Skull and Dagger

“Mmm,” Annabelle whispered against the curve of Frank’s throat, “I feared you were dead.”

“I feared you were dead,” Frank countered, placing gentle kisses on the fine golden silk of her hair.

“Alive and well,” she assured him, “although my jaw still aches a bit...”

He frowned at that, stroking her back in a soothing manner. “Who?” he demanded fiercely.

“Quinn.”

“I’ll kill him!”

“You can’t.”

He gave her a baffled look at that. “Why not?” he demanded, almost petulantly.

“Because I already did,” she answered with a soft smile, but he could still see the pained look in her eyes.

“Oh, love,” he whispered in anguish, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry...” He peppered her face with soft kisses. “My fault,” he insisted. “It’s all my fault...”

“Mmm,” she murmured contentedly. “Tell me more about how it’s all your fault...”

He let out a mock-annoyed huff at that. “Such a menace,” he muttered affectionately. “So beautiful...”

“Frank, my love?” she whispered.

“Hmm?”

A sly smile curled up the edges of her lips. “I think I’m ready for you to make a dishonest woman of me...”

He gulped at that, feeling the fire stir deep within his loins. “Funny,” he commented, his voice ragged with desire, “’cause I was just thinkin’ that I was ready to make an honest woman of you...”

Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a perfect ‘O’. “Frank, you mean...?”

He nodded assuredly. “Belle, will you-?”

“Yes!” she cut him off with a wide grin, throwing her arms around his neck.

“Doesn’t even give me time to propose properly,” he grumbled under his breath before her lips practically attacked his, tasting him with newfound fervor.

“Uh, Frankie?” A voice tried to intrude in their private little world.

It wasn’t even noticed by the happy pair.

“Frankie?” A not-so-subtle cough accompanied the request this time.

Frank caught Annabelle up in his arms, moaning into her mouth when her legs wrapped around his waist, only the thin cloth of his pants and several layers of her voluminous skirts separating them.

“Frankie!”

“Fuck off, Bobby,” Frank managed to say between kisses. “I’m busy gettin’ engaged.”

Annabelle began frantically kissing every inch of him she could reach at the sound of that delightful phrase, and her hips rocked against his slowly. The hardness she felt had been startling at first, but already she enjoyed the way he gasped and moaned when she rubbed against him.

“Yes, that’s lovely,” Bob shook his head slightly in confusion. How a man could limit himself to just one woman was beyond him. “But, see, there’s this rather odd rumor floating about that Way is captain now.”

“So?” Frank shrugged, stealing a taste of Annabelle’s delicate throat.

“It’s true, then?” Bob demanded.

Frank grunted an inarticulate ‘yes’.

Annabelle froze in surprise at this as well and tilted his head up so that she could look into his clear blue eyes. “It’s true?” she repeated breathlessly.

“Gave him the ship on the way over,” Frank agreed, his thumb tracing the line of her jaw.

“W-Why?” she asked, overwhelmed.

“I couldn’t live with it,” he whispered, “knowing’ my work was puttin’ you in danger. And I couldn’t bear leavin’ you off somewhere where I‘d be separated from you for months.”

Annabelle murmured her distaste for that idea.

“Plus,” he added with a rakish smile, “I believe I owe you a quiet, little villa somewhere down in South America.”

A bright smile lit up her features. “You really want to-?”

“I really want to.”

“I mean, give this all up...?”

“Ever since I met you,” he pressed a fingertip to her lips, hushing her, “my heart hasn’t been in it anymore. Something else has captured it instead.”

“Oh, Frank...”

Bob made audible gagging noises as the kissing began anew.

“It’s sweet, you ass,” Darla informed him, whapping him lightly in the shoulder.

“Whatever you say,” he looked unconvinced.

“Oh dear, yet another couple living in sin,” Sites sighed. “You know, perhaps I should retire from the priesthood. I don’t seem to exemplify any of its values anymore.”

“Welcome to our world,” Gerard agreed, patting the older man on the back. “We could certainly use someone with your skills at infiltration.”

A proud smile lit up Sites' face at that. “It’s quite simply, really,” he began. “Nothing more than a basic understanding of human nature and-”

“Mmf!” Annabelle abruptly exclaimed, pulling away from Frank’s lips and dropping her feet back down onto the deck. Frank whimpered in response, and she gave his hand a little reassuring squeeze. “Don’t quit just yet,” she instructed Sites urgently. “We still need you to marry us.”

“Oh, well yes,” Sites smiled, obviously flattered that she wanted him to perform the ceremony.

“Wait...” Frank broke in. “Now?” he inquired of Annabelle.

“Do you want to wait?” she whispered, subtly shimmying her hips against his hardness.

“God, no!” he exclaimed with a moan. “Only I thought you’d want a big wedding and all...”

“All I need is you,” she smiled softly.

Bob began coughing again.

Darla and Elizabeth simultaneously elbowed him in the ribs. The effect created a rather amusing wheezing sound.

Annabelle abruptly turned to Sites. “Marry us right now,” she ordered.

“Now?” Sites seemed equally flustered by Annabelle’s haste. “Y-You still need rings, and...”

“What else?” Annabelle demanded.

“Well, nothing really, but I-”

“Rings...” Annabelle repeated.

“You know, you don’t have to wait,” Elizabeth pointed out helpfully. “A life of virtue isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.”

“I plan to live a life of authorized sin,” Annabelle retorted, bemused. “Frank? Rings?”

“I’m on it,” he assured her, moving below deck.

She quickly caught his hand and gave him a deep kiss. Her fingers wound into his hair as she clutched him to her.

He groaned and pulled away after a minute, panting and resting his forehead against hers. “Better go now before my ability to walk is severely impaired,” he pointed out.

“Don’t go...” she pouted lightly.

“It's only for a few minutes, kitten,” he assured her.

“Too long,” she decided.

“Belle...” he scolded lightly.

“Right,” she sighed, “go.” She reluctantly unwound her body from his. She watched him venture towards the stairs below deck rather awkwardly and licked her lips in anticipation.

“I suppose a life of authorized sin has its advantages, too,” Elizabeth decided.

Annabelle nodded distractedly, watched Frank vanish from her sight, and then dashed off after him.

“Enjoy!” Elizabeth called out after her.