The Navigator

3. Over His Heart

Authors Note: Do yourself a favor and play the song. Even if you can't read and listen at the same time, play the song. Credit: Without You but Ursine Vulpine & Annaca

This Chapter contains some mature language and sexual themes. This story is rated mature so discretion is advised.

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Addy snapped her head to the side, towards the low baritone, and felt it again the heartstopping blend of anxiety, fear, excitement and the tiniest perfectly deniable bit of relief. She died for the second time that day when she saw Jax, the man who had drug her behind him for five exhilarating volatile years, sitting literally lightyears away from where he should have been. Sitting with his booted feet on the porch rail, looking at her with such cool composure an outsider would have thought the two saw each other everyday and not for the first time in over two years.

Addy's mind immediately went into crisis management mode, taking in the details of him, like that his white hair was hanging in a roguish mop to his chin, longer then it had been when he had left. The rest of him was unchanged, he was clean shaven, dark olive skin a perfect contrast to his purple eyes and white eyebrows. The coat that hung to his knees when he stood with its silly buckle sleeves and double buttons was the same. He was wearing his satchel, and various pouches and bags, carrying with him everything that was of any value to him.

At one point Addy had known every single item in each small pack. She knew his flask of fortifying brew was at his left hip, whereas his rehydra was at his right. She knew her photo, the one he took of her while they basked under an alien sun, lived in the hidden pocket over his heart, or at least it used to.

The effect of the coat, boots, dark pants and buckles was of a devilishly handsome space pirate, something she had once made fun of him for. He had hit her with that heated look she knew so well and stalked her into a corner, pressing her to the wall before whispering into her ear what this space pirate could do to her, with knee melting detail. It wasn't just talk either, Jax was never just talk.

Addy checked off each detail in a fraction of a second, all of it towards the purpose of confirming without any doubt that it was him. Not a look alike, not her imagination, hopefully not a brain tumor but Jax Fairsail in the flesh before her. Like he had never left.

With the confirmation concluded and panic coming into full grip of her chest, her heart pounding in her ears and her mouth dry she muttered the only thing she could think of.

"Fuck you Jax."

She turned to leave as quickly as her now jellied legs would take her, and she heard a chair scraping against the wooden balcony floor, a hand on the knob of the door preventing her retreat.

"Don't run Addy, please." Jax whispered, he stood behind her much closer then she wanted him to be.

She backed away from him, eyes still fixed on the door, this time she spoke louder, not quite a shout but unmistakable.

"Fuck you Jax!"

The hand on the door fell away and she noticed a slight tremble. She looked up at him and saw what her startled mind had missed the first time. The compulsive bobbing of his adam's apple, the quickness of his breath and the slight tension in his posture all told her the calm demeanor was a facade. Jax was terrified.

There had been a time where the knowledge that a hardened space traveler who had been facing down the void since his birth on an outerlimits freighter, was afraid of her would have been thrilling. She would have made him sweat, even beg, before she eased his mind, but today with the insistent thump of her heart pumping adrenaline into her eager muscles she could only focus on escape. So without another word she yanked the door open and dashed off the balcony and out of the private room.