Title : The Old Fashioned Way
Author : Jaggie 107
Disclaimer : JAG characters belong to DPB, CBS and Paramount – and I hope all parties will allow me to have fun for a little while, and replace them all when I'm done. Thank you.
Summary : Sometimes the 'old fashioned way' is the best way to go!
Spoilers : None, pure fluff, but imagine it to be shortly after the time of the Admiral's Dining Out, where Mac told Harm the truth about her condition. Sturgis is acting JAG – don't know why I want it to be him in charge, but I'm sure all will become clear in time!
Rating : Racy!
Thanks to : Peggy – VeraBell – BrittanyLS – aserene – bluejay65 – TV Angel 711 – pryrmtns – T. Roesch – McRose – BrookeUT – shron – Odakota – KJFlygirl87 – jtbwriter – kchs123 – Jeanaz8 – daisymh – froggy0319 – ams – charming-kayleigh – starryeyes10 – CAZ-TX – Lynnp – Niout-FrenchFanficAddict – judy52sa – SmileyMare1810 – michelle UK – Lori – Staz – Lu78 – ColieMacKenzie – AllAboutMe123 – cbw – katydid13 – Cheryl – the blur – rockrgirl777 – Cathy F. – Radiorox – SEAL2 – SamBrace – sandrajagfan – Syrae – JulieM – Nikki – zats – Acer
To old friends and new, for all your good wishes and wonderful reviews.
(I missed a name earlier - so if I do it again, be sure I'll catch up and add it asap!)
Dance in the old fashioned way
Won't you stay in my arms
Just melt against my skin
And let me feel your heart
Don't let the music win
By dancing far apart
Come close where you belong
Let's hear our secret song
HARM'S APARTMENT – NORTH OF UNION STATION
Harm was waiting at his apartment door as the elevator stopped on his floor. Resting against the door frame, arms crossed, he smiled as Mac stepped out and came to him.
"Hi," he murmured.
"Hi… Mac began, but was silenced by the mere fact that Harm had put his mouth on hers in the gentlest kiss. "I don't know if I'm late…you didn't put a time…" she murmured when he lifted his head from hers.
"I left that up to you."
Mac's gaze locked with Harm's and they both knew that this night she wouldn't be leaving. Both knew that they could not be physically together every night, even after marriage – but this night was theirs.
"The flowers are beautiful, thank you," Mac murmured, reaching up to kiss Harm softly, adding "and the card was cute!"
"You're welcome." Harm stepped back into the apartment, his hands holding Mac's as he pulled her gently in with him. Mac followed without a word, smiling as Harm led her to the kitchen island and patted one of the stools. Mac glanced from her narrow skirt to the height of the stool, and Harm grinned as he picked her up without a word and sat her down. Mac almost shrieked as Harm had put his hands around her waist, but then realized what he was doing, and grinned in response.
"So, Sailor, what're we having to eat?"
"Marinated seafood skewers with salad, and a favorite of yours for dessert. But first, I have something of yours…" Harm reached behind him and brought Mac's ring forward, sliding onto her finger where it belonged. Both of them studied the ring for a moment, and then Mac looked up at Harm.
"I don't want to wait too long until I can keep this on my finger for always."
Harm gave Mac a long look and then spoke softly. "That's one of the many things we need to decide…whether we get married at Annapolis, the whole military works; or on a hillside…"
"You remember that?" Mac voiced her surprise with a hand over her mouth, and Harm leaned forward, kissing her hand before nodding.
"I remember everything you have ever said. Good and bad," he answered, and Mac wound her arms around his neck, holding him silently, as he held her.
"I can't believe you'd remember that though; it was…so long ago…"
"I wondered when you got engaged to Mic, whether you really wanted the church ceremony you arranged."
"I got carried away with…with the flow," Mac admitted, shaking her head as she recalled the pomp and circumstance of the rehearsal, wondering why she was in a cold and draughty church when she would have settled for that quiet hillside. Pulling back a little, Mac looked up at Harm, and he waited for her to speak. Whatever she wanted to say, he knew it would affect their lives somehow – Mac wasn't just looking at him, she was looking into him.
"Do you…do you want to wait until we're married, to start a family?" Mac asked, and unconsciously held her breath, waiting for his response. Harm cocked his head, as if contemplating the question.
"I want whatever you want, Sarah. This is too important a time for us to screw up now, but I have to admit, I'm not sure what you're getting at… You still want a child, don't you?"
"Oh, yes…" Mac breathed her response, her eyes bright with unshed tears. Lifting her hands up, she cradled Harm's face as she smiled at him. "I just…I don't have time on my side, Harm. If I'm…if we're going to try IVF, we need to start as soon as possible…"
"I have an idea, if you want to get married as soon as possible…but it would involve one minor change to location," Harm offered, leaning in for a soft kiss that Mac responded to instinctively.
"Only one?" she mocked softly.
"We could swap that hillside for a beach, and get married in LaJolla. I happen to know a wonderful couple who live on the beach, and they'd be over the moon to host our wedding. Of course, we have to tell them we're engaged first," Harm grinned, and Mac buried her face in his neck as she hugged him, too overcome to speak just then. Harm held her, content to wait until she was ready, for anything.
"Um…Harm?"
"Yeah?"
"If you still want to feed me, you'd better save the food from cremation." As Harm jumped back and turned down the heat on the grill, Mac laughed at his actions, until he turned back to her and gave her a brief, hard kiss. As he pulled away, Mac touched a finger to her lips. For all its brevity, his kiss left her reeling, and wanting more.
Harm had been affected by the brief kiss too, and although he tried to concentrate on putting the meal together he knew it was a lost cause. Switching the grill off completely, he turned back to face Mac. Putting his hands out he lifted her down from the stool and they stood together in silence, his hands still resting on her hips, and Mac waited.
"Dinner's going to be a little late, Sarah…"
"Oh?"
"Mmmn," Harm murmured, his mouth lifting in a smile as he lifted his hands to her face and leaned in to kiss her.
This kiss started out as a mere touching of lips, Mac's eyes open and fixed on Harm's mouth as he lowered his head until the moment skin touched skin, his breath mingling with hers, and she lowered her eyelids, lost to his touch. Harm moved his hands down to Mac's waist as hers came up around his neck. Aware of Mac's movements bringing him closer, Harm tightened his arms around her and deepened the kiss, his tongue coming out to brush against Mac's lips, seeking an entrance she willingly gave.
As their lips parted, for the sole purpose of taking in much needed air, Harm murmured against Mac's lips, only moving away far enough to speak.
"I'm as nervous as hell here, Sarah, and it's been a while…since…" Harm paused, and it took a moment for Mac to register what he was saying to her. Her eyes widened as she realized, images of Catherine, Imogen and Alicia crossing her mind and vanishing just as quickly. He hadn't slept with them! For whatever reasons – and she was sure he'd tell her eventually – he hadn't slept with anyone for a long time. Maybe even since Renee… Mac smiled, and Harm's lips tilted in response to the look on her face. "What's going on in there, Sarah?"
"I'll be gentle, Harm…" Mac murmured, taking his hand in hers and turning to walk across the room to the steps at the foot of his bedroom area.
"Don't be gentle, be good," Harm responded, echoing words they'd said to each other years before and Mac looked back at him, giving him a wistful smile as she reached to hold his other hand too, and backed up the steps. Feeling the wood at her ankle she lifted her legs and went up the steps without even looking, her body remembering the layout of Harm's apartment even when her mind was focused elsewhere. When they were both standing at the foot of the bed, Mac looked up at Harm as she started to unfasten the buttons on her silk shirt, her fingers resting at the opening. Harm put his hands over hers, with a whispered 'Let me.' Mac put her hands gently on his lower arms as his nimble fingers went to work, and within moments her red lace bra was revealed underneath the burgundy colored shirt she wore with the narrow black skirt. In silent question Harm asked her permission to touch what was revealed to him, and Mac nodded, her eyes closing and her head falling back as his lips touched the skin of her neck and drifted kisses down to her exposed cleavage…
Their nine years of partnership at work; their friendship that had survived the loss of his father and hers; their many misunderstandings and the bitterness in the last year; and the early years of initial flirting that had become the sexual tension of later times, all coalesced into the one moment when they – finally – came together. From that moment they were simply Harm and Sarah, in love.
Later…
After a visit to the bathroom, Harm climbed back into the bed and spooned himself around Mac's sleeping body. His last thought before sleep claimed him too was heartfelt - Mac wasn't just 'good', she was amazing!
Early next morning…
Mac's stomach growled and both of them laughed at the sound. Harm kissed the skin of her stomach before raising his eyes to hers.
"I guess I'd better feed you then," he murmured, rolling away from her and getting to his feet. Mac watched as Harm stood up, turning to give her a wink and walking away to the kitchen, as naked as the day he was born. It was such a natural movement that Mac instinctively knew it wasn't the first time he'd walked around his apartment that way. With a delighted laugh she got out of the bed herself and followed him. Between them, and a with a lot of laughter, kisses and hugging, they managed to put together the meal he had originally planned, and when Harm produced the 'favorite' dessert of Mac's she rolled her eyes and moaned. Chocolate heaven! 'Death by Chocolate' to be exact, and she ate every morsel on her plate, as Harm fed her.
After they had eaten the delayed feast Mac sighed and then leaned back against the pillows behind her, giving Harm a serious look. "I have to tell you one more thing…"
"Oh?" Harm sounded unsure, and Mac let him off the hook with a sultry smile.
"Mmmn. 'Death by Chocolate' is still wonderful, but I have a new favorite for dessert…you!"
To be continued
AN :
This chapter took a few rewrites, let me tell you! I kept getting carried away… (blush) so what you're left with – I hope – is a tamed version of events for their first night together.