A/N — it's raining here and youngest kiddo is sick so I'm behind on everything. But I'm planning updates on everything soon. xoxo — kals
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2006
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"Kara!"
It might have been four years, but she would know that voice anywhere. Kara scanned the crowd, searching for Danny's face. Next to Kara, Jennifer drew in a sharp breath. "Holy crap, Kara. Whoever that is, he's hot."
Turning, Kara finally caught sight of Danny. He was in his BDUs, looking slightly ratty, and she suspected that he was on his way from some kind of training session. He was bigger than the last time they ran into each other, and she wondered if he had actually grown again or if his muscles had just caught up to his frame. She knew from the spattering of postcards that continued to arrive that he spent the last few years in Michigan, San Diego, Iraq, and Afghanistan. But when he leaned down to envelop her in a hug, all Kara could think about was how familiar he felt. Her Danny. She gave him a tight hug in return, before stepping back.
"Danny, this is Jennifer. Jennifer, this is Danny," she said, waving a hand between the two.
Danny raised an eyebrow. "Jennifer of Kansas, I presume?"
Jennifer laughed, nodding and even blushing slightly, Kara noticed with a sense of ... annoyance? No, that couldn't be right. She was introducing two of her dearest friends. This was a happy moment. Jennifer winked. "And you must be Danny of summer camp."
"Guilty as charged," Danny admitted, returning his attention to Kara. "I believe that congratulations are in order, Ensign Foster."
Warmth spread through her at not just the words, but the look in Danny's eyes. She had seen that look only once, the day on his father's funeral, when the two of them were out walking. "Thank you."
He frowned then, studying her for a moment, before giving a huff. "I kept thinking that you have to be bigger than I remember but, nope. Are you still the same size you were when you were five?"
Kara mock glared, before laughing. "My secret weapon. All the guys underestimate me and then I kick their asses."
"I would never underestimate you, Kara," Danny replied, and even though they were both laughing, Kara knew it was true. Danny had always treated Kara as an equal, assuming that she could swim or play baseball or tag as good as any boy.
She fought the urge to reach out and touch his sleeve. "I thought that you were in San Diego?"
"Just transferred to Little Creek," Danny replied, confirming what Kara had suspected. He must have qualified as a SEAL and been assigned to a permanent position here. She didn't press the topic, knowing that he was skirting the question, and wondering if that was because of her or Jennifer.
"How is your Mom? Your brother?" she asked.
"Mom is good. Scott didn't re-enlist so he's back living at the house with her. It makes it easier," Danny explained. "How about your parents?"
"Mom's same as usual," Kara gave a slight shrug, knowing he would understand. "Dad's still working in the oil fields. I have to fly back to Kansas if I want to see him. The only time he leaves Kansas is when he's meeting the guys up at camp."
"They always send Mom a picture from the trip. It makes her happy knowing that they keep up the tradition." Danny smiled suddenly, his entire face lighting up, and Kara suddenly found herself having trouble breathing. When had Danny gotten so attractive? "It's really good to see you, Kara. It felt like a game, guessing where you were from the postcards."
"Probably easier for you than for me," she replied, laughing. "Imagine me as a fourteen-year-old scouring the school library for anything about what the US Navy might be doing in Brazil."
Danny's eyes moved from her to Jennifer and back and, for the first time, Kara thought to wonder why Jennifer was being so quiet. "I'm sure that you two have plans and I don't want to keep you, but any chance you want to meet for coffee later and catch up?"
"I'd love ..." she began, only to be cut off as Jeremy, her on-again-off-again boyfriend of the last year, appeared. Before she could even begin to introduce them, Jeremy wrapped an arm around Kara's shoulders before leaning down to press a rather unexpected kiss to Kara's lips. She frowned at Jeremy, irritated both by the interruption and the possessive display, before returning her attention to Danny, only to see him backing away. Kara felt the loss of his presence physically, as though the sun had disappeared from the sky. Wanting to keep some connection, no matter how small, she managed to ask. "Rain check?"
Kara would have said that she knew every one of Danny's expressions, but she didn't know the look he was giving her now. Then that blinding smile returned and he gave her a mock salute. "I'm headed out tomorrow, but I'll send you a postcard."
"Postcard?" Jeremy demanded, but Kara was busy watching Danny disappear.
She turned, annoyed at Jeremy for being so high-handed and chasing Danny off, pretending that she couldn't see the speculation on Jennifer's face. "It's nothing. A family friend and inside joke. Come on, let's get something to eat."