Title: Mutual Admiration

Fandom: 24

Characters: Michelle Dessler/Tony Almeida

Word Count: 1,023

Rating: R – for talk about a somewhat naughty suject.

Summary: "Show me yours and I'll show you mine," she sing-songed lightly.

Author's Notes: I think you'll be able to figure out when this takes place, but no spoilers past day 2.

"Tony?"

She took the low grunt as acknowledgement. His face was buried too far in his pillow for her to be entirely sure that he'd said anything else. Grinning, she shifted her hips, scooting up his back a little to give her hands better access to his shoulders. He muttered something unintelligible as her fingers prodded the sore muscles beneath his surprisingly baby soft skin.

"When was the last time you had sex?"

"Wha?" He lifted his head slightly, glancing at her blearily.

Silently she pushed him back onto the pillows, increasing the pressure of her fingers against his neck. Laughing quietly, she bent forward, nipping gently on his ear. Tony shuddered, and his hips moved under hers. She smiled, baring her teeth and doing it again.

"When was the last time you had sex, Tony?" she enunciated teasingly. "Before today," she added with a little kiss to his neck.

"Why, got a complaint?"

She shook her head, squeezing his shoulders and pressing her fingers against his flesh in firm circles. Their morning had been spent in bed after he arrived at her door to pick her up for their day out, looking sexy, relaxed, and utterly delectable in jeans and a fitted gray t-shirt. She'd been unable to restrain herself; she'd thrown the idea of taking it slow to the wind, and tugged him into her bedroom. They donned clothes at lunch to answer the door when the pizza guy rang the bell. Somehow after lunch they'd gotten on the subject of aches and pains and she'd ordered him back into her room for a massage.

"Just curious," she promised, sliding her hands down along his spine, gently leaning into him and hearing a few pops followed by gentle sighs from him. It wasn't a big deal, though she was a little curious if she could look forward to a repeat of the morning every time they made love – and if she could, she was going to need to buy some vitamins ASAP- or if the performance was due to a long dry spell the way hers had been. It didn't matter, honestly, she still was going to want to be with him; she just wanted to know. "Show me yours and I'll show you mine," she sing-songed lightly.

"Thought we already did that, Michelle?" It was said glibly, but she could tell he was steps away from being on the defensive.

She laughed, kissing his shoulder lightly. "Relax; I'm not going to get upset because you've had sex with someone other than me. I have slept with other people, too, Tony. We're not clumsy virgins in the backseat."

He was silent, but she knew he wasn't upset. A little jealous at the mention of her other lovers, maybe, but not upset.

"A while," he answered finally, shifting his hips on the bed. She lifted herself onto her knees, balling her fist and rolling it across the curve of his back where the black cotton boxers gathered and bunched at his waist.

"A while?" she repeated. "Days? Weeks? Months?"

"Months," Tony confirmed, lifting his arm and poking her in the knee, probably for the days comment. "You?"

"Months," she repeated, pushing his arm back down to the bed and squeezing his triceps gently.

"More or less than three?"

"More," she murmured.

"Me too."

"More or less than six?" she asked, sitting back against his hips.

Tony peeked open an eye, contemplating why she was suddenly so interested. She pecked his cheek lightly.

"More," he admitted, grudgingly.

"Right at six for me. Making the switch to CTU was the end of that relationship."

Tony's hand scrambled for hers, and he wiggled around on the bed – making her lift off his body long enough for him to roll over - so that they were facing each other. When she tried to move beside him, he took her hips in his hands and tugged her back down to rest on his stomach.

"Can't say I'm too sad for that."

She smiled, nodding. She'd been upset when it first ended, but she'd needed to get away from Division at all costs. CTU was welcoming and open, and though her new job took time away from her relationship, she knew it was for the best. The eye candy second-in-command had just been a bonus.

Impulsively, she brushed her lips across his, carefully tasting pizza and beer and everything that made him him.

"Your last," she started slowly, not wanting to upset him. "Was it Nina?"

"Yeah."

She shifted, resting her cheek on his chest and splaying her legs out alongside his. She felt Tony's hands on her back through her – well, technically it was his – shirt. He kissed her forehead gently.

"Didn't feel much like dating after that," he explained, sounding more flippant than he probably felt. She pressed a kiss to his chest, reaching across his body to give him a squeeze.

"My hand and I got very acquainted," he added, smiling naughtily into her hair.

"Tony!"

"You started this, Michelle," he taunted, bringing her hand to his mouth and gently kissing her fingers. "I figured you'd want full disclosure."

"So did you think about me when you-?" she asked mischievously, knowing he'd know full well what she meant, lifting her head and resting her chin gently on her hand. Moving closer, she kissed his neck. "'Cause I thought about you when I did. A lot."

He groaned. "Yeah, I did."

She kissed him again. "Good."

His hands moved to her hair, holding the back of her head as he slid his mouth back and forth across hers before swiping his tongue between her lips and teasingly poking her tongue until she curled it around his. She was glad her impromptu game of twenty-questions hadn't been too over the top; they'd said they could talk about anything, but she hadn't been sure until today.

"Have I apologized yet for waiting so long?" he asked quietly, kissing her over and over. "It wasn't you, I promise."

"It's okay. I wasn't ready either. Just don't make me wait months again, 'kay?"

His hands were already under her shirt.

End.