Title: Words whispered in the silence 5/5 - complete

Rating: M

Genre: angst/romance, au

Warnings: adult themes, sexual situations

Spoilers: anything up to Crossroads II

Pairing: Lee/Kara, ensemble

Time period: set just over 3 years after Crossroads II

Disclaimers: I don't own these characters, Ron Moore does

Summary: After the Fleet finds Earth Lee and Kara don’t see each other for three years until a special celebration brings them face to face once more.

Words whispered in the silence – chapter 5

Kara stared in utter surprise at Lee standing on her doorstep. The moment seemed surreal despite the uncomfortable way her heart was beating in her throat.

What finally got her to nod slightly at him, tacitly giving him permission to come in, was the expression on his face. The hard unforgiving look he’d been sporting at the wedding was nowhere to be seen. He actually looked a little nervous, approachable even.

With that one penetrating look her heart leapt with hope that maybe, just maybe, he’d changed his mind about her being a mistake in his life.

Her legs wanted to run towards him. But the more self protective side of her mind tempered her response.

Instead, she took the long way around her living space and went to the kitchen, keeping as much distance as possible between them. Lee hesitantly followed and was soon carefully pulling out each item from her grocery bag onto the counter for her to put away.

Neither said a word for a full five minutes.

As Lee took out the last item his face broke out into a smile, “Gods, this looks just like...” He immediately stopped talking, realising in the weight of the moment there were more important things to talk about than confectionary.

Kara took pity on him, “Yeah, it is. I couldn’t believe it when I first saw it.” She took it out of his hand, “There are a few different types you can buy but this one tastes the most like home.”

As she unwrapped the sticky sweet she could feel Lee’s eyes intent on her face. Her fingers became clumsy. He was too close despite the kitchen counter between them. Breaking off a small piece she held it out to him, eyes reluctantly looking up and meeting his stare.

Intense blue eyes didn’t leave hers as he accepted. But the gentle brush of his fingers caused her stomach to roll and tighten. It was completely unfair that she felt so nervous. This was Lee for frak’s sake. She knew him inside and out and every other way imaginable. They’d fought and loved and obliterated each other from one side of the galaxy to the other.

She quickly popped a piece into her mouth to stop from blurting out something she might regret. Lee blinked as if waking up, and copied her action.

One, two, three seconds later and Lee’s face melted into a satisfied display of ecstasy as he groaned. Her nerves ebbed away enough for her to finally relax.

Maybe they could do this, talk, without the universe imploding.

“So, why are you here, Lee?”

He swallowed the wrong way and started coughing. Once he caught his breath he answered, “I guess the foreplay’s over?”

Tilting her head to the side she gave him a flip smile. “Cute.”

She could see him mustering up the nerve to broach the topic at hand and the uneasiness came flying back. Maybe she wasn’t ready to do this after all.

“Kara.”

“Lee.”

They both stopped as they spoke at the same time.

“Um, maybe we should sit in the lounge room or something?” Kara offered.

Lee nodded and waited for her to walk from behind the counter and find a seat first.

She almost went to sit in her favourite seat, the two seater couch, but purposely kept moving and sat in a single chair to make sure Lee kept his distance.

She couldn’t think when he was too close.

Lee chose a seat closest to hers.

After another minute of awkward silence he got to feet, “Why the frak is this so hard?”

She shrugged, “Look, Lee, maybe nothing needs to be said. If we hadn’t both been at the wedding then we’d still be living the same lives as before.”

“Is that what you want?”

Standing up to keep the playing field even, she forced herself to say, “Maybe that’s just how it’s supposed to be.”

Lee unzipped the leather jacket he’d been wearing as he paced back and forth. “That’s your answer to everything, isn’t it?”

His tone set her teeth on edge, “And what’s that?”

“When it comes to you and me you’d rather give up than fight.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” She snapped back.

Lee got in her face, “Do you know why I’m here?”

“Let’s see, frak or fight. We frakked last week, so my guess is fight.”

Shaking his head at her provocation, he grabbed the tops of her arms, “You’re right, I’m here to fight. But not to fight with you.”

His words didn’t quite match up in her mind. She mustn’t have heard him right. Twisting her arms out of his grip, she put some much needed space between them again. “Just tell me what you want this time, Lee.”

Lee stalked towards her not letting her move away. “Fine, let’s skip the small talk; I want to know why you left. Why, right when I needed you the most, you pulled a ‘Starbuck’ and disappeared,” He pronounced her call sign like he’d just swallowed a mouthful of salt.

Her arm swung of its own volition to slap him hard, but Lee had anticipated her move and snagged her wrist midair.

“That’s not the answer I was looking for,” He said deep and low.

“Frak you.”

They struggled for a second but Lee managed to keep a firm grip. When they stopped he must’ve seen something in her eyes because one minute he was breathing harshly across her face and the next he’d released her and stepped back.

“This isn’t what I wanted. I told you I don’t want to fight with you, Kara.”

“Like the way we didn’t fight in your quarters after the wedding?” Her heart was beating solidly now, and everything falling out of her mouth felt like it was on autopilot. Somehow it just seemed easier to focus on the most recent event than face the past.

“Gods, Kara. You don’t know how close I came to tearing you apart.”

Her stomach jolted. She did know; the feeling still hadn’t dissipated. “I felt the same,” She admitted. But understanding his restraint didn’t mean she forgave him for the way he let her leave his quarters. She’d been swept up in the moment only to have reality crash around her ears as she’d left.

With clear doubt written across his face, Lee shook his head, “Did you? The whole time I was waiting for you, I was warring between missing you so gods damned much that I was willing to take what small moment I could steal, and wanting to shake you to within an inch of your life demanding an explanation for whatever the frak went wrong three years ago.”

“An explanation? Are you frakking kidding me?” Without being aware of it, she moved further away, increasing the distance to an even safer length. “Three years ago you wanted to be released from any permanent ties to me.”

The look on Lee’s face became triumphant. He stabbed a finger into the air, “I’ve never said that.”

Kara immediately clamped her lips. He was going to pretend not to remember so as to force her to reveal how she found out. And she simply wasn’t prepared to do that. The whole situation had been humiliating enough without having to relive it now.

Lee’s confidant air faltered slightly at her silence. “Well?”

“Just forget it.” She turned her back on him.

“For frak’s sake, Kara, you can’t accuse me like that and just expect me to drop it.”

Her nerves were wound up so tight and she was tired and hot and frakking too close to tears. So she just shook her head, still keeping her back to him.

She could hear him pacing behind her. “You’re frustrated, Lee, I get it.”

He stopped and tried to approach her by laying his hand on the back of her shoulder, presumably to turn her around so they would be face to face again. But she shrugged him off.

“Kara,” His voice was much softer this time. “When you left I swore to myself that I would never let you break my heart again, and yet here I am.” He paused. “What does that tell you?”

It was too much. Her shoulders trembled. “Lee, I want, I can’t...frak it,” She gave up. Running both hands across her face she muttered, “I need some air.”

“Okay, okay,” He backed off, “We can do that. I think we could both use some time to calm down.”

She finally turned her body in a quarter circle to catch his eyes. His face broke out into a confident smile like he suddenly had the answer to their problems.

Lee dug a hand into his jean pocket and pulled out some keys. “Let’s go for a ride. Clear our heads.”

She looked at him sceptically, “You want to go for a drive?”

He nodded, “I think there’s a catchment dam about half an hour from here. We can go there and back. The night’s certainly warm enough.”

Kara bit her lip. It sounded like a good idea. They could stick on the radio or something to keep them from talking and just enjoy an hour of peace. She nodded. “Okay,” and gave him a tiny relieved smile.

Once she locked her front door and turned around, she headed towards her jeep while Lee walked down her driveway. “Where are you going? My car is right here.”

Lee didn’t even turn around, “We’re using mine.”

She thought about protesting, she preferred to drive, but decided it couldn’t hurt to give in. Anyway, he wasn’t slowing down to give her an opportunity to argue. Quickening her pace, she went to catch up to him.

There were two cars and a motorbike lined up across the street. As her eyes connected appreciatively with the bike, she suddenly knew it was Lee’s ride.

He was grinning at her as she pushed ahead of him and ran her hand over the machine’s contours. “Frak me,” She breathed.

There was definite pleasure in Lee’s voice, “You like her? She handles beautifully.”

Kara looked at him sideways and smirked, “I bet.”

Lee held her eyes, not shying away, and that damned frakking heat started to build between them again. She broke first and spotted the helmet strapped to the back of the seat. “Got a spare?”

He shook his head, “No, but you put it on.” He then straddled the bike and started her up. The engine purred with pure power. He scooted forward a bit and Kara was suddenly presented with a healthy slice of reality. She was going to have to climb on and get up close to the man she’d been trying to keep a careful distance from. Lee, the determined motherfrakker, knew exactly what he’d been doing.

Forgoing the helmet, she hooked her leg over and slid in behind him, their bodies locking together felt far too comfortable and ordinary. They might not be able to talk for the next little while, but Lee was going to use anything at his disposal to get under her skin nonetheless. Damn him.

“Ready?” Lee asked over his shoulder, head turned slightly.

She perfunctorily placed her hands on either side of his waist and gripped at his belt. There was a respectful distance between her chest and his back. Realising that was about as much control as she was going to get over the situation, bar getting off and going back into the house, she nodded once and said in a clear, almost excited voice, “Show me what’ve got, Apollo.”

OoOoO

The moon reflecting off the water reminded Kara of the most clichéd and cheesiest films she’d watched one summer during her early teens when stuck indoors with her leg in a cast. Each movie had been slight variations the same theme; some rich beautiful – but sad – Caprican girl being wooed by some poor handsome – but devoted – Aeralon boy.

She glanced beside her taking in Lee’s profile as he intently gazed out over the water. He certainly was handsome and she definitely was sad, but that was as far as the similarities went. They were both a couple of frak ups who didn’t know when to let things go.

The silence, however, was starting to get to her. Not that she was ready to start talking about the hard stuff; she just had a need to remember they used to be ‘Lee and Kara’ And the stupidly romantic setting he’d dragged her off to made her want to tease him mercilessly. So she did.

“You know, this looks like a perfect spot for lovers.”

Lee immediately turned to face her, his features half shadowed. “I guess.”

“What do you mean, you guess?” She nodded out to the water, “Skinny dip over there and then, “She turned and pointed to the right of them, “Frak on the soft grass over there.”

Lee snorted, “I see three years on Earth hasn’t curbed your vocabulary. If they’re lovers, Kara, then they’re going to make love, not frak.”

She made a rude sound, “Says you,” And laughed.

Lee took an extra few seconds before chuckling. Once they were both grinning at each other, he made a motion as if he was about to take her hand, she automatically lifted hers in response, but both of them thought better of it and pulled back. Instead, he gave her one of his little-boy smiles and nodded towards the soft grass.

“It does look like a good spot to sit for a while?”

She agreed and walked towards it, flopping down in a comfortable heap, the nerves momentarily at bay. Lee was right beside her. They stretched out and both looked up into the moonlit sky.

After a little while Lee said in a straight voice, “This seems familiar.”

Kara blinked and turned her head to face him. No way was he talking about New Caprica, but the look on his face admitted he was. He had to be mocking her, and deciding two could play at that game she decided to tease him back. “We’d have to be drunk and nak...”

Lee rolled over and cut her off with a kiss. He’d taken her completely by surprise, but she soon realised she didn’t mind and was about to kiss him back when he broke away.

“Sorry,” He mumbled.

“Lee,” She said simply, not really knowing what to say and still a little shocked.

He got to his feet. “I think we better go back.”

Getting to her feet as well, she followed him. Lee straddled the bike and turned on the engine. Deliberately not looking at her he just sat there waiting for her to climb on.

She stood there shaking her head at him; Lee was just as bad as her when it came to avoiding stuff that made him feel uncomfortable. And realising that it mustn’t have been easy to show up at her door the way he did, she figured she could at least try and match his effort. Even if her worst fears were confirmed, at the very least they could set each other free. So before she lost her nerve, she pushed her fear aside and finally started talking.

“Your dad had asked me to stop by his quarters after my shift about two weeks after the accident.”

Lee slowly turned to face her and switched off the bike.

She continued, “When I arrived you were already there and I heard you tell him that you made a mistake. You should never have asked me to marry you.”

Lee interrupted, “Kara, I...”

She held up her hand, “If you want to know why I left then let me finish.”

He closed his mouth and nodded.

“I turned straight around and left.” As she spoke she could see the whole thing replaying in her mind. “There’s something you probably weren’t aware of. After the initial intrigue of my miraculous return wore off,” Her voice sarcastically emphasised her meaning, “Quite a few of the crew let me know in no uncertain terms exactly what they thought of me coming between you and Dualla.”

Lee went to say something but she glared at him not to interrupt her.

“Don’t worry, as if I gave a frak what those morons thought anyway. But between being suspected of being a Cylon and shacking up with a married man, I soon learned who my real friends were.” She shifted her feet and kicked at the grass. “Then Dee died in that freak accident,” Her voice went tight at the memory because it was the catalyst for finding Earth. Tragedy and joy all wrapped together. “And instead of needing me during your grief, you pulled away. Even moved back into your old bunk, remember?”

Lee got off the bike and stood in front of her, “Can I speak yet?” His expression looked a little desperate and pained.

“Please just let me get the rest of this out, Lee.” Her composure was already starting to crumble and she’d promised herself a long time ago that she would never let anyone see how much she’d been affected, especially Lee. “We were starting to make preparations to integrate on Earth and I was trying to not take your withdrawal from our relationship personally. I knew you needed time to adjust. But I admit that I’d suddenly found it a lot harder to ignore the whispers. Especially those that said if Dee hadn’t been pulling double shifts to avoid us, she wouldn’t have been anywhere near the explosion.”

“Then I overheard what you said to your father.”

She needed a moment to collect herself and Lee thankfully continued to stay quiet, but he was looking at her with those penetrating blue eyes that not even moonlight could shadow.

“And even though it hurt, I realised you were right. Us getting married was a mistake and I was fooling myself that I’d changed enough to be what you needed. So I decided to stop thinking about our future and just take what we could in the moment.”

She quickly assured him, “I was never going to press you into obligation, Lee.”

She gave a self depreciating smile and hoped to the gods that her tears would stay in check, “I don’t think it lasted more than ten days after that. When we got one of the first clearances to go to the surface you made an excuse not to go but insisted that I shouldn’t stay behind for you. So I went and when I was there I realised that I wasn’t happy. You weren’t there with me and you didn’t want to be. I realised that I had changed and that I did want it all. I wanted our frakking house and I wanted the frakking porch swing.” She breathed hard, “I wanted us to be frakking married.”

Lee finally spoke, his voice just a little rough, “So you left.”

Kara blinked and nodded, “Yeah, I left.” Now her voice finally started trembling, “And I decided to not put down roots for one year in case you changed your mind about us.”

As the night insects clicked and chirped around them, she was all at once struck with disbelief that she’d actually told him so much. It had been carrying on her shoulders for three years and she felt acutely vulnerable for exposing herself the way she did. She tried to put it down to all the little encouragements Lee had been giving her all evening. But if she were honest with herself, the urge to finally have it out with Lee had started twisting up inside her since she received the Admiral’s wedding invitation.

“Gods, Kara, I hardly know where to begin.” Lee scrubbed his fingers through his hair and peered at her between his elbows.

She silently nodded her understanding.

Letting his arms drop back to his sides, he took a step closer and tried to reach out for her. But she stepped back, not yet ready to let him try and placate her. She didn’t tell him so he would come back to her out of guilt or because he felt sorry for her. She told him because he’d asked and she figured they both needed to put it behind them.

Lee seemed to understand and stopped trying to approach any farther. “Let me get this straight. What it boils down to is that you left because you wanted us to have a future and you thought I didn’t?”

She shrugged, “Something like that.”

Lee’s brows drew together as he shook his head, “I know I’ve always teased you about not having a brain, but...”

She tried to smile but it wouldn’t come. Her heart was hurting too much.

He must’ve noticed and realised now probably wasn’t the best time to tease her. So instead he held out his arm, “Please at least take my hand, Kara.” When she didn’t make a move to respond, he quickly added, “I really need to touch you.”

Drawing in some much needed air, she relented.

He immediately placed her palm against his chest near his heart and covered her hand with his, “Let me clear up one thing straight off. When I said those words to my father I wasn’t talking about you.”

Kara faltered. She opened her mouth to ask what he meant when she suddenly realised. “Oh.”

Lee looked slightly ashamed but it passed quickly, time already having done its trick, “Yeah. I was feeling guilty that I’d made her so miserable. She could’ve been happy with someone else but I dragged her into my own personal misery. I was confessing to my father that I’d made a mistake. That I’d wasted her years.”

Kara started to feel a little ill as it dawned on her she might’ve gotten everything completely wrong. “So none of it wasn’t about me?” She had to make sure.

Lee gave her a sad smile, “I guess it was about you too, but indirectly. Looking back, I know I was pushing you away but, Kara, at the time I couldn’t see it.” He smoothly moved his free hand and placed it on her shoulder bringing them a little closer together, “I was trying to punish myself, not you. I kept feeling better around you and I knew I had no right to feel better. Not then. Not so soon. Gods, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. But it never once occurred to me that I was pushing you away completely. I needed you; I guess I just didn’t know how to ‘let’ myself, if that makes any sense? And when I realised you weren’t coming back, all I could think about was what happened on New Caprica and I feared it was happening all over again. My life fell apart.”

The sincerity of his words were strengthened by the strong thumping of his heart beneath her palm. Kara made a muffled noise at how wrong and stupid both of them had been. And all for nothing, too.

Lee searched her eyes, “I wasn’t lying before when I said that I’d sworn to myself I would never let you break my heart again. For three years I’ve shut myself off from any chance at happiness, Kara.”

Her heart sank just a little, gods, maybe it was too late after all.

“But when you burst into my quarters before the wedding and just stood there looking like some sort of mythical creature, full of life and so frakking beautiful, my heart dropped out. And even though I resolved to fight it, I knew in my gut I wouldn’t be able to stay away.”

Kara couldn’t take it anymore. His eyes were full of unshed tears and the way his voice kept catching as he bravely laid his heart bare hooked straight into her soul. Like a blur she curled strong fingers behind his neck and pulled him towards her. Lee didn’t resist. Instead he gripped tightly at her body and met her kiss with equal force and desperate relief.

OoOoO

The ride home was so much different than before. This time she didn’t have to maintain false barriers between them and simply moulded herself tightly to his back as she clung around his middle.

Once they reached her house and he’d stopped the engine, they both sat there unmoving.

“Are you going to invite me in?”

Grinning, she nodded against his back, “I was thinking about it.”

“Okay,” He said softly.

Kara’s body moved up and down with the deep breath he took. Her face was mashed behind the base of his neck and shoulder. And to add to the comfort, Lee was lightly running his fingertips over her arms which were still locked around him, gently tracing her wrists, her knuckles and back up her arms again.

She felt so content that she was almost afraid to move. Lee was so warm and alive and had the uncanny ability to make the bad stuff disappear from her mind. But move she must. Releasing her grip she finally moved back enough to tug on the slight curls licking the back of his neck.

“Hey,” He laughed gently, trying to twist away.

Humming through a smile, she leaned in and placed a soft kiss on his nape.

Lee shivered.

Trying to unlock the front door was near impossible. Lee had his hands all over her, curious fingers occasionally dipping beneath the waistband of her jeans. By the time they got inside he’d managed to undo two buttons.

They practically stumbled through one room after the other, clothes falling off as they went, until Lee was tugging off her jeans after he’d pushed her backwards onto the bed.

“Nice room,” He commented absently without even pretending to raise his eyes from her chest.

She smirked, “Thanks,” And clambered to her knees, turning around and held her hair up out of the way.

He easily undid the clasp and pressed his chest close to her back as he helped her free her arms from the loops of the straps. Not that she needed help, but she was enjoying having his full attention too much and wasn’t about to stop his play.

Then Lee stopped moving entirely. His hand was splayed below her bellybutton, fingers snagged in the top of her panties. His mouth was close behind her ear. “Gods, you’re beautiful.”

She frowned and then realising, blushed as she looked ahead. Lee had caught their reflection in the dress mirror across the room. His strong arms were enveloping her already flushed and aroused body and watching him lightly trace up her ribs and over a breast forced a tiny whimper from her lips. Twisting her neck so she could face him, she cupped a hand up behind his head and pulled his mouth towards hers.

The mirror forgotten, he climbed further onto the bed and tugged her beneath him.

Lee’s voice was low and smooth, “There’s no reason for us to rush?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, “None whatsoever.”

“Good.”

He then kissed her so slowly and deeply that she practically felt dizzy from desire. Once they broke to catch their breath she marvelled at how natural and comfortable it was to be with him. It was like he belonged right there in her house, her bed; and once he’d removed the remainder of their clothes and was sliding possessively inside her, she knew he belonged there as well.

OoOoO

Holding a bottle of wine in one hand, Kara felt a little nervous as she stood beside Lee as he rang the doorbell.

A rush of little feet could be heard and Kara saw the side curtain move to reveal a familiar smiling little face. “Leeeee, Leeeee.”

The door swung wide open. Nicky greeted them with a bright smile, “Hey, you guys finally made it.”

Lee leaned in to kiss her on the cheek in greeting, “Sorry for being late, Nicky.”

Kara’s stomach fluttered as Lee reached back and squeezed her hand with deliberate meaning. It was her fault they were late but she most certainly wasn’t sorry. Lee had been worried for several minutes that he’d never walk again, but once he regained the use of his legs, he didn’t seem to mind. In fact had warned her that there would be naked retribution once they got home. Kara had to concentrate on not smiling like a lovesick idiot.

“You remember Kara, don’t you?” Lee’s attempt to introduce her casually didn’t fool either woman.

Nicky grinned with a look in her eyes that was somewhere between mischievous and smug. “Lee’s mysterious blonde, how could I forget?” She warmly invited Kara into the house.

Nicky steered Lee towards the backyard telling him to make sure her husband wasn’t burning the steaks and nodded for Kara to follow her into the kitchen.

“Oh, that’s a lovely wine, thank you.”

Kara shrugged, “I hope it’s okay, I’m not exactly a salad bringing sort of person.”

“Alcohol is perfectly fine, and I love wine.” She smiled, “Lee supplies my husband with that green stuff you all seem to drink.”

Kara laughed at the sour face Nicky pulled. “Ambrosia, yeah, we still haven’t been able to recreate exactly how it used to be back on the Colonies, but it’s fairly close.”

Nicky smiled and Kara could sense the woman was searching her face for something. So she asked, “Is something wrong?”

“Oh, no, not all,” Nicky blushed a little, “I’m sorry for staring. It’s just that you look so different from when I saw you at the wedding. You certainly grabbed attention and looked amazing in that dress, but seeing you like this,” She waved a hand up and down, “You look like a completely different woman. Younger, even,” Nicky laughed, “Not so intimidating.”

Kara quirked her lips at the woman’s freeness in speaking her mind. She rather liked it, preferred a straight talker than someone who only spoke to be polite. She suddenly remembered how Nicky had been rather frank after the wedding. Actually, when Kara thought about it, she owed Nicky quite a lot. While her own friends like Sharon and Helo had stayed tight lipped about Lee at first, Nicky had solidly put her foot in it, inadvertently opening the way. Of course, Karl had taken over from there.

Kara decided to admit to the change Nicky saw, “I guess I’m happy.”

Nicky nodded in enthusiastic agreement, “You are and so is Lee. Just look at him.”

Kara followed the woman’s gaze out past the ceiling to floor windows to see Lee holding Nicky’s daughter on his hip and making the little girl giggle. The happy sounds drifted inside, and as Kara took a mental snapshot of the moment she knew the scenario was a real possibility for their future.

Maybe.

If they wanted.

Little stinky rug rats and porch swings were Lee’s idea of a bright shiny future. She hadn’t understood his need at the time, but since then she’d been forced to deal with Kacey and had come to terms with her own childhood. Two life changing events to say the least.

Lee noticed he was being stared at and gave Kara a smile as if a little embarrassed, then he whispered to the little girl and they both started waving.

Nicky laughed and waved back, “Let’s join them, shall we?” And handed Kara a large platter to carry out.

Lingering behind, Kara took a moment to collect herself. Her stomach was tight with anticipation, but for once in her life it was the good kind.

OoOoO

After finishing a shower, Kara threw on a light robe and padded through the house while still towel drying her hair, looking for Lee. It had turned dusk and yet Lee hadn’t switched on any lamps. The house seemed oddly still in the deep shadows.

She was just about to call out to him when she heard a creak outside.

Dropping the towel onto a kitchen stool, she raked her fingers through her still damp hair and grabbed two beers from the fridge, twisting the tops off.

She found him leaning over the back porch rail looking out into the dusky distance, catching the remnants of a spectacular sunset.

He turned around when the screen door lightly banged shut, “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” She handed him a beer.

“Thanks.”

They both leaned against the railing and companionably drank.

“You’re awfully quiet, Lee.” She gently bumped into his side, “Even for you.”

He kept his eyes forward but placed an arm around her shoulders, “Just thinking.”

“Work?”

Lee finished his last mouthful of beer and took her still half full one out of her hand, putting them both on the decking, “Definitely not thinking about work.” He turned to face her and eyed her up and down appreciatively.

“Sex?” She leered at him.

Lee chuckled, “No, but I am now.” He rubbed the tops of her arms and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her mouth.

Kara sighed happily against his lips and wrapped her arms around his neck. How she’d managed to live three years on this planet without him was beyond her.

Lee steered her over to the porch swing and sat her down. She still felt a rush of emotion about the whole thing especially after Lee had told her that he’d given it to his dad to give to her. Deep down she realised she’d already known it was from Lee or had at least hoped.

“Kara,” he began. “I know I’ve never had the best sense of timing.”

She snorted, “I think we both suck equally with that one.”

Lee squatted down in front of her, bracing a hand on the swing to stop its gentle motion, and lightly smacked her bare knee, “Shut up, okay?”

It finally sunk in that he looked a little nervous or serious, “Okay.” A coil knotted in her stomach and she instinctively straightened her robe making sure she was decent.

He nodded and quickly glanced to the corner of the swing seat before starting, “I‘ve been trying to work out if I’m rushing ahead too fast again, or if this is so long overdue that we shouldn’t wait another minute. But then I look at you and realise I don’t want to waste anymore time. Though if you need to, then I completely understand.”

As he spoke it dawned on her what Lee was going on about. She leaned forward and placed her fingers over his mouth, “Lee, you’re babbling,” She grinned encouragingly at him.

He blinked, realising it was true, “Right. Okay.” He smiled back at her and leaned over, one hand balancing warmly on her thigh, and reached where he’d glanced just before, bringing back a tiny folded cloth.

She had to bite her lips to keep from saying yes before he even asked.

Lee carefully unwrapped the cloth and held out to her its contents, “Kara, will you marry me?”

When she saw the ring her chest tightened painfully. It wasn’t some shop bought piece of jewellery from Earth but rather looked suspiciously like the Chief’s handiwork. Most of the crew who’d entered matrimony usually begged the Chief to design them something unique instead of trading for wedding rings of the deceased and poor within the Fleet.

The implications of when Lee had the ring made hit her square in the chest. She carefully picked up the precious item and slid it on, “Yes.”

Lee looked a little shell-shocked, “Yes? You just said yes, right?”

She nodded and searched his beautiful eyes, “I told you that I would say yes. Remember?”

Lee swallowed, a haunted look shadowed his face; “I should’ve given this to you right then and there.”

Cupping his jaw, she smoothed a thumb across his cheek, “Don’t look back, Lee. We’re here now, that’s all that matters.”

The shadow lifted and Lee rushed forward, gathering her in his arms. She clung happily to him as he squeezed her tight, breathing through the moment.

After a while she nipped at his earlobe, “You know there’s something we still haven’t done on this porch swing.”

Lee breathed into her neck, dotting several tiny moist kisses, “Gods, I love you.”

She untangled herself and stood up, setting Lee in the middle of the swing instead, causing it to gently sway. His mouth fell open as she let her robe slide off her shoulders.

When Lee made no effort to move she had to remind him, “Pants, Lee.”

“Frak,” He quick undid his jeans and slid them down past his knees. His flustered actions made her giggle. Especially the way he braced his feet flat on the decking for maximum traction. His shirt flew past her hip and she indulged her future husband with one last look before climbing on and straddling him.

Lee’s hands went straight to her bottom, cupping her, lifting her high on her knees so he could taste each breast. The surroundings dissolved around her until there was only Lee. And when he at last lowered her onto him, she finally sighed back, “I love you too.”

Lee gasped and lost his footing and suddenly they were in motion.

OoOoO

Helo stood up and wobbled on his feet, the smoky bar and alcohol fumes making him dizzy.

“Can I have everyone’s attention?”

“You’re drunk, Helo, sit down,” Lee tossed pretzels at him.

“Nope, you asked me to be your best man and it’s my duty to say a few words on your last night of freedom.”

Hotdog and Gaeta cheered him on, and one of Lee’s friends from work whistled.

Helo tried to blink some sobriety back but it just made the room tilt a little more to the left. Lee looked amused and nodded for him to go ahead.

As he picked up a glass he glanced around and tried to remember if giving a speech in front of the Admiral was a wise thing to do. But the Old Man was smiling and seemed to be enjoying himself so he figured why not.

“Lee, by this time tomorrow, you’ll be a married man - to Starbuck, no less.”

Catcalls and teasing filled their little corner of the bar as Lee sat there smiling, taking everyone’s digs with good graces.

Helo continued, “She has a good heart, Apollo. Been one of my best friends since the academy. I owe her my life and more. But as much as I love her, man, I gotta say; only a fool in love would marry her crazy ass.”

“Hey,” Lee objected with a laugh.

But Helo kept going, “You’ve got stones my friend, and just remember - Sharon and I have a couch.” He raised his glass higher, “To Lee Adama, you poor dumb bastard.”

Everyone was momentarily hushed, darting glances between Lee and his dad. Until Bill Adama lifted his glass and quietly responded, “So say we all.”

fin

A/N: Thanks for reading, your comments and enthusiasm have been totally awesome. I hope you enjoyed the story :)