Work Text:
Sebastian had never spent so much time watching anyone in his life. Professionally or in his personal life—he eventually fired the shot or lost interest.
But Jim. Jim was different.
The sniper had spent three years living with his boss now, and one working for him before that. In all that time, he hadn’t been able to look away. He would be in the middle of something, cleaning a gun or talking to someone or giving instructions to one of Moriarty’s employees. Whatever it was, he was busy, and Jim would walk by or come into the room or just move to grab his drink, and Sebastian was caught. He couldn’t look away.
Of course, it would only last so long before his boss would notice him, and his bored or pleased or exhausted expression would shift into a mocking smirk. Sometimes, he would roll his eyes and huff, and Seb didn’t mind that quite as much, but either way, Jim always said something.
“Like what you see, Tiger?” complete with a cheesy wink and sometimes an over-the-top pose.
“God, can you stop thinking with your dick for one second, Moran?” and he’d leave the room.
“Daddy’s busy—you’ll have to take care of it yourself.”
“Do I need to have you fixed?” (He only said that once, but it was with a dark stare and his serious tone of voice, so Sebastian left. Quickly.)
Whatever it was he said, it was always clear that the sniper wouldn’t get away with staring without being teased or threatened. And he didn’t mind, really, because he always did what his boss wanted. It was okay. He always had mornings.
Jim didn’t sleep very often, so when he did, he usually passed out sometime near dawn and then slept until early afternoon. Sebastian had a much more normal sleeping schedule and woke up about seven. Most days, he had to get ready and go to work, a job that had to be done early or something else the Boss needed. It wasn’t always easy being head of staff.
But sometimes, he would wake up and have nowhere to be, at least not for a while. Sometimes, Seb would open his eyes with the soft early light coming in through the window, and he would stay there, watching. Jim was silent in sleep, completely still, with the blanket drawn up to his chest most mornings, his head turned to one side. Sebastian would watch for a moment just to be sure he was still breathing, and then he would just… look at him.
In the morning light, dressed in nothing but boxers, his expression smooth and blank from sleep, the man looked younger than he ever did, even in disguise. He breathed steadily, not seeming to be pleased or upset with whatever he was dreaming about, and Sebastian could almost pretend they were normal lovers. That Jim would wake up and go to an everyday job, IT or something. They’d have breakfast and coffee, maybe a morning shag or shower together. Seb loved seeing him in the shower, with his hair flat but not in the gelled way, curling afterward as it dried.
He would think about those things in the morning, watching Jim sleep. His mad little Irish boss who never let anyone in, except occasionally his sniper, who could get a look at some weakness or flaw. The only person the man trusted to sleep in his bed, the closest thing he would ever have to a lover. Sebastian was lucky, so privileged to have this, and so much more for discovering the way he slept in the early morning, the way he could watch him for once and let himself be happy, just in small moments like these.
What he didn’t know, what Jim would never tell him, was that sometimes, he wasn’t asleep. Sometimes, he let himself be watched because no one had ever looked at him so adoringly, not unless they were faking it. When he was asleep and couldn’t see it, when there was nothing to be gained from it, Sebastian would watch him. And Jim knew. And in those moments, he could be happy too.