Late Mornings

There was something about waking up in his own bed after being gone so long. Sleeping in hotels had never bothered him. He'd slept in enough over his lifetime to be used to them by now, but he did prefer sleeping on his own pillow, in his own bed, and waking up next to the woman he loved.

Tom finally cracked an eye open to see Liz curled up next to him, wrapped in the sheets and her bare back facing him. He scooted closer and she stirred a little at the movement, and he wrapped an arm around her from behind, letting his eyes drift closed again so that he could focus in on her. He'd missed this. He'd missed her.

After a long moment she stirred again and he loosened his hold as she turned towards him, a sleepy smile perking her lips. "Hey," she whispered, wrapping an arm around his middle to snuggle closer. "You're here."

He flashed a grin. "I am, and I'm not leaving again."

Liz hummed softly, her fingers ghosting across his skin at the small of his back. He pulled in a sharp breath, her touch send chills up his spine and inched just a little closer so that their foreheads were nearly touching. "I missed you," he whispered, voice a little rough.

"Didn't get that impression at all last night," she murmured suggestively and leaned in to kiss him, her hand moving up as she did, fingers running along his ribs and chest and finally to the side of his face, working their way into his short, dark hair. She stopped suddenly, though, pulling back.

"Wha-?" Tom managed as she propped herself up on her elbow, a determined look on her face as her fingers exploring now. She didn't say anything and he reached up, finding the skin slightly raised from a new scar he'd added to his growing collection. "Oh, that's just a lasting reminder of how much I hate Solomon," he chuckled.

Liz didn't seem to find the comment as amusing as he'd meant for it to be. She frowned. "You said they caught you, I didn't know-"

"It's fine. I'm fine. What time do you have to be in this morning?"

"Don't do that."

He blinked, going for the most innocent expression he could muster at this hour of the morning. "What?"

"Try to change the subject."

He sighed. Well, he could only push this off so long. He had just hoped Liz would give him some time to enjoy being home before he had to talk about the disastrous ending to his search for answers about his parents.

Tom nestled down a little deeper into his pillow. "Scottie found out I was working with Howard-"

"I know that."

He shot her a look and she pursed her lips together to let him finish. "She, uh… apparently had a hit out on me. Howard told me after the fact, but he told her who I am and letting Solomon have a go at me with a sock full of billiard balls was the alternative to him putting me down with a sniper rifle apparently."

"Please tell me you're joking," Liz breathed, brows drawn together as she tried to get a better look at the scar she'd found, but Tom caught her hand, pulling it to his lips and kissing her bent fingers.

"It's over. It's done. Scottie's going to go to trial and I'm home."

"If I ever see Solomon again, I may kill him myself."

Tom quirked a smile and leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. "Seriously, What time do you need to head out?"

"What are you thinking?" she asked with that grin of hers, apparently more than happy to pick up where they'd left off the night before.

"Well, I was going to offer to make you breakfast, but hey…"

She sat up a little bit and must have glanced at the clock because, before Tom could register what was happening she'd thrown back the sheets and was tugging his discarded t-shirt from the night before over her head as she cursed at the alarm clock. He glanced at it to see it blinking midnight.

Agnes started to fuss from her room with all the noise and Tom chuckled to himself as he tossed back the covers and stretched, waving Liz's building panic down. "I've got her, and I'll get the coffee started."

She loosed a breath. "It's good to have you home. Have I mentioned that yet?"

"Once or twice," he teased and gave her a playful wink as he pulled a fresh t-shirt from the drawer and over his head. "Good to be home." He caught her before she took off across the hall to the bathroom and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. "I love you."

Liz didn't pull away immediately like he had expected, but instead she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a deeper kiss. He didn't object, but Agnes' insistent "Mamamamamamamama!" filled the whole apartment and they started laughing as the broke.

"When did she learn to say that?" he demanded, not quite able to contain his grin.

"Not too long ago. Guess you'll have to try to get her to say daddy next, huh?"

"Challenge accepted," he said with a grin. "Go. I've got her."

Liz broke away and he watched her scoot across the hall to the bathroom, taking just a moment to appreciate that he had this to come home to. There would be plenty of new dangers, new challenges, but they'd beat them all. Together, they could take in anything.

Notes: I love that Liz was late for work the day after Tom came home. Yeah, we know why, Liz. We know why.