Authors Note:
Here's another short story - my excuse is that it's Valentine's Day ... NOTE that this one chapter is rated M so if you're not old enough or a little smut isn't your thing, DON'T READ IT!!!
"All glory comes from daring to begin." Anonymous
Challenge 5: Daring to begin.
Lorne watched her from the corner of his eye as the meeting progressed, part of his mind paying attention to what Richard Woolsey was saying but the rest firmly settled on Lieutenant Laura Cadman, visiting from Earth for a mission that required her special expertise.
It galled to admit it, but Evan had been harbouring quite the crush on Laura for longer than he cared to think about. Long enough to know it wasn't going away, that long months of absence didn't seem to impact, and that maybe it was actually a little more than just a crush.
It was all Laura's fault for being so ... captivating. How was a man supposed to ignore the vibrancy of her hair, that milky smooth skin, the fire of her personality shining through those changeable green eyes? He was pretty sure he could look at Laura for a lifetime and still see something he'd never noticed before.
Laura shifted, leaning forward as she gestured expansively, her eagerness for the upcoming mission obvious. Lorne held back a smile – he'd never met anyone so enthusiastic about blowing things up. Man, what he wouldn't give to see some of that enthusiasm directed at him. "Don't go there," he told himself. It was his self imposed rule – he could look, observe, but once he started imaging all the various ways he could express his admiration ... his desire ... then it was time to distance himself. "Come on Evan ... think about something else," he urged internally, swallowing hard when Laura flicked her hair over her shoulder. She was wearing it pulled back into a pony tail today, his favourite second only to seeing it down.
"Hmm-mmm!" The pointed clearing of a throat broke into his introspection and Evan realised with dismay that he hadn't actually been paying attention after all. The other thing he realised was that he'd been blatantly staring at Laura and that she knew he'd been staring because she was now looking back at him, her expression quizzical.
"Major?" Richard Woolsey waited for a response ... to what, Lorne had no idea.
"Ah," Lorne dragged his eyes away from Cadman, casting a quick glance around the other occupants of the table looking for inspiration. Teyla was patient and serene as always, her expression unreadable – no help there. Ronon's eyes twinkled in such a way that Evan was sure the Satedan knew exactly what he'd been thinking – Evan had no interest in adding to the other man's amusement so he ruled him out too. Rodney he didn't even bother to consider – unless it was his own briefing the scientist was renowned for paying even less attention that Lorne had been. That just left either Cadman herself or Colonel Sheppard. No way was he even looking at Laura again; he didn't want to see her expression or spend the rest of the day wondering what she'd been thinking. So he met his CO's eyes, silently asked for the assist and was rewarded immediately with an almost imperceptible nod.
"Lorne's team is free to accompany us," John said easily. "You're not up for another mission this week, right?" With one simple sentence he'd clued Lorne in to where they were at in the mission briefing.
"Yes Sir," Lorne nodded, grateful, keeping his gaze fixed firmly on his commanding officer. "The next scheduled mission is next week. My team will be happy to back you up Sir."
"Good," Woolsey glanced down at his list and then back up again. "Lieutenant, will you require any additional materials apart from those you brought with you from the SGC?"
"Nope, fully equipped Sir," Laura replied, smiling.
Evan listened as she detailed the explosives she'd brought from Earth, all for the specific purpose of blowing up an existing facility to get to the one Rodney believed was underneath. "This could be as big as the lost Templar treasure," he'd told Woolsey during the first mission briefing.
"I saw that movie," Sheppard had joked, earning a glare from Rodney and a chuckle from everyone else.
"So ... we're all set to go," John said now, making it a statement that already implied Richard Woolsey's agreement.
"Yes you are," Woolsey agreed pointedly, fully aware of John's usual method of operation. "You'll leave at 0900 tomorrow. Regular check-ins as usual Colonel," he added, finishing the briefing.
Woolsey was the first one up from his chair, Lorne quickly following. The sooner he got away from temptation the better.
"Lorne, a word," Evan froze as Sheppard spoke. "Damn," he thought, hoping against hope that he wasn't about to have an awkward conversation with his CO. Hanging back he kept his eyes on the floor as everyone else left, leaving him alone with John.
"I apologise for being distracted during the briefing Sir," Lorne decided to jump in first, almost standing to attention with his eyes fixed on the opposite wall. "Thank you for bailing me out."
"Distracted huh? Is that what we're calling it now?" Sheppard's amused tone had Evan redirecting his gaze abruptly. "And what ... or should I say who was distracting you Major?"
"Ah ...," Lorne had never felt so uncomfortable in his life. He hadn't done anything wrong ... but still felt as guilty as if he had.
"Relax Lorne," John said, sitting on the edge of the conference room table. "You know – in the interests of making sure my 2IC isn't 'distracted' – you should really talk to Cadman this time."
"Damn ... am I that obvious Sir?" Lorne grimaced, running a hand over the back of his neck, embarrassed and trying like hell not to show it.
"Yes," Sheppard grinned when Lorne reddened slightly, something he'd never seen from his usually unflappable second. "Talk to her," he repeated more seriously. "You might be surprised at the result."
"I'll think about it Sir," Lorne replied, hoping that would be the end of it.
"Like you have been for the past couple of years?" John returned. "Come on Evan! Where's the glory in that?"
Evan frowned, understanding exactly what his CO meant. Going for glory was a concept they lived by. For the average Joe it was about aiming for that parking space right outside the mall entrance, bypassing all the vacant ones along the way. Or changing lanes to get 'pole' position at the lights, leading the traffic away instead of following in the crowd.
For men like Lorne and Sheppard though it was about much more than that. It was taking on a hive ship full of Wraith to rescue a captured team, piloting an F302 attached meteor into a Replicator beam, or gating onto a Wraith Cruiser on its way to Earth when you knew maybe there was no way back. It was getting in there right from the start so you could make a difference.
"Glory," Evan muttered, thinking hard. "You're right Sir," he declared. Straightening he nodded to his CO, taking the acknowledging nod as permission to leave. He didn't notice the return of John's amused grin as he left – he had business to attend to.
"Lieutenant, got a minute?" Lorne went straight from the conference room to the armoury where Laura was preparing her equipment for the mission.
"Of course Sir," Laura smiled, giving him her full attention.
"Privately," Evan added. He saw the way her gaze sharpened but she followed him as he turned and led them away from the populated area. Lorne knew the city very well, knew the places you could go for a few moments of quiet while still being close to the centre of things. It only took a few minutes to get to his destination – a small research room with an outside window and a series of Ancient carvings on the walls. He walked inside and waited for Laura to follow him, the door swishing closed behind them.
And then he made his move ... closing the gap between them he gathered Laura close, pulling her up and kissing her like he had every right. After a seconds stunned pause Laura didn't protest. Instead she wrapped her arms around him, trying to get closer as she returned his kiss with all the enthusiasm he'd hoped for.
Lorne had thought too often about how he'd approach Laura if he ever got that far, and this was a scenario he'd tortured himself with more than once. What he hadn't done, what he'd only considered on his way to finding her, was how she'd react. That's when he'd replayed all the various moments between he and the Lieutenant. Her expression when she'd arrive in the city and see him waiting to greet her, the fact that he'd caught her staring at him more than once in the past too, and that very day, the flush of heat that had swept over her face as she'd stared back at him. That's when he'd realised something.
She wanted him just as much as he wanted her.
Their kiss went on, hot and heavy with passion denied too many times in the past. Evan walked forward slowly, taking Laura with him until her back hit the wall with a dull thud. He lifted her, using the sudden support to align their bodies in all the right places as he pressed closer. She let out a whimper of need that had him smiling fiercely. Breaking away from the lure of her reddened lips he kissed his way down her throat, breathing hotly against her neck. In response she shivered, her body relaxing abruptly as she melted into his support.
"Evan," she murmured, shifting in silent encouragement for more.
That was all the permission he needed. Moving smoothly Lorne got down to the business of revealing the Laura previously hidden beneath her marine's garb. "Beautiful," he muttered, kissing the pale flesh between her breasts and running his hands down her back. She was so soft ... the hints of her profession, her tough nature, there only when he paid attention enough to look for them. He'd gotten her down to naked but for the regulation knickers she still wore before she protested.
"You're wearing too much," Laura broke away, moving her hands to the front of his shirt and making quick work of the buttons. She was grinning as she tugged the shirt from his pants, pushing it off his shoulders and then throwing it over her head. Evan watched her intent expression as she shifted to his t-shirt, pulling that up too and then running her hands over his bare stomach and chest. It was his turn to shiver, to feel that hot wash of desire, that need for more.
"Laura," he murmured, running his hands over her hair and carefully freeing it from the pony tail she wore, wrapping a few strands around his wrist and then letting them fall away. He helped her remove his boots and then he was down to the one item of clothing too, boxers in his case.
They both shivered as flesh met flesh for the first time, the sensations enough to throw finesse and calculated moves out the window. Each was determined to explore the other to the fullest, as though worried that this might be a mistake, that they might not get another chance. It made their love making both urgent and intense as they discovered what made them similar to each other and what made them unique, what raised a smile and what heightened their responses.
Last barriers gone and responsibilities taken care of, Evan lifted Laura again, using the same wall for support. She wrapped her legs around him, holding on tightly as he surged forward, joining them as one. He paused, all the way home inside her, breathing hard in an effort to control himself. She was tight ... hot ... right ... and he wondered how he'd gone so long without experiencing what they could be together.
He had to move ... and she was with him all the way. The next minutes were about sounds and sensations – flesh merging and separating, voices murmuring appreciation; passion uncontained, emotions finally given an outlet. And then it was over ... the rush of release giving way to the return of reality, the need to come down from the high and face each other. They dressed silently, casting each other surreptitious glances that were quickly redirected.
"Laura," Evan began.
"Don't say it," she returned before he could continue. "Don't tell me this was a mistake."
"I wasn't going to," Evan replied, moving forward to take her hands. "I was going to say I'm sorry we didn't do this a long time ago."
"Really?" Laura grinned suddenly, her eyes shining up at him.
"Really," he replied firmly. He stroked a thumb down her cheek, watching her closely. "I'm already thinking about next time ... there is gonna be a next time, right?"
"Hell yes," Laura agreed, narrowing her eyes as she continued. "But I'm not gonna be your fuck buddy Evan, so if that's all this was then forget it."
"Laura," Evan protested the crude assessment of his motives. "If sex was all I wanted it wouldn't have taken me so long to get us here. I'm not looking for that ... I want the full box and dice okay."
"Me too," Laura smiled, leaning up on her toes to kiss him before settling back down. "Why today?" she asked curiously.
"Colonel Sheppard reminded me what glory is," Evan replied. The glory of beginning something when there was personal risk involved, when you didn't know the outcome ... and the glory - the vibrant beauty that Laura was to him. Pulling her up again, he kissed her intently, the newness still there but supplemented with the knowledge of just how good they were together.
"Remind me to thank Colonel Sheppard later," Laura murmured before losing herself in his kiss.
The End
Authors Note:
This was a kind of a self challenge ... From Twitter (Writing prompt) I got the main theme of Glory and I added in the love theme for obvious reasons. If you've read my other pieces you'll know I usually let the love scenes fade off into the sunset so to speak so for this one the additional challenge was me actually trying to write through that instead. Hope I struck the right note!