[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

[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.

[freshoffthefarm]

The lack of noise made her sit up with a start, her blonde hair falling in her face, which she pushed out of the way. It took her a second to realize that she'd been asleep and that she was now awake.

"It's over?" She blinked and focused on him, her mind finally catching up and her sleepy look being replaced with a bashful one. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I think you have a habit of falling asleep when I'm near by."

By his count, it happened once in his car, almost again on this couch, and now this time. He was, however, being completely good-natured about it.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Oh, no!" She was horrified that he'd think that, even though she could tell he was lightly teasing her. "I swear it's not you."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay smirked, "I was just teasing you, Annie. Don't worry about it. You were comfortable."

[freshoffthefarm]

She didn't even hesitate before answering, "So were you."

Leaning over, she gave him a solid kiss, her hand cupping his face carefully.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay kissed her back, putting his arms around her waist. When he pulled back for a second he smiled, "So I guess being comfortable is a good thing."

[freshoffthefarm]

"It was tonight," she murmured against his lips before nudging her mouth against again. Suddenly, it was easier to slip into his lap and continue kissing him there.