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Jaal paces back and forth in front of Ryder’s quarters, feeling like a nervous wreck.
He wants to approach her and discuss his growing affections for her, along with the fact that she, well…died, but finds himself overcome with uncertainty. The moment they’d returned from the debriefing at the Nexus, Bridget had taken the liberty of locking herself in her room. He doubts she wants to see anyone right now, himself included, but he needs to see her like he needs air to breathe. Too many things have gone unsaid between them for too long and it’s time he faced his fears. No matter how this goes over, he has to tell her.
Taking a deep breath to reassure himself, he stops his pacing. Tentatively, he knocks on her door.
A few moments pass before SAM is speaking to him through the comms. “My apologies, Jaal, but Ryder has instructed that she would like to be left alone for now.”
“I need to speak with her,” Jaal insists. “Can you please ask if she’d be willing to let me in?”
There’s another long pause before the doors swish open before him. He carefully steps into the dark room, his eyes sweeping the room for its occupant. It takes him a moment, but soon enough he spots her; sitting on the bed with her knees pulled up to her chest.
Slowly, he makes his way over, and after a bit of indecision, sits down next to her. “Ryder?” he prompts softly, reaching out to her, but hesitating and withdrawing his hand halfway. “Are you…all right?”
She chuckles bitterly, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. “’Course I am. Why wouldn’t I be?”
His brows draw together in concern and he stares at her in silence.
Several moments pass where neither of them speak, before Bridget releases an aggravated sigh and snaps, “Is there something you wanted?”
His look of shock is immediate, but based on the grimace appearing on her face, he can tell she hadn’t meant to be so short with him. She looks over at him worriedly, opening her mouth, before quickly shutting it and glancing away. “Sorry,” she mumbles. “It’s just…”
“You don’t need to apologize.”
She winces and brings a hand to her forehead to cover her face. Another sigh escapes her and she asks, “Why are you here, Jaal? Did Lexi send you?”
For a moment, he’s hurt that she’d think he’s not here of his own free will, but he has a feeling her current bitterness is to blame, and forgives her easily enough. He inhales softly, reaching over to brush his fingers against the backs of hers. “No,” he murmurs. “I was…concerned.”
She looks up at him slowly, her expression largely unreadable, but based in confusion. Her dark eyes stare into his for an achingly long time before she says, “You don’t need to be. I’m fine.”
He’s tempted to sigh in exasperation, but keeps it to himself. Sometimes, she’s too reserved for her own good. He knows it’s because she doesn’t want to hinder anyone with her problems, but he wishes she’d let him in. He wants to bear her burden.
“What I meant to say,” he utters quietly, “is that your decision on the Archon’s ship…worried me greatly.”
She scrunches up her nose. “It wasn’t my idea.”
“I know,” he says hastily, before coughing and lowering his voice. “I know…” He sighs and tentatively places his hand atop hers. “But it haunts me even so…The sight of you lying motionless; the endless stretch of time before SAM resuscitated you…I cannot bear to think what might have happened had you not woken up.”
Her gaze softens and a small smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “But I did.”
He begins absentmindedly rubbing his thumb against her hand, his attention focused elsewhere. “It pains me to say that I haven’t slept well since that night…Every time I close my eyes, it’s as if I’m back there. And you…” He releases a shaky breath. “I needed to see you. I needed a reminder that they’re just dreams, that…” His words waver as he looks at her with a pleading expression. “That you are alive – here, with me.”
She’s looking at their linked hands, a wistful longing pulling at her features. Glancing up at him, she murmurs, “Whatever you need from me, consider it yours.”
He swallows thickly, considering the full weight of her words. It had almost sounded like…But no, that couldn’t be, could it? That certainly hadn’t been a profession of mutual feelings, yet knowing her, it might be as close as he’s going to get.
Only one way to be sure.
He reaches towards her, but stops mid-air. Looking her in the eyes, he asks quietly, “With your permission…”
She’s taken aback for a moment, but nods, seemingly at a loss for words.
Gingerly, he cups her neck in his hand, cradling it in his grasp. His thumb swipes over her pulse point and hears her breath hitch. He glances up to see her biting her lip, her expression somewhat flustered. She meets his gaze for a second before sharply glancing away, her cheeks growing crimson.
Her heart is beating steady beneath his touch, a reassurance. He craves more of it. Gradually, his hand begins trailing downwards. He grazes her collarbone, drags his fingers across her sweatshirt, before laying his palm across her heart. Her heartbeat has increased dramatically, prompting him to check for a reaction once more.
A deep blush has made its way across her face and her eyes are closed in an odd mixture of frustration and bliss. Experimentally, he releases a small electrical pulse and her mouth parts, a soft gasp escaping her lips.
The expression on her face is tempting; too tempting, and it takes a great deal of self-restraint to keep his moan under wraps.
Slowly, his hand retreats back to her neck, tenderly caressing her. In a moment of boldness, he dips his head forward to brush a kiss against the bottom of her jaw. Jaal feels more than hears her intake of breath. He can’t help but chuckle. It had been but a ghost of a touch, and yet she’s reacting so strongly to his actions.
He pulls back to look at her and she whines at the loss of contact. He’s almost tempted to chuckle again, but the sight of her face stops him in his tracks.
Her pupils are blown wide, staring at him with a sense of desperation. Her tongue peeks out from between her lips to wet them and his eyes follow its movement hungrily. His right hand is still cradling her neck with the utmost delicacy, and he takes the opportunity to brush his left hand along her jaw.
She gasps again, her eyes falling shut and he repeats the motion, adding small measures of bioelectricity to his gestures. His hand continues its path back and forth until he gently grasps her chin between his fingers.
“Bridget,” he says in a raspy voice. She opens her eyes to meet his, staring at him with a silent want.
His hooded gaze falls to her lips and he asks, “May I?”
She answers at a whisper. “Please.”
And then he’s kissing her. He captures her mouth with a sense of desperation, tugging on her neck to pull her closer. She mewls softly, her hands scrabbling for purchase on his leather bodysuit, and he groans. Stars, but she is soft…He’d known as much from the brief moments of contact they’d had before, but nothing could prepare him for the feeling of her lips beneath his; so delectable and pliant. And heavens above, the noises she’s making…He hadn’t thought her capable of making such delicious sounds, but they resonate with him in the sweetest of ways.
He kisses her like a man starved and she reciprocates in turn. She’s panting into his mouth, breathing ragged as her arms snake around his neck. She drags her fingers down the ridges of his cowl and he trembles beneath her touch. He’s tempted to stay here like this all day, drowning in each other’s affections; there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.
Eventually though, they have to part for air. Bridget pulls away first, gasping as she lays her cheek against his. He’s yet to have his fill though, and immediately descends upon her neck, planting kisses along its length.
“Jaal,” she says with a giggle, before her words transition into a moan. He’s begun suckling the tender flesh, and based on the sounds she’s making, it’s garnered the reaction he’d been hoping for.
He peeks at her for a fraction of a second, his mouth tilting up in a smirk. “Yes, Darling One?”
She huffs out a laugh, grinning wildly. “As much as I’m enjoying this – and trust me, I am – could you maybe not leave hickeys where everyone can see them?”
“What is a ‘hickey’?” he asks innocently, nibbling the juncture of her shoulder and sending a fresh pulse of bioelectricity through her.
She shudders beneath him before halfheartedly pushing him away. “What you’re doing right now…It’s gonna leave marks all over my neck. And Gil and Peebee are not going to let me live it down if they see them.”
There’s mirth in her voice, but he can’t help but wonder…
“Are you ashamed that they would know?” he asks quietly. “About…this?”
“God, no, Jaal! Of course not!” She’s quick to assuage his worries. “It’s just…Embarrassing, I guess. For them to know we’ve been making out like this.” At his blank look, she helpfully supplies, “Kissing like crazy.”
He chuckles in response, leaning back in to press a chaste kiss against her cheek. “Well, considering not much can be done about them now…Perhaps we could continue ‘making out’? I would very much enjoy doing so for the foreseeable future.”
She snorts in amusement, ducking her face against his neck as she giggles. “Sure, Jaal. I think that sounds like a pretty solid plan.”
A broad smile makes its way onto his face as he resumes kissing her. He has a feeling his dreams are likely to continue, especially as the threat of the Archon looms in the background, but having her here in his arms makes it all seem worthwhile.