Title: Intimate Sleep

Author: JAG Junkie (rondayoung@yahoo.com)

Rating: PG-13 (Just to be safe)

Category: Romance (Harm/Mac)

Disclaimer:  They are (sadly) not mine.  If they were, I would have found more excuses for them to spend the night at each other’s apartment!

 

Summary: Mac reflects on how one evening ended up very differently than planned.  This is pure fluff, so don’t go looking for a plot because there isn’t one.  lol

 

A/N: Originally, this was going to be part of my story “Birthday Cake”, but I couldn’t seem to make it fit.  It kept bogging down the story and getting in the way.  Then it wanted to go in its own direction.  So I took it out, reworked it, expanded it, and made it into its own little stand-alone scene.

 

I seem to be writing a lot about sleep lately.  Maybe the fact that too often I stay up too late writing fanfic has something to do with this recurring theme, I don’t know.  All I know is that sleeping with Harm sure is an appealing subject.  ;-)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m in heaven.  I’m wrapped in Harm’s arms.  I’m in Harm’s *bed* and I’m in his *arms*.  Wow.  A girl could get used to waking up like this.  I’m right where I want to be and I don’t ever want to leave.  How can I ever sleep alone again?  No wonder I had trouble sleeping before.  Somehow, I must have known what I was missing.

 

I’m not really sure how this happened.  We were hanging out last night like we have been every Friday night for a while now, and we lost track of time.  *I* lost track of time.  Me.  The one who always knows what time it is--down to the second.  Lately, my sense of time has been going haywire whenever I’m around him.  It’s never happened before with anyone else.  Only with him.  Hmm.  Such a familiar phrase.  It used to hold so much pain, but now?  Now I think I like that phrase.  Things have always been different with us.  That’s how I know it’s real.

 

So, it was really late and he was worried about me driving home by myself at that hour.  I was about to give him my standard “I’m a Marine, I can handle myself” line, when it dawned on me that if our roles were reversed, I would object to his driving home alone in the middle of the night.  I guess we’re both a little protective of each other.  Probably comes from years of watching each other’s sixes.  And the fact that we genuinely care about each other.

 

So we decided I’d just stay until morning.  Inevitably, we had the predictable debate over who should sleep on the couch and who should sleep on the bed.  In the end, we both decided to be practical and share the bed.  We’d done it before without a problem, so this was no different, right?

 

Well, I guess it was a *little* different.  There were no poachers to run from before dawn.  There were no bombs chasing us away.  And there was no trauma-induced hostility.  Okay.  It was *a lot* different this time.  Because now I’m here with my head on his shoulder and my hand resting on his bare chest.  I know I’m staring, but I can’t help it.  This is one sexy man.  And he’s still asleep, so I can look and enjoy all I want.  He’d be doing the same thing if he were the one awake, I’m sure.

 

We didn’t start the night this way.  Somehow, during the night, our legs became entangled, but I’m not complaining.  With his one leg thrown over me and his arms wrapped tightly around me, I feel like I’m in a safe cocoon.  I wonder if this is what it will be like the morning after our first time.  That is, if we ever *have* a first time.  However, if we ever share a bed again, I don’t think we’ll be able to take a step backwards and remain apart for the whole night.  And if we continue to spend our nights together like this, I’m pretty sure there’s hope for us.  So I wonder if this is what it will be like.  Both of us holding each other close, not embarrassed, just comfortable with each other and very content.  Hmm.  It feels like that now and we haven’t actually done anything.  At least, we haven’t actually done the deed.  But I think we’ve done *something* just by being like this.  This is not how you platonically sleep with a friend!

 

I shift my position a little and the slight friction of skin against skin sends jolts of electricity throughout my body.  He’s wearing nothing but boxers and I’m just wearing panties and one of his oversized tee-shirts, so we have a lot of skin exposed.  Funny how we were okay with the lack of clothing.  Last night, we climbed into bed together like we’d been doing it for years.  Well, seeing each other in this state of undress was really nothing new, but never in such close proximity.  And certainly not while in bed together.

 

In my new position, I realize that my breasts are firmly pressed against his side and the thin fabric between us isn’t hiding much.  My movement must have awakened him, because now I hear a voice that is music to my ears.

 

“Morning, Mac.”

 

Oh, man.  Never have those two words sounded so sexy!

 

“Morning, Harm.”

 

Oops, I didn’t mean to sound like such a seductress, but my mind is not exactly pure at the moment.  Now he’s rubbing his hand up and down my back.  Does he know what he’s doing to me?

 

“You sleep okay?”

 

He still has that sexy, low voice thing going.

 

“Yeah, you?”  I reply, still fighting to stay out of temptress mode.

 

“Yeah.  Much better than I would have if I’d been alone on the couch.”

 

I can’t help but notice that he qualified “on the couch” with “alone”.  So what made it better, the bed, or me?

 

“Same here.  I probably would have gotten cold on the couch, like last time.”

 

Has it really been that long since I’ve slept on his couch?  And when did I start drawing little circles on his chest?

 

“Glad I could help keep you warm.  At least, I’m assuming that’s how we ended up like this.”  He raises an eyebrow.

 

“Must be.”

 

I notice that neither one of us is making any effort to move from our intimate position.  Intimate.  Yeah, we’re definitely in intimate territory here.

 

“I didn’t realize we’d be so intimate by morning.”

 

His eyes fly open.  “Intimate?  Mac, nothing happened!  I think I’d remember if it did!”

 

I smile at his protests.  I just love it when he’s flustered!  “No, not that.  I think I’d remember that too.”  I wink.  “But I definitely think we’ve crossed the line here, Harm.”

 

He looks at me a little confused.  “But all we did was sleep.  We’ve done that together before.”

 

“Not like this.  It’s different this time.  Think about it.  If I were Bud or Sturgis, would we be like this now?”  I sweep my eyes across our intertwined bodies.

 

He makes a disgusted face.  “Of course not!”  After a thoughtful pause, he adds, “You know, I *did* have to share a bed with Bud once.”

 

“You did?  Why?”

 

“We were forced to share a hotel room with one bed.  Nothing else was available.  I made sure to stay as close to the edge of the bed as possible.”  He chuckles.

 

“Well, you certainly didn’t do that this time, Sailor.”

 

He grins as his cheeks turn pink.  “No, I guess I didn’t.”

 

“So, what’s different?”  I press forward, with my words and with my body.  As much as I like being close like this, there are much more interesting things we could be doing than talking.

 

“You’re much prettier than Bud.”  He caresses my arm.  “And softer.”  His fingers gently move to my cheek.  “And sexier.”  He brushes his lips against mine and I eagerly deepen the kiss.  He responds by pulling me closer, if that’s even possible.  The walls of caution and self-control crumble and we hungrily devour each other’s mouths.

 

Our hands are roaming freely now.  What was previously forbidden territory is now fair game.  One of his hands has found its way under my shirt and is rubbing the skin on my back and my side, daring to get a little closer to my breast with each stroke.  I playfully dip my hands under the waistband of his boxers.  I do believe I’m finally going to experience Harmon Rabb the way I’ve always dreamed.

 

Suddenly, he stops and pulls back slightly.  I can’t help the little whimper that escapes.

 

“Mac, I can’t.  We can’t.  Not like this.  There’s something I have to tell you first.”

 

Okay, this had better be good, Sailor!  You can’t just tease a girl like that and then stop!  I don’t say this out loud, but I’m sure he can read it in my eyes.

 

“Mac, as much as I’m enjoying where this is leading, this isn’t the way I planned to wake up this morning.”

 

I start to pull away.  I don’t like the sound of this.

 

He grabs me and keeps me close.  “Wait!  Hear me out.  Despite the spontaneity of what’s happening, I don’t want you to think this is just some spur-of-the-moment fling for me.  I’ve actually thought about this a lot over the years.”

 

“You have?”  I’m relieved that I’m not the only one that has fantasized about us being together.

 

“Yeah.”  He grins sheepishly.  “I decided long ago that I didn’t want to just have sex with you.  I didn’t even want to just make love *to* you.  I want to make love *with* you.  I love you, Mac.  Please tell me you feel the same way.”

 

His eyes are desperately pleading with me.  I wanted words and boy am I getting them!

 

I run my fingers through his hair and smile reassuringly.  “I’ve thought about this a lot, too, Harm, and I do feel the same way.  I don’t want just a fleeting roll in the hay with you.  I want it all.  I love you, too, Harm.”

 

“Well,” he grins impishly, “now that we have that settled…”  He rolls on top of me and crushes his lips and body against mine.  We desperately start tearing at the few clothes we are wearing.  And we spend the rest of the morning demonstrating everything we just said.

 

I know I won’t be sleeping alone ever again.  Not if I can help it.

 

*****