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applecameron"Adrift, Asleep, A Dream", A B5 vignette with Talia Winters and Susan Ivanova.
Spoilers up to and through Season Four.
By SV.
Archived by author's permission
_I am sleeping, and yet I yearn to dream_
Talia Winters stood framed in the doorway to Susan's quarters. She was waiting calmly, with an expectant look on her normally inexpressive face. She was, for once, dressed in casual garb: a loose gray dress, with what had to be an old favorite sweater. There was no other reason to be seen in public in such a black knitted extravaganza. Cables wandered all over it, the thick yarn all worn and fluffy and no doubt, incredibly soft and comforting to the touch. The arms were too long. It was perfect.
Susan Ivanova was watching, one eyebrow conveying her surprise over the rim of a delicate china cup. She was half out of uniform, slouching a little into the sofa in her white shirt and black pants. Her boots were off, her hair was up.
"May I come in?"
"Please."
Winters stepped into the room, surveying it as if she'd never looked at it before. Susan watched her without moving her head, feeling but not seeing the telepath stop behind her. She held her breath, then sipped once more and put the cup down, laying both hands flat on her thighs.
A presence leaned on the back of the sofa. "Why don't you hand me that brush," came Talia's low murmur.
Ivanova complied, and cool, gentle fingers began to loosen her braid. Talia raked for a long time with just her fingers, smoothing Susan's hair, pulling it in a wide fan across the back of the sofa, then began brushing. She started at bottom, just a tiny 'sh-sh' of a noise as the brush dipped swiftly through the very ends of Ivanova's hair.
Susan was silent, immobile. She couldn't feel it at all.
Talia then shifted and began brushing in long, slow strokes from Susan's crown, sloping downward along the shape of her head, then pulling away a little as she reached the ends. The movement caused rustling, of Susan's hair against the fabric of the sofa, of Talia's sweater sliding against itself as her arm moved up and down, of Talia's clothing as she shifted slightly against the back of the sofa with each stroke.
Very, very, slowly, Susan Ivanova sighed with pleasure, and her fatigue began to creep up around her. The gentle fluttering against the back of her neck, the rhythmic noise of the brushing, all conspired to unfocus her tension. She slumped further, feeling herself fall asleep. It was like diving into a deep pool.
Waking up came much later, but it wasn't even surprising to find Talia snoozing on the sofa as well, her head pillowed in Susan's lap.
Tentatively, Ivanova reached out with a finger, tracing the curves of bone in Talia's face. In repose, her face was more expressive. Serene, perhaps, instead of deliberately blocked emotion. Winters' skin was just that, wintery, and smooth.
Slowly, Talia woke up, making the most marvelous transition: her face smiling with a high glow, her eyes were shining. Her lips, however, did not curve up. It was a serious joy on her face, but joy nonetheless. It was a joy that said one thing, *this is where I am supposed to be, right here, right now*, and Susan agreed with it, so she did the only logical thing, and kissed her.
The first kiss was warm and gentle, Talia reaching one hand around to brace herself against the sofa. The second one was considerably more urgent.
One hand curled around Talia's neck, the other moved down to cup her breast through the gray wool. The little shiver that rippled down Winters' frame caused its twin to run through Ivanova's body, waking her up to things she hadn't known were asleep. Her own breasts were suddenly warm and heavy, and she wanted to feel Talia's teeth on them, wanted to feel cool air and the other woman's mouth on her skin.
Ivanova opened her eyes to the unfamiliar ceiling of VIP guest quarters aboard the EarthForce _Zephyr_. The day's debriefings had been long, irritating, and she longed for the comfort of her own captain's quarters. Among other matters.
"Oh, god. Someday let this be the dream I wake from."
Closing her eyes, she could still feel Talia's breast in her palm.
_I am dreaming, and yet I yearn to wake_
Spoilers up to and through Season Four.
By SV.
Archived by author's permission
Talia Winters stood framed in the doorway to Susan's quarters. She was waiting calmly, with an expectant look on her normally inexpressive face. She was, for once, dressed in casual garb: a loose gray dress, with what had to be an old favorite sweater. There was no other reason to be seen in public in such a black knitted extravaganza. Cables wandered all over it, the thick yarn all worn and fluffy and no doubt, incredibly soft and comforting to the touch. The arms were too long. It was perfect.
Susan Ivanova was watching, one eyebrow conveying her surprise over the rim of a delicate china cup. She was half out of uniform, slouching a little into the sofa in her white shirt and black pants. Her boots were off, her hair was up.
"May I come in?"
"Please."
Winters stepped into the room, surveying it as if she'd never looked at it before. Susan watched her without moving her head, feeling but not seeing the telepath stop behind her. She held her breath, then sipped once more and put the cup down, laying both hands flat on her thighs.
A presence leaned on the back of the sofa. "Why don't you hand me that brush," came Talia's low murmur.
Ivanova complied, and cool, gentle fingers began to loosen her braid. Talia raked for a long time with just her fingers, smoothing Susan's hair, pulling it in a wide fan across the back of the sofa, then began brushing. She started at bottom, just a tiny 'sh-sh' of a noise as the brush dipped swiftly through the very ends of Ivanova's hair.
Susan was silent, immobile. She couldn't feel it at all.
Talia then shifted and began brushing in long, slow strokes from Susan's crown, sloping downward along the shape of her head, then pulling away a little as she reached the ends. The movement caused rustling, of Susan's hair against the fabric of the sofa, of Talia's sweater sliding against itself as her arm moved up and down, of Talia's clothing as she shifted slightly against the back of the sofa with each stroke.
Very, very, slowly, Susan Ivanova sighed with pleasure, and her fatigue began to creep up around her. The gentle fluttering against the back of her neck, the rhythmic noise of the brushing, all conspired to unfocus her tension. She slumped further, feeling herself fall asleep. It was like diving into a deep pool.
Waking up came much later, but it wasn't even surprising to find Talia snoozing on the sofa as well, her head pillowed in Susan's lap.
Tentatively, Ivanova reached out with a finger, tracing the curves of bone in Talia's face. In repose, her face was more expressive. Serene, perhaps, instead of deliberately blocked emotion. Winters' skin was just that, wintery, and smooth.
Slowly, Talia woke up, making the most marvelous transition: her face smiling with a high glow, her eyes were shining. Her lips, however, did not curve up. It was a serious joy on her face, but joy nonetheless. It was a joy that said one thing, *this is where I am supposed to be, right here, right now*, and Susan agreed with it, so she did the only logical thing, and kissed her.
The first kiss was warm and gentle, Talia reaching one hand around to brace herself against the sofa. The second one was considerably more urgent.
One hand curled around Talia's neck, the other moved down to cup her breast through the gray wool. The little shiver that rippled down Winters' frame caused its twin to run through Ivanova's body, waking her up to things she hadn't known were asleep. Her own breasts were suddenly warm and heavy, and she wanted to feel Talia's teeth on them, wanted to feel cool air and the other woman's mouth on her skin.
Ivanova opened her eyes to the unfamiliar ceiling of VIP guest quarters aboard the EarthForce _Zephyr_. The day's debriefings had been long, irritating, and she longed for the comfort of her own captain's quarters. Among other matters.
"Oh, god. Someday let this be the dream I wake from."
Closing her eyes, she could still feel Talia's breast in her palm.