A/N: Okay, so I actually finished this chapter yesterday afternoon, but I spent the past day agonizing over whether I wanted what happens in it to actually happen yet. In the end, I didn't change it, so...here it is, regardless. The title of this chapter means 'desire', 'maika'i' means 'beautiful', and 'kenikeni' means 'coin', because I couldn't find a Hawaiian translation of 'penny', specifically. Thank you to my followers/favoriters, and to BookFinder, morpheus-king-of-dreams, and Mari88 for reviewing. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to George R. R. Martin and Her Interactive. Except for Sam; he is mine (and the real Sam should be coming back home soon, so yay!).

She didn't see him for over two weeks after that. Christmas came and went, and now it was New Year's Eve, and she sat alone on her bed in the nurses' quarters, thinking about the terrible burned man of the jungle; again. It wasn't that she hadn't wanted to see him again, per se; it was just that, unlike as was usually the case, she hadn't gone looking for him. She was too proud to apologize for her anger, and far too embarrassed to face him after what she had done.

So instead she had kept herself busy in the hospital, treating sailors and releasing them back to active duty or off to America proper for the newest in surgery and prosthetics. Sam would be heading home to receive his new leg on January 2nd which was why he was currently in Vice Admiral Anderson's office instead of celebrating the New Year with the other sailors. Sansa couldn't say she wasn't a bit relieved that his absence removed her of her duty to be by his side at midnight for a New Year's kiss.

Since her last meeting with Sandor, she had been spending more time with Sam, wandering along the beaches as he told her about his childhood or she read from A Farewell to Arms. While she enjoyed his company, she knew that her continued agreement to stay in a relationship with him could only truly end one way, and she wasn't sure if she was ready for marriage yet. Certainly not to a man whose kisses made her think of someone else. Try as she might, she couldn't erase the way his lips had felt against her own; rough on one side, but smooth and firm on the other. It had been a strange sensation, but not entirely unpleasant.

On Christmas Eve she had managed to sneak away for just long enough to deliver Makoa Kahale's old uniform to the edge of the jungle. She had tried to no avail to patch the tattered clothing that she had taken from Sandor's 'home', but in the end, she took her old friend's uniform and simply added a bit of fabric to the arms and legs so it would fit the taller man before wrapping it with silver ribbon and dropping it off beside the tree line. When she had returned the next morning, it was gone.

"Sansa, you should be out there with the others." It was Gilly's voice that interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see the young woman standing in front of her. Because she was the only one of the nurses who was currently married, she had agreed to take care of the patients that didn't have the strength to join in the festivities so that the rest of them could be free of their hospital duties for the night.

Sansa nodded absently in agreement and stood. "Right. I'm sorry. I've just had a few things on my mind. Are you sure you don't need any help?"

Gilly smiled and nudged Sansa toward the door. "Positive. You go enjoy yourself tonight. You deserve it."

The party was being held on the beach since it was the only area large enough to accommodate all the participating soldiers and as Sansa walked out of the hospital she was met with the sound of laughter and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by The Andrews Sisters playing from the hospital speakers as couples danced in the sand. She spotted Myranda flirting with Captain Tucker at the sidelines of the makeshift dance floor and made her way slowly over to join them as she weaved through the dancing couples.

"Where's Sam?" Myranda asked when her friend finally managed to reach her side.

"In Anderson's office. They have to work out the details of his upcoming leave."

At the mention of one of Randa's many lovers, Tucker's expression soured, but the pretty nurse quickly soothed him with a wide grin and a peck on the cheek. Sansa had no doubt that she would be hearing all the details of the Captain's abilities in the bedroom come morning.

"Well then, grab another guy! There are plenty here that'd be willing to kiss you at midnight."

Sansa shook her head. "I'd rather not. I think I might just go back to the hospital and help Gilly."

Myranda shot her a look of disbelief but shrugged. "Fine. Whatever you want, Sans. Enjoy yourself." She turned back to her temporary beau and left Sansa to sneak away from the party and disappear into the jungle.

Though she told herself that she had no intention of running into Sandor, she found herself returning to the hidden section of the beach where they had met the other day. It was empty when she got there and she sat down in the sand, wrapping her arms around her knees and staring out across the dark expanse of the Pacific. It was quiet but for the sound of the gentle lapping of the waves against her ankles until she heard the gentle crunching of sand beneath bare feet and she didn't bother to turn her head.

"What's a maika'i girl like you doing alone on New Year's Eve?"

She sighed and lifted her chin from her knees. "Thinking."

She could see him sit beside her out of the corner of her eye before he stretched out on the beach and put his arms behind his head. "Kenikeni for your thoughts?"

No. There was absolutely no way that she was going to tell him that she had spent the past two weeks thinking about little else but the feeling of his lips against her own. She had been humiliated by him enough as it was.

When she remained silent, he sighed and then propped himself up on his elbows. "Where's Collins?"

"Speaking with his commanding officer," Sansa replied quietly, staring down at her toes as she buried them in the wet sand. "He's leaving for a hospital on the coast in a few days to get his prosthetic."

Sandor nodded. "Are you going with?"

"No." The fact that he still seemed to think that Sam owned her somehow was frustrating. "Why would I?"

"Because you've spent nearly all of the past two weeks by his side. If I didn't know better, I would say it was love."

"It isn't." The words had left her lips before she could stop them.

He was quiet for a long time after that and when he finally spoke up again, his tone was softer than usual. "Yes."

She finally turned her head to meet his gaze and found him sitting up, his face a few inches from hers. He looked uncharacteristically serious. "What?"

His eyes roamed her features for a moment before settling on her lips. "It was what I wanted."

Sansa's heart nearly stopped. "There! Is that what you wanted?" She found herself staring at the man at her side and her stomach fluttered with sudden nervousness. He was wearing the uniform she had left for him and in it he looked almost...handsome. She swallowed down the lump in her throat and tried desperately to calm her nerves. When was it that her revulsion had turned to attraction?

When she made no move to spurn him, he lifted his hand and gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Their eyes met and she answered the question in his with a barely perceptible nod of her head.

This time, he led the kiss, tilting his head to avoid her nose as he leaned in and pressed a surprisingly chaste kiss to her parted lips before pulling away. She opened her eyes after a moment to find him staring down at her with a look of vulnerability in his eyes and when she managed to give him a small smile, he laughed quietly and leaned back in.

Her mouth opened against his as one of his large rough hands moved to the back of her neck and he eased himself back down onto the beach, pulling her with him so she was lying on top of his chest. This time, it was Sansa who broke the kiss, breathless and flushed as she looked down at the man—the legend—that she hardly knew, but was already, unbelievably, falling for.

"Dance with me."

He raised his eyebrow but didn't stop her as she got to her feet and extended a hand to help him up. Taking it, he stood and then just stared at her, his fingers still entwined with hers. It was quite obvious that dancing wasn't his strong suit, so she stepped forward with a smile and moved his free hand to her hip before putting hers on his shoulder.

He caught on quickly enough and it wasn't long before Sansa was pressed against his chest with his hand splayed across the small of her back as they moved in slow circles across the sand. His chin came to rest on the top of her head and she could hear him sigh as he tightened his grip around her waist.

Across the jungle, they could still hear the sounds of the New Year's celebration and the lyrics of Louis Jordan's "Knock Me a Kiss" echoed crisply across the ocean.

"When you press your sweet little lips to mine,
Then I understood, oh babe.
They taste like candy, brandy and wine,
Peaches, bananas, and everything good."

Sandor met her gaze with a crooked smile as the music faded and it was only after a few minutes that an audible countdown reached the quiet solitude of their spot.

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1...!" The sound of cheers burst from the tree line and Sandor tilted Sansa's chin up so that he could kiss her. After a few seconds, he pulled away and smiled down at her.

"Happy New Year, manu li'ili'i."