[AU] ... from the 'meet at a different time' meme

[freshoffthefarm]

After two years at the Agency, Annie's job hadn't gotten any better (or worse). Sure, it had it's downsides - namely, being shot at (or being shot), but the biggest one had to be the Agency parking lot.

She could never, ever find a parking spot.

Of course, the morning that she'd gotten up early and proceeded to spill coffee on her first outfit, had to jump start her car and then fill a tire with air? She managed to get behind the chatty son-of-a-bitch in the compensation car at the guard shack. She sat there, plotting the ways to key his car without actually getting caught and then he'd moved on.

Smiling at the guys in the shack, she showed her ID, waited until they'd looked under her cars with mirrors, and then picked up the pace on the way to the agent parking lot.

It just wasn't her morning.

The short cut she took through the visitor lot took her right past the spots in front for all the diplomats and the Agency hotshots. She didn't see Mr. Compensation trying to adjust his parking until she'd plowed into his rear bumper.

Comments

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay nodded just a little, "Thank you."

His goal was to find out what happened to his father before his mother died. She needed some kind of closure, and he planned on going up high enough in the Agency's hierarchy to give her that.

[freshoffthefarm]

Turning back to the ice cream, she filled two bowls with enough to be dessert, but not what she'd normally do after depressing herself and, after adding spoons, she went back out into the living room.

She folded herself onto the couch next to him and handed his to him with a small smile. "I didn't mean to bring tonight down."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay ate a spoonful of ice cream before responding, "You didn't. Getting to know someone means finding out about the good times in their lives and the bad ones. We all have some of each, and if you don't you're usually a very bland person."

[freshoffthefarm]

"I'd like to get to know you," she told him honestly before taking a bite of her own. She hoped he knew that, had at least gleaned that much information from the kisses they'd shared. "As much as you want to share."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I'd like you to get to know me. If there's something you'd like to know that I'm not sharing, please ask."

If he could answer it he would. Mac's biggest problem with him was that he wasn't honest enough with her. Hopefully, he'd be able to prevent that with Annie to the best of his ability.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Okay." She tried to think of something. "What year were you born?"

It sounded a little nicer in her head than 'how old are you?', though once she said it, it was obvious she was asking just how far apart in age they were. She tried to work around it. "I mean, if you competed in the '88 Olympics..."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

And he didn't think her first question was going to be the one that he was sure was going to end their relationship, "1962."

[freshoffthefarm]

It was true, her jaw dropped a little, but she also laughed when she closed her mouth and she shook her head.

"Oh, no. I thought-" She snickered again. "I thought there was only a decade between us. Maybe twelve years. Not twenty."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Well, then thank you." He was a little uncomfortable, but she didn't tell him to get off her couch so he took it as a good sign.

"And it is almost exactly 20 years."

[freshoffthefarm]

She wasn't close to telling him to get off her couch and she grinned at him, reaching out to take his hand. "Are you okay?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I'm fine, as long as it doesn't bother you."

He assumed it didn't since she was holding his hand.

[freshoffthefarm]

"It doesn't bother me," she said quietly, squeezing his hand carefully. She only let go to take another bite of her ice cream.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay hoped that it didn't bother her if they got more serious. He smiled anyway when he felt her squeeze his hand, "I'm glad."

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie finished her ice cream not that long after and set her bowl down on her coffee table before turning back to him.

"I just don't want this to bother you if..." She bit her lip. "If this goes any further." A pause. "Like I hope it does."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"No, it doesn't bother me. Hearing it said out loud the first time was a little strange, that's all."

He finished his ice cream and put the bowl down on the table next to Annie's, "And I hope it goes further too."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Sorry."

Once he'd set the bowl down, she felt an almost overwhelming urge to curl up next to him. Instead, she resisted (barely), and took a deep breath. "Movie?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"No reason to be sorry. My age was going to come up eventually." He didn't know how their respective families were going to take it, but right now, this was good for him.

"Movie sounds great."

[freshoffthefarm]

Motioning to her DVD case, which held all of twenty movies, she said, "This is your date night, you pick."

Frankly, Annie didn't care what her sister said about his age. She knew that Danielle would just be happy that she was dating someone.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay got up and took the ice cream bowls in the kitchen before going over to Annie's movie collection and selecting Casablanca.

"Casablanca okay?"

[freshoffthefarm]

It had been a test, yes. To see what his movie tastes were like and to see if he'd pick something she was particularly fond of.

He passed.

Her smile showed it when she nodded and stood to put it in her DVD player. "Can I get you anything to drink before we start?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Only if you were planning on getting something."

He settled back on the couch leaving plenty of room for Annie.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Maybe just water," she confessed, but then she didn't even do that.

What she did do was snag the remote on her way to the couch and then sit next to him before pushing play and then invading all of his personal space and leaning up against him.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay was fine with Annie invading his personal space, and made sure to put his arm around her so she'd stay put. He stayed quiet as the movie started.

[freshoffthefarm]

She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but it wasn't until near the end of the movie. For no particular reason at all, except that she felt comfortable with him, Annie's breathing evened out while she slept through the last half hour of the movie.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay realized Annie was asleep about fifteen minutes before the movie ended. He shifted slightly, to make sure she wasn't in an awkward position, and watched the rest of the film without waking her up. When the disc reached the end of the credits he took the remote out of her hand and stopped the player.