So I've been pretty hardcore team Jalton ever since the Brave started...however since rewatching (for like, the fourth time) all the episodes this week, for some reason Amir and Jaz have grabbed my attention...so I thought I'd explore that a little. Don't get me wrong, I still want some Jalton closure in Season 2 (thinking positively), but I just need to do a little Jamir exploration!
Jaz held her styrofoam cup of nasty hospital coffee tightly in her hands, the warmth was grounding and calming. The worry for Preach was still high - he hadn't died yet, but it had been four days and still he lay motionless in a coma. The team was due for leave next week and upon hearing the news about Preach's condition, Patricia had immediately granted an early end to their rotation.
Jaz took a shaky breath. She hated hospitals, the smells, the constant beeps of machines, the light that was either too bright or too dim. The fact that it meant her comrade in arms, her only positive father figure, her friend, was fighting for his life, hanging on by a thread.
She had volunteered for this shift sitting with Preach, but all of a sudden she felt cold, lonely, isolated. All the what if's about Preach's condition spun through her head like a carousel out of control, she could hear the blood rushing through her ears. She squeezed her eyes tight, desperate to regain control.
A warm, heavy presence weighted on Jaz's shoulder.
"How are you doing?" Amir's voice was soft which made it seem deeper than usual.
Jaz took a moment to soak in the warmth and weight of his hand on her shoulder. Strangely, it stabilized her fretful thoughts.
"There's been no change. No movement."
"I asked about you, Jaz." Amir slipped his other hand to her other shoulder and began to gently but firmly rub the tightness. He wasn't sure where all this familiarity was coming from...though they had made steady progress in becoming friends, Jaz had maintained a degree of aloofness, even after their experience in Paris when he was fairly certain their captain had shared certain personal details about his family background with her.
Jaz paused. This man behind her continued to surprise her. When he'd first joined the team, she could only see him as a replacement for her best friend Elijah. His background as an undercover agent gave him a unique perspective on things and they often clashed in the way they approached their job.
Over the last several months of working in close quarters and getting to know him better, Jaz realized that he had a lot of respectable qualities. He was committed, and loyal, and a great cook. His gentle kindness took her by surprise, the way he pitched in around the barracks, they way he always saved dinner scraps for Patton, the way his eyes softened whenever they interacted with the kids in town.
Her changing opinion of Amir scared her a little, so she consciously kept herself at arms length, even as his lighthearted teasing continually invited her let down her guard.
And now here he was, invading her space in the gentlest way, pushing her completely out of her comfort zone but welcoming her into safety she didn't expect. Heat rose unexpectedly onto Jaz's cheeks and she stood abruptly, putting space between them. She stepped away from the bed and shivered as she stood by the window, staring stubbornly out at the courtyard below.
"Jaz." Amir stuffed his hands into his pockets and shifted uncertainly. This woman...he couldn't deny the physical attraction he had for her, although he hid it fairly well...even Preach hadn't caught on. But sometimes she drove him mad. He had never really understood the saying "you can't live with them, can't live without them" until he met Jaz. She was headstrong and opinionated and not afraid to voice that opinion, especially when it differed from someone else. But her fire was undeniable, and it drew him like a magnet.
She turned halfway to sort of face him. "Amir..." Her eyes met his and instantly an unspoken connection sizzled between them. Jaz felt exposed and vulnerable, but despite her fears, she couldn't look away. Amir recognized her hesitation, and his heart broke for the hurting little girl he saw.
A solitary tear slipped down Jaz' cheek as she realized how much Amir had come to mean to her, how grateful she was that it wasn't him lying in the bed next to her. She sniffed and dragged her eyes back to the window, sharply wiping the tear with her shoulder.
Amir silently closed the gap between them, invading her space again. "Hey..." He paused, debating how much he should press. Screw professionalism, Amir. She is obviously hurting. Man up and show her you care.
Amir raised a tentative hand to Jaz's face, his fingers grazing her jaw, tucking behind her ear, getting lost in the silkiness of her hair. His thumb was warm on her cheek as it traced the path of her tear. Her soft, thick eyelashes hid her eyes from his for a moment before they fluttered open.
Coffee colored eyes met caramel colored ones, mere inches away from each other. Amir's characteristically gentle hand slid down Jaz's jawline to her neck, leaving a burning void. Amir visibly swallowed and hesitantly brought his other hand to thread through her hair, gripping the nape of her neck tenderly but firmly. His gaze flickered toward her mouth and back to her eyes, pausing for any sign of refusal.
It wasn't like he had never kissed a woman before - he had been quite confident in his pursuits in his late teens and early twenties - but it had been years since he'd experienced even half the connection he felt with Jaz.
Jaz's lips parted as she inhaled, noting the musky, manly scent emanating from the man in front of her. It wasn't unusual for her to receive suggestive looks and remarks from her fellow soldiers, though this team was unique in that it hadn't happened once from Dalton, Elijah, McG, and obviously Preach. She'd never been tempted to return the affection though, until now. Her hands involuntarily rose to grip Amir's waist, unconsciously pulling his body closer to hers.
She closed her eyes as she tilted her head toward his, expecting his lips on hers. He surprised her when he pressed his mouth to the sensitive skin just a breath away from the corner of her mouth. His beard tickled her lips as he kissed the other side of her face, again missing her mouth.
She snickered and smirked as she pulled back slightly. "Wow, Amir, it's a good thing you're not on overwatch. Your aim is horrible!"
His eyelids were heavy with desire and his smile barely reached them. "My aim is true," he said as he moved his mouth next to her ear. His breath tickled her ear and she shivered before giggling and turning away.
"I don't know about that..." she was thankful for the levity, but also getting good-naturedly impatient. "You seem to be missing an awful lot right now."
All of a sudden his lips were hungrily claiming her own, intense and insistent. Heat exploded through her chest and she gripped his muscled arm with one hand, winding her other arm around his back. His hand combed through her hair and pressed into her shoulders, tucking her body into his. He walked her backwards until her back was against the wall. Her arms wound around his neck, their lips never breaking contact, yet relentless in their mutual discovery.
They were both breathless when they finally broke the kiss, eyes slightly out of focus from the intensity of the intimate encounter. Jasmine recovered first.
"I stand corrected." Her sultry voice was low and a little ragged. "I guess your aim isn't as bad as I thought."
Amir's eyes twinkled and his lips turned up in a smile. "See? I told you my aim is true."
"It's about time you kids got over your differences."
Jaz and Amir both jumped at the deep gravelly rumble of Preach's voice.
"Preach!" Jaz exclaimed, tears filling her eyes as she rushed to his side. "Of course you would wake up at that exact moment," she smiled sheepishly.
Amir reached one hand out toward Preach and squeezed the big man's hand. "How are you feeling, Chief?"
Preach closed his eyes briefly and coughed twice. "Like I walked into a bomb."
Jaz shook her head, amazed at his candor even after such serious injuries. They could all breathe a little easier now that Preach was awake.