Home?

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie had resisted the overwhelming urge to spend the next week at Clay's apartment just in case he came home. As six days, then seven passed, she honestly thought she was going to come out of her skin if he didn't call her. Every night, she lay awake in her own bed, staring at the ceiling, wondering if, during that last week, something had gone horrendously wrong.

The night of the eighth day, Annie got ready for bed, throwing herself onto it in frustration, knowing that her dreams would be restless, if she even managed to fall asleep.

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[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Webb couldn't believe it. He made it through a month's worth of a mission in Paraguay injury free. There were no bullets, no one following him when he got back, it all went better than he could possibly imagine.

Then, as he was taking his luggage off the carosel at Dulles, he grabbed the bag the wrong way and sprained his wrist. Getting old sucked. It was in a brace and he was told not to use it for at least a week. But that didn't stop him from going to Annie's, he just arrived a lot later than he'd planned.

At four AM on day eight, Clay parked his car in Danielle's driveway, took his bag out of the trunk with his good hand, then walked up to the guest house and knocked.

[freshoffthefarm]

In her dream-but-not-a-dream state, she'd sworn she'd heard someone walking around outside her house. When the knock sounded, she sat straight up in bed and practically threw her pillow across the room, she was so startled. Searching for her phone, she checked the time, stared at the door, then scrambled across the bed before launching herself at the door.

No guns or special preparation for her. She was running on pure adrenaline. Yanking it open, she inhaled sharply when she saw him and stared.

"Hi." She was breathless.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Hi, yourself," Clay said with a grin, "I missed you."

She looked frazzled. He wondered if she had a nightmare or if there was another problem.

[freshoffthefarm]

He was alive, he was talking, he was smiling, he was standing on her front porch, he was there and- He had on a brace?

Annie's smile slipped and she reached out to yank his bag from his good hand as she motioned to the ugly thing holding his wrist in place. "What's that? What'd you do? You only had a week left and you couldn't even keep yourself in one piece for a week?"

At least it wasn't a bullet hole.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"It happened about five hours ago. I got my suitcase from baggage claim at the airport and sprained it."

And he felt like a giant idiot, as evidenced by the look on his face.

"Getting old sucks."

[freshoffthefarm]

The relief on her face was almost comical, but she couldn't help it. Dropping his bag, she used his good wrist to pull him close, then threw her arms around his neck. She was done with stupid banter.

"I love you."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

He hugged her close and tight with one arm and not so tight with the other, "Love you too."

[freshoffthefarm]

"It's bedtime," she said, nudging his bag with her foot. Giving him a smile, she said, "Four in the morning isn't an ideal return time."

Considering she'd done it to him, she had no room to talk.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Sounds good."

Bedtime sounded great actually. It would probably be the first night he didn't wake up with a nightmare in a month. He couldn't wait to get through the whole night.

[freshoffthefarm]

His whole night would be her three hours, but they would be the best three hours she'd have had in a month.

Fluffing her blankets while he got ready, she tried to steady her nerves and she kept peeking around the corner to make sure that the light was still on in the bathroom. It meant that he was really home and she could put her arms around him and feel him and hold him and touch him and he wasn't really hurt.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Webb slid into bed after his usual before bed routine. There was an old bruise on his leg, almost healed.

"It's so nice to be home."

[freshoffthefarm]

"It's so nice to have you home," she said, automatically attaching herself to him before noticing the bruise. Running her fingertips over it lightly, she took a deep breath to steady herself. Without commenting on it directly, she lowered her head to his chest. "I don't know how you do it when I'm gone."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Sometimes, I don't know how I do it either."

Clay missed having her near him like this. Over the course of the last month he realized he missed this more than sex.

[freshoffthefarm]

When her alarm went off, she pushed it off the nightstand and the crash it made on the floor actually woke her up.

"Dammit." She made a groaning noise as she rolled over and came into contact with Clay. "You're still here. Makes my morning."

He got a long kiss before she dragged herself out of bed.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

The clock crashing to the floor didn't even make the snoring pause for one second. When he felt Annie all that changed.

"Course I'm still here," though he was also still half asleep.

He rolled over and faced her now empty spot on the bed.

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie gave his sleeping form a smile. "You haven't been here for a month, don't give me that. I'm going to take a shower."

In the shower, she washed away the rest of her tiredness, then got dressed before making her coffee. Having him home just gave her a settled feeling she couldn't describe. But once, she had her coffee, she went back to sit on the bed.

Sipping it, she used her other hand to run her fingers through his hair. "You can stay as long as you want. I'll leave your spare key on the nightstand for when you go home."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"'re now." He was most of the way back to dreamland which is right where he went while Annie was in the shower.

Clay half heard Annie tell him about his key, though when he smelled coffee, "Coffee." His face just about lit up.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Coffee," she said back, then held the cup under his face. "If you want it, you'll have to sit up and give me a kiss... like you mean it."

Her voice was teasing, but only because she was the one that was awake.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Was that supposed to be some kind of punishment? In Clay's book it didn't seem like one. He sat up, leaned over and kissed, her. There was no question that he meant it.

[freshoffthefarm]

Not a punishment, exactly, but she knew he was tired. Making him work for the coffee at all bordered on punishment... just a little. His kiss, though? Was perfect.

Somehow, the cup found it's way to the nightstand as she slid to her back under him. "I missed waking up next to you."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I did too." He chuckled slightly, "Galendez kept complaining about my snoring."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Please tell me that you prefer sleeping with me," she said with a light laugh, nuzzling his neck. She didn't care if her clothes got wrinkled at all.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"We just shared a room and I do prefer sleeping with you."

[freshoffthefarm]

"I'm glad to hear it," she told him, finally reaching back for the coffee she'd promised him. "Here."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I didn't mean to take yours," though he did anyway, enjoying his first sip. It'd been about three weeks since he'd have coffee.