| The End of the World |
| My first Battlestar Galactica fic. It's all Stef and Python's fault for getting me hooked ... This is set right after the first episode of the series. There are spoilers for the flashbacks of Adama/Tigh which were shown at the beginning of season 2. The deleted scenes on the DVD from those flashbacks are priceless. You can find them at www.scifi.com, look for the BSG episode guides. It's worth the download time even at dial-up ... |
| Nearly a week since the end of the world. Hard to believe. Utterly exhausted, Bill Adama finally stretched out on his bunk. Six days of playing a deadly game of �tag� with the Cylons had left the entire crew drained. Hopefully now they�d gotten far enough away that they would have a break.
But of course, there was a down side to that. The constant state of readiness had kept everybody from thinking about what had happened. Truly, the end of the world. They had only escaped because they had still been in space when the Cylons attacked all the planets of the 12 colonies simultaneously. A few days later and all the crew of Galactica would have been down there with their families, a few days liberty for those going on to other assignments, finding a new home planetside for the old warhorses like him. Put out to pasture, retired. A part of him was almost grateful to the Cylons for saving him from that fate worse than death. He really hadn�t made any plans for retirement because he really hadn�t wanted to retire. After all, what had he had to look forward to? He had no family to speak of down there. His family was here, on Galactica. His crew had been his family. People like Gaeta, and D. in CIC, were like sons and daughters. Kara, dear Kara, who WOULD have been his daughter if Zak hadn�t died. Saul, his best friend for more years than he wanted to remember. Friend, and sometimes more � Despite his exhaustion, Adama couldn�t sleep. His mind restlessly wandered, not willing to surrender to oblivion just yet. He guessed in many ways he was one of the most fortunate men in the whole human race. First of all, he was alive. Second, all the people who truly mattered to him were here with him. Even Lee. This crisis had finally forced them to reconcile after two years of hostility over Zak�s death. Things were still awkward, but they at least had a chance now. Yes, he was uniquely lucky. Everybody else had to deal with the fact that their friends, their families, were all dead now. // Great Lords of Kobol � Ellen. // He wondered if Saul had realized yet that Ellen was probably dead. How would he react? Guiltily, Adama realized that his own reaction was one of relief. �Ding dong the witch is dead.� The children�s nursery rhyme summed up his own feelings on the matter. Ellen Tigh had been both the best and the worst thing that had ever happened to Saul. Lords knew he loved her. But she drank too much, which tended to make Saul drink too much when they were together. And when they were apart � over the years, Ellen had gotten less and less concerned about hiding her frequent affairs. The past few months it had gotten entirely out of control. And every indiscretion found its way back to Saul, cutting deeper and deeper each time. His friend had been drinking entirely too much, and his usually hot temper had turned volcanic. Like that incident with Kara. With a sigh, Adama realized that he wasn't going to get any sleep just now. His overactive brain wasn't going to let him. He wondered if Saul was still awake, his thoughts as turbulent as Adama's. Had he realized yet the extent of his loss? Something told Adama that it was worth checking on, so he crawled out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweatpants. The XO's quarters were just down the hall from his own. Hesitant, not wanting to wake his friend if he was actually asleep, Adama tapped on the door. "Saul?" he called softly. He heard a crash, as if a glass had been thrown at the door. "Leave me the frak alone!" came the broken voice from inside. The pain in those words told Adama that his friend had indeed put things together. Slowly, he pushed open the door. "Saul, it's me." Adama spoke gently as he moved into the room, closing the door behind him. His friend sat slumped over a small table, a nearly empty bottle of Ambrosia its only occupant. He carefully stepped past the shards of glass that had bounced off the door, coming to take the chair opposite Saul. Tigh stared at him with eyes filled with anger and grief and pain. "I suppose you're here to gloat? Ellen's dead. Isn't that what you've always wanted?" Adama knew it was the pain talking, but still Saul's words held just a bit of edge to them. He pushed down the guilt he felt for not mourning her death, focusing for now on his friend. "You know that's not true, Saul. Yes, I've never been that fond of Ellen, but she was your wife. I wouldn't have wished death on her or anyone, you know that. Least of all a death like this. I came because I didn't want you to have to face it alone ..." He reached out and took Saul's hands in his own, his eyes locked onto his friend's pain-filled ones. The act of compassion seemed to be more than Tigh could take at the moment. Suddenly all the anger drained out of his face as a tremor took control of his lips. "Bill ..." It was barely more than a breath, but it was enough. Adama moved quickly, taking his friend into his arms just as the tears spilled over. He perched on the edge of the table, Saul's head cradled against his chest as he sobbed helplessly. Adama's hands gently caressed his back and shoulders, soothing, reassuring. "Easy, Saul, easy. It's ok, I'm here. It's ok. Shhh ..." It took a while, but eventually Tigh's sobs quieted. Adama bent down and gently kissed the bald head, his hand running through the short hairs lower down. Saul let out a heavy sigh and pulled away, looking up at his friend. Bill's hand slid around to cup his cheek, maintaining contact. They looked at each other, remembering ... He�d seen Saul sitting there in the bar, trying to mind his own business, knowing he was crew on the freighter Bill had just signed on with. Something about the man had fascinated him. When a fight started to break out and it was revealed that the loner was a fellow Viper pilot, cashiered like him after the end of the Cylon war, well, what else could he do but defend his brother pilot? But from the very beginning, their relationship hadn�t exactly been brotherly. For several months, serving together on the freighter, they danced around the growing attraction between them. Both knew it, but on a freighter, there was even less privacy than on a Battlestar. And a whole lot less tolerance for that sort of thing. Usually when they had shore leave, they spent most of it at that bar where they had met, drinking. Neither seemed to have the guts to make the first move. Until finally one day, Adama had been off taking care of some personal business, promising to meet Saul at the bar when he was done. When he got there, another fight was about to start. Not really wanting to get them thrown out of the place, he grabbed his friend in a hammerlock, physically restraining him, talking him down from the fight. Gods, the feelings that had flooded through his body then! In his heart, a fierce protectiveness toward his friend. And in his groin, an equally fierce rush of desire. As Saul stopped fighting him, the hammerlock mutated into an embrace, one he was reluctant to break. He held it quite a bit longer than was strictly necessary � and Saul let him. By the time they broke apart, his final words of warning sounded as unlikely as they really were: �I won�t like you anymore.� The fight diffused, they settled down for an evening of drinking. But Bill couldn't keep his mind off what he'd felt in those moments. As Saul finished his drink, Bill had leaned close to him. �Let�s get out of here.� Saul had looked at him, one eyebrow raised. A long look, then he nodded. He had followed Bill out of the bar and down the block toward a transient hotel. Several �working girls� lounged in the lobby, eyeing them as they entered. "Get a room. I'll be up in a bit." Saul nodded and headed toward the front desk while Bill had gone over to the girls. Joking with them, letting them think he wanted one of them, while Saul disappeared up the elevator. After a while, Bill had 'chosen' one and led her off toward the lift. But once inside, he pressed some cubits into her hand and suggested she take a break for an hour. Bill pressed all the buttons on the control panel, and let the girl off at the next floor. Each floor the doors opened and Bill glanced out, looking for Saul. He found him on the seventh floor. Together, they walked down the hall to their room, not speaking. A nervous tension crackled between them; they knew exactly what they were doing. Finally, Saul glanced down at the key in his hand and stopped in front of a door. They went inside and Bill shut the door behind then. For a moment that felt like an hour, they stood there staring at each other. Then suddenly both moved at once, their bodies crashing together as they grabbed at each other. Lips met in a powerful, hungry kiss. From the very beginning, there was nothing tentative, nothing hesitant. They both wanted this, and wanted it badly. Hands tore at clothing as they staggered toward the bed, not wanting to break apart even to undress. Then suddenly Bill found himself on the bed, with Saul lying on top of him, their inflamed groins pressed tightly together. Naked flesh against naked flesh, they writhed against each other. But Bill wanted more than just pure physical release. He knew he needed to take control, so he used his stockier build to overpower Saul, rolling them over so that he was on top. Pinning his partner down, he began to worship the slender body beneath him with his hands and mouth. Saul had been confused at first; nobody had ever paid such extravagant attention to him. He was used to a 'wham, bam, thank you, man' sort of approach to sex. You checked your emotions at the door along with your wallet. This ... gentleness ... was something altogether new to him. When it came down to it, despite his successful military career, Bill Adama was a lover, not a fighter. He could be hard when the job called for it. But that wasn't his basic nature. Maybe that's what had drawn these two together; in so many ways they were opposites. Bill's thoughtful nature balanced Saul's impetuousness. But they also had much in common. Their belief in the honor of military service. The brotherhood of Viper pilots. The love of a good drink ... Saul had lain on the bed as Bill's tongue traced patterns across his chest, down his belly, dipping into his navel, finally dancing against the swollen head of his prick. It was sheer delight, like he'd never felt before. He gasped as that warm, wet mouth engulfed him. His groans became louder and louder as Bill sucked him. For his part, Bill was focused on his partner's pleasure, watching with delight as Saul writhed beneath his touch. It turned him on powerfully to know he was responsible for bringing a man like Saul Tigh to this kind of abandon. And when Saul's juices filled his mouth, he swallowed eagerly, milking him dry. When Saul lay limp and exhausted, he moved to lie beside him, gathering the slender body into his arms. His hands gently stroked the fine silky hair. Saul looked up at him, confusion in his eyes. This was not at all what he had expected. Rough, brutal man-on-man fracking, that he'd expected. But then, Bill Adama rarely delivered what was expected. He figured he really shouldn't have been surprised no matter what happened. "You ok?" Bill's gentle voice asked. "Frak, yes!" came the reply. Bill chuckled softly, continuing to caress his lover's body. Memories of their first, surprisingly gentle loving flooded Saul. It had been a long time since they'd been together - since he'd met Ellen. Eight years. Bill's marriage had never interfered with their relationship; it was like the two relationships complemented each other, although Bill's wife had never known for sure about her husband's best friend. But somehow when Saul had met Ellen, everything had changed. He'd fallen so hard in love, so desperately, totally in love, that he'd sacrificed everything to have her. And what had it gotten him? The last couple of years they had been growing further and further apart. He had thought many times of going to Bill and begging his forgiveness. But somehow finding out that Ellen was cheating on him made it important that he not cheat in return. He was the good guy, who remained faithful even in the face of her infidelity. It had seemed important. It didn't anymore. Right this minute the only thing in the world that mattered to him was that Bill was here, holding him, touching him as if nothing had ever gone wrong between them. His friend's gentle soul was like a soothing balm to him. "Bill ..." it sounded more like a sigh than a word. "Stay with me?" Adama's gentle smile was all he needed in answer. They both stood up, moving into a full embrace for a moment before separating. Without a word, they shut off the lights, locked the door, and made their way to the bed. As senior officers, at least they had reasonably sized beds. Bill lay down first, waiting as Saul shed the rest of his uniform, then pulling his friend into his arms. With a sigh, Saul's head found a pillow on Bill's shoulder, as if it had always belonged there. "Rest now, my friend. It'll be better in the morning ..." Bill's voice came softly. Saul Tigh closed his eyes and fell asleep, finally, in the arms of one who truly loved him. Continue on to "Life Goes On" Back to the Galactica Menu Send me some Feedback Back to the Jade Palace Home Disclaimer: I don't own them, just borrowing them for fun, not profit. |
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