noncommittally.
“Besides,” she continued, “you’ve always sucked at keeping secrets. Remember that time you tried to keep that girl you were dating from Zak and me? What was her name? Gianna?"
She laughed too loudly. "Gods, you were so obvious. Keeping your phone on silent, always running to the bathroom to check it. Remember that time we ran into her at that piece of shit bar and you introduced her to us as your 'friend'? I thought she was gonna deck you! No, no, you are way too naturally honest to expect to be any good at undercover, Lee.”
He refused to meet her teasing gaze, hating himself. “Yeah, I’ll have to work on that.”
“Oh my gods, look at your face!” She cackled as he felt heated blood and shame rushing into his cheeks. “You’re all embarrassed about this, aren’t you? Frak, Lee! You are! My gods, you think I’M one to judge? You think ANY of Galactica’s pilots are? You’re far from the only one who-”
“Can we talk about something else, please?” He cut her off roughly through grit teeth.
“Fine.” She conceded throwing up her hands in surrender. “I didn’t realize you were feeling so touchy today.”
“I’m not touchy. You’re prying.”
“Whatever.” She said, stepping away and turning her attention back towards the tattoo artist. She looked him up and down for a moment, in a way that made Lee cringe before asking sweetly, “He done, pal?”
“Yeah.” The guy replied gruffly as he covered the area with gauze and taped it down. Swiveling towards her, he held out his hand.
“Fifty cubits for him.” He said, before smiling crudely and adding, "Twenty-five for you sweetheart, depending on where you let me put it."
Lee popped up quickly and slapped the money into his hand. “C’mon,” he said, tugging at Kara’s arm. She was spoiling for something, a fight or a lay. He never could tell which until it was too late and he wasn't interested in sticking around for either.
“This thing hurts like a bitch. I need another drink.”
They found a bar easily enough. There were plenty to choose from on the Prometheus and Lee knew most of them by now. They were able to find seats at the bar of a dingy place Lee knew served military and he ordered them each a drink.
“So,” Kara drawled, tossing back her first and signaling the barman for another, “Come here often?”
“What do you care?” He snapped before motioning towards his arm. “Can I look yet?”
She shrugged back easily. “It’s your arm, fly-boy.”
Pulling back the covering, he looked down and found some ornate script along the length of his forearm and a long arrow cutting through the words.
“Per aspera ad astra?” He asked, translating in his head even as he spoke.
Then at the same time, they both said, “Through adversity to the stars.”
For a moment, they just smiled silently at one another.
“So?” She asked, eventually, reaching out to finger around the area. “Think this’ll teach you to play cards against me?”
“Naw,” He grinned, shaking his head at her. “It’ll take more than this. Besides, I like it.”
“Yeah?” She asked with a shy half smile that surprised him.
Grabbing the hand that still rested on his arm, he lifted it to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist, where inked words stained her own skin.
He whispered back, “Yeah.”
They never returned to Galactica that night. Everything they were both searching so hard for was already there, in the musty halls of a seedy vessel they weren't even supposed to be on. And long after they did return, the warmth of his mouth still burned against the soft skin of her wrist. He'd lost the bet that had led them there, but somewhere along the way, he'd marked her too.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this.” He groused as she pushed him into the chair.
“I didn’t talk you into anything. You lost a bet. These were the terms. Suck it up pretty boy, it’s about time you had something gritty to mar up all that nice clean skin of yours.”
Rifling through the pages of book on the table thoughtfully, she eventually showed something to the greasy man sitting before Lee. With a laugh like a machine gun rapport, she told him, “This one. This one is perfect.”
“Kara…” he was prepared to beg for generosity here.
“Chill.” She told him, rolling her eyes. “It’s not bad, I swear.”
He wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, but-“
“Can you just trust me?” She asked exasperated.
He swallowed his other reservations and nodded. “Fine.”
Placated, she sat down beside him and held onto his left hand while the other man worked at the forearm of his right. Every time he tried to turn his head to see what the man was gouging into his now raw flesh, she’d tug his chin back to face her, laughing in that playful way that told him so many things about her that she never had.
“Poor baby,” she teased in mock concern when he flinched at the needle. “Think you’ll survive?”
Squeezing her hand roughly, until she bit her lip, he responded with an icy, “You know I’m gonna get you back for this, right?”
“Oh c’mon!” She told him, pulling his face back for what felt like the hundredth time. “I thought you LOVED the Prometheus. Figured you’d appreciate the trip over.”
His eyes widened fractionally at the insinuation, before he looked away. “Dad tell you?”
“No one needed to tell me, Lee.” She said flicking her hand at him lightly. “I’m not an idiot, contrary to popular belief.”
He grunted noncommittally.
“Besides,” she continued, “you’ve always sucked at keeping secrets. Remember that time you tried to keep that girl you were dating from Zak and me? What was her name? Gianna?"
She laughed too loudly. "Gods, you were so obvious. Keeping your phone on silent, always running to the bathroom to check it. Remember that time we ran into her at that piece of shit bar and you introduced her to us as your 'friend'? I thought she was gonna deck you! No, no, you are way too naturally honest to expect to be any good at undercover, Lee.”
He refused to meet her teasing gaze, hating himself. “Yeah, I’ll have to work on that.”
“Oh my gods, look at your face!” She cackled as he felt heated blood and shame rushing into his cheeks. “You’re all embarrassed about this, aren’t you? Frak, Lee! You are! My gods, you think I’M one to judge? You think ANY of Galactica’s pilots are? You’re far from the only one who-”
“Can we talk about something else, please?” He cut her off roughly through grit teeth.
“Fine.” She conceded throwing up her hands in surrender. “I didn’t realize you were feeling so touchy today.”
“I’m not touchy. You’re prying.”
“Whatever.” She said, stepping away and turning her attention back towards the tattoo artist. She looked him up and down for a moment, in a way that made Lee cringe before asking sweetly, “He done, pal?”
“Yeah.” The guy replied gruffly as he covered the area with gauze and taped it down. Swiveling towards her, he held out his hand.
“Fifty cubits for him.” He said, before smiling crudely and adding, "Twenty-five for you sweetheart, depending on where you let me put it."
Lee popped up quickly and slapped the money into his hand. “C’mon,” he said, tugging at Kara’s arm. She was spoiling for something, a fight or a lay. He never could tell which until it was too late and he wasn't interested in sticking around for either.
“This thing hurts like a bitch. I need another drink.”
They found a bar easily enough. There were plenty to choose from on the Prometheus and Lee knew most of them by now. They were able to find seats at the bar of a dingy place Lee knew served military and he ordered them each a drink.
“So,” Kara drawled, tossing back her first and signaling the barman for another, “Come here often?”
“What do you care?” He snapped before motioning towards his arm. “Can I look yet?”
She shrugged back easily. “It’s your arm, fly-boy.”
Pulling back the covering, he looked down and found some ornate script along the length of his forearm and a long arrow cutting through the words.
“Per aspera ad astra?” He asked, translating in his head even as he spoke.
Then at the same time, they both said, “Through adversity to the stars.”
For a moment, they just smiled silently at one another.
“So?” She asked, eventually, reaching out to finger around the area. “Think this’ll teach you to play cards against me?”
“Naw,” He grinned, shaking his head at her. “It’ll take more than this. Besides, I like it.”
“Yeah?” She asked with a shy half smile that surprised him.
Grabbing the hand that still rested on his arm, he lifted it to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist, where inked words stained her own skin.
He whispered back, “Yeah.”
They never returned to Galactica that night. Everything they were both searching so hard for was already there, in the musty halls of a seedy vessel they weren't even supposed to be on. And long after they did return, the warmth of his mouth still burned against the soft skin of her wrist. He'd lost the bet that had led them there, but somewhere along the way, he'd marked her too.