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lls_mutantI've got five of the ficlets done- aren't you amazed? :) And tomorrow is Friday, Part 2 of A Lot to Live Up To! (What life? Seriously?)
Title: Suspension of Disbelief
Prompt: Zarek/Gaeta, for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
tin_o_biscuits
The first time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together was Founder's Day. It was drunken, not particularly pleasurable for either of them, and ended with Felix sneaking out the next morning. Tom was awake, but didn't bother to advertise the fact. Rather, he was quite relieved that Felix seemed to be thinking along the same lines. There would be no breakfast and discussion of their relationship; just meetings and pretending that nothing had ever happened.
The second time was just as drunken, with somewhat less elbow jabbing and ended with Tom leaving Felix's bed while Felix was still asleep. Tom wasn't sure if he was faking it or not, but it worked this way.
Neither of them intended this. Tom knew that Felix was in love with Baltar, although everyone knew that would never happen. And Felix knew Tom had a thing for Laura Roslin, but mostly wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone. But it was there anyway, and one time turned into two, and two turned into three, and so on.
By the seventh time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together, they had the hang of it together, and it was actually good. And after that they could wake up together, because now they could both believe they just were doing it for the sex.
***
The first time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together after New Caprica was in Tom's office. It was angry and violent, and heavily laden with guilt and remorse, from both sides. It was twisted and no one had to sneak away, because it ended with them staring at each other in silence. When Felix left, Tom went back to work, and didn't realize his hand was shaking until he'd written half a page and couldn’t read the words.
The second time was just as guilty, with somewhat less anger and a lot more consideration. They actually managed to use a bedroom, if not a bed, and although Felix left before either of them fell asleep, this time they said goodbye.
It still wasn't about love, and neither of them pretended it. It was sex, it was absolution, it was apology… apology for each not being able to save the other. It was memories of better times and broken dreams, it was desperation and begging for forgiveness.
By the seventh time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together after New Caprica, it had gentled into something that seemed normal, and once again they could both say it was about the sex.
***
The seventh-to-last time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together was the night Baltar was acquitted. It was the first time in a long time that they'd both been drunk for it, and almost as much a disaster as the first time they'd slept together had been. But they spent the night together, or at least a few hours, until Felix had to return to duty and Tom had to get to a Quorum meeting. And all too soon Felix disappeared on the Demetrius mission, and the world began to fall apart.
The second-to-last time was gentle and slow, and Cottle probably would have killed them both. But Felix needed the connection, not only because of his lost leg but because of his lost faith. Tom understood that; he'd seen it coming for a long time.
By then he knew that they were going to take the world down, and that it would probably be together. There was irony in the fact they were replacing one pair of lovers with another, but Tom ignored that grimly. And he knew perfectly well where this path would probably lead the both of them, but it was worth it.
The last time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together was after Raptor 718 had been recovered when a tylium mining team happened on it at the last minute. And this time, they both knew that it was probably the last time. It was slow and sure, steady and true, and at the end it was Felix who first whispered I love you, and Tom who whispered it back.
They only said it the once, but once was enough. Tom knew it through their battle, when they killed, when they died. And while Baltar got Felix's last words, Tom got his last smile. And that right there told him all he needed to know.
Title: Bed Time
Prompt: Helo/Athena post-finale fluff forthistlerose
"Close your eyes and go to sleep, baby's in the cradle counting sheep.
Climb up to your house of dreams, baby's in the cradle fast asleep."
Hera's breathing evened out, and Helo pulled away slowly. She didn't stir, and he sighed with relief. He crept out of the tent, over to where Sharon was sitting by the firepit heating water.
"I think she's asleep," he whispered.
Sharon smiled, the firelight flickering over her features. "Finally," she said.
"Tell me about it." He rocked his head from side to side. His shoulders were sore from the heavy lifting. But he could see the silhouette of the bulk that would become a secure stone house, and he knew it was worth it.
It was even more worth it when Sharon put a cup of hot something-like-tea into his hands and then moved around behind him, massaging his shoulders. "You got a lot done today," she said approvingly.
"Hot Dog helped. I'm really going to owe him when our house is finished."
"That's how it should be, I guess," Sharon said, kissing Helo on the cheek. "People helping each other out."
"Yeah." He let his head fall forward and closed his eyes. "Hera said you caught fish today."
"Nets are useful."
"Think she'll actually eat them?"
Sharon laughed, deep in her throat. "They're not green," she said. She stopped rubbing and leaned over to pick up a makeshift torch. "Come on," she said, lighting it and gesturing to Helo. "Give me a grand tour."
"We didn't get that much done in a day that you need a tour," he laughed.
"Show me anyway."
They went inside what would become their house, the torchlight etching out the stones of the half walls. There was a large living space, a small room for Hera, and a room for them. "It's not that big," Helo said apologetically. "If I could-"
"It's going to be wonderful," Sharon cut him off firmly. She turned around, looking at what would become their bedroom.
"It's not Caprica."
"And we're not being watched by Cylons wanting to use you as a breeding experiment." She stuck the torch in the ground and came over, wrapping her arms around his neck. He automatically pulled her flush against him, closing his eyes happily as her hair pressed against his cheek. "I know it's not what you wanted to give us, Karl. But I have you, and I have Hera. I have everything I could possibly want."
"Everything?" he asked teasingly, because if he didn’t, he'd cry.
"Well…" Sharon looked around. "Maybe a bed."
He picked her up and pressed her against the wall, and they both laughed. "And then again," Sharon said as his hand moved up her thigh, "frak beds."
Title: Five Times Felix Gaeta Regretted what He Did, and One Time He Didn't
Prompt: Gaeta, "remorse" forbrennanspeaks
1.
His head was pounding, and his mouth tasted like he'd eaten a pile of vinegar steeped lemons. Felix sat up, rubbing his face with his hands, and then suddenly realized that someone was beside him in the bed.
"Oh, frak."
He looked at his partner cautiously, and then gave up being cautious and decided vomiting was a better idea. He made it to a trash can in the knick of time.
That was also when he realized he wasn't in the Officer's Quarters any more.
He groaned and began to count the things that were wrong with this. The guy was a specialist, he was a lieutenant. The guy was not overly attractive, although last night Felix had been quite sure he was. And the guy had to be in his fifties, at least. And to top it all off, it hurt when he moved, giving Felix the idea this guy had had no idea what he was doing.
What, besides the better part of a bottle of whiskey, had possessed him to do this?
He gathered his uniform together, determined to sneak out before Specialist Old and Ugly could wake up. It was a long day ahead anyway, with the decommissioning happening. Felix desperately hoped that he could keep his mind off this and the subject would never, ever come up again.
As he snuck out of the room, he caught the name taped to the bunk. A. Figurski.
2.
"Flyboy's dead."
Felix tried to conjure up a picture of Flyboy, and came up with nothing. Just a voice in his ear, making terrible jokes even as the Cylons attacked.
But worse was when he entered the infirmary to see Dee in a hospital bed. "She's going to be fine, son," Dr. Cottle said, but it was still his fault. If he'd checked the coordinates, if he'd pulled the network a second sooner, if he'd seen the signs, if he'd….
"Felix," Cottle said, in an I'm-not-joking voice, "get out of my way." He sighed. "If you have to brood under self-inflicted guilt, have the courtesy to do it out of my path when I'm trying to get to critically wounded patients.
Felix guiltily stepped aside, closer to Dee's bed. Dee moaned and shifted, and he had to remind himself she would be fine.
But if only he had checked the coordinates. If only he'd pulled the network a second sooner. If only he'd seen the signs….
3.
"You know," President Baltar said, looking at the work order in front of him, "I still fail to see how this is necessary."
Felix goggled at him. "Hydroelectric power? It's sustainable, it's clean, it's-"
"Yes, yes, I know all that," Gaius- no, President Baltar- Felix corrected himself firmly, said, waving his hand carelessly. "After all, Mr. Gaeta, mere matters of power generation are well within my intellectual grasp. But I don't see why my signature is necessary on such a piddling document."
"It's a signature," Felix said through ground teeth. "You pick up the pen and you sign it. How much effort is that?"
"Too much," Baltar said.
Felix resisted the urge to grab Baltar's hand, force a pen into it, and guide his writing like he would guide a child. "All you have to do is write your name," he tried again.
Baltar rolled his eyes.
Felix sighed. And to think, he'd actually given the man his vote.
4.
Three weeks. Three weeks of secret smiles, constant touches, and giddy elation. The "honeymoon" phase had lasted three weeks, and Felix supposed in a world like this one that was a long time.
And then tonight, he'd woken, panting and sweating, heart pounding so hard he was afraid it would wake up the room.
Beside him, Louis shifted and sighed, nestling deeper into the indentation their bodies made in the mattress. His hands were folded under his cheek, a habit that made him look very young and that Felix had previously found adorable. Tonight it irked him.
He shouldn't look so trusting, so happy. Not right now, not like this.
Three weeks, and that was when Felix had started dreaming about Gaius Baltar again. And there was no possible way that could be good.
5.
It doesn't matter that I didn't see him. It's true, anyway. He told himself that over and over.
There had been so many other deaths on New Caprica. Deaths in the detention center. Execution style shootings. Cautionary tales. Not-so-cautionary tales. And even before the Cylons came, deaths from exposure, from illness, from things people with their technology shouldn't die from anymore.
So it didn't matter if Felix hadn't seen Baltar sign the death list. Judging by the regard that Baltar held for human life before that, there was no way anything else could be true.
But he knew Gaius's face, he knew his lies, and when he'd screamed at him in the courtroom, he hadn't been lying, had he?
Gaius Baltar had been telling the truth, and Felix Gaeta was the one lying. What a frakked up world indeed.
6.
You should tell Hoshi, Narcho had urged him. He's just as angry. He could help us. With two of you in the CIC, it would go even more smoothly. And you wouldn't have to fool him.
You should get Hoshi involved, Zarek had suggested. The guy's a frak, but having Communications loyal is exactly what we need, and he wouldn't betray you.
What about Hoshi? Racetrack suggested. Seriously, Gaeta. I was in that Raptor with him. The guy would do anything for you.
But he'd broken up with Louis, kept him away, and locked him up. None of them understood, and Louis might hate him, but Felix didn't care. There were two chairs here in the airlock, and if he had asked Louis, he was certain there would have been three.
It hurt, but he didn't regret it at all, not even in the instant before the guns fired.
Title: Spark of Memory
Prompt: Gaius/Tyrol forblue_crow
"What was she like?"
Gaius looked up from the notes that Paulla had given him. "Excuse me?"
Tyrol was leaning against a wall, arms crossed, looking at him. He had grease stains on his clothing and a streak across his forehead, and he seemed very far away. "Tory Foster," he said finally. "You two were lovers."
"Yes, Mr. Tyrol, but I'm told a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."
Tyrol snorted. "Gentleman," he said derisively.
"Yes, well. We all have our fantasies, I suppose. Which is what this is?"
"Hardly." Tyrol looked at the wall of the Galactica, running one idle finger down it. "According to Sam Anders, we were supposed to be getting married."
"What, you and Mr. Anders?" Gaius scoffed, deliberately misunderstanding. Tyrol glared at him and he grinned sheepishly. "So, in this previous life that you don't remember, you and Tory Foster were lovers?" he asked seriously. "I'm sorry, but I just can't see it."
"Neither can I," Tyrol admitted. "That's why I'm asking. What was she like?"
"She's a very… passionate woman," was all Gaius could manage to say. "Although I must confess, I'm not so certain it was me she was attracted to. I've long suspected her of having ulterior motives."
"That surprises me."
"She's a very manipulative person and she worked with Laura Roslin. It doesn't surprise me in the least."
"No," Tyrol said, "that you would be honest enough to admit she had ulterior motives."
"Oh. Yes, well, having your best friend shot does tend to give one a bout of clarity, I must admit."
For a moment Tyrol's brows furrowed in confusion, and then he shook his head. "Apparently so, although I don't particularly remember being friends with him. Or Tigh. Or Ellen. Or anyone else. I don't remember anything at all, and that's…"
"Troubling."
"Yes. To say the least."
"I guess I just thought if there was something… anything… you could tell me, maybe it would flip a switch or trigger a memory or something. Apparently I once loved Tory so much I wanted to frakking marry her. It's not the sort of thing you're supposed to discover about yourself. I just want to know… who I was."
There were echoes in that phrase that broke his heart. "I don't know anything about you. But I do know about her."
"Tell me?"
"I can do better than that." Gaius extended a hand. "I'll show you."
Title: Cooking Lessons
Prompt: Kara/Sam forprolix_allie
"You want me to what?"
"Teach me to cook."
"Sam, I don't know where you got the impression that I'm a good cook." Kara shifted the kettle onto the hotplate. "Or that there's much worth cooking on this craphole of a planet."
"I didn't say you're a good cook," Sam said, coming up behind his wife and slipping his arms around her waist. "But you can at least boil water without burning it."
Kara turned around and glared at him. "Here's a pot. Put it on the burner. Take it off when the steam comes out. Lesson over."
Sam laughed. "Come on, Kara. You can do better than that."
Kara turned in his arms, and draped her own arms around her neck. "Why do you want to know?" she asked. "You aren't turning house husband on me, are you?"
"No. I just want to learn how to cook. Why? Do you want to do all the cooking? I can give you my laundry to do, too."
Kara pushed him away and scowled, but she couldn't help laughing at the same time. "All right," she said, opening the cooler box. "This is an egg," she said, holding it up.
"Right. Egg. Should I take notes?"
"Funny. You crack it, you put it in a bowl, and if you put the shell in, too, you're doing the dishes." She cracked another three eggs into the bowl. "This is a whisk. You use it to whisk things."
"Really?" Sam asked, his eyes wide. Kara backhanded him in the chest.
"You are such a comic genius today," she said. "I didn't know I was going to be treated to standup in my own home."
"Dinner and a show," Sam said gleefully.
"But I'm the one making dinner."
"If you finish teaching me, you wouldn't have to. I could cook for you."
That was when it finally dawned on Kara what Sam's true intentions were. She looked up at him. "That's actually really…"
"Sweet? Romantic? Thoughtful?"
Yes. Yes. Yes."Dorky," she teased instead. She tossed him a batch of herbs. "Cut those up now."
Sam obeyed, and as he did she began to whisk the eggs. Butter and milk weren't exactly staples, but there was substitute, and with the fresh herbs, she might even not notice the aftertaste. He handed her the pile, and she added them into the whisked concoction.
"Now we cook it?"
"Not so fast, hot shot," Kara said. She reached over and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.
"Um, Kara? I've figured out we're making an omelet. Even with my limited culinary skills, I'm fairly certain whiskey doesn't go into them."
"No, Sammy, it doesn't," Kara agreed with a grin. "Before we cook, we drink."
"Okay, but why?"
Kara grinned. "That way, when we burn the shit out of it, we'll both be too drunk to notice. And that is the secret to my culinary success. Get them all so drunk they don't know the difference."
Sam laughed. "Now that is a trait to brag about in a wife," he said, pulling her close and kissing her. "I knew I married the right woman."
"Damn right," she said with a cocky grin.
Title: Suspension of Disbelief
Prompt: Zarek/Gaeta, for
tin_o_biscuitsThe first time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together was Founder's Day. It was drunken, not particularly pleasurable for either of them, and ended with Felix sneaking out the next morning. Tom was awake, but didn't bother to advertise the fact. Rather, he was quite relieved that Felix seemed to be thinking along the same lines. There would be no breakfast and discussion of their relationship; just meetings and pretending that nothing had ever happened.
The second time was just as drunken, with somewhat less elbow jabbing and ended with Tom leaving Felix's bed while Felix was still asleep. Tom wasn't sure if he was faking it or not, but it worked this way.
Neither of them intended this. Tom knew that Felix was in love with Baltar, although everyone knew that would never happen. And Felix knew Tom had a thing for Laura Roslin, but mostly wasn't interested in a relationship with anyone. But it was there anyway, and one time turned into two, and two turned into three, and so on.
By the seventh time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together, they had the hang of it together, and it was actually good. And after that they could wake up together, because now they could both believe they just were doing it for the sex.
***
The first time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together after New Caprica was in Tom's office. It was angry and violent, and heavily laden with guilt and remorse, from both sides. It was twisted and no one had to sneak away, because it ended with them staring at each other in silence. When Felix left, Tom went back to work, and didn't realize his hand was shaking until he'd written half a page and couldn’t read the words.
The second time was just as guilty, with somewhat less anger and a lot more consideration. They actually managed to use a bedroom, if not a bed, and although Felix left before either of them fell asleep, this time they said goodbye.
It still wasn't about love, and neither of them pretended it. It was sex, it was absolution, it was apology… apology for each not being able to save the other. It was memories of better times and broken dreams, it was desperation and begging for forgiveness.
By the seventh time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together after New Caprica, it had gentled into something that seemed normal, and once again they could both say it was about the sex.
***
The seventh-to-last time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together was the night Baltar was acquitted. It was the first time in a long time that they'd both been drunk for it, and almost as much a disaster as the first time they'd slept together had been. But they spent the night together, or at least a few hours, until Felix had to return to duty and Tom had to get to a Quorum meeting. And all too soon Felix disappeared on the Demetrius mission, and the world began to fall apart.
The second-to-last time was gentle and slow, and Cottle probably would have killed them both. But Felix needed the connection, not only because of his lost leg but because of his lost faith. Tom understood that; he'd seen it coming for a long time.
By then he knew that they were going to take the world down, and that it would probably be together. There was irony in the fact they were replacing one pair of lovers with another, but Tom ignored that grimly. And he knew perfectly well where this path would probably lead the both of them, but it was worth it.
The last time Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta slept together was after Raptor 718 had been recovered when a tylium mining team happened on it at the last minute. And this time, they both knew that it was probably the last time. It was slow and sure, steady and true, and at the end it was Felix who first whispered I love you, and Tom who whispered it back.
They only said it the once, but once was enough. Tom knew it through their battle, when they killed, when they died. And while Baltar got Felix's last words, Tom got his last smile. And that right there told him all he needed to know.
Title: Bed Time
Prompt: Helo/Athena post-finale fluff for
thistlerose"Close your eyes and go to sleep, baby's in the cradle counting sheep.
Climb up to your house of dreams, baby's in the cradle fast asleep."
Hera's breathing evened out, and Helo pulled away slowly. She didn't stir, and he sighed with relief. He crept out of the tent, over to where Sharon was sitting by the firepit heating water.
"I think she's asleep," he whispered.
Sharon smiled, the firelight flickering over her features. "Finally," she said.
"Tell me about it." He rocked his head from side to side. His shoulders were sore from the heavy lifting. But he could see the silhouette of the bulk that would become a secure stone house, and he knew it was worth it.
It was even more worth it when Sharon put a cup of hot something-like-tea into his hands and then moved around behind him, massaging his shoulders. "You got a lot done today," she said approvingly.
"Hot Dog helped. I'm really going to owe him when our house is finished."
"That's how it should be, I guess," Sharon said, kissing Helo on the cheek. "People helping each other out."
"Yeah." He let his head fall forward and closed his eyes. "Hera said you caught fish today."
"Nets are useful."
"Think she'll actually eat them?"
Sharon laughed, deep in her throat. "They're not green," she said. She stopped rubbing and leaned over to pick up a makeshift torch. "Come on," she said, lighting it and gesturing to Helo. "Give me a grand tour."
"We didn't get that much done in a day that you need a tour," he laughed.
"Show me anyway."
They went inside what would become their house, the torchlight etching out the stones of the half walls. There was a large living space, a small room for Hera, and a room for them. "It's not that big," Helo said apologetically. "If I could-"
"It's going to be wonderful," Sharon cut him off firmly. She turned around, looking at what would become their bedroom.
"It's not Caprica."
"And we're not being watched by Cylons wanting to use you as a breeding experiment." She stuck the torch in the ground and came over, wrapping her arms around his neck. He automatically pulled her flush against him, closing his eyes happily as her hair pressed against his cheek. "I know it's not what you wanted to give us, Karl. But I have you, and I have Hera. I have everything I could possibly want."
"Everything?" he asked teasingly, because if he didn’t, he'd cry.
"Well…" Sharon looked around. "Maybe a bed."
He picked her up and pressed her against the wall, and they both laughed. "And then again," Sharon said as his hand moved up her thigh, "frak beds."
Title: Five Times Felix Gaeta Regretted what He Did, and One Time He Didn't
Prompt: Gaeta, "remorse" for
brennanspeaks1.
His head was pounding, and his mouth tasted like he'd eaten a pile of vinegar steeped lemons. Felix sat up, rubbing his face with his hands, and then suddenly realized that someone was beside him in the bed.
"Oh, frak."
He looked at his partner cautiously, and then gave up being cautious and decided vomiting was a better idea. He made it to a trash can in the knick of time.
That was also when he realized he wasn't in the Officer's Quarters any more.
He groaned and began to count the things that were wrong with this. The guy was a specialist, he was a lieutenant. The guy was not overly attractive, although last night Felix had been quite sure he was. And the guy had to be in his fifties, at least. And to top it all off, it hurt when he moved, giving Felix the idea this guy had had no idea what he was doing.
What, besides the better part of a bottle of whiskey, had possessed him to do this?
He gathered his uniform together, determined to sneak out before Specialist Old and Ugly could wake up. It was a long day ahead anyway, with the decommissioning happening. Felix desperately hoped that he could keep his mind off this and the subject would never, ever come up again.
As he snuck out of the room, he caught the name taped to the bunk. A. Figurski.
2.
"Flyboy's dead."
Felix tried to conjure up a picture of Flyboy, and came up with nothing. Just a voice in his ear, making terrible jokes even as the Cylons attacked.
But worse was when he entered the infirmary to see Dee in a hospital bed. "She's going to be fine, son," Dr. Cottle said, but it was still his fault. If he'd checked the coordinates, if he'd pulled the network a second sooner, if he'd seen the signs, if he'd….
"Felix," Cottle said, in an I'm-not-joking voice, "get out of my way." He sighed. "If you have to brood under self-inflicted guilt, have the courtesy to do it out of my path when I'm trying to get to critically wounded patients.
Felix guiltily stepped aside, closer to Dee's bed. Dee moaned and shifted, and he had to remind himself she would be fine.
But if only he had checked the coordinates. If only he'd pulled the network a second sooner. If only he'd seen the signs….
3.
"You know," President Baltar said, looking at the work order in front of him, "I still fail to see how this is necessary."
Felix goggled at him. "Hydroelectric power? It's sustainable, it's clean, it's-"
"Yes, yes, I know all that," Gaius- no, President Baltar- Felix corrected himself firmly, said, waving his hand carelessly. "After all, Mr. Gaeta, mere matters of power generation are well within my intellectual grasp. But I don't see why my signature is necessary on such a piddling document."
"It's a signature," Felix said through ground teeth. "You pick up the pen and you sign it. How much effort is that?"
"Too much," Baltar said.
Felix resisted the urge to grab Baltar's hand, force a pen into it, and guide his writing like he would guide a child. "All you have to do is write your name," he tried again.
Baltar rolled his eyes.
Felix sighed. And to think, he'd actually given the man his vote.
4.
Three weeks. Three weeks of secret smiles, constant touches, and giddy elation. The "honeymoon" phase had lasted three weeks, and Felix supposed in a world like this one that was a long time.
And then tonight, he'd woken, panting and sweating, heart pounding so hard he was afraid it would wake up the room.
Beside him, Louis shifted and sighed, nestling deeper into the indentation their bodies made in the mattress. His hands were folded under his cheek, a habit that made him look very young and that Felix had previously found adorable. Tonight it irked him.
He shouldn't look so trusting, so happy. Not right now, not like this.
Three weeks, and that was when Felix had started dreaming about Gaius Baltar again. And there was no possible way that could be good.
5.
It doesn't matter that I didn't see him. It's true, anyway. He told himself that over and over.
There had been so many other deaths on New Caprica. Deaths in the detention center. Execution style shootings. Cautionary tales. Not-so-cautionary tales. And even before the Cylons came, deaths from exposure, from illness, from things people with their technology shouldn't die from anymore.
So it didn't matter if Felix hadn't seen Baltar sign the death list. Judging by the regard that Baltar held for human life before that, there was no way anything else could be true.
But he knew Gaius's face, he knew his lies, and when he'd screamed at him in the courtroom, he hadn't been lying, had he?
Gaius Baltar had been telling the truth, and Felix Gaeta was the one lying. What a frakked up world indeed.
6.
You should tell Hoshi, Narcho had urged him. He's just as angry. He could help us. With two of you in the CIC, it would go even more smoothly. And you wouldn't have to fool him.
You should get Hoshi involved, Zarek had suggested. The guy's a frak, but having Communications loyal is exactly what we need, and he wouldn't betray you.
What about Hoshi? Racetrack suggested. Seriously, Gaeta. I was in that Raptor with him. The guy would do anything for you.
But he'd broken up with Louis, kept him away, and locked him up. None of them understood, and Louis might hate him, but Felix didn't care. There were two chairs here in the airlock, and if he had asked Louis, he was certain there would have been three.
It hurt, but he didn't regret it at all, not even in the instant before the guns fired.
Title: Spark of Memory
Prompt: Gaius/Tyrol for
blue_crow"What was she like?"
Gaius looked up from the notes that Paulla had given him. "Excuse me?"
Tyrol was leaning against a wall, arms crossed, looking at him. He had grease stains on his clothing and a streak across his forehead, and he seemed very far away. "Tory Foster," he said finally. "You two were lovers."
"Yes, Mr. Tyrol, but I'm told a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell."
Tyrol snorted. "Gentleman," he said derisively.
"Yes, well. We all have our fantasies, I suppose. Which is what this is?"
"Hardly." Tyrol looked at the wall of the Galactica, running one idle finger down it. "According to Sam Anders, we were supposed to be getting married."
"What, you and Mr. Anders?" Gaius scoffed, deliberately misunderstanding. Tyrol glared at him and he grinned sheepishly. "So, in this previous life that you don't remember, you and Tory Foster were lovers?" he asked seriously. "I'm sorry, but I just can't see it."
"Neither can I," Tyrol admitted. "That's why I'm asking. What was she like?"
"She's a very… passionate woman," was all Gaius could manage to say. "Although I must confess, I'm not so certain it was me she was attracted to. I've long suspected her of having ulterior motives."
"That surprises me."
"She's a very manipulative person and she worked with Laura Roslin. It doesn't surprise me in the least."
"No," Tyrol said, "that you would be honest enough to admit she had ulterior motives."
"Oh. Yes, well, having your best friend shot does tend to give one a bout of clarity, I must admit."
For a moment Tyrol's brows furrowed in confusion, and then he shook his head. "Apparently so, although I don't particularly remember being friends with him. Or Tigh. Or Ellen. Or anyone else. I don't remember anything at all, and that's…"
"Troubling."
"Yes. To say the least."
"I guess I just thought if there was something… anything… you could tell me, maybe it would flip a switch or trigger a memory or something. Apparently I once loved Tory so much I wanted to frakking marry her. It's not the sort of thing you're supposed to discover about yourself. I just want to know… who I was."
There were echoes in that phrase that broke his heart. "I don't know anything about you. But I do know about her."
"Tell me?"
"I can do better than that." Gaius extended a hand. "I'll show you."
Title: Cooking Lessons
Prompt: Kara/Sam for
prolix_allie"You want me to what?"
"Teach me to cook."
"Sam, I don't know where you got the impression that I'm a good cook." Kara shifted the kettle onto the hotplate. "Or that there's much worth cooking on this craphole of a planet."
"I didn't say you're a good cook," Sam said, coming up behind his wife and slipping his arms around her waist. "But you can at least boil water without burning it."
Kara turned around and glared at him. "Here's a pot. Put it on the burner. Take it off when the steam comes out. Lesson over."
Sam laughed. "Come on, Kara. You can do better than that."
Kara turned in his arms, and draped her own arms around her neck. "Why do you want to know?" she asked. "You aren't turning house husband on me, are you?"
"No. I just want to learn how to cook. Why? Do you want to do all the cooking? I can give you my laundry to do, too."
Kara pushed him away and scowled, but she couldn't help laughing at the same time. "All right," she said, opening the cooler box. "This is an egg," she said, holding it up.
"Right. Egg. Should I take notes?"
"Funny. You crack it, you put it in a bowl, and if you put the shell in, too, you're doing the dishes." She cracked another three eggs into the bowl. "This is a whisk. You use it to whisk things."
"Really?" Sam asked, his eyes wide. Kara backhanded him in the chest.
"You are such a comic genius today," she said. "I didn't know I was going to be treated to standup in my own home."
"Dinner and a show," Sam said gleefully.
"But I'm the one making dinner."
"If you finish teaching me, you wouldn't have to. I could cook for you."
That was when it finally dawned on Kara what Sam's true intentions were. She looked up at him. "That's actually really…"
"Sweet? Romantic? Thoughtful?"
Yes. Yes. Yes."Dorky," she teased instead. She tossed him a batch of herbs. "Cut those up now."
Sam obeyed, and as he did she began to whisk the eggs. Butter and milk weren't exactly staples, but there was substitute, and with the fresh herbs, she might even not notice the aftertaste. He handed her the pile, and she added them into the whisked concoction.
"Now we cook it?"
"Not so fast, hot shot," Kara said. She reached over and pulled out a bottle of whiskey.
"Um, Kara? I've figured out we're making an omelet. Even with my limited culinary skills, I'm fairly certain whiskey doesn't go into them."
"No, Sammy, it doesn't," Kara agreed with a grin. "Before we cook, we drink."
"Okay, but why?"
Kara grinned. "That way, when we burn the shit out of it, we'll both be too drunk to notice. And that is the secret to my culinary success. Get them all so drunk they don't know the difference."
Sam laughed. "Now that is a trait to brag about in a wife," he said, pulling her close and kissing her. "I knew I married the right woman."
"Damn right," she said with a cocky grin.
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Date: 2009-05-07 08:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-08 12:06 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-07 09:08 pm (UTC)I think my favorite is the Helo/Athena one. I love the call-back to the little lullaby Gaius and Head Six sing, and the mix of Helo's frustration at not being able to give his family the future he wants for them and Athena's satisfaction with just having her family intact, even if not in an ideal environment, is lovely and real.
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Date: 2009-05-08 12:08 am (UTC)Figurski was left on the LBD list, although I was just after the most unattractive canon figure I could think of that was plausible. (The idea of Gaeta/Adama does NOTHING for me, but I can't see it ever happening.) And I'm not sure WHAT Felix was drinking :)
I liked the Helo/Athena one, too. I never write them, but I love them, even if I frequently don't love how some of the other characters treat them :)
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Date: 2009-05-07 09:44 pm (UTC)The thought of Gaius and Tyrol bonding by talking about Tory is neat, and makes a lot of sense. I wish we'd seen more of that Gaius on the show (and more of that Tyrol, who utilizes his brain instead of randomly attacking people).
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Date: 2009-05-08 12:09 am (UTC)Yeah,
And one more name off our Little Black Dress list! :)
Thanks!
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Date: 2009-05-07 11:19 pm (UTC)Ooh, forget I said that. That would be too scary!
Hope these helped with the boredom. :-)
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Date: 2009-05-08 12:10 am (UTC)Yours might have inspired something. I hope you also don't mind a healthy dose of Sirius Black running around in it. I had an Idea :)
Glad you enjoyed them!
::is totally ignoring the idea of Felix/hybrid::
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Date: 2009-05-08 01:15 am (UTC)Now I'm curious!
(And yes, that other thing is best ignored. ;-))
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Date: 2009-05-08 03:11 am (UTC)I'm close to finishing my Gaeta/Centurion, maybe I'll write a Gaeta/Hybrid after that...
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Date: 2009-05-07 11:41 pm (UTC)Yes. Yes. Yes."Dorky," she teased instead. She tossed him a batch of herbs. "Cut those up now."
Aww! And LOL to the secret of culinary success. ;)
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Date: 2009-05-08 12:11 am (UTC)Thanks so much, and glad you liked it! :)
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Date: 2009-05-08 02:01 am (UTC)Figurski? Ewwww, that's something I never care to think about ever again.
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Date: 2009-05-08 09:36 pm (UTC)And yeah, Felix and I agree with you about Figurski :)
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Date: 2009-05-08 11:40 pm (UTC)But seriously, how drunk did Gaeta get?
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Date: 2009-05-09 01:19 pm (UTC)Thanks! :)
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Date: 2009-05-09 12:01 pm (UTC)But honestly? You absolutely win with your Kara/Sam. Oh, god, how I love it! It's so adorable and amazing and turns me into a puddle of shippery mush. Oh, I love it so. ♥
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Date: 2009-05-09 01:20 pm (UTC)Can you tell which pairing I prefer for Kara??? :) (Confession: In Lissa's Ideal World, there wouldn't be Kara/Lee sexual tension past season 1, they'd be Best Friends, and Lee would have been Best Man when Kara married Sam and Kara would have been Lee's witness/Best Woman/Whatever when Lee married Dee.)
Glad you enjoyed them! :)
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Date: 2009-05-09 01:30 pm (UTC)Wow, that was an unexpected rant. Don't mind me.
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Date: 2009-05-17 12:06 am (UTC)Awwwwww, AGATHONS! *smooshes them* At least SOMEONE got a happy ending!
I looooove "five things" fics. And Figurski, really? that was some serious drinking, Felix.
I'm actually sort of looking forward to getting the the end of s1 with the Refrak. Felix's first time in the spotlight, and one of the first massive things piled on his shoulders.
....wait, did Baltar just say Felix was his best friend? *breaks into pieces*
Gosh, that Kara/Sam ficlet made me almost like Kara!! It was adorkable. <3
Thank you for pointing me to these
Date: 2009-06-08 01:24 am (UTC)Athena/Helo is my favorite canon pairing.
Like many I think Sam is better for Kara than Lee and your story feels like canon to me. Characterization is just perfect and I so regret that the writers didn't show more of how good Sam was for Kara.
The 5 - 1 fic was just ouch. Really Felix getting crap from day one, but so painful at the end.
Thanks again for pointing me to these.
Lorraine
Re: Thank you for pointing me to these
Date: 2009-06-11 08:14 pm (UTC)The Gaeta/Zarek thing is kind of born out of my first novel-length BSG fic, Youth's Final Luxury. I got intrigued by the idea that Gaeta and Zarek were going to have a plotline together (I didn't know what that plotline was), because it just made so much SENSE to me. I did a father-son how they knew each other since New Caprica, wow-they-have-a-lot-in common type of thing. And although I didn't want to look at it through slash goggles, and for the most part didn't, there was definitely that part of my brain going "You know, they COULD sleep together here. C'mon... it would be FUN!"
(also, did you notice that during the mutiny arc, they had TWO scenes where they didn't touch each other at some point? One was one of the trial scenes, and the other was the execution scene, and there their hands were tied behind their backs.)
I agree with you- I wish we'd seen more of the good side of Sam/Kara. Sam got Kara. He understood her, and he gave her space when she needed it. And the biggest thing for me was that Kara said he was the easy choice. Well, YEAH. I know that marrying my husband was the easiest choice I ever made in my life. Love is supposed to be an easy choice, even on days when it's hard.
Besides, Anders is hotter than Lee. :)
So glad you enjoyed them! :)