You Love it When…Mornings With Him Make You Feel Giddy

On any ordinary day, Michelle Dessler would have been up at the crack of dawn. On any ordinary day, the federal analyst-slash-agent-slash-manager would have been sitting at her kitchen counter, sipping a cup of coffee as she read the morning newspaper and checked her email for any important updates from work. On any ordinary day, Michelle wouldn't be in a vulnerable position.

But this was no ordinary day. This was the morning after.

Yes, the morning after. After only a few weeks of dating, she had finally slept with her boyfriend in the figurative sense of the word. Last night had been everything she'd dreamed about at night – and more. The sex had been mind-blowing. Tony was mind-blowing. A part of her couldn't believe that they'd come so far in the little time that had passed since the day of the bomb at CTU. She was still in shock that Tony seemed as mesmerized by her as she was by him.

Of course, Michelle was doing all this girly, analytical thinking with her eyes shut. Today was not a day that she wanted to get out of bed early for. All she wanted to do was to lie in Tony's arms, white skin against bronze, and feel his warmth and the beat of his heart. Why would she ever want to decrypt satellite images and run after leads when she could just be here with him?

Beside her, she could feel her partner shifting in bed. With him being such a light sleeper (from the times he'd slept over before), there was no doubt in her mind that he was waking up. She felt his lips brush her shoulder and smiled, feeling giddy.

"Hey," he whispered with a grin. "How're ya feeling?"

She kissed his forehead. "Wonderful," she breathed. "Tired…but wonderful nonetheless."

"Last night a workout for you?" he joked, tickling her stomach. "Huh? Too much, sweetheart?" The endearment came out naturally. They both noticed it and grinned, simply caught up in the moment. Suddenly, Tony pulled Michelle up on her side and planted soft kisses at the base of her throat. Michelle bit back a moan trying to escape her mouth, to no avail.

"Enjoying yourself?" he asked.

She mock-glared and kissed him hard on the mouth. "Shut up, Almeida," she said. "That could be misconstrued as sexual harassment."

"You were singing a different tune when I…"

"Okay, I get it," she said sharply as she pressed her finger to his mouth. "Be quiet, now."

Situated against his chest, she could feel him move as he laughed silently. "You are something else, Michelle," he said, brushing one loose curl out of many behind her ear.

So are you, Tony, she thought to herself. So are you.

"Hey," he whispered to her after a few moments of silence. "Look at me." Puzzled, she did as he asked, turning so that she could see his face. He lifted up her chin gently and brought his lips down on hers with the softest touch. "I love you, Michelle."

Michelle felt a lump in her throat. Without thinking for a second, she knew what her response would be to him. It felt almost like a reflex, even though it had never been said to him.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." She kissed him, again and again, with a growing urgency, and he moved his body to cover hers as they once again became consumed in the warmth of each other's bodies.

Of course, nothing ruined making out in the morning like the sweet sound of the buzzer on an alarm clock.

"Damn it," they whispered at the same time. Michelle sat up, her frizzy hair sticking out at every angle possible.

"Sweetheart, you might wanna take a shower," Tony suggested, "unless you want the whole office knowing just how much fun you had last night…"

"It takes two to tango, Tony," she mock-growled. "Besides, this is my apartment. I'm making you breakfast."

All he did in response was smirk. "Okay. Today's the day we burn down Michelle Dessler's apartment," he deadpanned.

She stuck out her tongue at him, earning a throaty chuckle.

"I'll make breakfast," he promised. "Don't worry about it."

"Tony…" It was her apartment; she should at least pretend that she was playing hostess, since Tony pretty much cooked all the time. Apparently, he wasn't as enamored with her takeout diet as she was. Not that she complained about having the most delicious meals made daily by the person who understood her the most. Still…

"Honey, I want to," he whispered, another nickname rolling off his tongue like it was nothing.

After a moment of silence, she relented. "Fine." She rolled out of bed lethargically and grabbed at her thin bathrobe, starting to work it around her body. "So I guess you're not joining me then?" she asked strategically.

Half an hour later, as a thin sheen of sweat covered her body and her brain turned into a pile of mush, all Michelle could think of was that she'd just had the best shower of her life.

A/N: Press that little "Review" button, please. You have no idea how much it makes my day. For the next three weeks, I'm not going to be able to post (I'll be at camp without a personal computer), but I'll be able to check my email. So send me a PM, a review, a suggestion, constructive criticism... and I'll keep on writing, making sure to have great stuff for you when I get back. :)