Together.
Ah! My second 'last Ship' story! I have been wanting to write a Mike/Andrea story for ages, and finally I found an idea that worked. This is a one-shot, and it is, I guess, established Mike and Andrea, and slightly AU with the timeline and Tex didn't die!
Prompt – Together.
- As Mike and Andrea sit outside the place they'll be calling home, the remind each other that from now on, they will be moving on, together.
Please review, and let me know if I should be writing! I have a few ideas to go back and write about how the relationship came to be, but I would love to know what you thought of this one-shot first!
I have checked this over and over, but still there could be some mistakes, so I apologise in advance!
Enjoy!
Disclaimer – I own nothing.
"I feel so stupid for making you wait out here." Andrea admitted, taking another shaky breath.
Mike turned his head slightly to face her, a smile appeared on his lips as he reached over to take his hand. He really didn't know what to say to her. For him the building was just a house, a place for them to stay to get their lives together, but for Andrea it was a part of moving on.
"Don't. I know how hard this is for you." Andrea smiled slightly.
"Well, I don't think we'll have to sleep in the car." Mike gave a sigh of relief. They'd been say outside the house, for at least three hours. Both of them falling in and out of easy conversation. Mike didn't want to push Andrea, he wanted to at least try and be supportive, something he felt he never was with Christine.
Andrea gave another small smile. She felt bad, she knew Mike wanted to be inside and warm, but there was something inside of her that just couldn't make it across the threshold. It wasn't home.
"I just, I want to be like everyone else, I want to be able to start over, but I can't." Mike squeezed her hand again.
"You're fine, Andrea. We both knew this was going to be hard, but we can do this together." Mike didn't know what to do. A part of him wanted to be firm, in a hope she would respond to it, but he wanted to be her lover and not her captain, and then the other part wondered if giving in would do her any good, but suggesting a hotel would only prolong what needed to happen.
They both knew it wouldn't be easy. Starting over. Their relationship. Life after the virus.
It was a surprise to both of them, the fact they both had feelings for each other. It seemed to come out of nowhere, a late-night conversation, that had them both laughing for the first time in months, to the playful flirting that felt so natural, to then actually admitting they had feelings for each other.
"I miss everything I had."
"You're allowed to. Believe me, I miss my kids and Christine too, but as much as we miss them, we have to move on." Mike knew Andrea would see it as harsh, but it needed to be said.
Everyone missed their families and lives before the Red Flu, but you couldn't go back, you could only go forward with the happy memories.
"Will you hold my hand?" Andrea felt so weak for asking. After all she'd been through, it felt silly asking to hold Mike's hand to simply walk into a building.
"Of course, I will." Andres smiled before she made a move to get out of the car.
"Right now, this is just a house, it's just a building, much like the ship was just a ship before we made it into out temporary home." Mike explained, in a hope what had happened to them would be of some comfort.
"We're going to make this building into our home, Andrea." Mike reached over to take Andrea's hand again once she was stood close enough.
Andrea was so used to a house that had that constant smell of coffee and burnt toast, the house she knew had the sound of children laughing and Peppa Pig, the house she knew was full of love and happiness and the Navy. This house, just looked so empty, but then again, Mike was right, they could turn this into home.
Who knew what would happen in the future? Andrea was aware that Mike was never a hearts and flowers kind of guy, but she was sure that in five years' time it was possible to have that smell back, the smell of coffee at 6am, and burnt toast that would never be eaten because they were running late, and then Andrea always hoped, that maybe, she could get the sound of children laughing and whatever TV show they created next playing on a continuous loop. Maybe she and Mike would have kids? It would never replace Lily, or Mike's three children, but it would be theirs.
"You ready?" Mike's voice was gentle and calm, and although it was nice to hear, Andrea was pleased it wouldn't last. She'd grown to love his sarcastic humour and, she wouldn't admit it, but she liked the sense of authority he seemed to carry with him. He was Bill's complete opposite, and she knew that herself and Mike were not too much alike, but she loved him for him, and that was enough.
"Yeah…"
Just before the pair could walk over the threshold, the part Andrea had been dreading for the last four hours, she turned to look up at the man stood next to her.
"I love you, Mike."
"I love you too, love."
It occurred to them both they were not lying, and with that in mind, the could step over the threshold together, and take on whatever their new life, and this new world threw at them.
A year later.
"Hey, come on, we're going to be late." Mike shouted up the stairs as he straightened out his uniform.
"I'm coming!" Andrea shouted back as practically ran from the master bedroom and down the stairs.
"The opening won't begin for another hour." Mike nodded, he was aware.
"I know, but I wanted to be there early, you know chat to people, be sociable."
"You want to buy some cigars off, Tex." Andrea shot back, with a knowing grin.
"How do you know I don't just want to see Tom, or chat with Russ?" Mike asked, although he knew he'd already been caught.
"Because, believe it or not Captain Slattery, I know you." That was true, and Mike knew it.
Today was the opening of the new 'White House' after it had been in the works for a year. The President had insisted all members of the Nathan James attend. Even Tom, although he was still taking time out, the President wanted him to be there.
"Ready, XO?" Andrea nodded, both of them straightening their uniforms one last time before they left the house.
"Yeah, wouldn't want to be late, I know how much cigars mean to you." Andrea smirked as she locked the front door.
"You're lucky I love you." Andrea gave a smile as she got in the passenger side.
"And I don't I know it." As Mike started the engine, he took one last look at house, they'd turned into a home over the last year.
The house, their careers, the life they lived now, they'd done it together, and that is what they would keep on doing until they couldn't no more.
Thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you think, of both the story and the pairing, and of course if you would like to see more! Bethany.