Work Text:
“I did it. I did it, I did it! I’ve stopped the virus!”
Benji’s voice echos triumphantly in his ear through the comms, and Ethan lets out a breathe that he doesn’t realize he’s been holding. They did it. Benji did it. The virus is gone. The satellites around earth are all still functioning, the world has not descended into chaos, and they’re all still alive.
“Good work, Benj,” he says back.
And suddenly Ethan feels a deep, heavy wave of exhaustion settle in over his entire body, seeping down right into his bones, the frenzy of the last 72 hours finally catching up to him. Multiple injuries are making themselves known to him now that he isn’t fighting the 20 henchmen the enemy has sent to kill them. He might have won, but they sure did put up a fight.
Gingerly, he steps over one of the many unmoving bodies littering the floor, and slowly makes his way towards the room where Benji is, where he’s been concentrating on outhacking the virus. There wasn’t much for Ethan to do other than stand guard outside and make sure no one gets to the tech, but he didn’t mind. If anything, he just feels a swelling sense of pride in his chest for Benji.
Well. Maybe something less pleasant is swelling, too.
The door that he’s steadily inching towards opens, and out comes Benji, gun raised and ready to fire. He’s still on high alert, but Ethan can also see the mirth in his eyes, no doubt for coming out victorious against the virus. Ethan watches as he takes a look around the open area to assess the situation, and can’t help but smile back when, determining that the danger is indeed over, Benji’s eyes finally land on him and the biggest grin takes over his face.
It’s the most beautiful thing Ethan has ever seen.
Benji begins moving towards him at the same time he does, only significantly faster, not held back by Ethan’s injuries or waning stamina. They’re about three feet apart when Ethan stumbles in his haste to push himself faster, to get to his partner sooner, and before he realizes it, he’s falling.
Benji catches him before he gets too far, his shoulder solid against Ethan’s face as arms close around him. Ethan steadies himself against him, and can’t help but laugh at his own clumsiness.
“Hey, buddy,“ Benji chuckles softly with him, but a thinly veiled layer of worry colors his words, “you okay?”
“Yeah,” Ethan answers on reflex, then he pauses a few seconds to go over his injuries mentally before deciding that yes, he is in fact, okay. “Yeah,” he repeats, more certain this time, and allows himself to relax in Benji’s warm embrace, sighing contently as his own arms come up to wrap around the younger man, “just tired.”
Benji seems to believe him, if the clear sigh of relief he lets out is anything to go by. A hand cards through his sweat soaked hair, and as Ethan closes his eyes to savor the feeling, Benji plants a soft kiss against his temple.
“Thanks for protecting me, Ethan. You did good.”
Something tears through Ethan at those words, and he hugs Benji a bit tighter. For once he’s able to keep that promise, it seems. He tries not to think about the many failed attempts he still has to make up for.
Benji responds with a gentle squeeze of his own, “let’s get you back to medical, yeah?”
Ethan hums in reply, and lets Benji take the lead, trusting that he’ll get them back safe and sound.