Motivation - H/F - Part 15

[indigo_angels]

The second the ceremony had ended, Hannibal was on his feet and looking for Face; god, he was just so damn proud of the kid he felt like he was going to burst. He needed to talk to Tag and Tosh, he knew that Russ was here somewhere as well, knew that he needed to go and catch up with Major General Winston, but before any of that he needed to see Face.

 

He spotted him after a few minutes, deep in conversation with one of the guys in wheelchairs who’d been up onstage first. Hannibal had made his way over, stood just off to the side where Face could see him, and waited. It didn’t take Face long to spot his lover and his whole face lit up in a grin. Excusing himself from the guy he was talking to, Face carefully made his way through the crowds, following Hannibal as he wove his way across the lawn, making for the quieter area near the buildings.

 

Face eventually arrived to find Hannibal waiting for him, obviously totally keyed up by the way he grabbed onto the younger man the second he came around the corner and just held him, melding their bodies together, feeling the way they still just fit.

 

“Hey, boss!” Face laughed, “I only saw you like, an hour ago!”

 

Hannibal pulled back and put both his hands on Face’s cheeks, his fingers reaching into that so soft hair and just looked at him. His speech was so much better now, even in the last fortnight it had improved beyond belief, on first meeting him no one would know how much he still struggled for the odd word he needed, how he knew it was there, but just couldn’t grasp it. Only a few days ago when he had wanted to know when Father Magill was arriving, Face had thrown his cup of coffee across the room in frustration when he couldn’t remember the word for ‘train’. His explanation of “You know! Like a fucking bus but on tracks!” had been enough for Hannibal to know what he meant, but it hadn’t been enough for Face; it wasn’t perfect. But it was getting better, every day, just like his memory, just like his mood swings. Every day more and more of the old Face came back.

 

There was also a time when Hannibal had thought Face would never get out of that damn wheelchair either, the doctors had even admitted it was a distinct possibility. But it had never been a possibility to Face, oh, no. He had worked so, so hard to get his muscles back under his control, to force his brain into making new neural pathways where the others had been destroyed, and again it had worked. Maybe he still struggled a bit when he was tired, but he’d done enough to pass his Army medical and get back into the unit and again Hannibal knew it was only getting better from here on in.

 

He realised that Face was still looking at him, still waiting for a reply so he leant in and pressed a fierce, possessive kiss to his lips before pulling back and whispering, “Oh, I am just so damn proud of you kid. So, so proud.”

 

Face flushed and tried to look away, “Hannibal,” he muttered, “It’s just a Bronze Star... You’ve got one, and Cy and Rib-eye got theirs weeks ago!”

 

Hannibal shook his head, “Don’t say that,” he admonished, “The three of you damn well deserve those medals!” In their last few days in Iraq, they’d led seventy civilians, woman, children and elderly, to safety through a mountain pass under constant shelling from insurgents. Gone back time and time again to carry the tiny and the weak in their bare arms. Not one single civilian had died that day, so yes; the three of them deserved their medals. Cy and Rib-eye hadn’t wanted to collect theirs until Face was well enough to stand with them, but, no one knowing just how long that would be; Army protocol had eventually won out. They were back today though, the whole unit standing and cheering, wolf whistles earning them dark looks from Major General Winston as Face had gone up to collect his.

 

Hannibal had almost cried at the moment.

 

Father Magill had.      

 

 “But anyway,” he continued, “This has nothing to do with your medal.”

 

Face frowned at him, “What then?”

 

Hannibal smiled, “The way you have fought over these last few months to get back to the way you were.”

 

Face’s frown deepened, “I’m not back to the way I was...”

 

“I know, kid,” Hannibal kissed him quickly, “But you are so close, and you’re going to get there. All the sweat and the tears and the pain you have gone through,” he shook his head again, “I’ll say it again, I am so, so proud of you!”

 

Face flushed again but a grin broke out over his features, “I couldn’t have done it without you, you know, boss.”

 

Hannibal smiled back at him, “You know why?” he asked gently.

 

Face shook his head.

 

 “Because you and me, kid, we’re a fucking ace team and we make this work just fine.”

 

Face laughed and there was time for just one more hurried kiss before they had to head out and meet Face’s fan club, but there was always that night to look forward to. And the next. And every other night until the end of time.

 

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Epilogue here!