#alpha one

Even a busy night in the Bulkhead couldn't drown out his thoughts.  He sat at their usual table not paying attention to his brothers around him or their conversation.  His focus was where it always was, on her.  Stood beside the bar in an animated conversation with Stella and Davis.  She had a confidence about her, the way she stood almost like it commanded respect.  

She had these eyes that if he was being honest he would have been ecstatic to get lost in forever.  There wasn't one specific color to them, they held the full spectrum of the damned rainbow somehow.  There were times they appeared like the ocean raging against itself in a storm of the century.  Other times especially in sunlight when they seemed to glow, like a treasure that would have awoken a dragon from his slumber to covet and guard forever.  

There were tiny almost invisible to the glance freckles that littered her skin, one wouldn't know they were even there unless they'd been close enough.  Close enough to taste the sweetness from her skin, smell a scent that would forever be associated with her alone.  So close that one could have kissed them had the situation not been life or death dire in the field, and he almost did.

She had a laugh that was like it was sent from the Heavens above.  A holy sound that moved one's soul, it vibrated on a different plane through every fiber of his being and he couldn't explain it.  It was like he was drawn to it like it was calling out to him and him alone.  A sound that he could have picked out in a hail of gunfire without hesitation.  

He used to think that home was a place with four walls and a sturdy structure.  A place with windows and bedrooms and doors that kept out the unsavory.  For the longest time, he thought home was a place, a permanent building but then he'd been on the receiving end of one of her hugs and realized what home really was.

Laid out in a hospital bed after an OP that went south, every inch of him in pain and on fire.  He'd taken his fair share of knocks during the fight but it was the bullet wound in his side that ached something fierce. He woke to find her sitting beside his bed, uncomfortably asleep in an awkward position that made him snort a laugh loud enough to wake her up.

Her eyes widened at the realization that he was awake, practically falling out of that chair in her haste to rush to his bedside.  He never understood how someone like her could have been in their line of work but there she was.  Crammed on that tiny bed with her arms around him in an embrace that could be described as a paradox.

She managed to hug him in a way that was as tender as a mother would hold a newborn child but it also held strength and power.  As if she was trying to protect him, shield him from all the unknowns.  It was like the touch of her skin to his sent every synapse of his a light, working overdrive in a fury to heal.  

Afraid to let her see just how she affected him so he hide his face in the crook of her neck.  Ignoring the throbbing in his side wrapping his arms snugly around her pulling her close.  Closing his eyes not yet understanding how she managed to make him feel something he swore to himself he'd never experience again.

"I fucked up."  Metal sighed heavily, not speaking to anyone in general but the words just sort of slipped out.  Sipping on his whiskey not taking his eyes off her.  "I fucked up hard."

"What?  Why what happened?"  Trent was the first to respond, to sit up worried for his best friend.  The conversation amongst the others died down to listen to Metal.

"Fucked up & fell and there ain't no going back now."  Tossing back the rest of his whiskey in one gulp slamming the glass down on the table.

Up and out of his chair, striding across the room not stopping until he reached her.  His hand grasped hold of hers pulling her attention from her conversation.  She looked at him with curious eyes, those eyes that filled his dreams.  His heart hammering inside his chest, how'd she make him feel like this?  When did she work her way inside behind his walls?

She'd got past his defenses each time he built them up, crashing through them without even knowing.  Striding through all that brick and mortar and barbed wire with a smile he would kill for.  He found himself caring for her without even trying.  Loving her crept up on him silently, but it was there and thundering within him.  

That damned smirk of hers curled up at the edge of her mouth like she knew.  Maybe she knew all along and he was just the last to figure it out.  Words were rushing through his mind, the same ones he'd thought about for ages, but he was a man of few words.  

"Come on," she took the lead, pulling him away from the bar, away from the crowd towards the slightly empty bit many used as a makeshift dance floor. 

 Quietly staring at her, crinkles around his eyes as he smiled.  It was effortless watching her, taking in the sight of the angel in front of him.  Settling her arms around his torso, resting her cheek upon his shoulder, his palms fit perfectly along her hips.  She could feel his heart racing, thumping inside but all she did was close her eyes smiling tenderly.

Lazily swaying side to side, turning in slowed circles.  Dancing at their own pace in their own little world. Oblivious to how time stopped for everyone else around them. How the patrons of the bar and their teammates had come to a standstill watching the once-in-a-quadrillion moment before them.

Not a sound was made from a single soul the moment she leaned up and kissed him.  Floating on cloud nine from that kiss.  Drawn out and long overdue, the kind of kiss that would have never ended if air hadn't been required.  Metal found himself searching out her lips when she'd pulled away for a breath of air.  Big bad Full Metal chasing after her touch and she snickered at the dreamy daze in his eyes as they found hers. 

"I uh," rubbing the back of his neck, wetting his lips with his tongue.

"You don't have to say it outloud yet because I know."  Spoken so matter of factly, so nonchalantly.  Reaching up she plucked the baseball cap from his head and put it on backward making him smirk.  

"Looks good on ya."  Thumb stroking along her jaw.  

His hand was on the back of her neck, fingers tangling in her hair.  Slowly pulling her closer, eyes lingering on her lips.  He put every word he needed to say into that kiss.  All meaning, all emotion, overwhelming and heartfelt put into a hungry dance.  Mouths that spoke what words couldn't fully convey properly.  

The sun’s shining, music is blasting, and the beers are flowing. It’s the traditional pre-deployment BBQ at Blackburn’s. Sonny’s grilling at the pit BBQ up the hill, Brock’s tossing a ball to Cerberus; Ray, Trent, Lisa, and Clay are playing a game of corn hole, Blackburn and Jason are sitting near the coolers, beers in hands as they discuss the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals.

The team is all assembled, all except for Full Metal.

“Dude, is Metal coming? Or is he too cool for tradition?” Clay asked the group as a whole.

“Dude is too cool for a lot of things,” Jason grinned.

“He’ll be here,” Trent nodded. “He was waiting for someone.”

“What do you mean, ‘he was waiting for someone’?” Clay asked. “Like he’s seeing someone?” he clarified.

There was a rumble of laughter from the group. “Like Metal could put up with a woman for longer than a night?”

“Does he even have emotions?” Sonny asked from up the hill.

Brock’s eyes got wide, “He’s like emotionless and soulless looking. What do you think the girl is like?”

“Do we know it’s a girl?” Ray asked, looking to Trent.

Trent shrugged, “He said, he was seeing someone a while back. I didn’t ask much more. I texted him a bit ago to see if he was coming. He said he was waiting for Y/N name to get off work.”

Chaos erupted around the backyard, as Bravo all start talking at once. All asking Trent a million questions about Metal’s personal life.

~*~

Bravo was chaos, as usual when Scott pulled up to Blackburn’s his pickup truck. Even from the street, you could see them all yelling and shouting over one another. Your hands were wrapped tight around his arm, and he chuckled when they clenched his bicep a little tighter.

He knew you were nervous about meeting the team for the first time. He talked them up for the last couple months you’d been together. They’d become this larger-than-life entity, that was super important to Scott. Even in their dysfunctional, out of sorts, family dynamic that Scott liked to laugh about in private.

He claimed that he loved riling them up, in subtle ways, so they’d erupt into chaos trying to figure out who had done what and why. You had rolled your eyes at him when he said he pretended to be soulless and emotionless killer. “Cause you aren’t?” you shot back at him.

His smirk was deadly.

Scott looked over at the chaos that was Bravo when he shut the truck off. You got out of the truck and fixed your clothes. A simple sun dress of red and yellow flowers that played nicely with your tan. You had braided your hair back to combat the heat of the day and wrapped a strip of a Bravo Team bandana around the end.

You pulled the end of the braid over your shoulder and played with end of your hair.

Scott looked down at you after walked around the truck to meet you. He took the end of your hair out of your hands and holds your hand, while smiling reassuringly. “No need to be nervous. They’re just a bunch of overgrown puppies. Besides, they’re afraid of me, one look from me and they’ll shut up.”

You laugh and glance over at the group who have notice your appearance and are now watching you two. “Ah shit,” you murmur.

Scott’s hearty laugh puts a shy smile on your face, and you follow him toward the group, gripping his hand tightly.

~*~

“Dude, she’s tiny,” Clay murmurs as they notice Metal pull up with a chick in his pickup truck.

She’s wearing a sundress covered in red and yellow flowers and looks wholesome and pure.

“She looks like she could break in half if the wind changes,” Sonny says in awe.

“She’s like a foot shorter than him,” Jason chuckles.

“Guys,” Lisa admonishes, successfully scolding them with a look.

Blackburn chuckles and breaks away from the group, doing his duties a host, and greets Metal and his girl. “Welcome to the party,” he grins, “glad you could make it, Metal.”

Metal’s grin has Bravo on edge. “Eric, thanks for having us. This is my girlfriend, Y/N,” he introduces.

~*~

You’re eventually introduced to everyone there, all of Bravo and their families and support staff. There’s a lot of names, and you are positive you forgot half of them already, but Scott’s never too far from you and his easy smiles when he glances at you, are reassuring.

You can feel the intrigue in the air. Bravo is in chaos and you’re the cause, they’ve even started questioning your sanity for dating Scott. “I mean, he’s a stone-cold killer,” Sonny tries to reason with you at one point in the night.

You grin and say, “And you don’t kill in your profession?”

Sonny immediately went on the defense. “But like, he enjoys it.”

“Are you sure about that?” you counter.

Sonny is left gaping when Scott comes up behind you and wraps an arm around your waist. You look over your shoulder at him to see him looking down at you with a sweet smile on his face. “Are you causing trouble over here?” he asks.

“Nah, wouldn’t dream of it,” you answer and push up on your tippy toes to press a kiss to his lips.

He meets you halfway and presses a quick kiss to your lips with a smile. Poor Sonny is still gaping as he watches the two of you. Scott chuckles as he turns to him. “You all right there, Quinn?” Scott asks him.

“Yeah,” Sonny mutters and walks away.

You turn and grin up at your man. “Stop fuckin with everyone,” you say as he wraps his arms around your waist.

“Can’t help it, it’s too easy.”

~*~

“Dude, I don’t get it,” Clay murmurs as he watches Metal with his girl.

“I know,” Jason chuckles, “He seems so… not Full Metal.”

“He seems happy,” Ray says.

“He said he really likes this one,” Trent explains.

“Huh,” Sonny grunts, watching Scott and Y/N make eyes at each other over by the food table.

“She seems so quiet and shy,” Blackburn adds.

“I tried to ask her if she knew what she was getting herself into with someone like Metal,” Clay admits.

“You didn’t,” Lisa groans.

“She seemed confused. Said ‘Scott was a perfect gentleman,’,” Clay answered.

“A perfect gentleman?” Ray asks, turning to Clay.

Clay shrugged.

“I tried to tell her that he was a stone-cold killer,” Sonny admits.

“The fuck?” Lisa smacks him.

“I tried to tell her about why they call him ‘Full Metal’,” Jason admits.

The guys groan and shake their heads. “What’d she say to that?” Lisa asks, finally on board.

“Metal walked up before I could start. He had this goofy grin on his face and started kissing her. I had to walk away,” Jason admits.

The guys chuckle.

“I did mention to her that he had a bit of a reputation around base,” Lisa finally admits.

~*~

You laugh as you lift the neck of the beer bottle to your lips. You take a sip and smirk at Scott. “Your team is in an uproar tonight,” you tell him as you survey the patio.

His laugh is rich and full as he pulls you against his side. “They’re in chaos tonight. It’s hysterical.”

“You always have to fuck with everyone,” you shake your head.

~*~

As the night winds down to an end, Sonny can’t take the suspense anymore. Metal and Y/N are getting ready to leave and he stops them as they’re gathering their food. “Okay, I gotta know,” he starts.

Metal turns and levels Sonny with dead look, but Y/N’s sweet smile has Sonny turning to her instead. “What’s up Sonny?” Y/N asks.

“I gotta know, how’d the two of you meet?” Sonny asks.       

Y/N grins and shrugs a shoulder. “I’m a homicide detective with Virginia Beach PD. Scott was a… person of interest, in a case I worked last year. He ran, I chased him down and slammed him on the hood of my car. He made a snappy comment, I made a snappy comment, and hauled him in for questioning. Turned out he wasn’t the guy we were looking for, and we had quite a bit in common, so I let him buy me dinner.”

Sonny’s mouth drops open in shock.

“You’re a homicide detective?” Clay questions in awe.

“Yeah, ten years now,” Y/N answers with a coy smile.

Metal grins down at his girl like she hung the moon and says, “She’s good with the handcuffs too.”

Y/N grins up at her man and grabs his hand before she turns back to Bravo as a whole. “Good night. It was nice meeting you all.”

They leave, and Bravo erupts into utter chaos.

“What do you mean she’s a homicide detective?” Sonny shouts.

“Metal was a person of interest?” Jason asks.

“How the hell did she slam him on the hood of her car?” Blackburn questions.

“She’s tiny!” Brock says in disbelief.

Trent laughs. “He was completely smitten by her.”

“Did you see the way he was smiling all night?” Lisa asked.

“Dude’s in love,” Ray added.