Author: Martha
Rating: GS
Spoilers: Anything is game.
Disclaimer: Not mine...never will be, but I wish I owned DJE.
Summary: Harm and Mac are sent on an assignment to Iraq and find themselves in more trouble than they expected.
Notes: This is what happens when you're in class and you're bored during a review. Sorry for any mistakes.
Archive: Just ask, please.
Hours Later
Classified Location Iraq
It was the typical scenery of a war-torn country. The small neighborhood they were staying at wasn't much of a neighborhood anymore. Some buildings were practically rubble. Others were partially imploded, and were often the hiding spot for small children that roamed around playing with their other small companions. Much to their surprise though, there remained a couple standing. One of which would be Harm and Mac's room slash headquarters.
"Well Mr., Mrs., I wish we could accommodate you more comfortably, but I'm afraid this is all we have for now." The middle-aged man spoke with a heavy accent. "The place you will instruct in is the building on the opposite side of the street."
"Thank you." Harm responded.
"Anything else I can help you with?" His word stumbled.
Mac spoke to him in Farsi so he could feel more at ease. 'No, that'll be all. Thank you for your help. We appreciate it.'
The man's eyes widened a bit. 'You speak Farsi.'
'Yes. My grandmother was Iranian. She taught me.' Her smile was wide with pride.
'I'm pleased to know it. Not only are you a beautiful woman, but you speak my language. That's doubly great.' Mac blushed and Harm watched with curiosity. She caught his eyes and smiled. "You can't even detect and accent." This time the man spoke in english. "You're a very lucky man, Mr. Elliott." He looked at Harm. "Be safe during your stay." He nodded his head and left them there.
"What did he tell you?" Harm asked with a smirk. "It wouldn't be anything about loose hips would it?" He teased.
"Shut up, James." She grinned at him in response. "But he's right you know." Harm was confused. Seeing his reaction she clarified it. "You are a lucky guy."
"Really, Lisa. Why would you say that?" He got closer to her, invading her personal space.
She wanted to accept his challenge, but her brain wouldn't let her. She...they had to keep their heads in the game. And she was afraid that if she kissed him, she would not be able to concentrate on anything but him.
"Because, whatever would you do without me, flyboy?" She smiled and batted her eyelashes at him.
"I have no idea." He tapped her nose with his finger and walked to the restroom.
'What a way to ruin another "Hallmark Moment", Mac!' She sighed to herself.
"So what are we going to do today?" Harm spoke from where he was putting away his belongings.
"The same thing we do everyday."
"Eat, work, and sleep?" He played along.
"Try to take over the world."
"Oh so you're the brain now? What ever happened to me being the brains of the operations?"
"Well, let's see. We're in a country where you have no clue what they're saying, but I do. Without me would you ask for directions if you got lost? No. And even if you did, there's the language barrier. I can?"
He interrupted her. "Ok. Ok. Ok. I get the point."
"Well I'm assuming you want to start early tomorrow?" She moved toward the bed.
"Yeah." He paused to look at her. "You're going to bed already?"
"Well what else can I do?" She smiled.
"Well anything but sleep. It's still early in Washington, right now."
"Well, we're not in Washington, genius."
"You're sleepy?"
"What do you want to do, flyboy? We have to get rid of the jetlag anyway."
"But sleep?"
"James!" She cut him off. "Get over here."
Surprised, amazed, worried, it was pretty safe to say that Harm was all of that and more. He moved cautiously toward the bed.
"Are you going to tackle me because I won't let you sleep?" He grinned.
"Do you want me to?" She grinned back at him. His lack of response prompted her to continue. "Hey, I was just going to kiss you goodnight."
"You-you were going to what?" He stopped dead in his tracks a few feet in front of her.
"Kiss you goodnight. Come on, James, we're married now." She winked at him. He got closer to her. Mac had initially gone to kiss his cheek, but Harm turned his head slightly and their lips touched.
At first, Mac was taken back by his boldness, but once Harm traced her lips with his tongue, she gave in and kissed him back.
The kiss was gentle, yet Harm's mouth was demanding enough to ignite a fire within them both. If they thought that they could hide their feelings for each other after that, then they were mistaken.
Before his hands could roam her body further, he broke away enough to look at her.
"Wow." He smiled. His voice carried a low huskiness to it.
"Yeah." She leaned her forehead on his. "Not what I had planned, but it was better."
"What did you have planned?" His voice lowered again.
"I don't know." She smiled. She wanted to kiss him again, she really did, but there were so many things left unsaid, so many problems to work through, not to mention their current situation. She pulled away before she damned all of that to hell.
Harm sensed her inner battle and allowed her to step back. He knew better to push her. He had done it before, and ultimately learned the hard way.
"Harm..." She was going to apologize and Harm knew it.
"I'm not sorry, Mac." Her eyes went a little wider and a smile appeared on her face. "I'm just sorry that we had to stop. We have a job to do here. But that doesn't mean I wanted to."
Mac nodded her head. She agreed with him. "I know."
"Good night, Mac." He went to kiss her cheek.
"Good night, Harm."
Neither bothered to use their aliases. It was too tender of a moment to ruin it with impersonal labels.