Title - Birthday Kiss Author name - Carol E-mail - writestories315@yahoo.com Rating - G Spoilers - none Disclaimer - All I own is a mini Bosnia tree and I think it’s dead. Summary - A dare and a kiss Authors Note - Big thanks and smiles to Dae. ************************************************************* Benzinger's Bar 8:32 PM “Hey, Sturgis, remember Harm’s twenty-first birthday party,” Keeter said with a smile. Sturgis grinned. “Before or after you got him drunk.” “During.” Sturgis thought for a moment. “It’s a bit fuzzy. Refresh my memory.” “Diane was mad at him and we got her jealous.” “Oh, yeah, you convinced her that Kimmy Moore was going to give Harm his birthday kiss.” “She was going to kill him.” “But she did kiss him.” “I told her the kiss had to last 21 seconds, one second for each year. Afterwards they made up and stopped fighting with each other...for awhile.” Keeter grinned again as an idea came to mind. “Yeah, that was a good day.” Sturgis smiled in fond memory before he looked at Keeter and realized his good friend had a new idea. “He’s 40 today.” “Yep.” “That’s almost a minute.” “Yep.” “Any idea of a woman who is up to the challenge?” Keeter looked around the bar as his focus fell on one woman in the bar. “Just one.” Sturgis looked at the woman in question. “Think she’ll do it?” “We just have to convince her.” “We?” “Yes, we.” “Do you have a death wish?” Keeter finished his beer. “Come on, you know she’ll do it.” Sturgis took a long drink of his beer. “You’ve lost it.” “Come on, lets go talk to Mac.” Mac was sitting at a table with Harriet and Bobbie. “Hello Ladies,” Keeter said with a stunning smile. Mac looked at Keeter. “Jack, just save us the time and tell us what you want.” Keeter gave Mac an innocent look. “Now, Mac, why would you think I wanted something?” Mac raised her eyebrows. “You’re wearing the patented ‘I-need-a-favor-smile.’ You’re forgetting for the past eight years we have seen every possible flyboy smile.” “According to Harm you’re immune to flyboy smiles,” Sturgis stated as he and Jack sat down at the table. “No, I think at this point Mac is just immune to Harm,” Bobbie informed the group. “I wouldn’t say that,” Sturgis commented. “And why would you say that, Commander?” Harriet asked. Sturgis looked at Mac. “Privileged information.” “Really?” Keeter and Bobbie said with curiosity. Mac smiled sweetly at Sturgis. “You’re not planning on sending out any telepathic communications, are you, Sturgis?” “I can’t be held responsible if someone picks up any communications I might give off.” Sturgis smiled back to Mac. “If someone picks up on something you might be picking yourself off of the floor,” Mac warned. Sturgis took a drink of his beer. “Keeter has something to ask you.” Keeter looked at Sturgis and muttered, “Wimp.” he turned his attention to Mac and smiled. “Mac.” “Jack.” “I have a dare for you.” Mac looked over at Harriet and Bobbie. “A dare?” “Yes, a dare. Do you accept the dare?” “I want to hear it first,” Mac told him. “I thought Marines would do anything,” Bobbie commented. “When the Navy offers you a dare you listen first then accept,” Mac explained. Keeter smiled. “So you’ll accept.” “I never said that,” Mac defended herself. “No, you said you would accept after you heard it,” Harriet commented. “Thank you, Harriet,” Sturgis said with a half smile. He looked at Keeter briefly. “This should be good.” “What’s that dare, Jack?” Mac asked as she tried to get the conversation back on topic. “I want you to kiss Harm,” Keeter finally said. “Funny one, Jack.” Mac laughed. She carefully looked at Sturgis and Keeter who were not laughing and she stopped. “You’re not joking?” “No. I want you to kiss Harm,” Keeter repeated. Harriet looked at the two men. “There’s something else here. Isn’t there?” Sturgis shook his head as Keeter explained, “Yeah. The kiss needs to be on the lips, here at the bar in front of everyone, and last for forty seconds long.” Bobbie smiled. “I think you should do it, Mac. Lord knows the man can kiss.” “That he does,” Harriet added in. Sturgis glared at Bobbie and was about to say something when Mac interrupted. “Why me?” “Because you’re his friend. You trust him. You’re a Marine who would never back down from a challenge. And because I told Sturgis there was no way in hell you would do it,” Keeter added in the last one hoping to use some reverse psychology on her. “If you thought I wouldn’t do it, why did you ask?” Mac asked. Keeter decided to play on the one thing that would encourage Mac to do it. “Well, you see I thought the blonde at the bar would be a good person to kiss him. We all know Harm has a thing for blondes and he has been single for a while. But Sturgis said we should offer it to you first. You know, since you’re Harm’s best friend and a Marine.” Mac glanced over at the blond at the bar. “So ask her.” “So you won’t do it,” Keeter announced. “Why should I kiss Harm for forty seconds in front of everyone?” Mac asked. Keeter looked to his left and watched as Harm talked to AJ and Meredith about something. “It’s a dare, Mac. Marines never back down from a challenge.” “There is a difference between a dare and a challenge,” Mac explained, wishing she never participated in this conversation. Keeter gently kicked Sturgis and he shook his head. Sturgis let out a breath. “Okay, Jack, you were right. She won’t do it. I’ll go talk to the blonde.” Sturgis stood up from the table and walked over to the bar. “I hope she says yes,” Keeter muttered as he took a sip of his beer. Harriet and Bobbie picked up on Keeter’s body language and decided to play along. “She is cute,” Harriet commented. “Definitely Harm’s type,” Bobbie added in. Mac looked over at the bar and Sturgis was talking to the blonde at the bar about something. Then she turned to look over at Harm who smiled towards the bar and acknowledged someone over at the bar. Mac was about to look back at the bar but Keeter caught her attention. “Well, looks like Sturgis got her to make contact. Guess some people are willing to take up challenges.” “You know, I think she is in the Navy,” Harriet supplied. “I saw her in the IG office last week.” “Wow. A Navy girl took a dare you wouldn’t take.” Bobbie took a breath through her teeth. “Don’t worry, Mac, we won’t tell anyone you were offered the dare first.” Keeter looked at the bar and noticed the Sturgis was asking the blonde something, they started to walk towards the back pool tables which were near Harm. “Well, looks like Sturgis got her. Guess she liked what she saw and wasn’t scared.” Mac looked over and noticed the movement. She glared at Keeter. “I am not scared.” Then she stood up and walked decisively over to Harm. Harriet and Bobbie covered their mouths to hide their giggles. “She’s going to do it.” Keeter smiled as Sturgis and the blonde stood by a pool table a few feet away from Harm. “I almost feel sorry for Harm,” Keeter announced. Mac bit her tongue as she walked over to Harm, cursing Keeter in her head. Soon enough she found herself standing next to Harm, AJ, and Meredith. “Hey, Mac,” Harm smiled. She turned and looked at AJ. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to ignore what I’m about to do.” AJ gave her a confused look. “Okay. Do I…?” He started to question, but Mac had already turned around and looked at Harm. She looked up at him and whispered, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” “What?” Harm asked as he looked at her with a slight amount of worry. Mac didn’t answer him, instead she took a step closer, leaned into him, and kissed his squarely on the lips. Harm was taken back for a total of two seconds but quickly recovered and fell into the kiss. His hands found their way to the small of her back as hers moved to the back of his neck. They pulled each other closer with their hands and their mouths. The bar fell into silence as everyone stared at the pair. Very quickly the shocked kiss turned into one of hottest kisses anyone in the bar had ever fallen witness to. A moan escaped from Harm as he felt Mac slip her tongue to meet his lips, seeking permission. Harm accepted and soon the hot kiss turned into one of raw passion. Mac’s hands held on tight as Harm pulled her closer by slipping on hand to the center of her back and the other to her six. The women in the bar felt their hearts race at the emotion of the kiss. While the men wished they were Harm. As the seconds moved closer to the mark Mac started to back off on the force, but Harm wouldn’t let her. The time hit forty seconds and Mac pulled back from his lips. She opened her eyes and found herself locked into Harm’s passion-induced gaze. Her hands moved down his arms and his moved to her hips. She licked her lips and Harm thought he was fall to the floor due to the lack of blood in his head. She cleared her throat, took a deep breath and softly whispered, “Happy birthday, Harm.” She slipped out of his arms, walked back to the table, sat down and smugly looked at the shocked group a the table. Harm on the other hand remained standing in the same spot with a shocked and dazed _expression in his face while his eyes were filled with want and need. The bar slowly started to fill with noise as people realized the show was over. Keeter looked over at Harm and was shocked to see his friend so discombobulated from one kiss. He glanced back over at Mac. “What the hell did you do to him?” Mac looked Keeter in the eye as she tried to control her out of control heartbeat. “I kissed him.” Harriet and Bobbie softly chuckled. “One hell of a kiss,” Bobbie commented. Keeter stood up and walked over to Harm just in time to hear Meredith say, “AJ, is he all right?” “Commander…Harm…,” AJ said as he looked at his officer with a worried _expression on his face. Harm finally got his brain and turned to AJ with a normal _expression and as if nothing happened. “I’m sorry, sir, you were saying?” AJ and Meredith gave each other a concerned look but decided not to say anything and the three of them continued their conversation. Two hours later The party was winding down as people started to leave. Sturgis, Bobbie, Keeter, Mac, and Harm all sat at one table laughing and talking about things. “You see everyone always thought it was me and Harm causing the trouble. When it fact it was this one,” Keeter said as he pointed at Sturgis. “I never got us in trouble,” Sturgis defended himself. Harm laughed. “He thought of the ideas.” “Anything illegal?” Bobbie asked. “Only if you get caught,” the three men said at the same time. Bobbie rolled her eyes and looked at Mac. “Why do we put up with them?” “I ask myself the same question every morning.” Harm looked at Mac with playful hurt. “Okay, Marine, that one is going to cost you.” “Cost me. Cost me what?” Mac asked in mock-shock. Harm thought for a minute as the jukebox finished playing a song. “A dance.” Mac let out a slight chuckle. “One insult equals one dance.” “Yep.” Harm stood up, grabbed her hand and pulled her onto the dance floor. “Guess I should be glad you haven’t been keeping count for the past eight years,” Mac smiled to him as he pulled her into his arms. Harm grinned down at her. “Who says I haven’t been keeping count,” Mac chucked softly and he held her closer. Keeter, Bobbie, and Sturgis smiled as they watched the two dance. Harm held one of Mac’s hands to his chest while her other hand gently held onto the back of his neck. Her fingers running through his short locks. Her head rested on his shoulder with her eyes closed, letting Harm lead them in small circles on the dance floor. Harm free hand rested on the small of her back with the tips of his fingers moving slightly against the silk of her shirt. His head gently rested against the top of hers with his eyes closed, too. “If that’s not love. I don’t know what it is,” Bobbie sighed as she smiled softly at the pair on the dance floor, lost in their own world. The End…(who knows)