Author: Jaggie 107
Subject: HBX Challenge 2009 - 'Just Making Sure...'

HBX Challenge lines for February 2009

Mac: Harm?
(Harm reaches out and tentatively touches her arm.)
Mac: What are you doing?
Harm: (shaken) Making sure it's you.

Retreat Hell


‘Just Making Sure…’


HARM’S APARTMENT

“Harm?”

Mac watched in amused curiosity as Harm reached out to touch her arm, then ran his fingers up to her shoulder and onto her face, cupping her cheek gently.

“What are you doing?”

“Making sure it’s you,” Harm’s answer was almost a whisper, and Mac leaned forward a little to hear him, which gave him the perfect opportunity to place his mouth on hers in a tentative kiss.

As kisses went, it wasn’t earth shattering; it wasn’t even a kiss really…just skin touching skin…but when Mac moved slightly and Harm feared her rejection he deepened the kiss, and Mac responded in kind. When they both surfaced for want of air, neither spoke, but then neither of them had to. The silent communication they were so good at by means of expressive eyes and hands brought smiles to both their faces, moments before they kissed once more.

“Wow…” murmured Mac eventually, reaching to touch Harm’s lips with her fingertips as they drew far enough apart once more to draw breath. “That’s some kiss, Sailor.”

“I still can’t believe you’re really here…” Harm answered, his voice a husky murmur as his eyes searched hers. Mac smiled softly.

“That knock on your head really did you in, didn’t it?”

“It’s just…I mean…Mac, I don’t want to jinx this now. I will be eternally grateful to whatever brought you to my door this evening, but I have to know…”

“Know what?” Mac didn’t move from her position in his arms, on the couch, their foreheads still touching.

“I want you, Sarah…” Mac sighed and closed her eyes for a moment as Harm’s voice spoke her given name, and then she opened her eyes again to take in his worried expression.

“You were saying…?” she prompted, and Harm continued.

“I had…have been seeing…you, in kind of weird ways today…” Harm began, and Mac grinned.

“So I gather. For one thing, you called me ‘sweet thing’ earlier today.”

“You heard that?” Harm’s face blanched and Mac leaned in to give him a soft kiss.

“I did. I’d love to hear the story behind it…later…”

“It’s just…you were on your way out to lunch with Mic, and you weren’t coming back…so how come…?” Harm couldn’t finish. Not because he daren’t, but because Mac’s hand was over his mouth.

“Harm, I wouldn’t be here if I were still involved with Mic in any way. We had a disagreement today, and although it wasn’t a mutual decision, we’re no longer together.”

“You’re not?”

“Not any more.”

“This isn’t just the rebound is it? You being here?”

“Harm!” Mac moved to pull away, but found she was trapped as Harm twisted them both on the couch and held Mac above him. It struck her then that she was free to move away from him, but also close enough to feel what she was doing to him, and to know that this was his only way of showing her his heart. By giving her the opportunity to love him, or leave him.

Mac had made her choice earlier in the day, and for a moment her mind went back to the confrontation with Mic in the restaurant.


Earlier at the Restaurant…

“Earth to Sarah,” Mic murmured, both amused and annoyed at Mac’s apparent daydreaming.

“Huh?” Mac answered, her eyes sliding back to Mic’s in confusion.

“Where were you just then?”

“What? Mic, don’t be silly. I’m here with you…”

“Your body might be here, love, but your mind certainly isn’t. Something wrong?”

“No…yes…I don’t know…” Mac answered awkwardly. “It’s just…today’s been really weird. Harm…”

“Rabb? Can we please have a conversation where his name doesn’t enter into it?” Mic sounded petulant, and Mac glared at him before answering.

“Harm was injured, Mic. He hit his head quite hard today, and I’m concerned about him. He wasn’t acting himself.”

“Of course he wasn’t. He was Acting JAG,” Mic retorted snidely, and Mac folded her napkin and placed it beside her half-eaten meal.

“Mic, please stop this. You’re acting like a child now… Harm is no threat to you. In fact, he’s happy for us, for our relationship.”

“What relationship, Sarah?” Mic answered bluntly, and Mac froze, her face paling beneath her makeup. “Be honest, love. I accidentally let slip you’re my fiancée and you go ballistic. I apologized but even so, you still wear my ring on your right hand. What exactly is our ‘relationship’?”

“Apparently it’s null and void by your reckoning, Mic. I didn’t take your ring as your fiancée; you’ve known that from the start. You turn up out of the blue and attempt to force my hand…”

“Force your hand?” Mic’s expression darkened as he, too, put his napkin beside his plate – although he almost threw his down, like the proverbial gauntlet. “I didn’t realize that’s how you perceived my coming halfway round the world to you and giving up my life in Australia!”

“I didn’t ask you to do that for me, Mic…” Mac protested, trying to keep her voice low and calm, aware that others in the restaurant were already looking in their direction. Mic was far too gone to care.

“I gave up everything for you, Sarah!” Mic was on his feet now, and Mac grabbed at his free hand, trying to pull him back into his seat. All pretence of civility was now lost. Mac rose too.

“Again, I didn’t ask you to,” Mac reiterated, adding quickly, “…I’m sure you could have reserved your commission…I mean, you didn’t have to quit altogether!” As Mic looked at her, his expression a mixture of hurt and disgust, Mac also noticed the slight tilt of his mouth that was almost a sneer. Her blood ran cold. “You didn’t quit! You did just reserve your commission! My God, Mic! You were going to get me to marry you, somehow, and then go straight back to Australia! What about my career?”

“What about it? You’d be pregnant most of the time anyway; you said you wanted a big family. With me away on sea duty you’d have plenty to occupy you.”

“Stop! Right there!” Mac raised a hand between them and gave Mic the cold stare she usually reserved for the most obnoxious people she met. “This is over. Now. I suggest you go back to the rock you crawled out from and go find some other Sheila that might fall for your charms; or rather, lack of them.” With that short, sharp speech, Mac lifted her purse off the table and all but marched out of the restaurant, her head held high. Behind her, Mic called out, but Mac didn't look back.

The sound of applause behind her brought a slight smile to her face. As she assessed her current situation regarding the lack of transport – she had come out in Mic’s car – she raised her hand and called for a cab.

“Union Station, North, please…” Mac instructed the driver, knowing she could direct him to Harm’s apartment once they got closer to the area. Blowing out a breath of air to calm her nerves, Mac sat back in the seat and closed her eyes.

“Bad day, huh?”

“More like a bad date,” Mac answered, and then grinned. The driver smiled in response and then kept silent for the rest of the ride, apart from when Mac gave directions nearer to Harm’s apartment.


HARM’S APARTMENT – Later…

“Harm? What are you doing?” For the second time that evening, Mac asked the same questions. And for the second time, Harm reached out to touch her, his fingers tentative as they rested on her arm.

‘Just making sure it’s you…’

Mac laughed softly and stepped closer, heading out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped sarong-like around her lithe body. Coming to sit at the edge of the bed she looked down at Harm, her eyes taking in the still-unsure expression in his eyes.

“Was this another of your visions? Me stepping out of your shower?”

Harm nodded silently, his fingers still resting on her arm as he looked up at her, and Mac leaned down to bestow a loving kiss before sitting back up once more.

“I’m glad you’re here, Sarah…” Harm began, but Mac once more put her hand over his mouth, stilling further words, making them unnecessary as once again they communicated with their eyes, and their hands, and their bodies.


The End