insurgents | OPEN POST.

Mary was trying to find something to grab onto, something to steady her, but the wind was so strong that it batted her away from any of the holds. At the sound of Jim's voice, she looked up, seeing a flash of his face in the lightning. She tried to scramble towards him through the blinding rain. "Jim," she called, "I want-"

Her sentence got cut off as the ship pitched sharply to the right and a wave washed up over the deck. Mary lost her footing and got swept up in it, screaming as it took her over the edge of the ship and down into the cold ocean.

If panic had taken his heart before, now it froze Jim in his spot. At first swept up by the wave and the sudden swerve of the ship, he managed to stay on the deck thanks to his firm hold on that rope, but it was with horror that he both saw and heard Mary get swept over the edge, falling into the dark, cold waters.

Jim couldn't think, he couldn't do anything but stand in his spot, completely frozen. Then, without thinking or even being aware of it, he let go of the rope in his hand and ran towards the edge, grabbing a smaller rope tied to the mast before he was jumping into the water himself. It was his luck that another crew member was close enough to grab the sail where he'd let go, but Jim didn't even have enough presence of mind to notice.

All he could think about was Mary, struggling and failing to stay afloat on the wild sea. Getting thrown against the side of the ship and being crushed to death. Sinking deeper into the cold darkness where Jim could never reach her, could never find her again.

He'd waited too long, it felt like it. As he dove into the water, he could only think that he'd taken too long. In reality not even a second had passed before he'd jumped into the water after Mary, but to him it had been an eternity, and now he couldn't see her, didn't know where to even turn to find her.

The next few minutes of her life were a blur, and the feeling of absolute terror that she was going to die. Mary had no idea which way was up and she struggled to find the surface of the water, worried that she was actually going deeper. She thrashed, lungs burning, trying to see anything in the dark water, but everything looked the same to her. Finally, she touched something that felt like cloth, so at least she knew it wasn't the boat or a shark.

That cloth happened to be Jim's shirt, and the touch alone was enough to get his attention. Fingers failed to grasp at his shirt, and he tried to reach out to her instead, her arm practically slipping through his fingers.

He didn't know where he got the sudden strength— panic, possibly, or just the motivation in him that ever refused to yield to anything, but he managed to swim against the tide, taking on the waves in what felt like a nearly insurmountable fight, finally managing to catch her, this time his arm wrapping tight around her waist. His other arm started winding around the rope, tugging hard and hoping someone up on the ship would hoist them up, his legs folding and his feet planted onto the side once they were closer to the hull.

She could feel herself slipping away from him in the rip tide and Mary fought it as hard as she could in her weakened state. It was getting tiring, but she knew the person who had come in after her was Jim and she couldn't let him drown with her - nor could she let him go back without her. He may not have said the words, but Mary knew how he truly felt about her.

When his arm circled around her waist, Mary clung to him as best she could, though she was dizzy and nearly unconscious. They broke the surface, Mary coughing and gasping for air while trying to maintain a hold on him.

It still felt like his hold was too weak, but his arm clung to her as hard as he possibly could manage right now, all of his strength split between keeping her close and holding onto the rope. Finally he started to feel someone tugging them up, and he tried to walk along the side of the ship, though eventually his feet started to slip and he had to rely entirely on whoever it was that was pulling them up.

Probably Spock or Bones, but Jim couldn't tell just then. The moment they were dragged back over the edge and into the ship, Jim fell to his knees, still holding Mary in his arms as he tried to see if she was awake (and alive), a hand cupping her face and nudging. "Mary— Mary! Please, no, please..."

Feeling herself back on a hard surface, even one that was rocking back and forth, made her feel better. Somehow they had managed to get back onto the ship. Her eyes shot open to find Jim hovering over her, looking more worried than she had ever seen him look.

"Jim!" She gasped, still coughing and trying to find her breath. "I wanted... to help..."

It seemed incredibly silly now.

He could feel nothing more but relief the moment she said his name, and he nearly let out a cry as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. The ship kept rocking in the storm, though, and the crew had gone back to keeping the ship in one piece, so Jim had to as well.

Happy reunions —and whatever else— would just have to wait. Jim got to his feet, bringing her up too, then proceeded to take her back to the cabin, holding onto the frame of the door and pushing her inside. "Stay in here!" And without further delay, he slammed the door shut, going back to helping the crew through the storm.

Mary was dragged rather unceremoniously to his cabin and she felt herself being shoved inside. She rocked on unsteady feet and by the time she could get turned back around, the door was already closed. At the sound of the lock bolting, Mary was incensed, despite still trying to catch her breath.

"Hey!" She cried out, banging on the door and trying to push against the lock. It didn't even budge and Mary eventually succumbed to a coughing fit. After laying on the floor for a moment, she crawled to the bed and managed to get up onto it, hoping to wait out the rest of the storm there.

The storm was too loud for him to hear her banging or calling out, though it wouldn't matter either way. His priority was on saving the ship, and now he was sure she had no way of getting out of there and putting herself at risk again.

The storm seemed to go on for days or weeks, although in true it was no more than another hour or so. It was still night as it started to ease up, though dawn should be coming soon, thunder gone but a softer rain remaining, the tide still lively but much softer on the ship. The crew was exhausted but alive, and Jim asked Spock to see to the state of the ship, what needed fixing and what was working still, then made his way to his cabin, the sound of the door unlocking as he pushed it open and stepped inside.

Mary had fallen into light sleep. The lull of the ship as the storm passed plus exhaustion over her ordeal had put her out. When she heard the bolt unlocking though, Mary woke suddenly. She sat up on the bed and fixed Jim with an angry glare.

"How dare you lock me in here like a prisoner, Jim."

As if she had much of an argument. She'd gotten both of them nearly killed.

"How can you even ask that?"

He barked back before she even reached the last of her words, his tone harsh and loud, overlapping hers. He still had energy rushing through his body, which only fuelled the sudden anger he now felt about what she'd done, though he knew all too well that it came from a place of concern.

"You walked out into that storm! Are you mad?! You nearly got yourself killed, and what? You'd have me leave the door unlocked so you could go out there and try it again?"

This was the angriest that she had ever seen him be at anyone, and while she knew that he had a right to be, she was feeling too worked up to let the fight go.

"I wanted to help. If I'm to stay here on this ship then I need to be able to do what the rest of the crew does. I may be a lady, but I am not weak. I could have held onto a rope."

He was treating her like the precious cargo that he found her to be, but sometimes Mary got tired of Jim trying to protect her.

"Right, because you were holding onto something when that wave hit you. You would have managed just fine hadn't I jumped in after you."

The mere memory settled unpleasantly at the pit of his stomach, making his insides twist violently. It wasn't that he thought her useless or weak, but the chance that he could have lost her in a heartbeat because she could not see just how much she could handle was still too fresh on his mind.

"God, Mary! You nearly drowned! Do you have any idea— any idea of the horror..."

His voice faltered, and he exhaled shakily, turning away from her and covering his face with his hands.

At the crack in his voice, Mary knew that she couldn't argue with him anymore. What she had done was stupid and she didn't have a leg to stand on. Mary quietly got up and went to stand behind him.

"You're right. I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me. I didn't... I didn't think I would make it."

She had felt how close to death she was and it had been terrifying. Mary placed her hand gently on Jim's shoulder.

He wasn't sure if he wouldn't prefer her being mad at him right now. He was a touch away from breaking down, and that touch came when her hand landed on his shoulder.

A shudder spread through him, and in a breath he turned around, an arm curling around her waist while the other cradled the back of her head and he leaned in to kiss her. Not passionate so much as desperate, but Jim couldn't help himself. He was both too scared and too relieved that he hadn't lost her tonight to hide how he felt now.

Mary let herself be drawn into him, her arms wrapping around his neck. His lips found hers in a desperate kiss that she welcomed openly. Her still-wet body pressed against his, her kisses hungry. He could have died that night too and then she would have been completely lost.

When he pulled back for air, she nuzzled his nose. "I acted carelessly and I'm sorry. I can't believe you just jumped in after me."

He tipped his head and kissed her cheek, her jaw, his face burying in the curve of her neck as he held her close. Closer than before, feeling her body cold and pressed against his. He was cold and wet too, so it wasn't as if it made much of a difference.

"I would rather have died with you," he answered without thought or pause, fingers curling tight into the fabric of her clothes. "I don't want to be in a world where you don't exist."

Her body was flush against his and Mary was sure he could feel both the pounding over her heart and the way that her nipples hardened to peaks as soon as he touched her. She had stopped wearing her corset weeks ago.

"Jim... I don't want to either. I told you, I never want to leave you."

Mary felt that she was his in every sense.

His fingers slid through her hair, curling near her neck, holding her close and seemingly unwilling or unable to let go.

"I do love only one woman," he answered the question she put a while back, sure she would remember it even now. Pulling away just a little, he tipped his head and kissed her again, soft and lingering, his eyes opening and looking into hers. "I love only you."

Mary's eyes were wide as she listened to his words. They almost seemed to not register for a moment and then she let out such a sigh of relief. "Jim..." She pulled him in for a deep kiss, feeling like her heart was going to explode in her chest. His declaration was unexpected at that moment, but certainly not unwelcome.

Her fingers moved quickly to his shirt, sliding her hands underneath it momentarily and then trying to find what held it together.

When Mary's hands slid underneath his shirt, he promptly answered the touch by peeling the wet fabric off his skin, struggling to tug it off his head but managing it anyway. He actually felt more comfortable not having to wear it, the air in the cabin feeling much warmer to him. There were a few bruises and small cuts on his torso and arms, the result from being thrown around during the storm, but evidently they didn't bother him in the least.

His hands moved up her arms, rounding her shoulders and cupping her neck as he leaned in to kiss her again. "You're so cold, Mary."

Once his shirt was off, Mary gratefully ran her hands over his chest, gently touching every scratch and scar. She wanted to kiss every single one of them.

"I know," she agreed with a nod. Her hair and dress were still damp from her dunk in the waves. After kissing him, she leaned back in order to unbutton the front of her dress. As soon as it cleared her waist, she was able to slip her arms out and push it down over her hips. Her wet petticoats clung to her legs, but she was naked from the waist up. Mary moved back into his arms, seeking his warmth.

Jim helped along as she shrugged off her wet dress, tugging it past her hips and letting it drop to her feet. Lips sought the skin of her neck, dipping lower and down her throat, while his thumbs hooked on the elastic of her petticoats and tugged them down too.

Her skin felt too cold wherever he touched, something that he didn't like much. Uncomfortable in his wet trousers and even more drenched boots, he next busied himself with toeing them off, feeling immediate relief when his feet were out of the small pools of water within his own shoes.

She wasn't sure if she had been in the water too long or not, but she did feel incredibly cold. Being close to him was helping though. Mary sighed and leaned her head so that he could kiss down her neck. After such an admission, she wanted him, and was sure that their activity would bring her body heat back up.

Her fingers moved down over his hip bones before moving to the button on his pants. Once they were open, she helped them to the floor.

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Why must work be a thing when there are such beautiful tags like this?

work is evil!

agreed

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