DPP: It's Curtains for You!

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

I'm using my most domestic icon today because we have a  challenge for you shippers. Prompt or write us some CURTAIN FIC. 


Hey, look at all those curtains behind them!

But what is Curtain Fic, you ask? Allow TV TROPES to explain:

Curtain Fic

Fan Fic that has a domestic chore as the plot. The classic situation is shopping for curtains, hence the name. Other sorts of shopping also work.

This can also mean just a fic of a couple, either Het or Slash, spending the day at home.

This is a variety of WAFF, a fan-created Breather Episode; the point is showing the characters doing something quiet and mundane together. Interestingly, this genre is popular even (especially?) for fandoms where the work itself (including official Breather Episodes) is action-packed. The phenomenon of Fan Fic written about characters shopping for curtains was first noted in an on-line article about fanfic for The Sentinel.

True Curtain Fic rarely contains sex; the trip to IKEA rarely ends with IKEA Erotica. This is all about character study, or else about getting as close to an Excuse Plot as someone who doesn't want to write lemon fic will get.

This can also be played for laughs when a character with No Social Skills acts like a Fish Out of Water for something as "simple" as buying toilet paper; see also Villains Out Shopping. 

 

Yesterday I wrote a fic about Kara and Lee that ended with them at a cookout, flipping burgers. Belatedly I realized it was (sort of) curtain fic and sci_fi_shipper  and I got to talking about how domesticity is so unnatural for pilots that it seems exotic and exciting in a weird kind of way (because the trick is to keep them in-character of course) and is weirdly satisfying and happy-making to read. We both wanted to see more, so she suggested it be the topic of today's DPP. So here you go!  

 

 

Pilots just having some dinner together

 

 

A few Curtain!fic prompts to get you started (as I write this list, I am a bit shocked to realize how many of these prompts I have worked into my fics. I am a total sucker for domestic!pilots apparently!):

Grocery shopping
Yardwork
Buying Curtains together
Paying the Bills
Cooking together
Attending a kid's event (dance recital, pyramid game, etc.)
Working a mundane job
Buying/caring for/playing with a pet
Parenthood
Squabbling but not going to bed mad
Washing the dishes together
Fixing things that break
Assembling furniture (or anything that requires instructions)
Vacationing
Dealing with the in-laws
unexpected house guests
Knitting (kdbleu, this one's for you! ;)
Using terms of endearment

 

Add your own below or fill one of these and give us CUTE, SHMOOPY KARA/LEE!

Comments

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

Hmm...I've used
Baking cookies
Snow ball fight/play

Other possibilities
Mending socks
Window washing
Car washing/minor maintenance
Vacuuming (with a dog grabbing the vacuum)

Something Pink

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

Kara turned from the salesgirl with that look on her face. The one with the death glare carefully balanced out by a smile so fake it nearly made Lee burst out in laughter. It seemed that only he knew the smirk was counterfeit. This little secret had pulled him threw many a difficult afternoon in the past few weeks. Made it worth it, actually, this little private joke.

“Is she deaf or stupid?” Kara purred. As she spoke her mouth flattened in a flat line of utter distain.

Holding his face as still as possible without making eyes contact with either Kara or the poor salesgirl, Lee took a deep breathe. “You know she’s not deaf or stupid. You need to give her a moment to figure out which of the seventeen pink lipsticks you’re vaguely waving at. Maybe you could try being a little more specific.”

Returning her gaze to the small brunette behind the make-up counter, Kara replaced her saccharine smile and pointed randomly to just one pink lip stick. “That one.”

“Oh, ok,” the girl stuttered. She lifted a tester from the tray and twisted up the tube of color. “I’m not sure this is going to be the best look with your complexion. Why don’t we try this one?” The girl proudly held out the lip stick to Kara’s cloyingly unamused face. “See.”

“Yes,” Lee answered quickly. “I think that one will be fine. With the eye shadow.”

“And the free gift-y thing,” Kara added with forced chipper tone to match the now huge, fake grin across her lips.

“I’ll ring that up for you.” The girl spun toward the register and scurried away.

“See the things I do for you, Lee Adama.”

“Torture make-up counter salesgirls?”

“Agree to your pretty little wedding day.” Her smile softened into something real. Lee knew by the glint in her golden hazel eyes.

“You are loving every minute of it,” Lee cooed back.

“Maybe,” she winked.

“Definitely.” He leaned in to kiss her forehead, and Kara blushed. She wasn’t sure she was enjoying it at all right now, but maybe… Maybe when she finally saw Lee’s face standing in front of the temple altar. Then it would be worth it.

Re: Something Pink

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAY! You've managed mundane and wedding talk! Bravo! :D:D

Re: Something Pink

[thegreenkitty.livejournal.com]

K!!! You are making Kara wear pink lipstick?!?! Hmmmph.

Lee Adama is a brave soul!!!

(Well done, bb!! And, now that I think about it, I refuse to discuss what color lip gloss I may or may not have worn to my last job interview. It couldn't have been pink. Kara girls do not wear pink.) ;)

Re: Something Pink

[nazkey.livejournal.com]

LOVE THIS!!!! So them! You've got their voices down bb. And I beg to differ with thegreenkitty, Kara girls DO wear pink lipstick … if only to get the Lee boys all riled up and all ;-)

Re: Something Pink

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Lol. Very cute. Ah the things she does for love...

Re: Something Pink

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

Pink works in this case. You had me wondering how they chose the eye shadow.

Re: Something Pink

[ez-as-pi.livejournal.com]

“And the free gift-y thing,”

That's my kinda gal... if you have to buy makeup, there must be a prize!

Re: Something Pink

[mserrada.livejournal.com]

Can just see the faces she's makeing--nice visual descriptions!
I snorted on Kara's and the free gift-y thing. Sounds just like what she'd say. I'd think a demure pink would work just fine! *ducking thrown slippers*

Re: Something Pink

[anamarya.livejournal.com]

poor girl. after all the ladies that are so sure that they need a specific color that is really not so different from the other hundred colors to be confronted with the likes of Kara.

But you have to give Kara credit for going with this. i mean, for someone that is not into that sort of thing, buying make-up stuff can be a nightmare.

sorry: forgot to let you know that i enjoyed the story.

[ez-as-pi.livejournal.com]

Kara stood in front of racks and racks of power tools. "I like this place!"

She wasn't really talking to anyone in particular. Lee had abandoned her at the aisle with the blinds muttering something about decor.

Kara didn't care what he picked, as long as it did it’s job(especially on the master bedroom windows). She wanted to get busy finishing off the basement.

Lee got to decide what the kitchen looked like, as she never planned to actually use it.

But the basement, it was hers. She wanted a man cave, like she'd seen on all those home improvement shows.

That's why she'd dragged Lee out to Home Depot.

They needed the basic tools and equipment for at least home maintenance.

As she was checking out table saws, Lee reappeared at her side with a handful of paper squares and a cart full of window coverings.

“What do you think of this color for the kitchen?” He held up a paint swatch.

Kara glanced over at it. “Fine by me.”

She didn’t see his eyes narrow slightly.

“And this for the basement?”

Another square of color appeared in her light of sight.

It was purple.

“What?” Kara turned to him. “Are you crazy?”

“No, but I got your attention.” He grinned. “Can we try that again?”

She crossed her arms and waited for him to continue.

He showed her the kitchen color again. “With this granite.” A square of it joined the paint sample.
Kara had to admit it was nice looking. She squinted at the name.. ‘mushroom’. “Yeah, okay, I like that.”

“Okay, and I asked the guy about colors for the basement, because it’s pretty dark down there. He suggested something light, like one of these.” He handed her several choices. None of which were girly colors.

She probably surprised him by picking the light mossy color.

“Okay, I’ll go buy paint then.” Lee leaned in and kissed her briefly. “Don’t clean out the power tools.”

Kara laughed as he left to make his purchases.

She wouldn’t go crazy. Maybe just this saw.

And the nail gun...

And the sledgehammer.....

[nazkey.livejournal.com]

*mad applause* I can totally see this!

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

Well, nail guns are practical and super fun so I am right there with Kara. :)

[lizziec]

giggling madly at this bit:

"Kara stood in front of racks and racks of power tools. "I like this place!"

...Lee had abandoned her at the aisle with the blinds muttering something about decor."

It's like me and my husband in B&Q but with roles reversed :D

[callmeonetrack.livejournal.com]

Hee! This is perfect. OF COURSE, Kara wants a mancave and Lee wants a kitchen. And would clean out the power tools. Heee.

[thegreenkitty.livejournal.com]

I love that Kara gets a man cave. And LOL at Lee with the purple. Thanks for the happy pilots!! :)

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

Good for Lee! He knows how to manage the important things.

[amaliak.livejournal.com]

"You don't like it."

Lee forced a smile to his face. "Don't be ridiculous, Kara. Of course I do."

Kara quickly reached behind her to unzip the dress. "No, you don't because I hate it. It's awful."

"Common, Kara, it's really not that bad," Lee said, doing his best to keep his grin in check. "I think you could make it work."

Kara managed to take the offending piece of clothing off and threw it at Lee's head. "YOU make it work!"

Lee laughed as he untangled himself from the yards of fabric and smoothed it out in front of him. "Well, I guess I could try." He held it up against himself. "Does it bring out of the color of my eyes?"

"No, it makes your ass look big," Kara replied dryly as she stood across from him in her underwear. "It's almost like your mother chose it just for you instead of me."

"She's just trying to be helpful, Kara," Lee replied in a softer tone.

"Yeah, well, sending me a frakking mumu dress ISN'T helping." She flopped herself down on the bed, and threw her hands over her eyes. "It SUCKS, but NOTHING ELSE fits right now."

Lee made his way over and lay down beside her, propping his head up on his hand so that he could look down at her. "Kara, I don't care what you wear. I think you look beautiful."

Kara dropped her hands from her face, but continued to glare up at the ceiling. "Yeah, right."

Lee placed his hand over her swollen abdomen, placing a kiss on her skin. He lay his cheek against it, smiling as he felt a small kick as his child moved around inside. "Kara, you are the most beautiful person in the world. And nothing would make me happier than having you walk around in nothing but your bare skin."

Kara looked up at him an unreadable expression for a minute, and he held her gaze.

Eventually, she lips tugged up into a smile. "That would make things awkward for the neighbors."

Lee shrugged. "Not any more than me wearing the dress."


THE END.

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

Oh now I've got this picture in my head, and it's all lemon yellow and orange and turquoise.

Bedtime

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

The last of the blue seeped out of the sky as Lee eased himself into the chair by the bed. After an exhausting day doing errands and playing at the park, he was ready to do nothing except read his new book. He let out a sigh, settled in and opened to the first page.

Down the hall, he heard Kara and Ada, laughing and splashing in the bathroom. He stretched out his legs and sunk deeper into the chair. A few minutes later, he heard, “Daddy!” and the barefooted thumping of her feet running down the hall. She was wrapped in a giant yellow towel, almost too big to manage and he dropped the book beside him. The little girl jumped up onto his lap, hair casting dots of wetness onto his neck as she buried her face and giggled. He squeezed tightly and looked over her head at Kara who was ambling down the hallway with a hairbrush.

All right, monkey. Let’s do hair,” she said, approaching. Ada squiggled down deeper into Lee’s arms, and he laughed, dropping a kiss on her head and easing her away from his chest. He caught Kara’s eye, smiling, as she opened her arms to accept the damp bundle of six-year old girl.

“Go ahead, baby. Gotta go with mama.” He gave the little girl a nudge and a tickle and she bent away from him, giggling. No one hated having her hair brushed more than Ada, her thin blond hair usually matted and dirty from her rough and tumble play. Right now the girl was so tired, that he doubted she’d put up much of a fuss.

He watched Kara adjust Ada’s towel and take her hand as they walked towards her room. He would always feel a bright spot of love in seeing them together, doing these ordinary things. It had taken them a long time to finally settle into this family together and he'd vowed to never let himself forget it.

Half an hour later, he was deeply engrossed in his book when a loud thumping and peals of laughter rang out from the girl’s bedroom. It had been so quiet that he’d thought Ada had fallen asleep already. He checked his watch and shook his head, standing and dropping the book on his chair to followed the sound.

Lee stepped through his daughter's bedroom door to see a large moving mound on the bed. Kara and Ada were giggling and one skinny arm and then a leg shot out from under the comforter. He cleared his throat, making his presence known and leaned up against the doorjamb with his arms crossed and an exaggeratedly stern expression on his face.

Kara ducked her head out from the comforter, her hair a wild and tangled mess of blond strands. She grinned wide. “We were just saying goodnight.”

Lee smiled and shook his head. “Sounds like pyramid practice in here instead. Bedtime was twenty minutes ago.”

Kara rolled her eyes and ducked her head back under the blankets. Another burst of laughter rang out, followed by hushed whispers. Lee couldn’t help but laugh as he crept over to the bed, grabbing one corner of the comforter in his hand. In a flash, he ripped the heavy covering away. “Boo!” he yelled.

Ada jumped and squealed, “Daddy!”

Kara laughed and planted a loud kiss on the girl’s belly before jumping off the bed, falling into Lee who laughed and slid an arm around her waist. “Someone’s supposed to be sleeping already,” he said, the low rumble of his voice next to her ear. Kara turned towards him and gave him a quick kiss. “We were having some girl time, right, Monkey?” She winked at Ada who nodded happily. Kara stepped out of his arms and called goodnight to Ada before leaving them alone.

With a chuckle, he sat down on the edge of the bed, adjusting the blankets and smoothing his daughter’s hair. He kissed her on the forehead. “Time to go to sleep, baby.” She smiled up at him, her hazel eyes heavy with tiredness despite the raucous laughter a few minutes ago. “Okay, daddy,” she said.

He stood and touched her face one last time. “Love you, Ada.”

“Love you, too, daddy.”

Stepping back, he watched her eyes close, happy that she seemed so content in her bed. He lingered for a long moment, smiled, and flicked off the light.

Re: Bedtime

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

That one leaves a warm snuggly feeling inside.

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

I just can't seem to get anything more than a thought or two these days. It's almost like I should just do a post full of opening sentences. Anyway this managed to come out.
**********

Lee sighed as he gripped the rake a bit more tightly and watched as Charlie and William made a wreck of his carefully raked piles of leaves. Nor did it escape him that Kara was watching from the patio, and not even making an effort to camouflage her smirk.

The only one that was missing from the family tableau was Rissa, but Saturday morning meant cheerleading practice. There would be more activities to ferry his children to throughout the day, Sometimes it seemed like coordinating the kids' activities was more complex than planning his own schedule. Was it up to five drafts now on the International Trade Agreement or six?

As the rake was yanked from his hand and he felt himself hurled into the pile, beside his sons by his wife, he allowed himself to smile. Sometimes it was ok to acknowledge that the little things mattered. Actually they weren't little at all.

[kdbleu.livejournal.com]

Oh, but it's the little things that count. ;) Take your own advice. It's lovely. *hugs*

Assembling furniture

[lizziec]

Kara surveyed the object in front of her. How they had ended up creating this... thing was really quite uncertain, but she was fairly sure things had started going wrong at about the same time that she'd decided Lee's methodical approach was too slow and started to blindly put struts together with whatever screw was handy.

Really though it was his fault, because if he hadn't been counting out every frakking part and marking them off on the instructions then she wouldn't have lost patience.

And if she hadn't lost patience he wouldn't have hidden the instructions from her and then sat back to watch how she got on without them.

And if he hadn't been watching her with that stupid smile on his face then she may well have admitted defeat and asked him for the instructions so she could do the thing properly instead.

She stood back, arms crossed, absentmindedly running her tongue over her teeth while critically surveying her work. As a piece of modern art it wasn't bad, but she had absolutely no idea why the shelves looked quite so wrong and it was definitely never going to work as a bookcase.

Kara stole a glance over her shoulder, hoping that maybe Lee had got bored and was no longer paying any attention. It was a vain hope. He was apparently reading a newspaper with a vaguely bored expression on his face but his eyes betrayed him. They were dancing with amusement and as the blue eyes met hazel he gave up all pretence and flat out laughed.

Her first response was to scowl. She was pissed. She’d been working hard and he’d been sitting there doing nothing and now he had the nerve to laugh at her. In her annoyance she turned back to face the bookcase. It proved to be her undoing. Catching sight of her modern art again finished her off. Now she was laughing too, so hard she could barely stand, her sides ached and just as her knees were about to give way she felt a steadying hand on her arm.

Kara managed to get control of the giggles as he pulled her into a hug and whispered in her ear.

“How about we take it apart and try again? Maybe we can work together this time, and possibly make use of this helpful instruction booklet?”

Kara smiled. “It’s a date.”

Re: Assembling furniture

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

I was so waiting to see what it was she was putting together.

This, and possibly make use of this helpful instruction booklet?, just set me to giggling.

Winter Vacation

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

There was something primitive about an axe, but swinging blow after blow into the trunk of a tree was soothing in a weird way. Every time the heavy metal struck the solid wood, Kara chanted in her head, "Stupid Lee. Stupid. Frakking. Lee."

This was supposed to be a vacation, a break from the normal shit they dealt with back home. But of course they couldn't get five hours into their mountain get away without getting into a fight. It was so frakking stupid, too.

With one last blow the small tree fell with a crash. It wasn't much, but it would be enough for firewood for at least two days. Lee didn't believe they were going to need to stock up on supplies--the weather report didn't call for anything more than flurries for the whole week. But it didn't take a genius to feel that there was a storm brewing. Kara could smell it in the air--right before a big snow storm something in the air changed, smelling like smoke and ice.

But the weather report didn't say anything about snow.

Kara hacked the branches off the tree, watching small flakes of snow lazily drift to the ground.

Even when they got away from everything else, they couldn't get away from them. It was Lee's idea, they'd been fighting all the time, life was too stressful, they just needed to get away from it all and get back to each other. It was a stupid idea, apparently.

She hauled the wood back to the cabin, nudging the door open with her hip. Lee was nowhere to be seen in the main room, but his presence in the cottage was confirmed when he groaned at the sound of the logs being dropped unceremoniously onto the floor. She ignored him, kicking the door shut before she stomped her way over to the bathroom and locked herself inside for a ridiculously long, hot shower.

Kara spent an hour, scrubbing feeling back into her frostbitten fingers and toes and making sure there would be no hot water left for a certain fiance who happened to think that... something! She raked her fingers through her hair, the details of their argument seemed as murky and thin as the steam clouding up the room.

When Kara finally emerged from the bathroom, dressed in flannel pajama bottoms and an oversized t-shirt--yanked from Lee's suitcase thank-you-very-much--only to be greeted by a roaring fire in the fireplace, Lee with two mugs of hot chocolate, and a solid three inches of snow just beyond the window.

"I listened to the wireless," Lee said, holding one of the mugs out to her. An almost embarrassed flush crept up his neck. "They said a sudden storm kicked up, could drop over a foot of snow."

Kara folded her arms over her chest, a small smug smile forming on her face. "Oh did they?"

Lee's voice became very matter-of-fact, "But then it is supposed to be bright and clear for the rest of the week."

Kara's smirk didn't fade. "So you're admitting you were wrong."

"I wasn't wrong," Lee said, in his most diplomatic lawyer voice as he settled down on the couch.

Kara rolled her eyes as she sat down next to him. She tucked her legs in and leaned against his side, raising the mug to her lips. The cocoa was spiked with just a little cream liquor, exactly the way she liked it. "In your dreams, Apollo."

"But you were right, too."

"Such bullshit."

"I love you, too."

Re: Winter Vacation

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

Mmmm...pilots, fireplace, hot chocolate, stranded in snow storm. Sounds like a pornbattle extension might be required. ;)

[ez-as-pi.livejournal.com]

Lee grabbed the box of pasta Kara had tossed in the cart and looked at the back.

He didn't have to see the face to know she'd just rolled her eyes at him.

Taking a similar box off the shelf, he compared for a moment. Then put the one he'd selected into the cart instead. "This one is better. It's whole wheat and has less sodium."

"Fine, then you can eat it." She plucked the original box and dropped it back in. "I want this one."

"Kara, it's not good for-"

"Lee! I've given up red meat, booze, fried foods, hell, everything I like." She glowered at him. "If I want to have macaroni and cheese, let me. It's one box. And I like the shapes, yours is boring."

Lee hid a grin by pulling her to him and kissing her. "Okay, just this once."

Kara sighed theatrically. "I'm going to go get some ice cream."

It was the one thing he didn't challenger her on. Her mood when she was craving the treat and it went unfulfilled, was not something he wanted to deal with.

She was just a short way down the aisle whebn Lee called out to her.

"That's one sexy waddle, Starbuck."

Kara shot him the bird as she continued on her quest to find mint chocolate chocolate chip.

[anastashial.livejournal.com]

And I like the shapes, yours is boring.

Leave it to Kara to come up with this one.

[rayruz.livejournal.com]

Also, the name of this entry makes me go "It's curtains for you, Doctor Horrible. Lacy, gently wafting curtains."

[nazkey.livejournal.com]

Hahahahaha. A man's gotta do what a man's gotta do … Thanks Ray. Now I'm singing along to Dr. Horrible (see what I did there?) Hee.

[sammy567.livejournal.com]

"What is that?"


"What is that? That, Kara, is a dog." Lee knelt down to rub the head of a scruffy dog. With short ears, wirey gray hair, and a lanky build, it was hard to determine what breeds it had in it.


"Why is it sitting in my living room?"


"I found him-"


"If you're telling me he followed you home and you want me to keep him, you poorly mistaken. I don't do pets."


"I can't keep him at my place, they don't allow dogs there! Look at his face! How can you say no to him? I can't bring him back to the animal shelter!"


Kara had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. Lee and his never ending attempts to save the world. Really she should have anticipated this when he first mentioned volunteering at the animal shelter. She looked back to the living room floor where Lee was sitting. The dog was leaning into him, eyes squinting in delight to the rub down he was getting.


"He have a name?" Kara reached forward to scratch behind his ears when the dog yelped and nipped towards her hand. She snatched her hand quickly back and yelled, "What gives! I'm not keeping a mean dog in here!"


"Kara, you have to be gentle! He's a rescued dog. When they found him he had signs of neglect and abuse. They don't even know his name. He doesn't warm up to strangers easily. Here, give me your hand." He reached over to hold her hand, curling her fingers down and bringing it up to the canine's nose. With a tentative sniff, the pup gave her a timid lick. Kara instinctively pulled back, but Lee's hand held her firm. "Go on, pet him now."


This time, when she reached behind his ears, the dog came forward and leaned into her hand. "Is he house trained?"


"Of course. The animal shelter makes sure that all the dogs are house trained." The look in Lee's face showed hope that Kara was coming around the the idea.


"I get to name him."


"Sure, whatever you want," Lee responded, eager to have Kara on board.


"Okay... Dog."

"What? You can't be so mean, give him a real name! A name to show he's loved and cared for."


"Doggle... Dogville... Doggington... Dogster! Dogster it is!"


"Kara, come on."


"Come 'ere Dogster." To Lee's dismay, the pup's ears perked up as he looked towards Kara. "There's a good boy, Dogster."

Kara looked down at her new roommate. Neglected and abused, eh? Dogster's brown eyes looked up at her, and found a kindred spirit behind those hazel eyes.

[scifishipper.livejournal.com]

Those names had me giggling! Well done!