A/N Okay. Originally this was just going to be one little chapter, some
verbal doodling. Then I got to thinking about other things that are
controlled by the Autonomic Nervous System, and started thinking about
how they could forget to do other things that were controlled by the
ANS and came up with blinking. So here it is.
Blinking
Mac smiled to herself as she savored the pasta salad that Harm had packed for her to have for lunch today. She chuckled as she thought about his response if she were to tell him that she enjoyed something from his "healthy" menu. Snapping the lid back onto the now empty Tupperware dish, Mac took the last swallow of her can of diet cola and tossed the can in the recycling bin. Her five minute lunch was over, and now it was back to researching ways of getting Harm's client convicted. As she thought of her sometimes partner, and recent lover she sighed deeply. She would have loved to have spent lunch with him today, but apparently he had to drive down to Norfolk to interview some witnesses.
Thinking back to the other night, however, brought a smile to her face. It was so sweet that Harm had forgotten to breath, but if she was going to be completely honest with herself, it was a little funny too. Okay, a lot funny. Shaking her head to herself while she chuckled, Mac stepped out of the break room and into the bullpen.
Right away Mac knew something strange was going on because everyone was standing around looking at something in the middle of the bullpen, and no one was talking. Pushing her way through a couple enlisted people who didn't even peep at her intrusion Mac came to a stop seeing Harm in his dress whites kneeling on a towel. Directly in front of him was the tall form of the Admiral, and the two of them seemed to be having some sort of conversation.
Hesitantly Mac stepped up to stand next to the Admiral and looked between him and Harm in confusion.
"Ah, Colonel. I believe this is yours." the Admiral said with a nod in Harm's direction.
"Uh." Mac started but couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Well then, I'll just get out of your way then." The Admiral said with his smile ringing in his voice.
"Harm?" Mac asked softly when the Admiral had stepped back. "What are you doing?"
"Well I thought that would have been obvious Sarah." Harm said with one of his patented "flyboy" grins.
"I thought you were in Norfolk." Mac plowed on without engaging her brain. Slowly she was becoming aware of a dry feeling tugging at her eyes.
"Obviously not." Harm said still smiling. Slowly he raised his hand in which was nestled a simple, yet beautiful, solitaire diamond ring. "Sarah, I wanted everyone to know how much I love you, and how much I want you in my life, always. Its always been you, always will be you Sarah. Will you marry me?"
Mac looked around, stunned that Harm would do this in front of everyone at the office. Harm, the man who couldn't figure out how to express his feelings, the man who was afraid of his feelings. Suddenly she realized that she hadn't answered him and everyone in the office, the Admiral included, was looking to her, waiting for her answer. With a smile she nodded towards Harm and whispered "Yes."
Smiling Harm stood up and tenderly slid the ring onto Mac's finger. As he pulled her into his arms he felt her tears on his shoulder. "I hope those are happy tears." He said gently.
"Some of them are." Mac said with a smile.
"Some of them?" Harm asked in sudden concern.
"Yeah. The rest are because I forgot to blink." Mac answered in an exact parody of Harm's tone when he told he'd forgot to breathe.
Blinking
Mac smiled to herself as she savored the pasta salad that Harm had packed for her to have for lunch today. She chuckled as she thought about his response if she were to tell him that she enjoyed something from his "healthy" menu. Snapping the lid back onto the now empty Tupperware dish, Mac took the last swallow of her can of diet cola and tossed the can in the recycling bin. Her five minute lunch was over, and now it was back to researching ways of getting Harm's client convicted. As she thought of her sometimes partner, and recent lover she sighed deeply. She would have loved to have spent lunch with him today, but apparently he had to drive down to Norfolk to interview some witnesses.
Thinking back to the other night, however, brought a smile to her face. It was so sweet that Harm had forgotten to breath, but if she was going to be completely honest with herself, it was a little funny too. Okay, a lot funny. Shaking her head to herself while she chuckled, Mac stepped out of the break room and into the bullpen.
Right away Mac knew something strange was going on because everyone was standing around looking at something in the middle of the bullpen, and no one was talking. Pushing her way through a couple enlisted people who didn't even peep at her intrusion Mac came to a stop seeing Harm in his dress whites kneeling on a towel. Directly in front of him was the tall form of the Admiral, and the two of them seemed to be having some sort of conversation.
Hesitantly Mac stepped up to stand next to the Admiral and looked between him and Harm in confusion.
"Ah, Colonel. I believe this is yours." the Admiral said with a nod in Harm's direction.
"Uh." Mac started but couldn't think of anything else to say.
"Well then, I'll just get out of your way then." The Admiral said with his smile ringing in his voice.
"Harm?" Mac asked softly when the Admiral had stepped back. "What are you doing?"
"Well I thought that would have been obvious Sarah." Harm said with one of his patented "flyboy" grins.
"I thought you were in Norfolk." Mac plowed on without engaging her brain. Slowly she was becoming aware of a dry feeling tugging at her eyes.
"Obviously not." Harm said still smiling. Slowly he raised his hand in which was nestled a simple, yet beautiful, solitaire diamond ring. "Sarah, I wanted everyone to know how much I love you, and how much I want you in my life, always. Its always been you, always will be you Sarah. Will you marry me?"
Mac looked around, stunned that Harm would do this in front of everyone at the office. Harm, the man who couldn't figure out how to express his feelings, the man who was afraid of his feelings. Suddenly she realized that she hadn't answered him and everyone in the office, the Admiral included, was looking to her, waiting for her answer. With a smile she nodded towards Harm and whispered "Yes."
Smiling Harm stood up and tenderly slid the ring onto Mac's finger. As he pulled her into his arms he felt her tears on his shoulder. "I hope those are happy tears." He said gently.
"Some of them are." Mac said with a smile.
"Some of them?" Harm asked in sudden concern.
"Yeah. The rest are because I forgot to blink." Mac answered in an exact parody of Harm's tone when he told he'd forgot to breathe.