Author's Note: This is an extended drabble piece for 'Guns,' after the infamous Mike leap but before they have arrived back in port. The point was to play with the under text of a reasonably short conversation as so much of M/K (in my opinion) is unspoken.
Audacity
Kate's eyes narrowed as she stared at him. To anyone else she would have appeared expressionless, but the tightness of her jaw and the small flicker of her eye told him everything.
She was pissed.
He took another sip of his coffee, cringing as the lukewarm beverage hit his tongue.
Kate twirled the spoon through her own cup, the metal chinking irritably with the china mug.
"Something the matter X?" he challenged, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as he held her stare.
She glowered.
He grinned.
"No Sir," she responded tersely, bringing the coffee to her lips as she broke their gaze.
He caught her eye and felt himself retract slightly at the unspoken profanities in her heated gaze. Then with a small huff, she picked up the pen, ending their standoff, as she diverted her attention back to the paperwork currently procuring the table.
This was not the time to tell her about Kershaw.
He had seen her in action.
He liked his appendages.
There was no way he was going to risk being the messenger.
"You will need to fill these out," she declared curtly, sliding a wad of papers over the bench towards him. He wrenched his eyes from her as he glanced towards the pile, his eyebrows creasing as he skimmed the words.
She had to be kidding.
He glanced towards her.
She smirked.
He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off, the hint of gloating in her voice causing his abdomen to clench in irritation.
"It would seem like the Navy does not want their Lieutenant Commanders jumping off various navy vessels," she mused, her tone laced with the slightest hint of sarcasm.
His eyes narrowed at her tone as he watched her silently.
She remained silent, watching him watching her, and he could not help the surge of triumph that washed through him as her smirk faltered at his look.
"Just the Navy?" he prompted, contemplating her reaction behind the pad of his thumb.
Her eyes narrowed.
He suddenly wondered if his father had been right all these years.
Did he actually have a death wish?
"No, I wasn't that impressed with your antics either," she responded, tone distant and professional as she turned her eyes back to the forms.
He hesitated.
Since when did his Kate back away from a confrontation?
He stared at the top of her head, slightly perturbed he had been dismissed off hand as he watched her transcribe the information onto the document.
He could practically hear her sigh as she turned her gaze back towards him, her exasperation badly hidden.
"Was there something else you needed, Sir?" she asked, her tone slightly huffy as she stared at him expectantly.
He remained stoic, but his mind reeled with all the potential answers to that question. Flashes of her creamy soft skin filled his vision, and he coughed, shaking his head to clear his thoughts.
The mental box where he had confined those memories really needed a stronger lock.
She caught his eye, a small smirk dancing at the corner of her lips and he felt the colour drain from his face as he realized his predicament.
He had been right, his Kate never backed down.
First rule of combat; know your enemy.
And Kate McGregor knew him.
Not that either one of them would admit it.
"I'll leave you to it, Sir," she stated with a smile, her normally rigid posture somewhat jovial as she patted the paperwork she had left him.
He grumbled in defeat as she slowly rose from the table, her footsteps becoming a dull echo as his eyes fixated on the mountain before him.
He sighed.
Sometimes he swore the words 'Lieutenant Commander' were just decoration.