#>> : you look like shit. 'you look worse.' (eliot/cougar) : <<

[hittcr-a]

It was nice when they could curl up with each other in their downtime. Cougs shifted with a soft, content sigh, though he couldn't stay still. A gentle fingertip ran up and down the back of Eliot's hand, idly tracing the scars it found... before he tangled all his fingers with Eliot's and brought that hand up to his lips for a series of reverent kisses. Those kisses were not confined to just the hand, and soon began to travel up the wrist and forearm, too.

             see this? this was nice. warm. comfortable. eliot could slip into a half sleep that felt safe. where he could hear and feel but his mind was fuzzy and buzzing just enough to let him know that at any moment, he could slip under the waves and be carried off to dream land. downtime with cougar was always nice. especially when cougar tangles their fingers together. it pulls eliot back from the brink of sleep rather pleasantly and he shifts a little to let carlos know that he had his full attention. eliot cracked open an eye as cougar’s kisses began to make their way up his arm. a lazy, happy smile crossed his lips. “you got somethin’ on your mind?” eliot murmured it teasingly.

[hittcr-a]

@donttouchthestetson continued from x.

                  cougar was stretching like that and eliot caught himself staring. for too long probably. with an iron grip on the breakfast tray. cougar should know better. hell, he probably did and he was doing this just to mess with eliot. eliot blinked. “you don’t gotta ask twice.” eliot set the tray down before clambering back into the bed, mindful of carlos’ coffee and stack of pancakes. “tease.”

[hittcr-a]

"Come to the range with me?"

                  “i do like watching you work….” he wasn’t going to shoot himself. he didn’t… need to do that. or want to, really, but he wouldn’t mind spending time with cougar at the range. he offered a crooked smile and nodded. “i’ll come with yah.” it’d be his pleasure, really. 

[hittcr-a]

There's a box waiting for Eliot. It's three inches wide by six inches long, and only a quarter inch high. It's a deep red tied with a pink bow, with a little card that simply reads 'From Carlos.' Inside are two audience tickets to a cooking competition two months from now.

                eliot is very careful when he undoes the bow on the top of the box. the tickets have him gasping, but it’s a contained sort of thing. how carlos even got these was beyond him. it made his gift seem lack luster at best. a stouter box of his own, wrapped in brown paper and tied with a red bow contained part of carlos’ gift. dinner, was a given. so were the chocolates containing labels denoting where eliot had picked them up. and the cookies stuffed with brownies that carlos had mentioned once by showing him a picture and giving that meaningful look. carlos’ gift was... nothing short of perfect. his own? a knife, still shining. damascus steel. with a marbled wood handle. near perfect condition. the note atop the blade in the red satin bed read ‘her name is ayita.’ and she was carlos’ now.

[hittcr-a]

@donttouchthestetson continued from x.

            he was nervous, to say the least. cougar knows. this part of him is special. it means a lot. and cougar gets to wear it around his neck. to keep him safe. eliot would rather cougar be safe anyway. that’s why he’s got it. eliot doesn’t consider himself a superstitious man but... then again... his eyes track coguar’s movements, tongue wetting his lips nervously until he spots that smile. it’s a smile that makes eliot want to kiss him.                 carlos hands him an envelope. eliot’s eyebrows lift, curiosity settling on his features. eliot’s fingers are delicate as they take the envelope. the message is short and sweet. which means it’s even more important that it’s there. a soft, gentle smile of his own touches his lips, fingers moving over the message almost like it’s somehow sacred before he turns his attention to the contents. at first he is a little confused, the paper is thicker and official looking but when his eyes rove to the actual certificate, of marriage no less, that smile returns, his cheeks flush, much to his despair. carlos and eliot sanchez-king. it warms the depths of his heart. of course he gets it.              “y’know that’s-- - i.... y’know tha’s when i sorta-- - knew....” he starts and stops a few times, thumb worrying the corner for a moment before he slips it back into the envelope. “you know.... right...?” of course carlos knows. he moves into carlos’ space. he feels like he’s welcome there, especially now. eliot bumps his nose against carlos’ before gently pressing their lips together. it’s chaste, gentle, but full of words eliot’s not sure he’ll ever have the guts to say. 

[hittcr-a]

"I miss you."

              “well-- - i know... ‘m sorry. i miss you too.” a lot, actually. thankfully he’d be home soon. not soon enough, but hey. he was trying to wrap this up. they’d been missing each other a lot recently. it felt like they hadn’t seen each other for more than a few minutes in the last month and honestly it was starting to drag eliot down. and down. and down. he stopped himself short. “i’ll be home in a couple’a days. an’ ‘f you ain’t there, ‘m waitin’ up for you. or comin’ t’ find you.” because he was sick of this. 

[hittcr-a]

A gentle brush of thumb caught against an earring, over and over in almost an obsessive pattern as they traded kisses. When Carlos pulled away, it was with a considering look. "I think I want some." Referring, of course, to the piercings he continued to touch, lightly, considering.

                eliot had noticed the fingers on his earring, but he hadn’t said anything. it was nice, actually, and he didn’t really want carlos to stop. the kisses or the ear rubbing. a small huff of disappointment left his voice when carlos pulled back but all the same, he opened his eyes and fixed them on the sniper’s face. “you want some too?” he fixed carlos with a considering look of his own. “i’ll take you ‘f you want... i can see it.” it’d look hot, if eliot was being honest, but he wasn’t about to just... say that. 

[hittcr-a]

They were doing surveillance for an upcoming con, and were in the middle of shifting and trading places when Cougar pressed up close and claimed a rather insistent kiss.

             it was unexpected. they were supposed to be working. or running reconanyway, and eliot was usually very focused on the work part of their... workingtogether. cougar pressed in and eliot’s goal faded to background noise for themoment. shifting? trading places? why do that when he could just. sit here. andget kissed by cougar? that was much more enjoyable. not that he didn’t love hisjob but... a pleased little hum rumbled in his chest when they pulled away andeliot flicked at the brim of cougar’s hat with a wide smile. “what was that for?”

[hittcr-a]

The TV was on low, Eliot stretched out on the couch, when Cougar came in and just slipped himself up along Eliot's front and nestled into that warm body, forehead pressing into his chest and arms sliding around his waist. Snuggle time.

          eliot’s just gonna wind his arms all around him and trap him there. warm. comfy. if eliot was a napping man, it’d be the perfect way to fall asleep. he’sjust gonna shift a little and scratch real gently at his back. good. 

[hittcr-a]

“I need you.”

meme.

           there’s a sort of desperation in the way that carlos says it and eliot canfeel a chill that was more than the loss of blood. if anyone needed anyone, eliotneeded carlos. he needed him now. he’d needed him months ago. and wherehad he been? right there. at his side. like he was now. eliot struggled to pick himself up, arms trembling from the effort, elbows near buckling. carlos neededhim. and eliot wanted to be there for him. like he’d promised. of course it wasalways difficult, their line of work. men like them died in action all the time.eliot had lost friends that way. he knew, he’d always known, that this would behow he died. covered in blood and refusing to give up because someone hecared for deeply needed him to stand up. that needed him to survive.              it’s a mistake. he knows that as soon as he stands, ground tilting beneath his heavy boots, swaying. there’s blood under his nails, asphalt stuckto his knees, his palms, tangled in his hair, which hung in blood caked patchesaround his shoulders. his chest heaved, an uncommitted sort of breath. eliot’seyes focused on one thing, cougar’s face, where he stood, beaten and brokenand hurting, and needing him.             it was here that eliot knew he would not be making it out of this alive. and even if he did... well. he doubted he would be the same. how many of themare there? too many. he’s already taken his fair share and then some. one handis completely busted, he can tell because it throbs at his side, angry and bloodyand full of broken bones. seeing cougar, bloodied like that, held up by less thancareful hands, needing him like that... well. it stoked a dying ember in his chest.eliot’s bright blue eyes locked on his face, searching for him under the askewhat. and he nodded. slowly. carefully. whatever carlos needed, whatever cougarneeded, eliot would give him. and for now, he needed eliot.              he wished he hadn’t lost his knife twenty minutes ago when this all began. or at least, he wished he hadn’t had lost the big one. eliot’s broken,shattered hand, slipped into his pocket, pulling free his reserve knife. the bladeglinted in the low light. the hitter inhaled again, steadier now, a reserved sort ofbreath that promised a good fight before eliot spencer couldn’t get back up again. he’d been punched, kicked, slashed, broken. and he was standing againbecause cougar needed him.              that last fight, the rest of his energy was pushed into making sure he didn’t go down again. it took fifteen minutes. five guys. two on cougar. three onhim. one knife. one hand. one leg. and when he was finished, there were only two men standing. him and cougar. the knife clattered to the floor, bloodied anduseless now. his hands grasped desperately at cougar’s shirt, one mangled andweak. “hey-- - hey i got you...” thick, tired, the last push. eliot righted cougar’s hat and pressed his face against his neck, remaining strength seeping outof him. his full weight rested against cougar, held up by sheer will and lockedankles. “i got you. ‘m here.” because carlos needed to know. only he was prettydamn sure he wasn’t going to be. not for much longer. not in a physical sense.his good hand patted at carlos’ chest. “right here. ‘m right here.” words stopped,too slow and thick and tired now to keep going. eliot let out a long breath, shuddering and near relieved, against his neck. finally. finally he could rest.

[hittcr-a]

"Let's walk."

meme // no longer accepting

          eliot’s lips twitched, bent over the sink, water dripping from his face. he’d gotten lost. slept too much, went right down the rabbit hole. the windowwas open, shook the blinds a little. startled him awake. and here he was,panting in the bathroom, feet on the cool tile floor, unable to look himself the the mirror. cougar’s in the doorway. he gets it. cougar’s always gotten it. morethan anyone else. he glanced over, blinking water from his eyes before he let himself relax a little more. he let out a long breath, pushing himself off thesink. eliot’s fingers tangle with cougar’s loosely, nodding in agreement. walk.a walk is a good idea. “alright-- - le’s walk.” eliot made a bee-line for his shoes,parked neatly by the door. they could walk. it’s quiet outside. and dark. and it’s just the two of them. they would walk. and maybe it’d help ease the tension in his shoulders and his tightly wound nerves. 

[hittcr-a]

@donttouchthestetson

                 “taste this.” eliot held the spoon out with a soft smile. a new soup he was working on. soup wasn’t hard, of course, but he wanted to make sure he was on the right track. “not too much spice, right?” 

[hittcr-a]

@donttouchthestetson

               eliot took the effort to hang his jacket over the back of the sofa as he came in, boots heavy on the floor before he finally found the person he was looking for. eliot’s arms wound around cougar’s middle, his head resting  between his shoulder blades for a moment, simply breathing him in. “hey.”

[hittcr-a]

@donttouchthestetson

              eliot’s fingers massage over cougar’s shoulders, easing the  tense muscles there. this weekend is a rough one. for the both of them. words aren’t needed here. his fingers tugged at the hair tie keeping  cougar’s hair up and off his neck. he wore his tags. he always wore them but this time they’re over his shirt. eliot’s fingers moved through cougar’s hair, gently tugging knots free and smoothing it between his hands. and  it was good. to exist together for a little while. 

[hittcr-a]

donttouchthestetson replied to your post “Have a kiss from Carlos, Eliot!”

A lazy grin was Cougar's reply, complete with yet another kiss for Eliot. Because Eliot deserved all the kisses.

               eliot loops his arms over carlos’ shoulders and pulls him close so he can bump their noses together. cougar kisses are his favorite kisses.  “can i ask why you’re ambushin’ me with all sorts ‘f affection?”

[hittcr-a]

@donttouchthestetson

            eliot sat down heavily and was quiet for a very long time. it was clear that something was on his mind and he’d specifically sought out cougar. because maybe it was time to share a little bit. and he felt the tightness in his chest was becoming unbearable and if anyone could handle what he needed to say, it was cougar. his bright blue eyes raked over cougar’s face for a long moment and he finally spoke, fingers lacing together between his knees, back rounded like it was time to roll that world right off his shoulders and onto the floor between his feet. “you got a minute?”