Disclaimer: Don't own'em.
A/N: It seems like every second person I know has a birthday in April, self included. This is for all the April babies. Takes place after series finale. All went as it did in the show.
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Postlude
The loud beep of his alarm woke Harm up. He lifted a hand to hit the snooze button, and felt Mac shift in bed next to him.
"Harm," She mumbled, still half-asleep, her hair tousled and her body warm. Harm watched her for a moment, knowing he should get out of bed. But he'd always thought she looked beautiful in her sleep. Well, he decided, he had five minutes at least before he really had to get up.
He settled himself back into bed, turning on his side so he could watch her. It wasn't long before silent observation gave way to soft touch. A whisper at first, his fingers traced the curve of her lip. She was beautiful in sleep, but in sleep he couldn't see her eyes. And that had always been his favourite part of her.
His thoughts drifted as he explored the contours of her face. He had known her for such a long time. Time had flowed, filling the cracks between yesterday and tomorrow, muting some memories, sharpening others. But still, with all the remembering and forgetting that made up life, the feel of her skin under his would always transport him back to the first time they'd made love six months ago. It hadn't been their most romantic moment, or their most intense. It was none of that, and it was all of it: the one moment in his life with her that defined all others, the ones before and the ones after. The way his fingers had trembled at the sweet discovery of her, at tasting her waiting secrets. The way the hushed marvel in her touch, the wonder in her eyes had humbled him.
He kissed her eyelids. She stirred, wrapping her arm around his waist and nuzzling into the curve of his neck. The rustle of her movement brought a smile to his lips which only the timid rays of morning light could bear witness to; Mac was still fast asleep.
The beep of his alarm blared again, cutting through the silence with sharp reproach. He shut it off in an impatient gesture. The sudden movement earned a murmur of protest from Mac.
"Mac, sweetheart, I have to get up." He tried to remove her arm from over his chest, but she held on.
"No." A slight frown marred her features.
"Mac," He tried to shake her awake, "I have to go."
Her arm tightened around him.
"You aren't making this easy," He said, looking down at her where she was cuddling into him with a determination she usually reserved for her waking hours.
Slowly, her eyes opened, regarding him with a sleep-filled mischief. His body tightened in response.
"Hmm," She murmured, her mouth tilted in amusement, "Why should I? The man I love just told me he's thinking about leaving."
He laughed, "Marine, let me go."
She shook her head, challenge sparkling in her eyes.
Her eyes really were his favourite part of her.
"Stay." She slipped her leg between his.
"It will take a lot more than that to break me," He said, knowing that was pretty far from the truth.
She kissed his chin, his jaw. "Do you really want me to let you go?" Her hand slipped down his stomach, her nail lightly scratching a trail down his navel.
He grabbed her hand before she reduced him to incoherence.
"I made a promise," He reminded her, trying to sound severe when he really was tempted to just stay in bed.
"I know," The wistfulness in her tone matched his. "I wish you hadn't."
He looked at her incredulously. "You're the one who was so keen."
"I..." She bit her lip, looking endearingly uncertain. "...changed my mind?"
"No," He said, "You haven't."
"No, I haven't." She sighed, relenting.
He gave her a quick kiss, intending to get out of bed, but couldn't help returning for another, longer kiss.
"Want some company?" Her words whispered against his lips.
"Try and get some more sleep, you've had a tough couple of weeks." And he knew she didn't sleep as well while away from home as she did in their bed. He loved that he'd learned so much about her sleeping habits in the last six months.
"We haven't spent any time together..." A yawn overtook her immediate protest.
"Try and get a few more minutes, sweetheart."
"A few minutes." She was already succumbing to sleep. He grinned, laid a kiss on her brow, and got up to fulfill the promise he'd made her that very first time they'd made love, the first time he'd felt her bare skin on his and had forgotten where he ended and she began.
--
Hours later, he was in the garage, which was really his workshop, sanding planks of wood when she walked in. He looked up to find her wearing a sundress and carrying a mug of coffee.
"Can I get you anything?" She asked.
He thought it would be nice to see her without the dress, standing in his workshop by his power tools. That was one fantasy they had yet to get to. However, if he mentioned it, he knew the dress would come off without a second thought, and he wouldn't get anymore work done until mid-afternoon.
"I'm fine, thanks."
"How's it coming along? I'd guess you got a lot done while I was in DC."
"I did. No distractions," He grinned in teasing.
Her eyebrow quirked as she leaned against the table. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"Wouldn't want it any other way, sweet thing," He turned his attention back to the wood he was working on.
"Harm."
He looked up at the seriousness in her tone.
"Thank you." She was still processing all this, he knew. With the sheer amount of time and energy her new command demanded, she'd had less time to digest the sudden changes in their lives over the last six months. For his part, he'd retired and instead of embarking on a new career-track immediately, had decided to take the time off to work on the house they'd bought. It had been an incredible six months spent doing something he loved, being with someone he loved. And the house looked amazing. He was now working on what he thought of as the most important part. He had been designing it in his head for the last six months, since she'd first mentioned it when they'd lain together, sated from their first real exploration of each other: a house with a large porch.
He was very excited about it, and had refused to show her his blueprints wanting to surprise her. It was also very gratifying that she was letting him surprise her in this way.
"Have you seen the deck since you came in last night?" He didn't think she would've checked. They both knew how much he enjoyed giving her progress reports and tours, going over each step in detail, and how much she enjoyed receiving them.
She shook her head. "I was waiting for you to guide me on a tour. And you kept me busy last night."
"Well," He couldn't help but feel cocky about it. "I missed my wife." The last two weeks had been their first real separation since he'd retired six months ago. She'd been in DC briefing the brass on her new command, and attending the annual JAG conference.
"I missed you," She fiddled with the collar of his t-shirt.
He put down the wood and gathered her in his arms. "And you're welcome for the deck, Mac. I'm having a great time working on it." It had been a long time since he'd felt excitement in such a pure, potent form. But then, since marrying her, since the night he'd proposed in fact, excitement seemed to be a regular part of his life.
"I know. You seem happier," She traced his smile with a soft touch, watching him with her head cocked to the side. He kissed the tips of her fingers.
"I am." He tightened his hold on her, wondering not for the first time if she shared in his sentiment. He knew how work sometimes stressed her. "Are you?"
"Happier than I've ever been." She must've seen the doubt in his eyes. "I am, Harm, I promise."
"But with your command, and the stress..."
She shrugged. "Work-related stress is a part of life." She set her coffee cup on the table, and slipped her arms around his waist. "And I love coming home to our home, I love that I can leave in the morning and know that I'll see you at night, talk to you, have dinner together, sit on the couch and watch TV with you. Go to bed with you. I can handle anything when I have all that to look forward to. I ... I'm just trying to get used to having all this to look forward to."
"It is pretty great, isn't it," A warm wonder shimmered in him.
"It is," She nodded, "I didn't think it could be so great."
He smiled at the truth of it, "Me neither." His forehead rested against hers. "I'm glad we were both wrong."
"It was the craziest thing we've ever done," She laughed, and so did he, at the absurdity of it.
"It's in the top five, easy." Now, thinking back, he still couldn't decide what had possessed him to propose, or why she'd agreed. He would forever be grateful for their impulsive fugue.
"I'm glad we did it."
"Me, too." He kissed her nose. "I have a surprise."
She lit up, excitement and trepidation battled it out in her eyes. "What is it?"
He laughed. She'd loosened up in so many ways in the past half year, become spontaneous in ways she hadn't allowed herself to be before. Before, the not knowing would've eaten away at her. Now, she let it go and, he suspected, even enjoyed it. "It's out back."
"Is it..." She trailed off, afraid to hope.
He nodded. "It is."
"Harm!" Her eyes went wide, her grin was blinding.
He took her hand and led her back to the house, up the stairs and towards the back door. "I made an extra little something for you, too. Just finished it this morning."
He pushed open the door to reveal the fully completed deck. Her hand went to cover her mouth, eyes filled with that same wonder that had transformed him those months ago.
"Harm," She whispered, stepping onto the deck, "It's beautiful." Awed, her fingers trailed the smooth wood of the banister. "It's better than I'd pictured it."
He grinned. Her reaction was the best kind of thanks he could ask for.
Gently, he took her by the shoulders and turned her towards the far end of the deck, where the porch-swing he'd built for her stood.
A myriad emotions filled her eyes. "Oh, my."
He laughed, directing her towards it. "You like it? Give it a try."
She sat down, and he sat next to her. She stared out over the porch, at the reddish-brown wood, and then at their view of the ocean beyond.
"It's beautiful." She turned to look at him. "This is amazing. I can't believe you finished it. You really kept busy while I was away."
"It was either this or go crazy missing you. Two weeks with you gone is a long time."
She rested her head on his shoulder and leaned into him. "It is."
He put his arm around her shoulder, using his foot to lightly rock the swing back and forth. They sat together, wrapped in peaceful silence and the sound of waves crashing further away, on the shore.
These were his favourite moments. Sharing a silence with her, idle thoughts flitting in and out of consciousness. And as he sat with her, he still thought of how proposing to the woman beside him had been the craziest, most impulsive, most spontaneous thing he'd ever done. He grinned, resting his cheek on the top of her head so he could better smell the warm floral of her hair. It was also the best, most perfect, most wonderful thing he'd ever done.
"I love you, Mac." He placed a kiss in her hair.
"I love you."
Best thing he'd ever done.
--
end