Around the Clock Challenge - Babylon 5
Fandom: Babylon 5
Pairing: Susan/Talia
Rating: R
Word Count: 300 + 300 + 250 + 285 + 270 + 222 = 1,627
A/N: I know several of these drabbles push the length limits; I promise that the last set of six are better behaved (length-wise at least).
06:00 / dawn (300)
Waking up with Susan is everything Talia hoped it would be.
And how it occurs is hers to determine.
If she wants her in a good mood she brews the coffee first. A steaming cup of coffee under her nose, and Susan wakes manageably enough - not smiling, not even close, but not growling either. By the time the early hour registers, she’s had enough caffeine to be able to ignore it.
Then they can sit and drink together, talking for a few minutes before the day begins. It's one of the few times during her waking hours that Talia doesn’t have to run rhymes through her head-her mind is focused enough on the one sitting across from her that she can block out most of the static.
But drinking coffee made from the beans that Susan grows is only one of their illicit morning pleasures.
If Talia wants to wake her up sans beverage, she has to get creative. Sometimes she slips beneath the sheets, going down on Ivanova so gently that she’s not even fully awake until she cries out in release. Afterwards Talia stretches out between Susan’s legs and rests her chin on the firm stomach beneath her. She loves seeing the commander comfortable and languid, eyes heavy with sleep, soft with pleasure, her hair splayed across the pillows. These are the quiet mornings.
Other times Talia teases her awake with kisses and suggestions until, sighing with frustration, Susan rolls over and straddles her hips. By the time Talia lies exhausted, Susan has dispensed with most of her morning aggression. Talia suspects the commander’s colleagues would thank her for these mornings - their cheerful results - if they ever discover their cause.
Waking up with Susan is everything Talia hoped it would be.
And it's never, ever boring.
14:00 / season (300)
“Ms. Winters.”
“Commander.”
“I thought I told you to take the towel off.”
“You did.” Talia found it difficult to remain dignified while dripping water all over Ivanova’s floor. “After you remove your uniform, I might consider the request.”
“Since you always call me by title, I thought you'd prefer if I left it on. I, however, would much prefer if this,” Susan grabbed the towel and pulled, “was out of my way.”
“Why?” Talia tilted her shoulders back; presented her nakedness as a challenge. “What will you do?”
“This,” Susan said simply, pressing her into the wall and pinning her bare hands above her head.
The feel of the commander’s uniformed front molding to her bare back made Talia moan. She arched back to maximize the contact…only to find that her goal eluded her.
“Don’t-” Ivanova kept their bodies slightly apart and bent her head to lick moisture off Talia’s shoulder blades, “-move.” Keeping one hand in place to trap her lover’s, Susan allowed her free hand to slide downwards.
Talia held herself perfectly still.
“Excellent,” Ivanova murmured. She slowly pressed her hand between Talia’s legs and curved her fingers inwards. Several light strokes later, anticipation had turned exquisite.
“You are…” Talia bit her lip and tried to keep her legs from shaking, “so…”
“What? Annoying?” Ivanova increased the pressure of her fingers enough to pleasure, but not nearly enough to please.
“No,” Talia’s breath hitched, “that might imply I don’t want to be doing this.”
“Afraid of giving me ammunition?”
Talia stared straight at the wall and didn’t move a muscle. “I’m not afraid of giving you anything.” She felt Susan stiffen against her back.
“Now,” Ivanova said hoarsely, and Talia shifted against her, lining up fingers, turning her head for a kiss, leaving both of them shuddering.
13:00 / instantaneous (250)
"Susan, I hate to press you," Sheridan said. "But we need to know now. Hell, we needed to know yesterday."
"I don't know what to tell you, John."
"You said we could trust Ms. Winters. Coming from you, knowing how you feel about members of the Corps-that recommendation means a lot."
"I do trust her. You know me, I wouldn't have lied about-"
"I know the two of you are friends now. But I don't just need to know whether you trust her as a person, I need to know if you trust her as a member of the Corps. Can she, will she, give us her loyalty if it turns out they're the ones we have to go up against?"
"Its always the Corps issue," Susan muttered. And wasn't it? She'd shared this woman's bed for a month, trusting her with everything up to and including her love. She'd held back only in one respect-but she knew the value of what she denied. Worse, while Talia accepted the limitation, she had no idea that Susan deprived herself as well.
Fear of the Corps made another relationship a lie. When would she stop letting it dictate her life?
Right now, she decided, was as good a time as any.
"I’d trust with Ms. Winters with my life." She held Sheridan's gaze. "And if you need more reassurance than that, I'd trust her with my mind as well."
"Thank you, Ivanova," he said softly. "That's all the reassurance I need."
02:00 / anniversary (285)
It’s two years since the day they met.
Susan realized the date before Talia expressed her disbelief during breakfast. Though the exact source of her surprise remains unclear: is it due to the fact that it took them this long to be able to publicly - and civilly - sit through a meal together…or because such an event ever occurred at all?
Though perhaps it hasn’t; at least, not quite yet. For they are engaged in their favorite activity: arguing. And Susan knows she can win.
“I’ll have you know,” she says, “I’ve been nothing but compassionate and understanding. I mean, all you had to do is admit that you were wrong and I was right and everything would have been fine.”
Which is, of course, exactly what happened. Not that the reminder is necessary or remotely appreciated. The look on Talia’s face-
Susan wonders what will happen if she bursts into laughter in the middle of the Zocalo while sitting with a telepath. Probably some type of arrest will be made.
Best to avoid that.
She manages to limit herself to a small smile.
“You are the most stubborn-” Talia begins.
But Ivanova’s link saves the day, its activation ensuring that personal relationships remain on the Q.T. The meal is cut short, but they’ve already had the low-risk thrill of experiencing the contrast between public and private breakfasting.
Susan knows the real risk is their decision to meet in her own quarters tonight. They’ve discovered the hard way just how many Earthforce personnel are housed in that sector. But repairs mean they cannot meet at Talia’s…and Susan really wants to be with her tonight.
If for no other reason than to finish their argument.
20:00 / twilight (270)
Only after they’ve made love for the second time in a row does Susan seem to let go of whatever has bothered her all evening. She’s like that sometimes - focusing on another’s needs to clear her mind of her own problems.
Talia wants her focus. She’s amazed at how Susan anticipates her auditory cues; the way she appears to expect every gasp, the length of each moan. Sometimes Talia thinks her lover possesses an unfair advantage. Psi-training might strengthen some senses, but others are left to atrophy. The unspoken expectation is that a telepath will read what they need to know. Before Susan, Talia has never had to intuit a partner’s desires during sex from purely external cues.
Despite this limitation - despite the fact that she has been learning a whole new language of communication - she has never felt closer to anyone than she feels to Susan. Talia hadn’t exaggerated earlier in the evening when she said that she trusts her implicitly.
She trusts Ivanova more than anyone whose mind she’s been able enter.
And in some ways, they achieve a level of empathy that Talia has never known. Susan only admitted to vague worries earlier, but the intensity of her distress gave Talia a headache. Feeling sympathy pains with her mental barriers still in place - it’s exhilarating.
Not that she doesn’t still wish that she could share the rest of herself with Susan; that she could touch her thoughts and all the hidden spaces and places in between. But she’s willing to wait. To watch.
To hope.
Until Susan asks the question that Talia least expects.
22:00 / heartbeat (222)
What is it like when telepaths make love?
In the space of a thought, Talia suddenly has the answer: it’s the mirroring of each other’s reflections.
Which, she now realizes, is exactly what they’ve been doing all along. The way they echo each other’s needs during moments of passion, the way Susan senses the reverberations of her wants…
The mental connection is low-level, but Susan is picking up on her overflow, the edges of her desires. If Talia had ever taken a mundane as a lover before, she would have known. She’d simply assumed that the skillful use of enough physical senses could mimic the indescribable intimacy of being inside another person in every possible way. Could mimic being with another telepath.
Oh, Susan. How careful she has been.
Talia can’t even find it in herself to be mad at the lie.
But now there is nothing she can say to the other woman’s question. She cannot find the words to describe the experience without the description forming an image of the truth. So, for Susan’s sake, she calls off the search. Once again, she is at a loss for words.
But maybe, just maybe, one day she will find those lost words in the mind of the woman lying next to her. And then they can finally experience them together.
Pairing: Susan/Talia
Rating: R
Word Count: 300 + 300 + 250 + 285 + 270 + 222 = 1,627
A/N: I know several of these drabbles push the length limits; I promise that the last set of six are better behaved (length-wise at least).
06:00 / dawn (300)
Waking up with Susan is everything Talia hoped it would be.
And how it occurs is hers to determine.
If she wants her in a good mood she brews the coffee first. A steaming cup of coffee under her nose, and Susan wakes manageably enough - not smiling, not even close, but not growling either. By the time the early hour registers, she’s had enough caffeine to be able to ignore it.
Then they can sit and drink together, talking for a few minutes before the day begins. It's one of the few times during her waking hours that Talia doesn’t have to run rhymes through her head-her mind is focused enough on the one sitting across from her that she can block out most of the static.
But drinking coffee made from the beans that Susan grows is only one of their illicit morning pleasures.
If Talia wants to wake her up sans beverage, she has to get creative. Sometimes she slips beneath the sheets, going down on Ivanova so gently that she’s not even fully awake until she cries out in release. Afterwards Talia stretches out between Susan’s legs and rests her chin on the firm stomach beneath her. She loves seeing the commander comfortable and languid, eyes heavy with sleep, soft with pleasure, her hair splayed across the pillows. These are the quiet mornings.
Other times Talia teases her awake with kisses and suggestions until, sighing with frustration, Susan rolls over and straddles her hips. By the time Talia lies exhausted, Susan has dispensed with most of her morning aggression. Talia suspects the commander’s colleagues would thank her for these mornings - their cheerful results - if they ever discover their cause.
Waking up with Susan is everything Talia hoped it would be.
And it's never, ever boring.
14:00 / season (300)
“Ms. Winters.”
“Commander.”
“I thought I told you to take the towel off.”
“You did.” Talia found it difficult to remain dignified while dripping water all over Ivanova’s floor. “After you remove your uniform, I might consider the request.”
“Since you always call me by title, I thought you'd prefer if I left it on. I, however, would much prefer if this,” Susan grabbed the towel and pulled, “was out of my way.”
“Why?” Talia tilted her shoulders back; presented her nakedness as a challenge. “What will you do?”
“This,” Susan said simply, pressing her into the wall and pinning her bare hands above her head.
The feel of the commander’s uniformed front molding to her bare back made Talia moan. She arched back to maximize the contact…only to find that her goal eluded her.
“Don’t-” Ivanova kept their bodies slightly apart and bent her head to lick moisture off Talia’s shoulder blades, “-move.” Keeping one hand in place to trap her lover’s, Susan allowed her free hand to slide downwards.
Talia held herself perfectly still.
“Excellent,” Ivanova murmured. She slowly pressed her hand between Talia’s legs and curved her fingers inwards. Several light strokes later, anticipation had turned exquisite.
“You are…” Talia bit her lip and tried to keep her legs from shaking, “so…”
“What? Annoying?” Ivanova increased the pressure of her fingers enough to pleasure, but not nearly enough to please.
“No,” Talia’s breath hitched, “that might imply I don’t want to be doing this.”
“Afraid of giving me ammunition?”
Talia stared straight at the wall and didn’t move a muscle. “I’m not afraid of giving you anything.” She felt Susan stiffen against her back.
“Now,” Ivanova said hoarsely, and Talia shifted against her, lining up fingers, turning her head for a kiss, leaving both of them shuddering.
13:00 / instantaneous (250)
"Susan, I hate to press you," Sheridan said. "But we need to know now. Hell, we needed to know yesterday."
"I don't know what to tell you, John."
"You said we could trust Ms. Winters. Coming from you, knowing how you feel about members of the Corps-that recommendation means a lot."
"I do trust her. You know me, I wouldn't have lied about-"
"I know the two of you are friends now. But I don't just need to know whether you trust her as a person, I need to know if you trust her as a member of the Corps. Can she, will she, give us her loyalty if it turns out they're the ones we have to go up against?"
"Its always the Corps issue," Susan muttered. And wasn't it? She'd shared this woman's bed for a month, trusting her with everything up to and including her love. She'd held back only in one respect-but she knew the value of what she denied. Worse, while Talia accepted the limitation, she had no idea that Susan deprived herself as well.
Fear of the Corps made another relationship a lie. When would she stop letting it dictate her life?
Right now, she decided, was as good a time as any.
"I’d trust with Ms. Winters with my life." She held Sheridan's gaze. "And if you need more reassurance than that, I'd trust her with my mind as well."
"Thank you, Ivanova," he said softly. "That's all the reassurance I need."
02:00 / anniversary (285)
It’s two years since the day they met.
Susan realized the date before Talia expressed her disbelief during breakfast. Though the exact source of her surprise remains unclear: is it due to the fact that it took them this long to be able to publicly - and civilly - sit through a meal together…or because such an event ever occurred at all?
Though perhaps it hasn’t; at least, not quite yet. For they are engaged in their favorite activity: arguing. And Susan knows she can win.
“I’ll have you know,” she says, “I’ve been nothing but compassionate and understanding. I mean, all you had to do is admit that you were wrong and I was right and everything would have been fine.”
Which is, of course, exactly what happened. Not that the reminder is necessary or remotely appreciated. The look on Talia’s face-
Susan wonders what will happen if she bursts into laughter in the middle of the Zocalo while sitting with a telepath. Probably some type of arrest will be made.
Best to avoid that.
She manages to limit herself to a small smile.
“You are the most stubborn-” Talia begins.
But Ivanova’s link saves the day, its activation ensuring that personal relationships remain on the Q.T. The meal is cut short, but they’ve already had the low-risk thrill of experiencing the contrast between public and private breakfasting.
Susan knows the real risk is their decision to meet in her own quarters tonight. They’ve discovered the hard way just how many Earthforce personnel are housed in that sector. But repairs mean they cannot meet at Talia’s…and Susan really wants to be with her tonight.
If for no other reason than to finish their argument.
20:00 / twilight (270)
Only after they’ve made love for the second time in a row does Susan seem to let go of whatever has bothered her all evening. She’s like that sometimes - focusing on another’s needs to clear her mind of her own problems.
Talia wants her focus. She’s amazed at how Susan anticipates her auditory cues; the way she appears to expect every gasp, the length of each moan. Sometimes Talia thinks her lover possesses an unfair advantage. Psi-training might strengthen some senses, but others are left to atrophy. The unspoken expectation is that a telepath will read what they need to know. Before Susan, Talia has never had to intuit a partner’s desires during sex from purely external cues.
Despite this limitation - despite the fact that she has been learning a whole new language of communication - she has never felt closer to anyone than she feels to Susan. Talia hadn’t exaggerated earlier in the evening when she said that she trusts her implicitly.
She trusts Ivanova more than anyone whose mind she’s been able enter.
And in some ways, they achieve a level of empathy that Talia has never known. Susan only admitted to vague worries earlier, but the intensity of her distress gave Talia a headache. Feeling sympathy pains with her mental barriers still in place - it’s exhilarating.
Not that she doesn’t still wish that she could share the rest of herself with Susan; that she could touch her thoughts and all the hidden spaces and places in between. But she’s willing to wait. To watch.
To hope.
Until Susan asks the question that Talia least expects.
22:00 / heartbeat (222)
What is it like when telepaths make love?
In the space of a thought, Talia suddenly has the answer: it’s the mirroring of each other’s reflections.
Which, she now realizes, is exactly what they’ve been doing all along. The way they echo each other’s needs during moments of passion, the way Susan senses the reverberations of her wants…
The mental connection is low-level, but Susan is picking up on her overflow, the edges of her desires. If Talia had ever taken a mundane as a lover before, she would have known. She’d simply assumed that the skillful use of enough physical senses could mimic the indescribable intimacy of being inside another person in every possible way. Could mimic being with another telepath.
Oh, Susan. How careful she has been.
Talia can’t even find it in herself to be mad at the lie.
But now there is nothing she can say to the other woman’s question. She cannot find the words to describe the experience without the description forming an image of the truth. So, for Susan’s sake, she calls off the search. Once again, she is at a loss for words.
But maybe, just maybe, one day she will find those lost words in the mind of the woman lying next to her. And then they can finally experience them together.