Author's Note: Written for morganel's prompt Moment in the Friday's One Word Fic Challenge - Week 4. No spoilers.
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don't earn any money with this piece. I just do it for fun.

Kiss of Passion

It happens for the first time on her 21st birthday.

They have just returned from an eight months mission to one of Thailand's outer districts. Everyone is tired to the bone and looks forward to their two months leave, and to be honest, Alicia has completely forgotten about her so-called 'special' day. She has never been overly fond of the whole birthday jazz and keeping track of that day is at the very bottom of her priority list.

Taylor and the rest of her unit, however, haven't and before she knows it, they've dragged her to one of the bars on Nana Plaza for one last all-night-out-get-together and she is forced to admit that maybe birthdays aren't really so bad. For the first time in weeks, her teammates are truly happy, have fun and enjoy themselves to the fullest. The booze is good, the gifts they've got her are even better (or worse - depending on the perspective but Alicia certainly hasn't missed the darkening of the Commander's eyes as she unwrapped Michelson's 'Travel Pleasure Kit') and with every passing hour, the horrors of the last few months start to fade into a distant memory.

They are pleasantly buzzed (not yet drunk but not entirely sober anymore either) by the time Doc insists they follow an old tradition, namely kissing the birthday girl when the clock rings midnight, and while she is sure it's far from being a tradition, Alicia doesn't have the heart to tell them to go to hell. It doesn't mean though, she's going to make it easy for her team and so she orders them to stand in line, one next to the other (Taylor jokes, he has never seen his men follow a command this fast or eagerly), before she surrenders to her fate.

Most of the men are actually gentlemen and give her a more or less chaste kiss on the cheek, one or two dare to go a little further and peck her quickly on the lips. Michelson, on the other hand, mischievous as he is, swoops right in, grins against her lips, wriggles his eyebrows and Alicia rolls her eyes, her own lips turning up at the corners.

Suddenly, he's gone and she stumbles into the chest of a clearly not amused looking Commander, taking her upper arms in a rather tight yet gentle grip as he steadies her. Startled she meets his gaze and her breath catches as something flashes in those pale eyes. In the years they've known each other he has never shown any sign of either being aware of her feelings for him nor reciprocating them. Or maybe she was too wrapped in hiding her own to notice because there is no doubt about the heat in his eyes now as he watches her.

Alicia gasps as her back hits one of the pillars and it is only then she realizes he's been maneuvering her into the darker part of the bar where they are barely visible among the shadows and low light. Her heart thunders and her cheeks burn under his unwavering gaze but that is nothing in comparison to the shock racing through her body, her breath catching in her throat, as he reaches up and gently brushes a strand of hair out of her face, his calloused fingertips caressing her skin with feather-like touches.

"Sir?"

"Shhh, Wash. Midnight is almost over. If we want to keep the tradition, we're going to have to hurry."

And then he's kissing her, crushes his lips to hers, hungry, needy, swallows her surprised moan and every after that with his mouth. Taylor slides his hands into her hair, nips at her bottom lip and groans low as she parts her lips and curls her tongue around his. Her body arches into his, desire flaring hot inside her as he presses his hips to hers in response.

Laughter across the room tears through the haze of passion surrounding them and for a breathless moment they simply stare at each other. Another cheer sounds and reality returns, like a bucket of ice water, and if it wasn't for his hold on her, she would have bolted.

"Don't."

"Sir, I-"

"It was nothing more than a birthday kiss." His fingers dig into her skin as he pulls her close and touches his forehead to hers, their shuddering breaths mingling in the air between them, eyes dark with emotions they shouldn't feel. "Just a kiss. Nothing more."

They both know it's a lie.

It was far more than that.

ooo

The next morning they hardly talk to each other but none of their team takes notice of it, partly because of the rebreathers making it difficult to have conversations anyway and partly because the men are too busy trying to get over their horrible hangovers. Just before the doors of her train closes, Alicia glances back at her unit one last time and finds Taylor watching her with an unfathomable look in his eyes. It leaves her wondering if things are ever going to be normal again - whatever normal was for her anyway.

Then, two and a half weeks into her leave, he sends her a message, inquiries about her well-being, if the domes are as nice as the commercials promise, how she likes to finally eat real food again - trivial matters. She sees them for what they are, an olive branch, and with great care Alicia formulates a response. Taylor replies the same day again and from there on they correspond with each other at least once a day. When their leave is over, there are no outward signs of anything other than a deep friendship between them.

And if his hand lingers on her back a moment longer than necessary and if she stitches him up with far more gentle hands than the others, no one mentions it.