"Sam? You in here? I gotta talk to you." Damon Baird looked around the cluttered room
that belonged to his fellow Gear Samantha Byrne. "Yeah Baird! I'm here." He heard something fall to to the floor. "Ah, hell. Er, come in! I'll be right there! Sam struggled to gather a bunch of papers and other random stuff that had been plaguing her desk for too long now. She had decided that morning that she was going to use her day off to eliminate the mess once and for all. Although she had been at it for about an hour now, she hadn't made much headway. Organizing stacks of ancient papers and folders wasn't exactly her specialty, but hey, at least she was trying.
"Sam?" She heard Baird's footsteps approaching. "Hey Baird. What'd you need?" She said, turning away from her work to face her comrade. Baird in reply simply pulled her to his chest and gently kissed her lips. Sam, whose body had gone stiff with surprise, slowly relaxed into his embrace. The smell of his skin and the way he softly caressed her cheek made the brunette woman's heart skip a beat.
After a short while, Baird looked into Sam's eyes, happy and a little embarrassed at the same time. At this point, Sam was too astonished to say anything, so Baird used this as an opportunity to speak his mind. "Sam, listen to me. I know I've been an ass to you since….I mean…Basically since we first met." He cringed inwardly at the thought of how they had treated each other in the past. "But, after what happened, I…" Baird's voice trailed off as he tried to get his words straight. Now Sam realized what was going on.
Two nights before while she was walking down the hallway, she had heard Baird grieving over their friend Dom, and decided it was the right time to tell the mechanic that she was there for him. She knew she had made the right choice after seeing Baird's broken, though appreciative expression. "I'm glad you're here." Sam would never forget those words. The walls that Baird had built around his heart in an attempt to shut away the anger and pain that had troubled him for so long had finally crumbled away, revealing the kind of person he really was underneath all that attitude. He was kind, gentle, and sensitive; everything Sam had hoped he was. Had known he was. Her eyes were filled with tears now, realizing just how hard it was for him to explain how he felt; how much courage it took. Damn, she was proud of him.
Suddenly, he reached for her hand and held it tight, though gently enough for the butterflies in Sam's stomach to return. "Sam, I just want you to know how much you mean to me. I know it doesn't seem like it sometimes, I just…It's just hard for me. Nearly everyone I've ever cared about, as long as I can remember, I've either lost, or they just didn't love me back. It hurts too much. So I bury my feelings and act like I don't care when really my heart stops whenever I see you. I guess what I mean is that I want to change, and I want you by my side." Sam just stood there never letting go of his hand, awestruck and deeply moved by what the male Gear had to say.
Baird took a deep breath and sighed. "The other night, when you…. I don't know what to say. I would have died if you hadn't been there." His eyes were misty now, and Sam gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "You would have made it through. You're one of the strongest men I know." He blushed a bit at that. "But you made getting through worth it"
Sam couldn't help herself. She threw her arms around the blonde's neck and kissed him. The only place she wanted to be right now was in his arms, and she was thankful for every second. As Baird returned her kiss, he realized how wonderful it was to finally have a partner. Someone he could trust with his feelings and love him all the more for it.
They enjoyed each others warm embrace for what seemed like hours until Baird looked into Sam's eyes and half whispered "Thank you. For everything. I wish there was some way I could repay you for what you've done for me. I mean that" Sam only smiled. "Well, to be honest Baird, that was probably the best thank-you I've ever gotten." Baird shifted his gaze to the floor and smiled self-consciously. Then he glanced at the clock above the doorway. He cleared his throat, feeling a little awkward, not wanting to ruin the moment. "So, um, you wanna get some lunch or a drink or somethin'?" Sam smiled and linked arms with him. "Yeah. Lets." To hell with the papers.