indigo_angels

..5..

Face was awake long before he got around to moving. It was one of those situations where lying still and feigning unconsciousness could just prove the difference between life and death.

He’d known the second that he started to drift awake that something was very wrong; his head was thumping like someone was using it for a drum, his limbs were heavy and he knew he wouldn’t be able to move them if he tried, he was laid face down on a cold, hard, floor and, more worrying than all of that, he had no memory at all about what he had been doing to get here, in fact what he’d been doing at all since they all got back from their last job.

Face let his ears take over while he kept his eyes closed, but there was nothing to hear, nothing of any importance anyway. He could hear the far off sound of traffic, maybe even the faint crashing of waves, no voices, no other sounds apart from the blood pounding in his head.

A gentle breeze washed over him and he realised he was outside, probably why he was so cold then, and the way the hairs on his body bristled at the touch of the wind he knew he was also naked. He couldn’t stop the icy twist in his stomach at that realisation and started running an inventory of his body, checking for damage.

He was surprised that he could actually move all his limbs; they were heavy, unresponsive, but certainly not restrained in any way. Not too painful either, maybe a little sore and aching, but only how’d they feel after a mission or a strenuous session in bed... not after a beating. He twitched his ass and his heart plummeted as he felt that familiar ache, telling him that something, someone had been there not that long ago. Hannibal? Why couldn’t he remember? Where was everyone else?

It was time to make a move. Face took a risk and cracked his eyes open, it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to the glare, and then he realised with a lurch that he was on a balcony, high up, at least fifteen stories up, looking out at a beach, blue sky, blue sea, huge rollers... Hawaii. He remembered now, they were in Hawaii, taking some R&R, the four of them had come together, rented an apartment, Face lifted his head, this apartment... So where the fuck were the rest of the team?

He gingerly got to his knees looking around him. Yes, he was naked, but he didn’t look beat up, a couple of scrapes a couple of bruises, nothing much, where were his clothes? There was nothing on the balcony with him, and the doors were open, so he crept in, eyes searching and spotted BA stretched out, fully clothed on the sofa. Face watched the slow rise and fall of Bosco’s back and decided to leave him as he continued on his sweep of the apartment.

Turning the corner he came to the kitchen and stared open mouthed at the mess. Pizza boxes, melted ice cream, empty beer cans and empty tequila bottles. He frowned as he counted them, four. Four tequila bottles? One each? Hell, it was no wonder he felt like shit...

So that’s all this was then? The hangover from hell? No, he’d been spectacularly hung-over before and it had never felt quite as bad as this.

He went to check on the others.

Hannibal was in their bedroom, laid on top of the covers, stretched from corner to corner, bare footed, jeans and a t-shirt. Face crouched down at his boss’s side and ran a hand gently through his hair, watching in relief as he stirred and mumbled something before slipping back into sleep.

Grabbing a pair of shorts from the drawer, Face yanked them on and turned to head for Murdock and BA’s room, hoping he’d find the pilot in a similar state to Hannibal, he was disappointed. The second bedroom was empty, the bed smooth and untouched, Face felt his pulse start to race. He turned back for the bedroom, ignoring BA who was now softly snoring and went back to Hannibal’s side.

“Hey,” he whispered, his hand in the boss’s hair once more, “Hannibal, wake up...” he shook slightly and Hannibal stirred but wouldn’t wake. Face tried again, “Boss!” he shook harder, but still no response at all. Face checked his pulse, slow but steady, then pulled open an eyelid and watched the slow, slow, contraction of Hannibal’s pupil. “Oh, fucking hell...” he muttered, heading straight back out to BA.

This time he didn’t bother with slow and gentle, he just grabbed BA’s arm and shook it hard. He was really freaked out, Murdock was missing, the boss was obviously doped up on something, his head hurt like fuck, his clothes were missing... what in fuck’s name was going on?

BA exploded like a coiled snake as he woke up, sitting bolt upright and knocking Face on his ass on the floor, before grabbing his head with both hands and holding on tight, “Awwww,” he moaned, eyes shut tight against the glare of the sun, “My head! What the fuck did you do to me, Face?”

“Me?” Face muttered struggling back to his feet and rubbing his tailbone, “You nearly broke my back there Bosco...”

“What you waking me up for, fool? What’s goin’ on?”

That brought Face’s mind back to the point and he perched himself on the edge of the sofa next to BA’s feet. “BA, what the hell happened last night?” BA looked up with a frown on his face, “I woke up on the balcony, Hannibal is doped up on something in there and Murdock...” BA’s eyes flicked up to meet his, “Well, I can’t find him anywhere...”

Once again Face was tipped onto the hard floor as BA was on his feet in seconds. “What do you mean, you can’t find him?” he towered over Face, his expression furious before he whirled away and started opening doors, banging them shut again and shouting at Face over his shoulder, “You checked everywhere, man? All the rooms? All them cupboards?”

Face had forgotten about the cupboards. The apartment was full of them, huge empty, floor to ceiling cupboards against almost every wall in the place. Face, whose entire worldly belongings fit easily into the boot of his car wondered what it would be like to own that much stuff. Murdock had marvelled at the cupboards as well, but for very different reasons, he had spent the whole of the previous day trying to persuade the others to play hide and seek with him...

Leaping to his feet, Face went straight for the first bank of cupboards and started opening them all up, images of Murdock, trapped and suffocated flashing through his mind. He could hear BA doing the same in the other rooms and for five minutes there was only the sound of banging cupboards that could be heard throughout the whole apartment.

“Face!” BA’s voice interrupted Face checking the cupboards in the room he shared with Hannibal for the second time and he sprinted through the apartment, skidding to a halt outside the small utility area right behind BA. He saw the concern on BA’s face, the broken, bloodstained bottle in his hand and his eyes immediately followed the corporal’s to the blood all over the floor and the cupboards of the little room.

“Oh, fuck...” Face whispered, “You think...? What? MPs?”

Face was at a loss, someone had obviously been attacked in here, there was so much blood, but why nothing made sense. If the MPs had been here then why wouldn’t they take them all? Why only Murdock? And why drug the boss but leave him here? Was this a kidnapping? Had someone taken Murdock to get at them? He leaned on one of the cupboards, rubbing his eyes and turning back to BA.

“Let’s go through the facts, Bosco,” Face muttered, starring back at the blood, “We’ve got a missing Captain, a doped up Colonel...”

“Think I’ve had some o’ that shit as well Face...”

“What?” Face’s eyes jumped up to his.

“I never done shots last night like you three, don’t like them, I wasn’t that drunk,” he shook his head and folded his arms, “No way I should be feeling like this, no way I shouldn’t be able to remember what happened...”

A frown creased Face’s forehead, “You know BA, you might just be right... I’ve had plenty of hangovers in the past; none of them have ever felt like this...”

They looked at each other. “I need to go an’ look for that crazy fool. You comin’?”

Face sighed, “I can’t BA. Can’t leave the boss on his own, one of us needs to be here in case Murdock comes back, and anyway...” he pushed off the counter, “I haven’t got any fucking clothes...”

BA frowned at him, “No clothes, where’s your clothes, man?”

“I don’t know!” Face seethed, “Woke up in the buff... Can’t find them...”

“You didn’t bring any spares?”

“No! Hannibal said to travel light! We’re only supposed to be here for two nights!” BA shook his head, “I brought these!” Face snapped, pointing to his swimming shorts.

“Okay, facts...” BA muttered, “Someone doped us three up, took Murdock. There’s a fight in here, someone got cut with this,” he tapped the broken bottle in his palm, “They took all your clothes...” he just shrugged; this was too crazy for him to work out.

“I need some fresh air...” Face muttered stalking out onto the balcony and leaning over the railings, “What we going to do big guy?”

“I dunno...” BA answered, looking out over the beach in front of them, “I just know that if anyone has hurt that fool then –” he stopped abruptly and Face looked at him.

“BA?”

“Faceman...” BA’s voice was slightly strained, “What clothes you wearin’ last night?

“Clothes?” Face frowned at him, “Er, navy short sleeved shirt, jeans...”

“Black boxers?”

“Yeah, why?”

BA just pointed to the beach. Face’s eyes followed his finger and noticed the small crowd forming in the early morning, all standing and starring up at the flag pole that usually held the water safety flag. Not today though. Today’s flag was quite long and dark, and appeared to be, if you didn’t know it was impossible, a pair of jeans tied to a shirt, tied to a pair of black boxers...

“Fucking hell...” Face muttered.

They were spared any more conversation on the unusual flag at that point by a groan sounding from the vicinity of Face and Hannibal’s bedroom. Face was off like a shot, vaulting over the back of the sofa and crashing into the bedroom just as Hannibal was sitting up, head held tight in his hands.

“Boss!” Face dropped to his knees between Hannibal’s thighs, “You okay? You feeling alright? Murdock is missing, you know where he is?”

He hadn’t meant to blurt it all out like that before Hannibal was even awake, but that was just the way the boss made him feel sometimes, like he was a little kid all over, and any problem he had, Hannibal could make it all go away. But then, he usually did...

“What?”

Hannibal’s eyes, still a little unfocussed were straight on him but before Face had chance to explain any further, he heard the sound of the front door opening and a voice call out, “Chocolate croissants! Come an’ get them while they’re hot!”

Then there was the sound of feet running and a thud, with a kind of ‘oomph’ attached to it and then BA’s gruff voice, the one he used when he was trying to hide how he really felt, saying, “Where the fuck you been, fool?”

_____________________________

Face felt better after coffee and croissants and he was sprawled on the sofa, leaning up against Hannibal’s shoulder, but he was still confused. “I’m sorry Murdock, but this still doesn’t make much sense, can you go over it all again for me?”

Murdock rolled his eyes but complied.

“After we got back here, and played a couple o’ little games, you and BA went to sleep, and left me and the boss man to tidy up,” Hannibal looked as confused as Face at this point, so Murdock carried on, “Well, Hannibal slipped in that utility room when he was taking some bottles out and cut himself on a broken bottle, was bleeding all over the place.”

Face’s head snapped round to Hannibal in concern, he’d never thought the blood was his. “I’m fine, kid,” Hannibal murmured looking back to Murdock.

“It needed stitching, so I mixed him up a little sedative from my store,” he winked at BA, “and stitched him up. He went to sleep, and I thought it would be fun to make a flag from your clothes Facey, but when I got down to the beach and did the deed, those sun beds just looked so comfy that I had a little lie down and fell asleep,” he shrugged. “Bought the croissants and came back here. Didn’t think I’d worry you all...” he added sheepishly.

Face frowned, “So why’d you drug me and BA too?” he asked.

Murdock looked upset, “I didn’t! I just mixed some up in a jug and gave some to the boss, there was loads left!”

“What jug?” BA interjected.

“That one!” Murdock pointed at a glass jug on the coffee table. An empty glass jug.

“Oh, man...” BA’s face fell into his hands, “I thought that was water...”

“Yeah...” Face agreed miserably, “me too.”

Murdock giggled, “Sounds like you doped yourselves boys!”

Face’s expression was murderous, “Yeah? Well what about taking all my clothes and leaving me on the balcony then, buddy, you saying I did that myself too?”

There was a strained silence and Murdock’s eyes flicked surreptitiously to Hannibal, “Er... no...?” he offered.

Just as Face opened his mouth to chew a strip off Murdock, Hannibal pulled him into his side a little closer, “That, erm, that was me, kid...”

Face pulled away from him, “What??!” the sniggers from Murdock and BA were doing nothing for his temper.

“I’m sorry,” Hannibal slid his hand onto Face’s cheek, “You’d just looked so damn hot all night and I’d wanted you, and when you went out on the balcony I thought it was an invitation, and I knew you were drunk, but I didn’t really expect you just to pass out on me mid way through...”

Face just stared at him open mouthed.

“I’m sorry...” Hannibal repeated.

“But... but... You left me!” Face spluttered, “Out on the balcony, all night, naked!”

The sniggers sounded again but Hannibal was sincere, “I’m sorry, kid, I was going to go back and get you, but then I slipped and Murdock stitched me up and I fell asleep... I’ll make it up to you...”

Face really want to stay indignant and pissed off, but the thought that Hannibal was hurt just wouldn’t leave him alone, “Where were you cut?” he asked instead, his voice just a little snappier than it should be.

“On my stomach,” Hannibal answered, “But its fine, Face, just a nick...”

“Let me see,” Face insisted.

As Hannibal reached for the hem of his t-shirt, there was the sound of mad scrambling of the sofa opposite them, Face turned to look as Murdock was hauling BA to his feet, “Yeah, I’m sorry too, big guy, for worrying you, yeah? So, shall we, you know? Let me apologise properly an’ all that that?”

There was confusion on BA’s face but he shrugged at Face and let himself be dragged back to his room, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Face was glad; if Hannibal was going to make it up to him for leaving him out on the balcony all night then he didn’t really fancy any making it into a show...

He turned back just as Hannibal lifted his shirt up to show Face the cut and Face clamped a hand over his mouth to stop the snigger.

Hannibal stared for a second longer, then was on his way up, his face bristling in fury, “MURDOCK!” he yelled as Face gave in and collapsed in hysterical laughter.

__________________________________

Face can’t stop the smile now as he traces the little lightning bolt scar on Hannibal’s stomach with his finger tip. Murdock’s excuse was that he wanted the team to have a matching set, but Hannibal had not been impressed.

Face is going to make damn sure he never lets Murdock come near him with a stitch kit.

He glances back up at the boss, but he is still engrossed in his book, only half way through. Face’s stomach rumbles and he sighs. This day is turning out nothing like he’d hoped. He’d imagined lunch in bed, looking out over the gardens, deciding where they were going to make out next...

He shifts up a bit, and his eyes fall on another scar just to the left of the boss’s rib cage and he frowns, it is quite big, a weird, jagged shape and he can’t quite remember the story of how it got there. He remembers when it appeared, just after their first, or was it second?, mission with Murdock and BA. But that had been about the time he and Hannibal had first got together and he’d been pretty banged up himself after that mission, so he’d never really had the chance to ask.

He strokes it for a while, fingers tracing the jagged edges, wondering what could have caused something like that, “Boss?” he’s going to ask but he looks up and finds Hannibal already watching him, his brow creased, almost angry and Face’s fingers creep back. Oh, shit, he thinks, now he’s had enough of me...

They look at each other for a minute and Face can feel his heart thumping in his chest, but then Hannibal smiles at him and actually puts his book down, closing it properly, Hannibal would never leave a book open on its pages, bending the spine the wrong way, and puts both his hands on Face’s cheeks, “Come here, sweet boy,” he whispers and Face’s heart leaps into over drive.

Within five minutes Face has them outside on the huge padded bed under the cabana by the pool, if he’s only going to get one more chance with Hannibal this weekend, then this was the place he most had his eye on. It would have been better at night, that’s when Face had imagined it, the fairy lights twinkling above them, the crickets chirping in the bushes... But this was great, this would be almost as good.

They’re naked and pressed up tightly together, chest to chest, hip to hip, thigh to thigh, just kissing. Sometimes they have it frantic and fast, sometimes desperate and deep, and sometimes like this, when every touch, every move the boss makes it just so full of love that Face feels like he is on fire. To have someone touch him like this, look at him like this, feel for him like this, well, it’s nothing he ever thought he would be lucky enough to get. It’s incredible.

“So lucky to have you...” Hannibal murmurs against his lips and Face feels like his heart is going to burst. He thinks back to his lonely childhood, his traumatic teenage years, the first hellish year in the army, and he knows he wouldn’t change any of it, not one single day, as long as he still had this to find at the end of it all. One day with Hannibal is enough to counteract all the shit he had to wade through to get here.

He wants to say something back, Hannibal knows he loves him, doesn’t have all the crazy hang-ups and insecurity that Face does, but still, Face wishes he could tell him. But he can’t, not today, thinking about that time he almost lost him has unsettled him too much and he thinks if he speaks he might just crack in two, so instead he slides up, on top of Hannibal, pushing in into the mattress and shows him instead.

Things are starting to get interesting, Face’s hand, currently gently rolling Hannibal’s balls is starting to move lower and Hannibal acts, flipping them over in one move, resting his elbow next to Face’s ribs, his thigh sprawled across a firm abdomen. “I want to take you, kid,” he whispers and Face’s cock leaps in response, bumping into the back of the boss’s thigh as he nods enthusiastically. He‘s sure as hell not bothered either way. This is the way it generally goes, they don’t take turns, they just work it out as they go along, but since Face is happy to play either role, it’s usually Hannibal that takes the lead.

Hannibal drops a chaste kiss on his lips and reaches over to liberate the lube from the pocket of his shorts. Face smiles, so maybe the boss wasn’t planning on reading all day after all... He watches, open mouthed as Hannibal slicks himself up, root to tip, root to tip, knowing Face is watching, knowing the kid likes it, then he places the lube up against Face’s opening and squeezes and Face shudders, feeling that coldness inside him, knowing the heat that will be right behind it. And he is right, Hannibal’s hands, cool from the lube, are on his legs, lifting them up and pushing them back and Face lets himself be moved about, enjoys trusting Hannibal this much, knows the older man would never, ever, hurt him, will make him feel like he could fly... any minute now.

Then Hannibal is above him, eyes holding onto his, cock pressed up tight against his opening and Face swallows at the look on the boss’s face. “Feel me,” Hannibal whispers as he slowly pushes in, “Feel how much I love you.”

And Face can only groan as Hannibal fills him up, slow and smooth and unrelenting, just gliding in, right in, until he is everywhere, and then he stops. “Look at me, Temp...” Face can feel the boss straining against the need to move, and he hadn’t even realised that he’d closed his eyes, but he opens them again now and sees that fierce possessiveness in Hannibal’s own blue eyes that he usually only sees when someone threatens him, or when he’s hurt or taken and it gives him a shiver.

“You know how much I love you?” Hannibal whispers as he slides out and then pushes back in. Face nods, his stomach tightening at the look he’s getting, the words he’s hearing, the sensations he’s feeling. “I would do anything for you kid, you know that? Anything...” and Face has to fight to keep his eyes open because this is just so, so intense and so fucking amazing, “I’d do anything to make you happy,” Hannibal is speeding up now, his gaze still holding Face’s prisoner, “Anything to keep you safe. Anything to stop you from getting hurt. You know that?”

He pushes up onto one hand, the other reaching for Face’s cock and the lieutenant moans again, fighting to keep his eyes open, fighting to stave off release for another few glorious minutes. “This is all I need...” he murmurs, hands reaching to keep Hannibal close, “Just this, John, just you!” and then he loses his control and feels his stomach tightening, fire spreading across his body and he comes, showering himself and Hannibal in proof of his love and he feels Hannibal doing the same, eyes shut tight now as he stutters inside Face’s grip, filling all the empty spaces up again.

________________________________________

Hannibal walks back around the edge of the pool, book in one hand, cooler in the other and smiles as he sees Face still sleeping in the shade of the cabana. He stops for a moment to admire the view, the long lean body, muscles clearly defined, the golden tan to his skin, and his lips twitch in a smile as his eyes settle of the rounded whiteness of his butt, Face just didn’t get the chance to sunbathe naked as much as he liked to these days.

He lowers himself gently back onto the mattress, careful not to wake his sleeping lieutenant; he loves the kid more than life itself, but he hasn’t had a day to just laze about and read in years. Tomorrow, he thinks, reaching for a beer and a sandwich from the cooler, tomorrow he and Face will have a day to remember, Murdock and BA won’t be back until Monday which gives him and Face the whole day to make in love in as many different places and positions as possible. Despite the desire to finish his book, Hannibal feels his cock stir in his shorts and shakes his head at the reactions Face always provokes in him.

He puts the sandwich down next to him to open the book and lifts the beer bottle to his lips, hissing as a drop of condensation hits his hot skin and rolls down his rib. Hannibal drops the book to wipe it away and his hand stops on the stupid, jagged scar. He feels himself tense. He just knew what the kid was going to ask him as soon as he felt his cool fingers tracing its edges, and he really, really didn’t want to go there. He’d told Face he would do anything to protect him, keep him from harm, and he will. He did this afternoon and he did then...

Next scar...