Fic: Reasons & Consequences, Chapter 1 (Numb3rs, Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger, Don Eppes / Martin)
Title: Reasons & Consequences, Chapter 1
Fandom: Numb3rs
Pair: Charlie Eppes / Colby Granger,
Don Eppes / Martin Fridegord
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Not mine, etc.
Feedback: Always Welcome
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A Souvenir
“Are you sure you don’t want any?” Charlie sat down on the couch with his steaming coffee cup.
“Yeah, we just dropped by. We’re going to the gym.” Don explained. “I just wanted to give you the news. I was half asleep last night when Colby picked us up from the airport.” He wiggled his left hand in front of Charlie’s face.
“Finally!” Charlie exclaimed. “I was starting to think he would wait forever for a perfect moment.”
“Wait a minute. You knew he was going to give me this?”
“Well, I knew he bought that when he went to Stockholm for that family gathering.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was a surprise.”
“Well, at least you’re the only one who knew.”
“Actually, Colby knew about it too.”
“Okay….”
“And David.”
“David?”
“And Ian.”
“Ian?”
“And Megan. I kinda slipped it when we talked on the phone. And that skinny intern from your office, but that was an accident.”
“So half the world knew about it before I did.”
“Pretty much, and don’t look like that. Everyone’s happy for you two.”
“Really?”
“Really, so skip the paranoia. You got a great guy, who loves you and just put a ring in your finger. It doesn’t get much better than that.”
“Yeah.” Don said surprisingly faintly.
“What does that mean?”
“What?”
“That tone.”
“Like you said, I got a great guy who loves me.” Don let out a frustrated sigh. “But I have no idea why.”
“What do you mean?”
“Think about it. He’s hell of a lot smarter than I am, he’s good-looking and he’s got a great career going on.”
“So?”
“He can cook, reads Dostoevsky in bed, thinks cleaning is fun and doesn’t start bitching when I get called to work at two in the morning.”
“I’m still waiting.”
“Why the hell is he with me?”
“I just said it: He loves you.”
“Yeah, but why? I got a job where I can get shot at every day, the pay is lousy, I can’t talk about any of the stuff he talks about with his buddies, and old baseball injuries come to haunt me when it rains.”
“Anything else?”
“He was there all the time after that thing with Cooper and when dad died, like I was some damsel in distress, who needs somebody to hold his hand.” Don ranted, but he seemed to be loosing steam. “And the most pathetic thing about it is that I probably would have fallen apart if he hadn’t been there.”
“Are you finished?”
“I think so.” Don took a deep breath.
“Think about me and Colby? Do we have anything in common?”
Don started laughing. “Are you kidding?”
“See what I mean? We have nothing in common. Do you think we’ll break up?”
“No.”
“Do you think he doesn’t love me?”
“No.”
“Do you think I don’t love him?”
“No.”
“Then why you think it’s any different for you and Martin?”
“Because….” He had to pause for a minute to think. “He could do a lot better.”
“But he doesn’t want better, he wants you.” Charlie started giggling. “That didn’t come out the way I meant, but you get the idea. If it works, don’t start wondering why it shouldn’t work.”
“Ready to go?” Martin and Colby stepped into the living room from the driveway.
“Ready. What were you guys doing?” Don asked.
“Colby was showing me his new perennials.”
“Are you serious?” Don turned to look at Colby and tried to keep his chuckles in. “Flowers, Granger?”
“It’s really relaxing.” Colby was turning bright red.
“And when I ask, he does all the gardening without his shirt.” Charlie added. “Sweaty muscles gleaming in the sun….”
“I think it’s time to go.” Don got up from the couch. He pulled Martin with him and escaped before Charlie could go into the details.
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Don marched in, heading straight to the bedroom. Martin followed, carrying both of their gym bags.
“I warned you.” He simply commented and dumped the bags to the floor.
“No you didn’t. I can hardly move my shoulder.” Don groaned, and settled on his back on the bed. “Do we have any of that ice gel left?”
“No.” Martin disappeared to the bathroom. “And I did warn you. You do the same thing every time. You use too much weights and then you complain when you hurt yourself. Take your shirt off and turn around.”
“Just my shirt?”
“I’ll see if I can settle your kinks.” Martin came back with a bottle of massage oil and a towel.
“Sounds promising.” Don pulled off his shirt and flopped down to his belly. Martin sat down on Don’s thighs. He poured a liberal amount of oil on the tanned back and started massaging the tense muscles.
Don hummed happily.
“Don?”
“Yeah…..”
“When I was coming in with Colby…..”
“Yeah?”
“We heard what you were talking about. We didn’t want to interrupt.”
“It was nothing.”
“I guess I should be flattered that you think so highly of me, but there’s one part that I don’t understand.”
“What?”
“How can somebody with your ego, wonder why I love you.” His hands travelled up and down Don’s spine, pressing tender spots. “You want a refresher course?”
“Go ahead.” Don’s voice turned into a low moan. The hands on his back were doing wonders. His muscles were relaxing and skilful touches were getting him all warm.
“You’re smart.” Martin placed a kiss on Don’s shoulder. “Loyal.” Another kiss. “A royal pain in the ass.” More kisses. “And speaking of assess you got a really nice one.” Kisses. “You’re considerate when you want to be.” Kisses. “Sweet.” He let his lips follow the line of the Don’s neck, breathing warm breaths against the skin. “You want me to go on?”
His hands were wandering down the other man’s back, pausing just before the waistband of his gym shorts. Don twisted his head so he could see him. Martin was still waiting for his answer, but the grin on his face made it clear what the question meant.
“Go on.”
Chapter 2
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Spoilers for the upcoming chapters:
-A face from the past returns to the scene
-Ian has to make a difficult decision
-A life-or-death situation pushes someone over the edge
-Charlie ends up being the bearer of bad news