Work Text:
Take A Chance
"You're an idiot." "Exsqueeze me?" Harper demanded. Not bothering to repeat herself, Beka said, "If you'd just tell her how you feel instead if constantly making ribald propositions, I think you'll find that she'd be more receptive. Way more receptive." Expression unsure, Harper said, "You're kidding, right?" "No, Harper, I'm not. Rommie really likes you, but thinks you only want a casual fling. She doesn't do casual," Beka stated. Beka's right, Harper thought. She had a thing for Dylan for the longest time, but he's still hung up on Sara, and then Gabriel showed up... "Damn, she has bad luck with men," Harper said, unconsciously speaking his thoughts aloud. Snorting, Beka said, "True; witness the fact she has feelings for you. But you could break the cycle, Harper. All you have to do is tell her how you feel." "Easier said than done, Boss," Harper countered. Beka nodded. "True. But the fact of the matter is, Harper, just because she's got all the time in the world, doesn't mean her feelings do." With that, she turned on her heel and strode out of the Maintenance Bay. Eyes focused on some unseen distance, Harper frowned and muttered, "Yeah, right. What, I should just go up to her and say, 'Hey, Rom-doll, I know I've been acting like a total sleaze, but it was only to hide the fact that I'm actually in love with you, and, being the imperfect human guy that I don't like to admit I really am, I didn't know how to deal with it?" "That sounds like a pretty good start to me." Whirling around... and almost falling off his backless stool ... Harper came face-to-chest with Rommie. Reluctantly wrenching his eyes off her cleavage... her rather magnificent cleavage, even if he, as creator of said cleavage, did say so himself... he looked up into warm, laughing brown eyes. "R-Rommie?" he squeaked. "W-what are you doing here?" Shrugging, Rommie dropped down to sit on a crate in front of Harper. Once they were eye-to-eye, she explained, "Beka said you were brooding and that she thought I could help." His eyes narrowed. "She set us up." "I do believe so, Seamus," Rommie agreed. Quirking an eyebrow, she added pointedly, "But she had a good reason, didn't she?" Shifting uncomfortably, Harper made himself look her in the eye as he said, "Yeah, she did." Breathing out heavily, he said, "Rommie, I meant what I said. I do...love you. I just... I've never really done the long-term relationship thing, and your friendship meant a lot to me; I didn't want to risk it." "Didn't?" Rommie asked, emphasizing the past tense usage. Harper nodded. "Yeah, I...I'm willing to take a chance on us if you are." "What was it you keep telling me?" Rommie asked, smiling as she leaned in closer to him. "Trust in the Harper, the Harper is good?" "Very good," Harper purred right before their lips met, the kiss sparking between them like she'd jacked right into his dataport and was searing her way through his circuits towards his soul.