Author's note: Okay, so this really was supposed to be a one shot. And it was, for ages, but then I was catching up on season 2 and sort of felt like there was more of a story here… So I've made minor updates to the original story, now Chapter 1, and added a second chapter. Whether there'll be more… Who knows?!
Characters from the Last Ship are not mine, we just hang out occasionally.
Thank you for reading and reviewing.
Chapter 1 – In the Face of Death
Mike handed her the precious vial, and as she took it, her hand closed around his. Her lip was trembling, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Doc said get that on ice asap." He said, trying not to betray his own emotions.
"Right," she said, but she didn't move. Just stood there trembling gently, looking up at him, her hand still entwined with his. Something was filtering into the air between them, something he'd never considered until right now.
"Rachel..."
He could have sworn she moved closer, not a whole step, just a subtle shift of her body weight.
He slowly raised the hand that wasn't holding hers, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his thumb grazing her cheekbone. She closed her eyes, and he slid his hand around to cup the back of her neck, his thumb now tracing slow firm circles, soothing the tense muscles at the base of her skull. She let out a soft moan, and it was his turn to move closer, just a little.
A tear leaked out from under her lashes and ran down her cheek. She opened her eyes and looked straight into his.
"Ice." She whispered, gently disengaging her hand from his, cradling the vial. He nodded and stepped back, his hand leaving her neck, and she turned and practically fled.
He stared after her for a long moment.
Three hours later Mike was in his cabin, trying in vain to find a comfortable resting position that didn't aggravate his scrapes and bruises. The knock on the door made him curse, but he pulled a t-shirt on and opened it. It was Rachel.
"What can I do for you Doctor Scott?" He kept his tone neutral.
She stepped forward, over the threshold and into his space, letting the door close behind her.
"You could finish what you started." She looked straight into his eyes, her breathing a little faster than it should be, her chest rising and falling under the thin t-shirt she was wearing.
"Doc- Rachel…" He paused. "After something like today, it's normal to feel the need for a connection, for something…" He trailed off under her intense gaze.
"To make you feel alive?" She asked.
He nodded. "My old CO called it 'fucking in the face of death'." He was deliberately blunt, expecting it to scare her away.
Instead, her breath caught in her throat and she pressed a hand against his chest, outlining the hard muscle through his shirt.
"I really like the sound of that." She whispered.
It was all he could do not to grab her right then, but he had a duty of care.
"It's been a tough few days, you're bound to feel-"
He didn't get a chance to finish as she grabbed his shirt and pulled him towards her, reaching up to kiss his jaw, trying to reach his mouth. He grabbed her wrists and pushed her away slightly.
"We can't do this."
"You don't want to?" Her eyes were wide, her face flushed. She looked so damn desirable.
"Of course I want to, but we have to work together, and besides, I can't be your first choice, can I?" He cursed himself for allowing just a touch of bitterness to creep out.
"Oh yes you are." She breathed. "For this you are absolutely, one hundred percent, my first choice."
"Oh goddammit!" He growled and grabbed her waist, lifting her and slamming her against the door, bringing his mouth down on hers.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, pressing hard against him, as he thrust his tongue into her mouth. He slid a hand under her, holding her ass, keeping her pinned against the door as his other hand roughly fondled her breast through her shirt. She moaned against his mouth, her fingers raking across his muscular back.
It had been such a long time since he'd held a woman in his arms. He feasted on the taste and smell of her, giving himself these few moments of bliss. Then he pulled back, and let her drop back to her feet. She stared up at him in confusion, her lips pink and swollen from kissing.
"What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "I told you, very bad idea."
She stepped close to him, closing the gap he had created. "I promise I'll still respect you in the morning."
He snorted with unexpected laughter and she half smiled. She reached a hand up to touch his face.
"Seriously. I can't remember the last time I was kissed like that, in fact I'm not sure I've ever been kissed like that, and I would really like to do it again. I'm not expecting hearts and flowers and breakfast in bed in the morning, just this."
He felt himself weakening. Just this, just once. Would it really be so dangerous?
She took a sudden step back, eyes locked on his, and in one fluid motion lifted her t-shirt over her head, standing in front of him in a plain black bra that contrasted with the warm ivory of her skin. She reached out and took his hand, placing it on her breast.
"Please touch me again."
It was the ragged edge to her voice that defeated him. His hand tightened on her breast and he stepped forward, wrapping his other arm around her back, bending his head to kiss her and pulling her tight against him. He was done with being controlled and cautious, he was going to let himself have this once.
His strong hands undid her bra and pulled it away from her body, and he dropped to his knees on the bed to kiss and lick her breasts. Her skin was soft under his tongue, and he enjoyed her gasps as he sucked on her nipples in turn. Her fingers ran through his hair, her back arching into his touch.
Kissing her neck and collarbones, he stared to undo her trousers, and she grabbed his t-shirt and pulled it over his head, gasping at both his muscular form and the bruises and grazes covering his chest.
"I don't want to hurt you." She whispered.
"You won't." He replied, kissing her and pulling her close, feeling the softness of her breasts pressing against his bare chest.
He pushed her trousers down, and she half stumbled as she kicked off her shoes and freed the trousers from round her ankles. Wearing only her panties, she pushed him back on the narrow bed and straddled him, her barely covered mound pressing against his hardness through his fatigues. She rubbed herself against him and threw her head back, moaning in frustration as she fumbled with his belt.
"Here," He undid the fastenings with a practiced hand and let her pull them off for him. He lay back and enjoyed the sight of her standing there almost naked as she threw his pants and boxers over her shoulder and stared down at him.
"Take your panties off." He growled.
She swallowed so hard he could see it, her fingers hooking into the sides of her underwear as she pushed them down. He couldn't suppress a groan at the sight of the dark curls between her legs.
"Come here." He held out a hand and she straddled him again, dipping her face down to kiss him as her wet cleft slid along his length. "Not yet." He said through gritted teeth, desperate to lift her hips and thrust up into her. But there was only going to be this once, and he wanted to make the most of it.
He used his superior strength to flip them over, positioning himself above her and kissing her hard and deep. She raised her hips beneath him, trying to regain contact.
"Please..."
"Soon." He slid off the bed, resting on his knees beside it, and pulled her legs onto his shoulders. He drew a finger slowly through the wetness between her thighs and she shuddered and moaned. He used his thumbs to spread her open, and lowered his mouth to her, teasing with his tongue, tasting her as he slid a finger inside her. Her hips bucked and he smirked just a little, enjoying her gasps and moans as he added another finger, thrusting first gently then harder as he sucked and licked at her sweet spot.
"Oh god... Oh god..." She gasped and he felt her spasm around his fingers, glancing up to see that she was squeezing her own breasts, her hips bucking as she rode the wave.
He couldn't hold out any longer. He settled himself over her, kissing her trembling mouth, and slid hilt deep into her in one motion, groaning at the feeling of being enveloped in her tight slippery heat. She cried out, her hands sliding down his back to grip his firm ass as he thrust into her.
He buried his face in her hair as his breathing grew ragged, knowing he was close to the point of no return. He thought for a moment about pulling out, prolonging it, but Rachel tilted her hips, spreading her legs wider.
"Please!" She gasped again.
He kissed her, thrusting his tongue into her mouth as he thrust hard into her once more and came, pulsing inside her as she shattered around him, her fingers digging into his shoulders so hard he'd have another set of bruises.
Afterwards he lay on the bed and watched her get dressed. She didn't quite meet his eye.
"It's okay," He said. "It doesn't have to change anything."
She shot him a tight smile. "Fucking in the face of death, huh?"
He nodded, and she left, the door closing firmly behind her.