Author's Notes~ Written for my Sis, just like all my other ML fictions have been 3 Luv ya Sis, enjoy the mind-melt :)
He tumbles through the Gate, landing in the Gate Room, and finds himself staring up into her face. She is reaching down to take his hand, hauling him to his feet. He tries to walk and with a painful wince, his leg gives away, leaving her supporting him.
She looks at Carson with worry in her eyes, supporting Shep's weight against her, and he nods consent for her to bring Shep to the infirmary. He limps along, clinging to her, not letting go. She smiles into his face and helps him up onto an infirmary bed, where Carson comes to check on him. He winces, she holds his hand tighter, and Carson works in silence for a moment.
"Lad, what have ye done to y'self? No, don't ye bother answerin' that," Carson shakes his head, a small smile gracing his face. He finishes bandaging Shep's leg properly, looks over to the pretty redhead, and realizes that he will not be able to talk her into leaving Shep's side. He thinks for just a moment and then a solution comes into his mind.
"Lass, would ye do me a favor? Take 'im to 'is quarters an' get 'im cleaned up. Make sure 'e stays off o' that leg as much as possible," He smiles, his eyes twinkle, and at her quick nod, he knows he has done the right thing. She stands up off the edge of the bed, helps Shep to stand on his good foot, and loops his arm around her shoulders for him to lean on her, and together they limp out of the infirmary.
She waves a hand over the sensor pad outside the transporter and then again outside their quarters, and helps Shep inside. She helps him hobble over to the bedroom and sit down on the bed, and then she begins her tasks. First, he needs to get out of the dirty BDUs and put on something more comfortable. Her hands move swiftly down the row of buttons, even though there is nothing wrong with his own hands, and he sits there grinning at her. She pauses a moment, wondering if she should let him do this on his own.
"Why did you stop? I'm enjoying this," His grin gets bigger and his green eyes glow with happiness as her face turns a bright shade of pink and she sort of smiles back at him unable to speak, and then before she can think, she's finishing the last button and he is helping to pull his BDU shirt off, revealing his bare chest. She feels her mind being drawn away from the task at hand and tries to shake it off, but fails.
She walks over to the closet to get him something to put on, and when she turns around again, he is sitting in the same position, but the blanket is pulled up over his lower half and his BDU pants have joined the shirt on top of the pile in the nearby washing basket. She thinks her face must be the color of a bright red cherry now, she isn't sure she's thinking straight. How is it that even though they've been nearly living together a few months, he can still make her feel this way so easily? Isn't this supposed to wear off eventually? Not that she is complaining, no, she would never complain about this.
"Come here, sweetie," he pats the bed beside him, and she shakes off the trance for half a moment, making her way back to the bed and sitting beside him. He loops an arm around her shoulders, partly pulling her close to him, and she looks up into his face.
"Do you need me to get you anything?" She breaks her silence with this question and he soaks up her voice, just glad that he was able to come home to her. He shakes his head, holding her close to him still.
"I just want you to stay here with me a while. You don't want to know how close I came to not making it through the gate. It was the thought of you waiting here for me, that's what kept me running to get through," He sighs and she wraps her arms around him, resting her head on his chest, and he can feel hot tears running down his bare skin from her cheeks, so he holds her. She feels a tender kiss on the top of her head and looks up into his face once more.
"Don't cry. I'm here, I came home," he smiles down at her, then leans to kiss her quite passionately for an exhausted, injured Lt. Colonel. She melts into his embrace a moment longer, then wipes the last of her tears with the sleeve of her blouse and smiles up at him. Her tears were not tears of sadness, but tears of relief that he had come home to her.
"I know, and I really am happy that you are right here beside me," She sits up, reluctant to leave her spot pressed against his chest, "suppose I make us something to eat and we'll eat right here in bed tonight?"
"That sounds absolutely perfect," He smiles and she catches the sparkle in his eye. He has no idea, she thinks, just how happy she is to have him home. She gives him one last big smile, her smoky blue eyes shining as she does, and then she turns to go to the kitchen, but she can feel him staring after her as she goes.
He looks carefully at her, studying her, from the curves of her body to the way her hair bounces and wisps around her face as she turns, all the way to those smoky eyes that he loves to look into. She turns back to look at him once more, and he looks into her eyes. He feels his own heart beat a little faster, and the blush creeping into his cheeks, and he wonders. How is it that although they've been together for a few months now, she can still make him feel this way with a single look? Isn't this supposed to wear off eventually? Not that he is complaining though, no, he would never complain about this.