Blaise in Space! fanfic100 prompt 1 (Beginnings)
Started this on New Year's Day. Just now finished.
Many thanks to linda3m for the bestest encouragement ever. And a nice beta as well.
This takes place an undefined short time after the event of Months. So we're talking middle-ish season 1.
~*~
"I've made a terrible mistake," Blaise says, dropping his head into his hands.
Across the table, Peter chuckles as he reaches down to make his move, capturing yet another of Blaise's chessmen. "I don't know about terrible, but your game certainly isn't up to your usual standards."
"I'm not talking about the game." Blaise flops back onto the sofa and covers his face with his left arm. He peeks out. "I don't understand Mug-- scientists at all."
Peter raises an eyebrow. "This sounds serious."
"Don't mock me, Peter. It is serious," Blaise grinds out from under his arm.
Settling down on the arm of the sofa, Peter raises Blaise's arm off his face. "I'm sorry. Care to tell me about it? It may not be as terrible as you think."
Blaise pulls his arm back and resettles it on face. He gestures vaguely with his right hand. "Dr Kusanagi... Miko... invited me to movie night. Only it wasn't a group event as I had thought." He sighs heavily.
"Go on," Peter prompts. There has to be quite the story here; Blaise usually isn't given to the dramatic.
"I'd really rather not."
"Blaise."
"Peter." Blaise sits up and looks Peter in the eye before turning to face the chessboard. He picks up a captured pawn and rolls it around in his hands. "Fine. I slept with her. Happy?"
This is unexpected. Peter can't maintain his perch on the sofa arm and slides down to sit next to Blaise. "Not really, no."
Blaise shrugs. "You asked."
"I did." Peter nods once. "Though I think I expected a tale of embarassing misunderstandings."
"Yes, well. I think this qualifies." Blaise lets out a little huff of breath, almost entirely unlike a laugh.
"How so?"
"It was just so... Overwhelming. It'd been so long since I'd been kissed or touched or anything. I..." He stops and stares at his hands for a moment before continuing. "I'd never had sex with a girl... woman... before. Thankfully it's not all that different." Blaise finally sets down the pawn he's been fidgeting with and turns to face Peter. "But still. I shouldn't have done it at all."
Peter's inclined to agree, given Blaise's behaviour, but he has to ask. "Why not?"
Blaise leans towards Peter. He moves slowly, his eyes on Peter's as he closes the distance between them. Peter does not move away; he sits still and waits. Blaise has shown he can throw a spanner into the works when it comes to expectations, and Peter is taking no chances here. Blaise's hand comes to rest gently on the nape of Peter's neck. Their lips meet, and the slow slide of slightly parted lips conveys intent better than any intrusive tongue ever did.
It only lasts a moment and then Blaise moves away, settling back into his seat, hands in his lap.
"Oh," Peter finally says.
"Yes. 'Oh'."
"Peter!" Rodney McKay's loud voice intrudes more than usual over the radio. Peter feels the need to move off the sofa to answer the call. He takes the briefest second to catch his breath, but this is enough time for Rodney to bellow again. "Grodin! There is no way you're asleep."
"No, I'm not asleep, but I was in the middle of something rather important."
"Does it involve the discovery of a ZPM?"
Peter is staring at Blaise. Or rather, more correctly, staring at Blaise's mouth. Blaise himself is looking away. Looking as unsure of himself as Peter's ever seen. "Not exactly." He finally replies.
"Then you'll just have to get back to it later. I need you in lab four 10 minutes ago."
"Yes, *sir*." But the sarcasm is lost when Rodney cuts the connection before he's barely opened his mouth.
Blaise starts putting the chess pieces away wordlessly. Peter lays his hand on Blaise's, stopping him for a moment.
"I have no idea how long Dr McKay is going to keep me busy tonight. Tomorrow?"
Blaise finally looks up; his face is blank. "I'll see you in the control room then."
Peter runs his thumb across the top of Blaise's hand. "I was thinking about after. Movie night, perhaps?"
The big damn table is here.