PILLOW TALK
Writer's Notes: This is a work of pure fiction.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Last Ship or any of its characters.
Reference: This is a one-shot from Chapter 34 ofRed Flag by MorningGlory2. This takes place when Scotch was confined in bed due to strep throat.
Dedication: I am dedicating this story to my friends and constant reviewers here in FF-TLS: MorningGlory2, Starfoxtwin, HookedNoDoubt, Scousedancer, shepweir always, and others.
SCOTCH SCOTCH SCOTCH SCOTCH SCOTCH SCOTCH
PILLOW TALK
He was watching her sleep.
Her chest rising and falling in harmony with the deep breaths that she was taking. She was flat on her back, one arm above her head. Her face tilted towards him. Her demeanor peaceful.
It is his first time to observe her in total repose. When in bed, they usually do something else, not as tame as observing as and definitely more exciting than sleep-watching. He cannot believe that he was being given another chance at love in the middle of the apocalypse. But here she is. The epitome of one who passionately loves him and his children. Just as she is the embodiment of his completeness and life.
He could go on watching her forever, he thinks. Her fine eyebrows that lead to a patrician nose. Her eyelashes that curl so dramatically near her flushed cheek bones. Her eyelids covering her deep-set golden orbs. The thin lips that is so expressive of their owner's emotions.
He does not know how he can wax poetic just by watching Rachel sleep. I've got it bad, he chuckles to himself.
His musings were interrupted when Rachel moved and stretched. As much as his bed space will allow. He watched as she stretched like a sleek cat, moans escaping her lips, her eyes slowly opening to his.
"Hi there," she greeted throatily.
"Good evening, sleeping beauty! I thought you were going to keep me company," he grinned down at her.
"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked as she softly caressed his cheek with her forefinger.
"Like I have a strep throat," he deadpanned. That earned him a soft glare from her. "We're stuck together in this room until we get better."
"That wouldn't be so bad, would it?" she asked him.
"Well...of course, I do love being in bed with you...but I wish that we can do something else rather than sleep, meds, sleep..." he said suggestively at her, giving her a playful wink. "I was watching you sleep, you know."
"I'm so sorry that we cannot do anything more extraneous than sleep and rest right now...my whole body is aching," she whined.
They shared a few moments of light silence with Rachel tracing Tom's facial contours with her fingers. Tom was just watching the emotions crossing her features.
"What was the first thing that crossed your mind when you saw me for the first time?" Rachel asked Tom. His brows furrowed.
"Huh?" he asked in confusion.
"Well, since it looks like we're going to be stuck here for sometime, I figured, we'd play Twenty Questions or something like that," she said with a smile. "That's my first question."
"Okay," he gamely replied, "Let me see...hmmm...well, when I saw you, I thought that you were very pretty. By the way, now, I think you're gorgeous," Tom hurried to assure her.
"Really? You thought I was pretty?" she grinned up at him.
"Well, yeah, I do have a folio on you. When the Navy told me that I will be hosting some guests from the CDC, they gave me your folio with your picture on it. Let's just put it this way, when you flash that gorgeous smile of yours, you can really launch ships!" he quipped. Tom's comment brought a fiery blush to Rachel's cheeks. "How about when you saw me?"
Rachel looked into Tom's eyes as she answered his question, "When I saw you in your dress whites, you were very dapper and sharp. But then, I told myself, too bad, he's taken already," she rolled her eyes to convey her amusement. "I think I had a crush on you from that point."
They smiled at one another and Tom placed a soft kiss on her forehead.
"Alright, it's your turn to ask now," Rachel invited.
Tom was silent for a few moments before he asked, "What made you volunteer to go to the Vyerni?"
Rachel took a deep breath before replying, "I know for a fact that you will not surrender me to the Russians. I also know that Mike will not volunteer to give me to them. I guess there was an element of luck in it as well. During that time, I have already discovered the cure. Hence, in effect, I already succeeded in my mission. Any testing and trial could be done by Quincy and Rios. But I know that we may have a chance if the Russians will get me. At least, we'd have a chance, even slightly, of getting you in exchange for me. My plan was just to give myself to them in exchange for you and Tex. But thank goodness that of course, Mike and the boys had other plans as well."
"I get that. But what made you decide to offer yourself in exchange for me and Tex?" he persisted.
"I already told you when we were on the island a few days ago that I already fell in love with you after you have graciously offered me a Bengal Tiger as an apology," she reminded him, "Thus, I wanted to have the chance to express my love and most importantly, I wouldn't want to be the proximate cause of your death. I just couldn't bear that. That is something that is unthinkable and unacceptable for me."
By the time she was finished, her eyes were shimmering with unshed tears at the recollection of that event.
"Hey, hey...ssshhhh...it's okay, darling..." he soothed her, "I want you to promise me something..."
"What?" she sniffled.
"Promise me that you will NEVER, ever put your life at risk again for me," he pressed, emphasizing each word.
Rachel stared hard at him and blinked, "Can you promise me the same thing?" she returned.
Tom opened his mouth to say something but closed it when no words came out. He stared at her. "Well. No. No... of course I cannot promise you the same thing!"
"Then what makes you think that I can promise it to you?" she arched one of her eyebrows at him. "Double standards, Captain?"
Tom gently took hold of Rachel's shoulders and peered into her eyes, "Rachel, honey, it is MY duty to protect you. The world needs you, I need you and the kids need you. Your duty is to protect yourself and the kids. Nothing else. It is MY duty to protect all of you. Are we clear?"
"We're clear. But that does not prevent me from rescuing your sexy arse when the need arises. I think I have proven to everyone that I can do anything that I set my mind to," she said with a smile.
"Yeah, everyone knows that you're Rachel "Wonder Woman" Scott," he replied with some amusement. They both chuckled softly at the joke.
Tom got up and got them a glass of water each and their medicine. A pitcher was left at his bedside by Jenny earlier. He handed a glass to Rachel and waited for her to finish before returning beside her.
"My turn now," she declared, "What did you think about my delivery method of Mike's note to you aboard the Vyerni?"
Tom laughed out loud upon hearing her question. Rachel had to pinch him on his side to get him to stop laughing. "I'm sorry, sweetheart...but that's really a funny question," he laughed again and Rachel kicked his legs.
"I don't know what you find so funny about it!" she blurted out at him, Tom still sporting a very wide grin.
Tom tucked a few strands of stray hair from Rachel's face behind her ear. Composing himself before trying to formulate a proper reply to her query. "I was initially shocked at seeing you there in the Vyerni. I nearly had a heart attack. I cannot fathom that you're there with us."
"When I saw you, I was so relieved to see you whole and alive! I was in the lab when we lost you. You cannot imagine the relief of seeing you alive," she recalled. "And then I remembered Mike's note for you..."
"Oh yes! That note that you had to deliver...let's just put it this way, if I was shocked to see you, I nearly had a heart attack when you threw yourself at me! But then, I went along with it and was wondering what it is you were playing at," he said with a chuckle.
That earned a short glare from Rachel, "Well, Capt. Chandler, I had to pass you that note right under Ruskov's nose. Would you have thought of other means? Believe me, Mike just gave me that note and told me to give it to you. You don't seriously think that I'd be able to do it just by handing it to you, no?" she finished with exasperation.
"Oh, sweetheart, of course not! Your method was ingenious! Nobody was the wiser that when you threw yourself at me and kissed with such passion that you were passing a note-covered blade," he grinned at her. "And admit it, you kissed me longer than it was necessary to pass them!" he finished slyly.
"I DID NOT!" she denied vehemently. Her brows furrowed deeply at him and she took hold of his both of his cheeks to wipe the grin off his face.
"Honey, when your lips locked with mine, you were able to pass the note to me so fast I nearly swallowed it! And yet you continued to kiss me until the Russians had to pry you away from me," he reminded her with a smile, not minding in the least her hold on both of his cheeks.
"Oh yeah? Well, I didn't feel you pulling away from me either! You were so engrossed tangling your tongue with mine that I thought I was going to need an oxygen tank soon!" she asserted in her fiery and throaty tone.
They locked eyes with one another. Her golden ones shining bright. His azure eyes with merriment.
Tom raised his hands as if in surrender and placated Rachel, "Okay, okay, sweetheart...I admit that I was pleasantly surprised with your kiss that I lost myself in the moment. I know I was not supposed to enjoy it, but I would be lying if I said that I didn't feel anything with it."
Rachel gave him a soft smile, "I'm sorry... I guess I was just so happy to see you then and I let my emotions get the better of me..."
"And of course you had a mission to fulfill..." he supplied, "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, I guess!"
They both laughed in remembrance of that event.
"Tell me how you felt when you kissed me in the Vyerni," Tom invited to Rachel softly, although there was a small smile on his lips, his eyes were serious on hers.
Rachel brought one hand towards Tom's face and started caressing from the top of his head to his scruffy jaw line. She had a faraway look in her eyes.
"As I told you earlier, I was so relieved to see you safe and whole. I was so aware that it is now or never and I may never get a chance to pass on the note and blade to you. It was really my intent to just pass them to you," she started.
She took a deep breath, paused her caress of his face and looked at Tom.
"But when my hand touched your nape, I felt how strong and warm you were. And when my lips touched yours, I felt electricity course through my whole body. I was tingling all over. I forgot where we were. I forgot that we were virtually prisoners of Ruskov. I forgot everything" she confessed. "I can only feel your warmth, your strength, your soft lips and the feeling of your tongue exploring my mouth. When they forced us apart, I can literally feel that you have stolen my breath."
Tom was basking in the glow of her confession and the recollection of that kiss. He moved closer to her and kissed her softly and slowly.
"I love you, baby," he whispered to her.
"I love you, too, Tom," Rachel returned softly as well.
"Now that we've cleared the issue of our Vyerni lip lock, you can take advantage of me whenever you want, wherever you want," he invited her.
"I'll have a rain check on that offer," she replied cheekily.
FINIS.
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