~*~*~*~*~*~*~
0814 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
Even as I say the words, I want to take them back. In the dark room I can still see his eyes. They are contemplating. . .thinking about what I said. I see through them that he put two and two together. As the realization of what I said hits him, I can see the shock in his eyes, which quickly turns to doubt.
"Mac I. . ." he starts, but doesn't know how to finish. "Now I know why you called me," he says. I nod slightly and snuggle even closer to him, if that's even possible.
"I'm sorry I woke you up," I say, reveling in the feel of his strong, comforting arms around me. "I know it sounds stupid, but I just had to know that you were alive."
"You didn't wake me," he says. "I haven't been able to sleep for the past few days anyway. If you were killed in one of my dreams, I think I would call you too."
"Oh," I say simply.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asks, clearly concerned.
"I think so." He shifts slightly. "You're not going anywhere are you?" I ask, almost panicked. I don't want him to go. He has to stay here with me forever.
"No, no. I'm not going anywhere, Sarah," he says as he starts to trace circles on my back. My heart jumps at the use of my given name out of his mouth. There are a few moments of silence.
"Mac," he asks tentatively. I respond with a small grunt. "Who, um, who killed me? In your dream, I mean." I take a staggering breath. I can't tell him. There's no way.
"Someone I love," I say. It could be anyone. He wouldn't guess Mic. Not in a million years.
"Was it your Uncle Matt?" he asks.
"NO! No, it wasn't. He likes you." He thinks for a minute,
"Bud?" I shake my head "no".
"Mac. . .was it Mic?" I hold back a gasp of surprise. How did he guess.
"I – I don't want to talk about it, Harm. Okay?" I say, a bit nervous.
"Okay," he says. He's disappointed; I can tell, but he'll just have to deal with it. A few minutes pass and we are content to just hold each other. I can't get over how great it feels being held in his arms. I feel so safe and protected. In fact, I might even get a good night's sleep for once in the past few days. I slowly begin to drift off. Evidently thinking I am asleep, Harm starts singing softly,
"'Cause I am hanging on every word you say and
Even if you don't wanna speak tonight
That's alright, alright with me
'Cause I want nothing more
Than to sit outside heaven's door
And listen to you breathing
That's where I want to be." He has a beautiful voice and the lyrics are almost better. I sigh and say sleepily,
"'T's a ni's'ong." He resumes stroking my hair and says,
"Shh, you just get some rest." I start to nod off again and am soon asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I had no idea she was still awake. There's nothing I can do about it now I suppose. I begin to think about what she said. The other night, she said that someone in her dream killed someone she loved. I think it could mean that she loves me – as in she really loves me – but I quickly dismissed that idea. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because she still has that damn ring on her finger. Then again, it may be that I have this sinking feeling that it was Mic who killed me in her dream.
I take her left hand in mine and look at her ring finger, expecting to see the ring. Surprisingly, it's not there. I think back. Where is Mic? He didn't go back to Australia did he? I don't think he did. Maybe she just took it off to go to bed. I take my rings off before I go to bed, perhaps she does too. Then again, this is an engagement ring we're talking about.
A smile comes to my face just at the thought of her finger being bare. I look down at it again. Bringing it up to my face, I give her hand a kiss. Perchance, someday it will be my ring on that finger of hers. It will be sparkling in the moonlight as we lie down in bed together, exhausted from making love. I fall asleep happily, for the first time in days, with this thought in my head.
1047 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
I wake up to a stir above me. Slowly coming to my senses, I realize it's Mac. A smile comes to my face.
"What?" she asks, a mirrored smile on her face.
"Nothing. It's just, I haven't slept so well in almost a week."
"Me either," she says, getting up. I don't want to admit it's because she was in my arms. Nor do I want to admit that it's also because she wasn't wearing that troublesome ring – which, for the record, she still isn't wearing.
"You have a seabag in the car, Sailor?" she asks, heading into the kitchen.
"Yeah," I reply. "Mind if I stay for coffee?"
"Sure, you can use the shower too." the thought of using her shower thrills me, though I'm not sure why exactly.
"Thanks," I say, "I'm gonna go get my bag." With that, I head down to my car.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He is naked; only a couple of rooms over and buck-naked; in my apartment. I've thought seriously about barging into my bathroom and joining him under the hot spray of the shower. Luckily – or unluckily, whichever way you prefer to think it – the logical side of me thought better than that. I would just have to wait and see him fresh out of the shower with wet hair. It's not as good as him in his naked glory, but it will have to do.
I just finish my eggs as he comes out of my bedroom in his dress blues. As I expected, his hair is wet. I resist the urge to rip that sexy uniform off him and, instead, take my dish to the sink.
"Your eggs and coffee are sitting on the table. I, will be out in a minute," I say with a smile.
I head into my room, closing the door behind me, and the into the bathroom. I can smell his scent in the air and I notice his seabag on the bathroom floor. Tempted to use his toiletries, I quickly dismiss the idea because I know people in the office would get a bit suspicious. I quickly get into the shower and begin to get ready for the day.
0814 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
Even as I say the words, I want to take them back. In the dark room I can still see his eyes. They are contemplating. . .thinking about what I said. I see through them that he put two and two together. As the realization of what I said hits him, I can see the shock in his eyes, which quickly turns to doubt.
"Mac I. . ." he starts, but doesn't know how to finish. "Now I know why you called me," he says. I nod slightly and snuggle even closer to him, if that's even possible.
"I'm sorry I woke you up," I say, reveling in the feel of his strong, comforting arms around me. "I know it sounds stupid, but I just had to know that you were alive."
"You didn't wake me," he says. "I haven't been able to sleep for the past few days anyway. If you were killed in one of my dreams, I think I would call you too."
"Oh," I say simply.
"Are you going to be okay?" he asks, clearly concerned.
"I think so." He shifts slightly. "You're not going anywhere are you?" I ask, almost panicked. I don't want him to go. He has to stay here with me forever.
"No, no. I'm not going anywhere, Sarah," he says as he starts to trace circles on my back. My heart jumps at the use of my given name out of his mouth. There are a few moments of silence.
"Mac," he asks tentatively. I respond with a small grunt. "Who, um, who killed me? In your dream, I mean." I take a staggering breath. I can't tell him. There's no way.
"Someone I love," I say. It could be anyone. He wouldn't guess Mic. Not in a million years.
"Was it your Uncle Matt?" he asks.
"NO! No, it wasn't. He likes you." He thinks for a minute,
"Bud?" I shake my head "no".
"Mac. . .was it Mic?" I hold back a gasp of surprise. How did he guess.
"I – I don't want to talk about it, Harm. Okay?" I say, a bit nervous.
"Okay," he says. He's disappointed; I can tell, but he'll just have to deal with it. A few minutes pass and we are content to just hold each other. I can't get over how great it feels being held in his arms. I feel so safe and protected. In fact, I might even get a good night's sleep for once in the past few days. I slowly begin to drift off. Evidently thinking I am asleep, Harm starts singing softly,
"'Cause I am hanging on every word you say and
Even if you don't wanna speak tonight
That's alright, alright with me
'Cause I want nothing more
Than to sit outside heaven's door
And listen to you breathing
That's where I want to be." He has a beautiful voice and the lyrics are almost better. I sigh and say sleepily,
"'T's a ni's'ong." He resumes stroking my hair and says,
"Shh, you just get some rest." I start to nod off again and am soon asleep.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I had no idea she was still awake. There's nothing I can do about it now I suppose. I begin to think about what she said. The other night, she said that someone in her dream killed someone she loved. I think it could mean that she loves me – as in she really loves me – but I quickly dismissed that idea. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because she still has that damn ring on her finger. Then again, it may be that I have this sinking feeling that it was Mic who killed me in her dream.
I take her left hand in mine and look at her ring finger, expecting to see the ring. Surprisingly, it's not there. I think back. Where is Mic? He didn't go back to Australia did he? I don't think he did. Maybe she just took it off to go to bed. I take my rings off before I go to bed, perhaps she does too. Then again, this is an engagement ring we're talking about.
A smile comes to my face just at the thought of her finger being bare. I look down at it again. Bringing it up to my face, I give her hand a kiss. Perchance, someday it will be my ring on that finger of hers. It will be sparkling in the moonlight as we lie down in bed together, exhausted from making love. I fall asleep happily, for the first time in days, with this thought in my head.
1047 ZULU
MAC'S APARTMENT
GEORGETOWN
I wake up to a stir above me. Slowly coming to my senses, I realize it's Mac. A smile comes to my face.
"What?" she asks, a mirrored smile on her face.
"Nothing. It's just, I haven't slept so well in almost a week."
"Me either," she says, getting up. I don't want to admit it's because she was in my arms. Nor do I want to admit that it's also because she wasn't wearing that troublesome ring – which, for the record, she still isn't wearing.
"You have a seabag in the car, Sailor?" she asks, heading into the kitchen.
"Yeah," I reply. "Mind if I stay for coffee?"
"Sure, you can use the shower too." the thought of using her shower thrills me, though I'm not sure why exactly.
"Thanks," I say, "I'm gonna go get my bag." With that, I head down to my car.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He is naked; only a couple of rooms over and buck-naked; in my apartment. I've thought seriously about barging into my bathroom and joining him under the hot spray of the shower. Luckily – or unluckily, whichever way you prefer to think it – the logical side of me thought better than that. I would just have to wait and see him fresh out of the shower with wet hair. It's not as good as him in his naked glory, but it will have to do.
I just finish my eggs as he comes out of my bedroom in his dress blues. As I expected, his hair is wet. I resist the urge to rip that sexy uniform off him and, instead, take my dish to the sink.
"Your eggs and coffee are sitting on the table. I, will be out in a minute," I say with a smile.
I head into my room, closing the door behind me, and the into the bathroom. I can smell his scent in the air and I notice his seabag on the bathroom floor. Tempted to use his toiletries, I quickly dismiss the idea because I know people in the office would get a bit suspicious. I quickly get into the shower and begin to get ready for the day.