Fic: Circumference (Cain/Gina)
Only a month late, I've finally gotten around to writing my prompt for ithilwenn's Promptathon!
Title: Circumference
Author: phoenixstorm
Pairing: Cain/Gina
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,063
Summary: SWEATY CAIN! Ahem, Cain works out and reflects on how the cylon attack of Tauron affected her life.
Prompt: “You’ve got me, I’m here for you” - Six 4.03 (He that believeth in me)
Author note: I was having a bit of difficulty actually coming up with an idea for this. I picked the prompt I did specifically because I didn't want to be locked into anything too specific, but then it turned out to be just a bit too vague. |D; So thank you to lightbringer70 and theastolat for suggesting more sweaty Cain! The prompt is kind of vague, but it's there.
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Circumference
‘All this has happened before, and it will happen again.’
While not being particularly religious, Cain has held onto that saying for most of her life. She’s structured her life around it, or rather, the defiance of it.
‘...and it will happen again’.
But it doesn’t have to.
Cain increases the inclination on the treadmill.
I won’t let it.
Her breathing starts to get heavier as her body protests the fast uphill walk.
I won’t let it ever happen again.
It hadn’t taken Cain long to realise that she needed her own, private treadmill. In the communal gym on board the Pegasus her crew laugh and joke with each other as they work out. It’s a game to them, or recreation, and even while jogging they still manage to fill the area with chatter.
With Cain it’s different. Exercise for her is deadly serious, and something she most definitely does not undertake lightly. On days when she’s not otherwise preoccupied with work she allows her mind to wander, but it always ends up returning to the same place. To the sound of gunfire and explosions, a small house, a playground and the screams of her sister.
Forty years have passed since she last heard Lucy’s voice, and yet the cries are still fresh in her mind. Forty years have passed since she first picked up that blade, and she hasn’t put it down since.
All this has happened before, but I will not let it happen again!
Cain swears to herself every day that she will never again feel that fear, and that she will never again hesitate like that. For forty years she has worked hard to prove that to herself ten times over. Every time she hears Lucy’s cries she pushes herself that little bit harder, to break through every barrier and make herself into someone who can control situations, instead of being controlled by them.
Some tell her that she’s succeeded, having become an admiral at her age and on one of the highest regarded Battlestars in the fleet. Cain ignores this, because she does not believe that there is ever a point where she can stop. There’s always an extra step that can be taken, always an extra precaution to think of and act upon. She can never forgive herself for allowing the cylons to take her only sister, and for running and hiding so pathetically. She wants redemption, and she knows that the only way to achieve it is to become the weapon that never allows such an event to occur again, even if she has to lose her humanity in the process. Maybe then Lucy will forgive her. Maybe then she’ll forgive herself.
Increasing the speed, Cain moves from a fast walk into a jog. Her breathing, already heavy, gets faster as the sound of her feet hitting the treadmill sets the rhythm. After several minutes pass she increases the speed by one and wipes the sweat from her forehead, even as she can feel drops running down her shoulders and her ponytail bouncing through the layer of sweat on her back.
Still it’s not hard enough. She increases the inclination by two this time and takes satisfaction in the ache in her legs from jogging up the steep slope. The hatch opens behind her, but she doesn’t hear it as all she is aware of is her own breathing.
The speed is increased again and now she’s running, her mind forcing her feet to keep moving even though they desperately plead to stop. A weapon never gets tired and a blade doesn’t need to rest. She absent-mindedly licks away the sweat above her lip and wipes away the droplets and hair now getting in the way of her vision. Her eyes are focused on the wall in front of her as she hears her name being called over and over.
“Helena.
“Helena.
“Helena!”
She pushes herself further, harder, faster, trying to outrun the voice calling out to her. It isn’t until the hand reaching across her to hit the power button that she realises that it isn’t the voice of her sister, but of the very real Gina Inviere trying to snap her out of her thoughts. The treadmill slows gradually and gives Cain her real wake up call, and when it has come to a complete stop she turns to look into the eyes of her lover, still breathing heavily. Gina looks back at her with an expression that shows concern with a touch of amusement at her confusingly silly little admiral. She passes Cain a towel and Cain starts to wipe herself down, starting with her face, down her arms and finally just slings the towel around her neck. She steps off the treadmill and stumbles slightly, her legs still used to the fast uphill pace that she’s been putting them through.
“I’ve got you.” Gina tells her, steadying her with an arm around her waist as Cain leans heavily against her.
Gina wrinkles her nose and grins. “You’re all sweaty, you know that?”
Cain’s only reply is to pant at her, and as Gina giggles Cain can’t help but smile in return.
She’s always thought of herself as the blade of her pocket knife; the unfeeling weapon to attack and defend. But the thing about pocket knives, she realises now, is that when they’re not attacking they fold back into the handle. When the blade isn’t being used it’s protected by the handle so that it’s fresh to attack at its full potential when needed.
As Gina fetches her a glass of water she admits to herself that this strange young blonde who wandered into her life with only a network system and a friendly smile might just be that protection. Maybe that’s okay, too. Maybe she can allow herself to rely on someone to take care of her right now so that she can fight at her fiercest when needed.
She closes her eyes and leans back against the wall, her breathing finally returning to normal. “Gina?” she asks.
“I’m here.” Gina replies, taking Cain’s hand and wrapping her fingers around the glass. Cain opens her eyes and stares into Gina’s big blue ones, so close to her own that seem to give her both protection and something to strive to protect.
“Yes, you are.” Cain says cryptically with a smile, and kisses her.
Title: Circumference
Author: phoenixstorm
Pairing: Cain/Gina
Rating: G
Word Count: 1,063
Summary: SWEATY CAIN! Ahem, Cain works out and reflects on how the cylon attack of Tauron affected her life.
Prompt: “You’ve got me, I’m here for you” - Six 4.03 (He that believeth in me)
Author note: I was having a bit of difficulty actually coming up with an idea for this. I picked the prompt I did specifically because I didn't want to be locked into anything too specific, but then it turned out to be just a bit too vague. |D; So thank you to lightbringer70 and theastolat for suggesting more sweaty Cain! The prompt is kind of vague, but it's there.
--------------------------
Circumference
‘All this has happened before, and it will happen again.’
While not being particularly religious, Cain has held onto that saying for most of her life. She’s structured her life around it, or rather, the defiance of it.
‘...and it will happen again’.
But it doesn’t have to.
Cain increases the inclination on the treadmill.
I won’t let it.
Her breathing starts to get heavier as her body protests the fast uphill walk.
I won’t let it ever happen again.
It hadn’t taken Cain long to realise that she needed her own, private treadmill. In the communal gym on board the Pegasus her crew laugh and joke with each other as they work out. It’s a game to them, or recreation, and even while jogging they still manage to fill the area with chatter.
With Cain it’s different. Exercise for her is deadly serious, and something she most definitely does not undertake lightly. On days when she’s not otherwise preoccupied with work she allows her mind to wander, but it always ends up returning to the same place. To the sound of gunfire and explosions, a small house, a playground and the screams of her sister.
Forty years have passed since she last heard Lucy’s voice, and yet the cries are still fresh in her mind. Forty years have passed since she first picked up that blade, and she hasn’t put it down since.
All this has happened before, but I will not let it happen again!
Cain swears to herself every day that she will never again feel that fear, and that she will never again hesitate like that. For forty years she has worked hard to prove that to herself ten times over. Every time she hears Lucy’s cries she pushes herself that little bit harder, to break through every barrier and make herself into someone who can control situations, instead of being controlled by them.
Some tell her that she’s succeeded, having become an admiral at her age and on one of the highest regarded Battlestars in the fleet. Cain ignores this, because she does not believe that there is ever a point where she can stop. There’s always an extra step that can be taken, always an extra precaution to think of and act upon. She can never forgive herself for allowing the cylons to take her only sister, and for running and hiding so pathetically. She wants redemption, and she knows that the only way to achieve it is to become the weapon that never allows such an event to occur again, even if she has to lose her humanity in the process. Maybe then Lucy will forgive her. Maybe then she’ll forgive herself.
Increasing the speed, Cain moves from a fast walk into a jog. Her breathing, already heavy, gets faster as the sound of her feet hitting the treadmill sets the rhythm. After several minutes pass she increases the speed by one and wipes the sweat from her forehead, even as she can feel drops running down her shoulders and her ponytail bouncing through the layer of sweat on her back.
Still it’s not hard enough. She increases the inclination by two this time and takes satisfaction in the ache in her legs from jogging up the steep slope. The hatch opens behind her, but she doesn’t hear it as all she is aware of is her own breathing.
The speed is increased again and now she’s running, her mind forcing her feet to keep moving even though they desperately plead to stop. A weapon never gets tired and a blade doesn’t need to rest. She absent-mindedly licks away the sweat above her lip and wipes away the droplets and hair now getting in the way of her vision. Her eyes are focused on the wall in front of her as she hears her name being called over and over.
“Helena.
“Helena.
“Helena!”
She pushes herself further, harder, faster, trying to outrun the voice calling out to her. It isn’t until the hand reaching across her to hit the power button that she realises that it isn’t the voice of her sister, but of the very real Gina Inviere trying to snap her out of her thoughts. The treadmill slows gradually and gives Cain her real wake up call, and when it has come to a complete stop she turns to look into the eyes of her lover, still breathing heavily. Gina looks back at her with an expression that shows concern with a touch of amusement at her confusingly silly little admiral. She passes Cain a towel and Cain starts to wipe herself down, starting with her face, down her arms and finally just slings the towel around her neck. She steps off the treadmill and stumbles slightly, her legs still used to the fast uphill pace that she’s been putting them through.
“I’ve got you.” Gina tells her, steadying her with an arm around her waist as Cain leans heavily against her.
Gina wrinkles her nose and grins. “You’re all sweaty, you know that?”
Cain’s only reply is to pant at her, and as Gina giggles Cain can’t help but smile in return.
She’s always thought of herself as the blade of her pocket knife; the unfeeling weapon to attack and defend. But the thing about pocket knives, she realises now, is that when they’re not attacking they fold back into the handle. When the blade isn’t being used it’s protected by the handle so that it’s fresh to attack at its full potential when needed.
As Gina fetches her a glass of water she admits to herself that this strange young blonde who wandered into her life with only a network system and a friendly smile might just be that protection. Maybe that’s okay, too. Maybe she can allow herself to rely on someone to take care of her right now so that she can fight at her fiercest when needed.
She closes her eyes and leans back against the wall, her breathing finally returning to normal. “Gina?” she asks.
“I’m here.” Gina replies, taking Cain’s hand and wrapping her fingers around the glass. Cain opens her eyes and stares into Gina’s big blue ones, so close to her own that seem to give her both protection and something to strive to protect.
“Yes, you are.” Cain says cryptically with a smile, and kisses her.