Part 17
0930 NEXT MORNING (Sunday) THE FARM
The sunlight streaming into the room pulled Harm from his not so restful sleep. He groaned softly as he rubbed his sore neck.
"You didn't have to sleep over there. I'm sure your back must be killing you."
Harm jumped slightly, her voice startling him. "Not as much as being flipped onto the floor again." He smiled over at her. "How long have you been awake?" He asked as he moved over, gently touching her forehead. "It feels like your temperature has gone back to normal, how are you feeling?" He was greeted by her soft laughter.
"Okay, Mr. Inquisitive. I've been awake for thirty minutes and twenty four seconds. My head feels much better and I don't feel too nauseas anymore."
"Sorry. I just worry about you."
"I know. And I just like to give you a hard time." She smirked faintly.
"Well, you must be feeling better." He groaned playfully.
She got up and made her way over to the window. "Wow, I haven't seen this much snow in.come to think of it, I don't know that I've ever seen this much snow." She hugged herself. "You know.it's kind of ironic. People call it a 'blanket of snow', yet it's so cold and blankets are meant to keep you warm." She murmured. "This snow is like the naivety of a young child. It's so pure and undisturbed. There are no blemishes and no footprints from being stepped on by everyone and everything. There's no discoloration.just pure white. And all too soon, the sun comes out and melts away that protection and leaves the ground vulnerable." Memories of her own troubled childhood flooded back to her. There was no protection for her. She jumped when she felt his arms encircle her waist.
"Sorry." He murmured and went to release her.
"No, it isn't you." She put her arms over his and leaned back into him, smiling faintly when he rested his chin on the top of her head.
They stood like that for hours, letting the closeness relax them both. It wasn't until Harm felt her stomach grumble under his hands that he snapped out of the trance. "Is that my cue, Jarhead?" He teased.
She smiled a bit shyly. "I haven't been eating much for the past two weeks."
"Then what can I get you, m' lady?"
She turned and graced him with a brilliant smile. "What are my options?"
He kissed the tip of her nose. "I don't know, let's go see." His hand slid down to hers, their fingers lacing together as he led her to the kitchen. "How about a frozen pizza?"
"That all depends.what's on it?"
He chuckled. "Pepperoni."
"Then that sounds good." She sat down at the table and picked up the box on the table. "Boggle?" She laughed softly.
"Grams likes to keep her mind sharp." He chuckled. "You wanna play while we wait on this? There isn't that much else to do around here, especially in the snow."
"Sure. Any chance to kick your six sounds good to me."
"Oh, I see." He smiled and got them each paper and a pencil as she got the game ready. "That sounds like a challenge to me."
"Not a challenge for me at all." She grinned.
"Yeah, you're definitely feeling better." He shook his head.
Mac took of the top and flipped the timer. She studied the letters, trying to shake away the slight haze that seemed to have settled over her mind. She tapped the eraser of the pencil on the table and bounced her leg.
His eyes lifted to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, stop trying to break my concentration." She smiled faintly.
He reached across the table, placing his hand over hers. "Relax."
Her eyes met his. "Sorry." She murmured. "I just can't seem to sit still."
"It's okay."
Mac almost leapt out of her seat when she heard a loud pop. "He's.he's come to get me." She stood up. "I'm not safe anywhere. I have to get out of here." She made a dash for the door, only to feel his arms around her.
"Mac, that was the heat kicking in. This place is pretty old and can be pretty noisy." He felt her relax slightly. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again. I'll keep you safe."
"You promise?" She asked softly.
"I promise." His voice was confident and left no room for doubt.
A tiny smile appeared on her tired face. "Don't make a promise you can't keep."
He returned the small smile. "I haven't yet." He felt her jump again as the timer on the stove went off. "Pizza's ready." He said gently and led her back to the kitchen.
They sat, eating in a companionable silence. Mac began to relax more, no longer jumping at every noise. Harm's voice broke the silence. "How's your stomach holding up?" He asked as she finished off her slice.
"So far so good, but I think I'm going to just stick with the one slice just in case."
He nodded. "So, want to go play in the snow?" He asked, giving her his best flyboy grin.
"Harmon Rabb, how old are we?" Mac laughed, shaking her head.
"Well, Marine, if you're scared." He lifted an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's go."
They both got bundled up and headed outside. Harm felt a cold ball of snow strike the back of his head. "Starting something, Marine?" He smiled back at her.
"Semper fi." She grinned. "And I'm just trying to knock some sense into that head of yours."
"Hey, I finally got my act together and told you that I loved you. I'd say I have plenty of sense, thank you very much."
Mac laughed. "Some people would argue that falling for a marine means the opposite, but if you say so." She threw another snowball at him.
"Okay, this means war." He grinned and threw one back only to have her run and dodge it.
"No fair, stay still." He laughed and ran after her. Finally catching her and tackling her to the ground.
Mac's laughing soon stopped when she realized he was now staring at her mouth which was mere inches away. "Harm."
"You're so beautiful. My own little snow angel." He smiled softly and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her tenderly, feeling her lips melt against his. He pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose and then her forehead before standing and pulling her gently to her feet. "Don't want you getting sick."
Mac smiled faintly and laced her fingers through his as he led her back to the house.
"There's hot chocolate in the pantry. And I think there's stuff to make smores in there as well. If you want to get that ready, I'll get the fire going again."
"Sounds good." Mac smiled and headed towards the kitchen. She boiled some water and made them each a mug of coco before taking it and the graham crackers, Hershey bars, and marshmallows to the living room where Harm had a nice fire going. They both changed into dry clothes and cuddled up in front of the fire.
Harm handed her a smore. "Nice and gooey." He laughed softly.
Mac started to eat. "They certainly are." She laughed softly as she finished it and looked at her marshmallow covered fingers. "I'm going to wash my hands." She went to get up but he gently grasped her wrist.
"Allow me." He smiled faintly and gently sucked her fingers until they were completely clean. His smile grew when he felt her purse racing under his fingertips.
Mac swallowed hard. "Uh.thanks." She whispered.
"Anytime." He kissed the palm of her hand gently before pulling her into his arms, feeling her relax completely. "If you're feeling better, I figured we could head back tomorrow and I could crash in your guest room for a few days?"
"Sure. I mean you don't have to stay, but I'd like it if you did."
He nodded and continued to hold her to him.
"Harm?"
"Hm?"
"Can you hold me tonight? I promise that I won't flip you off the bed again."
He could hear the faint smile in her voice. "Sure, I'd like that." He felt her relax and become dead weight against him. He chuckled quietly and carefully carried her over to the bed, holding her securely against him as he drifted off as well.
0930 NEXT MORNING (Sunday) THE FARM
The sunlight streaming into the room pulled Harm from his not so restful sleep. He groaned softly as he rubbed his sore neck.
"You didn't have to sleep over there. I'm sure your back must be killing you."
Harm jumped slightly, her voice startling him. "Not as much as being flipped onto the floor again." He smiled over at her. "How long have you been awake?" He asked as he moved over, gently touching her forehead. "It feels like your temperature has gone back to normal, how are you feeling?" He was greeted by her soft laughter.
"Okay, Mr. Inquisitive. I've been awake for thirty minutes and twenty four seconds. My head feels much better and I don't feel too nauseas anymore."
"Sorry. I just worry about you."
"I know. And I just like to give you a hard time." She smirked faintly.
"Well, you must be feeling better." He groaned playfully.
She got up and made her way over to the window. "Wow, I haven't seen this much snow in.come to think of it, I don't know that I've ever seen this much snow." She hugged herself. "You know.it's kind of ironic. People call it a 'blanket of snow', yet it's so cold and blankets are meant to keep you warm." She murmured. "This snow is like the naivety of a young child. It's so pure and undisturbed. There are no blemishes and no footprints from being stepped on by everyone and everything. There's no discoloration.just pure white. And all too soon, the sun comes out and melts away that protection and leaves the ground vulnerable." Memories of her own troubled childhood flooded back to her. There was no protection for her. She jumped when she felt his arms encircle her waist.
"Sorry." He murmured and went to release her.
"No, it isn't you." She put her arms over his and leaned back into him, smiling faintly when he rested his chin on the top of her head.
They stood like that for hours, letting the closeness relax them both. It wasn't until Harm felt her stomach grumble under his hands that he snapped out of the trance. "Is that my cue, Jarhead?" He teased.
She smiled a bit shyly. "I haven't been eating much for the past two weeks."
"Then what can I get you, m' lady?"
She turned and graced him with a brilliant smile. "What are my options?"
He kissed the tip of her nose. "I don't know, let's go see." His hand slid down to hers, their fingers lacing together as he led her to the kitchen. "How about a frozen pizza?"
"That all depends.what's on it?"
He chuckled. "Pepperoni."
"Then that sounds good." She sat down at the table and picked up the box on the table. "Boggle?" She laughed softly.
"Grams likes to keep her mind sharp." He chuckled. "You wanna play while we wait on this? There isn't that much else to do around here, especially in the snow."
"Sure. Any chance to kick your six sounds good to me."
"Oh, I see." He smiled and got them each paper and a pencil as she got the game ready. "That sounds like a challenge to me."
"Not a challenge for me at all." She grinned.
"Yeah, you're definitely feeling better." He shook his head.
Mac took of the top and flipped the timer. She studied the letters, trying to shake away the slight haze that seemed to have settled over her mind. She tapped the eraser of the pencil on the table and bounced her leg.
His eyes lifted to her. "You okay?"
"Yeah, stop trying to break my concentration." She smiled faintly.
He reached across the table, placing his hand over hers. "Relax."
Her eyes met his. "Sorry." She murmured. "I just can't seem to sit still."
"It's okay."
Mac almost leapt out of her seat when she heard a loud pop. "He's.he's come to get me." She stood up. "I'm not safe anywhere. I have to get out of here." She made a dash for the door, only to feel his arms around her.
"Mac, that was the heat kicking in. This place is pretty old and can be pretty noisy." He felt her relax slightly. "I'm not going to let him hurt you again. I'll keep you safe."
"You promise?" She asked softly.
"I promise." His voice was confident and left no room for doubt.
A tiny smile appeared on her tired face. "Don't make a promise you can't keep."
He returned the small smile. "I haven't yet." He felt her jump again as the timer on the stove went off. "Pizza's ready." He said gently and led her back to the kitchen.
They sat, eating in a companionable silence. Mac began to relax more, no longer jumping at every noise. Harm's voice broke the silence. "How's your stomach holding up?" He asked as she finished off her slice.
"So far so good, but I think I'm going to just stick with the one slice just in case."
He nodded. "So, want to go play in the snow?" He asked, giving her his best flyboy grin.
"Harmon Rabb, how old are we?" Mac laughed, shaking her head.
"Well, Marine, if you're scared." He lifted an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes. "Okay, let's go."
They both got bundled up and headed outside. Harm felt a cold ball of snow strike the back of his head. "Starting something, Marine?" He smiled back at her.
"Semper fi." She grinned. "And I'm just trying to knock some sense into that head of yours."
"Hey, I finally got my act together and told you that I loved you. I'd say I have plenty of sense, thank you very much."
Mac laughed. "Some people would argue that falling for a marine means the opposite, but if you say so." She threw another snowball at him.
"Okay, this means war." He grinned and threw one back only to have her run and dodge it.
"No fair, stay still." He laughed and ran after her. Finally catching her and tackling her to the ground.
Mac's laughing soon stopped when she realized he was now staring at her mouth which was mere inches away. "Harm."
"You're so beautiful. My own little snow angel." He smiled softly and lowered his mouth to hers, kissing her tenderly, feeling her lips melt against his. He pulled back and kissed the tip of her nose and then her forehead before standing and pulling her gently to her feet. "Don't want you getting sick."
Mac smiled faintly and laced her fingers through his as he led her back to the house.
"There's hot chocolate in the pantry. And I think there's stuff to make smores in there as well. If you want to get that ready, I'll get the fire going again."
"Sounds good." Mac smiled and headed towards the kitchen. She boiled some water and made them each a mug of coco before taking it and the graham crackers, Hershey bars, and marshmallows to the living room where Harm had a nice fire going. They both changed into dry clothes and cuddled up in front of the fire.
Harm handed her a smore. "Nice and gooey." He laughed softly.
Mac started to eat. "They certainly are." She laughed softly as she finished it and looked at her marshmallow covered fingers. "I'm going to wash my hands." She went to get up but he gently grasped her wrist.
"Allow me." He smiled faintly and gently sucked her fingers until they were completely clean. His smile grew when he felt her purse racing under his fingertips.
Mac swallowed hard. "Uh.thanks." She whispered.
"Anytime." He kissed the palm of her hand gently before pulling her into his arms, feeling her relax completely. "If you're feeling better, I figured we could head back tomorrow and I could crash in your guest room for a few days?"
"Sure. I mean you don't have to stay, but I'd like it if you did."
He nodded and continued to hold her to him.
"Harm?"
"Hm?"
"Can you hold me tonight? I promise that I won't flip you off the bed again."
He could hear the faint smile in her voice. "Sure, I'd like that." He felt her relax and become dead weight against him. He chuckled quietly and carefully carried her over to the bed, holding her securely against him as he drifted off as well.