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The hall was silent as he walked through the building. He could faintly hear the sound of his boys laughing in the surveillance room, most likely at something Tyler or Delirious had said. Evan rolled his eyes and kept on his way to the conference room, hoping to get in a few phone calls and paper work for the day while the boys surveyed a gang nearby; the Meiyo gang.
A barrage of gunshots rang through the warehouse halls, followed by shouts and groans of pain. The shots sounded close, and Evan’s body moved faster than his head as he threw himself behind a wall for cover, pressing his back against it and waiting for their shots to die down. He was alone in the corridor, the rest of his crew having been in the surveillance room, watching out for anything like this.
Evan pulled out his pistol and looked around the corner. One guy came up the stairs. He saw the patch on his arm and grew angry.
He wore the patch of the Meiyo gang.
They were basically a terrorist group, and they were raiding his base. So of course Evan was pissed. The Meiyo gang had always been known to attack other gangs out of the blue for apparently no reason under the “order” of their “emperor” who completely renamed himself Meiji to keep up the act.
Evan had no interaction with this gang, and neither had his crew, which made it all the more difficult to anticipate their attacks, and he knew this. He’d asked Craig and Marcel to keep an eye on them specifically because he had a feeling about this but he didn't anticipate it being so soon, they’d barely made a defense plan. Defeating banzai attackers was hard enough, but getting information on why they attacked would be impossible. No doubt all they wanted was to take out as many of Evan’s crew as possible, but there was no way to tell why their motive was. And even if they could capture a few to interrogate, more likely than not they each had cyanide capsules behind their teeth, so no way were they going to be able to get information from them.
—
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Brian demanded, throwing his controller down as everyone laughed. “What did I do?! Who pissed in your fockin’ Lucky Charms?!”
“Get better pussy lips,” Scotty said, causing Marcel to start cackling.
“Y-you stood in the center of the clearing and are complaining that I sniped you,” Lui choked out through laughter.
“I hate you,” Brian mumbled, picking up his controller angrily as everyone laughed at him again. “You’re my least favorite.”
Through the laughter was a loud crash that had Delirious looking back at the door.
“You guys heard that?” Delirious asked, slowly standing up, looking up and listening as the boys went quiet.
“Evan probably slammed a door,” Tyler said, picking at his finger nails. “Some dog shit buyer probably called him up for some shit.”
Delirious shushed him harshly. Footsteps, by the tens. He heard the first shot from the floor above—closest to Evan—and took off running as the other’s hit the ground for cover. He could only assume they found Evan first and were shooting at him.
It was a raid and Evan was alone.
Delirious found himself running right into a crowd of the raiders. Without even thinking, he ran straight for them, pulled a pistol from one of their holsters and shot the closest one in the back of the head. Bullets rained down on him and he ducked for cover.
The group of what seemed like 15 people split up, a few going up towards Evan and the rest splitting to go for the boys. Three stayed back to deal with Delirious.
Delirious cocked the pistol and looked around the corner to fire a few shots. A few bullets made it into the one on the left’s arm.
The good news was the surveillance room was closest to the armory. The bad news, Evan was alone and farthest from the armory.
Delirious grit his teeth and kept firing, hitting one of them in the center of the forehead and one in the throat.
—
Evan turned to peek around the corner, spotting three more heads ascending the stairs. He cocked his gun and peeked again, this time shooting a few shots, one bullet burying itself deep in one of their skulls and the rest piercing the wall between the remaining two or one of their arms. Either way the bullets did nothing but spurr them to rapidfire at his location. He dodged behind the wall again, trying to reload with pieces of the wall flying at his face.
He heard a yell and the clink of metal hitting the ground. Two gunshots from behind him followed and felt a chest slam against his, crowding him into the corner and drawing a surprised gasp from his lungs. He tried to fight back and shove them off but quickly realized they weren’t attacking him. He turned his head to see familiar arms in familiar sleeves on either side of his head, locking him in place and a body blocking his view. He saw the black hair and blue eyes of his right hand man just before his eyes were covered and he felt Delirious’ head tuck into his shoulder. He heard a collection of earsplitting explosions that rang his ears and sent a shudder through his body. He felt the sound in his bones. He felt the rumbling in the pit of his stomach. He felt the wind of fragments as they went whizzing past his head. He felt Delirious’ grip tighten on him and he heard him make a noise between a groan and a hiss. After the noise died down, Delirious' hand finally left his eyes and he opened them to meet his favorite blue ones, grinning down at him.
“Watch your surroundings bitch, I might not be here to save you a twice,” he grinned, still pinning him to the wall, chest to chest. Their faces were centimeters away from each other and Evan could feel the warmth of his breath as he spoke. He had to hold back a shiver and focus on anything else. Gashes were bleeding down his cheek and neck, his hands were way worse for wear. He was making one hell of an effort to not show how much pain he was in.
“What happened?”
He stepped away, wiping the blood off of his neck. “The bitches got close as they could and bushido attacked. Your ass would’ve been destroyed but I shot ‘em and one of the grenades went that way,” he said, jamming his thumb over his back.
“Weren’t you downstairs?”
He smirked. “I heard the shots up here and got up here as quick as I could. I thought they were shootin’ you already,” he handed him a second pistol and cocked his own. “I brought you this, figured you'd want a second one.”
Evan nodded, eyeing the man in front of him and bit back a smile. “Thank you.”
He beamed, wincing as the smile pulled on the gash on his cheek. “Don’t mention it.”
A loud yell and demands for backup from the floor below caused both of them to look back as fast as they could.
He started off at a jog. “Let’s get moving.”
“Right behind you, boss.”
Evan rolled his eyes but grinned as they started running through the hallways, towards the sound of gunfire. “I’m taking care of those cuts when we get back.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say Owlman,” he snickered. “I still saved your ass.”
The owner of said ass rolled his eyes again, but his grin never left his face. He said nothing and Delirious knew he was grateful.
—
They secured the base after what felt like hours. All the surviving guards were those that had been knocked out. Evan had Delirious go through and rip the cyanide capsules out of each of their mouths and tie them up. They were all being questioned by Brian and Tyler down in the basement.
Delirious watched the crew meandering around the warehouse, taking care of everything from cleaning up the dead bodies and blood to shoving the surviving guards to the interrogation room, to tending to injuries. He wanted to help out but his back and arm were in massive amounts of pain. He could barely lift his arm above his waist without wanting to crumple to the ground in pain. He had an idea why but he wasn’t going to say anything until the adrenaline wore off. He couldn’t worry anyone with it if it wasn’t serious.
He found Evan doing his rounds, checking on everyone and making sure their injuries were being taken care of. He smiled a bit, watched him stand against the back wall and watching across the crew, eyeing for anyone who was hurt and refusing to be taken care of. That person happened to be Delirious. Evan’s eyes met his from across the room and before he could think his feet were taking him towards Evan. He ignored the wet feeling of blood soaking through his clothes.
“Vanoss—“
”Your turn,” Evan said, tilting his head to the right. “Let me take care of you.”
He nodded silently, letting Evan lead him to the medical room. Evan pushed him down onto the bed causing him to groan in pain. If Evan heard, he didn’t acknowledge it, turning and gathering the things he needed. Delirious watched his back as he moved. He watched the muscles moving under his tight black shirt and felt himself getting warm, so he focused on something else. He watched for any sort of hesitation or stutter in his movements and found none. He wasn’t hurt at all, which brought a smile to his face. As long as he was okay, no matter the outcome of the mission, it’d be a win to Delirious.
“What are you smiling at?” Evan asked, looking at him through the mirror.
“You,” he said, earning a curious look from Evan. He quickly realized what he said and stammered as he practically melted in embarrassment. His back and shoulder were suddenly burning more than before and he winced as he took a breath. “That you’re not hurt, I mean. You—I-I did good protecting you.”
Evan smiled sweetly which had Delirious’ stomach flip and his lungs intake a bit of air that had him wincing even more. “Yeah, you did,” he said, standing in front of Delirious and grabbing his jaw to keep his head still. “Now let me take care of these before you start whining like a little bitch.”
“You’re the little bitch.”
Evan snorted and held a grin on his face as he wiped the clown makeup away. Evan’s fingers were gentle against his skin as he cleaned out the cuts on Delirious’ face, leaving what felt like butterfly kisses on his skin. Delirious closed his eyes and let it happen. The pain in his back grew more and more the longer he sat there, the adrenaline wearing off. He could feel every bit of the bullet in his shoulder and every bit of the grenade fragment imbedded in his back. Every bit of his consciousness started to focus on feeling those injuries and his face contorted in pain. He let out a pained breath and screwed his eyes shut.
“What’s the matter? Are you okay?” Evan asked worriedly, holding a hand on his neck. “Where does it hurt?”
He shook his head and winced a lot when he took a deep breath. He couldn’t lift his arm that was now pinned to his side for fear of the agony he would feel if he moved it. Evan was already ready with scissors, cutting the blood-soaked fabric off his body. The blood, Evan had thought, was the raider’s.
He stepped back to look at the extent of the injuries. Delirious winced a lot more when Evan’s gentle fingers grazed across the edges of the fragment and the hole from the bullet impaling his body.
“Jonathan, what the fuck!?” he demanded.
“I—“ he winced and used his other hand to hold his shoulder. He whimpered in pain and sunk to the bed, laying on his left shoulder. “A-adrenaline’s...a bitch.”
“Jesus Christ, Jonathan,” Evan pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll get Brock, you stay here.”
He grabbed Evan’s fingers before he left. He turned and met his eyes, seeing the apology in them before he opened his mouth. “‘M sorry.”
Evan smiled a little, his heart melting and he put a hand in his hair. “Don’t be sorry, Delirious. You did good protecting me,” he teased lightly.
“I was gonna tell you,” he said. “but we had to go.”
“Stop talking. You’re not dying, dumbass. I’m just going to get Brock.”
“I know,” he said, distressed. “I don’t like not tellin’ things to you.”
Evan laughed and brushed his hair out of his face. It warmed Evan’s heart to see him so stressed over not telling him something. “Work on your english while I’m gone,” he teased, seeing the ghost of a grin growing on his face. He didn’t pull his hand away. “I’ll be right back.”
“M’kay.” Delirious closed his eyes, letting his head fall back. He felt the ghost of a kiss on his cheek and opened his eyes to see Evan smiling before leaving. His heart leapt into his throat and he grinned like an idiot. He couldn’t stop grinning.
He sat for a few minutes thinking, mostly about the fucking lips on his cheek. He couldn’t tell what it meant because for all he knew Evan could just be joking with him, but god did it feel good.
Brock peeked in the room, seeing his smile and grinning. “Is there a reason you’re smiling like a lovestruck idiot?”
“Shut up, Moo,” he said, unable to reel the grin back in.
“Did Evan do something?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Better wipe the smile off your face before he comes in.”
“I don’ care if he sees.”
“Oh, so something did happen?”
“He kissed my cheek, okay? Can you please take the bullet out of my arm so I can move?”
“You’re so whipped,” he laughed, pulling out medical supplies, sterilizer, and medication.
“Shush. We’re not together.”
“He kissed you Del, I’m pretty sure you are at this point,” he said, turning Delirious until he had access to his shoulder, examining. “Good news is it’s not serious, probably just hit the bone. Bad news...is it’s gonna hurt a lot...”
—
Evan walked into the room after Moo had called him in, seeing Delirious lying on his stomach. Brock’s gloves were covered in blood and blood was splotched all over Delirious’ back.
“I had no problem with the bullet, but there’s fragments really deep in his back and he keeps moving every time I poke around. The anesthetic clearly isn’t working on him deeper in his injury.”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Hold him still or something so I can get the fragments out and sew him up.”
Evan nodded and sat on the other side of Delirious, holding a hand on the small of his back and studied the curve of said back for a second longer than he wanted to. Delirious turned his head to look at Evan and smiled a little.
“Brock’s gotta get the last of it out, so focus on me, okay?”
“Mm,” he hummed, his face already contorting in pain and Brock poked around in the wound. “Hurts.”
“I know,” Evan said, one hand coming up to let him squeeze and the other petting his hair. “It will for a while, but don’t think about it. Listen to my voice.”
“I always do,” he mumbled weakly.
“Hey, stay awake, we need to make sure you’re okay.”
“‘M tryin’.”
“Brock,” Evan said, silently panicking.
“I had given him a valium to sedate him but it wasn’t working, it might be kicking in,” Brock said. “I’m almost done, only two pieces left. Just keep him from moving. I’ll still need to sew him up.”
“Jon, what’d I do earlier?”
“Y’kissed me.”
That brought shade of pink blooming across his face. “Not what I meant but let’s go with that. What happened after that?”
He grinned lazily with his eyes closed. Evan could see him struggling to keep himself from passing out. Evan cupped his jaw and ghosted his thumb over his cheek. He wanted him to go to sleep so he wouldn't be in pain but the bastard was stubborn. “I smiled like an idiot.”
“You did?”
“Mhm,” he chuckled. “Moo laughed at me.”
Brock snorted from across the table. Evan smiled a little. “What else happened?”
“I couldn’t stop smiling. He told me I looked like a lovestruck girl.”
“Lovestruck idiot,” Brock corrected.
“Mm, then he said I was whipped,” he said. “I told him to shut up.”
“I kind of like you all loopy like this,” Evan laughed, bringing Delirious’ fingers to his lips. “For the record, I’m pretty whipped too.”
“Jeez, I feel like the third wheel,” Brock said, laughing. “Alright, we’re done.” He stood up and took the tray of metal fragments and the needle, pulling his gloves off and had Evan sit him up so he could wrap his torso up, and then move him to the recovery bed.
When he laid Delirious back down on his back, Brock made sure there was a bottle of pain relief on the side table. The man was already near dead asleep.
Evan still held Delirious’ hand, taking his chin to turn his head a bit, just enough to place a sweet kiss to the corner of his mouth. Evan’s lips against his skin drew a lazy smile to Delirious’ face. “Get some rest, Jon. You’re gonna hurt a lot tomorrow.”
He mumbled something incoherent and fell into a deep sleep.
“So you finally confessed and he may not even remember it?” Brock asked.
“I’ll talk to him when he wakes up, don’t worry,” Evan grinned. ”Like you said a few weeks ago, I’m completely fucked.”
Brock laughed. “Dude, he was trying to stop smiling when I came in and he couldn’t wipe it off his face no matter how hard he tried,” he said, sending butterflies through Evan’s belly. “I’d say you’re both fucked.”
—
A few days later, Delirious was able to move back into his own apartment. It felt so good to be back in his bed. He hadn’t seen Evan since, as he’d been holed up in his office, helping their allies plan a heist on the other side of the city. He was a little upset about that, he wanted more than anything to be by his side but Delirious was hurt and they both knew Evan wouldn’t let him near anything that could rip his stitches. But Brock, Brian, Nogla and Luke were in frequently to check up on him and bring him dinner, sometimes just to keep him company.
Delirious sighed and stood up having just woken up and pulled his sweatpants on. He ruffled his hair tensely. God, he wanted to see Evan. He felt the deep ache in his chest just thinking about him. Just as Moo had said, he was so whipped. When he heard a knock on the door, he turned and said “come in” as he grabbed his shirt off the top of the dresser.
“Hey.”
Delirious turned to see Evan leaning against the doorframe, completely forgetting his shirt. He couldn’t help but stare at the man standing in his doorway with his arms crossed. He was gorgeous and Delirious really didn’t want to be thinking these things but he was. The man he wanted to see was standing right there being all that and more. Butterflies danced around his stomach and his heart jumped.
“I never got a chance to see you after you recovered,” he smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay, I promise.” He nodded, gesturing for Evan to come in. He did, letting the door close behind him.
“Do you remember what happened before you went unconscious?”
“No...?”
He grinned, stepping closer. “I believe it went something like ‘you grinned like a lovestruck idiot and Brock made fun of you for being whipped and you told him to shut up’?”
He felt himself flush and he groaned, covering his eyes and sinking onto the bed. “Did I really tell you about that?”
“Yeah,” he said, laughing and sitting himself next to him, watching him practically sink into the bed.
Delirious covered his face and curled into himself, wishing the bed would swallow him whole so he wouldn’t have to deal with the conversation about to happen. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—“
He was cut off when he felt Evan’s hands on either side of his face and his lips on his cheek. His heart pounded as his head caught up with what was happening. “Stop apologizing,” he said, meeting Delirious’ eyes. Brown holding his blue gaze. Delirious watched him in shock, noticing a playful glint in his eyes. “I didn’t kiss you for shits and giggles, Jon.”
He stared at the man sitting next to him. “I—“ He stopped before he sounded like an idiot and slowly let his fingers trace the line of his jaw and cheeks. “Can I...?”
A slow smile creeped across his lips as he took Delirious’ hands. “I was hoping you’d say that,” Evan laughed, cupping his cheek and pulling his face towards him torturously slow. Their lips met in a gentle kiss that felt like everything was finally right in the world, like finding the last of your puzzle pieces in the dusty corner two months after finishing the puzzle. Delirious sighed into it, wrapping his arms around Evan’s neck. Evan grinned against his lips and deepened the kiss, pouring every feeling, every thought, every moment he enjoyed with him into it. Delirious couldn’t explain the amount of times he dreamed of this moment. It felt like they’d reunited after years apart. They pulled away, Delirious’ eyes fluttering open to meet Evan’s. The smile on Evan’s face was bright and beautiful. He couldn’t believe it was because of him.
“Wow,” he breathed. Evan let out a laugh and pressed his forehead to Delirious’.
“Now, stop putting yourself in danger for me.”
“We both know that’ll never happen.”
Evan rolled his eyes, “Guess I’ll have to start taking your ass out of missions.”
“Why not take my ass right now?”
Evan grinned playfully, but his eyes said he meant it. “Maybe I will.”
Delirious felt himself getting warm. “Oh yeah?”
Evan had him pinned to the bed without a second of hesitation. His eyes practically undressing him. His soft fingers running the length of his chest and stomach, setting Delirious’ on fire. “Yeah.”
Delirious bit his lip, hiding the hungry grin spreading across his face. “Prove it.”
~