Angle of Descent – Chapter 1, by daphnaea – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own]

She thinks that if they were ever married, they’d have a throwing pots and pans, waking up the neighbors kind of life. Then a wave of guilt pulls her under. She expunges the word ‘married’ from her mental vocabulary.

Source: Angle of Descent – Chapter 1, by daphnaea – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own]

This fic traces an entirely believable progression of their relationship – one that’s none-too-smooth but kind of inevitable.

About Time, by callmeonetrack – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own]

Standing under the nearest faucet, hands on the wall, head bowed under the spray is Lee Adama. Water sluices down his back, between his shoulder blades, over pale skin and bulging muscles, every inch proving that life can indeed imitate art and the CAG’s callsign was no joke.

Naked bodies are generally about as interesting as the bulkheads on a battlestar. Kara never stares, didn’t even when she was rook.

But this is Lee. And she’s wondered for far too long to stop staring now.

Source: About Time, by callmeonetrack – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own]

Yummy, set during 33 – I very much wanted the show to go this route. 🙂

About Time, by callmeonetrack – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

She pulls off her clothes by rote, brain still reeling with gunfire and flying patterns and tactical moves, and steps into the shower block.

Kara freezes, eyes shooting wide open for the first time in two days.

Standing under the nearest faucet, hands on the wall, head bowed under the spray is Lee Adama. Water sluices down his back, between his shoulder blades, over pale skin and bulging muscles, every inch proving that life can indeed imitate art and the CAG’s callsign was no joke.

Naked bodies are generally about as interesting as the bulkheads on a battlestar. Kara never stares, didn’t even when she was rook.

But this is Lee. And she’s wondered for far too long to stop staring now.

Source: About Time, by callmeonetrack – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

Making the most out of those 33 minutes…

Academy Pilots – Chapter 1, by callmeonetrack – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

Helo stood up and moved closer to Kara, resting a hand on her shoulder. “My point is that Lee isn’t a casual sex kind of guy. He’s gonna want more.”

A warm rush surged in her stomach at Helo’s words, but Kara tamped it down. Because Karl was wrong. She shrugged off his touch, walking over to her desk for no particular reason. “Well, he’s leaving in a few days anyway, so what does it matter?”

“Yeah he is. And you’ll still be here. “ He leveled earnest eyes at her. “Kara, I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

Kara bit her lip. “I won’t,” she grinned brightly, just a few seconds late. “I can handle this.”

Source: Academy Pilots – Chapter 1, by callmeonetrack – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

What the title says: AU with Kara and Lee at flight school, almost accidentally crossing the line from being friends. Unsurprisingly, they’re spectacularly bad at casual sex.

Periapsis, by glamafonic – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

Their eyes meet and Lee sees nothing but himself reflected back.

Not shame or the barest hint of remorse, not the illicit thrill he expected, not a single thought of her boyfriend, his brother, in the next room. Just the fading strains of satiated desire.

And that’s when Lee realizes: she wasn’t faking interest in his brother. She was faking everything.

She’s just like him. His world shifts in some slight, tremendous way, and he can see that hers has as well.

Source: Periapsis, by glamafonic – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

Kara and Lee as sociopaths. It changes surprisingly little.

edges of intimacy, by theviolonist – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

Lee thinks about arguing with her, trying to persuade her that they’re going to make it alive. Instead he says, “Bright, shiny futures are overrated anyway.”

She’s silent for a moment, her elbows resting on her knees, her face half obscured by the shadows. He looks at her from the corner of his eye. He knows she doesn’t want to be protected, but he wants to, he can’t help it.

“And now we can’t even play frakking triad,” she mumbles after a few minutes.

There’s nothing else to do, so he bursts out laughing. Her head whips towards him, surprise flashing briefly on her face, then she joins in. By the time the laughter stops she’s leaning heavily on him, and they’re too close for comfort and he can feel her breath on his lips and really, damn him for not being able to think when she’s looking at him like that, her mouth quirked in a grin and her face framed by messy bangs.

Something sizzles between them, elastic electricity stretching between their bodies. Lee feels her chest heaving; her breasts graze against his arm and they both startle almost guiltily. They don’t stop looking at each other, though; maybe the end of the worlds really is all it takes to bring Lee Adama and Kara Thrace together. It would figure.

Source: edges of intimacy, by theviolonist – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org

I’m a sucker for fics that make the promise Kara & Lee showed from the start of the show come true.

Angels Would Fall, by lls_mutant – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

Kara interrupts him with a sharp laugh and a rolled up jacket tossed lightly at his face. “Do you realize that’s the third time you’ve quoted Lee in the past hour?” she asks. “When did the two of you become such frakking best buddies?”

Frakking best buddies. Sam stops still, because he never thought of it that way. But before he can analyze it, Kara sees the truth and says, “So what, did you two have some sort of mutual comfort society going while I was gone?”

He’s never been the type to hide his feelings from Kara- hell, he’s never thought he should hide his feelings from Kara. And so he stands there, everything written across his face.

Source: Angels Would Fall, by lls_mutant – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

I must admit, I’ve got kind of a thing for Sam/Lee during Kara’s “death”…

Prologue – Chapter 1, by embolalia – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

“Don’t worry.” Zak leans up to kiss Kara’s cheek, then stands. “He’ll love you, too.” He heads toward the door. “Come on or we’ll be late.”

In spite of his warning, Kara slips down into his seat and stares into space for a minute. Her mind is blank except for that one word: too.

Source: Prologue – Chapter 1, by embolalia – Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

As much as I dislike cheating in real life, the chemistry between Kara and Lee right from the start can’t be denied, and this fic shows a plausible (and still mostly canon-compliant) way it might have gone.

Proving Grounds, by walbergr – Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

And motion from the taller man, a twisting jerk away, turning his back to Lee, Zak’s confused stutter, standing and turning a shoulder toward the taller man, reaching a hand out to him, seeing Lee, his “Oh Gods, shit, frak!” The red rising to his cheeks, hand slipping off his cock and then more quickly back as a shield.

Lee choking out “What the hell, Zak?” at the same moment he hears “Leland Adama, if you left my door open…” in a affectionate murmur twenty feet behind him.

Source: Proving Grounds, by walbergr – Battlestar Galactica, Battlestar Galactica (2003) [Archive of Our Own] | https://archiveofourown.org/

I simply love canon-divergent fics that explore Lee and Kara on Caprica, especially when they include her relationship with Zak. In this one they break up, and Lee is there to pick up the pieces. *happy sigh*