Fanfics from Ao3 - Private

Blueprint - SoldierOfMyShadowyMind

Tossing the bags aside that contain all their gear Ethan enters the flat in the safe house. A quick sweep of the eyes across the state of said apartment tells him it's not been much in use lately. The blinds of two of the three windows are drawn, the pane of the other is muddied and stained by countless raindrops. There's a layer of dust on the single table in the middle of the main room and the chairs haven't supported human weight for longer than just a few weeks.

Huh.

But you take what you can get.

Ethan strides into the room and opens one of the windows. This flat is in need of fresh air. Behind him he hears the click of the door being closed.

"And you're sure we're safe here?" Will asks as he picks up the bags Ethan's so heedlessly thrown into the corner and places them on the chairs at the table.

"Sure" Ethan answers cheerily. "And it's only for one night, so nothing to worry about."

It's not as if they're in any danger, the mission's done and dusted and all they need to do now is lay low and wait for their ride who's going to pick them up tomorrow by four in the afternoon. Enough time to attend to their scratches and sleep off the stress.

Ethan sighs when he sees the look on Will's face; of course, of bloody course he's doing his analyst thing again. "Relax, Brandt. We did good today. And you won't argue with me over a safe house, now will you?"

Will lets out a half-hearted snort but his features don't quite manage to play along with the sarcastic tone. "I'm just concerned you might accidentally fall out of a badly secured window."

Ehhh, true, Ethan's had some close encounters with windows (and, afterwards, with pieces of glass. Comes with the whole jumping out of stuff package.) but it was necessary, okay?

"I can assure you, I won't try and escape your scowling face. Which is way too adorable" he adds for good measure, his lips turning into a grin. The flustered look on Will's face is definitely worth it.

Will huffs something unintelligible and turns away to rummage through their gear. A few beats later, Ethan has a first aid kit thrown at his head.

"Patch yourself up, Jumping Joe."

Ethan, for once resisting commenting on that, picks the kit off the floor and shuffles towards the table where he slumps down on the remaining empty chair. He pretends not to notice how Will watches him out of the corner of his eyes when he pulls his t-shirt over his head, revealing slightly reddish skin. It's mainly bruises and shallow cuts but he might have cracked a rib or two. Cautiously he touches at the forming bulge at his side and hisses when it sends a rush of sharp pain through his body. Then there's the cut at his abdomen that unfortunately looks like it needs stitching up. Ethan sighs. He's done this way too many times to look good on his health record but he's used to it.

As he attends to his wounds, Will does the same, inspecting a dark looking bruise in the greyish light at the open window through which the smell of rain fills the room. He's got a nasty contusion on his right shoulder and his lip didn't quite survive the hand-to-hand he got involved in with one of the bad guys. Ethan observes him as he frowns at his injuries and he believes that although Will started out as a field agent and has been back in business for some time now he's not as indifferent to this as Ethan has become over the years. On second thought, Will probably never will be.

Placing needle and thread down on the table Ethan stands up and walks over to the analyst, making sure Will hears him so that he's not startled when Ethan lays a gentle hand on his good shoulder.

"You need help with that?" he asks, stopping at a respecting distance.

Will turns his head to glance at him. "No, I've got it, you take care of your own." He nods towards the small gash that has started bleeding again.