Food for the Immortals - Challenge response
Title: Food for the Immortals
Pairing: Helo/Apollo, Helo/OMC
Rating: M
Warnings: (none)
Word Prompt: Ambrosia
Setting: Season 3, while Apollo is CAG but after Starbuck’s death
Summary: In myth only the Gods may taste of Ambrosia, for it truly is the food of the immortals. What then, does it mean when mortals indulge? Will it make them immortal, turn them into gods? Or is it like everything else, the journey is the most important thing?
Other Chapters: Chapter Two Chapter Three
Chapter One
The gym was an area generally accepted as being free of rank, without the need for physical violence. No tags needed be dropped into a bowl or formal declarations of non-retaliation. The fact is stripped down to singlet, shorts and sometimes less the vision of rank was somewhat blurred. Also with all the blood pumping, hormones raging and tension constant, the possibility of more private physical exertion was high. Like the blurring of rank, the line between acceptance and tolerance was never clearly defined.
The more religious officers may have frowned on certain couplings but then if their morals were shaped that way they probably should have stayed away from flight operations; little room for quibbling over scripture when you were micro-seconds away from being atomised. Helo, much a product of his upbringing as his time in the military, did not disapprove of people's personal choices - especially when they didn't impose on his. Besides, he slept with a cylon and if the majority of flight staff said nothing about that then he wasn't going to even raise an eyebrow at them.
Not even when the newest member of the squad tapped Jasper on the shoulder and the veteran just nodded and they disappeared out back. Helo had known Jasper for five years and had not for one moment suspected he would go with another guy. Perhaps he always had, perhaps it was something new? In this frakked up time what did it matter?
He may not have raised an eyebrow but Helo did stand watching the door they had gone through for quite a while, he had thought himself alone until a muted cough behind him. Resisting the urge to scream and jump like a recruit Helo slowly turned to see Hotdog grinning at him from the weights.
"Something you'd be interested in?" leered a sweat-soaked Hotdog, his hair was plastered to his forehead and his chest rose in exertion. Tempted, yes but interested…no. Shaking his head Helo gave a small smile to let Hotdog know it was okay and walked out, grabbing his bag and towel on the way. In the shower he let the water wash away the grime of two double shifts and three sets of cardio - and the nagging image that Hotdog had left him with.
Truth was he didn't find Hotdog unattractive, he just had something better in mind and in usual Helo fashion he was not going to settle for anything less. His eyes lazily ran over the figure of his interest and thankfully the man was entirely oblivious to Helo's attention. The smooth lines, packed muscle and body that Helo was so familiar with yet had never had the pleasure. It was not just that Lee 'Apollo' Adama had a great body, it was that Helo had helped craft that body.
For just the slightest of moments Lee caught his eye and held it. He didn't smile, or frown or anything - he just looked at Helo and gave nothing away. There was a time when Lee wore his emotions on his face for all to see; that was before all this; before his marriage and before Kara's death. They broke eye contact and Helo felt his heart thudding like a viper's guns, he just hoped his expression had been as unreadable as Lee's.
From the overweight specimen he had let himself become Lee had worked so hard to return his form to what Helo pretty much thought of as perfection. All along the way Helo had helped him out, encouraged him, pushed him beyond his limits and ignored his howls of protest.
In a way Helo already owned that body - now he wanted to possess it.
The problem is Helo knew what happened when normal humans like himself aimed too high. Crash and burn; that is what would happen if he pursued a god.
BSGBSGBSGBSG
It was a week later in the briefing that Helo felt a foot nudge into his own and Hotdog leaned into his personal space. Of course he had chosen the exact moment that Helo was checking out their commander and been visualising stripping the uniform off Lee to reveal the skin beneath. His fantasy was fast becoming a painful need, something he simply had to have no matter the cost. This was dangerous territory.
"You are so obvious man," whispered Hotdog and Helo steeled his features. Laughter beside him finally made him turn but Hotdog had already stifled his mirth and was the picture perfect pilot listening to his superior's instructions.
"Helo!" He jerked to the front to see Apollo staring furiously at him. "Sorry to interrupt but knowing which formation we're flying today might just be useful for you to know."
"Yes sir, thank you sir," snapped Helo in response, making sure to kick Hotdog's foot. The man flinched but said nothing; he didn't have to since his smirk spoke volumes. He knew, and he was letting Helo know it. The only question of course was if he would use it to make Helo's life a misery? Knowing Hotdog this was going to be intolerable.
Only once Lee's attention was fixed elsewhere did Hotdog lean back in. "You know - its not impossible to court a god, you just gotta have something they believe they can't be without."
"And what's that?" whispered Helo out of the corner of his mouth.
"What does everyone need? Food, drink…sex."
Turning to Hotdog Helo grunted. "Thanks, that's very helpful."
His sarcasm was lost as once again he got the attention from Apollo that he didn't want.
"Helo!"
This was not going to be easy.
BSGBSGBSGBSG
They were working under a viper when next Hotdog brought it up; Helo had thought himself safe since the younger man had not mentioned anything all week.
"So how goes the pursuit Helo?"
He grunted a response that was meant to be a frak off, but Hotdog took it as an opening to discuss the matter further.
"Have you worked it out yet?"
"I don't have anything he can't get elsewhere," snapped Helo, because truthfully he had been thinking about it.
"Aw come on man, there's plenty I'm sure."
Turning in the very cramped space to stare Hotdog in the eye Helo held up a finger. "Firstly as a superior officer Lee can get much better food than I could lay my hands on, same goes for drink - and since I need those for the sex part I can't prove to him I've got what he can't do without."
A heavy sigh followed by a chuckle revealed Hotdog's conversion into sage advice mode.
"Firstly Helo, food and drink are relative to taste - he may have access to the good stuff but maybe you can serve up what he really hungers for, especially if you look at food as just something you put in your mouth - that opens up some possibilities don't it?"
"You're disgusting."
"You're hard just thinking about it."
Helo could not answer that, it was true and he wriggled uncomfortably to try and make it not so obvious; not that anyone could see but who knew when the chief might poke his head in?
"So what, I just march in and offer him something to eat, and drop my pants?"
Hotdog smacked his own face and stifled a loud laugh. "Works for me but Apollo's a god right? I mean you have to treat him like one?"
"I guess."
"Put it this way - do you worship him, see him as divine, untouchable and beyond your mortal abilities?"
Helo's silence gave his answer.
"So Apollo is a god and what do god's have above all else?"
"Power?"
"No Helo, pride."
Helo pondered that carefully. In a really odd way Hotdog made sense. Apollo had enough pride for the whole fleet; Helo couldn't just walk up to him and proposition; Lee needed to be in control.
"I need to get him to pursue me."
"Now you're getting it my man - god's don't eat at the same trough as the common people, so they're not gonna join your table if you ask - they're gonna join it because they say so."
"This is hurting my head."
Hotdog was quiet for a moment before he lowered his voice. "Let me ask you this, do you know what ambrosia really is?"
"Apart from the obvious," muttered Helo. "Food of the god's I guess."
"Kind of but not really," answered Hotdog. "Look, meet me after shift and I'll explain in terms we scrappers understand."
"Okay," said Helo slowly.
"Don’t sound so worried man," said Hotdog, slapping his arm. "What's the worst that can happen?"
BSGBSGBSGBSGBSG
The tenth shot went down and Helo rather slowly put it on the pyramid of glasses they had built. Where Hotdog had got a supply of shot glasses Helo hadn't thought to ask; it was impressive though.
"So, according to you, Ambrosia isn't really the food of the gods, it's whatever the gods consume."
"Yes, but no," answered Hotdog, his speech severely impaired as he had tried to keep up with Helo, being smaller and younger he hadn't a chance.
"Ambrosia is that which is meant for the gods alone, it is beauty and wonder, ecstasy and pleasure extreme; it is that which is meant to be beyond the reach of man - for a mortal to covet ambrosia can bring either great power or everlasting torment."
"Like…ambrosia," slurred Helo, indicating the green bottle in Hotdog's hands.
Hotdog slapped him on the shoulder. "Now you getting it Karl."
"Wait," Helo held up a finger. "So how does this help me?"
Having trouble focusing on Helo's finger Hotdog grabbed it playfully and kept it still. "Helo," he said with an even bigger slur. "You've got to become the ambrosia, be that which the god's covet - right now Apollo is your ambrosia and all it does is torment you. The only way to fix the situation is to reverse it - you want him, but you have to make him want you."
"Shouldn't be so hard." Helo was not entirely unaware that he did have a certain attractiveness, one which Apollo should not resist forever.
Hotdog's face fell into his hands, freeing up Helo'’s finger but instead he grabbed Hotdog's head and gently raised it, worried the other man had fallen unconscious. He was not however, instead he was laughing with tears forming in his eyes.
"Here's the catch Helo," Hotdog giggled. "You can't let him know that you want him."
"Pride?"
"Pride," nodded Hotdog.
"Frak!"
"Yeah," Hotdog reached for the bottle but Helo snatched it away.
"Think you've had enough," muttered Helo, sniggering as Hotdog pouted but didn't argue.
"You know Hotdog, for a drunken, entirely too arrogant upstart you actually make a bit of sense."
"Good," said Hotdog emphatically. "Cause now I need some 'ssistence."
"Whassat?"
Hotdog leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I don't think I remember where my bunk is."
Laughing loudly Helo put an arm around the smaller man and helped him up. Hotdog latched on, his ability to stand unaided apparently was on a level with his memory. Thankfully thought Helo, neither of them was on duty tomorrow.
tbc...
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