Author: Cyclone
Rating: PG13
Summary: Consequences: A conclusion reached through valid deductive reasoning.
Disclaimer: If they were mine, they would have christened the puddle jumpers already. Numerous times, in an endless variety of positions. )
Thanks: Shane for the beta. And Traci, who got me hooked in the first place.
XxX
"So I guess the question is, what are we going to do about it?"
He thought it was a very pertinent question but Elizabeth was suddenly glaring at him like she'd just discovered something unpleasant on the bottom of her shoe, and he was it. He didn't like it when she glared. He liked it even less when she glared at him. Especially since moments before she'd been smiling at him in such a way that fantasies of clubbing her over her head and dragging her back to his cave had briefly crossed his mind. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
"The consequences, or the ramifications?" she asked finally, breaking his fantasies – which actually weren't that brief – up.
"Both. Either." He thought about it and nudged her softly. "Consequences first, I think. You did threaten me with them and . . . well, it was a good threat. It should be carried out."
Elizabeth made a choking sound as she tried – unsuccessfully, he was glad to see – to stop herself from laughing. "And then?"
That would bring them to the ramifications. Technically, they shouldn't be that bad. So he was the ranking military officer and she was the expedition commander - there was nothing in the rulebook that specifically forbade a personal relationship between the two of them. And it wasn't like they didn't know what they wanted.
"More consequences?" he offered.
"John. If we do . . . this, we really need to have a plan. We need to figure out what we'll do when it becomes common knowledge. How we'll handle the day to day running of the city. A million other different . . ."
She trailed off when he cupped her face and he liked the fact that he was responsible for the sudden softness that appeared in her eyes. "I know. I do. But can't we just…" He made a vague waggling gesture with his eyebrows ". . . first?"
"Consequences?" she offered with a knowing grin.
"Yes." He nodded enthusiastically. "Those. We need to do those. Really."
"We need to do consequences?"
"Yes."
"As in . . ." She tilted her head to the side and let her grin turn into a smile and he decided that he could really get used to her looking at him like that. "Something that logically or naturally follows from an action or condition?"
"Yes. Logically." Logic was good. Logic was his friend. Logic would see to it that he got to experience all sorts of naked goodness with this woman. He loved logic.
"A conclusion reached through valid deductive reasoning?"
"Yes." Reason was also his friend. He loved reason too. Reason and logic were going to be great for his sex life.
"So what you're saying is –"
"Exactly," he interrupted. She was toying with him again. It was still hot. Actually, it was better than hot. It was . . . well, all he could come up with was hotter, because the scent of her hair was intoxicating and it was doing all sorts of weird things to his brain. Besides that, he could actually touch her now and he really, really wanted to explore that some more.
"I like it when you play with me," he murmured, gently drawing her face to his. And then he kissed her. And even though he was expecting it, he was still a little surprised when she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him back. Just like it was the most natural thing in the world for the two of them to be holding each other and kissing on the balcony of a floating city.
"I like playing with you," she hummed against his lips when they broke for air, and he almost dragged her off to his cave then and there. If it wasn't for the fact that he'd have to drag her through the control room and past the goggling eyes of a room full of scientists, he would have embraced the whole cat calling, thigh slapping, hubba-hubba cave man attitude and done just that.
"I've noticed."
"You have?"
"Uh-huh," he nodded, and jumped slightly when one of her hands slid down to his butt and patted him. "Hey now. You break it, you buy it."
"Why don't we just consider it mine?" she posed. "Then I can do whatever I want with it." And then she pinched him, and that, combined with the evil little smirk that was gracing her lips suddenly made him very, very happy. "Okay?"
"'Kay," he replied, grinning. There were consequences, after all. And Elizabeth had warned him. He'd just have to suck it up and deal. "Anything you say."
tbc…one more to go!