Author: Staz
Subject: Three down - HBX December Challenge

Disclaimer: don’t even own a house, don’t sue.

Author’s note: thanks to a boring day at Uni and a slow shift at work – here’s my answer to the December lines of the HBX Challenge. Another moment out of life.
Thank you all so much for the great reviews on Restricted, you guys are the very best!

All mistakes are mine.

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Harm walked into the room and smiled softly at Mac, lying on the bed. He came to sit next to her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. As he leaned back, Mac looked at him closely.

“You look tired.” She observed.

“So do you.” He retorted and she rolled her eyes.

“Well, 20 hours of labor will do that...”

All traces of teasing melted away from his expression and a brand new light shone in his eyes. “She’s so beautiful, Mac.” The wonder in his voice warmed her to the core.

“She is, isn’t she?”

“And she’s so small...” Mac could sense the worries creeping in.

In the past months Harm went postal making sure their house was baby-proof. He constantly worried about the crib and its safety as well as the rest of the designated room and the rest of the house. Not that she didn’t share his concern, but she was a little more focused on the actual birth... and everything that could go wrong with that.

She changed tactics. “And yet she’s already got you wrapped around her finger.”

Harm snapped out of his thoughts and grinned down at her. “Worried she’ll take your place, jarhead?”

She twinkled at him through a yawn that overtook her, then ruffled his hair affectionately. “Nah, I’m pretty sure I can snap you back to me at will.” She tossed in a seductive wink for affect.

Playing right along, he brought their faces nose to nose. “Really?” He drawled.

For a brief second they both paused and Mac flicked her gaze to the door. It was times like these in public places that people tended to barge in on them and make them both turn different shades of red. Either Bud was looking for them or some petty officer had a message or any other unbelievably badly-timed entrance. A second later, when it became obvious no one was coming, they re-focused.

Mac closed her eyes, reveling in the comforting, familiar closeness of the two of them. With the tip of her finger she gently traced the outline of his ear. She took in his deep sigh, the warmth of his body next to hers, the smell that was uniquely his and something in her heart eased.

“We made it.” Her soul lifted and floated in the air.

Harm stilled for a moment, before his lips touched hers. He kissed her slowly, methodically. First his lips to hers, tasting them with his tongue, then going beyond to caress her tongue with his. He finished the kiss with a long touch of his lips against hers and then drew back just enough to look her in the eyes.

When she finally opened them, they were glistening with unshed tears.

“You said that on our wedding night.” He searched her eyes.

“I felt the same way then.” His eyes squinted a bit.

“And the first night we spent in our new house.”

“Then too.” He detected a slight wariness in her, and answered with a soft touch of his thumb against her cheek. A gesture of comfort.

He gave her a minute to realize she didn’t need to raise her guard. Two years of marriage had taught him to give her space when she needed it. Well.. actually, it was Mac that stated it rather bluntly at one time and if he had one thing it was a good memory. He learned to recognize the words in her body language and waited till she spelled ‘Green light’.

Once the light turned, he leaned for a short kiss before getting back to his previous point.

“So... how many more do we have?”

She paused in thought, but it didn’t seem like she was wondering as to his meaning, or contemplating whether she should answer. It looked like she was counting. He held his breath.

“A little boy, 25th wedding anniversary, our kids getting married, our kids having kids, 50th wedding anniversary and aging well and together.” Her voice was as soft and as fragile as a cobweb in its first dawn’s dew.

If at all possible, he fell deeper in love with the woman before him.

“A little boy, huh?” His eyes strayed to the place that until not too long ago had housed their little baby girl and his heart swelled with pride.

Mac shone back at him. “My looks, your brains, remember?”

As if he could forget. He nodded confirmation all the same.

“I love you, Mac.” Words weren’t adequate to describe what he was feeling at that moment, but he had a feeling she knew just how much lay beyond those banal three words. He saw it in her eyes reflected back at him.

“I love you, Harm.” He knew too.

Six moments to go, she thought to herself, with millions of moments in between. Only millions. Just a few million.
Harm leaned down to kiss Mac.
They cherished the moment.

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End.