Salt and Vinegar

"It's amazing how you can even put that much in your mouth."

The handsome red-haired Commanding Officer lifted his head to grin cheekily in reply before shrugging, only adding another crisp to his mouth.

"It's called talent," He commented, before continuing to munch happily.

"It's called 'disgusting.'" Said the cocoa skinned girl with beautiful, scruffy sapphire-coloured hair that was clumsily tied back. She sat at the table with a map laid out before her, her eyebrows raised. Her nose wrinkled in disgust as he stuffed some more crisps into his large mouth.

"Aerrow. Stop it."

His damp, glossy pink lips lifted into a sly smile.

She narrowed her eyes at him. He met her challenging gaze: an innocent look in his own brilliant bright green eyes. Piper groaned in frustration as, slowly, he raised a crisp to his damp lips, watching as it disappeared quickly between them. "Are you trying to annoy me on purpose?"

Aerrow's grin widened as he swallowed hard. "Why in the name of Atmos would I do that?" He replied with feigned shock, biting back a laugh. "To annoy you would be a horrible, horrible thing."

Piper glared at him.

He chuckled, walking over to her to take the map and pull it away. Piper opened her mouth to complain but he only winked at her before thrusting himself into the chair next to her own, resting his elbow on the table so he could lean on it, his upturned face surveying her radiant one.

Her face seemed to glow delicately as he insisted on staring at her, the same secretive smile on his face. Piper looked away, trying to ignore him as she pulled the map back. Pretending to be more interested in examining it, she felt the heat rise on her pink cheeks as he watched her.

Finally, she snapped. "Aerrow, what the hell are you staring at?"

"What do you think I'm staring at?" He retorted.

"Stop looking at me."

"Ah. So you did know it was you I was staring at." Aerrow winked cheekily.

Piper mentally counted to ten. "Aerrow. Shut. Up."

"You started this conversation. I wasn't talking before."

"Fine. Then shut up, and stop staring."

"But nothing else is worth staring at."

Piper ignored the small tingling sensation that was tickling its way up her spine, fighting to push the dimples back into her cheeks. Her eyes lowered to look at the map again, yet her vision was a blur: and suddenly his lips were brushing against her ear as he murmured, "You've been staring at that map for a full ten minutes and you haven't even made any notes."

This revelation startled the poor girl. Her head snapped up to look at him: her alluring amber eyes looked into his so deeply that she didn't even notice his chair had moved forward, and that his knee was gently nudging hers.

He had her, and they both knew it.

Piper swiftly pushed her chair backwards and leapt up, sweeping the map off the table as she did so. The sudden movement caused Aerrow to stand as well; he could not help but step towards her, unknowledgeable about what the next step would be. His movements with her were always planned from the start to draw her into a trap: but somehow this always backfired and it was his own back against the corner instead of hers.

Piper felt the corner of her lips lift slightly in amusement. "What?"

His heart was quickening as he stared back at her, his top tooth grazing his bottom one slightly. "Piper..."

"What, Aerrow?" She repeated, slowly stepping towards him.

His palms felt clammy. Flexing his fingers, Aerrow opened his mouth to speak: but for once he had nothing to say to her. Now the smile on her face was brighter than ever: she raised her head to look up at him; he felt his own bend down and his eyes close with pleasure as her eyelashes tickled his jawline.

"Nothing..." He murmured, his hand reaching out to take hers. Her slim fingers closed around his hand and they leaned against each other; breathing slowly and deeply into each other's slightly open mouths. Her hand cupped his cheek just as his slid along her waist; his long nose brushing her small, button-like one.

"Aerrow," Piper whispered almost dreamily, feeling all self-restrain slowly drain out of her.

"Hmm."

"About your so-called talent..."

His eyes flew open in amusement. "Oh yes?"

"It hasn't impressed me."

"Hmm..." His lips ran along her bottom one, his large hand curling around her tiny throat as his thumb pushed her chin up so he could do so easily. "Perhaps I could find something else to impress you then."

She pulled away a little to smirk up at him challengingly.

"Perhaps. That is, if you can."

He chuckled before swiftly taking her lips between his, holding them for a long, luxurious moment. Piper smiled into his mouth but before she could respond, he had pulled away. They looked at each other for what seemed a lifetime.

"You stink of salt and vinegar." Piper breathed. He chuckled, his warm breath blowing over her musky pink lips. He moved his mouth up and down against hers slowly, teasing her.

"But..." She continued, feeling her stomach sizzle playfully. "I suppose I like it."

His lips pressed momentarily against hers. "So I do have a gift?"

Amber eyes met emerald ones. "Well, I don't know, Captain. I didn't really get a good enough sample last time. Perhaps you ought to show me again."

Aerrow grinned. "Hmm... Well if you insist."