I am back, with yet another pen name change. I'm now HooahCadet, due to my being in Army SROTC (Senior ROTC, a.k.a. college level) at school. One of these days I'll stop changing my name.

Friday, October 7, 2005

Harm's Apartment

Union Station

2240 EST--

Mac was cold. Very cold. The heat in her apartment building was out, and her car would make a funny noise when she tried to turn the heat on in there. The only solution to this problem was Harm. She hoped he had the heat up high at his place. And even if he didn't, she'd keep warm by getting under a few blankets with him.

Now she was outside his door with a squirming cat in her arms and a key in her hand. She finally got the door open and found the apartment empty.

'Oh well' She thought. 'I'll just turn the heat up and wait for him.'

And wait she did. He came in the door 20 minutes later.

"Hey." His face lit up when he saw her. "What are you doing here? Not that I mind at all."

"The heat in my building went out and we were cold." She pointed to the cat who had rolled onto his back and fell asleep.

"Did you turn my heat up? I keep it pretty cool in here." He hung his coat up.

"Yeah, it's up."

He came over and sat down beside her on the couch.

"How long have you been here?"

"17 minutes. Where were you?" She snuggled into him.

"I ran downstairs to help a new neighbor with something. If I'd known you were coming I wouldn't have spend so long down there with her." He kissed her head.

"Her?"

"Yes. Her. She's a 1st year law student who was having trouble with an assignment. I went down to try to help her out some."

"Did you succeed?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Sweetheart, I know what you're thinking." He looked at her. "And you should also know she's very involved with her own girlfriend. As am I."

"Very involved with her girlfriend?" Mac teased.

"How'd you figure it out? Yes, I admit it. I'm having a wild affair with a 22 year old lesbian."

"Hmm, I didn't know they were your type."

"I prefer 37 year old Marine's who are perfectly heterosexual."

"Good. I know one of them who might be interested in you."

"Is she hott?"

"Right now she's rather cold, and needs warming up."

"My pleasure." He kissed her.

Mac's stomach growled in the middle of their make out session.

"Haven't you eaten?"

"Not yet. I was too busy trying to keep warm."

"You should have come earlier. I would have taken you out to dinner."

"You could still order me some food. Or make some if you want."

"What do you want?"

"Spaghetti."

"I'll make you some." With one last kiss he got up and went into the kitchen to make her some food.

"I'm going to go down and get my bag from my car. I'll be right back."

"Be careful out there."

"Harm its 10 feet from the door to my car. I can't get in too much trouble."

"Around here you can. But I know you're a Marine and can handle yourself, so I'll be quiet."

"Thank you." She walked out the door.

He turned back to the stovetop to stir the sauce. The smell awoke the cat and he came to Harm's feet and started meowing furiously.

"Do you want some of Mac's food, Toby? I'm not sure that's a good idea. She'll be back in a minute and will all of her food."

The cat continued to meow until Harm got a spoon out and gave him some of the sauce.

"Are you giving my cat my food?" Mac asked when she came back in.

"Yes. He wouldn't shut up so I gave him a taste. I don't think he liked it as much as he thought he would."

"Oh well. It's our food anyway."

"It will be done as soon as the pasta finishes cooking. Do you want any bread?"

"No. Just the spaghetti is fine."

They heard a big screech and a thump and saw Toby up on the TV fighting with the DVD player.

"Maybe we should zip him up in your duffel bag tonight. He might keep us awake all night."

"He'll settle down as soon as I go to bed. He'll climb up and sleep between us most likely."

"I don't like that idea." Harm said.

"Baby, you got me the cat. If you hadn't, we wouldn't have this problem."

"But I knew how much you'd love a pet that you could cuddle with, and you have to admit he's gotten cuter."

"Yes, he has. And fatter too."

"It adds to his charm." Harm said, dishing out some food for Mac.

She went over to his table and sat down to eat.

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"Nah. I'm not hungry. I ate earlier."

"If I had known that I wouldn't have asked you to make me food."

"I don't mind at all. You were hungry and wanted food, so I made you some."

"Isn't that supposed to be my job? Making food when you're hungry?"

"Sweetheart, your idea of making food is mac and cheese, or ordering out…"

"Okay, so my cooking skills need work."

"Why don't I take care of all the cooking? You can be the brains and good looks of the relationship." He grinned.

"I can't take all the credit in the good looks department. Brains, maybe, but not looks." She grinned back at him.

"I should be offended."

"But you're not. I was just kidding. You have as much brain as me, maybe more."

"I agreed with you the first time. I think you have more than I do."

"We're equal. Is that fair?"

"Sure is." He stood up, then kissed her forehead. "I'm going to go take a shower while you finish your food."

"Okay. I'll probably go to bed once I finish."

"I won't be too long. You can warm up the bed for me."

"Or you could put an electric blanket on…"

"I'll get it out for you."

"Thank you Harm." She smiled at him.

"You're welcome." He went to his bedroom and got the bed ready for Mac before getting into a hot shower.

He came out 15 minutes later to find Mac in the bed, and Toby asleep in his spot beside her.

"No, no, no. Toby is not sleeping there. He can sleep on either side of you and I, but not between."

"Aww, poor Toby. He's used to sleeping beside me."

"So put him on your other side."

"But then he'll wake up."

"And promptly go back to sleep. In his new spot which is not between us."

"Okay, fine." Mac carefully picked up the kitten and moved him over to her other side.

Toby awoke, stood up, and jumped over Mac and back to his previous place.

"I don't think Toby likes me." Harm said with a sigh.

"I don't know why he wouldn't. But you may be right."

"Let me try holding him until I lay down." Harm picked up the cat, who immediately started hissing. He put him back on the bed.

"This is not going to work out as I'd hoped."

"And what had you hoped for?"

"That I'd be able sleep beside you without a cat between us!"

She got out of the bed and walked around to give him a hug.

"I'm sorry he's being so much trouble Harm. I won't bring him next time."

"Well you couldn't very well leave him in a cold apartment." He put his arms around her also.

"We could have a slumber party. You have an air mattress."

"That's true, we could."

"We can pretend it's that night you took me star gazing."

"And make out all night?" He grinned. "That could work for me."

"You have a one track mind Harmon Rabb."

"I know." He pulled the air mattress out of the closet, along with the foot pump.

Soon they had their makeshift bed set up. Harm put some pillows, sheets, and blankets on.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" He asked.

"Sure. You pick one."

"Top Gun." He grinned.

"You're lucky the movie has so much romance, or I wouldn't be so understanding about watching it every other day."

"It's not every other day. More like every 3 days."

Mac got under the blankets while Harm put the movie in. He laid down beside her when he had it all set up, and was able to pull her into his arms.

"I hardly think it's fair that Toby gets a whole bed to himself." Harm said.

"You're the one who didn't want to sleep in the bed with him."

"I don't mind that. It's when he keeps me from you that I get a little mad."

"Harm you sleep without me every night."

"Yeah, but since you're here I'd like to be able to hold you without a kitten in between."

"You're jealous of a cat." Mac laughed.

"Yes, I am! He's keeping me from my woman."

"If you refer to me as "my woman" anymore, I won't be."

"He's keeping from my wonderfully talented, drop dead gorgeous, Marine girlfriend who doesn't really need me but keeps me around anyway."

"Well I wouldn't say I don't need you. Now that I have you I'd like to keep you."

"And keep me you shall. You'll never get me to go away now. If you dump me, I'll sleep outside your apartment and beg forgiveness every morning as you come out. I'll follow you everywhere you go like a lost puppy."

"How endearing…"

"Let's get some sleep." He put his arm around her waist.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight Sarah."