an:so I've basically binge watched Sea Patrol in the last few weeks, and am diving back into fandom. First fic in a while, but Kate and Dutchy have kinda done me in. I'm hoping this is a first in a series, following a somewhat alternate start to their relationship, but this can be read as a standalone, which is why it's being marked as complete. Please let me know what you think (good or bad!).

eta:i've had some inspiration hit, so this is going to continue as a series.

timeline:between 4.03 - The Right Stuff & 4.04 - Ransom with one point of difference - Kate and Mike don't sleep together in 4.02.

pov: dutchy

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i was doing just fine (before i met you)

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"What the hell do you think you're pulling out there?"

He stops at the sound of the voice, then turns his eyes meeting hers as he tries to keep the pain from showing on his face. Getting shoved down from the deck to the hold packed full of rotting crates on a FFV hadn't been the highlight of his day. All he wants now was to get off the ship and enjoy what was left of his shore leave. "I'm just doing my job, Ma'am."

She raises her eyebrows at him, then steps inside the ward room, forcefully closing the door behind her. "You know, I really don't get you Dutchy. You stepped in front of me during a boarding, again, and this time you got hurt."

"It's my job to protect you -."

"It's not your job to protect me, Dutchy. I can look after myself, and I need you to trust me out there," she tells him as she steps closer.

"You saw what happened out there, X – if you'd gone down those stairs and through those crates, I can guarantee we'd be having a very different discussion right now," Dylan shoots back, stepping closer himself, wincing as his muscles protest. "You're not even half my size, that fall could have seriously hurt you." He can visualise it as he speaks, and he moves forward without noticing, still caught up in the nightmarish reel playing out in his head. The X, limbs flailing, crashing through crates and bottles, blood – she was so small, tiny really, what had been a few scrapes and bruises on him -

"Okay, maybe you weren't entirely wrong this time," she allows, nodding slightly. "But I need you to trust me Dutchy – and if you can't trust me, then trust that I can do the job."

"Look X, I'm just doing my job," he says, leaning forward. Even leaning as he is, she is still a good head shorter than him. "And I need you to let me do it."

"Dutchy, I've been XO on this ship for almost 2 years now, I can handle myself!" She shakes her head, and then steps forward, refusing to be intimidated. "God, I never had these issues with Buffer, even when I first came on board!"

Dylan scowls, and looks away, the mention of his predecessor not helping his mood any. Sailors are posted to different ships all the time, and generally most adapted – the Hammersley crew haven't been unwelcoming as such, but some hadn't necessarily held back on the fact that they miss their crewmates. That they, that she, still refers to him as 'Buffer', as if that was been a role filled and is now no longer needed, that Dylan isn't needed – "I'm your buffer, X," he bites out, as his eyes find hers again.

Kate shakes her head, a hand reaching up to push her hair out of her face. "Damnit Dutchy, I didn't mean it like that." She stares up at him, regret evident on her face. "Look, I don't – "

"It's okay, X," Dylan interrupts, needing her to stop talking. If she asks him again, looks up at him with those eyes, he isn't entirely sure that he'd be able to stop the whole sordid mess from spilling out. She is angry at him, but anger was better than condemnation, or worse, pity. "Let it go, Kate."

She raises her brows, her eyes challenging. "I can't let it go, Dylan."

If he was asked later, Dylan couldn't have said why he'd done it. Oh there were a number of possible reasons – he wants off this damn ship, he wants to get kicked out of the Navy for breaking frat regs, he doesn't want to tell her the truth, her face, her eyes, the damned way she'd just said his name – he ducks his head, hesitating for a sparse second before sliding his mouth against hers.

Kate sucks in a breath, but she doesn't move, doesn't step away even as he kisses her again and he wonders if he hadn't shocked her still. When her hands move to his shoulders, he shifts back imperceptibly, waits for her to shove him away. Instead, one hand curls around the back of his neck, pulls him down so that she can return his kiss. His hands move of their own volition, one reaching up to cradle her shoulder, the other moving through the silky strands of her hair. Dylan presses closer, changing the angle of their mouths, deepening the kiss, and feels a deep thrum of satisfaction when she allows the movement, relaxing into him.

A loud burst of laughter in the passageway, and Swain's cheerful voice pulls them apart. Dylan stares down at her, taking in her wide eyes and flushed cheeks. Pulling his hands from her hair, he watches as she blinks up at him, and opens her mouth. He'll take the rip if she wants to give him one, but damnit, she'd kissed him back.

"Oh, sorry – didn't realize you were in here X," Swain interrupts, swinging the door open. "We're just getting ready to dock."

"Uh," she clears her throat, looking away from Dylan to meet Swain's eyes. "It's okay, I was just leaving."

Swain shifts so that she can move through the doorway, before turning back to Dylan. "Rip you a new one, did she?" He smiles at Dylan sympathetically. "Never mind, can't have been worse than when Buffer screwed up."

Dylan scowls. The thought of Kate dealing with Buffer's screw up the way she'd dealt with his sends his mood plummeting back to earth. God, what was he doing? He'd be lucky if she didn't have him written up. He stares at the doorway she'd left through, barely aware of Swain's sympathetic smile shifting to a stifled smirk.

"It's like that it, is it?" Swain waits at the door, shaking his head. "C'mon mate, you can get the first round and tell me all about it."

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