If an episode has aired does it count as spoilers? Don't read if you haven't watched finale
Sometimes it takes a while to connect the dots. Figuratively, of course, he couldn't play the simple child's game anymore. What he still could do was draw on his extraordinary memory.
At first, she's just another girl who smells good and is probably very pretty. At least, judging by the extra effort all the men in the agency seem to make to get introduced as he leads her through the halls. She smells good, but so do a lot of women. And she's witty and fun and for a moment he wonders what she looks like before pushing it away.
Her name was common enough. Nothing unique about Annie or Walker, he was sure his elementary school principal had the last name Walker even. She probably wasn't even top 50 in a google search.
He isn't prepared for falling for her. It seems slow and steady and before he knows it he got stuck in the friend zone and she's off kicking ass while he talks in her ear. He wishes they didn't have the middle man of an earpiece to do it. His memory comes to him, and lines up all those little moments, inconsequential within themselves, and connects the dots.
So when she kisses him on the cheek and then leaves ignoring the fireworks in his head. Maybe they aren't in hers. He can't work out more than that before she's off the door on a plane to Sri Lanka.
When she comes back, and he thinks about telling her how he feels. How her lips can something dangerous innocent as the gesture was. He thinks about declaring his undying love (or something a little less frightening like a first date) and finding those lips on his. And he thinks this all, but doesn't do any of it, because when she comes back, she's broken.
Her love, the man who she spent a fairytale with but never got a happily ever after with, was dead. She tells her sister and even the Thursday night dinners stop. So does her banter with Jai. Much as it hurts, Auggie has never been happier to be 'just friends' because her absence of feelings for him was the only reason they still talked.
Coffee, late night shots. Drunken crying in his arms. On occasion broken dishes. She has passed out on his couch more nights than was really healthy, but she's starting to get better. He can tell in the way that she has stopped being so pissed off all the time. She has started being good at her job without sacrificing everything, and she has started flirting again.
Much to his consternation.
Not Jai at least, he was on some deep undercover mission across the world. But there were no shortage of men around the CIA who seemed to find a reason to come by Annie's desk. And her sister had started back up with the barrage of losers.
So maybe when his brother throws an engagement party in the city, he suggests Danielle to the new fiancée. The fiancée desperate to amend ties with the odd brother out who she has met once despite living only a couple of miles apart. And maybe he can't help being his charming self seeking relief in the kitchen from what of his oppressive family is represented there.
On Thursday Annie is glaring at Danielle. "I don't even understand how you meet so many single men. I mean, do these men start out by hitting on you?"
She merely responds by ruffling her agitated sister's hair. "Of course not, and you'll really like this one. I haven't seen anything so cute in a long time."
"He's not an object. Though if he's anything like the last one he won't be able to think more than one."
The doorbell rings before Dani can retort. Smirking at Annie she maneuvers to open it. There comes Annie's big surprise of the night. At the door, framed against the night sky in a way she imagines must be poetic, is her favorite federal employee. Or was, considering how she is feeling kind of pisssed right now.
Danielle guides him out to the dining table set outside and Annie follows, where she offers her hand.
Auggie shakes it, and that little bastard is smirking. That little bastard somehow tracked down her sister and took a big step into her life. That little bastard is getting a little too close to comfort.
"You must be the famed Annie. Your sister has sung your raptures already, and I only knew her for a few hours. Tell me, what period do you work in? I've always had a particular fascination for…"
He trails off as Danielle is secured back inside the kitchen leaving the two of them alone. She wastes no time.
"What the hell are you doing here Auggie?"
"Being your saving grace?"
He doesn't need to see to know that her look is the classic 'you're full of bullshit' one he has seen on many women throughout his life. She can't believe that he'd just butt into her life like that. And to give Danielle ideas when the tech who has never shown signs of attraction to her probably, somewhere in the misguided depths of his mind, thought he was doing her a favor.
"Okay," and he hasn't decided what he's going to do at this point yet. "How about I thought I'd save you a Thursday night?"
For some reason, and this is the explanation she'd been willing to accept, his tone of voice puts her off. She isn't a CIA operative for nothing. Maybe those new feelings, the first she's felt in a while if she's honest, aren't so one sided.
"That just makes you a misguided stalker. Because you could of just asked. Or offered. No need, how did you even find my sister?"
"Okay, two strikes, how about a little honesty? I wanted a date with you. A real, honest to goodness date. And I figured that my best chance for one night to wine and dine you was when you couldn't say no. One night, and see if you like it."
He stands there, and doesn't get a reply. Because Michael and Dani are back loaded up with platters of food. Auggie takes a seat next to Annie, and lets his arm brush hers. Lets their hands collide when reaching for the bread. Lets all of sorts of things that in their everyday interaction Annie has always assumed was a mere result from the blindness, happen.
Somewhere at the end of the main course, almost nothing littering her plate, and feeling happy and relaxed Annie realizes the touches haven't been accidental at all.
Walking with Auggie to the sidewalk to wait for a cab and ignoring Danielle's wink, she realizes that she's been played.
"I have a question and an answer."
He starts a little out of his idle thoughts, assuming they were going to wait in semi awkward silence.
He nods.
"How long?"
She doesn't need to specify about what. "You kissed me on the cheek that first time, and then went to Sri Lanka."
"I liked it a lot."
And he has remembered so clearly his earlier phrasing (having played it over and over in his head already tonight), that he doesn't ask her to clarify. Instead tilting down his head and meeting her lips. Tasting them for the first time. Better than he imagined. And he had imagined.
"How about next Thursday I take you out?"
And he assumes by her continuing the make session, he can feel her smile, is a yes.
Maybe she isn't all the way okay, but he's pretty sure that from here on out it can only get better.