[MEME] -- #5, the AU from Hell

[freshoffthefarm]

[From here, as requested by fakes]
--

It was an op in Vegas, which was so weird since most of her domestic ops stayed in the DC Metro area, and Annie had done her job well. The extra babysitting had been extra annoying (when wasn't it?), but he'd come along to visit an old friend... or so he'd said.

She hadn't seen hide or hair of him during her mission, but when she went to have a drink in the bar at their hotel late the night before they were supposed to leave, she found him sitting in a dark corner. When didn't he sit in dark corners, really, but she rolled her eyes and put a smile on her face to join him.

Their breakup and subsequent dealings had been difficult, and after that State Dinner, she'd gone out of her way to keep her distance from him as much as possible. That didn't mean they couldn't enjoy a drink or two (or seven) while in Vegas.

Unfortunately--

When Annie woke to the pounding in her head, she almost couldn't open her eyes. When she finally managed, she ignored the immense nausea she felt and peered at the walls in the hotel room she was in. She hadn't been given this nice of a room, not on the Agency's dime, no. This was something else. Turning, she caught sight of a man's head and her eyes widened, causing the pounding to pick up and she clenched her eyes shut again with a groan.

Clapping both hands, right over left, on her head, she felt something heavy and lifted them again almost immediately. Seeing the wedding ring set on her left hand, she gasped.

"Oh, my God."

Comments

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Usually my mother. My father did it when he was home."

Clay had a lot of quiet hobbies when he was a child and he did read a lot, just preferring to do it in his room.

[freshoffthefarm]

His room where he never wore pajamas unless he was in bed. He probably put them on in bed and took them off there, too. Annie was picturing it all in her mind as she just stared at him.

"Okay." Then she settled back against the couch and stared into the shadows.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

The way she stared at him he felt as if there was something wrong with his childhood. He'd never thought so in the past, but he supposed there was a first time for everything.

"Not what you were expecting?"

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie could think of a hundred things that were likely wrong with his childhood, but she'd be damned if she were going to say so to his face. Instead, she shook her head and sighed.

"No. But I'll avoid wearing my pajamas in the living room from now on."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Annie, I really don't mind if you wear your pajamas. It doesn't make me uncomfortable."

Clay doubted Annie believed him, but it was true. If Annie was going to live with him he wanted her to be comfortable.

[freshoffthefarm]

"I'm not going to be the only one wearing pajamas late at night in the house. So, either you join me or I'm going to join you." She shrugged.

It wasn't that big of a deal to her to remain in jeans until she went to bed, but she was seriously fascinated by Clay's lack of pajamas in the rest of the house. It made her wonder about his college years and she just knew he'd never gone to class in sweats.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Not once. Though he did occasionally eat pizza out of the box.

"Since we will be living together, don't let my stuffiness keep you from doing what you'd normally do."

There he admitted it. He was stuffy, not that she couldn't tell.

[freshoffthefarm]

"It's fine."

And it was. Or it would be until she got frustrated a week later and demanded he wear his pajamas in the front room while they watched a movie together.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Okay." He didn't entirely believe that. Though he wouldn't suspect what's to come in a week, not by a long shot.