The Law of Attraction [Chris Beck]

Chapter 37

Things on the Hermes were so busy that Alice hadn't even gotten a chance to sneak a kiss with Beck. She hadn't gone to his room since she had run into Lewis, because there was something telling her to wait until Lewis was no longer thinking of it. Even though she'd gotten permission as if Lewis was their guardian, Alice wanted it to happen when the time was right. As corny as it sounded, their first encounter together had been a total whirlwind of emotions, where as this time it had been stretched out over a long period of time, making everything more obvious. Like a painting, it was spread out and Alice's mind could assess everything. There were more important things than being with Beck, and that was what she had to focus on now, and she had no issue with it because she knew that nothing bad would happen between her and Beck now.

They'd been through thick and thin, and all of the thick had been her baggage.

But now there were too many things on the table. Alice had a fraction of the medical expertise that Beck had, but she was officially his back up. Today was the day to receive the supply probe, and NASA was still grumbling about the idea; but the world was all for it, and so was the crew. Everyone knew that had the Taiyang Shen been sent to Mars, there was a much higher chance that Watney would die; but with the Hermes going back, his chances of survival sky-rocketed. As long as he managed to do everything on Mars well enough (and not blow up the Hab again), make it to the Ares 4 landing site, survived being propelled into space in whatever kind of gutted-MAV NASA came up with, he would be coming home with them. 

Somehow, his chances were better with the gutted-MAV.

Alice waited nervously in the medical bay, Martinez and Lewis were in the cockpit ready to take over the guidance of the probe if anything went wrong down at NASA. Johanssen was there as well. Beck was already on the tether, ready and not at all nervous about catching this supply probe. Behind him, waiting to go out and retrieve both the probe and Beck if anything went wrong, was Vogel. Everyone was in position, and the countdown began. Being so close to Earth, Alice almost felt as though she could feel the entire planet holding their breath, a shudder around the entire planet affecting the atmosphere as they watched on big screens around the world, in their living rooms, in cafés.

Alice turned her headset to Beck's channel. In a soft voice, she told him, "be safe out there."

There was a moments pause, and Alice thought maybe he wouldn't reply. But then his voice came through and made her feel at ease. "I always am."

Tuning back in to the main channel, she waited for any signal, anyone to tell her that she was needed, but she hoped that she didn't have to hear those words. If everything went well, Beck would retrieve the probe and everyone could go back to their normal day on the Hermes. Of course there would be the unloading of the probe, but there was certainly no rush for that. All that mattered was that they got the probe, the supplies, and no one got hurt in the process. Beck was the only one who was putting himself at risk of injury, but he'd done things like this thousands of times in training and in real life, so no one was really worrying.

Alice wished that she had properly thanked Beck for what he had done, the things he had said about her to Patrick, thanked him for being patient and kind to her throughout the entire mission. For tolerating her ups and downs. But without any of that having been said, it would make it feel more real when she said it. And she was going to, after today's event was over and done with, a success, she would thank him. All she was hearing was the relay from NASA to Lewis, everyone was communicating smoothly, and everything was going smoothly.

The supply probe launch and catch were a success.

Alice could only hope that it was going to be smooth sailing from now on.

It was all congratulations and friendly slaps on the back for Beck that night, dinner was had together again, and Alice sat across the table from Beck. Smiling at him, once again with that secret between them lighting up her eyes, Alice felt Beck's foot nudge hers under the table. She almost laughed out loud, which would have given them away; her eyes asked him from across the table "are we really playing footsies?". 

His grin stated that they were, and their feet remained touching under the table as they ate some bland dehydrated and rehydrated meal like it were a feast. The whole crew felt light-hearted, Martinez was even joking about being disappointed that Johanssen wouldn't be able to see what they tasted like, to which Johanssen put her fork down and grimaced at her meal.

As everyone floated to their rooms, Lewis glancing almost curiously in the direction of Beck and Alice as they reached the rooms were gravity was a bit better, Alice and Beck moved a little slower, the two hung back. Everyone tucked away in their rooms for the night, Alice paused outside Beck's room and looked up at him. There was a familiar feel to all this, just like when they first met and she waited outside his dorm room while he broke in through a window because he had lost his key. Both of them could feel it, and Beck opened his door. "Haven't seen a lot of you these last few nights."

Alice blushed lightly. "Is that your way of inviting me in?"

"The invite is always there," Beck replied softly.

Her lips tugged at the corner, pulling up into a half-smile. She stepped into the room and watched every movement as Beck closed the door. His muscles flexed as he tightened his grip on the handle, pulling the door closed, and then releasing it to look at Alice. Before, anytime she had come into his room it had been in the middle of the night, and they had simply slept next to one another. But the small room was filled with another tension, a sexual tension. Alice felt as though she'd never done anything like this before, which was far from true, but that nervous-butterfly feeling reminded her that things between her and Beck were really real.

"I never got the chance to thank you," Alice started, "the other da-"

She was cut off by Beck swiftly bringing his lips to hers, both of his hands grasping either side of her head. Igniting the passion inside of her, Alice kissed back furiously, wrapping both of her arms around Beck's neck. One of his hands slid down to her thigh, and she wrapped her leg around his hips. When she wrapped the other around him, he pushed her to the wall so that he could easily hold her up, and free up his hands for other things. He peeled his own navy-blue shirt off from his head, and Alice watched in amazement as he looked even better than he had nine years ago. His hands removed her shirt with ease, and he kissed his lips again, moving down her jawline and down her neck, her collarbone and stopping just above her breasts.

She tried to keep herself composed and quiet, but a soft whimper came from her lips as his fingertips gently traced her sides and around her back. Along her spine his fingertips ran, soft, gentle and eager all at once. Unclasping her bra without any struggle, Beck paused for a moment as Alice slipped it from her body, dropping it to the floor beside them. 

His eyes were locked on hers the entire time; he could not get over just how beautiful she was. He could not get over that he was right there, holding her again, kissing her again. After all the time that had come and gone between them, the sleepless nights, the years apart without thinking of one another, the strenuous mission to Mars, and yet here she was once again. Beck's smile lit up the room, and Alice didn't have to ask him what he was thinking, because she was thinking it too.

Life was messy, but sometimes throughout all that mess and chaos and noise came something beautiful. Looking back, the whole mess of life itself was beautiful. As Alice and Beck lost themselves within one another, she realized just how beautiful it was. Skin on skin, they were completely open to one another for the first time ever. There was nothing to hide, nothing between them stopping them from enduring the full feel of what they had. And what they had between them, what had developed over so many years, the outcome of every decision that they had made in the past...

It was beautiful.