Songs for this chapter:
MISSIO - I Run To You
MICHL - Die Trying

This chapter is NSFW. Happy reading! Let me know what you think.
-walk

------

For a moment, it was quiet. Just for a second before Evan moved. He wiped the blood from his face and without a word he started pulling the dead by the arms outside of the gate.

The stars were bright up above and they worked silently in the moonlight moving the dead on the other side until all that was left inside were ominous black and red patches in the grass. Until all that was left was Craig's lifeless body and too many questions that were still unanswered.

There were still faint screams echoing in the dark when they gathered around him, looking down at the smartest person they had, now gone. They were techless, missing more assets now than they could afford. They were losing their grip on the situation and no one really knew what to do.

All eyes ended up on Jonathan as they usually did, searching for guidance and answers he didn't have. He was still stuck in his own head, still had Evan running through his mind, still had his fingers bruising his skin. He still couldn't breathe.

Evan cleared his throat and shuffled his feet, "We should burn the bodies. Screamers won't come near the light and those other fucking assholes already know we're here so it's not like we're alerting anyone of our presence. They'll start to stink otherwise."

Murphy gave a small nod, keeping her eye on Anjo because he was staring at Evan like he wanted to speak but words couldn't form. She saw him struggling with something but she didn't know what. Murphy caught Evan's eye and saw the same thing.

"What do we do about Craig?"

"Burn him, too." Evan sighed. "That way we at least have ashes to give his family if we ever get out of here."

"Okay." Marcel said quietly and everyone started to part. "Let's get this done."

Silence fell over the tower once more as everyone assigned themselves duties. Soon there was a massive fire burning high into the night as the screamers disintegrated in the street. Jonathan still didn't know what to do. Everyone had something to keep them busy and he was stuck standing there trying not to let the stress and anxiety topple him again.

He felt a light touch to his forearm and looked over to find Murphy looking up at him. "We need more metal. That wood isn't doing shit anymore on the fence."

All he could do was swallow and nod. She wanted to ask him what was going on, he could feel it, but she didn't. Jonathan finally moved, wiping his face with his shirt before he walked out into the streets and around the fire in search of anything to restructure the fence with.

He figured Evan wanted the distance anyway.

------

Murphy wandered into the tower at daybreak, exhausted and filthy, looking for some sort of relief from their unrelenting problems. But she knew it would only get worse each day. It always did.

She found Langley in the showers sitting on the floor in a stall fully clothed with hot water scorching her skin. Murphy didn't say anything just got to her knees and started cutting away the ruined clothes that covered her beaten body. Langley let her pull her to her unsteady feet and leaned against the wall as she undressed herself.

Murphy carefully washed her and tried not to cry when her fingers ghosted over cuts that were shallow, deep, and everything in between. She was bruised. Some old, some new. Langley never even winced and Murphy knew that was a bad sign. It meant she was locked up tight and secure inside of her own head. She probably didn't even know where she was right now, too lost in thought and smothered in self-loathing to care.

Murphy cleaned the dirt and blood from Langley's face and washed her hair until she somewhat looked like herself again, minus half the head of hair she was missing. She took her face in her hands and tried to get her to look at her, but her eyes were empty and tired.

"Say something, damn it." Murphy pleaded but she got nothing in return, just a cold ache in her chest.

The door opened behind them and Evan walked in quietly, looking like absolute shit. He took a breath and sighed, something he did a lot when he couldn't stop thinking. "What do you need?"

"Towels and clean clothes. Big shirts, something baggy. She's probably really tender, but she won't make a noise."

Evan gave a short nod and left without a sound. A few minutes later Anjo came in and asked them the same question, "What do you need?"

Murphy grinned sadly, "Help me carry her to a room and get David to look at her?"

Evan came in behind him with towels and clothes and they all worked together to get her dry and dressed before Jonathan picked her up in his arms and carefully carried her to the elevator. He swallowed at all the tension in the small space. Evan was quiet beside him, not even glancing his way and Murphy could see it, whatever was hanging in the air.

Jonathan really wanted to run and scream and punch something because everything had fallen apart so fucking fast and he couldn't keep up. Langley flinched when the elevator came to a stop and he almost felt himself tear up. She looked horrible and empty in his arms and he was the one that had let her go in the first place.

He tried not to think about it as he laid her down on a bed and watched David and Brock set her up on some fluids so she wouldn't get anymore dehydrated than she already was.

"Her cuts are deep, but they don't need stitching. They've already started to heal so that's a good sign. The bruising is a few days old, no internal bleeding." David took a deep breath when Murphy stared him down. "Whoever did this, knew what they were doing. They made sure she wouldn't catch infection or bruise so bad that it disabled her."

"They were never going to kill her." Brock spoke up, "They must have been waiting for the right moment to let her go. They broke her."

Jonathan rubbed his face, "Thank you, both of you. Head downstairs and make sure no one else needs patching up. It was rough last night down there, anything could've happened."

They nodded and left the room, which left him, Evan, and Murphy in the quiet room with the ever present beeping of Langley's monitor. Her heart was steady, but she looked lifeless.

"She doesn't need to be alone." Murphy turned on the music player so it wouldn't be silent in the room. "She thinks a lot when it's quiet. It's not good for her. I'll stay. You two need to get back out there and figure out where we all go from here."

Jonathan walked over and brushed Langley's hair away from her face and he felt the guilt again but it was worse. He licked his lips and blinked back faint tears, "I'm sorry."

Then he turned and pulled Murphy into a hug that she was waiting for. "Murph, I'm so fucking sorry."

She squeezed him tight and sighed, "Shut up. It's okay. She's not dead."

"Still . . ."

"Go. We'll be here." She pushed him away and he looked to the door expecting Evan to still be there but he was already gone.

"Are you okay?" Murphy asked when he stood there staring at the empty doorway.

Jonathan looked down at his hands, seeing the dried blood and dirt covering up the scratches Evan had left on his arm from their struggle in the safehouse. Jonathan thought about it and he could remember Evan's hot breath against his face, could taste the spit on his tongue.

He closed his eyes, "No. I'm not."

------

Another day passed and everyone was still gathering their wits. They silently met around the furnace of the crematorium in the hospital and watched as the flames engulfed Craig's body, leaving nothing but ash and faint memories and sarcastic responses that resonated in the backs of their minds. He wouldn't be forgotten.

"One day," Scotty spoke quietly. "We'll get the fucker who shot him."

That's what it had been; gunshot to the head. At least it was quick, but no one could say what came before was painless. Only Langley could because she was the only one who knew what had happened. She was still silent, still resting, still gone inside of her head.

"Yeah," Murphy turned to leave. "They'll get what's coming to them."

Things weren't going back to way they were. Not that anyone really wanted it to. No one wanted to forget. They all wanted their own version of revenge. The event didn't break them, only made them stronger. They had more resolve.

------

Work continued on rebuilding and fortifying the fence and Jonathan noted Evan's efforts, his extra efforts at giving both of them space. If Jonathan was lucky he'd catch his gaze from the corner of his eye, but if he looked his direction, Evan turned away.

He didn't blame him because he had no idea what to do or what to say or how to even start that conversation. Jonathan didn't want to jump into it too fast if Evan needed more time. For once, Jonathan was nervous. So he ran, but it wasn't from Evan or their problems. He ran for the safehouse that it had all happened in. The metal railing of the balcony was warm beneath his fingers as he hopped the edge and walked into the house through the open doors. The table was shifted at a random angle from the moment he had shoved Evan onto it.

Jonathan could feel a different heat crawling down his spine. There was blood on the floor, among other things and that's when he noticed the dead screamer lying cold in the floor of the living room amidst the broken coffee table and shattered trinkets. A bullet to the head and the gun that fired nearby. Evan had dropped it and run as more came after him but what Jonathan was trying to learn was why they were there.

How did they get in?

He and Evan always made triple sure the locks held fast on all the doors downstairs, made sure everything was barricaded. They always made sure they wouldn't be surprised in the middle of the night. So, what did they do wrong?

There was a light shining through onto the stairs that led to the bottom floor of the house. It was something he would've noticed before. He walked down, stepping over another dead one that looked like it had fallen backwards after being shot. Evan's handy work. When he reached the bottom that's where he found it; a crowbar sitting just outside the door in the street. Someone had pried the door open that night, from the outside. It was more than likely the other group that was now clearly trying to sabotage them any chance they got.

Jonathan's heart was still beating a little hard, even harder at the thought that he could've lost Evan that night. He would have if Evan wasn't smart and cautious and quick on his feet. Jonathan would have lost everything and he knew then that Evan had finally become someone he couldn't live without.

He had to fix it and he had to prove to Evan that he wasn't going to cut and run anymore. He had to prove that he had changed and that he was going to let him in. Jonathan was going to let everyone in. It was the one thing Evan always wanted him to do.

------

Evan worked himself relentlessly to the point where he was exhausted, but he knew if he tried to sleep, it wasn't going to happen. His clothes were stiff with dried blood and screamer guts and he really couldn't care less. The only thing he cared about was coming through the gate and hesitating when he got too close. Evan didn't even have to look at him to know that he still didn't know what to do. So, Jonathan kept walking and Evan kept working.

There were curious and confused eyes on him as they continued to rebuild the fence, but they never asked and he never spoke a word. Just kept himself busy or else he'd start thinking. He had to give him time, had to give himself time.

------

Another few hours went by. Most of them were gathered in the lobby, sitting in silence and Evan still hadn't shut his eyes. The exhaustion was really setting in, he could feel it deep in his chest.

Marcel stood and cleared his throat, "I think we can all agree that we need to grab some new clothes and get a shower. It's been days. We're tired, some more than others, and we stink. So, let's go up to the laundry, get clean clothes, a shower, and get ourselves cleaned up. Come on."

It sounded so weird coming out of his mouth. But, trying to fill Langley's place was something no one wanted to do. They were grateful that Marcel even tried, because no one had the motivation to get up and moving again on their own. Langley would've set them straight in minutes. Evan missed her, they all did.

Evan also knew that Jonathan felt responsible for her and everything she'd gone through. He trusted that she would be fine because she believed it herself and to an extent she was fine. She wasn't dead, but she wasn't speaking either. That had them all worried more than anything, Murphy more so. If she wasn't at her bedside, she was with Lui because all the time Langley was gone, Murphy needed someone to lean on and it ended up being him and his humor and kind ways. Lui knew just how to take care of her and he knew what she needed. She could never thank him enough for that.

They piled onto the elevator and Evan opted to take a trip up alone. Too many people in too tight of a space set his nerves off, so he let them go ahead of him. His legs and arms ached as he waited. Lucah licked at his fingers as she stood there with him until the elevator came to a stop.

"I'm fine, girl." He said quietly and she gave a small huff of disbelief. Evan couldn't help but grin down at her.

"Alright." He ran his hands through her hair. "I'm really not okay, but I will be. Just need . . . honestly, I don't know what the fuck I need right now."

The doors opened and he stepped out, a little confused because there were so many people, probably all of the civies, crammed into the large room they used for laundry. Murphy caught his eye and motioned her head to what was inside. Evan stepped to the doorway and stood behind everyone else, but he could see clear as day who they were looking at.

Jonathan was standing up on one of the tables against the far wall so everyone could see and hear him. Evan's legs felt even more weak when he watched him take his mask off and say, "My name . . . . is Jonathan."

Evan's heart was pounding.

"I know that you all are looking to me for answers and I know that I've been avoiding this for as long as I possibly could. But, someone keeps telling me that I need to open up to you and let you know that you have nothing to fear. I care about every single one of you and I'm doing everything I can to keep you and this tower safe until we can figure out how to get out of here. It's been months and I know you're all tired and scared. So am I. I'm scared I'm going to fail you. I'm scared that the people we've lost were lost because of decisions I made. But I have to live with that. Things happen, no one can predict it. I know you all heard the commotion outside the other night, the gunfire, and the screams. But we took care of it and we've rebuilt the fence. You're still safe. From this point on if you need anything, let me know and if you can't find me, tell Lui and he'll relay the message. I am here for every one of you and I apologize for hiding as long as I did. We've all been through a lot and we've all lost something or someone. We are all together in this nightmare. Don't be afraid and especially don't be afraid of me."

Jonathan finished and took a breath. That's when he saw Evan standing far away in the doorway, watching him, arms crossed and emotionless before he turned and left. He had no idea what that meant but he didn't have time to think about it because everyone clapped and as he stepped down, began to greet him.

He was caught up with them for so long he knew Evan must have been asleep by the time he broke free of everyone. So, he didn't hunt him down. Instead he found Maria and the kids and for the next hour he sat in the floor and kept them entertained with stories and games. The rescue cat the kids had named Laffy came up to him and got comfortable in his lap.

Jonathan had never been a cat person, but the creature was growing on him. It purred as he stroked it's grey fur and for a moment things felt okay. For a moment things felt like they weren't actually falling apart piece by piece around him while he clumsily attempted to keep it all glued together. He was staring off into space as the kids ran circles around him and he knew Maria could tell exactly what was going through his head. But Jonathan couldn't care. He was wasting time, avoiding the elephant in the room.

------

Evan was . . . lost.

Lost in his own head as he walked aimlessly through the empty hallways. His footsteps echoed and he was aware of his heartbeat; heavy and tired. But how was he supposed to sleep when he couldn't stop thinking? How was he supposed to shut it all off when his usual remedy was as distant as the fucking sun at the moment?

Evan didn't understand whether or not Jonathan was avoiding him for his own reasons or because he was thinking what Evan was thinking; that they both needed time. Maybe they were both scared to face it but they had to eventually.

Evan stopped and leaned against the cold wall and let himself slide to the floor as he thought endlessly. Jonathan had finally given himself up to the tower, to the people. He showed them who he really was and reassured them that they were safe and that he truly cared. Evan didn't know if he did it for the sake of the situation or if he did it for him.

Was he trying to prove something? Because it was working and Evan had hope that Jonathan wasn't going to run anymore. He could tell by the way he had seen him sitting in the floor playing with the kids when he'd walked by earlier. The runner was putting in so much effort all of a sudden to be open with everyone. He was trying to do all the things Evan had tried to push him towards all this time. It was such a different side of him. To say he was surprised was an understatement.

Now all Evan was waiting for was for Jonathan to deal with whatever he was still fighting and come to him. He just didn't know how much longer he could wait before he gave up on the idea that what happened actually meant something and that it wasn't just a heat of the moment, one time thing.

"What are you doing?"

Evan looked up to find Murphy walking his way, looking just as tired and worn out as he did. Except she was one shower and two days cleaner.

"Thinking." He rubbed at his jaw. "How's Langley?"

"Same. She's sleeping for now." She crouched in front of him. "You ready to tell me what's going on?"

He met her stare and he almost couldn't speak because the emotions swelled so fast it shocked him. "No . . . I don't even know what's going on."

He was in a haze thinking about it when she snatched his head to the side and pulled his collar to the side. "Jesus fuck! Are those bite marks?! Were you bit?!"

She was on her knees, eyes an inch away from his now days old wounds and he was close to being amused, but the truth made him feel other wise. He pulled her off and still couldn't find humor in anything. "Yes."

"Evan, why didn't you-"

"Say anything?" He interrupted and got to his feet. "Because these bite marks and the screamer fight the other night . . . let's just say the two things aren't related."

Murphy stood there in a confused stupor while he walked away and Evan grimaced when it clicked in her head.

"OH MY FUCKING GOD."

Luckily, he made it to the elevator before she did.

------

It was once again all quiet, no sound but the running water, scrubbing, and rinsing. Scotty pressed his lips to Marcel's clean shoulder and felt himself about to cry.

Marcel noticed, he always did. He turned and wiped at his lips. "What is it?"

Scotty shrugged and let himself cry. "Things aren't gonna get back to normal. They got worse."

"Scott . . . we're going to get through this."

"That could've been you instead of Langley. Could've been you instead of Craig. I don't know what I would've done. I-"

"Baby, look at me." Marcel had his face in his hands. "It wasn't me. I'm right here and you're right here. We're all going to be extra careful from here on out. But we can't predict the future and if it ever is me . . . you're not going to give up. You keep going until you're out of here. Do you understand me?"

Scotty choked but he nodded his understanding. "Yeah."

"Hey. I love you and I'm with you until the end." Marcel kissed him until he stopped crying, until he had him pressed against the cold wet tile wall and they couldn't hear anything else but each other's breathing.

------

Jonathan wandered the halls and spent some time on the roof until he was sick of thinking so he made his way back down.

The sick bay was always cold and quiet with David or Brock's occasional footsteps whispering by. Jonathan remembered the last time he spent days in one of the beds, watched over by the one person that felt like a ghost to him at this point. He could still recall it all in vivid detail; Evan's laughter, his smile, his heavy hand resting on his chest.

"I'm fine being alone."

"I know. But I don't want you to be."

Jonathan grinned for a moment, letting it fade as he walked into Langley's room where she was exactly where he left her. He sat in the chair beside her and took her hand. Her eyes were open and she blinked slowly, staring past him.

"Hey, beautiful." Jonathan whispered to her. "I miss you. We all do. I don't know what to do anymore."

He took a breath to keep himself from choking up. "I'm so fucking lost right now. Craig, you . . . and Evan. Everything happened so fast and all at once and it's so . . . I don't know and I don't know how to fix any of it. Craig's been laid to rest but that guilt will never stop weighing on me. You aren't getting better and I still feel like that's my fault. And Evan . . . I don't know where to start. I . . . we had sex. God, no. It wasn't even sex - I snapped, Langley. I hurt him, probably in the worst way that I ever could and then I ran. I ran from the fact that I care about him and that I'm scared to lose him. He's avoiding me and I don't blame him. I just . . . how am I supposed to fix this?"

Jonathan sighed and laid his head on the bed beside her hand and he could've fallen asleep right there but the sudden touch of fingers to his face woke him up entirely. He sat up abruptly and grabbed her hand again as she looked at him with a faint grin.

"You're not carrying this burden alone." Her voice was quiet and sounded overused. "We all share the guilt, me more than others when it comes to Craig. I was right there beside him when it happened."

Jonathan saw her lip quiver and he tucked her hair behind her ear, "Don't talk about it if you're not ready."

She nodded and rubbed her lips together, taking a deep breath before she squeezed his fingers. "And Evan doesn't hate you. I know that's what you're thinking. He's just giving you time and space because that's what he's used to. He's used to you running until you're ready to come back. You can fix it and he's waiting. Evan has always been waiting for you. I think it's about time you stop running. From him at least."

He broke into a smile when she grinned. "Yeah . . . I'm kind of tired of running. From him at least."

Langley gave a small laugh and it was so good to see her smile. He kissed her hand and stood. "Get some more rest."

"Go fix it, Anjo."

He looked down at her and grinned again, "Call me Jonathan from now on."

Langley hummed in approval, "Suits you. Go fix it, Jonathan."

"Yes, ma'am."

------

So, there he was finally taking the stairs down, heading straight toward his reason for breathing in the world they lived in. His nerves hadn't twisted into such a horrible knot like this since that time Tyler forced him to ask that guy out at the coffee shop years ago. But this was different and much more serious. This was butterflies and unsteady footsteps as he pushed his way into the lobby. This was feeling almost sick to his stomach as he laid eyes on him from across the room, seeing him tying his shoes that desperately needed to be swapped out for some new ones. This was realizing how much he cared about him when Evan finally looked up and caught his stare as he walked toward him with legs that felt like they were about to give. This was like that first crush everyone had, feeling the heat in his face when Evan stood up, just as nervous but expectant.

This was his person.

Jonathan took a breath and as soon as he opened his mouth Lui came running through the front doors.

"There's someone at the gate!" He caught his breath and looked around at everyone's shocked faces.

Jonathan stopped just mere feet from Evan and closed his eyes with an aggravated and defeated sigh, "God dammit! What the fuck is it this time?!"

He stormed out the front doors. Lui was right behind him and so was Evan. He made out more than one person standing there hesitantly in the late evening air.

"Who are you and what do you want? You have five fucking seconds before I end every one of you." Jonathan said when he came to a halt, Evan ever present at his side.

There was a man in a black hoodie and as soon as he turned, the hair stood up on the back of Jonathan's neck. "You?"

Evan looked at the side of Jonathan's disbelieving face.

Jonathan huffed, "You've got some serious nerve coming here after taking me and Langley both."

Evan moved faster than Jonathan could stop him and he was through the gate, gripping the guy by his jacket, picking him up before he threw him to the ground. Evan fell to his knees and got three punches in before he held his fist, "I should kill you right here for what you did to him, for what you did to her, maybe Craig, too. Give me one reason why I shouldn't make you swallow your own teeth."

The guy gasped for air and spit the blood from his bruised mouth. He held up his hands in surrender, "She wanted me to come here."

"Who?"

"Langley." He coughed around the strong copper taste on his tongue. "Please. I'm not here to hurt anyone. I'm just trying to get away from someone who does."

------

Langley was on her feet with Murphy's help and she moved steadily down the hall until she felt out of breath.

"Break?"

Langley shook her head, "Not yet. At least let me get to the waiting room."

Her feet slid against the cold tile in the empty dim-lit hallways. The lighting had always hurt her eyes but she never complained. Power-saving was a must and they'd get along fine without it at one-hundred percent.

The waiting room was empty, obviously and it always gave her a serious dose of nostalgia. She was reminded of all the times she spent sitting there, waiting for the news on one relative after another until she didn't have any grandparents left. Or uncles, or aunts . . . parents. Her life was one waiting room session and freak accident after the next, endless responsibilities, invisible stress, and the inability to cope with it all.

Not until Murphy came along. Well, she didn't come along, she was always there at the same cafe that Langley went to clear her head. One day Langley was people watching and a guy walked past on the sidewalk with the most perfect ass and she let one word slip and at the same time so did Murphy.

"Damn."

They met each other's eyes and both broke into a grin. The rest was history.

They'd both had friends before each other, some they called best. But that was all erased by each other, because neither had met one person so much like themselves. It made everyone they'd ever known shrivel in comparison. From that day they were inseparable, even now amidst the chaos. Though Langley did have the tendency to fall back into her depressive ways every now and then. When Murphy wasn't there all the time she had been held captive, it was harder to come back from what she was stuck in now.

It was harder to try.

"Your hair is pretty dope though." Murphy said quietly when Langley sat in one of the worn out chairs in the small lobby.

Langley couldn't help but grin as she looked out the window as the sky darkened. She really didn't know what to say so she simply stared at the scenery until her mind started to wander which was the last thing she wanted but she knew it would never stop. All those vidid images constantly replayed in her head over and over.

Murphy tucked her behind her ear and let her sit in silence until they heard faint voices; yelling.

Langley glanced down at the ground below and in the dark she could make out a group of people on the other side of the gate. Her heart jumped to her throat and she stood, squinting down at the conflict that was growing below. She watched Evan surge through the gate and jump on the one person she never got the chance to thank.

"Arlan!"

"Langley! Wait!" Murphy reached for her but she was running back down the hall.

------

"What do you mean 'Langley'?! You're the one who ambushed her, why would she want you here?!" Evan shook him but the guy didn't have anything else to say. The front doors behind them burst open and out came Langley, running quicker than anyone thought she could in her state.

"Stop!" She stopped only when Jonathan grabbed her in his arms and held her back. She heaved, "Don't hurt him!"

"Why not?" Evan looked back at her in question.

"Because he never hurt me! He did what he was told to protect himself and his friends from the boss. He made sure I stayed alive. He kept me from being tortured anymore than I had to be. He kept me from being raped." She felt herself about to cry. "He saved my life."

Her lip shook as she looked up at the man holding her, "Please, Jonathan. I trust him and you need to trust me. He could've been killed for coming here. He just wants sanctuary for his friends, just like the rest of us. This isn't some Stockholm syndrome shit, I swear to you. Trust me."

Jonathan saw truth in her eyes and not disillusion. He let her go and nodded, "Okay."

Evan stood and backed away from the guy and let Langley pull him to his feet and into a hug. She finally cried, "You came."

"I did." Arlan grinned against her hair. "I told you they wouldn't be as forgiving as you."

"And I told you I could get you in."

Arlan huffed a small laugh as they pulled apart. He rubbed at his face, "My jaw though . . ."

"Do you blame them?"

He shook his head in understanding, "Nah, I get it."

Evan still had a permanent grimace on his face when Jonathan and Lui started to move back inside, "Come on, it's getting dark."

Jonathan held the door open for the rest of the small group that looked skiddish for good reason, "You all stay in the lobby tonight until I say otherwise."

Arlan was the last to step in behind Langley but he stopped just shy of the entrance and looked up at Jonathan. "Thank you. I honestly don't deserve anything else in this world, but I'll do whatever I need to make it right with you, with her. With everyone."

Jonathan gave him a short nod, but didn't have anything else to say to him at the moment. That conversation would come but there was a more important one he was trying to start with someone else.

Arlan took his place with his people in the lobby where everyone else greeted them. Jonathan gave them orders to keep a close eye on them before he headed for the elevator with Langley, Murphy, and Evan. It was a tense ride but only for the two men aboard. Murphy was too busy hounding Langley for answers to even remember what she'd learned about the two of them.

"What do you mean he helped you?! He's the one that took your gun and hit you upside the head, you idiot!"

Their banter grew faint as they got off on the mess hall floor to get their guests some food and sleeping bags. Evan clearly wanted to follow but Jonathan let his hand grab him by the wrist, stopping him so the doors would close and leave them alone for the first time since that night.

Evan turned and looked over at him and Jonathan still had no fucking idea what to say. He'd thought it all out earlier and it kind of sounded okay, but all that preparation was gone out the window now that Evan was just feet away, looking like hell. Jonathan's lips parted just as soon as the doors opened to the showers, no words were coming out, so he didn't try to force them.

He took Evan by the hand and pulled him along through the door to the showers that were vacant and muggy. He knew neither of them had slept in three days but it was affecting Evan more, he could hardly blink. Jonathan started only one shower and let it get hot while Evan leaned against a wall to keep himself from falling over. Jonathan came back with soap and rags and set them on the tile divider. He helped Evan out of his ruined clothes and ended up just cutting his shirt off him because it was so stiff. Then he moved him slowly to the shower. Evan was growing weaker by the minute, the exhaustion was taking over and the heat settling into his skin from the water only made it more intense. He sagged against the divider for support as Jonathan soaped up a rag and bathed him as gently as he could to keep from hurting what wounds he still had.

Jonathan ran his fingers down his back, getting distracted momentarily and watching the suds run down his thighs. He worked at his hair and scrubbed the dried blood and dirt from his neck. Evan only opened his eyes after he was rinsed off and Jonathan had his face in his hands, running his thumbs over his cheek bones in case he missed something. But he knew he hadn't, he was just trying to convince himself to say something.

Evan saw the water dripping from the tip of Jonathan's nose and the hesitation that was ever present in his eyes, on his lips.

Jonathan finally whispered, "Evan . . . . I'm sorry."

Evan sighed, "I know."

"I just want to ask one thing of you."

"What do you want?"

Jonathan held his stare, "A chance to do this right."

Evan didn't know how long he stood there but he couldn't do it for much longer. He was too tired. He closed his eyes and felt himself leaning straight into Jonathan's shoulder. Jonathan held him up, cut the water off, and dried them both off. Jonathan helped him into some sweatpants before leading him to the elevator again.

"You can have it." Evan mumbled.

"What?"

"Your chance."

"Thank you."

"Happy Birthday." Evan groaned and he knees buckled. Jonathan held back a laugh as he hauled him up into his arms before the elevator came to a halt.

"You're a little late on that one."

"Sorry. Can't think right now. I feel like a fuckin' potato." Evan's head rolled onto Jonathan's shoulder while he carried him down the hall to a bunk.

"You feel more like two hundred potatoes to me, but close enough." Jonathan laid him down and pulled the sheet up over him and he backed out of the room. Evan was already gone, mumbling random shit.

"You should be sleeping, too." Marcel touched his shoulder and laughed when Jonathan jumped. "Just me. Seriously though, three days. Evan is delirious as fuck and you can't be far behind. Get some sleep. We got it covered."

Lucah came from behind and pushed her nose against Jonathan's knee to make him move. He looked down at her through squinted eyes, "Schemer. Fine."

"Goodnight, man." Marcel gave him a lazy salute like Jonathan had the first day they met, then continued back down the hall. Lucah blew air through her nose and followed the man away, leaving Jonathan alone with Evan again.

For a moment he was set on getting into the adjacent bunk, but the second he saw Evan toss and turn, he changed his mind. It was what he should've done in the first place. Jonathan crawled over him when he was still for a moment and laid down behind him. He slipped his arm beneath the pillow and used his other hand to pull Evan back toward him against his chest.

Evan went from fitful dreaming to calm and steady within seconds and Jonathan soon followed him under.

They didn't set an alarm or ask to be woken up; they just slept. It had been the worst couple of days in pretty much every aspect and Jonathan was done. He was tired of running and just wanted to be grounded for five fucking seconds, needed to catch his breath, needed to secure Evan. Jonathan had to make sure Evan understood what he was trying to say, because he hadn't even really said it. But maybe he could, after they both got some well deserved rest.

------

Evan woke up twice in the entire fifteen hours they slept. The first time he woke up because he was hot. He pulled his tired legs out from under the sheet and rolled over only to learn there was someone else there. Jonathan breathed in sharply, but didn't wake up. He moved over subconsciously and Evan faced him, getting comfortable again. Jonathan's hand settled on his waist once he went still again. Evan was still too tired to let it all sink in or acknowledge the fact that Jonathan was willingly pulling him closer and letting his lips settle against his hair.

Evan slept some more, waking for the second time to mumbling that turned out to be coming from Jonathan. They had their backs to each other so Evan sat up still in a fog and looked down at him twitching in his sleep saying a name he'd never heard while he slept.

"Evan . . . ."

Jonathan sounded on the verge of tears and Evan felt more awake right then than he had in days. Jonathan moved to his back breathing heavy and tossing his head. "Wait!"

Evan brushed the hair away from his face and took his hand, "I'm right here. Always have been."

Evan felt the man squeeze his fingers just a bit before he settled into a quiet sleep again. So, he laid down and watched Jonathan breathe for a while until he couldn't hold his eyes open anymore.

He dreamed of the shore by a crystal blue ocean and a long lean figure picking up shells in the distance. He could feel the water lapping at his ankles, could smell the salt in the air, could feel the breeze on his face, and he felt himself drawn to the figure just ahead.

He knew who it was, he could feel his presence radiating around him and he could see his smile whenever the man turned around and saw him coming. Jonathan walked his way and Evan was reaching for him and he got the satisfaction of feeling his strong hand slipping into his before he woke up for good.

When he opened his eyes, Jonathan was right there, hand in his staring at him as he blinked, slowly waking up. Evan took a deep breath and ended up yawning. He stretched and looked around. It was daylight, "What time is it?"

"Mm." Jonathan mumbled, "No idea. My watch is on the floor."

Evan felt for it and pulled it up to his face, "Wow. It's almost eleven."

"I could sleep another day." Jonathan grinned when Evan laid back down.

"Me, too." Evan whispered and looked over at him, feeling heat run through his face and all the way down his neck when Jonathan reached up to cradle his jaw. A thumb settled on Evan's lip and he watched the way Jonathan was trying to swallow his guilt.

"I still don't know what to say other than I'm sorry. I'm trying my best to show you that I'm not going to do what I've always done when it comes to you. I'm not gonna run." Jonathan grabbed Evan's fingers again that were resting on his chest.

"I don't ever want to see you like that again. Just standing there watching me run away. I hurt you, I know I did and you need to know that I care about you so fucking much that it freaks me out. A part of me still doesn't know how to process it. All I know is that I want you and I need you and I can't run from that anymore." Jonathan sighed and licked his nervous lips.

"I need to know that you don't hate me for seemingly fucking you out of nowhere and then leaving you standing there like . . . . I don't know, like it didn't mean anything or that you didn't mean anything to me. Because it did and you do and my goddamn fingers are shaking so bad right now. I'm so fucking sorry-"

Evan propped himself up on his arm and looked down at him, pressing his hand over Jonathan's nervous adorable rambling mouth, "Stop. I don't hate you, dumbass and for the record I wouldn't take back that night even if you told me you could get me out of this country tomorrow."

Evan felt him smile beneath his hand and gave him one of his own before he laughed. "Mannnn, you took so fucking long. I'm pretty impressed, dude. I would've let you fuck me five days into us running together."

Jonathan scrunched his brows, "Seriously?"

Evan pulled his hand away, "Yeah, seriously. You were so hot, are so hot. Didn't want to talk to me, didn't want me around. It was adorable, Mr. Lonesome and Independent." Evan snorted.

"Shut up." Jonathan laughed with him and let it fade. He curled up close to him and buried his face against his arm. "You're the reason I'm not anymore and I'm probably always going to be sorry that I hurt you."

"Well, despite the fact that it was my first time with a guy . . . it was the hottest thing I've ever done. Yeah, it hurt at first like I knew it would, but once you got going, shit . . . never wanted you to stop. You didn't even have to touch me and I was already done."

Jonathan held him even tighter and breathed him in, "I know."

Evan ran his fingers over his arm, up his shoulder and felt him shiver when he left a feather-light touch down his spine. "Don't fall asleep again."

"Too late." Jonathan mumbled against Evan's skin, "Already halfway there."

"Hm." Evan could watch him all day, he was so different and he wasn't used to it. But he liked it and he was getting anxious thinking about the possibilities that had opened up to him. To both of them. Jonathan's true personality was finally bleeding through and Evan was more than willing to drown in it. As long as Jonathan never ran from him again.

Evan settled and they fell asleep against each other again until the sun went down and someone was shaking them gently awake. But it wasn't someone, it was a big white slobbery animal that forced her way in between them and flipped and flopped until they had no choice but to move.

"Lucahhhh." Evan droned but rubbed her belly nonetheless.

Jonathan giggled to himself before he sat up and started crawling out of the tiny bunk. He stopped when he was above Evan and leaned down close as if to kiss him but he didn't. He watched the pink spread across Evan's face before he leaned down and pressed a kiss to his chest instead. Then he got out of the bed and stretched, "Come on, I'm hungry."

Evan was staring at the ceiling for a moment before he rubbed his face and sat up, "Yeah, I'm coming. Lucah, let's go get a snack."

At the word 'snack' she beat them down the hall and was pawing at the elevator door anxiously. They were still shirtless, riding up the metal box yawning relentlessly. Evan felt an intense ache in his gut when Jonathan ran the back of his fingers down his spine. Evan looked over at him just as he pulled up his other hand and ran his fingers over the bruises on his chest left by the very nails that were running over them. Jonathan grazed the bruises on his neck and sighed, "They look tender."

"They are."

"I'm sorry."

Evan shrugged, "I'm not."

Jonathan let his other hand slip ever so slightly beneath Evan's waistband right at the swell of his hip. He would've kept going because he was loving the way Evan's chest got red when he was flustered, but the doors opened. He gave him a crooked grin as he stepped out, leaving him to catch his breath.

Evan bit at the inside of his mouth and took a deep breath to calm his nerves that Jonathan was amazing at working up. " . . . fuck."

They ate quietly and Evan still couldn't calm his heart. His nerves were in a never-ending knot because Jonathan was being . . . sweet. So fucking sweet and it was blowing his mind because it was all directed at him. When they walked, Jonathan stayed by his side letting their fingers brush keeping a small grin on his face.

He looked happy and that made Evan feel a little bit high. It was something he never thought he'd see; Jonathan in an almost permant good mood. Never thought he'd see what was really on the inside of that rough, tortured demeanor.

It was still processing that it had to do with him. That Jonathan liked him, wanted him. Evan knew he had fallen for him, but he didn't realize just how hard until Jonathan packed them both a bag, carried them both so Evan wouldn't hurt the bruises on his neck. He didn't know how much he wanted this before because now he had it and all he could feel were his fingers shaking and legs wanting to give each time Jonathan grinned, or smiled, or let his hands linger on him a little bit longer as he helped him up to the rooftops.

"So, what do we do now that Langley is back? Those fucks are still out there, they killed Craig, and it's only a matter of time before they try something else." Evan pondered as they jogged down in the streets after filling up a drop box for the second time that evening. The sun was almost completely gone and they weren't tired for obvious reasons, so they kept going, using the energy they still had to give.

"I have no idea." Jonathan stated honestly and slowed to a walk before he reached for a fire escape and began climbing. "I'm not going to pretend that I know what I'm doing right now, because I'd be lying. But I know we'll figure it out eventually. We always do. Do you have any ideas?"

Evan brushed the butterflies off again after Jonathan helped him up and let his hand run down his arm. "Not really. Nothing that doesn't involve someone probably dying."

"What's new?" Jonathan chuckled to himself and Evan was loving it, this lighthearted man that was actually quite warm and carefree. He thought he was charming before in his own way, but now he was so much more. It was like opening a package you ordered only to find that they put something else inside that was even better than what you were expecting it to be.

"I'm actually getting tired of this shit." Evan spoke mindlessly as they moved steadily through the favela's outskirts, "Like, this entire cliché faction shit. A well off group getting sabotaged and ambushed by the other less fortunate asshole group for no fucking reason. They could've just asked for help, you know?"

"I know. That's what I told him." Jonathan glanced over at him, "Whenever they had me. The thing is, he didn't seem violent. Just determined to be the one that had the upper hand and I still don't understand why. This isn't a battle of the fittest. We're all just trying to stay alive while we figure out how to get out. For him, it's like this is it, this is all we have and he wants to be the one on top of it all."

Evan nodded, "Yeah, I got that impression."

"Sometimes I feel like this is all for nothing and we're just wasting our time doing leftover sidequests in a game that's already over. But then I remember all the people I've met and I think about you." Jonathan shrugged and Evan saw him grin to himself, "And I remember it's not so pointless."

Evan smiled so hard it hurt and he laughed, grabbing Jonathan by the arm when they slowed to a stop outside of a familiar safehouse, "Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying I'm like a never-ending sidequest?"

"Yeah, like the last one you have left, but it glitches and stays on your map like a fucking fly in your ear and it never goes away." Jonathan snorted on a laugh and dodged Evan's hands.

"Thanks, asshole. I didn't know I meant that much to you. You're the attractive main character who tries to act tough but is an actual cinnamon roll by the fifth mission." Evan teased and followed him across the roof and up to the second level of housing.

"You're the persistent squadmate that I always take me because your dialogue is entertaining to listen to. The one that would be awesome to romance but the game creators were too chicken shit to make a bisexual character and give the player realistic options."

"The struggle." Evan followed him over the same rail he'd watched him jump over a few nights ago.

The safehouse had been cleaned since that day apparently. There was no longer blood on the floor and all the things that had fallen of the wall were gone. The broken coffee table wasn't there anymore and the screamers were nowhere to be seen.

"Did you do all of this?" Evan inquired while Jonathan opened a can of peaches and pulled out two plastic forks.

He offered one to Evan with a grin, "I did."

"Why?"

Jonathan looked around and then shrugged, "I like this place. Bad memories."

He observed the look on Evan's face then added, "And good ones. Really, really good ones."

Evan smirked and took a slice of peach before he tossed his things on the table he had got up close and personal with once upon a time. He tapped his finger against the wood and swallowed the fruit. "So, did you figure out how those screamers got in here?"

"Door downstairs."

"That we locked?"

Jonathan nodded, turned around, and came back with a crow bar. "That's how they got in. Someone made it easy for them."

"Can't say I'm surprised. But I am, kind of." Evan sighed and scratched his head. "I wish we had those little remote cars that you can drive into enemy territory and then detonate."

"We could always ask the military for some."

"Sure. They're pretty generous with bullets. Why not?" Evan smiled and felt it fading with the distance between them. It was growing smaller and the heat was coming in waves. Jonathan stepped past him and looked outside the glass doors that they still had wide open. The air was getting colder and he thought about his life before and the little things that made him who he was.

"Whenever it got cold outside back home, my sisters would complain about the room feeling like the North Pole because I had to sleep with the fan on. So, I got the box fan from the shed and put it at the foot of my bed and I've had one ever since. The sound drowns out everything else and it's just enough wind to move your hair. Puts you to sleep better than medicine. I miss that." Jonathan felt goosebumps rising on his arms as the breeze rolled over him.

"I had a heating blanket once. It caught on fire in the middle of the night and sometimes I wish it had burnt the house down so we'd have to move because the neighbors had this little dog that barked all fucking night and I could never sleep." Evan said and he could see Jonathan smiling as he looked out into the night. The sun was going and sky was the color of peaches that had sat out too long. It faded to purple and a pretty blue and Evan's mouth felt dry when Jonathan turned his head to look at him.

"You should've had a box fan."

Evan grinned and followed him to the couch where they got comfortable on opposite ends, their legs tangled together. Jonathan lit a candle on the side table he'd set in the place of the coffee table they'd broken. It gave the room a soft glow and put deep shadows on their faces.

"This reminds me of that one bad hurricane we had that came up the East coast and flooded everything for weeks. The power went to shit and Tyler was with me. Our house wasn't as close to the shore as his was so his family stayed with us. It was so fucking cramped but it was fun. No one could sleep so we lit a bunch of candles and had battery powered fans blowing. We played cards in a circle in our living room floor and went through six bags of beef jerky." Jonathan caught himself smiling at the memory, "Tyler had this thing where if he laughed too hard he'd weeze. That's all anyone heard that night other than the storm."

Evan licked his lips and smiled with him, "Sounds like a fun guy."

"He was. I miss him." Jonathan picked at his nails and then looked back up, "We were here for a soccer game, our favorite team at their home stadium, couldn't get much better than that and we both had always wanted to come here. It was his birthday present from me. We were in Maria's small shop when it happened. I was trying on that mask and the ground shook once with the jets, then again when they bombed the stadium. We waited until the crowds died down then we headed back to the garage where I'd parked the rental car. I'll never forget the look we gave each other right before another bomb hit two buildings away. It took out half the garage and I was lucky I wasn't trapped under anything. All I had was a hurt arm but Tyler . . . . he was under the car and I tried so fucking hard."

Jonathan stopped and cleared his throat to keep from crying. Evan had a hand on his foot and he rubbed a small circle over his ankle with his thumb, trying to comfort him as best he could for the time being. Jonathan reached for something under the couch and pulled out a tiny stone figurine. "He knew how much I loved these little things. Small hand-carved statues, so much detail in something so small. Tyler gave it to me and told me to run and I haven't stopped running ever since."

"I'm sorry."

Jonathan swallowed, "Yeah, me too. I ran and I ran straight into you and a part of me wants to think that it's fate because Tyler always wanted me to find my person. The one that I'd finally be happy with, the one that made me feel complete from top to bottom. He always wanted that for me more than anything. I just think it's funny that I found you five minutes after I lost him. Kind of makes me -"

Evan pushed himself forward and caught his mouth with his own, shutting him up. He'd wanted to do this for so long that it kind of hurt to be kissing him as slow and soft as he was. But Evan didn't want to lead, he wanted Jonathan to take over and tear him apart.

Jonathan sat up never taking his lips off his. To Evan's surprise Jonathan was gentle, running his hands up his back, making him shiver with anticipation. They were both already aroused and Evan rolled his hips down on his and Jonathan let out a small breath. Evan smelled faint peaches and felt the heat creeping up his neck as Jonathan pressed his lips against his chest. Evan ran his hands through Jonathan's hair and tilted his head back for another wet kiss.

They broke apart and Jonathan whispered, "Come on."

Evan sat back and Jonathan stood, taking the candle in one hand and Evan's hand in the other. He led them to the bedroom where a queen sized bed was waiting covered in lush colorful blankets. It was much bigger than they were used to. Jonathan hummed deeply, "Thank God these people were well off."

Evan grinned but it disappeared as soon as Jonathan looked back at him, "You're shaking. Why are you shaking?"

Evan huffed and shook his head, "I have no idea."

"We don't have to do this -"

Evan laughed, "No, it's not that. Of course I want to do this. This is just . . . you're so different."

Jonathan stepped closer in the dim candlelight and Evan saw it flicker in his eyes, "Is that a bad thing? Because I'll take off running of that's what you want, just say the word."

Evan slowly smiled because he knew Jonathan was fucking with him. "No. It's a good thing."

"Good." Jonathan ran his knuckles up Evan's stomach before he took his face in his hands and kissed him for all he was worth. Their tongues slid smoothly against one another's and Evan felt hands slipping into his sweatpants, lightly squeezing his ass. His knees hit the bed and Jonathan laid him down, letting his mouth leave soft kisses over his chest, over the bruises he'd once made. He stood back and pulled Evan's pants off his legs until he was laid out before him, stark naked and tan, tattoos littering his worn body.

Listen to: MISSIO - Bottom of the Deep Blue Sea

Jonathan stepped out of his own sweats then crawled up Evan's long form that was still a little shaky. His legs parted for him, making room so his body could fit against his. Jonathan found his mouth again and licked his bottom lip before slipping his tongue inside. Evan was breathing harder by the second, using his hands to pull Jonathan's hips down, rolling his own to meet him in the middle. He gave a small whine at the subtle friction.

Jonathan moved to his ear and kissed the sensitive skin just below, "Shh."

Evan was breathless, "God."

"Not quite." Jonathan whispered and moved down the bed, mouthing at the soft skin of Evan's inner thigh, feeling him shake even harder at the touch. He reached for a small bottle of oil at the foot of the bed just as he settled above Evan's flushed cock. He watched Evan's chest heave right before he took him in his mouth and swallowed him whole.

"Oh, fuck . . ." Evan's hands gripped the covers beneath him and his toes popped when he curled them in. Jonathan was slow and steady, giving him just enough but not too much. He wanted it to last this time and not have a repeat of their last quick fuck. As much as he liked the idea of wrecking Evan on top of a table, he wasn't going to hurt him this time around. He was going to do it right.

Jonathan kept his mouth on him while he popped open the lid to the oil with one hand. He poured a generous amount onto his fingers, running one hand up Evan's smooth stomach, rubbing at his hole with the other. Evan pushed down on his fingers, so Jonathan gave him one slowly, gently working it in until he could move in and out with ease. Evan was wet in his mouth, the salty taste was strong on Jonathan's tongue. So he slowed down even more, waiting for Evan to relax just a bit, then he slipped another finger in.

Evan arched his back, hitting the back of Jonathan's throat but he took it. He pushed his fingers as far as they would go, then he rubbed, almost losing his own breath at the sound Evan made. He kept at it until Evan arched even more, close.

Jonathan pulled away and smiled down at him when Evan sighed like he was disappointed. "Tease."

"I just want it to last." Jonathan let him cool down for a minute before he slicked himself up with oil and wiped his hand off on the sheet. He tugged Evan closer by his hips and watched his face for any hesitation. Jonathan grinned when Evan gave him an impatient wiggle.

"Take a deep breath." Jonathan instructed as he line himself up, ready to push. He waited for Evan to breathe, keeping his hands on his hips to steady him, "Now let it go and relax."

Evan exhaled and Jonathan pushed himself forward, just the tip. He rocked his hips slowly, not going any further in just yet. "Another deep breath and let it go."

Evan relaxed once more, breathing out just as Jonathan pushed in even further, filling him up. The pressure still felt so foreign but the more Jonathan moved the smoother it got. He fell forward and hovered over him, rocking his hips in a focused rhythm. Evan reached up for his face and brought him down, tangling their tongues. Jonathan moved a little faster and Evan brought his legs up a little higher.

"That's so good," Evan mumbled against his lips.

"Yeah?"

"Fuck, yeah." Evan moaned and dug his fingers into smooth skin, "Just like that."

They moved together for a while, just enjoying the feeling and Jonathan was on the verge of saying something really stupid, but he held his tongue and looked down at him instead. He watched the way Evan never took his eyes off of him, watched the way he calmed his breathing so he'd last a bit longer.

Evan caught him off guard and shifted their weight, rolling them and putting himself on top. Jonathan didn't argue, just gave a small chuckled and pushed himself back until he sitting with his back against the headboard. Jonathan leaned forward and mouthed at his neck while Evan rolled his hips and rode him.

"Slow." Jonathan gripped his sides and controlled his movements until he was sliding off of him almost too slow. It was close to torture and he felt his own breath coming quicker, but Evan obeyed and set a pace that made it feel like he was the one teasing him now. Jonathan looked up and Evan was smirking at him in the candlelight.

"Like that?" Evan asked in a deep voice. Jonathan let out a heavy breath and jerked his hips up hard. Evan nearly screamed. Jonathan flicked his tongue against one of his nipples and he could hear his nails on the headboard when Evan gripped it even harder. Jonathan snapped his hips in time to Evan's cries and he knew it almost over for both of them.

He knew when Evan abandoned the headboard and grabbed at his hair, breathing like he was running from something. Jonathan wrapped his arms around him and brought his legs up, finding leverage and moving his hips as fast and hard as they would go. They had slid down with the motion and Jonathan was on his back. Evan clawed at his chest and sucked in a lung full of air when Jonathan took his cock in his hand and pulled him to his release. Evan finally let his breath out in a loud moan that never stopped because Jonathan didn't. Jonathan's hips kept snapping until they faltered and he was coming, breath hitching while Evan fell forward, shaking harder than he ever had.

Jonathan slowed to a stop trying to catch his breath. Evan fell to the side and they laid there for an eternity just breathing. Jonathan was tracing the inside of Evan's palm, feeling his fingers twitch every so often and he had that urge again to say something completely stupid. Something along the lines of 'I love you'. But again, he kept his mouth shut.

Evan cleared his throat and for whatever reason he started to giggle, slowly breaking into a full on laugh that he couldn't control. Jonathan rolled to his side and looked over at him, "What is so funny?"

Evan shook his head and wiped at his eyes, "No idea."

Jonathan just smiled and as soon as he calmed down, he leaned down and kissed him. Evan was still giggling, the vibrations ran through to his lips. He pulled at Jonathan's lip with his teeth and ended up rolling him back again until he was straddling his waist once more.

He grinned down at him crookedly, "Let's do it again."

Jonathan smiled with a small laugh, "Nothing is ever easy with you is it?"

Evan leaned down, hands on either side of his head, "Are you complaining?"

Jonathan leaned up and caught his lips and at the same time pulled Evan's hips down against his, ready to go again, "Fuck no."

------

There was something about a cold early morning that sang to Evan's soul. It was like the times he'd stay at his grandmother's house in the woods. He'd be the first to rise, fixing himself a small cup of hot chocolate because she's never let him have her coffee. The front porch would crackle and groan beneath his feet and the cold would bite at his toes. The crisp air would fill his lungs, so fresh and awakening. As he'd sit on the top step, the birds would sing, leaving echoes in the trees, bouncing back in harmony. That pale light of day was always so beautiful as it crept through the pines and his breath as it clouded in the air and disappeared.

There was also something about the way that same light caught Jonathan's eyes and he let himself get lost in it when he finally opened them. Evan was on the verge of saying it, that stupid phrase but he held his thoughts and brushed his fingers through the man's hair instead.

"Hey," Jonathan said in a gravelly voice thick with sleep. Evan loved it.

"Hey," Evan whispered back before he smiled down at him. "It's time to run."

Jonathan shut his eyes and groaned. Evan laughed fondly when the man grabbed him and pulled him close, yanking the blanket over them both. "Sleepy time."

"God, you are fucking adorable."

------

They both felt pretty damn good as they set out to the rooftops again, the sun warming their skin in the cool morning air. Evan smiled every time Jonathan looked at him.

Evan hoped that this would last forever because he couldn't imagine ever finding anything as good and wholesome as Jonathan was.

Jonathan hoped that this would last forever because he was never good at keeping things. But Evan was something he wanted to keep close and safe for as long as humanly possible.

They were emptying their bags in a drop box when the radio buzzed on Jonathan's side. It was Lui.

"Are you guys close by?"

Jonathan brought the radio to his lips, "Pretty close, why?"

"We need you guys back here as soon as possible." There was a hint of urgency in his voice and Jonathan caught Evan's eye. Evan gave him a dramatic sigh of annoyance. They both had a hunch.

Jonathan rubbed his face and almost laughed, "Let me guess. Someone else is at the gate?"

"Yep."

"Alright. We'll be there." Jonathan reattached the radio to the strap on his bag and he looked over at Evan squinting against the sun.

Evan rolled his neck and stretched his arms, "New sidequest?"

"New sidequest." Jonathan walked over and gave him a quick kiss that left him smiling. "Come on."

They were only a quarter-mile away so they made it down the side of a building, jumped to a dumpster, and stirred up dirt when their feet hit the ground. They fell into a synchronized sprint, turning corners together with ease. They were one with each other and Jonathan knew right then that he loved him.

They took the last turn that led them straight to the gate, to their new visitor that actually turned out to be three visitors, two of which were familiar.

Bryce and Ryan heard their footsteps coming up behind them so they turned from where they were standing at the gate, a look of shock and relief flooding them both. But the man in the middle was one they'd never seen before. He was a man made of height, muscle, and discipline; military.

He and Evan slowed to a walk and the guy finally turned with his arms crossed, shoulders held back proudly. A smiled stretched across his face and Evan already hated him.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the calvary finally arrived." The man held his hands out in mock praise. His beard only made him look like more of a douchebag. "Now that the boys in charge are present, shall we begin?"

Jonathan took a deep breath and stepped forward. He could finally make out the name on the man's uniform, standing out in clean pristine white lettering.

L. Patterson.