Fic: Unknown Soldier (NUmb3rs, Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger)
Title: Unknown Soldier
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
NUMB3RS Main List
Written for Chymoms idea. She suggested something based on Air Supply’s song Can’t Fight This Feeling. I dont know if this is exactly what you had in mind, but I hope you like it.
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“What about this one?” Charlie pulled out the next box from a stuffed corner of the garage.
“Can’t remember and do we have to do this now?” Colby whined.
“Yeah, because they’ve been here unopened since you moved in and I need the space. You wanna check these or should I just rummage through them?”
“Fine.” Colby sat on the floor next to him and took some of the boxes. “This one’s kitchen stuff, that`s my winter clothes…..”
“You wanna keep them?”
“Maybe some of them. We’re still going to see my mama, right? I’ll need winter clothes.”
“Right. Do as you want.” Charlie took the next box and opened it. He pulled out an old coat from a military uniform. It had obviously burned badly and he could only imagine what the person inside it would look like. The look on Colby’s face had gone from mild interest to panic in few seconds.
“Colby?”
He didn’t respond.
Charlie put his hand on Colby’s shoulder and he seemed to snap away from his trance.
“Sorry, I…. I didn’t even remember that was still here.”
“Whose is it?”
“No-one`s.”
Charlie took the burned fabric and twisted it until he found the spot where the name tag used to be. It was almost gone, but some letters were still readable.
“Harmon, JB.”
Colby seemed to give up. He let out a deep sigh and leaned closer.
“James Byron. You wouldn’t believe how many times he got teased because of that…”
“James?”
“No, Byron. He served with me in the same team in Afghanistan. He was our communication officer.”
“Was?”
“He got killed in a suicide bombing.”
“Sorry.”
“When we got the medics there they cut the uniform off to get to his injuries, and they showed that to me and I…..”
“You kept it.” Charlie finished. “Good friends?”
“Yeah.”
“Or more?”
“No.” Colby paused for a minute. “But not because I didn’t want to.”
Charlie tried to get into a comfortable position on the floor and ended up sitting on Colby’s lap. “Okay, tell me.”
“Nothing to tell.”
“Come on, I’ve told you about my old flames.”
“Okay….. He was the first guy I really wanted. I mean I had some crushes before I went to the army, but that was just…. Well, like when I met you.”
I can't fight this feeling any longer
And yet I'm still afraid to let it flow
What started out as friendship has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show
I tell myself, that I can't hold out forever
I say there is no reason for my fear
“I didn’t even know anything about him, I just wanted him. More and more every day.”
“Did you finally tell him?”
“Yeah, and he told me about his fiancé.”
“Ouch….”
“He was pretty nice about it. And the next day-”
“The bomb.”
“Yeah. They shipped him back to Washington to be operated, but he died on the way. They thought he was stabile enough to be transferred, but then he started bleeding inside and….”
Charlie didn’t answer, he just gave him a small kiss on the crook of his neck.
“That was the biggest crush I had until I came to L.A.” Colby pulled him closer. “And this one didn’t say no.”
“True.” Charlie grinned. “You wanna keep it?”
“What?”
“The uniform. I don’t mind if you want to keep it.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I got memories too. And we’re here right now and what’s happened before doesn’t matter. I know you love me. You just loved someone else before me.”
“Is it that simple?”
“Sure it is.”
Colby took the burned fabric and run his fingers over the coarse surface. “I think…. I should send this to his fiancé.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it kinda helped me get over it, but…. I don’t need it anymore.”
I've forgotten what I started fighting for
It's time to bring this ship into the shore
And throw away the oars