should we care ~~update
I just can't remember if I have corrected this one... so I update. you never know.
Title: should we care?
Summary: Linus observes his partners some evening before the heist and doesn't feel quite integrated.
Pairing: L/R, possibly D/R
Rating: PG
Note: in process
The Malloys brothers were sitting on the couch, watching some especially uninteresting TV show. From time to time, Tuck would push Vigil with his foot and Vigil would answer either by pushing back or by a protesting moaning.
Nobody seemed to notice. Nobody cared.
Basher was sitting at the table, a welder mask on, working on what seemed to be an old rusty can. At least Linus though so until the so called can started making curious cracklings and after few seconds exploded to his face.
Once again, nobody seemed to notice.
Only Rusty, sitting at the same table, acknowledged the noise and the dark smoke rising from the can by looking up briefly from the plans he was studying and advised with his smooth voice:
"Don’t give Livingston a heart attack."
Unneeded advice, really, as rather surprisingly Livingston hadn’t moved a hair, hypnotised by his computer in a corner of the room, his fingers typing unceasingly the keyboard and his face passing from doubt to joy to angry nervousness at a record frequency.
Saul was installed in a large couch trying hard to keep his eyes on his book as they were magnetically attracted by the twins’ TV show. Yen was lying asleep next to him.
Linus suspended his observation as Rusty passed by him, probably to get some more snacks from Reuben’s kitchen.
At another table, Frank was dealing blackjack for Reuben with only one hand as the other was busy shaking an abnormally red cocktail. Sitting across the table, Reuben observed him dealing, smoking from a half spent cigar.
Danny was out. Probably stalking Benedict’s girl.
Nobody seemed to notice his absences, and yet, Linus was sure they should care.
Rusty had seemed annoyed when Linus told him. Annoyed but not surprised.
Linus still felt like a sneak for telling him. The two men were close friends and Linus blamed himself for interfering.
On the other hand, Danny behaviour was unacceptable, especially when working with so many persons. Persons about to risk their life on this con.
Linus just couldn’t stand the responsibility of keeping it secret as well as Rusty obviously did.
It had been two days now and the man still hadn’t drop a word of it to the others. When Linus questioned him on what he planed to do, he simply shrugged and gave him a tired smile.
"I’ll figure something out. Go back to bed. Hard day tomorrow."
Sometimes Linus felt like a child around him. ‘Go back to bed’ He sounded so much like his mother.
Linus had considered saying he was fine, he wasn’t tired, really, but from the other man, it wasn’t insulting.
Rusty knew he was nervously exhausted, both by his discovery and the decision to share it. So he took care of Linus, naturally, as he did for everything and everybody involved in the plan. It just happened his way of taking care of him was to send him to bed.
A warm hand caught his shoulder making him jump. He turned only to find Rusty, a soft smile on, standing a little bit too close for Linus to feel totally comfortable.
"Don’t worry too much. It’s never worth it."
"No?"
Linus cursed himself. Couldn’t he come out with something better? Anything but the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ he was limited to when face to face with the older man. But Rusty just gave a reassuring smile in answer.
Linus still could feel the warmth hand on his shoulder. He dropped his head. He couldn’t prevent it. As much as he wished to look at the other man, he just couldn’t hold his gaze.
"No."
Linus looked up as the smooth and comforting voice answered.
Rusty eyes darkened.
Linus stayed petrified as Rusty leaned forward to kiss him. For ten good seconds he was lost into the kiss, unable to form any coherent thought, his hand running wildly through the other man back and hair.
When Rusty broke from the kiss, Linus realised they had somehow moved from the lounge to the corridor and were half way to his room.
A question was about to form in his mind, something important, about the persons staying in the other room, when he felt Rusty soft lips pressed against his own and leaned into another kiss.
Nobody would notice.