TITLE: As Long As She's Smiling

AUTHOR: Vid Z.

PAIRING: the REAL HM

TIMELINE: Shadow, the first few minutes into the ep.

DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc of the TV show JAG are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author of this fic. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: it came to me and I just HAD to write it. The understroked lines are taken directly from the ep. Besides, I've neglecting this pairing for much too long and wanted to get back to it.

SUMMARY: Right then he knew that no matter what he'd gotten himself into he'd be alright as long as she kept on smiling.

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"Kate sends her regrets." Meg dead-panned, yelling over the sound of the engine.

"You know Kate?" Harm was surprised. The Navy really is small.

Meg smiled teasingly. "Well enough for her to warn me, sir."

Harm enjoyed this little game and the flirting. Kate had been a good parrying partner, but hadn't been as good nor as quick-witted as this lovely young Texan, nor had she really known how to flirt.

Kate's flirting was more like foreplay, in her mind it was a prelude to sex. Kate was simply too direct, too passionate and too aggressive in it, while this gorgeous blond rookie knew how to flirt just right, be inviting, yet be vague and keep a little distance.

Kate just didn't understand that flirting isn't always used as a means to get lucky, but that flirting can also be a purpose in itself, to stay at merely flirting, because flirting can be a fun and entertaining past-time.

Harm loved dropping sexual innuendos and suggestions for sex, but that didn't always mean he'd go through with them. And especially not immediately. As said, Kate's flirting felt like foreplay and he had the feeling she'd go from flirting directly to having sex. Which was the reason he was privately relieved Kate had been rotated out because with the amount of sexual tension that had been building up one day they would've exploded and had had sex. And that's all it would've been, sex. Granted, probably amazing sex, but still just sex, nothing more.

The problem was, Harm just didn't like one night stands anymore.

"So, you wouldn't marry me then?" Harm shot back with a cocky smile.

Meg smiled back flirtatiously, surprised at the direction this conversation was taking and at herself for flirting this heavily, something she'd never done before. In all of her 27 years of age she had never felt as daring as she felt now, as if she somehow knew that this could evolve from simple flirting into something big, something serious, long-lasting and good.

"Oh, I don't know, sir, I love a good challenge." she flirted, looking deeply into his mischevious aquamarine orbs and to her great surprise discovered she could easily imagine her children having those eyes.

The aquamarines in question were widened in surprise and shock. "So we're getting married, then?" he asked cautiously, in disbelief over how they'd come from lightly flirting to getting engaged.

"I guess so." Meg was breathless over the turn of events herself, not having known she'd say that until she'd said it.

' My god...' it caught up to her ' I just got engaged... '

It was too much for Lindsey's poor psyche to deal with and no longer could he remain a silent observer as he suddenly exploded "ARE YOU CRAZY!?"

"No, engaged, apparently." Harm replied dully in shock at the turn of events, his gaze still locked with Meg's, both of them shy and uncertain.

Harm's comment left Lindsey sputtering, which meant blessed more-or-less quiet. Well, except for the noise of the helicopter.

Leaning closer to Meg, Harm whispered. "I think a long engagement is in order."

Slouching then back in his seat Harm watched Meg as she processed his words, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into.

Then suddenly the breath stuck in his throat when she smiled at him, for the first time openly and without holding anything back, and he knew that no matter what he'd gotten himself into he'd be, they'd be, alright as long as she kept on smiling.

THE END

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