DISCLAIMER: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and its characters are the propert of James Cameron and Fox. No infringement intended.
CHALLENGE: Written for the 48-Hour Challenge – Summer is Coming.
ARCHIVING: Only with the permission of the author.
A Terminator in Springtime
By zennie
"I don't understand." Sarah resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the terminator. "We have a perfectly adequate table at the house. And you don't need a fire pit to burn food." This time Sarah narrowed her eyes to glare at the terminator for the unwelcome reminder of her somewhat less than stellar cooking ability.
"It's a picnic," Sarah said, an edge of exasperation creeping into her voice. She glanced over to where Derek and John were tossing a football back and forth; at least they were enjoying themselves.
"It itches," Cameron stated, scratching at her calf where her leg was touching the grass.
"It's a common summer ritual. When the weather starts to get nice, people go to the park and cook out."
"There are tables over there. We don't have to be on the ground."
"It's tradition!" stressed Sarah.
Cameron looked pointedly at the few remaining, charred hotdogs on a grease-stained paper plate. "So that's a ritual sacrifice?" Sarah caught a slight smile twitching at the corners of Cameron's mouth and realized that the terminator was teasing.
"Yes, it's a ritual sacrifice," Sarah agreed. Schooling her expression to remove any hint of humor, she told the terminator, "Just watch what everyone else is doing and try to fit in."
Sarah leaned back on her elbows and tilted her head up, feeling the sun warm her skin, while Cameron surveyed the array of blankets on the lawn like she was charting an excursion through hostile terrain. She focused in on one blanket in particular, noting body angles and facial expressions thoroughly, before scooting closer to Sarah.
The movement drew Sarah's attention and she opened her eyes just in time to see Cameron lowering her head, eyes closed. "Cameron!" Sarah sat up quickly, glancing around to see if anyone had noticed. "What are you doing?" She could feel her heart racing, which she attributed to the fact that Cameron almost blew their cover.
"Fitting in," Cameron replied, indicating the couple on a nearby blanket. She inched closer, scrunching up her lips.
Sarah's hand caught the terminator at the shoulder, stopping her forward progress. "Don't you kiss me." Cameron cocked her head to the side. "Not in public and not in front of John."
Cameron scrutinized Sarah for a moment, then nodded, moving to lean back on her elbows and soak in the sun.
Later that night, Cameron slipped into Sarah's bedroom and closed the door behind her. "John and Derek are asleep; their exercise must have tired them."
Sarah glanced up from the papers she was reading. "What are you doing in here?"
"You implied that I could kiss you if we were in private and away from John."
"I, I didn't mean it like that."
'Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't."
Cameron cupped Sarah's chin, feeling the pulse at her neck beat beneath her fingertips. She lowered her head to press her lips softly against Sarah's. "Yes, you did."
Sarah wrapped a hand behind Cameron's head to pull her in for another kiss, her voice warming as she said, "Yes, I did."
The End