Author's Notes: Interrupted was written a few years ago, it has just over 6000 words, wasn't too sure where to put the chapter breaks for this site. I hope it still reads alright.
Interrupted
Slowly she opened her eyes, the light through the window proving painful. She squinted and tried to focus at the same time, something that was near impossible to do successfully. She rolled over in the bed and smiled involuntarily. There he was, the love of her life, sleeping peacefully beside her. Gently she touched his face and then raked her fingers through his hair, noting the grey that had started to appear. She leant over and kissed his forehead and lay back down. Slowly she closed her eyes.
"Oh God" she exclaimed, eyes opened wide. She turned her head just slightly to make sure he was actually there. He was.
"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!" she muttered to herself, she had been awake. This wasn't one of her nocturnal fantasies where there would just be her and him and this bed. She closed her eyes again and tried to rack her brain, she couldn't remember last night, she couldn't remember why she was there. Her brain went into a rapid swirl trying to bring together the facts. Where am I? His place. No, not possible. I'm in his bed and I don't remember anything. No! No! No! Well, I'm sure if something had happened I'd remember. Yes, I'd remember if we actually did anything, wouldn't I? We were obviously working and got tired and decided to sleep. I mean it's not like we have never slept together before, we just haven't slept together. So this is not unusual. Everything's okay.
She opened her eyes again and having reassured herself all was well gently eased back the covers only to rapidly pull them back up again. "Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!" she muttered again. Her head started to spin again. Not only had she slept in his bed but underneath the covers she was naked and to make matters worse, or better depending on your perspective, so was he. "Take a breath," she told herself. "There must be a logical explanation."
"For what?" Her heart nearly stopped it was him. "A logical explanation for what?" he asked again. She could only go with the truth. "For why I am in your bed," she offered for starters.
He turned on his side to face her.
"That's a good question Mac, why are you in my bed?" His expression was one of confusion.
"I don't know I was hoping you did."
"No, I...I...actually I don't remember last night," Concern spread across his face.
"Are you joking Harm? Because if you are this is not funny." Mac's heart raced.
"Mac, seriously I don't remember. We had dinner with Bud and Harriet and … and…" He stopped.
"And what?" she prompted.
"And that's it. I don't even remember leaving the restaurant. What do you remember?" He stared at her, hoping the answers would be revealed quickly.
"I remember talking to Harriet in the car park, I remember you pulling out your keys and …" Her voice trailed.
"And?"
"And nothing."
x-x-x-x-x-x-
Harm lay back down in the bed. "Well, that's strange, don't you think?"
"It gets worse." Mac cringed.
"How?" He looked up at her.
Mac shut her eyes, not sure if she wanted to see his reaction. "We're both naked."
"No we're not," he said pulling back the covers. "Yes, we are." He corrected pulling them back up but not before taking in the view.
They lay quietly a bit longer trying to pull the pieces together.
Finally Harm tried to ask the question that needed to be asked.
"Mac, I'm really sorry to have to ask but did we have…did we make…um, you know?"
"Did we have sex? Is that your question?"
"Well yeah." An unfamiliar redness crept into his cheeks.
"God, I hope not!" Mac said before she could stop herself.
"Oh," Harm was hurt; he hadn't expected such a vehement response.
Mac realised her error immediately. "Oh Harm, that came out the wrong way, I'm sorry!"
"Sure."
"No, no, I am. I didn't mean I hoped we hadn't I meant that I hope we didn't."
"And that's meant to be better?" he asked confused.
"No, no, I'm making a mess of this." She sat up in bed, pulling the sheet with her. Her relationship with Harm was the most important one of her life; she longed to be with him, to make love to him. She dreamed of it nightly, and daily when she had the chance.
"Take a breath Mac and explain it again," Harm finally said, still hurt.
x-x-x-x-x-x-
As everything else was exposed, Mac figured she may as well go with the truth. She drew a deep, deep breath. It had taken her a long time to get over his rejection in Sydney and if this ended the same way she didn't know what she would do.
"What I meant," she said slowly, turning to look at him, "is that I always imagined our first time would be this amazing, magical experience that we would still be smiling about 100 years from now. I would hate it if we had had our first time last night and I couldn't remember it."
He lay gazing into her eyes. "You've imagined our first time?"
"Aha," she said quietly.
"More than once?" he queried.
"Aha," she whispered.
"More than twice? he pushed.
"Aha," she muttered.
"More than…"
"Harm!"
"I'm sorry Mac," he smiled. "To be honest I've thought of our first time too and you're right, it would definitely be something we would both remember."
"So what do we do now?" Mac asked quietly.
"About?"
"About the fact that we are in bed naked!" she exclaimed.
"What do you want to do about it?" he asked, putting the ball back into her court.
"I don't know. Do you want to pretend this hasn't happened and never speak about it? Do you want to put it down to a bad dream? Do you want to…I don't know!" Mac shook her head.
x-x-x-x-x-x-
Harm needed a moment to think, he knew what he wanted but it had to be phrased just right. He knew he loved her more than anyone else in his life. He knew he was probably the reason they hadn't managed to get together. He also knew if he let this opportunity pass he may never get another one.
"Well?" she prompted.
"I think," he began before taking a breath and willing his heart to beat properly. "I think we should take this as a sign."
"What sort of sign?"
"A sign from Cupid or Eros or Venus or God Himself, that says "look here you two, we've done all we can to get you together the rest is up to you." "
"And is this sign a billboard or do you just hear voices?" Mac asked nervously trying to break the increasing tension.
"Mac!"
"Sorry."
"So, the question is do we go with your option and forget it or go with mine and make the most of it?" His voice was shaky. He held his breath desperately hoping it would go his way.
"Well, I suppose this is as good a time as any," Mac said off-handedly, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she felt.
"As good a time as any for…?" Harm prompted.
"For you to have your way with me," she said quietly.
"What?!" he asked turning around, thinking he may have misheard, praying that he hadn't.
"You heard me, Flyboy. So unless you are very talented, you are going to have to come a lot closer to me than that.
"Are you sure, Mac?" His question was almost whispered.
"Do you want me to change my mind?" Her eyes glistened.
"No, God, no but I mean after not remembering last night I don't want to take advantage of you."
"How chivalrous, Mr Rabb!" Mac exclaimed. "I'll take advantage of you then." She scurried across the bed until their bodies were nearly touching. She knew he was as nervous as she was. When Mac decided Harm had taken too long to make a move she did what she had often thought she should have done years ago, she rolled on top of him and kissed him in such a manner he had to remind himself to keep breathing.
As the intensity increased, Harm tumbled them over in the bed. He placed kisses all over her body until she could bear it no more. "Rabb," she said pulling his face towards her. "Enough already, I want you now."
"I just thought that…"
"Now," she said almost breathless and for added emphasis reached down between them and touched him in a way he'd never been touched before.
"Do that again and I'll be coming before we start," he panted.
He moved his body closer and closer, he could feel sparks of electricity flying between them.
This is it, this is it he kept saying to himself.
"Now please, now. Oh, Bud!"
Harm pulled back instantly. "Bud! Bud! You called me Bud, is that who you were thinking of?"
"No Harm, Bud," said Mac pointing to the figure that was fleeing from his doorway.
"Bud?"
"Bud!"
"Oh shit!"