Disclaimer: I absolutely don't own Desperate Housewives. I'm just having fun.

Story Summary: Now engaged, Tom and Lynette try to start planning their wedding while dealing with work, their crazy families and moving in together. A sequel to "The Glow of the Moon on a Starless Night." This picks up right where that left off.

The Hour Shadows Disappear

A story by Ryeloza

Part One: Dances

Waltz

Once the words were out of his mouth, Tom found himself unable to breathe as he waited for Lynette to answer. He felt like an eternity passed him by as he stood and watched a rainbow of emotions cross her features. Finally she nodded. Tom smiled, amazed that his legs didn't give out considering how jittery he felt, as Lynette threw her arms around him and kissed him. "Yes I will," she said, continuing to pepper his lips with kisses. He squeezed her tightly, slightly shocked that she'd assented. It was a surreal concept: being engaged to this beautiful woman who smiled at him like he'd given her the world. He wasn't quite sure he'd done anything to deserve such adoration.

Lynette finally pulled back a little and offered him her hand; it took Tom a moment to realize he still had to give her the ring. Shakily he removed the ring from the box and slipped it onto her finger; it glimmered prettily in the moonlight and Tom felt a slight thrill of satisfaction that he'd chosen the right one. "It's beautiful," said Lynette, echoing his thoughts. She wrapped her arms behind his neck and drew him closer, kissing him passionately. Tom responded in kind, settling his hands low on her back and pulling her body flush against his. They stood for quite awhile, making out under the moonlit night sky, until Lynette whispered, "We should get in the car."

Tom, who had entirely forgotten where they were, said, "The car?"

"It's either that or I'm going to screw your brains out right here on the dock." Tom groaned at the thought and let his hands drift down the backs of her legs until he reached the hem of her skirt; he hiked it up and trailed his fingertips up the soft skin of her thighs. "Tom…" she chastised weakly as he sucked her earlobe into his mouth.

Becoming painfully aware that if he didn't move to the car now he soon wouldn't be able to, Tom slowly released his hold on her. "Okay, fine. Do you remember where we parked?"

Lynette smiled wickedly, pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it at him. "Sure. Try to keep up." She threw him one last grin and then dashed off into the night, laughing as she went. Tom shook his head and then took off after her.

Tango

"I made a list."

Tom glanced at Lynette, who stood next to the couch with a legal pad and pen in her hands, and then looked back at the television. "You need more beer. This is the last one." He took a swig of it to punctuate his point.

"It's not a grocery list."

"Oh. Well can't work wait until tomorrow? Oh, come on, run the ball!"

Lynette gave the football game a slightly disdainful look and then stepped in front Tom; instinctively he tried to peer around her. "This is about our impending marriage, Tom. Remember yesterday? You proposed?" She wiggled her ring finger in his face and Tom finally looked up at her.

"You're not having second thoughts?"

"What? No." Lynette took advantage of his attention by straddling his lap; he rested his hands on her hips, resigned to missing some of the game. "We've only been dating for four months and then you proposed before we ever really talked about marriage, so I made a list of all of those big topics people usually talk about before they get engaged. You know, so we can make sure we're on the same page."

"Are you serious?"

"Tom!"

"Okay. You're serious."

"Do you really think we don't need to talk about this stuff?"

Tom squeezed her hips playfully, trying to lighten the mood. He hadn't meant to slight Lynette's realist tendencies. "I don't even know what's on the list,"

"Money, living arrangements, holidays, kids."

"You don't want kids."

"You do."

"I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

Tom sighed and leaned forward, resting his forehead against her breasts. Her free hand played with the hair on the back of his neck. "Can't we just have sex again?"

"Sex doesn't solve everything."

"Fine." He sat up again and put his hands on her shoulders. "Let's move in together."

"Okay."

Tom grinned. "Really? That's it?"

"It's a start."

"Honey, we are going to figure all this stuff out. It's just going to take a little time."

Lynette studied him for a moment and then acquiesced with a little nod, patting his chest. "You're right. You're right." Lynette gave him a quick peck and shimmied off of his lap. Satisfied, Tom turned his eyes back to the football game; no one had scored while his attention was diverted. "By the way," said Lynette, "I was thinking March for the wedding."

"March? As in five months from now March?"

"Yep." She smiled and then walked away toward the bedroom.

Tom downed the rest of his beer and then got off the couch, following his fiancé from the room. When he got to the bedroom he found her gathering dirty laundry, unceremoniously dumping it into the clothes basket. "Why March?"

"Ed's retiring at the end of April, so if I get that promotion that's when I'll start. I figured March will be early enough for us to have a wedding and a honeymoon and get settled."

"March?"

"March eighth." She paused and stared at him. "When were you thinking?"

Tom fumbled for an answer that wouldn't upset her because the truth was that he hadn't though much farther than the proposal. He'd had a vision of them, happy and warm and secure together, but as far as the wedding went, he hadn't even begun to consider specifics. "Uh…" he finally said, much less eloquently than he wished.

"I know it's soon, but I think we can pull it off. I don't want a huge wedding." Lynette shifted the weight of the laundry basket from one hip to the other and looked at him hesitantly. He suddenly realized that all of the questions and practicalities were her way of dealing some anxiety—about the wedding or marriage or something else entirely he wasn't sure—and he forced himself to relax for her sake.

"My sister is an events coordinator. I'm sure she'd be thrilled to help out. If you want."

Lynette gave him a brilliant smile that finally wiped out the worry in her eyes. "So March eighth?"

"March eighth."

Dropping the laundry basket, she crossed the room and flung her arms around him, kissing him and giggling all at once.

Jive

The next morning, Tom woke up surprised to find the room alive with sunlight and Lynette still dead asleep beside him. He gazed down at her for a few groggy minutes, drinking in the sight of her peaceful expression and naked breasts. Just as he began to wonder if they'd have enough time for sex before work, he glanced at the clock and was surprised to find it out. "Oh shit," he said, leaning over Lynette and groping for her watch. The movement woke Lynette enough to make her groan and roll over, but when Tom saw they were only thirty minutes away from being late, he shook her. "The alarm didn't go off. We overslept," he said, rolling out of bed. Lynette barely responded.

"Lynette." Tom pulled the covers off of her and she contracted into a tight ball.

"Go away."

"Baby, you're not listening. We're going to be late. For work." Tom went into the bathroom without waiting for her to respond and started to brush his teeth. He was just rinsing his mouth when Lynette ran into the bathroom, her hair flying in ten different directions and her eyes wide.

"The alarm didn't go off!" She announced this as though Tom hadn't mentioned it already and he rolled his eyes. Fortunately, she caught sight of herself in the mirror then and ignored Tom. "Oh God, my hair." He moved just as she made a beeline for the sink; she turned the on water and stuck her head underneath, wetting down her hair. Tom tossed a towel in her direction and went back to the bedroom to change.

By the time Lynette emerged from the bathroom with her hair twisted back and her makeup done, Tom was finished dressing. He watched in morbid fascination as Lynette flew around the room like a tornado, haphazardly throwing on her clothes. "How did this happen?"

"The power must have gone out."

Lynette buttoned up her blouse with deft fingers and slipped into her heels at the same time. "Why don't I have a battery-operated alarm? Shit. We are going to be so late."

"We still have fourteen minutes."

"It's a twenty minute drive." She fastened her watch and hurried out of the room, not bothering to check to see if he followed.

"We got engaged this weekend. People might understand if we're a little late."

"I don't like being late."

Tom grabbed two bananas off of the counter and peeled them while Lynette tracked down their briefcases. "Here," he said, meeting her at the door. She opened her mouth obediently and he stuck the banana in and then she handed him his briefcase. In that moment, despite the flurry of activity and ticking clock, they both paused and stared at one another.

"When did we get into a rhythm like this?"

"I have no idea."

Lynette smiled for the briefest moment and then flung open the door. "Your car keys are in my pocket."

Tom fished them out and shut the door behind him.