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Written for Last Ship Standing R3 - Prompts 3/5/8/9

Enough For Now

They parted, panting, their lust satisfied for the moment. It happened the same way every time, their need for each other an inferno that only grew until they finally succumbed to the flames.

They'd lie side by side until their panting settled into steady breathing, and then one of them, (John this time; they were at Amelia's home), would sit up and stretch, pressing a brief kiss to the other's lips before they dressed and left, with a lingering smile and an already building anticipation for the next time.

Only… this time, it was different. John didn't leave.

Sighing, he turned his head to Amelia, unable to stop the small smile at her dishevelled hair and still red cheeks. She was beautiful, of course, but she was never more stunning to John than in these moments.

"Amelia… Are you happy?"

She frowned, tilting her head slightly. "With what?"

"Us… the way we are?"

"Do you want to stop?" she asked, her frown deepening. She thought he enjoyed what they had as much as she did.

"No, no, of course not," he replied frantically, shaking his head. "I just… what if we were, you know, more?"

She sat up, pulling the sheet with her, covering herself up. John felt his heart sink when he saw the closed off look in her eyes. He lay still, his muscles tensing as he fought against himself. He wanted to run. He wanted to grab his clothes and leave the room and never look back.

She glanced around the room, her eyes on the beige paint work.

"I think this room could do with a little brightening up, don't you?" she asked, her voice bland. "Maybe a border or a splash of colour on one of the walls?"

John blinked. Of all the answers she could have gave him, that certainly wasn't on his list of expectations.

"Dammit, Milly, don't avoid my question."

Her eyes sharpened as she finally looked his way. "It sounded more like a request, John. How can we be more? I'm open to suggestions."

"You're open to…"

She rolled her eyes. "I care about you, I think - I hope- you know that. But I'm your boss, and that doesn't even take into account the state of the world at the moment. Can you really imagine us doing hearts and flowers when there's a war going on outside?"

John smiled, taking her hand in his and lifting it to his lips to press a soft kiss against her knuckles. "Just an acknowledgement that this is more than sex for you… I can live with that, Milly."

She nodded. "It's more than sex, John. It… it has been for a while, I think? I wish…"

"I know. Me too."

She leant forward, the sheet slipping from her grasp as her lips pressed against John's, the earlier passion reawakening. He kissed back eagerly, his arm slipping around her slim waist as he pulled her closer.

While they were no closer to labelling what they had, they both knew that they didn't want to be without the other.

That was enough.