"Hey." Harm opened his door to find Mac standing on the other side. She was in civvies, wearing a soft burgundy sweater and a pair of black, form fitting jeans. He eyed her up and down, raising a brow when she stepped into his apartment and practically collapsed on the sofa.
"Have you seen the news? It's been days and my private life is still plastered all over it."
He nodded, having seen parts of the case from the Seahawk while investigating a suicide. "I saw. I'm sorry, Mac."
"The Admiral told me SECNAV is considering making that dog and pony show an occasional thing. Something about recruitment." She heaved a sigh, the thoughts of compromising more of herself for the ratings was truly nauseating. "My morals are on the line. I did things I wouldn't normally do just to fight fire with fire. And I feel terrible for it."
"Mac, Ensign Kingsley was guilty as sin. You did your job, you found the truth."
"By giving an interview that perpetuated that circus. I don't. do. that. I don't." She punctuated and angrily wiped away a tear that spilled down her cheek. "Come here." Harm opened his arms to her surprised that she willingly accepted his comfort without argument. This closeness had been missing from their relationship since he returned from flight duty, it was like she'd purposely avoided being this close to him. That cassom grew a bit after Australia and that stupid ring she came home with.
What struck him most was the blurb he'd read on People magazine about her fiancé, that farce of a relationship he prayed would implode. Mic just wasn't right for her, as far as Mac was concerned, no man was. But to read that the 'friendship' ring could now be an 'engagement' kind of thing had hurt deeply.
He always figured they would have more time, that he would get another shot at loving Sarah MacKenzie. With Mac's head resting on his shoulder and her body trapped in his arms he was able to inhale her sweet scent, a combination of shampoo, soap, her skin and the perfume he gifted her at Christmas.
His clothes would smell of her now and he wondered how long the scent would linger. Slowly, she pulled away from him only to bury her face in her hands. "I'm sorry. You don't need to put up with this."
"You're my best friend. It's what we..." Harm's words trailed off when he noted her right hand was devoid of that stupid ring. In fact, now that he really looked he noticed the ring wasn't on either hand. "The ring. You're not wearing it."
Mac raised her right hand and glanced at her ring finger which was now devoid of the gaudy piece of jewelry. "I gave it back." Actually, throw would have been a better word to use.
"You gave it back?"
"Threw it back. Aimed right at his chest before I kicked him out of my apartment." She admitted on a sigh. "I figured it out, how the press knew so much...The Son-of-a-bitch told them about me...Gave the press pictures he took of me in Australia wearing a Bikini."
Brumby had assumed it was all innocent, a way to show a more human side to the military prosecutor. He just hand't asked for permission assuming his ring on her finger gave him certain 'rights.' He was wrong. "Mic thought it would improve my chances at winning."
Harm couldn't help the anger which raised in him, a deeply rooted want to trade blows again with Mic. "Why would he do that without your conscent?" He cpuldn't imagine how violated she felt and thanked God the news hadn't dug up worse.
"I don't know." She brought her hands up to her head, rubbing her temples roughly to fight off the growing headache. "He said he loved me and I...I am just a stupid woman who fell for it. Because he offered me what I always wanted."
Harm stared at her for a long moment trying to find the words to tell her what he felt. "What is it that you want, Mac?"
She hated being this weak around him given the way that she felt and would always feel for him. The pain she felt back in Australia was still fresh, a constant reminder that Harm didn't want her like that. Yet, something in his eyes told her otherwise, a sad expression towards her that he coulsn't hide with a smile. "I want someone to want me... To need me...To love me."
It was sort of cathartic to admit her ultimate weakness, the hole her mother's departure and her father's parenting had left on her soul. Fundamentally, she knew her friends cared but, there was one thing missing - the love of the man who sat across from her. "I want...I want you to love me...I want you to love me like I love you."
She saw his eyes widen either from shame or shock, Mac wasn't sure. Harm's expression mirrored the same one he afforded her on that stupid ferry ride when she'd offered herself to him and he pushed her aside. "And you don't feel the same, do you?"
Harm took a moment too long to react, his brain quantifying that he was losing her again when Mac made a beeline for his door. She had her hand on the doorknob pulling it slightly ajar but, his hand slammed it shut.
"Harm..." She turned to face him, to tell him that it was their friendship was still intact only to find herself pressed up against the very door she was trying to escape through.
His lips found hers, stifling a protest with a soul searching kiss that left her breathless. It took a second or two for her brain to restart and once it did, Mac was clingy desperately to him as his mouth took possession of hers. If she had any doubts as to his feelings for her, Harm dispelled them with every sweep of his tongue against her own. And then, he said it, in a husky voice that made her insides quiver. "I love you, too."