Work Text:
In the morning, Denise and Cooper rise with the sun.
The light seeps through the blinds and curtains, filling the silent bedroom with a golden glow. Cooper, ever sensitive to his biological clock, always wakes up before Denise’s alarm goes off.
On this particular morning, Cooper awoke to see Denise lying peacefully beside him. He grinned, stretched his arms above his head, and shifted closer to Denise. Denise was a beauty, even in slumber. Her face was truly relaxed, temporarily free from the stress of the FBI. She was still deep in slumber, her eyes darting behind her eyelids, and Cooper wished he could capture the moment in a postcard. Waking Denise was always a double-edged sword; Cooper loved to watch her peacefully slumber, but he loved it more when she was awake.
”Denise?” Cooper muttered, gently running his fingers through her auburn hair. It still held her hairspray from the day before; Cooper used his fingers to tenderly work through the tangles.
Denise stirred, scrunching her nose and shielding her eyes from the morning sun. “Morning,” she mumbled, voice still rough from sleep.
”Good morning, Denise. Sleep well?”
”Like a baby,” she chuckled. “I dreamed about you, you know?”
Cooper cocked his head to the side, “Oh? What was the dream?”
Denise nuzzled against Cooper’s side, lounging her head against his shoulder. “I had two dreams,” she explained. “The first dream was that we met as children. You were wearing your hair up out of your face, and you were running around in the mud. I remember you had on your brother’s old Boy Scout uniform—it was way too big—and you told me that you wanted to be a Boy Scout, but they wouldn’t let you in.”
”It’s true,” Cooper said. “I used to borrow the manuals from the library and pretend I was one of them.”
”In the dream, I told you, ‘I’m a Boy Scout. I’ll teach you what I know.’” Denise smiled, flashing her pearly white teeth. “You know, we would’ve gotten along well as children.”
Cooper hummed, “I would’ve marveled at all of your badges, I’m sure. Making my own out of cardboard didn’t have the same effect.”
”Ah, you’re better than the Boy Scouts anyway. You’ve got more guts than all of them combined.”
“You flatter me, Denise.” Cooper pressed a kiss to Denise’s temple. “What was your second dream?”
”Well, I woke up to get a glass of water in the middle of the night,” said Denise, “and when I went back to sleep, I had another dream. We were adults, exactly as we are now, in this dream.”
“What did this dream entail?”
Denise traced her fingers up Cooper’s exposed biceps. “I don’t think the contents of the dream are fit for pleasant conversation,” she said coyly, with her trademark knowledgeable smile.
Cooper couldn’t deny that his ears went warm and pink. “Denise!” he chuckled.
”I’ll save that dream for later,” she said, “I’m sure it’ll make for some enlightening evening chatter.”
Denise’s alarm clock rang sharply, interrupting their conversation. Denise groaned and buried her face into Cooper’s shoulder, hoping that shielding her face would somehow make the day’s hectic schedule slow.
Cooper wrapped an arm around Denise’s torso, “I could stay like this all day, my dear, but we have to get up.”
”And what if I don’t want to?” Denise countered, her voice muffled from Cooper’s shoulder.
”How I wish the world worked that way. I’d never leave this bed.”
Denise hummed and wiggled closer to Cooper, “I love you, Coop.”
Cooper kissed the top of Denise’s head. “I love you too,” he cooed, “and because I love you, I will tell you that we have to get up.”
”Why do you have to be so goody-goody and rational all the time?”
”It’s my job.”
”It’s oddly attractive, just not when you’re making me get out of bed.”
”We’ll go together, how about that?”
Denise kissed Cooper’s bare shoulder, “Sounds like a plan.”
Cooper and Denise always get ready for the day side by side in their shared restroom.
Cooper’s routine is efficient and easy. He takes his morning shower and dresses in his tank top and boxers, freshly washed and already smelling of pine. Cooper dips his comb in hair gel and slicks his jet-black hair tightly against his scalp.
Today, he shaves his face while Denise turns the water on for her morning shower. Shaving was a joy for Cooper; to have enough stubble worthy of shaving was euphoric. There was a subtle art to shaving in the way Cooper held and turned the blade, trimming his jaw to the desired effect. The feeling of the shaving lather soothed Cooper, cooling his face and providing a blank canvas.
Cooper isn’t always coordinated, and on this particular morning, his distracted mind caused him to nick his chin. He hissed, pulling the razor away and putting a hand on the wound.
“Coop?” Denise questioned. Though the mirror was fogged by the shower’s condensation, she noticed the blood on Cooper’s chin and moved to tear off a piece of toilet paper to hold against the wound. Her nightgown flowed behind her as she walked to Cooper’s side.
”Tilt your head back,” she instructed. Cooper obliged, removing his reddened fingers. Denise stuck the toilet paper to the wound, pressing it firmly against Cooper’s skin. “You’ve got to stop thinking so hard while you’re shaving,” Denise jokingly reprimanded.
”I try. Perhaps I was distracted by your beauty,” Cooper flirted, shooting a sideways glance at Denise. To his delight, she blushed.
“You tease.” Denise checked the paper. The wound was bleeding less, but it wasn’t closed yet. She put the makeshift gauze back on the wound.
“You can take your shower,” said Cooper. “I can do this myself.”
Denise clicked her tongue, “Nonsense. I can wait a minute. Let me take care of you.”
When the wound stopped bleeding, Denise disposed of the paper and pressed a kiss to Cooper’s cheek. She left Cooper’s side and went to open the shower curtain. Her clothing was shed, left discarded on the bathmat, and she stepped into the shower with utmost elegance. Cooper’s heart skipped a beat as he watched her. He almost forgot that half of his face remained unshaven.
Denise always hummed whatever tune came to her mind in the shower. Her music was, in Cooper’s mind, better than any radio. He enjoyed finishing his routine while Denise absentmindedly expressed her joy through song. Cooper thought her voice was angelic, as silky smooth and soft as a jazz singer. Cooper was applying his stinging aftershave just as Denise was finishing her song set. The water shut off, and Cooper heard the swoosh of a towel being swiped from the curtain rod. Denise stepped out of the shower, towel wrapped around her torso, and darted past Cooper, aiming to get dressed.
When Denise re-entered the bathroom, Cooper had just finished brushing his teeth. Denise donned a silky rose-colored blouse, her waist accentuated by a black pencil skirt and sheer pantyhose. Her wet hair was tied in a messy knot atop her head, out of the way of her face. Cooper knew he needed to get dressed in his own uniform, but the sight of Denise was too alluring.
Denise gave a knowing smirk, the kind that drove Dale wild. “Like what you see?” she teased.
”Always,” Cooper said, light as a feather.
”Well, feel free to keep looking then.”
Cooper took the invitation, taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub as Denise went to the sink to begin her routine.
Denise had a compelling way of applying her makeup in the mornings. She was as methodical with makeup as she was in every element of her life. The eyeshadow shades she used always complimented the tones of her outfit, while also accentuating her sparkling eyes. Her hand never shook when she traced her eyes with eyeliner, and her focus was sharp enough to saw trees down. Cooper loved to watch that precision. His favorite part was watching as Denise applied the cherry-red lipstick to her lips. How many times had Cooper had to wash lipstick stains off of his cheeks, lips, and shirt collars? Just that morning, Cooper had washed off a lipstick stain from his torso that he hadn’t realized was there. Perhaps the kisses that followed the lipstick application were Cooper’s favorite part.
”You’re staring awfully hard, Coop,” Denise commented between swipes of the lipstick tube. She observed herself in the mirror and then touched up the application with more color.
Cooper cleared his throat, “Forgive my longing looks, Denise. I think that that lipstick shade is my favorite of yours.”
Denise giggled, “It’s the hardest color to wash off.”
”Perhaps that’s why it’s my favorite. I like to be reminded of you.”
Denise paused and gave a surprised chuckle. "You flirt," she muttered. She smacked her lips together and put the cap on the lipstick tube. Her ring finger swiped underneath her bottom lip, wiping away the excess lipstick. Denise pivoted, turning to face Cooper.
”How do I look?” she asked, flaunting her outfit by doing a spin.
Cooper couldn’t have been more breathless if his lungs had been run over. “Denise, you are a beauty,” Cooper muttered. “You should be immortalized in a painting and displayed in a museum.”
Denise blushed, complimenting the rosy rouge on her cheeks, “Oh, Coop. You flatter me.”
She stepped forward, standing between Cooper’s parted legs. Her fingers, nails painted blood-red, delicately traced Cooper’s jawline. Cooper tilted his chin upwards, staring up at Denise with raw admiration and love. Denise’s eyes sparkled with a combination of fondness and mischief. She leaned forward, bending at the waist so she could passionately kiss Cooper’s lips.
Cooper put his hands on Denise’s neck, cautious not to smear her makeup. He gave a satisfied groan, pressing deeper into the kiss. At that moment, neither one of them cared about smudging lipstick or running late for work; it was a moment all about them.
”Coop,” Denise cooed between panting breaths, “We’re going to be late.”
Cooper hummed, “I can handle that.”
”No you can’t,” she teased. “You can’t stand to be late.”
Cooper pressed another kiss to Denise’s lips. “I don’t want to move,” he replied, “I could keep kissing you all day.”
”Then do.”
Cooper had to oblige. Denise made a compelling argument.
Once they’d had their share of kisses and realized how late they would be, Denise and Cooper reluctantly separated. Denise made to touch up her lipstick, and Cooper wiped off the red smudges that surrounded his lips. The color didn’t fully dissipate, but Cooper liked it better than way.
The pair darted around their shared bedroom in a hurry, putting on suit blazers and jewelry, shining black high heels, and tightening ties. When their paths crossed, they paused for a hasty peck on the lips before continuing their morning rush.
Once Cooper had dressed up in his bureau-regulated midnight black suit, he put on the pot of black coffee in the kitchen. While the water boiled, he put slices of bread in the toaster, making the whole kitchen smell fresh and homely. The coffee pot bubbled, the toaster popped, and the sounds of the kitchen made Cooper feel alive and awake.
Denise came up behind Cooper, her delightful and distinct perfume permeating the breakfast smells. Her arms wrapped around Cooper's waist, giving him a gentle squeeze. “Is the coffee ready?” she whispered, keeping the peaceful moment unbroken.
Cooper lulled his head backward, laying against Denise’s shoulder, “It should be. Your usual?”
”Two sugars and a cream, if you please.”
”Right away, Denise.”
They sat at their small dining room table, legs tangled together underneath the table and fingers intertwined atop it.
"I should be home earlier than usual today," Denise commented. "I have to finish some paperwork today, so I'll go as fast as I can."
Cooper wiped the corner of his mouth on a napkin, "I doubt I'll be so fortunate. My pile of paperwork is a mountain on my desk."
"My sympathies go out to you."
"Thank you, Denise. I hope I'll get to come home on time."
The lovers drank their coffee and hastily ate their breakfasts, keeping their lateness in mind. Neither of their jobs would take well to absence or tardiness, a fact that both agents despised.
While they conversed, Denise and Cooper worked in tandem to tidy the dining table and put dishes in the sink. They darted around the house, grabbing briefcases, touching up makeup, and getting their pre-packed lunches from the refrigerator. Cooper tossed his keys in his pocket. Denise brushed her hair one last time before she met Cooper at the front door.
"Ready to go?" Cooper asked.
"Ready as I'll ever be," answered Denise.
They exchanged a kiss—carefully, so as to not smudge Denise’s lipstick again—before they opened the front door. Denise and Cooper shared an affectionate look, knowing that they’d long for each other throughout the work day. A squeeze of the hand, an “I love you” in unison, and the two agents were off for the day, ready to tackle the day’s tasks.
Their hectic yet lovely morning routine had come to its inevitable conclusion. And in the evening, they'd gleefully reunite again, ready to once again hold each other close and stain their skin with lipstick kisses.