[EM] Hey now, people, have you read the news?

[idontreallyspar]

Maybe it was a delayed reaction from the blast last year. Some toxin he inhaled, or some kind of allergic reaction to his new aftershave. Something...anything but the truth, because it was just too ludicrous, too sappy and sentimental and...*right.*

He'd been looking at the world through sunglasses...had been for years, because now everything was brighter. The sun, the colors...the taste of food, the way a cool afternoon breeze felt on his skin. The world had changed overnight, in tiny, insignificant ways that turned everything into a tapestry he'd never seen or felt before.

And it was all because of one little word.

Yes.

Not for the first time, Tom found himself transfixed by the glitter of gold and prismatic blue as he helped Rachel stuff the last of the small stack of envelopes...her engagement ring never left her finger, and he was pleased that the opal pendant he'd also given her for Christmas rarely left her neck. If it wasn't on display, he could usually see the gleaming silver chain peeking above the collar of her shirt, but today the v-neck t-shirt she wore let the chain hang free and the glittering teardrop stone stand out sharply against her pale skin.

"Here," he finally declared, handing her his last envelope, "you lick that one. I wish you'd have gotten some of those self-sealing envelopes for these invitations...and remind me *why* we're sending formal invites to our engagement party again? I thought we were keeping things small, and I *know* this stack has grown."

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[my_strappyshoes]

There was a moment of laughter as she took the last envelope from his hand, letting her tongue drag across the glue and quickly making a face of slight bitterness as she pressed it closed, "We got the ones that weren't self-adhesive because, one the invitations fit in them easier, and two its funnier that we've left our DNA all over them. Those that think you would never get married can verify it themselves."

She stuck her tongue out at him from across the table and once again had to shake off the residual lingering taste of the glue. "Though why we got the gross tasting ones I'll never know."

The last one sealed shut she stacked them loosely in her hands making a neat pile and setting them back in the box. "Formal invites seemed fun. Considering we haven't set a date, let alone have any idea when the date could even be? This is the fastest way for us to make sure we have everyone together. Plus with Sydney and the baby, and Nadia's pregnancy? We have to figure that it's a now or never situation for all of them. Once Isabelle is older she'll be into everything and that's a handful for Sydney and Vaughn. Nadia will be driving Eric nuts with the late stages of pregnancy eventually so I just think we're being practical."

Standing up she moved behind him letting her hands slide down over his shoulders to rest on his chest as she leaned into him as he sat there, "For all of us being spies? We're being extremely predictable for once in our lives."

[idontspar.livejournal.com]

A man would have to be either sick or gay not to thoroughly enjoy the sight of Rachel licking an envelope...and at last check, Tom was both healthy and straight, so he took the opportunity to enjoy the view before she stacked everything up and walked around to wrap her arms around him from behind.

"Makes sense, I guess." he finally acquiesced, leaning his head back against her and tipping his head to look up at her from where he sat. "And being predictable's never a bad thing, like you said...considering what we do."

He paused, grinning as he reached up to poke her ribs ticklishly, grinning. "But the thing I like best about this? The fact that even though you make a lot of sense? I totally call bullshit on the 'now or never' thing. Admit it...you're just as excited as I am to do this. And just so we're clear: yes, this is me admitting that I'm excited to get married. Impatient, even." Pausing, he tugged out of her grip and stood abruptly, catching her in his arms and hauling her in for a kiss.

"It's like Christmas morning again," he teased with a grin, "and I can't wait much longer to get my present."

[my_strappyshoes]

She laughed as she was pulled into him for a kiss and the smile that came with Tom's happier mood. She had seen him change over the time that they had gotten to know each other. He went from being unimpressed, to almost proud to the shy terse guy that watched out for her and then he asked her out. The chain reaction took a while, but now she couldn't help but smile when he smiled, or laugh when he laughed.

Raising her eyebrow she leaned back a bit trying to steady herself back in his lap, "Oh really? So I'm some Christmas Present now, or is this a reference to the wedding itself being a gift? Because honestly, we can skip the dropping these off at the post office if you're more inclined to unwrap something."

[idontspar.livejournal.com]

Leave it to her...dirty innuendo left and right...sometimes more often than *him*...and somehow, she made it wholesome and innocent as you please...and absolutely adorable.

"For the record?" he replied with a smile. "You're the gift...and the day I *don't* feel like 'unwrapping' my gift? Please feel free to smack me. Hard."

Without missing a beat, he promptly reached over and caught her hand as it rose to take advantage, smirking up at her knowingly. "But you better get verbal confirmation before you execute those orders, Agent Grace. Or is it Agent Gibson?" He paused, peering up at her as he tilted his head curiously. "You're not gonna do that hyphenated name thing, are you? 'Cause that's a mouthful...Agent Gibson-Grace. Not to mention the nicknames with a double G last name."