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Title: A Brush With Disaster
Author: Jen lmr
Date: Nov 2000
Rating: PG-13
Category: Slash
Pairing: Apollo/Starbuck
Feedback: jennylmr@yahoo.com
Summary: A spelling challenge snippet.
Spelling words: Wheat. Seat. Peach. Sour. Much. Sweet. Salty. When. Where. Shift.
Apollo was shaken awake by his very distressed life partner.
"Apollo. Apollo. Come on, I need your help!"
"What?" Rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"Well, just look at me!"
Apollo's eyes focused on a spot slightly below Starbuck's abdomen.
Starbuck lifted his lover's chin upwards so that he was actually looking at his face. "Now look at my head, specifically this!" He stormed, pointing at his hair and giving him a sour look.
Apollo looked, blinked, looked again, rubbed his eyes, took another long silent look at the man he'd chosen to spend the rest of his life with, yet another look at where he was pointing, then burst out laughing!
"This is NOT funny! Now when you're quite finished, could you please help me?"
Apollo sat up, still shaking with laughter at the ridiculous picture Starbuck made, standing there angrily, hands on his hips, and a hairbrush that definitely looked to be *stuck* in the side of his hair, jiggling back and forth as Starbuck's head moved during his angry little outburst.
"I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at (snicker) ...at you, (another snicker) ...I'm laughing *with* you." This was followed by another round of helpless laughter and Starbuck giving him a glare that could peel paint, before he added, "Why do you have that brush stuck in your hair?"
"It's a fashion statement. It's *stuck* you idiot! As in, because it won't come out! Now stop cackling and HELP ME GET IT *UNSTUCK*!"
Trying not to laugh, "Okay, okay. Let me see what I can do." He fiddled with the love of his life's hair a few moments then asked, "Can you at least help me understand how it got stuck?"
"I was brushing my hair obviously." Starbuck snapped.
Making a valiant effort not to laugh, Apollo told him, "Alright. Just have a seat and I'll see what else I can do."
"Thank you. Your support in my time of need is underwhelming."
"No problem." Apollo responded, making a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort.
"You had better not still be laughing at me." Starbuck warned the man who had once promised to be there for him through better or worse.
Apollo was feeling grateful that the man he regularly spends his evenings pounding into the mattress and generating enough heat to warm the entire Galactica, couldn't see the look on his face as he diligently tried getting the hair untangled from the brush. Keeping his tone casual, "So, what's that scent on your hair? I don't think I've ever smelled it before."
"It's this wheat germ shampoo that Cassie gave me a while back. I thought it couldn't hurt to try it. Do you like it?"
"No, not really."
"Well thank you very much!" Starbuck said irritably, beginning to shift uncomfortably on the bed from all the tugging his abused hair was receiving. "Are you almost done there?"
"I hate to tell you this, but this just isn't coming out. Maybe if you explained exactly the way you were brushing your hair at the time, I could reverse the process and it would come out." Apollo almost successfully smothered the laugh that followed.
"Stop laughing! I don't know! I was just brushing my hair like usual."
"Well, if it was like usual, how come you've never gotten a brush stuck in your hair before?" The light of his life snickered.
Starbuck looked up and gave him a glare that made any other glare he'd ever given him pale in comparison.
"I'm sorry. I've just never come across this particular situation before."
"You're a real peach, Pol." Starbuck ground out sarcastically, "You do know that I have to be at work in less than a centar. I can *not* show up with a brush stuck in my hair!"
This brought on a fresh round of laughter, "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you..."
"You're laughing with me." Starbuck finished, "That's a very sweet sentiment, but last time I checked, *I* was not laughing."
"Well, Starbuck, this thing is *really* stuck. I just can't get it out. I think we're going to have to cut it out."
"CUT IT OUT! No way! You are not cutting my hair!"
"Calm down, the hair cutters shop opens in a couple of centars, we'll take you there. You'll look great in short hair."
"No, I won't! And do I need to remind you that I have to be at work in less than a centar?"
"I know, but under the circumstances, I'll call the duty office and tell them you're running late. Don't worry, it'll be fine. I'll even go with you to the hair cutters shop."
"Well...okay."
Apollo left the room and commed the duty office from the living area, fortunately it was Boomer who answered. "Starbuck is going to be a couple of centars late because...(a muffled snicker) ...well, you just don't want to know."
"No problem. Is he sick?"
"Something like that. He'll be in later."
Boomer ended the comm, thinking to himself, 'Apollo must be really going soft if he's letting Starbuck stay home so that he can indulge in a little morning *recreation*.'
Apollo went back to the bedroom. The idea of indulging in a little morning recreation occurred to him briefly, but Starbuck just looked so silly with that brush stuck in his hair, so he suggested they both get a little more sleep until the hair cutters shop opened for the day.
*****
They were the first ones there when the shop opened. The hair cutter took one look at Starbuck and said, "Ah, this happens more than you can imagine. I know just what to do." Then led Starbuck into the back. Starbuck completely missed the incredulous look on Apollo's face.
Once the hair cutter had Starbuck seated, he proceeded to cover the tangled area with a salty smelling grease-like substance. "We're going to have to let this sit for awhile, then check it to see if it worked. Don't worry, if it doesn't come out, we'll just keep doing it until it does."
*****
A centar later, a very relieved Starbuck and a still snickering Apollo left the hair cutters shop, minus the brush.
"I guess you had a brush with disaster. Be careful at work today, I don't want you to have a brush with death." Appy teased.
Starbuck was still feeling a little disgruntled with the man who promised to love him in sickness and in health, but decided not to push it.
It was a little funny now that he thought about it, and didn't have a brush stuck in his hair.
"You know, we could take a little detour back to our quarters before you head off to work." Apollo said with a wicked grin. "After all you've
had a very traumatic morning and could use a little treat."
"Why, Pol. I do believe you're going soft on me." Starbuck good naturedly chided him.
"Oh, I'll give you soft babe." Apollo teased back as they headed off to their quarters.
The End