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

[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."

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"Annie, everything I've put up with, and everything I've done makes me wonder what I managed to do to get you. We got married on a whim, but I really don't care about that. I care that we got married. I think we're both lucky."

He was quiet for a minute just enjoying his bathtub and some quiet time with his wife before he spoke again, "Ever since that dinner, this quote I read years ago's been floating around in my head, 'You don't marry someone you can live with, you marry the person who you cannot live without.' that's when I realized, that not having you in my life was the worst thing that's ever happened to me. You're perfect for me, Annie. It doesn't matter that we got married in Vegas and you're half my age. I should have bought you those rings nine months ago."

Unable to help herself, Annie was in tears before he was done. It was awkward because she was facing the wrong way to hug him or kiss him, so she had to make do with pulling his arms around her and hugging him while he hugged her.

"You're-" She couldn't say anything to that. The words just wouldn't come. Instead, she lay her head back, closed her eyes and thanked every deity she could think of that she'd gotten as lucky as she had. "I love you."

Clay heard the unmistakable sound in Annie's voice, she was crying or getting ready to. Today was entirely too emotional. She lost a good friend and he almost lost her. This was bound to happen eventually.

"I love you too."

Annie sat there as quietly as she could until she was sure that she was going to fall asleep there if she didn't get out and then she sat up. "We should get out."

Her voice was a little dead, but she gave him a tired smile before standing without help. Her muscles were already complaining, but she didn't want him to know it. He would just worry more than he already was and she didn't want to be the cause of that.

There was a difference between knowing she was going to be sore and actually seeing it. Handing him a towel, she wrapped one around her own waist before disappearing into the bedroom to get dressed.

Clay let Annie have a little space as he dried himself off and drained the bathtub. When he left the bathroom he brought one of Annie's painkillers and a glass of water with him. Some rest should help her feel better.

He set both on her nightstand before getting dressed for and into bed.

She'd just finished getting dressed when he re-entered the bedroom and she gave him a tired smile when she saw the glass of water and the prescription. "Thanks."

Taking the pill quickly, she got into bed with a wince that she hid as well as possible, then stretched out next to him, her arm wrapping around his stomach. The best she could hope for was a lack of nightmares and she sincerely hoped the painkiller she'd just taken would help with that.

Clay put his arm around Annie so they could assume their usual cuddle. He was genuinely worried about her as he'd seen one too many operatives get careless when someone who was important to them was wounded or died. He didn't want that to happen to Annie and hoped that he would be able to keep her grounded.

"Goodnight, Annie," he said before lightly kissing her, "I love you."

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

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