Disclaimer: I don't own JAG or any of its characters. No infringement meant.
A/N: The melody described is called Romance, I highly recommend hearing it. It really is beautiful, especially when it's played slowly.
A world of thanks to Colie for helping me make sure this little fic is post-able.
Enjoy!
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Romance
"I need a break." Harm's statement, followed by the impact of several file folders with the coffee table, caused Mac's head to snap up sharply.
"Aww, poor thing! Have you been working too hard?" At the warning glare shot her way, Mac allowed herself a short satisfied giggle before lowering her gaze back to her own files.
She was having entirely too much fun for a late night working session. They'd been handed another high profile, Iraqi based case, and were now going through the mountains of paperwork that had accumulated on their respective desks during their time away.
Harm's offer had come out of the blue 'How about it Mac, just like old times, I'll cook and you'll litter my entire living space with papers.'
Great food and great company, how could she refuse?
So now she was sitting on the floor, papers all around her in an expanding half ring, wondering how she was actually getting any work done with all the distractions thrown her way.
First of all there was the apartment. The very air around her was like gentle fingers touching ticklish spots. You can't shy away from air. Then there was Harm. She was beyond ecstatic at their renewed verbal fencing matches – the old banter that she had feared was lost.
Mac heard and felt Harm come back to his couch and had to force herself to keep her head down and her eyes on the black letters decorating the paper in her lap. He tested her control of reflex further with his weighty collapse into the couch, accompanied by a heart-felt sigh.
Too busy mentally patting herself on her back for her iron will, she almost missed the first gentle strum of Harm's instrument of choice. Purposefully, she made a few scribbles on the paper, adamantly sticking to her show of nonchalance, but her insides were already quivering and her hearing sharpened to catch every note.
After a bit of gentle tuning, her ears detected the seconds of bated breath before the opening strains.
Head low, with the curtains of her hair to hide her expression, Mac's eyes fluttered closed as she let the music wash over her.
The tune wasn't a familiar one but it had her hypnotized. Harm played it slow, deliberate even, concentrating only on his guitar. She could see him in her mind's eye – his eyes closed, his face focused, fingers gliding along the strings. She couldn't decide if she wanted to open her eyes and see her real Harm or stay with her mind's Harm.
All too soon the melody ebbed away and ended on a final sigh of a note. The spell was broken. Letters and lines swam back into view, as Mac blinked her eyes several times over. As soon as her brain clicked back into place, her hand moved automatically to resume scribbling away. 3 minutes later she finally found real notes to write.
Harm continued strumming for a while longer, but finally put his guitar aside and grudgingly pulled some folders back to his lap.
Mac didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. One less distraction still left two major ones and she rather liked hearing Harm play, even if it left her in a daze for a while. She thanked god for her considerable power of mind; she knew without a doubt that without it she'd have turned to mush long ago.
Another hour of relatively quiet work passed until Mac finally decided her day was nearing its end. Placing the file she was reading in its predestined place in one of her half circles, she stretched loudly, earning a highly amused look from her partner.
"I think it's time for me to go, I prefer driving awake." She stretched some more, highly aware of one steady yet covert gaze following her movements.
After adding a few final notes to his pad, Harm lifted his eyes to Mac. "Time just flies when you're having fun, doesn't it?" He stood and offered Mac a hand to get up. "Would you like a cup of coffee before you go?"
"Hmmm, sure. But make it squid grade, will ya? I'd like to eventually get some sleep tonight." Harm had already moved towards the kitchen area and opened his mouth to throw a response her way, but before he could utter it Mac added "Thanks, Harm, you're a dear" in a saccharine sweet voice.
His eyebrows hit his hairline, and he turned back in time to see Mac sinking into his couch with a contented sigh. Shaking his head in amusement, Harm went about making the coffee, while Mac leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a moment.
When Harm came back with two mugs of coffee, he found Mac curled on his couch. Her knees were tucked to her stomach, her head resting on the arm of the couch. She looked so peaceful and he took a moment to admire her features.
He was caught completely off guard when she simply opened her eyes and uttered a quiet "Hey." He was so surprised he actually jumped back a little bit, which was more than enough movement to send the hot liquid sloshing all over the place.
It might have been his overwhelming embarrassment, but the next few minutes passed in a blur. Mac got up, laughing so hard she couldn't get a word out, and took the mugs from him. He fled to the kitchen and came back with paper towels to clean up the mess he'd made. He refused to meet Mac's gaze, afraid he too would collapse in fits of laughter.
As it was, the only reason Mac wasn't still laughing was the coffee mug pressed lightly against her bottom lip. Every now and then another small giggle would escape though, followed immediately by Harm's resigned sigh. She'd definitely find ways to remind him of this incident in weeks to come.
When the giggles finally subsided completely, Mac let out a contented sigh and scooted closer to Harm on the couch, leaning slightly against him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. And it was.
They sat, lost in thought, sipping their coffee, until Mac finally broke the silence.
"Harm?"
"Hmmm?"
"Would you play for me?"
It took Harm a few seconds to shake the haze that had wrapped itself around him so softly, and the warm smile that spread his lips beat his mind to the answer.
"Sure... anything in particular?" he was already reaching for the guitar, trying to move as little as possible so Mac wouldn't have to move away too much.
"That melody you played earlier...?"
If at all possible, his smile got wider and in response he simply started playing.
This time not interested in hiding her reaction, Mac smiled and closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds. And on him.
He played a longer version this time. First there was the part he'd played before, but when she thought it'd be over and started opening her eyes, it went on and her eyelids happily gave in to gravity. The melody ended with the first part once again and as she heard the last chords being played she shifted slightly to look at Harm.
The end of the melody seemed to make the quiet that followed it that much more silent; almost eerily so. Harm let his hands fall from the guitar and looked over at Mac. She took his breath away when she looked at him like that.
Only half aware of his actions, he reached his hand to her face. Slowly, carefully, he cupped her jaw and drew her close to him. Breath didn't dare interfere with his actions till he tenderly touched his lips to hers.
Mac's eyes drifted shut at the touch of his hand. The pressure of his lips against hers blew her thoughts away for good.
Harm took the kiss slowly, completely loosing himself in the feel of her lips on his, getting a taste of her full lips before venturing further.
Mac opened her mouth fully to him, the need to draw him ever closer fighting with the visceral need to breathe. Her hands found his thigh and latched on, while her mouth drew from his emotions, which threatened to overcome her.
His warm hand at her jaw caught her attention once again as he began gently running his thumb back and forth across her cheek. Harm ended the kiss as slowly as he'd started it; backing away an inch and then coming back for just another taste, and one final touch.
A few inches away, the cold air replaced what was a very warm cocoon and they both opened their eyes.
Mac lowered her eyes, trying to mask her breathlessness. Once again Harm felt the delay that his thoughts seemed to have on his actions. When his mind finally caught up, it went straight into shock, which of course spurred on the mechanism of reflex.
"Oh... god. Mac, I-"
"Please don't say you're sorry." She whispered mostly to herself but he heard her all the same.
Slowly Harm put the guitar away and moved closer to Mac. Taking her hands from her lap and into his, he finally caught her attention and eyes.
"I'm sorry for a lot of things, Mac." He took a breath. "But that kiss isn't one of them."
A brilliant smile countered the tears in her eyes. "Well then I'm sure I can forgive you for all those other things" she managed to get out.
"Will you forgive me if I kiss you again." His raised brow brought forth a nervous, teary, elated, loving, free burst of laughter.
"Oh shut up." Grabbing Harm by the shirt, Mac pulled his upper body in her direction and claimed his mouth, intent on making sure he complied with her demand.
But her flyboy had another thing in mind. Using his momentum, he took her by the hips and pulled backwards so that Mac pretty much fell on top of him, since she refused to let his lips slip from hers.
Her delighted laughter broke the kiss, but she kept her face against his as she arranged her body in a more comfortable manner around him.
Sitting in his lap, astride him, Mac pulled back a bit, her hands braced against his shoulders. Harm's hands weren't as idle and slowly trailed from her hips, around to her backside and to her thighs, then back up along the same path.
An entire conversation was held using only raised brows and twinkling eyes. Challenges were issued and accepted, all in the charged and diminishing space between their bodies.
In this silent exchange, Harm thought he detected a flicker of doubt crossing her face, and an acute stab of panic struck him. She simply couldn't back out now.
Trying desperately not to scare her, Harm brought her face to his once again. A short kiss was placed on her lips and a trail of them moved on to her ear.
"Just feel, Mac." He breathed into her ear and straight to her soul.
Barely managing to force breath past her throat, her voice was just above a whisper. "Oh, I feel, Harm... I feel so much."
"Then let's stop fighting it." Harm pried one of her hands from his shoulder and laced his fingers through hers. "Together."
Mac squeezed his hand tightly, as the squeeze on her heart eased up. Indulging in another deep kiss, she gave him another vow among many.
"Together."
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