A Kiss
"Boss, you look a little tired. Sister issues?" called Buffer as the CO entered the bridge. Mike shrugged.
"I'll tell you later," he said grumpily, and sighed, remembering the large circles under his eyes. Buffer was about to ask why he didn't want to discuss Mel now, but Mike shot him a glance, and used his eyes to point at the X and Nav.
The two women only had a few minutes until their watch ended, and Mike waited impatiently. As soon as they left the bridge, he exhaled sharply, and the boys drew closer to hear his explanation.
"Mel... took the sheets off my bed. She then said that if I wanted to sleep in it, I'd have to make it myself."
There was a sympathetic groan from everyone present. Mike held up one hand, and continued.
"I tried. Really, I tried. And I got the sheets on. Sort of. But they were all itchy and the wrong way around, so I couldn't sleep."
"What is wrong with the woman?" ET asked, horrified. "Surely she didn't expect you to..."
"I know, I know... I need to find a way to get rid of her. After she fixes my house. The furniture is still out of place..."
"Why is she here, anyway?" Buff asked. Mike hesitated.
"She wants me to gain some semblance of family responsibility," he said truthfully. "You know, all that stuff about me being out at sea all the time..."
"You're not packing it in, are you, Boss?" Swain asked, concerned that they might lose their favourite captain. Mike snorted, and shook his head.
"Of course not. I want her to get out, not me... the last thing I want is to have to spend more time with her."
"Time with who?" asked a voice, and Mike spun around to see Kate standing behind him. Her eyes were narrowed, and he swallowed.
"Uh... my neighbours dog keeps barking... and I was just saying, I want to get rid of it," he replied, and the men around him straightened appreciatively at his excuse. To tell Kate that the CO was unable to arrange his own sheets would be begging for trouble.
"Yes, sir..." she said dubiously, and then held out a folder. "My report on last week's FFV boarding..."
He took the proffered document, and nodded. Kate left the bridge, glancing back suspiciously a few times. When the door finally clicked shut, Mike let out the breath he'd been holding, and the sailors around him snorted with laughter.
"How does she do that?" Mike asked. "And as if none of you knew she was there..."
His neck prickling, he quickly looked behind him again. There was no-one there. He growled softly to himself. Now he was paranoid.
He shifted uncomfortably, as they all got back to work. He had a lot of trouble keeping his XO in line. Half the time, he was sure she was the one running the ship... even if she called him 'Sir' while she did it. He had even more trouble keeping himself in line. He had lost count of the number of times he had only just restrained himself from kissing her, on shore and on the Hammersley.
What irked him was the fact that they could live so close, but still be so disconnected. She was right downstairs, and he couldn't do a thing. He smiled softly, wondering what she was doing.
***
On their picnic, Mel and Kate hadn't just swapped stories about Mike. She smirked as she entered the woman's email address. Nav looked down at her.
"Why are you emailing the boss's sister?" she asked curiously. Kate glanced up for a moment, her smirk deepening.
"A deal we made... from now on, nothing the CO does escapes the attention of his sister."
Nav frowned, reading the email Kate was typing.
Women of the world unite against Mike Flynn? He's complaining about you. I don't think he got much sleep last night...
Satisfied, Kate clicked send, and stood up.
"I'm heading down to the galley. If the boss asks, I've been there ever since I came off watch..."
***
"Leading Seaman Dixon, Hammersley. Ah, yes... yes... no... okay. Sir?" Mike looked over at RO. "Phone call..."
"Put it on speaker, RO," Mike said. For a moment, it looked like RO was going to suggest otherwise, but then he shrugged.
"Yes, sir..."
A moment later, a voice burst out into the bridge.
"Michael Flynn!"
Mike jumped sideways, overbalanced, and hit the floor. He scrambled to get to the phone before the crew could hear Mel continue with what was obviously going to be a rant. He wasn't quick enough.
"I have a new rule. No, two. From now on, your work stays your work, and does not affect how much time you spend at home. Secondly, you do not bring me into discussions with your work mates. Especially not to talk about how badly you want to get me out."
Mike stood in the centre of the bridge, his sister's voice amplified around him. The crew around him watched, shocked. They had never heard anyone, ever, not even Marshall, talk to their captain like that.
On second thoughts, maybe the X.
"And that means no getting drunk, no staying out late, you're to bloody well grow up and start looking after yourself! And for God's sake... you're thirty-nine! How can you not be able to make your own bed? I'm not surprised you don't have a girlfriend, any woman would take one look at your house and run away screaming!"
"Why couldn't you?" Mike groaned, before remembering that the phone was on speaker.
"I heard that! And unfortunately, until you... agree with my point... I'm staying."
Mel hung up. Mike continued to stand there for a moment.
"I think the boss needs our help," said ET, struggling to withhold a grin. Mike nodded, unable to do much else. Finally, he shook the thoughts free of his head, and looked at RO.
"If she calls again, I'm... busy... overseeing something... important. And Navy-ish."
"Yes, sir."
"Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to find the X."
***
Kate wasn't disappointed to find the galley deserted. Bomber wouldn't be in to start preparing lunch for another half hour or so – unless it was something that would take longer to cook, and therefore might come in sooner. Still, that gave her plenty of time to think.
On a ship the size of the Hammersley, it was very hard to get any privacy, and her thoughts lately had been begging for analysis. She sighed as she made herself a cup of tea, remembering her embarrassing words from the night before. Thank God only Nikki had heard...
Kate was glad that, for the most part at least, she had moved on from the captain. She'd had several boyfriends since then. She'd liked them, some of them a lot.
She snorted, and leaned back against the bench. Who was she kidding? If she'd liked them that much, she wouldn't have broken up with them. And if she was truly over him, then she wouldn't stand around like a love-sick puppy every time he started talking to other women. She wouldn't lie awake some nights, her thoughts flitting between how badly she hated him for abandoning her and how desperate she was to have him back.
She wouldn't react almost convulsively to the sight of him with wet hair and fresh overalls. She wouldn't deliver her paperwork in person when she could just as easily leave it on her desk.
"Did you call my sister?" asked a voice, and Kate snapped out of her daydream.
"Did I what-now?" she asked, feigning confusion. Mike stared at her, and she waited, trying to look as innocent as possible.
"Please explain how my sister knows what I'm doing when I'm sixty miles away from her?"
"A woman's ability, Mike," Kate said dryly. "She probably didn't. But whatever she said, your reaction probably justified it."
Mike stepped forward, and Kate's eyes narrowed.
"You see, I checked your cabin first. Your computer was on. And Mel's email address was in your contacts."
"I have her as a contact. What's wrong with that?"
Mike continued to move towards her, until she had to lean back against the bench to stop him from pressing against her. That would not help to get him out of your mind, she told herself harshly.
"Well, according to the Nav, you just sent her an email."
Kate paused. Abandoning her tea, she tried to duck away from Mike.
"If you'll excuse me, I need to go and yell at Nav..."
Mike grinned, and used one hand to keep her where she was.
"You know what's funny, Kate?" he asked, leaning in close. Her breath caught. What are you doing, Mike? she asked silently. Don't... danger... don't...
"Nav didn't tell me anything. But I think your reaction justified my theory."
For a moment, Kate wanted to slap herself. She swallowed.
"If you're trying to make my life hell, Kate, you didn't need to do that," Mike murmured. His hands reached forward, grabbing at the bench behind her so she was completely trapped. "You're already killing me..." His lips grazed her ear, and her heartbeat exploded. She was finding it hard to breathe. All her logic and professionalism was screaming at her to get out of this situation, to push him away, but she couldn't do it.
She could barely move. All she could do was raise her head slightly so that as he leaned down, their lips met. At first, they just rested against each other, but then simultaneously pushed forward, for a few seconds letting their emotional barriers crumble.
The kiss deepened. The taste was like a long-forgotten drug, something the addict has finally weaned themselves off, but then a single sample is enough to undermine their entire being. Kate was unable to stop herself, and her hands automatically began climbing up his chest.
"What the hell!" cried a voice, and Kate's rising hand was suddenly in the perfect position to slap him across one cheek. Mike jumped backwards, his face stinging painfully, and the two looked towards the galley entrance.
Bomber was standing there, mouth open in utter disbelief. For a second, she looked like she wanted to say something, but then she must have remembered that these were the two top-ranking officers on the ship. She continued to stare. Kate awkwardly tucked a loose strand of hair behind one ear. Mike rubbed at his cheek. Bomber was still staring at them, analysing her possible options.
She could run around screaming, telling the entire ship what she had just seen. She could keep a cap on it. She could try and reprimand her commander about the fraternisation rule, but the idea wasn't appealing.
She swallowed, and finally found her voice.
"Get out of my galley!" she yelled, one finger pointing at the door. They obeyed immediately, running from the room, not sure whether to panic or giggle. Mike jerked his head towards his cabin, and as Kate followed him in, she felt her temper stoking.
"You bastard," she growled as soon as he had closed the door. "Do you want us to both lose our jobs?"
"I didn't see you complaining at the time," Mike replied coolly. Kate rolled her eyes, but couldn't exactly deny it. Instead, she left his cabin, eyes blazing. She needed to talk to Bomber. Soon. But not right now.
She would wait until she forgot the feeling of Mike's soft lips brushing past hers.