A/N: Thanks for reading and reviewing, and thanks for the flurry of favourites for my older stories, it's all appreciated :)

Chapter Eighteen

"We are drifting too far out," Linka said at last, and he nodded, taking her hand as they swam back to shore.

There was no sign of anyone else so they emerged from the water without shame and lay on their backs in the sand, Wheeler's arm tucked around his lover as she used his chest for a pillow.

"Thank you." Wheeler watched the fluffy clouds change shape above them.

"Are we not past the need for thanks?" Linka teased.

"Usually, but it was an item on my list so…" he shrugged.

Linka's finger traced the line of muscle over his hip and then moved to his tattoo, "So we have crossed it off? Done?"

Wheeler grinned and though she wasn't looking she knew by his voice, "If you mean, can we do it again some time? Hell yeah!"

The Wind Planeteer dissolved into a fit of laughter, but then moved so that she could look at him, his arm around her waist and her head still on his chest. "I meant are we done today, but da, we can definitely do it again… I think we might want to revisit the shower as well, I am not sure I gave it a fair chance."

"I like the way you think." He lifted his head to grin down at her, "You wanna go back in the water then?"

"Not yet. My legs feel like jelly." She kissed his chest, "But da, I would like to swim some more before we go back to reality."

"This is reality." He insisted suddenly, "It's a part of who we are now… and I love it. I don't want to make excuses for it."

There was a long pause and he wondered if he'd crossed a line, especially when Linka sat up although as it put her breasts in his eye line it wasn't the best move if she intended to end it. "I did not mean it like that, I know this is real and I love it too. I love everything from sleeping peacefully beside you to… to screwing each-others brains out."

That was a little too much for Wheeler and he went off into a peal of laughter for which he was poked in the side. "Sorry Babe, it just sounds so wrong when you say it."

"I know, but you like that too, da?" she smiled.

"I love that too." He corrected her, and then ran a finger up the side of her bent leg from hip to knee, "Happy?"

Linka nodded and gave him a smile, "You?"

"Yeah," he replied sincerely, then sat up and kissed her, pulling her back into his arms, still more loving than anything else.

Finally she pulled away and said, "Ready to float some more?"

Having calmed down after their first excitement in the water, the two Planeteers took the time to savour the way the sun warmed ocean felt when they were free of clothing. They talked and laughed, splashed, raced and held each other as the mood took them.

"I am surprised the others have not come to look for us yet." Linka commented, laying back to look up at the sky with perfect ease.

Wheeler trod water, kicking with just enough movement to make a slow backwards circle around her. Surprised he asked, "Did you want them to?"

"Nyet!" she replied quickly, "But we have been out here longer than I intended, it will be time to eat soon."

"We can go if you want," he shrugged.

She stopped him with a hand on his ankle, and slipped back into his arms as he righted himself, hers winding around his neck as she pressed her body against him. "I was not meaning to rush, this feels wonderful. In fact I was thinking we should try it at night next."

Wheeler grinned and leant down to kiss her.

"I'll never get tired of that." He murmured as they parted. "And I just thought of the perfect way to end this, if you think you can give me just a little bit more?"

Linka pressed a tender kiss to his lips, "Whatever you need."

Looking smug he guided her over to the smooth rock face that rose up on one side of the lagoon and placed her hands against them, moving to embrace her from behind, "I need to make you want to curl up in my arms and not let go of me for a week... for any reason."

She chuckled, "I will bet against you, because I know I have too many inhibitions, but I would love for you to try!"

"I'll take that bet, what do you want if I lose?" Wheeler kissed the back of her neck.

Holding herself steady against the rocks with one hand, Linka covered one of his, which was resting innocently on her stomach, with the other "I want you to keep trying!"

Wheeler laughed and began to work his way down her spine with his lips, "Like this?" he teased, his mouth dipping below the waterline to kiss her tattoo.

"It is a start," She responded, feigning indifference, "But it will not win you any bets."

He chuckled and began a more determined seduction below the surface of the water, proving again how well he understood her body. It amazed her that he could be so thoughtful and tender and also ruthlessly possessive and demanding, at the same time, but he was.

At last he emerged from the water between her and the rock face and she nestled into his arms, trembling in the wake of her passion. "I think you won the bet."

Wheeler laughed loudly, "Don't worry, I'll keep trying to beat it!"

"I love you."

The comment was in response to his promise and not a general declaration of feeling but it still hit him full in the chest.

Still recovering, and not noticing his reaction, she continued, "I will return the favour under the moonlight if you are still inclined to try that?"

"Inclined to try it?" He grinned, "I'd beg if you wanted me to, seriously Babe, that's one thing that will make any guy your slave for life… not that you'll be trying that with any other guys." When she didn't immediately responded he prompted her, "Right?"

Linka burst out laughing, "I swear to you Yankee moy, I will never do that for another man, it would be too degrading."

"You don't have to do it at all," he assured her, beginning to lead her back to where they'd left their clothes and trying not to let his disappointment show, "I don't ever want you to feel that way, you don't owe me anything."

"I know." She replied a little surprised, "It is different with you… I thought you knew that."

He nodded as they started to dress, not minding the water that still clung to their bodies, "Most of the time I do, it's just… you gave me your trust and that's important to me, I don't want to get carried away and make you feel like you have to go along and believe me, getting carried away where you're concerned isn't hard."

Linka gave him her warmest smile and stepped back into his arms, "If I have a problem with anything I promise I will tell you, ok?"

"Yeah," He kissed her gently and then did it again, deepening it when she responded.

At last they began to walk back hand in hand through the trees towards their cabins, avoiding their friends a little longer.

Wheeler didn't know what had woken him. The island was quiet and peaceful, the moon was only a glow outside his window and his beautiful Russian team-mate was fast asleep in his arms.

He smiled and kissed her hair, tightening his arms about her as she snuggled closer. He felt incredibly lucky, even if a part of him was still worried that it was temporary.

They'd made dinner together after their swim, chatting comfortably and stealing the occasional kiss as they passed. When the others had joined them he'd apologised awkwardly for overreacting, adding, "It's just, sometimes you guys…"

Kwame interrupted, "I apologise Wheeler, it was clearly a personal matter, and while I was only expressing concern, I realise that it did not come over that way."

"Concern about what?" Gi asked rather tactlessly and Kwame began to say that it was a private matter when Linka surprised them all.

"About Wheeler's tattoo." She told them.

Gi looked at the Fire Planeteer, "You got a tattoo?"

Again Linka stepped in, having decided to clear up the mess she'd made, "We both did… it was a gesture of friendship but I think Kwame misinterpreted it and Wheeler did not want to explain in case it made me uncomfortable, but it does not."

"Which doesn't mean," Wheeler added, still slightly defensive, "That we have to explain ourselves."

"Of course not, "Gi agreed, "So can we see them?"

The American groaned and other two guys laughed, "You might as well show her, you will get no peace if you don't."

Wheeler shook his head but undid his jeans and pulled his boxers down over the artwork, lifting his t-shirt out of the way as well. "Happy now?"

Gi inspected the design but it wasn't all she was aware of. Unconscious of his body as he was, at that moment and in that pose, he resembled the sort of image a calendar model might take. Remembering also what her friend had told her about him, her skin had flushed and she cast a surreptitious glance towards Linka, who was watching the proceedings with amusement.

"Cute." She said at last and straightened up, trying not to watch as Wheeler restored his clothing.

"Your turn," The Water Planeteer told Linka, ignoring the way Wheeler shifted uncomfortably, obviously not liking the suggestion.

The Russian shrugged and turned her back on them to unfasten her shorts, trying to push them down at the back only to be told her hand was in the way. "I cannot see… Yankee?"

No one was more surprised than Wheeler that she had asked him for help, rather than Gi, but he didn't hesitate to step forward and do the honours.

After that the conversation was dropped though the others still had questions they'd wanted to ask. It was obvious that things had changed between their two teammates but Linka was maintaining that it wasn't a big deal and they chose to respect that.

Laying in the darkness of his room Wheeler too wondered about their relationship. They'd taken a step forward that day, but there was still a barrier between them and he didn't know how to get rid of it without risking everything they'd built up.

Linka sighed in her sleep and the American cuddled her closer, allowing himself to relax again and just enjoy her presence until he once more drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

To be continued…