Title: Finding the Time [Newsroom]
Title: Finding the Time
Word Count: 10,587
Challenge: smallfandombang 3rd around, 2013-2014
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Jim/Matt(OMC), cast
Summary: Thanksgiving has rolled around and Will is hosting the dinner, cooked by Neal because he has Google. Jim and a few others were just finishing up a few work things when a few of Jim’s buddies from the Unit was he imbedded with show up and it’s clear to everyone some of them were more then friends, just as it’s clear Slone likes a man in uniform almost as much as Jim.
Author's Notes: Okay so I first had this idea almost two years ago when the first season aired and Jim had his fond memories of the military guys he was embedded with. I talked about it with a friend, the wonderful love_vargas to which this story is dictated, and she liked the idea and this year when Small Fandom big bang came up we were talking about it again and well, here it is, and far better after she help edit it as well. I hope you enjoy it.
Author’s Notes2: I’d also like to thank tarlanx for her great artwork. She did a great job with it and with reminding me that I need to name this story something so thanks tarlanx.
Prolog
“They’re not going to let me come back, not after…” Jim says half lifting the sling his left arm was in while tapping his ass.
“They even gonna to let you stay in the country there, Jimmy?” The solider asked, running a grime covered hand though his equally dirty blond hair, shaking some grains of rock and sand from the buzzed locks.
“Maybe, Mac’s still here so…any word on him? He’s going to make it, right? I mean after…he’s going to make it, right?” Jimmy asked, his tone low and soft.
“I don’t know,” the soldier answered softly, letting his shoulders drop as he looked away from Jimmy and the medical bays around them, “They said it was going to take a few hours to clean up the wound, might not get the bullet out,” the soldier answered just as softly.
“He saved my life…” Jim collapsed into the wall, letting it take his weight as he stared aimlessly across the waiting area. “He…. How can you go back out there after, after all that, how?” he added, looking up at the soldier in front of him.
“It’s the job. It’s what I signed up for, what he signed up for. You just have to have faith, Jimmy. In each other, if nothing else,” the Soldier explained, reaching out, squeezing Jim’s shoulder. “We did the best we could for him. We got him here, and you were no little part of that.”
“But now what?” Jim asked.
“Now we wait,” the Soldier said. He filled the following silence by pulling a pack of cigarettes from his chest pocket. He shook one out for himself and offered another to Jim. When Jim silently declined with a shake of his head, the soldier slipped the pack back into his pocket.
“Have you just been waiting here since the chopper brought us in?” Jim suddenly asked, standing upright, watching the soldier blow out a jet of smoke.
“Sarge has the reports covered and both of you were…” the Soldier answered, waving the cigarette at the other end of the Army waiting room. “I didn’t need to be anywhere else.”
“Come on, if he’s not getting out any time soon, let’s find a place to really clean up…maybe find some food.” Jim said. “Maybe some MREs?” he added, clearing his throat, looking toward the ground.
“You sure? Because if it was just something you said, I get that, I needed it and it worked but I won’t-“ the Soldier said in return, keeping his face carefully blank.
“You owe me a dinner, big guy, and I mean to hold you to it,” Jim answered, stepping toward the Soldier.
Seconds later Jim let out a hiss and grabbed onto the other man as he moved his ass wrong and lost all control over his right leg.
“I’ve got you,” the soldier said, catching Jim and holding him upright. “I’m sure the others would kill me if I let anything happen to you now,” he tacked on with a smile.
“Yeah that would just be embarrassing. Making it through an ambush, fighter fight, siege and evac, then bite it in an army base hospital, after being patched up. I’d never live it down,” Jim quipped. “Now let’s get out of here and get you cleaned up before anything can happen.”
“I’m not the only one that needs to get cleaned up, I think the docs missed a few spots when they were checking you over,” the Soldier remarked rubbing dirt off Jim’s neck and seeing the still red scratches, pulling Jim’s arm over his shoulder.
“They were busy; they had other guys that need real help. That and well…” Jim trailed off, leaning on his buddy.
***One Year Later: New York City Thanksgiving Day***
“There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“And here I am. In my office, where I work,” Mac answered Slone, looking up at her over the top of her glasses.
“Yes well…for some reason I looked in on the studio first, which I realized was weird when I walked in and didn’t see anyone which I wouldn’t since we aren’t on tonight and it’s only like nine in the morning and how do people get up this early?”
“Slone-“
“Right well then I checked Will’s office, the women’s bathroom and the upper terrace…” Slone said, looking at the clipboard in her hand.
“Why did you?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well then why are you looking for me with such determination, and randomness, anyways?” Mac asked shaking her head.
“Why was I, I had a reason-“
“Slone-“
“Right, yes, the draft for tomorrow, I wanted to change it to work what just happened and take a bit harder stance but I’m not sure if it’s too hard-“ Slone started to explain until Mac’s phone cut them off.
“Let me just…,” Mac said, picking up the phone. “Hello, MacKenzie here,” She held out her hand, motioning for Slone’s clipboard.
“I don’t know that name and why didn’t you call Jim if they’re his, hold on-“ Mac said into the phone, scanning the paperwork. “Have you seen Jim?” she added, looking up at Slone.
“Yeah I saw him in editing when I was looking for you. He was, like, the only other person here,” Slone said. “Good thing I looked everywhere after all.”
“Yeah,” Mac responded before turning back to the phone. “Try calling…wait can you say those names again…are they military?...Put them on an elevator, I’ll pick them up when they get to his floor,” Mac said, hanging up the phone.
“I knew there was more to that story than Jim was telling me and now I’m going to find out. This time they will crack,” Mac said with a triumphant grin.
“Whoa, hold on. You can’t do that,” Slone interrupted as Mac started heading for her door.
“Why not? I’ve wanted to know this story for over a year and Jim won’t talk and neither would Sergeant Primo but I didn’t get a shot at the other two but this time I will. They’re in the building, my terrain, they can’t run this time.” Mac explained to Slone as she reached her door. “So I’m going to get them in an elevator and have my way with them…but not like that. I mean I’m going to question them. You got that, right?” she added turning back toward Slone.
“Yes I did understand you mean that but you still can’t because when I was looking for you I dropped by Will’s office and he said if I found you to tell you he needed to see you before he headed back to his place for the party…and I need my changes approved,” Slone answered, pointing toward the clipboard in Mac’s hands.
“Why didn’t you tell me I have to deal with Will? This was my chance to get the story out of them. Damn, why couldn’t Jim have stayed and helped Neal,” Mac complained, handing the clip board back to Slone, “and the changes are fine.”
“Okay good, I’ll just be on my way then. Maybe I can help Neal,” Slone said, opening the door until Mac leaned into it, shutting it.
“The changes are fine which means you have time. Time to go down and get them up here and hide them from Jim until I get my chance to send him on his way and then talk with them,” Mac suggested, looking Slone right in the eyes.
“I have no idea what’s going on but I’m getting the feeling I don’t want to be in the middle of-“ Slone said, pulling on the door trying to get out.
“Slone.”
“The conference room down the hall a good place to stash them?” Slone offered with a sigh.
“Perfect, see you at Will’s place, I’ll cover for you here,” Mac told Slone before vanishing out the door towards Will’s office.
“I should have kept the first draft,” Slone said to no one as she headed to the elevators.
The economist reached them just as they opened with a soft ding, opening to let its passengers out.
Neal was the first of them out the doors, walking backwards as he explained something to the other still inside, something about where to find Jim.
A moment of equal panic that they were going to find Jim before Mac got to talk to them, and relief that she wasn’t going to be in the middle of whatever was up, flashed over Slone before it was replaced with…nothing as she saw the other men walking out of the elevator.
It was clear they were the three men that Neal was talking to, all well built, dressed in Army Combat Uniforms that were both the real and not fashion knock offs and plainly broken in, added to the tan faces they had to be the men visiting Jim, and the men Mac wanted to get her hands on first.
“Hell, Mac can wait, I want my hands on them first. All over them,” Slone said aloud, staring at the broad shouldered and solidly built brown haired man standing in the front of the group, a unlit cigar rolling between his lips.
“Where was it you wanted those hands, darling?” the man asked as he swaggered over to Slone.
“What? I didn’t mean, well that is…You’re friends of Jim’s, right? You need to wait in the conference room, and he can show you to the party later-“
“What are you talking about? The conference room, do we even use… and Jim just texted me and said--” Neal began, looking at Slone oddly.
“Neal,” Slone snapped, shifting a look to the blogger, “I can handle it, I’ve got this all covered, you can go back to the party…why aren’t you at the party? Never mind I don’t really care,,” she then added, returning her eyes to the Soldiers, holding out her hand. “Hi, I’m Sloan Sabbith and I work with Jim. I’ve been asked to show the three of you to the conference room until he’s done with what he’s working on.”
“Staff Sergeant Primo ma’am,” the Staff Sergeant introduced himself, taking the offered hand. “This is a nice hand, might feel nice,” Primo continued, smirking.
“Come off, Sergeant, don’t hog the woman,” one of the other two interrupted, taking Slone’s hand from his Sergeant. A bit taller and of a thinner, but still solid, build than the other two soldiers, it was mainly his blond hair that really set him apart. Where both of theirs was buzzed, his was a bit longer, even having a hint of a wave to it. “Sergeant Beck, but you can call me Paul, if you want,” he offered.
“Nice to meet you, Paul, and you too, Sergeant Primo and…?” Slone asked looking at the third member of the trio.
Just taller than Primo, the well built man ran a hand over his head, his blond hair so short it almost wasn’t there, as he looked nervously around. “Just where is Jim? Is he in the conference room?” He asked.
“No, he’s never-” Neal started until Slone cut him off by standing in front of him and shushing him.
“Go tell Mac, I’ll handle these three…if only,” Slone added under her breath as she motioned for the three men to head down the hall. “It’s right this way and you’ll be met there.”
“Come on, Matty, lets follow the nice lady,” Paul encouraged, giving Slone a bight smile even as he gave his friend Matt a playful shove down the hall to where Slone was pointing.
“You’re always following your dick,” Matt said, giving Paul a light shove back.
“And you wanting to find Harper has nothing-“ Paul answered back, rolling his eyes with a grin until he was cut off by a hand clamping down on the nap of his neck.
“Come on, children, let’s just follow the lady, I’m sure Harper knows we’re here,” the Staff Sergeant said, looking Neal dead in the eyes. “And I’m sure he’ll come as soon as he can, right,” he added not taking his eyes off the male reporter.
“Yes, right. I’m sure he will,” Neal repeated, giving Slone a glance before rushing down the hall toward the Newsnight’s bullpen.
Slone just glared after him for a moment before turning back to the three other men. “You know what, I don’t care, Mac can deal with it I’m just going to show you to the conference room and wash my hands of this, yes I’m going to focus on tonight, yes,” Slone went on, leading them down the hall.
“Well, I hope you won’t completely forget us,” Paul said with a smile as he pulled from Primo’s grip and sauntered quickly to her side.
Slone smiled.
***
“Slone?”
MacKenzie called out as she spied Slone enter the room from where she was talking with Will, Charlie, and Jim, “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the… you know where, dealing with the you know whos?” she added after waving Slone over.
“You know where? You know who? Did we just become a spy movie?” Charlie remarked looking at the two women, one eyebrow raised.
“Well, I know it’s not about the Christmas party or anything Christmas related because the Thanksgiving party isn’t over yet and I will not have Christmas running rough shot over my Thanksgiving,” Will declared, giving Mac a look.
Charlie rasied an eyebrow switching his look from Mac and Slone to Will and from disapproving to curiosity. “Since when do you care about Thanksgiving?”
“Since I’m hosting the office Thanksgiving party, why else would I give a fuck,” Will answered back, rolling his eyes and waving his hands in the air.
“And back to the point, Slone why are you here?” Mac said giving Will a look before turning back to Slone, “you have to keep you know…”she glanced at Charlie, “oh all right, them, you have to keep them there until I can get free and talk to them.”
Slone head up a finger and started to talk, then stopped and frowned before dropping her hand and trying again “Oh yeah, sorry, but that plan’s busted, Neal’s already seen them and he’s probably already told Jim so he knows and if he knows, what’s the point. And besides, have you seem them, I can’t stay in a room with them, I already told them I wanted to run my hands all over them and lick them and that was in less than five minutes, if I was in there any longer-there would be a lawsuit,“ Slone explained self deprecatingly, motioning toward Jim-- and Neal, who was standing a few feet behind him.
“What has Neal told me? And what does it have do to with you licking people? And why is Neal here, I thought he was back at Will’s place?” Jim asked looking between Neal and Slone, confused.
“I hadn’t had a chance to tell him yet, I was but I didn’t know it was your plan, if I had-“ Neal tried to explain to Mac, holding his arms up in peace. “I need Will to sign this,” he added, pointing to the paper in his hand.
“You would have told him anyways, damn honest people, I’m surrounded by them,” Mac complained.
“Better than the alternative,” Charlie interjected, matched amused.
Will glanced around the room and stood up shanking his head “Look I’m getting the feeling this doesn’t have anything to do with me, which is fine, this is only my show and I’m only the boss but, whatever. And give me that,” Will said waving his hands and grabbing the paper from Neal, but he didn’t get a chance to read it as he looked up toward the doors. “Does whatever is going on have something to do with them, by any chance?” he finished, pointing at the now open doors to the bullpen where the three men were standing.
“Matt?” Jim exclaimed in surprise, shoving his clipboard at Neal before all but running across the bullpen while the enlisted man started marching forward until they met in the middle.
Stopping a hair's breadth from the blond uniformed soldier, their eyes locked on each other, it was Jim who spoke first. “Matt,” he said, repeating the name, his smile growing. “You’re really here? In person?” he added, reaching out slowly to touch Matt.
Jim’s fingers just brushed tentatively against the fabric covering Matt’s shoulder. .
The moment he made contact, it was like a spark and they were both a flurry of movement. Jim’s arms were wrapped around the larger man, holding him while the other man was holding him just as tightly, their heads resting on each others shoulders.
“Oh, kiss him for fucks sake, before I choke on the sexual tension,” Will complained, frowning at the two men before him.
“Don’t know who the guy is but he’s right, Bro. And we sure as fuck didn’t fly halfway across the world for you to look at him,” Paul added, smirking at the pair.
The two men didn’t need any more prodding, their lips slid toward each other, pulling one another into a deep kiss. Then the moment passed and they broke the kiss.
“You didn’t tell me you were coming, I could have met you,” Jim questioned, keeping one of his hands on Matt’s shoulder even as he stepped back.
“We wanted to surprise you…and I think we did,” Matt offered as an explanation along with a smile.
“Yes, you guys did,” Jim agreed, looking beyond Matt toward Paul and Primo who were moving close. “And not just me,” he added turning back to look at his coworkers and bosses who were watching him and Matt.
“Hello?” Matt offers with a wave and a slight smile.
“Everyone, This is Matt and those two guys are Staff Sergeant Primo and Beck, they’re part of the unit I was imbedded with, and, guys, these are the people I work with, Mac you know, the man that doesn’t like sexual tension is Will McAvoy, it’s his show, and to his left is Charlie Skinner the president of the news division and these two are-“ Jim started his introductions until he was cut off.
“The beautiful lady, Slone Sabbith,” Paul interrupted, stepping forward and taking Slone’s hand and lightly kissing it.
“That’s so sweet,” Slone said in return, smiling at him while everyone else looked on, some with more confused looks than others, “You’re one to you know,” she added, lightly petting her hand before looking up abruptly. “No a lady, obviously, but you are beautiful- handsome, I mean handsome. You’re a handsome guy,” Slone corrected herself, “you knew that’s-“
“Slone, he knows what you mean,” Mac cut in, stopping her friend from going on.
“Right okay…hello again,” Slone told with an awkward wave, frowning at herself.
“Don’t worry, he may seem smooth now but the horn dog will show himself,” Primo said, reassuring Slone as he also came closer and joined the group, “And hello again, Neal,” Primo went on, finishing the introductions, nodding at the junior man.
“How?” Jim started to ask looking between Matt, Primo, Paul and Neal.
“We met in the elevator on the way up,” Matt explained.
“Yes, so I can sign for food I already told the store I was paying for. Why can’t places just take someone’s word for a change…Neal who’s cooking and dealing with, you know, everything if you’re here? Are you going to have enough time to get everything cooked?” Will questioned, glaring back down at the form.
“People lie, Will, they have to be careful, especially when it’s enough food to feed an army or two,” Charlie said grabbing the invoice from his hand. “Holy cow, just how much did you order? You know this is just for the News Night crew and not everyone, right?” he went on looking it over.
“Yes I know that,” Will answered taking the paper back. “But if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right,” he added, signing his name to it. “Now Neal, who’s cooking my thanksgiving dinner.”
“Well right now no one because the woman delivering it won’t let me open a single box or bag until I give her this,” Neal told him, taking the invoice back. “But Maggie and Don are watching the kitchen and it’s all ready, as soon as I get back with this.”
“Wait, it’s being cooked and not catered?” Slone asked confused as she looked over at Will, “Why are you doing that?”
“Well I had this idea of a big family style dinner and I was going to cook it all myself, you know, do a home cooked Thanksgiving right. But then I thought about it for five minutes and realized just how dumb that was, but by then I’d already told Mac the idea and well you know how that goes,” Will explained to his sometimes co-host, giving Mac a bit of a glare.
“Like it’s my fault? I really do like the idea of a nice big family dinner and you should have stopped me before I texted it to everyone if you didn’t really mean it,” Mac defended herself giving Will a look right back. “And it’s not like you’re even the one cooking it.”
“How many times have I tried to stop hurricane Mac-Hale, it never works.”
The others watched the by play, amused or, in the case of the three soldiers, fascinated and confused.
“Are they going to kill each other?” Paul asked watching them, his hands inching for a weapon he wasn’t carrying.
“No I don’t think they are, but have your evac plan ready,” Primo told him, rolling his cigar between his fingers.
“They won’t, this happens all the time. Hey, Neal, just how did you end up running the kitchen and everything?” Jim told the Soldiers before stopping Neal who was slowly sneaking away toward the doors.
“Will was asking rather loudly how you deal with a turkey and I made the mistake of using Google to find out how long you have to cook a turkey, 15 minutes per pound by the way, and so he thinks I know how to cook everything. I tried to tell him I didn’t-“ Neal explained, still backing away.
“That won’t work,” Jim commented, shaking his head.
“No, it didn’t and after he started offering me money to deal with it I stopped fighting, I wasn’t going to win, not with Mac about to join him in ‘talking’ me into it,” Neal finished explaining.
“Well you have a one less person to deal with, I’m going to take these guys and-“ Jim started until he was cut off by Slone.
“NO, I mean no,” Slone said, blushing when everyone, even Will and Mac, turned her way. She cleared her throat a time or two before going on, “You can’t skip Thanksgiving dinner with us. Not after the trouble Will-Neal is going through to make it. There seems so be enough food for an Army so we should have a Soldier or two,” she said with a smile, her eyes continuing to undress the two soldiers not leaning into Jim.
“Or three?” Mac added dryly with a smile.
“Of course they should come. I wouldn’t be able to call myself a republican if I let you leave, not make you join us for dinner. We’re done here right, Mac?” Will said, looking toward Mac for conformation.
“Done enough, the rest can be done later, we’re not on tonight anyways,” Mac agreed, dropping her papers off on a nearby desk.
“Well guy, looks like it’s Thanksgiving dinner for everyone,” Jim said with a smile.
“It’ll be better than the last meal we all had together,” Matt remarked.
“The meal wasn’t bad, it was the rest that was fucked up,” Paul added, rubbing his left side.
Primo just rolled his eyes and looked toward Will. “Thank you for the offer Sir, I have a feeling me and the boys will be joining you,” the Sergeant said respectfully before turning his gaze on the other two soldiers.
He hadn’t even opened his mouth before both men were thanking Will, and Neal, for the dinner.
***One year before: somewhere in Afghanistan***
“You’re right, I am sick of these,” Jim admitted, frowning as he forced himself to take another bit of his MRE.
“I tried to warn you, man. They might be good, but day after day…” Paul joked, taking a bit from his own MRE.
“For two weeks, how have you guys done it for months?” Jim asked, letting out a sigh, looking at all the men around him eating their MREs. The two men were part of a small group that was relaxing and taking a break for a quick bite and some rest before they would rotate with the men currently manning the towers and gates of the forward outpost.
“Come on guys its not that bad, you get used to them,” Matt added with a big face smile as he shoved a mouthful of chicken something between his lips. “You know you’ll miss it when you leave us, Jimmy,” he added a few moments later, after he’d swallowed.
Jim shook his head with a grin. “It won’t be the food I miss,” he answered back while finishing off his meal.
“And just what will the reporter miss?” Tomlinson called out; bringing the attention of the whole group to the three men.
“Everything,” Jim answered, feigning shock. “I mean how can I not miss the five star service, the catered meal cooked right in front of me, exotic locations with all the white sand I could want, and not let’s forget the company. All of you definitely unforgettable…too bad you aren’t unsmellable,” he finished waving his hand in front of his nose, getting a laugh from the soldiers.
“Like you’re all fresh and clean there, Harper?” Banks added through his laughter.
Jim took a moment to smell himself before making a gagging face. “I won’t miss the two weeks without a real shower at all,” he agreed.
“Damn right…wait it’s only been a week? We got showers back in-“ Eckman questioned until he was cut off by one of the other soldiers.
“Getting a bowl of water dumped on you through a strainer isn’t a shower, Eckman,” Banks cut in with a roll of his eyes.
“No matter how wonderful it felt,” Jim said, his voice wistful as he remembered that shower.
“The best part of it was-“
“On your feet,” The order cut Matt off and shut up everyone else as Staff Sergeant Primo, with his ever present cigar, came marching over to their group. “Intel says something’s up again but the sentries ain’t even seeing ghosts so we’re patrolling. Grab your gear and get ready for a boring night. Beck, you stick to him like glue.” the Sergeant ordered, looking Paul in the eyes and pointing to Jim.
“Yes, Sergeant,” Paul responded at once, standing and tapping Jim on the back. “Lets get you geared up,” he said as the whole group scrabbled to get to their stuff.
“Later, Jimmy,” Matt said with a wave before he rushed off, following Primo toward the ammo dump.
“Later, Matt,” Jimmy threw over his shoulder as he followed Paul to the center of the compound.
The next few minutes were tense for Jim as Paul helped him put on the extra vests and body armor he had to wear whenever he left the camp. So far it had never been tested but that did little to relax him as he loaded his bag with water, food, and his notebook.
“It’s okay, Jim, it’s going to be fine,” Jim repeated under his breath, following Paul to the gates of the compound where the rest of the squad was already gathered.
Paul just smiled and slapped Jim on the back before focusing on the Staff Sergeant giving them their mission objective, which mostly came down to make sure the mountains to the west weren’t hiding any insurgents.
As they headed out, Jim’s eyes found Matt’s just as the Soldier’s found his.
New York
“God damn this is a nice view,” Paul exclaimed once the group walked into Will’s high-rise apartment.
“You should see it from the balcony, it’s even better, let me show you,” Slone offered, taking Paul by the shoulder and leading him toward the doors to said balcony.
“Man, that woman moves fast,” Matt commented, giving Jim a look and a smile, “Beck is going to love it.”
“It may seem that way,” Jim answered with a light chuckle.
“She’ll be fine, but if he hurts her, he’s a dead man,” Mac stated frankly as she, Will, and Primo came up behind the pair.
“Won’t worry about that, he’s all flirt and very little action,” Primo interjected, “Almost like these two,” he went on.
“Yes these two, I knew there was more to that story than you let on Mr. James Harper,” Mac added with a mock glare at her EP.
“Sorry, I wasn’t really (ready?) to talk about it when I was still recovering,” Jim shot back, clearly an exchange they’d had before.
“Oh, hello. We have new people. I’m Maggie, this is Don,” Maggie introduced herself and her boyfriend as they came out of the kitchen moments after Neal went in. “Were you just on leave in the city? Because Will just stopping his car and invited you to Thanksgiving dinner, it’s a very him thing…or it seems like it should be-“ She went on while shaking their hands until Don started talking.
“Don, it’s nice to meet you, Sergeant Primo and Sergeant… Yates is it?” Don said, cranking his head to see Matt’s name tag.
“And the other guy is Sergeant Beck,” Jim added, pointing toward the widow where Paul and Slone could just be seen.
“You weren’t just picked up by Will were you?” Don asked, his eyes shifting between Matt and Jim then to Primo, “You’re Jim’s Unit, the one he was embedded with I mean?” He asked.
“They were, you were?” Maggie asked as well, looking from Don to the two soldiers.
“Yeah, he was ours for awhile, until that is he was pulled out by his bosses,” Primo answered for the group.
“Well, after what happened it was the only choice any director could make. He wasn’t cleared to cover the hospital and the Pentagon made it clear a wounded reporter wasn’t going to be accompanying any missions,” Charlie informed them all, a glass already in his hand. “Good stuff, by the way.”
“Yeah, help yourself, I’ll join you,” Will told him heading toward his mini-bar, “Anyone else want anything?”
Jim turned with a start at Charlie’s response, “Wait, how do you know what happened?”
“You think I haven’t read your full file? All of it?” Charlie remarked with a smile, sipping more from his glass.
“Hospital? Is that when you got shot in the butt?” Maggie asked looking at Jim when Primo and Mac followed Will to the bar, “Because I’ve always wondered how that happened and he hasn’t said anything about it other than well, he got shot in the butt.”
“How much have you had to drink already? And more importantly how much sugar was in it?” Jim asked, half glaring at Maggie.
“I was feeling a little sleepily this morning, how often do we get up at seven in the morning, we don’t even get off until after eleven, so I needed something…” Maggie defended herself.
“Don?”
“A Monster and then when it didn’t seem to do anything, after less than five minutes, she tried a Red Bull,” Don said, answering Jim’s question while giving his girlfriend a look.
“She had a Monster and a Red Bull, damn she’s going to be hyper? This could be fun,” Matt added with a smirk.
“Well I’ve never used them and I though the pick me up should have happened right away and well nothing did so…anyways back to Jim’s butt,” Maggie answered, looking at Matt expectedly.
Matt glanced at Jim’s butt before seeming to catch himself, standing straighter, his eyes looking anywhere but at Jim, “What about his butt? Why are you asking me?” Matt asked.
“Because you dream about it, why else,” Paul joked as he and Slone re-entered the room, Paul shivering slightly, “I forgot how fucking cold this city can get.”
“I don’t mind keeping you warm,” Slone flirted before talking to Maggie, “So why is everyone talking about Jim’s butt anyways?”
“No one is talking about my butt, it’s just a butt, can we move on to some other topic?” Jim commented loudly, glaring around the group.
“No, this might be my only chance to get the full story, I know more happened on that patrol than you’ve said, so someone spill,” Mac said as she, Will, Charlie and Primo rejoined the group.
“We are not talking about this, we aren’t, we aren’t, we aren’t,” Jim repeated, hoping it would become true.
“Why do you all keep focusing on his butt? I remember his arm being the bigger problem…but then my memory of all that is a bit hazy,” Paul questioned, looking around the group.
“Wait, you were shot in the arm too?” Don asked, his eyes shifting between both arms.
“Wait no, you couldn’t have been. The report clearly said you were shot once and that was the upper thigh,” Mac said, concerned as she scanned Jim from head to toe.
“I’m fine, it was a year ago, I’m fine,” Jim repeated, shaking his head.
Any further remarks were put on hold as a loud bang was heard from the kitchen followed by Neal marching out, a cloud off flour following him, “There is not enough money in the world.”
***Afghanistan***
“You’re going to be okay Yates. It’s going to be fine,” Matt chanted as a mantra as he and Jim carried Yates.
“Fuck I know that, it doesn’t even hurt. Now can you do something about the noise?” Paul complained, shaking his head as he struggled to keep his grip on the other’s shoulders.
Paul’s arms were over their shoulders and it was that, along with Matt’s hand pulling up on the back of his pants, that kept him upright as his footsteps were becoming more and more unsteady as they took him to the nearby cave the patrol team had cleared shortly before.
“Noise, there is fucking noise everywhere, we can’t-” Jim rambled more than slightly frantic, stumbling over a rock only just keeping himself from taking all three of them to the ground.
“Jimmy I can’t do this alone and everyone else is a bit busy so pull it together and man up, right now,” Matt ordered, glaring over at Jim even as he shifted his hold on his buddy, pulling more of Paul’s weight into himself and away from Jim. “And if you can’t, tell me now.
Jim swallowed hard, shying his eyes away from Matt, looking to the ground before looking up and letting his eyes drift to the rest of the men around them. Most of them were under cover, sending concentrated fire down the mountain side at the insurgents that had tried to ambush the patrol only to run smack dab into one of the flanking scouts.
The one that Jim had finally talked Staff Sergeant Primo into allowing him to be part of. Jim couldn’t even remember how he’d gone from standing next to Paul to helping carry him other than a brief moment of hitting the ground, which still made the arm wedged between him and Paul sting.
“I’ve got him,” Jim answered after a moment that felt like minutes but hadn’t even been seconds, pulling Paul more firmly over his own shoulder. “I can do this,” he added, as much to himself as to Matt.
“Then fucking get your ass in gear,” Matt said, moving forward again, forcing Jim to rush to keep up as they finally reached the cave.
“Always talking about his ass? But really, now, dude?” Paul asked even as he was dropped to the rocky ground.
“Watch it, Beck,” Matt growled at his friend while pulling out his aid kit, pressing the white bandages he plucked from it to Paul’s side. Layering it over the now red one he had quickly applied before rushing him to the shelter, pushing a bit more roughly than he needed. “Hold this down,” Matt added, nodding to Jim.
Jim went to put pressure on it, pushing into it with his right hand but frowned at his left hand when it didn’t move, just hung there. He tried moving it again, even shifting his shoulder. It only swung with his shoulder, doing nothing more.
“You’re going to need to use both hands, and push hard,” Matt ordered as he continued checking Paul over, looking for any other problems he may have missed when he had checked earlier.
“I can’t, it won’t, I mean…” Jim trailed off, still staring at his limp arm.
“Were you hit?” Matt asked, suddenly next to Paul as he inspected the arm, “How does it feel?” he added a bit frantically.
“It feels…numb, and tingly, at the same time, how is that even-“ Jim began his answer.
“You were shot? Why didn’t you tell me you were….I need to…you,” Matt said, his eyes becoming fixed on Jim’s outstretched leg, right where it shifted into ass, and small stream of blood flowing from it and dnow his leg before dripping to the ground. Matt’s voice became fainter and fainter, his breathing coming faster and faster as his eyes wildly flew from Jim’s ass, his arm and Paul’s side, “I can-I need-“
“Yates? Yates, Matt!” Paul yelled at his friend, hissing when he tried raising only to be sent back down from a jolt of pain from his side. “Matt you have to snap out of it, right now, Matt.”
“What’s going on, what’s happening?” Jim pleaded to know, starting to reach out for Matt with his good hand but stopped and kept it on the patch with a glance to Paul.
“He’s having a panic attack, we need to distract him, get him to slow down his breathing, Now,” Paul ordered, looking at the two of them.
“Matt! MATT!” Jim yelled but nothing changed but now Matt was starting to bend over, “what can I do?” he yelled anxiously.
“Try punching him, just be quick,” Paul suggested, gritting his teeth waiting for the hand on his side to move.
“Punch…or,” Jim said, his eyes lighting up with an idea.
He reached out with his good hand and grabbed Matt by the back of the neck pulling the man into a kiss. Matt seemed to freeze for a split second before returning the kiss for a brief moment. And then Jim pulled back, rushing his right hand back to Paul’s side, once more slowing the flow.
A moment passes and Matt just watched him, stunned, letting out a breath and taking another one in at a more normal speed, “…That’s not the recommended way of dealing with panic attacks,” he said at last.
“I couldn’t think of anything else,” Jim offered with a half smile.
“Okay…thanks, Jimmy,” Matt said back, going for his med kit again with his own smile.
“I owed you,” Jim reminded him.
“Still…after that I think I own you dinner,” Matt told the other man.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Jim answered, letting a smile spread across his face.
“Hey you guys forget about me?” Paul demanded to know in a groan.
Matt got back to work, on both of them.
***New York***
“You can’t offer me enough money in the world to try and get this done. I don’t care what food.com says it can’t be done. It has to be part of some great conspiracy,” Neal kept ranting as he glared at Will, a mixing spoon with spice powder still clinging to it in his fist.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Will asked, looking at his blogger, “and you know I can fire you, right?”
“No you can’t,” Mac said cutting in, then shrugged when Will glared at her, “well you can but you won’t, now Neal, what’s this about?” she asked more calmly.
“Thanksgiving dinner, it can’t be made in a single day, too many things need the oven and there is just way too much for a single day. You can’t do it,” Neal informed them all.
“Now, Neal-“ Will started, but he was quickly cut off.
“No, it’s not possible, all those mothers and cooking shows have conspired to make us think it can, but it can’t be done,” Neal declared again, waving the spoon around wildly, his whole body tense.
“Whoa there, buddy,” Paul said stepping forward and taking the spoon from Neal’s hand. “Why don’t you just relax and take the day off, get a drink and watch the game,” he added, guiding the over stressed man toward the sofa and the living room where a couple other members of the News Night team were watching a football game on the large wide screen television while motioning Slone toward the mini bar with his head.
“Yeah, just relax, that’s what I need, yes,” Neal muttered under his breath once he was sitting down and Slone was putting a drink in his hand.
“Well that was interesting, thank you, but it really wasn’t necessary. He wasn’t going to do anything,” Will said calmly, frowning at the kitchen.
“Just what made you think it was a good idea to have Neal cook anything, let alone a full Thanksgiving dinner?” Mac questioned, turning toward Will.
“He said he could do it,” Will defended himself to Mac.
“Did he? Or did you tell him he could, Will?” Mac asked right back.
“Of course he-“
“No he didn’t, he said he didn’t know the first thing about cooking Thanksgiving and the only reason he knew the turkey question is because he googgled it,” Don offered to the group, looking at Will with a raised eyebrow.
“Will, you didn’t,” Mac said sounding disappointed in him.
“Well,” Will started and then just shrugged, “whatever, I’m calling a caterer,” Will said, rolling his eyes as he threw up his hands.
“At ten in the morning on Thanksgiving? You’ll never find anyone not even in this city,” Maggie said quickly, “Even with the kind of money you have it’s not going to happen,” she finished confidently.
“She’s right,” Slone said, nodding her head in support.
“Then what the hell am I suppose to do? This is all your fault,” Will said, giving Mac a look.
Mac returned the look for a moment before rolling her own eyes, “Come on, we can do it, it can’t be that hard if we all pitch in-“
“Oh no, I don’t cook,” Don was quick to say.
“He’s right, and I just boil water, but I can order from a take out menu, I’m sure there are some places that are open,” Maggie offered.
“I know some great places, let me look up their numbers,” Slone said pulling out her phone.
“No, we are not ordering in,” Mac told them all, pulling Slone’s phone from her hand. “It’s being cooked right here.”
“By who, Mac, I can’t cook and I know you can’t either. You see any other offers?” Will told her bluntly.
“I can do it,” Paul offered, rising his hand.
“Beck?” Jim said in surprise, looking over at the soldier.
“You fight, cook, and look great in uniform?” Maggie asked, the words followed by a hiccup.
“Maggie,” Don said turning his look toward Maggie who just shrugged.
“You’re a guest, more than the rest of these guys. I can’t ask you to do that, we’ll have take out, it will be fine,” Will said with a wave of his hand.
“We are not doing taking out,” Mac told Will again before turning toward Paul, “but it’s okay, he is right about you being a guest, the three of you shouldn’t be pressed into service,”
“That’s already happened,”
“Ignore the drunk,” Mac said before going on as if Maggie had not said anything, “so you should just relax and have some fun, okay.”
“No it’s cool, I enjoy cooking, my family owns a diner and I practically grew up in the back. I like it, it may not be a classics Thanksgiving but I’ll fixs something up with whatever’s in there,” Paul explained with a smile as he started toward the doorway then turned a looked back at the group, “but I will need a bit of help, who’s game,” His grin brighter, letting his eyes drift over the group but letting them linger over Slone.
“Me, I can help in the kitchen, I love to cook. I do it all the time, Paul,” Slone said in a rush, retaking Paul’s hand and all but pulling him toward the kitchen, “I’m sure we can handle it no need for more help.” She added just as they vanished from sight.
“She doesn’t know anything about cooking, does she?” Primo asked with a wide smile and a bit of a chuckle.
“She might…but I wouldn’t even trust her with a teakettle,” Mac offered as an answer, cringing slightly and glancing at the door when they heard the bang of pots and pans.
“Well then, I’ll warn Paul so at least he knows what he’s dealing with.” Jim said taking a step forward toward the kitchen.
Jim didn’t even make it a step before a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to look at Matt, the question clear on his face.
“No, don’t. I’m pretty sure he’d already guessed her skill level and didn’t care,” Matt explained.
“Let the man have his fun, he’s earned it” Primo added with a smile.
***Afghanistan***
“The medvac touches down in less than five, they have room for two on their backs and four standing, who’s going, Sergeant,” Primo demanded to know as he walked into the cave that had become his unit’s, and both units that arrived to back them up, aid station and rally point.
Matt didn’t stop working, his hands wrapping and bandaging a wound even as his eyes casted around the cave, “Beck, Sir,” the first name was easy, his friend had remained conscious somehow but not completely lucid and with the bullet still inside, he needed an OR soon.
The rest were harder, “Banks, Turner…Eckman…Nickerson,” Matt added, slowly. They had made it through the firefight without too many of the guys getting hit beyond those first few minutes and Paul was the only one he didn’t think he could handle.
“What about the reporter,” Primo asked as he shifted his eyes toward Jim who was laying awkwardly next to Paul, keeping pressure on the gauze strapped to his side.
“I’m good, I can head back with you guy-“ Jim started only to be cut off.
“The brass aren’t going to like we let him get hit, they’ll have my ass along with everyone else here if we don’t get him to back to HQ the first chance we have, does anyone else need to go before him you haven’t named?” the Staff Sergeant asked bluntly, his gaze back on Matt.
“No Sir,” Matt admitted as he finished wrapping one of the Tomlinson’s legs.
“Then he’s on it, the rest of us are joining a convoy heading out within two hours, anyone can’t make that gets switched out with someone on the medvac, now get moving, Yates,” Primo finished before heading out of the cave as quickly as he entered.
Matt let his eyes linger over Jim, who was doing the same, before snapping to action just as he heard the chopper approach.
***New York***
“I’m sure he has earned a bit of fun,” Will said, agreeing with Primo’s statement. “I’m sure you all have.”
“Then why don’t we have some of our own as he has his fun in there,” the Staff Sergeant said, pulling out one of his cigars, “The baloney a good place?” he asked the host.
“For that, nowhere is a good place, but I have some Ashtons that I’ve been waiting for a good reason to pull out so put that away and come on, Charlie, you in?” Will asked and he started leading Primo to his den.
“That sounds very nice of you Mr. McAvoy,” Primo said, sliding his own cigar back into his pocket. “I wouldn’t mind being the reason you pulled those out at all,” he finished with a grin.
“Call him Will and just don’t tell my doctor,” Charlie joked as he joined the other two men.
Jim watched them go before turning to Matt and Mac, “In a half hour I’m going in the kitchen to help,” a loud bang from the aforementioned room, “because they’re going to need it.”
“That may not be the worst idea,” Mac said giving her own look back toward the kitchen. “But until then why don’t you tell us more about the two of you, it happened when you were embedded, right?” she asked.
“Kind of,” Jim hedged, looking toward Matt.
“It didn’t happen or start until after we knew he wasn’t going to be embedded anymore,” Matt explained in more detail.
“What didn’t happen until they pulled Jim out?” Mac asked slyly.
Matt and Jim just both blushed and turned a light shade of red.
***Afghanistan***
“You’re a mess,” Jim commented once the pair had finally found an empty bunk, small, square and made of plywood. It was free standing and had four walls. A bed and a shower, just what Jim wanted.
“You know this if for civilians not grunts, right?” Matt commented as he helped Jim lower himself to the bed without resting on his left side.
“Good thing I’m a civilian, then. Now let’s get you out of those so we can clean you up,” Jim said, slowly pulling the armored vest off the Soldier, followed by the shirt. “Please tell me I don’t have that much dirt all over me,” he asked, running his hand over Matt’s chest, brushing off sand and dust from the light fur that covered his muscles.
“It’s okay, Jimmy, I find you kind of….hot,” Matt answered before leaning in and slowly kissing Jimmy, taking his time to explore Jim’s mouth with his tongue well, allowing Jim to do the same in return.
“I wasn’t…I wasn’t sure if you’d really let me do that,” Matt confessed with a smile, “I’ve wanted to do that for weeks but…”
“You weren’t the only one,” Jim told the other man, pulling him into another, more passionate, kiss to make it clear.
“God, I’ve wanted you so bad from the moment you stepped into the tent with that wide eyed grin,” Matt went on when he was forced to break the kiss to get Jim’s shirt off.
“You in that uniform, all focused and determined, I’ve wanted that look pinned to me, dreamed about it,” Jim shared, letting his eyes scan the soldier.
“God, yes,” Matt echoed, “just mi-ne,” he said through a yawn, blinking hard.
Jim smiled at the sight before letting out a wide mouth yawn himself. “I really want to remember and enjoy this…”
“After we sleep?” Matt suggested, letting his head fall to the flat pillow, smiling up at Jim.
“Yeah,” Jim agreed, letting himself slump into Matt’s arms.
They were both out within minutes.
***
Jim didn’t want to ever move. He knew it was a cliché and he’d never use it in his writing or on camera but it was how he felt.
He kept his eyes closed and let himself snuggle more into the warm heat to his right. It felt a bit awkward as he had to lay on his stomach, his ass and leg would not let him even sit down let alone anything more, but he was finally been able to get comfortable at some point during the night and he had no plans on moving.
“I have to piss…bad,” the heat source beside him, Matt, said even as it shifted a little.
“Don’t move, just go where you are,” Jim suggested, burying his head into Matt’s side, not wanting him to move.
Matt just sighed and waited a few moments before finally starting to shift, “I do that enough in combat, not going to happen now, not even for you, Jimmy,” the soldier explained pushing himself up.
Jim let out a groan at the movement, in part because of the loss of heat and comfort as well at the twinge of pain the shifting caused across his lift side.
It took him a few moments to resettle and get comfortable again but he had just in time for Matt to return, sitting on the bed but making no move to lie back down.
“Well, now that we’re both up, I think we have plans,” Jim recalled leering up at Matt.
“The Sergeant just radioed, he wants to meet me for chow in ten,” Matt said regretfully. “You can come with me. You should get something to eat, Jimmy, it’s been almost 10 hours,” Matt added.
Jim thought about it for a long moment, deciding if his stomach really cared about eating more than the rest of the body cared about staying warm…but without Matt’s warmth next to him the answer was easy, “mess hall open or is it MRE? What time is it?” he thought to ask, looking around but not seeing any clocks.
“Just before two, in the afternoon, so it will be open,” Matt told Jim, so come on, I’ll help you get dressed and get some food.” The soldier suggested, picking Jim’s shirt and pants up off the ground where they had been left.
“Then we can check on Becks, he might be out of the OR by now,” Jim added, slowly pushing himself up, trying not to bend his wounded leg.
***New York***
“I think we have our answer then,” Mac said with a grin as she looked at the two men fighting off blushes.
“That would be one way to pass the time between fire fights,” Don said, smiling as he took his own drink.
“I’m sure Jim wouldn’t do that, he wouldn’t distract a soldier in a warzone like, would you, Jim,” Maggie said in rebuttal to both Mac and Don’s remarks before turning back to Jim, “tell’em Jim.”
Jim coughed into his fist and pulled at his collar before answering, “We didn’t do anything over there,” he started strongly.
“Only because we didn’t know how the other felt until just before you got pulled out and you weren’t in any shape to do anything but sleep, and I do mean sleep,” Matt pointed out, looking at the others, “We didn’t even see each other after we checked on Beck and had some chow. He got pulled out on the next chopper and we didn’t see each other again for a bit. It wasn’t until…well, Wiesbaden Jimmy,” Matt added, giving Jim a loaded look that was equal sly and lust filled gaze.
“Right, yes but ah Matt, they didn’t need to know about Wiesbaden or anything else really,” Jim informed his lover with a glare rendered infective by the smile spreading across his lips.
“Maybe you have a point,” Matt conceded with a nod, toning down his look, “besides we were just there for Beck,” the soldier asked, almost as an after thought.
“Right, just for Beck,” Jim agreed, smiling at the statement.
“What aren’t you telling us,” Mac questioned narrowing her eyes at her producer.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” Jim answered back quickly, too quickly.
“No, I have this feeling that something is being left out, don’t you agree, Don,” Mac asked.
“I don’t know and honestly I don’t really care, I’ve gotten bored with this whole thing,” Don let her know with a shrug.
“How can you, Maggie you’ll back me up right?” Mac asked, turning to the other woman of the group.
“As much as I don’t want to I have to kind of say she’s right, you’re hiding something mister, a hot rendezvous maybe…with uniforms, you’re so luck he comes with his own props, getting Don to-“ Maggie was saying until the point Don cut her off.
“Okay there I think you’ve clearly had enough, no, too much, why don’t we get you some coffee and not share anything that everyone else really doesn’t need to know,” Don told his girlfriend as he started leading her away.
“What, well I guess I’ll just have to get this story out of you by myself,” Mac said with a gleam in her eye.
“You know what, I think it’s time we went in to help Beck, I’m sure he’ll need it if we want to be eating sometime today,” Jimmy threw out as a defense, grabbing Matt’s hand and heading toward the kitchen, “you can peal the potatoes.”
“Why would I have to do the potatoes?” Matt asked, “I haven’t done KP in years.”
“Don’t think you’re going to get away that easy-“ Mac started before she was cut off.
“Hey Mac I think Charles’s wants you,” Jim said, pointing to the doorway to Will’s lounge behind her.
“Do you really think I’m going to fall for th-“ Mac started again only to be cut off once more.
“Hey Mac, we need you to tell your Islamabad story,” Charlie called.
Jim gave his boss a quick smile before vanishing into the kitchen with Matt in tow while Mac let out a sigh and glared at Charlie.
“What?” the older man asked in confusion.
***Six months ago: Wiesbaden Germany***
“I’ve been thinking about doing that for days,” Jim said through deep breaths as he grinned up at his Soldier.
“You aren’t the only one, Skype just isn’t cutting it,” Matt agreed, his own breathe labored. “How long do we have the room?”
“The whole weekend,” Jim told him, holding up the hotel key card, “which means we can finally do what the Staff Sergeant Primo-“
“And exhaustion.”
“And exhaustion, stopped us from doing back in Afghanistan,” Jim finished, pulling Matt back into a long kiss.
Their movements became more and more frantic as they started pulling off each others clothing, their fingers and mouths roaming all over each other’s body until Jim slowed for a moment as he reached down and cupped Matt’s groin, covered only in a jockstrap with a grin, “I’ve so been looking forward to-“
*BEEP*BEEP*
“What the hell,” Jim yelled, glaring at the hotel phone that was now beeping, loudly.
With a curse under his breath he yanked it up, “what…how did you even…what now? You mean it’s already-Send…I have three days…isn’t anyone else…you have no idea how much you owe me. No idea Mac, none,” Jim said, signing out a frustrated sigh.
“When do you have to leave?” Matt said, resigned.
“The car is already downstairs waiting,” Jim said through a frown.
***New York***
“How did you get that much done, it was only like 20 minutes?” Jim asked as he loked around the kitchen
“He has a strong work ethic, which normally I admire in a guy but sometimes…” Slone explained from where she was peeling potatoes with a frown.
“Work first, fun later,” Paul said, leaning in close and kissing her on her neck before heading to the other side of the kitchen to start cutting the raising dough into individual rolls. “The turkey was already in and most of the other stuff was half done, that guy, what’s his name?” Paul asked looking toward Jim.
“Neal,” Jim told him.
“Right Neal, he had it more under control than he though. All I’m doing is getting things finished off and watch the oven, but we shouldn’t have any problem eating in a couple of hours,” Paul told the others.
“Well then-“Matt started before he was cut off,
“But that isn’t to say I don’t have something you could do to help,” Paul said with a grin. “You two can set the table,” he through in, thrusting a stack of plates at Matt, then pointing at a box of flatware for Jim.
“Not quite fast enough,” Jimmy said with a sigh, picking up the utensils and following Matt into the dinning room, “Are we every going to get any alone time?”
“We will,” Matt said emphatically, “It’s just taking more time when I hoped for,” he included, dropping the plates around the table.
“Yeah, I may have been looking forward to this dinner but right now, I just want t drag you back to my apartment and tie you to my bed,” Jimmy complained, setting out the flatware.
Matt responded with a throaty growl, dropping the last few plates together and grabbing Jimmy by the collar, “If anyone’s getting tied,” he said, leaving the rest unsaid, pulling Jimmy into a deep kiss, breaking it several moments later, “The man has got to have a guest room.”
“Yeah…I think the bedrooms are that way,” Jimmy answered, pointing down a hall he’d never been down, following quickly as Matt started pulling him that direction.
“Clearly this needs some recon,” Matt added letting his hand travel down until he was pulling Jim by his tie down the hall.
The pair checked each door, bathroom, master bedroom, closet in turn until they came across an empty bedroom. With a smile double bed, a short dresser and a pair of end tables it was clearly for guest, and they were guest.
“Thank god he never has guest,” Jim said pushing Matt to the bed and climbing over him, locking their lips together, popping the buttons on each other’s shirts.
And then they heard a thump and turned to see they were not the only ones with this idea.
“Paul,” Matt said with a growl, glaring at his fellow soldier.
“Matt, Jimmy…hi,” Paul said, pulling away from a reddening Sloan. “Same idea hu?”
Jimmy let out a sigh and fell to the bed, glaring at the ceiling, “it’s never going to happen.”
***
“And that is what I’m thankful for,” Mac said, rising her glass in toast.
“Here, here,” Will agreed, clinking his own wine glass with everyone around him, “Now that that’s done lets eat already, this all looks delicious,” the news anchor said sitting his glass down and picking up his fork.
“Will-“ Mac started before she was cut off.
“No Mac, we’ve been sitting here, in front of this wonderful meal that first Neal and then Beck-“
“Paul-“ Paul cut in from his spot across from Sloan.
“Paul cooked for us for over 20 minutes and I won’t stand it for it to get any colder,” Will ranted, not missing a beat at Paul’s interruption.
“I was just going to say we should thank the cooks but I think Will just took care of that,” Mac said with an amused smile.
“That he did, now let eat already,” Charlie through in, already helping himself to the bowl of mash potatoes.
“Yes the sooner we start the sooner we head back to my place,” Jim whispered to Matt, adding some turkey to both of their own plates.
“And that’s something I’m going to be very thankful for,” Matt answered back before landing a light kiss on his soon to be lover’s cheek.
Jim turned red.
The End
Word Count: 10,587
Challenge: smallfandombang 3rd around, 2013-2014
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Jim/Matt(OMC), cast
Summary: Thanksgiving has rolled around and Will is hosting the dinner, cooked by Neal because he has Google. Jim and a few others were just finishing up a few work things when a few of Jim’s buddies from the Unit was he imbedded with show up and it’s clear to everyone some of them were more then friends, just as it’s clear Slone likes a man in uniform almost as much as Jim.
Author's Notes: Okay so I first had this idea almost two years ago when the first season aired and Jim had his fond memories of the military guys he was embedded with. I talked about it with a friend, the wonderful love_vargas to which this story is dictated, and she liked the idea and this year when Small Fandom big bang came up we were talking about it again and well, here it is, and far better after she help edit it as well. I hope you enjoy it.
Author’s Notes2: I’d also like to thank tarlanx for her great artwork. She did a great job with it and with reminding me that I need to name this story something so thanks tarlanx.
Prolog
“They’re not going to let me come back, not after…” Jim says half lifting the sling his left arm was in while tapping his ass.
“They even gonna to let you stay in the country there, Jimmy?” The solider asked, running a grime covered hand though his equally dirty blond hair, shaking some grains of rock and sand from the buzzed locks.
“Maybe, Mac’s still here so…any word on him? He’s going to make it, right? I mean after…he’s going to make it, right?” Jimmy asked, his tone low and soft.
“I don’t know,” the soldier answered softly, letting his shoulders drop as he looked away from Jimmy and the medical bays around them, “They said it was going to take a few hours to clean up the wound, might not get the bullet out,” the soldier answered just as softly.
“He saved my life…” Jim collapsed into the wall, letting it take his weight as he stared aimlessly across the waiting area. “He…. How can you go back out there after, after all that, how?” he added, looking up at the soldier in front of him.
“It’s the job. It’s what I signed up for, what he signed up for. You just have to have faith, Jimmy. In each other, if nothing else,” the Soldier explained, reaching out, squeezing Jim’s shoulder. “We did the best we could for him. We got him here, and you were no little part of that.”
“But now what?” Jim asked.
“Now we wait,” the Soldier said. He filled the following silence by pulling a pack of cigarettes from his chest pocket. He shook one out for himself and offered another to Jim. When Jim silently declined with a shake of his head, the soldier slipped the pack back into his pocket.
“Have you just been waiting here since the chopper brought us in?” Jim suddenly asked, standing upright, watching the soldier blow out a jet of smoke.
“Sarge has the reports covered and both of you were…” the Soldier answered, waving the cigarette at the other end of the Army waiting room. “I didn’t need to be anywhere else.”
“Come on, if he’s not getting out any time soon, let’s find a place to really clean up…maybe find some food.” Jim said. “Maybe some MREs?” he added, clearing his throat, looking toward the ground.
“You sure? Because if it was just something you said, I get that, I needed it and it worked but I won’t-“ the Soldier said in return, keeping his face carefully blank.
“You owe me a dinner, big guy, and I mean to hold you to it,” Jim answered, stepping toward the Soldier.
Seconds later Jim let out a hiss and grabbed onto the other man as he moved his ass wrong and lost all control over his right leg.
“I’ve got you,” the soldier said, catching Jim and holding him upright. “I’m sure the others would kill me if I let anything happen to you now,” he tacked on with a smile.
“Yeah that would just be embarrassing. Making it through an ambush, fighter fight, siege and evac, then bite it in an army base hospital, after being patched up. I’d never live it down,” Jim quipped. “Now let’s get out of here and get you cleaned up before anything can happen.”
“I’m not the only one that needs to get cleaned up, I think the docs missed a few spots when they were checking you over,” the Soldier remarked rubbing dirt off Jim’s neck and seeing the still red scratches, pulling Jim’s arm over his shoulder.
“They were busy; they had other guys that need real help. That and well…” Jim trailed off, leaning on his buddy.
***One Year Later: New York City Thanksgiving Day***
“There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“And here I am. In my office, where I work,” Mac answered Slone, looking up at her over the top of her glasses.
“Yes well…for some reason I looked in on the studio first, which I realized was weird when I walked in and didn’t see anyone which I wouldn’t since we aren’t on tonight and it’s only like nine in the morning and how do people get up this early?”
“Slone-“
“Right well then I checked Will’s office, the women’s bathroom and the upper terrace…” Slone said, looking at the clipboard in her hand.
“Why did you?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well then why are you looking for me with such determination, and randomness, anyways?” Mac asked shaking her head.
“Why was I, I had a reason-“
“Slone-“
“Right, yes, the draft for tomorrow, I wanted to change it to work what just happened and take a bit harder stance but I’m not sure if it’s too hard-“ Slone started to explain until Mac’s phone cut them off.
“Let me just…,” Mac said, picking up the phone. “Hello, MacKenzie here,” She held out her hand, motioning for Slone’s clipboard.
“I don’t know that name and why didn’t you call Jim if they’re his, hold on-“ Mac said into the phone, scanning the paperwork. “Have you seen Jim?” she added, looking up at Slone.
“Yeah I saw him in editing when I was looking for you. He was, like, the only other person here,” Slone said. “Good thing I looked everywhere after all.”
“Yeah,” Mac responded before turning back to the phone. “Try calling…wait can you say those names again…are they military?...Put them on an elevator, I’ll pick them up when they get to his floor,” Mac said, hanging up the phone.
“I knew there was more to that story than Jim was telling me and now I’m going to find out. This time they will crack,” Mac said with a triumphant grin.
“Whoa, hold on. You can’t do that,” Slone interrupted as Mac started heading for her door.
“Why not? I’ve wanted to know this story for over a year and Jim won’t talk and neither would Sergeant Primo but I didn’t get a shot at the other two but this time I will. They’re in the building, my terrain, they can’t run this time.” Mac explained to Slone as she reached her door. “So I’m going to get them in an elevator and have my way with them…but not like that. I mean I’m going to question them. You got that, right?” she added turning back toward Slone.
“Yes I did understand you mean that but you still can’t because when I was looking for you I dropped by Will’s office and he said if I found you to tell you he needed to see you before he headed back to his place for the party…and I need my changes approved,” Slone answered, pointing toward the clipboard in Mac’s hands.
“Why didn’t you tell me I have to deal with Will? This was my chance to get the story out of them. Damn, why couldn’t Jim have stayed and helped Neal,” Mac complained, handing the clip board back to Slone, “and the changes are fine.”
“Okay good, I’ll just be on my way then. Maybe I can help Neal,” Slone said, opening the door until Mac leaned into it, shutting it.
“The changes are fine which means you have time. Time to go down and get them up here and hide them from Jim until I get my chance to send him on his way and then talk with them,” Mac suggested, looking Slone right in the eyes.
“I have no idea what’s going on but I’m getting the feeling I don’t want to be in the middle of-“ Slone said, pulling on the door trying to get out.
“Slone.”
“The conference room down the hall a good place to stash them?” Slone offered with a sigh.
“Perfect, see you at Will’s place, I’ll cover for you here,” Mac told Slone before vanishing out the door towards Will’s office.
“I should have kept the first draft,” Slone said to no one as she headed to the elevators.
The economist reached them just as they opened with a soft ding, opening to let its passengers out.
Neal was the first of them out the doors, walking backwards as he explained something to the other still inside, something about where to find Jim.
A moment of equal panic that they were going to find Jim before Mac got to talk to them, and relief that she wasn’t going to be in the middle of whatever was up, flashed over Slone before it was replaced with…nothing as she saw the other men walking out of the elevator.
It was clear they were the three men that Neal was talking to, all well built, dressed in Army Combat Uniforms that were both the real and not fashion knock offs and plainly broken in, added to the tan faces they had to be the men visiting Jim, and the men Mac wanted to get her hands on first.
“Hell, Mac can wait, I want my hands on them first. All over them,” Slone said aloud, staring at the broad shouldered and solidly built brown haired man standing in the front of the group, a unlit cigar rolling between his lips.
“Where was it you wanted those hands, darling?” the man asked as he swaggered over to Slone.
“What? I didn’t mean, well that is…You’re friends of Jim’s, right? You need to wait in the conference room, and he can show you to the party later-“
“What are you talking about? The conference room, do we even use… and Jim just texted me and said--” Neal began, looking at Slone oddly.
“Neal,” Slone snapped, shifting a look to the blogger, “I can handle it, I’ve got this all covered, you can go back to the party…why aren’t you at the party? Never mind I don’t really care,,” she then added, returning her eyes to the Soldiers, holding out her hand. “Hi, I’m Sloan Sabbith and I work with Jim. I’ve been asked to show the three of you to the conference room until he’s done with what he’s working on.”
“Staff Sergeant Primo ma’am,” the Staff Sergeant introduced himself, taking the offered hand. “This is a nice hand, might feel nice,” Primo continued, smirking.
“Come off, Sergeant, don’t hog the woman,” one of the other two interrupted, taking Slone’s hand from his Sergeant. A bit taller and of a thinner, but still solid, build than the other two soldiers, it was mainly his blond hair that really set him apart. Where both of theirs was buzzed, his was a bit longer, even having a hint of a wave to it. “Sergeant Beck, but you can call me Paul, if you want,” he offered.
“Nice to meet you, Paul, and you too, Sergeant Primo and…?” Slone asked looking at the third member of the trio.
Just taller than Primo, the well built man ran a hand over his head, his blond hair so short it almost wasn’t there, as he looked nervously around. “Just where is Jim? Is he in the conference room?” He asked.
“No, he’s never-” Neal started until Slone cut him off by standing in front of him and shushing him.
“Go tell Mac, I’ll handle these three…if only,” Slone added under her breath as she motioned for the three men to head down the hall. “It’s right this way and you’ll be met there.”
“Come on, Matty, lets follow the nice lady,” Paul encouraged, giving Slone a bight smile even as he gave his friend Matt a playful shove down the hall to where Slone was pointing.
“You’re always following your dick,” Matt said, giving Paul a light shove back.
“And you wanting to find Harper has nothing-“ Paul answered back, rolling his eyes with a grin until he was cut off by a hand clamping down on the nap of his neck.
“Come on, children, let’s just follow the lady, I’m sure Harper knows we’re here,” the Staff Sergeant said, looking Neal dead in the eyes. “And I’m sure he’ll come as soon as he can, right,” he added not taking his eyes off the male reporter.
“Yes, right. I’m sure he will,” Neal repeated, giving Slone a glance before rushing down the hall toward the Newsnight’s bullpen.
Slone just glared after him for a moment before turning back to the three other men. “You know what, I don’t care, Mac can deal with it I’m just going to show you to the conference room and wash my hands of this, yes I’m going to focus on tonight, yes,” Slone went on, leading them down the hall.
“Well, I hope you won’t completely forget us,” Paul said with a smile as he pulled from Primo’s grip and sauntered quickly to her side.
Slone smiled.
***
“Slone?”
MacKenzie called out as she spied Slone enter the room from where she was talking with Will, Charlie, and Jim, “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be in the… you know where, dealing with the you know whos?” she added after waving Slone over.
“You know where? You know who? Did we just become a spy movie?” Charlie remarked looking at the two women, one eyebrow raised.
“Well, I know it’s not about the Christmas party or anything Christmas related because the Thanksgiving party isn’t over yet and I will not have Christmas running rough shot over my Thanksgiving,” Will declared, giving Mac a look.
Charlie rasied an eyebrow switching his look from Mac and Slone to Will and from disapproving to curiosity. “Since when do you care about Thanksgiving?”
“Since I’m hosting the office Thanksgiving party, why else would I give a fuck,” Will answered back, rolling his eyes and waving his hands in the air.
“And back to the point, Slone why are you here?” Mac said giving Will a look before turning back to Slone, “you have to keep you know…”she glanced at Charlie, “oh all right, them, you have to keep them there until I can get free and talk to them.”
Slone head up a finger and started to talk, then stopped and frowned before dropping her hand and trying again “Oh yeah, sorry, but that plan’s busted, Neal’s already seen them and he’s probably already told Jim so he knows and if he knows, what’s the point. And besides, have you seem them, I can’t stay in a room with them, I already told them I wanted to run my hands all over them and lick them and that was in less than five minutes, if I was in there any longer-there would be a lawsuit,“ Slone explained self deprecatingly, motioning toward Jim-- and Neal, who was standing a few feet behind him.
“What has Neal told me? And what does it have do to with you licking people? And why is Neal here, I thought he was back at Will’s place?” Jim asked looking between Neal and Slone, confused.
“I hadn’t had a chance to tell him yet, I was but I didn’t know it was your plan, if I had-“ Neal tried to explain to Mac, holding his arms up in peace. “I need Will to sign this,” he added, pointing to the paper in his hand.
“You would have told him anyways, damn honest people, I’m surrounded by them,” Mac complained.
“Better than the alternative,” Charlie interjected, matched amused.
Will glanced around the room and stood up shanking his head “Look I’m getting the feeling this doesn’t have anything to do with me, which is fine, this is only my show and I’m only the boss but, whatever. And give me that,” Will said waving his hands and grabbing the paper from Neal, but he didn’t get a chance to read it as he looked up toward the doors. “Does whatever is going on have something to do with them, by any chance?” he finished, pointing at the now open doors to the bullpen where the three men were standing.
“Matt?” Jim exclaimed in surprise, shoving his clipboard at Neal before all but running across the bullpen while the enlisted man started marching forward until they met in the middle.
Stopping a hair's breadth from the blond uniformed soldier, their eyes locked on each other, it was Jim who spoke first. “Matt,” he said, repeating the name, his smile growing. “You’re really here? In person?” he added, reaching out slowly to touch Matt.
Jim’s fingers just brushed tentatively against the fabric covering Matt’s shoulder. .
The moment he made contact, it was like a spark and they were both a flurry of movement. Jim’s arms were wrapped around the larger man, holding him while the other man was holding him just as tightly, their heads resting on each others shoulders.
“Oh, kiss him for fucks sake, before I choke on the sexual tension,” Will complained, frowning at the two men before him.
“Don’t know who the guy is but he’s right, Bro. And we sure as fuck didn’t fly halfway across the world for you to look at him,” Paul added, smirking at the pair.
The two men didn’t need any more prodding, their lips slid toward each other, pulling one another into a deep kiss. Then the moment passed and they broke the kiss.
“You didn’t tell me you were coming, I could have met you,” Jim questioned, keeping one of his hands on Matt’s shoulder even as he stepped back.
“We wanted to surprise you…and I think we did,” Matt offered as an explanation along with a smile.
“Yes, you guys did,” Jim agreed, looking beyond Matt toward Paul and Primo who were moving close. “And not just me,” he added turning back to look at his coworkers and bosses who were watching him and Matt.
“Hello?” Matt offers with a wave and a slight smile.
“Everyone, This is Matt and those two guys are Staff Sergeant Primo and Beck, they’re part of the unit I was imbedded with, and, guys, these are the people I work with, Mac you know, the man that doesn’t like sexual tension is Will McAvoy, it’s his show, and to his left is Charlie Skinner the president of the news division and these two are-“ Jim started his introductions until he was cut off.
“The beautiful lady, Slone Sabbith,” Paul interrupted, stepping forward and taking Slone’s hand and lightly kissing it.
“That’s so sweet,” Slone said in return, smiling at him while everyone else looked on, some with more confused looks than others, “You’re one to you know,” she added, lightly petting her hand before looking up abruptly. “No a lady, obviously, but you are beautiful- handsome, I mean handsome. You’re a handsome guy,” Slone corrected herself, “you knew that’s-“
“Slone, he knows what you mean,” Mac cut in, stopping her friend from going on.
“Right okay…hello again,” Slone told with an awkward wave, frowning at herself.
“Don’t worry, he may seem smooth now but the horn dog will show himself,” Primo said, reassuring Slone as he also came closer and joined the group, “And hello again, Neal,” Primo went on, finishing the introductions, nodding at the junior man.
“How?” Jim started to ask looking between Matt, Primo, Paul and Neal.
“We met in the elevator on the way up,” Matt explained.
“Yes, so I can sign for food I already told the store I was paying for. Why can’t places just take someone’s word for a change…Neal who’s cooking and dealing with, you know, everything if you’re here? Are you going to have enough time to get everything cooked?” Will questioned, glaring back down at the form.
“People lie, Will, they have to be careful, especially when it’s enough food to feed an army or two,” Charlie said grabbing the invoice from his hand. “Holy cow, just how much did you order? You know this is just for the News Night crew and not everyone, right?” he went on looking it over.
“Yes I know that,” Will answered taking the paper back. “But if I’m going to do this, I’m going to do it right,” he added, signing his name to it. “Now Neal, who’s cooking my thanksgiving dinner.”
“Well right now no one because the woman delivering it won’t let me open a single box or bag until I give her this,” Neal told him, taking the invoice back. “But Maggie and Don are watching the kitchen and it’s all ready, as soon as I get back with this.”
“Wait, it’s being cooked and not catered?” Slone asked confused as she looked over at Will, “Why are you doing that?”
“Well I had this idea of a big family style dinner and I was going to cook it all myself, you know, do a home cooked Thanksgiving right. But then I thought about it for five minutes and realized just how dumb that was, but by then I’d already told Mac the idea and well you know how that goes,” Will explained to his sometimes co-host, giving Mac a bit of a glare.
“Like it’s my fault? I really do like the idea of a nice big family dinner and you should have stopped me before I texted it to everyone if you didn’t really mean it,” Mac defended herself giving Will a look right back. “And it’s not like you’re even the one cooking it.”
“How many times have I tried to stop hurricane Mac-Hale, it never works.”
The others watched the by play, amused or, in the case of the three soldiers, fascinated and confused.
“Are they going to kill each other?” Paul asked watching them, his hands inching for a weapon he wasn’t carrying.
“No I don’t think they are, but have your evac plan ready,” Primo told him, rolling his cigar between his fingers.
“They won’t, this happens all the time. Hey, Neal, just how did you end up running the kitchen and everything?” Jim told the Soldiers before stopping Neal who was slowly sneaking away toward the doors.
“Will was asking rather loudly how you deal with a turkey and I made the mistake of using Google to find out how long you have to cook a turkey, 15 minutes per pound by the way, and so he thinks I know how to cook everything. I tried to tell him I didn’t-“ Neal explained, still backing away.
“That won’t work,” Jim commented, shaking his head.
“No, it didn’t and after he started offering me money to deal with it I stopped fighting, I wasn’t going to win, not with Mac about to join him in ‘talking’ me into it,” Neal finished explaining.
“Well you have a one less person to deal with, I’m going to take these guys and-“ Jim started until he was cut off by Slone.
“NO, I mean no,” Slone said, blushing when everyone, even Will and Mac, turned her way. She cleared her throat a time or two before going on, “You can’t skip Thanksgiving dinner with us. Not after the trouble Will-Neal is going through to make it. There seems so be enough food for an Army so we should have a Soldier or two,” she said with a smile, her eyes continuing to undress the two soldiers not leaning into Jim.
“Or three?” Mac added dryly with a smile.
“Of course they should come. I wouldn’t be able to call myself a republican if I let you leave, not make you join us for dinner. We’re done here right, Mac?” Will said, looking toward Mac for conformation.
“Done enough, the rest can be done later, we’re not on tonight anyways,” Mac agreed, dropping her papers off on a nearby desk.
“Well guy, looks like it’s Thanksgiving dinner for everyone,” Jim said with a smile.
“It’ll be better than the last meal we all had together,” Matt remarked.
“The meal wasn’t bad, it was the rest that was fucked up,” Paul added, rubbing his left side.
Primo just rolled his eyes and looked toward Will. “Thank you for the offer Sir, I have a feeling me and the boys will be joining you,” the Sergeant said respectfully before turning his gaze on the other two soldiers.
He hadn’t even opened his mouth before both men were thanking Will, and Neal, for the dinner.
***One year before: somewhere in Afghanistan***
“You’re right, I am sick of these,” Jim admitted, frowning as he forced himself to take another bit of his MRE.
“I tried to warn you, man. They might be good, but day after day…” Paul joked, taking a bit from his own MRE.
“For two weeks, how have you guys done it for months?” Jim asked, letting out a sigh, looking at all the men around him eating their MREs. The two men were part of a small group that was relaxing and taking a break for a quick bite and some rest before they would rotate with the men currently manning the towers and gates of the forward outpost.
“Come on guys its not that bad, you get used to them,” Matt added with a big face smile as he shoved a mouthful of chicken something between his lips. “You know you’ll miss it when you leave us, Jimmy,” he added a few moments later, after he’d swallowed.
Jim shook his head with a grin. “It won’t be the food I miss,” he answered back while finishing off his meal.
“And just what will the reporter miss?” Tomlinson called out; bringing the attention of the whole group to the three men.
“Everything,” Jim answered, feigning shock. “I mean how can I not miss the five star service, the catered meal cooked right in front of me, exotic locations with all the white sand I could want, and not let’s forget the company. All of you definitely unforgettable…too bad you aren’t unsmellable,” he finished waving his hand in front of his nose, getting a laugh from the soldiers.
“Like you’re all fresh and clean there, Harper?” Banks added through his laughter.
Jim took a moment to smell himself before making a gagging face. “I won’t miss the two weeks without a real shower at all,” he agreed.
“Damn right…wait it’s only been a week? We got showers back in-“ Eckman questioned until he was cut off by one of the other soldiers.
“Getting a bowl of water dumped on you through a strainer isn’t a shower, Eckman,” Banks cut in with a roll of his eyes.
“No matter how wonderful it felt,” Jim said, his voice wistful as he remembered that shower.
“The best part of it was-“
“On your feet,” The order cut Matt off and shut up everyone else as Staff Sergeant Primo, with his ever present cigar, came marching over to their group. “Intel says something’s up again but the sentries ain’t even seeing ghosts so we’re patrolling. Grab your gear and get ready for a boring night. Beck, you stick to him like glue.” the Sergeant ordered, looking Paul in the eyes and pointing to Jim.
“Yes, Sergeant,” Paul responded at once, standing and tapping Jim on the back. “Lets get you geared up,” he said as the whole group scrabbled to get to their stuff.
“Later, Jimmy,” Matt said with a wave before he rushed off, following Primo toward the ammo dump.
“Later, Matt,” Jimmy threw over his shoulder as he followed Paul to the center of the compound.
The next few minutes were tense for Jim as Paul helped him put on the extra vests and body armor he had to wear whenever he left the camp. So far it had never been tested but that did little to relax him as he loaded his bag with water, food, and his notebook.
“It’s okay, Jim, it’s going to be fine,” Jim repeated under his breath, following Paul to the gates of the compound where the rest of the squad was already gathered.
Paul just smiled and slapped Jim on the back before focusing on the Staff Sergeant giving them their mission objective, which mostly came down to make sure the mountains to the west weren’t hiding any insurgents.
As they headed out, Jim’s eyes found Matt’s just as the Soldier’s found his.
New York
“God damn this is a nice view,” Paul exclaimed once the group walked into Will’s high-rise apartment.
“You should see it from the balcony, it’s even better, let me show you,” Slone offered, taking Paul by the shoulder and leading him toward the doors to said balcony.
“Man, that woman moves fast,” Matt commented, giving Jim a look and a smile, “Beck is going to love it.”
“It may seem that way,” Jim answered with a light chuckle.
“She’ll be fine, but if he hurts her, he’s a dead man,” Mac stated frankly as she, Will, and Primo came up behind the pair.
“Won’t worry about that, he’s all flirt and very little action,” Primo interjected, “Almost like these two,” he went on.
“Yes these two, I knew there was more to that story than you let on Mr. James Harper,” Mac added with a mock glare at her EP.
“Sorry, I wasn’t really (ready?) to talk about it when I was still recovering,” Jim shot back, clearly an exchange they’d had before.
“Oh, hello. We have new people. I’m Maggie, this is Don,” Maggie introduced herself and her boyfriend as they came out of the kitchen moments after Neal went in. “Were you just on leave in the city? Because Will just stopping his car and invited you to Thanksgiving dinner, it’s a very him thing…or it seems like it should be-“ She went on while shaking their hands until Don started talking.
“Don, it’s nice to meet you, Sergeant Primo and Sergeant… Yates is it?” Don said, cranking his head to see Matt’s name tag.
“And the other guy is Sergeant Beck,” Jim added, pointing toward the widow where Paul and Slone could just be seen.
“You weren’t just picked up by Will were you?” Don asked, his eyes shifting between Matt and Jim then to Primo, “You’re Jim’s Unit, the one he was embedded with I mean?” He asked.
“They were, you were?” Maggie asked as well, looking from Don to the two soldiers.
“Yeah, he was ours for awhile, until that is he was pulled out by his bosses,” Primo answered for the group.
“Well, after what happened it was the only choice any director could make. He wasn’t cleared to cover the hospital and the Pentagon made it clear a wounded reporter wasn’t going to be accompanying any missions,” Charlie informed them all, a glass already in his hand. “Good stuff, by the way.”
“Yeah, help yourself, I’ll join you,” Will told him heading toward his mini-bar, “Anyone else want anything?”
Jim turned with a start at Charlie’s response, “Wait, how do you know what happened?”
“You think I haven’t read your full file? All of it?” Charlie remarked with a smile, sipping more from his glass.
“Hospital? Is that when you got shot in the butt?” Maggie asked looking at Jim when Primo and Mac followed Will to the bar, “Because I’ve always wondered how that happened and he hasn’t said anything about it other than well, he got shot in the butt.”
“How much have you had to drink already? And more importantly how much sugar was in it?” Jim asked, half glaring at Maggie.
“I was feeling a little sleepily this morning, how often do we get up at seven in the morning, we don’t even get off until after eleven, so I needed something…” Maggie defended herself.
“Don?”
“A Monster and then when it didn’t seem to do anything, after less than five minutes, she tried a Red Bull,” Don said, answering Jim’s question while giving his girlfriend a look.
“She had a Monster and a Red Bull, damn she’s going to be hyper? This could be fun,” Matt added with a smirk.
“Well I’ve never used them and I though the pick me up should have happened right away and well nothing did so…anyways back to Jim’s butt,” Maggie answered, looking at Matt expectedly.
Matt glanced at Jim’s butt before seeming to catch himself, standing straighter, his eyes looking anywhere but at Jim, “What about his butt? Why are you asking me?” Matt asked.
“Because you dream about it, why else,” Paul joked as he and Slone re-entered the room, Paul shivering slightly, “I forgot how fucking cold this city can get.”
“I don’t mind keeping you warm,” Slone flirted before talking to Maggie, “So why is everyone talking about Jim’s butt anyways?”
“No one is talking about my butt, it’s just a butt, can we move on to some other topic?” Jim commented loudly, glaring around the group.
“No, this might be my only chance to get the full story, I know more happened on that patrol than you’ve said, so someone spill,” Mac said as she, Will, Charlie and Primo rejoined the group.
“We are not talking about this, we aren’t, we aren’t, we aren’t,” Jim repeated, hoping it would become true.
“Why do you all keep focusing on his butt? I remember his arm being the bigger problem…but then my memory of all that is a bit hazy,” Paul questioned, looking around the group.
“Wait, you were shot in the arm too?” Don asked, his eyes shifting between both arms.
“Wait no, you couldn’t have been. The report clearly said you were shot once and that was the upper thigh,” Mac said, concerned as she scanned Jim from head to toe.
“I’m fine, it was a year ago, I’m fine,” Jim repeated, shaking his head.
Any further remarks were put on hold as a loud bang was heard from the kitchen followed by Neal marching out, a cloud off flour following him, “There is not enough money in the world.”
***Afghanistan***
“You’re going to be okay Yates. It’s going to be fine,” Matt chanted as a mantra as he and Jim carried Yates.
“Fuck I know that, it doesn’t even hurt. Now can you do something about the noise?” Paul complained, shaking his head as he struggled to keep his grip on the other’s shoulders.
Paul’s arms were over their shoulders and it was that, along with Matt’s hand pulling up on the back of his pants, that kept him upright as his footsteps were becoming more and more unsteady as they took him to the nearby cave the patrol team had cleared shortly before.
“Noise, there is fucking noise everywhere, we can’t-” Jim rambled more than slightly frantic, stumbling over a rock only just keeping himself from taking all three of them to the ground.
“Jimmy I can’t do this alone and everyone else is a bit busy so pull it together and man up, right now,” Matt ordered, glaring over at Jim even as he shifted his hold on his buddy, pulling more of Paul’s weight into himself and away from Jim. “And if you can’t, tell me now.
Jim swallowed hard, shying his eyes away from Matt, looking to the ground before looking up and letting his eyes drift to the rest of the men around them. Most of them were under cover, sending concentrated fire down the mountain side at the insurgents that had tried to ambush the patrol only to run smack dab into one of the flanking scouts.
The one that Jim had finally talked Staff Sergeant Primo into allowing him to be part of. Jim couldn’t even remember how he’d gone from standing next to Paul to helping carry him other than a brief moment of hitting the ground, which still made the arm wedged between him and Paul sting.
“I’ve got him,” Jim answered after a moment that felt like minutes but hadn’t even been seconds, pulling Paul more firmly over his own shoulder. “I can do this,” he added, as much to himself as to Matt.
“Then fucking get your ass in gear,” Matt said, moving forward again, forcing Jim to rush to keep up as they finally reached the cave.
“Always talking about his ass? But really, now, dude?” Paul asked even as he was dropped to the rocky ground.
“Watch it, Beck,” Matt growled at his friend while pulling out his aid kit, pressing the white bandages he plucked from it to Paul’s side. Layering it over the now red one he had quickly applied before rushing him to the shelter, pushing a bit more roughly than he needed. “Hold this down,” Matt added, nodding to Jim.
Jim went to put pressure on it, pushing into it with his right hand but frowned at his left hand when it didn’t move, just hung there. He tried moving it again, even shifting his shoulder. It only swung with his shoulder, doing nothing more.
“You’re going to need to use both hands, and push hard,” Matt ordered as he continued checking Paul over, looking for any other problems he may have missed when he had checked earlier.
“I can’t, it won’t, I mean…” Jim trailed off, still staring at his limp arm.
“Were you hit?” Matt asked, suddenly next to Paul as he inspected the arm, “How does it feel?” he added a bit frantically.
“It feels…numb, and tingly, at the same time, how is that even-“ Jim began his answer.
“You were shot? Why didn’t you tell me you were….I need to…you,” Matt said, his eyes becoming fixed on Jim’s outstretched leg, right where it shifted into ass, and small stream of blood flowing from it and dnow his leg before dripping to the ground. Matt’s voice became fainter and fainter, his breathing coming faster and faster as his eyes wildly flew from Jim’s ass, his arm and Paul’s side, “I can-I need-“
“Yates? Yates, Matt!” Paul yelled at his friend, hissing when he tried raising only to be sent back down from a jolt of pain from his side. “Matt you have to snap out of it, right now, Matt.”
“What’s going on, what’s happening?” Jim pleaded to know, starting to reach out for Matt with his good hand but stopped and kept it on the patch with a glance to Paul.
“He’s having a panic attack, we need to distract him, get him to slow down his breathing, Now,” Paul ordered, looking at the two of them.
“Matt! MATT!” Jim yelled but nothing changed but now Matt was starting to bend over, “what can I do?” he yelled anxiously.
“Try punching him, just be quick,” Paul suggested, gritting his teeth waiting for the hand on his side to move.
“Punch…or,” Jim said, his eyes lighting up with an idea.
He reached out with his good hand and grabbed Matt by the back of the neck pulling the man into a kiss. Matt seemed to freeze for a split second before returning the kiss for a brief moment. And then Jim pulled back, rushing his right hand back to Paul’s side, once more slowing the flow.
A moment passes and Matt just watched him, stunned, letting out a breath and taking another one in at a more normal speed, “…That’s not the recommended way of dealing with panic attacks,” he said at last.
“I couldn’t think of anything else,” Jim offered with a half smile.
“Okay…thanks, Jimmy,” Matt said back, going for his med kit again with his own smile.
“I owed you,” Jim reminded him.
“Still…after that I think I own you dinner,” Matt told the other man.
“I’ll hold you to that,” Jim answered, letting a smile spread across his face.
“Hey you guys forget about me?” Paul demanded to know in a groan.
Matt got back to work, on both of them.
***New York***
“You can’t offer me enough money in the world to try and get this done. I don’t care what food.com says it can’t be done. It has to be part of some great conspiracy,” Neal kept ranting as he glared at Will, a mixing spoon with spice powder still clinging to it in his fist.
“What the hell are you talking about?” Will asked, looking at his blogger, “and you know I can fire you, right?”
“No you can’t,” Mac said cutting in, then shrugged when Will glared at her, “well you can but you won’t, now Neal, what’s this about?” she asked more calmly.
“Thanksgiving dinner, it can’t be made in a single day, too many things need the oven and there is just way too much for a single day. You can’t do it,” Neal informed them all.
“Now, Neal-“ Will started, but he was quickly cut off.
“No, it’s not possible, all those mothers and cooking shows have conspired to make us think it can, but it can’t be done,” Neal declared again, waving the spoon around wildly, his whole body tense.
“Whoa there, buddy,” Paul said stepping forward and taking the spoon from Neal’s hand. “Why don’t you just relax and take the day off, get a drink and watch the game,” he added, guiding the over stressed man toward the sofa and the living room where a couple other members of the News Night team were watching a football game on the large wide screen television while motioning Slone toward the mini bar with his head.
“Yeah, just relax, that’s what I need, yes,” Neal muttered under his breath once he was sitting down and Slone was putting a drink in his hand.
“Well that was interesting, thank you, but it really wasn’t necessary. He wasn’t going to do anything,” Will said calmly, frowning at the kitchen.
“Just what made you think it was a good idea to have Neal cook anything, let alone a full Thanksgiving dinner?” Mac questioned, turning toward Will.
“He said he could do it,” Will defended himself to Mac.
“Did he? Or did you tell him he could, Will?” Mac asked right back.
“Of course he-“
“No he didn’t, he said he didn’t know the first thing about cooking Thanksgiving and the only reason he knew the turkey question is because he googgled it,” Don offered to the group, looking at Will with a raised eyebrow.
“Will, you didn’t,” Mac said sounding disappointed in him.
“Well,” Will started and then just shrugged, “whatever, I’m calling a caterer,” Will said, rolling his eyes as he threw up his hands.
“At ten in the morning on Thanksgiving? You’ll never find anyone not even in this city,” Maggie said quickly, “Even with the kind of money you have it’s not going to happen,” she finished confidently.
“She’s right,” Slone said, nodding her head in support.
“Then what the hell am I suppose to do? This is all your fault,” Will said, giving Mac a look.
Mac returned the look for a moment before rolling her own eyes, “Come on, we can do it, it can’t be that hard if we all pitch in-“
“Oh no, I don’t cook,” Don was quick to say.
“He’s right, and I just boil water, but I can order from a take out menu, I’m sure there are some places that are open,” Maggie offered.
“I know some great places, let me look up their numbers,” Slone said pulling out her phone.
“No, we are not ordering in,” Mac told them all, pulling Slone’s phone from her hand. “It’s being cooked right here.”
“By who, Mac, I can’t cook and I know you can’t either. You see any other offers?” Will told her bluntly.
“I can do it,” Paul offered, rising his hand.
“Beck?” Jim said in surprise, looking over at the soldier.
“You fight, cook, and look great in uniform?” Maggie asked, the words followed by a hiccup.
“Maggie,” Don said turning his look toward Maggie who just shrugged.
“You’re a guest, more than the rest of these guys. I can’t ask you to do that, we’ll have take out, it will be fine,” Will said with a wave of his hand.
“We are not doing taking out,” Mac told Will again before turning toward Paul, “but it’s okay, he is right about you being a guest, the three of you shouldn’t be pressed into service,”
“That’s already happened,”
“Ignore the drunk,” Mac said before going on as if Maggie had not said anything, “so you should just relax and have some fun, okay.”
“No it’s cool, I enjoy cooking, my family owns a diner and I practically grew up in the back. I like it, it may not be a classics Thanksgiving but I’ll fixs something up with whatever’s in there,” Paul explained with a smile as he started toward the doorway then turned a looked back at the group, “but I will need a bit of help, who’s game,” His grin brighter, letting his eyes drift over the group but letting them linger over Slone.
“Me, I can help in the kitchen, I love to cook. I do it all the time, Paul,” Slone said in a rush, retaking Paul’s hand and all but pulling him toward the kitchen, “I’m sure we can handle it no need for more help.” She added just as they vanished from sight.
“She doesn’t know anything about cooking, does she?” Primo asked with a wide smile and a bit of a chuckle.
“She might…but I wouldn’t even trust her with a teakettle,” Mac offered as an answer, cringing slightly and glancing at the door when they heard the bang of pots and pans.
“Well then, I’ll warn Paul so at least he knows what he’s dealing with.” Jim said taking a step forward toward the kitchen.
Jim didn’t even make it a step before a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He turned to look at Matt, the question clear on his face.
“No, don’t. I’m pretty sure he’d already guessed her skill level and didn’t care,” Matt explained.
“Let the man have his fun, he’s earned it” Primo added with a smile.
***Afghanistan***
“The medvac touches down in less than five, they have room for two on their backs and four standing, who’s going, Sergeant,” Primo demanded to know as he walked into the cave that had become his unit’s, and both units that arrived to back them up, aid station and rally point.
Matt didn’t stop working, his hands wrapping and bandaging a wound even as his eyes casted around the cave, “Beck, Sir,” the first name was easy, his friend had remained conscious somehow but not completely lucid and with the bullet still inside, he needed an OR soon.
The rest were harder, “Banks, Turner…Eckman…Nickerson,” Matt added, slowly. They had made it through the firefight without too many of the guys getting hit beyond those first few minutes and Paul was the only one he didn’t think he could handle.
“What about the reporter,” Primo asked as he shifted his eyes toward Jim who was laying awkwardly next to Paul, keeping pressure on the gauze strapped to his side.
“I’m good, I can head back with you guy-“ Jim started only to be cut off.
“The brass aren’t going to like we let him get hit, they’ll have my ass along with everyone else here if we don’t get him to back to HQ the first chance we have, does anyone else need to go before him you haven’t named?” the Staff Sergeant asked bluntly, his gaze back on Matt.
“No Sir,” Matt admitted as he finished wrapping one of the Tomlinson’s legs.
“Then he’s on it, the rest of us are joining a convoy heading out within two hours, anyone can’t make that gets switched out with someone on the medvac, now get moving, Yates,” Primo finished before heading out of the cave as quickly as he entered.
Matt let his eyes linger over Jim, who was doing the same, before snapping to action just as he heard the chopper approach.
***New York***
“I’m sure he has earned a bit of fun,” Will said, agreeing with Primo’s statement. “I’m sure you all have.”
“Then why don’t we have some of our own as he has his fun in there,” the Staff Sergeant said, pulling out one of his cigars, “The baloney a good place?” he asked the host.
“For that, nowhere is a good place, but I have some Ashtons that I’ve been waiting for a good reason to pull out so put that away and come on, Charlie, you in?” Will asked and he started leading Primo to his den.
“That sounds very nice of you Mr. McAvoy,” Primo said, sliding his own cigar back into his pocket. “I wouldn’t mind being the reason you pulled those out at all,” he finished with a grin.
“Call him Will and just don’t tell my doctor,” Charlie joked as he joined the other two men.
Jim watched them go before turning to Matt and Mac, “In a half hour I’m going in the kitchen to help,” a loud bang from the aforementioned room, “because they’re going to need it.”
“That may not be the worst idea,” Mac said giving her own look back toward the kitchen. “But until then why don’t you tell us more about the two of you, it happened when you were embedded, right?” she asked.
“Kind of,” Jim hedged, looking toward Matt.
“It didn’t happen or start until after we knew he wasn’t going to be embedded anymore,” Matt explained in more detail.
“What didn’t happen until they pulled Jim out?” Mac asked slyly.
Matt and Jim just both blushed and turned a light shade of red.
***Afghanistan***
“You’re a mess,” Jim commented once the pair had finally found an empty bunk, small, square and made of plywood. It was free standing and had four walls. A bed and a shower, just what Jim wanted.
“You know this if for civilians not grunts, right?” Matt commented as he helped Jim lower himself to the bed without resting on his left side.
“Good thing I’m a civilian, then. Now let’s get you out of those so we can clean you up,” Jim said, slowly pulling the armored vest off the Soldier, followed by the shirt. “Please tell me I don’t have that much dirt all over me,” he asked, running his hand over Matt’s chest, brushing off sand and dust from the light fur that covered his muscles.
“It’s okay, Jimmy, I find you kind of….hot,” Matt answered before leaning in and slowly kissing Jimmy, taking his time to explore Jim’s mouth with his tongue well, allowing Jim to do the same in return.
“I wasn’t…I wasn’t sure if you’d really let me do that,” Matt confessed with a smile, “I’ve wanted to do that for weeks but…”
“You weren’t the only one,” Jim told the other man, pulling him into another, more passionate, kiss to make it clear.
“God, I’ve wanted you so bad from the moment you stepped into the tent with that wide eyed grin,” Matt went on when he was forced to break the kiss to get Jim’s shirt off.
“You in that uniform, all focused and determined, I’ve wanted that look pinned to me, dreamed about it,” Jim shared, letting his eyes scan the soldier.
“God, yes,” Matt echoed, “just mi-ne,” he said through a yawn, blinking hard.
Jim smiled at the sight before letting out a wide mouth yawn himself. “I really want to remember and enjoy this…”
“After we sleep?” Matt suggested, letting his head fall to the flat pillow, smiling up at Jim.
“Yeah,” Jim agreed, letting himself slump into Matt’s arms.
They were both out within minutes.
***
Jim didn’t want to ever move. He knew it was a cliché and he’d never use it in his writing or on camera but it was how he felt.
He kept his eyes closed and let himself snuggle more into the warm heat to his right. It felt a bit awkward as he had to lay on his stomach, his ass and leg would not let him even sit down let alone anything more, but he was finally been able to get comfortable at some point during the night and he had no plans on moving.
“I have to piss…bad,” the heat source beside him, Matt, said even as it shifted a little.
“Don’t move, just go where you are,” Jim suggested, burying his head into Matt’s side, not wanting him to move.
Matt just sighed and waited a few moments before finally starting to shift, “I do that enough in combat, not going to happen now, not even for you, Jimmy,” the soldier explained pushing himself up.
Jim let out a groan at the movement, in part because of the loss of heat and comfort as well at the twinge of pain the shifting caused across his lift side.
It took him a few moments to resettle and get comfortable again but he had just in time for Matt to return, sitting on the bed but making no move to lie back down.
“Well, now that we’re both up, I think we have plans,” Jim recalled leering up at Matt.
“The Sergeant just radioed, he wants to meet me for chow in ten,” Matt said regretfully. “You can come with me. You should get something to eat, Jimmy, it’s been almost 10 hours,” Matt added.
Jim thought about it for a long moment, deciding if his stomach really cared about eating more than the rest of the body cared about staying warm…but without Matt’s warmth next to him the answer was easy, “mess hall open or is it MRE? What time is it?” he thought to ask, looking around but not seeing any clocks.
“Just before two, in the afternoon, so it will be open,” Matt told Jim, so come on, I’ll help you get dressed and get some food.” The soldier suggested, picking Jim’s shirt and pants up off the ground where they had been left.
“Then we can check on Becks, he might be out of the OR by now,” Jim added, slowly pushing himself up, trying not to bend his wounded leg.
***New York***
“I think we have our answer then,” Mac said with a grin as she looked at the two men fighting off blushes.
“That would be one way to pass the time between fire fights,” Don said, smiling as he took his own drink.
“I’m sure Jim wouldn’t do that, he wouldn’t distract a soldier in a warzone like, would you, Jim,” Maggie said in rebuttal to both Mac and Don’s remarks before turning back to Jim, “tell’em Jim.”
Jim coughed into his fist and pulled at his collar before answering, “We didn’t do anything over there,” he started strongly.
“Only because we didn’t know how the other felt until just before you got pulled out and you weren’t in any shape to do anything but sleep, and I do mean sleep,” Matt pointed out, looking at the others, “We didn’t even see each other after we checked on Beck and had some chow. He got pulled out on the next chopper and we didn’t see each other again for a bit. It wasn’t until…well, Wiesbaden Jimmy,” Matt added, giving Jim a loaded look that was equal sly and lust filled gaze.
“Right, yes but ah Matt, they didn’t need to know about Wiesbaden or anything else really,” Jim informed his lover with a glare rendered infective by the smile spreading across his lips.
“Maybe you have a point,” Matt conceded with a nod, toning down his look, “besides we were just there for Beck,” the soldier asked, almost as an after thought.
“Right, just for Beck,” Jim agreed, smiling at the statement.
“What aren’t you telling us,” Mac questioned narrowing her eyes at her producer.
“Nothing, nothing at all,” Jim answered back quickly, too quickly.
“No, I have this feeling that something is being left out, don’t you agree, Don,” Mac asked.
“I don’t know and honestly I don’t really care, I’ve gotten bored with this whole thing,” Don let her know with a shrug.
“How can you, Maggie you’ll back me up right?” Mac asked, turning to the other woman of the group.
“As much as I don’t want to I have to kind of say she’s right, you’re hiding something mister, a hot rendezvous maybe…with uniforms, you’re so luck he comes with his own props, getting Don to-“ Maggie was saying until the point Don cut her off.
“Okay there I think you’ve clearly had enough, no, too much, why don’t we get you some coffee and not share anything that everyone else really doesn’t need to know,” Don told his girlfriend as he started leading her away.
“What, well I guess I’ll just have to get this story out of you by myself,” Mac said with a gleam in her eye.
“You know what, I think it’s time we went in to help Beck, I’m sure he’ll need it if we want to be eating sometime today,” Jimmy threw out as a defense, grabbing Matt’s hand and heading toward the kitchen, “you can peal the potatoes.”
“Why would I have to do the potatoes?” Matt asked, “I haven’t done KP in years.”
“Don’t think you’re going to get away that easy-“ Mac started before she was cut off.
“Hey Mac I think Charles’s wants you,” Jim said, pointing to the doorway to Will’s lounge behind her.
“Do you really think I’m going to fall for th-“ Mac started again only to be cut off once more.
“Hey Mac, we need you to tell your Islamabad story,” Charlie called.
Jim gave his boss a quick smile before vanishing into the kitchen with Matt in tow while Mac let out a sigh and glared at Charlie.
“What?” the older man asked in confusion.
***Six months ago: Wiesbaden Germany***
“I’ve been thinking about doing that for days,” Jim said through deep breaths as he grinned up at his Soldier.
“You aren’t the only one, Skype just isn’t cutting it,” Matt agreed, his own breathe labored. “How long do we have the room?”
“The whole weekend,” Jim told him, holding up the hotel key card, “which means we can finally do what the Staff Sergeant Primo-“
“And exhaustion.”
“And exhaustion, stopped us from doing back in Afghanistan,” Jim finished, pulling Matt back into a long kiss.
Their movements became more and more frantic as they started pulling off each others clothing, their fingers and mouths roaming all over each other’s body until Jim slowed for a moment as he reached down and cupped Matt’s groin, covered only in a jockstrap with a grin, “I’ve so been looking forward to-“
*BEEP*BEEP*
“What the hell,” Jim yelled, glaring at the hotel phone that was now beeping, loudly.
With a curse under his breath he yanked it up, “what…how did you even…what now? You mean it’s already-Send…I have three days…isn’t anyone else…you have no idea how much you owe me. No idea Mac, none,” Jim said, signing out a frustrated sigh.
“When do you have to leave?” Matt said, resigned.
“The car is already downstairs waiting,” Jim said through a frown.
***New York***
“How did you get that much done, it was only like 20 minutes?” Jim asked as he loked around the kitchen
“He has a strong work ethic, which normally I admire in a guy but sometimes…” Slone explained from where she was peeling potatoes with a frown.
“Work first, fun later,” Paul said, leaning in close and kissing her on her neck before heading to the other side of the kitchen to start cutting the raising dough into individual rolls. “The turkey was already in and most of the other stuff was half done, that guy, what’s his name?” Paul asked looking toward Jim.
“Neal,” Jim told him.
“Right Neal, he had it more under control than he though. All I’m doing is getting things finished off and watch the oven, but we shouldn’t have any problem eating in a couple of hours,” Paul told the others.
“Well then-“Matt started before he was cut off,
“But that isn’t to say I don’t have something you could do to help,” Paul said with a grin. “You two can set the table,” he through in, thrusting a stack of plates at Matt, then pointing at a box of flatware for Jim.
“Not quite fast enough,” Jimmy said with a sigh, picking up the utensils and following Matt into the dinning room, “Are we every going to get any alone time?”
“We will,” Matt said emphatically, “It’s just taking more time when I hoped for,” he included, dropping the plates around the table.
“Yeah, I may have been looking forward to this dinner but right now, I just want t drag you back to my apartment and tie you to my bed,” Jimmy complained, setting out the flatware.
Matt responded with a throaty growl, dropping the last few plates together and grabbing Jimmy by the collar, “If anyone’s getting tied,” he said, leaving the rest unsaid, pulling Jimmy into a deep kiss, breaking it several moments later, “The man has got to have a guest room.”
“Yeah…I think the bedrooms are that way,” Jimmy answered, pointing down a hall he’d never been down, following quickly as Matt started pulling him that direction.
“Clearly this needs some recon,” Matt added letting his hand travel down until he was pulling Jim by his tie down the hall.
The pair checked each door, bathroom, master bedroom, closet in turn until they came across an empty bedroom. With a smile double bed, a short dresser and a pair of end tables it was clearly for guest, and they were guest.
“Thank god he never has guest,” Jim said pushing Matt to the bed and climbing over him, locking their lips together, popping the buttons on each other’s shirts.
And then they heard a thump and turned to see they were not the only ones with this idea.
“Paul,” Matt said with a growl, glaring at his fellow soldier.
“Matt, Jimmy…hi,” Paul said, pulling away from a reddening Sloan. “Same idea hu?”
Jimmy let out a sigh and fell to the bed, glaring at the ceiling, “it’s never going to happen.”
***
“And that is what I’m thankful for,” Mac said, rising her glass in toast.
“Here, here,” Will agreed, clinking his own wine glass with everyone around him, “Now that that’s done lets eat already, this all looks delicious,” the news anchor said sitting his glass down and picking up his fork.
“Will-“ Mac started before she was cut off.
“No Mac, we’ve been sitting here, in front of this wonderful meal that first Neal and then Beck-“
“Paul-“ Paul cut in from his spot across from Sloan.
“Paul cooked for us for over 20 minutes and I won’t stand it for it to get any colder,” Will ranted, not missing a beat at Paul’s interruption.
“I was just going to say we should thank the cooks but I think Will just took care of that,” Mac said with an amused smile.
“That he did, now let eat already,” Charlie through in, already helping himself to the bowl of mash potatoes.
“Yes the sooner we start the sooner we head back to my place,” Jim whispered to Matt, adding some turkey to both of their own plates.
“And that’s something I’m going to be very thankful for,” Matt answered back before landing a light kiss on his soon to be lover’s cheek.
Jim turned red.
The End