FIC: In the Arms of the Wicked, 13 (Colby/Charlie, David, Megan, Ian/OMC, PG-13)
Title: "Algebra"
Series: In the Arms of the Wicked, Part 13/?
Characters: Colby/Charlie, David, Megan, Ian/OMC.
Rating: PG-13.
Spoilers: None.
Warnings: None.
Summary: Colby discovers that if he really wants something, he has to go for it. And he does.
Feedback: Yes, I'd love you to share your thoughts.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything (characters, situations, etcetera) except my OCs.
Beta: The fantastic twins_m0m.
Previous chapters: Click here.
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Part 13: "Algebra"
The news about Ian going to Arizona to protect Dr. Farrow from a band of thieves as he unburied a surprise had spread across the FBI office in less than half an hour. Soon, it got to Colby and David’s ears. They had just arrived when they heard about it for the first time.
“How much time do you think those two will last in the same house?” David asked as they entered the break room, followed by Megan. Strangely, he seemed not to be as stressed as when the samples for the paternity test had been taken. Immediately, Colby was glad about it, even if his own mind was off thinking about something else.
“I don’t know, but I hope that whatever is buried is out of the ground soon,” Megan responded, as she went towards the coffee machine. “Did something happen, David? You look calm… you know, considering all that happened.”
The question didn’t seem to take David unguarded. He sat on a chair and explained, “After going to the hospital, I made a decision. I called my sister Jay and asked her to meet. I miss her and it’ll be great to see her.”
Colby had never seen Jay, but he knew why David actually wanted to see her - to talk to her about the changes in his life. Family was always a safe shelter; sometimes, Colby wished his wasn’t so problematic.
“I think that’s great,” Megan said, looking at David. Then she turned to Colby “Was there anything interesting during the shooting, besides Farrow’s gun?”
The fact that Charlie didn’t get hurt, definitely. “Well, yeah… We couldn’t find the shooters anywhere. It was only Ian, me and CalSci Security, but we weren’t enough - there were too many students… A couple of them must have been the shooters, and now they’re free. That’s what doesn’t make any sense…”
“Colby?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re smiling.”
Suddenly, Colby realized that the corners of his mouth were up in a little smile. “Ah… It’s… it’s nothing.”
“Where were you during the two hours? I couldn’t contact you.”
“I went out… You know, to think.”
“Did anything good come out of that?” Megan asked, pouring coffee in three cups.
Colby sat on a chair facing the door and muttered, “It’s just that I’ve realized… that things aren’t as bad as I thought.” A little embarrassed, he caught Megan glancing at David.
“That sounds like a lot of thinking, Granger.”
“Yeah...” Colby took a deep breath and smiled. “For a while, I also looked for a nice coffee shop that’s near here… You know, if I ever want to have a meaningful conversation with someone, I need to find the right place…” Colby stopped when he saw that his best friend was smiling at him.
“So I guess this is all about Charlie.”
Shyly, Colby rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. He wondered if he was also blushing, because usually these kinds of talks made him feel a little bit awkward. But when Megan offered him a cup of steaming coffee, he knew that she and David were happy that he and Charlie were trying to go back to what they used to have.
“I’m happy for you, man,” David said, after taking a sip of his coffee. “Having someone here who’s getting his life back gives hope to the rest of us.”
Aware of the meaning of that, Colby nodded again and sipped his own coffee, until Megan’s voice startled him.
“So, when are you guys going to talk?”
“I don’t know… Soon, I guess.”
“Why don’t you just ask him to go get that cup of coffee tonight?” A smile spread over her lips as she waved her cup to Colby.
“I’m not sure if that would be right. I mean, we’ve got work to do and besides…” Without expecting it, from the corner of his eye Colby caught Charlie coming out of an office with Larry. They were waving their hands, apparently discussing about something related to a piece of paper the mathematician was holding.
There was something Colby couldn’t help noticing, as he always did. It was the way Charlie moved, the way his face changed slightly with every single gesture and every single word, the way he slowly became passionate about the math related to the case. It was fascinating and truly inspiring to be around someone like him.
As Colby kept looking at his lover, he listened to David and Megan’s voices.
“Colby, sometimes it’s not about waiting for the right moment, it’s about going for it and creating your own,” his partner said.
“That’s deep thinking for you, too,” Megan muttered. “I’m impressed… and happy for you, guys.”
“Yeah, well… Life takes you where it takes you, so you gotta deal with it and try to fix things yourself. No one’s going to do it for you.”
No one’s going to do it for you… Something clicked inside Colby’s mind as he watched Charlie talk. “You know what? You’re right,” he said to David; he left his cup of coffee on the table on the way out and met his lover on his way out of the office. He just wanted to make a step forward with Charlie and fix things once and for all.
“Hey,” he said to Charlie, who took his eyes off the encrypted piece of paper. Larry waved his hand at them and made some gestures that clearly indicated that he’d leave them alone.
“Hey,” the mathematician greeted him back, but he immediately frowned. “Are you okay? I was wondering where you were. You disappeared after the shooting… You left my office saying you were going to check the perimeter again and you never came back… For a moment, I thought you…”
Colby rapidly got the idea and explained what had happened to him. “No, no, I’m all right, nothing bad happened to me. I just needed… some air.”
“Air. Oh, all right… I understand. Then I guess I will go and work on this code…” Charlie’s eyes were full of disappointment.
“Do you have to stay here to do it?”
“Well, not exactly, but… why?”
“Could we take a break from being here? It’d be only for a couple of hours…”
“A break? Um… I’m not sure I follow…”
Charlie looked truly clueless in that moment, so Colby asked a direct question. “Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me tonight?” He felt his heart jump inside his chest when his lover’s tense face relaxed and turned into a smile.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Good, good,” Colby muttered, trying to hide his excitement so he didn’t scare Charlie. “See you outside in five?”
“Sure.” It was so strange to see Charlie blushing and smiling after so long. They hadn't talked much, not even at his office after the shooting. It was so amazing to finally get a bit of hope.
“Ok, then.”
“Ok, then.”
Colby watched Charlie walk away to get his things, and when he turned to the break room, he saw David and Megan smiling back at him, raising their coffee cups. He rubbed the back of his head again, trying to focus on how he would manage spending some time alone with Charlie for the first time in days.
XxX
It was a beautiful night to stay outside watching the stars. Maybe there was a lot of work to do inside, maybe there were Cairo thieves to catch, but that didn’t mean Colby and Charlie couldn’t have something somewhat close to their first date.
Colby’s lips curved in a crooked smile when he heard someone behind him, walking towards him. He knew those footsteps well; they were different from everyone else’s. “Hey,” he muttered as he turned around. “Is everything okay?” he asked, just in case, because Charlie was carrying a giant briefcase.
“Yeah… Everything’s fine. Well, I was just wondering if you didn’t mind me working on the case while we talk?”
It was weird to get such proposal. Supposedly, Colby and his lover were going to talk about them, about what could happen when Amita’s child was born, and not about Dr. Farrow. But then again, if Colby said that he wanted Charlie to concentrate on personal issues, he’d probably make him want to stay at the office, working on numbers. “Sure, no problem,” he ended up responding, feeling a bit disappointed. “The coffee shop is two blocks away from here. It has a nice atmosphere.”
Colby noticed that Charlie was shuddering. Was he afraid of the talk they were about to have? If that was the case, the green-eyed agent would have to convince him not to back out. He had already experienced what Charlie was capable of doing a few months ago; he didn’t want their relationship’s hiatus to be longer than it already was.
The two blocks until they got to the coffee shop seemed to be endless. They kept looking at the floor, sometimes at the buildings, and occasionally at one another. In those little moments, Colby couldn’t help but smile to make Charlie comfortable; he was rewarded by a little smile back every time.
“Okay, here it is,” he said when they stopped in front of a big, beautiful shop, where the tables were lightened by tiny golden bulbs. Wood furniture could be seen inside; it was a nice place, it looked pretty different than the usual coffee shop where people just passed by to get a cup of coffee and go to work.
“The angles, the lighting,” Charlie whispered, and then he walked in. Colby followed him and once they were inside, his lover looked at back at him. “You’ve made an excellent choice, Colby.”
“Thank you… I thought you’d like it,” he muttered, feeling a big overwhelmed.
They sat at a table in a calm and a bit dark corner where they could talk. There was soft music playing in the background, and there weren’t many people around.
A little nervous, Colby didn’t say a word as he watched Charlie take off his jacket; he looked so well with his messy hair barely touching his white shirt. He was also wearing a tie; there was nothing sexier than that.
Charlie opened his briefcase and took out his laptop, a note book, some markers and the piece of paper he had been analyzing earlier. He put everything on the table and started typing, as if there was no one else with him. It was awkward. In fact, it made Colby start feeling as if his being there didn’t make any difference to Charlie at all.
Discouraged, Colby tried not to push his lover. Maybe Charlie wasn’t ready to talk, maybe he needed some time… but when two minutes later the waitress approached them and asked them what they were going to have, Charlie paid attention to her.
After Colby had asked for an espresso, the other man looked up from his computer, said, “Just a cup of black coffee for me, thanks,” and got back to his analysis.
As he shook his head, Colby started getting annoyed. Being scared was okay, but Charlie doing this to him wasn’t. He tried to breathe normally, but Charlie’s attitude was hurting him so much that finally he got the urge to open his mouth and say it.
“Here it is. Thank you,” the waitress interrupted him before he started, bringing them what they had asked for. However, she was soon gone, while Colby’s intention to talk wasn’t. He made another attempt to express himself.
Unexpectedly, the mathematician threw his markers to the table, miraculously not hitting the cups of coffee. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he excused himself, as he covered his face with his hands. “I didn’t mean to…” He put his hands away, resting them on the table, not looking at Colby. “I didn’t mean to not talk to you since we got here. When I agreed to come, I didn’t think… I didn’t think this would be so hard to handle.”
As much as Colby wanted to protest before, Charlie’s expression held a sincere apology. So he put away his anger and said, “It’s not easy for me either, but we can’t continue like this.” Then he sipped his coffee as he waited for Charlie to calm down; he was pleased to see him put his computer and everything else aside. Still, the mathematician didn’t touch his black coffee.
“Colby, when the paternity results are ready -and that will be in a month, by the way-, things could change… a lot.”
“I know.” Colby stared at his own hands holding the cup; then he looked up at his lover and continued, “But it doesn’t matter if it’s your child or not; you can always count on me, Charlie. I want you to know that.” Still, Charlie fixed his eyes on the table. Colby could see the way his throat moved, swallowing in hesitation, so he leaned on the table and whispered, “I mean it. This, what we have… it has to remain strong no matter what, okay?” Charlie finally looked up; Colby sensed that he wasn’t sure yet. “Do you understand me?”
Holding Colby’s gaze, Charlie nodded slowly. “Mmhm.” In this opportunity, it seemed that he had really got that his lover wanted him back.
But just in case, Colby asked, “Are you okay?”
Charlie ran his hands over his curly hair before answering. He smiled tenderly at his coffee as he talked. “It’s just that it’s really nice to hear that. I thought I had lost you. I was afraid I had made a huge mistake, and…”
“Hey, it wasn’t your fault. If that kid turns out to be your son, he or she was conceived before you were with me. You didn’t cheat on me, so don’t feel like you did something wrong.”
The little smile on Charlie’s face was suddenly gone, and it was replaced by a worried expression. “You’re right. I didn’t cheat on you; I cheated on Amita, and she didn’t deserve it.”
Admitting that wasn’t hard, since it was the truth, but Colby preferred to remain silent and concentrate on his coffee.
“Sometimes I wonder if this hell we’re going through isn’t our punishment,” Charlie added. “I had a dream a few of days ago… You were in the corner of a room and all of a sudden the walls disappeared. There was water everywhere… and you were drowning. I tried to help you… and I couldn’t.”
Colby kept to himself the words he wanted to say and let his lover finish. Blushed, Charlie started running his hands over the edges of his cup of steaming coffee.
“You could say it was a silly dream, but it was horrible for me. I felt that after what Amita had done to you, you would end whatever it is that we had… that you were going to leave me.”
Slowly, Colby reached for Charlie’s hand and squeezed it. He leaned on the table again, and when his lover turned to him, he muttered, “Charlie… I would never leave you. You can be sure of that.”
Charlie lowered his head, not reacting to Colby’s touch. “But what about what she did to you? You’re not going to recover from that just like that.”
“Well, that’s why I need you,” Colby responded in a second, letting Charlie know that he wanted him there, with him, while he tried to get over the memories of Amita taking advantage of him and the voice of David talking about his rape. Then he let go Charlie’s hand.
A spontaneous expression came to the mathematician’s face, and he smiled, running one hand over his chin. Shyly, he looked at his laptop screen.
“What is it that you’re working on?”
“A code Farrow told us about. Apparently, it’s already broken… which I don’t get.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was talking to Larry… you know, before you asked me to come here,” Charlie muttered, smiling widely, but then he became serious again, “and we agreed on running Farrow’s numbers again.”
“I take it as he made a couple of mistakes.”
“Probably, but we’re not sure yet. At first sight, I said that it was okay, but after taking a better close at it…”
“… which I assume was a couple of minutes…”
“Yeah, exactly,” Charlie responded, and Colby smirked, loving the way his lover’s brain worked. “The point is that I could find other possible patterns, and that worries me. This code could be related to a completely different meaning.”
“And what do you think it’s based on?”
“Mmm… To be honest, I don’t have any idea, yet. My knowledge on the Egyptian culture is not very deep. But with Larry and Farrow’s help, I think I’ll be able to find a solution for this.”
Looking at the screen, which displayed hieroglyphics and their meanings, Colby couldn’t help but asking, “And you trust Farrow?”
“I don’t, but he’s worked on this case for a long time, so we need his expertise. By the way, he got into our personal lives today before the shooting. He found out about us and our hiatus and he tried to offer advice.”
“Really?” Colby frowned. “That’s not good.”
“I know, but now that Ian’s with him, I don’t think he’ll cause anymore trouble.” Grinning, Charlie started typing again.
“I’m glad I’m not in Arizona. That’s going to be quite a show.”
“Yeah… In the meantime, I gotta keep working on the Eye of Horus, too. It’s all about fractions; it’s simple algebra, it shouldn’t represent much work.” Charlie cocked his head and continued, “Algebra has a very interesting meaning itself, did you know that? It’s tied to a mathematical concept, but it also means reunion, restoration or connection.”
“As in people getting together and bonding?”
“You know what? That would be a great way to explain it.” Charlie’s face lit up as he looked at the other man. His cell phone started ringing, and he immediately picked the call. “Hello? Really? Thank you so much, doctor. What time? Yes, that’s all right, of course. Thanks again.” After hanging up, he stared at the device. He seemed to be really pleased by the news.
“Who was it?”
“That was the doctor who’s taking care of my dad and Liz. He says that they will be allowed to leave tomorrow morning, so we should be there to pick them up.” Charlie swallowed, as happiness spread over his face. “Finally, it seems that some things are getting better. We’re all going to get together…”
Feeling that contagious happiness running through his veins, an idea came to Colby’s mind. “Algebra.”
Charlie’s excited reaction caught him by surprise, but when the mathematician reached for Colby’s hand, he knew that everything would be all right.
“Yes, Colby. Algebra,” Charlie agreed, smiling widely as he covered Colby’s hand with his.
XxX
When Ian was asked to go to a private airport in the middle of the night, he cursed. Having something to do with a wealthy life really upset him. But when he was actually there, the idea of it was worse than that - a stunning jet, with lots of people waiting to serve whoever would pay enough money for it.
He stood in front of the incredible machine, thinking that the only reason why he’d get on it was solving a case. Besides, he hated luxury and he wouldn’t enjoy any of the whims of celebrities, anyway.
“Good to see you!” someone said behind him, and of course, Ian recognized the voice. Dr. Farrow was coming towards him after talking to Don and a couple of other FBI agents, who had probably given him standard instructions about what to do if something bad happened. He was in his casual wear, completely dressed in black and carrying a briefcase -Ian would have to keep an eye on it-, while two strong men carried his luggage into the jet.
Just looking at him in all his glory was intoxicatingly annoying. Without a doubt, Ian approached him and said, “Hey, let’s make something clear before this starts. I will keep an eye on you everywhere you go, whatever you do, so you better behave.”
“I know. It’s an undercover mission. I know how that works,” Farrow answered, standing in front of Ian, very close to him.
“Really?” As he talked, Ian looked at Don, who was a few meters away, talking to his agents.
“I’m pretty sure, yes. I’ve been instructed by Agent Eppes, which was useful, but the truth is, my life is all about dangerous people not being able to find me. I’m used to it.” The archeologist held Ian’s gaze for a moment, then walked towards the jet. “Enjoy the trip, Agent Edgerton. Whatever you want, you can ask for it. I have it right here,” he said before putting on his sunglasses and getting into the plane.
Punk. He thinks he leaves a big impression on people by wearing sunglasses and walking around as if nothing could scare him. Shaking his head, Ian took out his own sunglasses, put them on and confidently walked towards the jet. A few seconds later, he stopped. An idea hit him, and he didn’t like it at all. Jesus. He watched Dr. Farrow gesturing him to hurry, and shook the idea out of his head. No. We don’t have anything in common, not one stupid thing.
With that, he relaxed; but, just in case, he took off his sunglasses before he got into the jet.
Series: In the Arms of the Wicked, Part 13/?
Characters: Colby/Charlie, David, Megan, Ian/OMC.
Rating: PG-13.
Spoilers: None.
Warnings: None.
Summary: Colby discovers that if he really wants something, he has to go for it. And he does.
Feedback: Yes, I'd love you to share your thoughts.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything (characters, situations, etcetera) except my OCs.
Beta: The fantastic twins_m0m.
Previous chapters: Click here.
Previous chapter
Next chapter
Part 13: "Algebra"
The news about Ian going to Arizona to protect Dr. Farrow from a band of thieves as he unburied a surprise had spread across the FBI office in less than half an hour. Soon, it got to Colby and David’s ears. They had just arrived when they heard about it for the first time.
“How much time do you think those two will last in the same house?” David asked as they entered the break room, followed by Megan. Strangely, he seemed not to be as stressed as when the samples for the paternity test had been taken. Immediately, Colby was glad about it, even if his own mind was off thinking about something else.
“I don’t know, but I hope that whatever is buried is out of the ground soon,” Megan responded, as she went towards the coffee machine. “Did something happen, David? You look calm… you know, considering all that happened.”
The question didn’t seem to take David unguarded. He sat on a chair and explained, “After going to the hospital, I made a decision. I called my sister Jay and asked her to meet. I miss her and it’ll be great to see her.”
Colby had never seen Jay, but he knew why David actually wanted to see her - to talk to her about the changes in his life. Family was always a safe shelter; sometimes, Colby wished his wasn’t so problematic.
“I think that’s great,” Megan said, looking at David. Then she turned to Colby “Was there anything interesting during the shooting, besides Farrow’s gun?”
The fact that Charlie didn’t get hurt, definitely. “Well, yeah… We couldn’t find the shooters anywhere. It was only Ian, me and CalSci Security, but we weren’t enough - there were too many students… A couple of them must have been the shooters, and now they’re free. That’s what doesn’t make any sense…”
“Colby?”
“Hmm?”
“You’re smiling.”
Suddenly, Colby realized that the corners of his mouth were up in a little smile. “Ah… It’s… it’s nothing.”
“Where were you during the two hours? I couldn’t contact you.”
“I went out… You know, to think.”
“Did anything good come out of that?” Megan asked, pouring coffee in three cups.
Colby sat on a chair facing the door and muttered, “It’s just that I’ve realized… that things aren’t as bad as I thought.” A little embarrassed, he caught Megan glancing at David.
“That sounds like a lot of thinking, Granger.”
“Yeah...” Colby took a deep breath and smiled. “For a while, I also looked for a nice coffee shop that’s near here… You know, if I ever want to have a meaningful conversation with someone, I need to find the right place…” Colby stopped when he saw that his best friend was smiling at him.
“So I guess this is all about Charlie.”
Shyly, Colby rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. He wondered if he was also blushing, because usually these kinds of talks made him feel a little bit awkward. But when Megan offered him a cup of steaming coffee, he knew that she and David were happy that he and Charlie were trying to go back to what they used to have.
“I’m happy for you, man,” David said, after taking a sip of his coffee. “Having someone here who’s getting his life back gives hope to the rest of us.”
Aware of the meaning of that, Colby nodded again and sipped his own coffee, until Megan’s voice startled him.
“So, when are you guys going to talk?”
“I don’t know… Soon, I guess.”
“Why don’t you just ask him to go get that cup of coffee tonight?” A smile spread over her lips as she waved her cup to Colby.
“I’m not sure if that would be right. I mean, we’ve got work to do and besides…” Without expecting it, from the corner of his eye Colby caught Charlie coming out of an office with Larry. They were waving their hands, apparently discussing about something related to a piece of paper the mathematician was holding.
There was something Colby couldn’t help noticing, as he always did. It was the way Charlie moved, the way his face changed slightly with every single gesture and every single word, the way he slowly became passionate about the math related to the case. It was fascinating and truly inspiring to be around someone like him.
As Colby kept looking at his lover, he listened to David and Megan’s voices.
“Colby, sometimes it’s not about waiting for the right moment, it’s about going for it and creating your own,” his partner said.
“That’s deep thinking for you, too,” Megan muttered. “I’m impressed… and happy for you, guys.”
“Yeah, well… Life takes you where it takes you, so you gotta deal with it and try to fix things yourself. No one’s going to do it for you.”
No one’s going to do it for you… Something clicked inside Colby’s mind as he watched Charlie talk. “You know what? You’re right,” he said to David; he left his cup of coffee on the table on the way out and met his lover on his way out of the office. He just wanted to make a step forward with Charlie and fix things once and for all.
“Hey,” he said to Charlie, who took his eyes off the encrypted piece of paper. Larry waved his hand at them and made some gestures that clearly indicated that he’d leave them alone.
“Hey,” the mathematician greeted him back, but he immediately frowned. “Are you okay? I was wondering where you were. You disappeared after the shooting… You left my office saying you were going to check the perimeter again and you never came back… For a moment, I thought you…”
Colby rapidly got the idea and explained what had happened to him. “No, no, I’m all right, nothing bad happened to me. I just needed… some air.”
“Air. Oh, all right… I understand. Then I guess I will go and work on this code…” Charlie’s eyes were full of disappointment.
“Do you have to stay here to do it?”
“Well, not exactly, but… why?”
“Could we take a break from being here? It’d be only for a couple of hours…”
“A break? Um… I’m not sure I follow…”
Charlie looked truly clueless in that moment, so Colby asked a direct question. “Would you like to get a cup of coffee with me tonight?” He felt his heart jump inside his chest when his lover’s tense face relaxed and turned into a smile.
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
“Good, good,” Colby muttered, trying to hide his excitement so he didn’t scare Charlie. “See you outside in five?”
“Sure.” It was so strange to see Charlie blushing and smiling after so long. They hadn't talked much, not even at his office after the shooting. It was so amazing to finally get a bit of hope.
“Ok, then.”
“Ok, then.”
Colby watched Charlie walk away to get his things, and when he turned to the break room, he saw David and Megan smiling back at him, raising their coffee cups. He rubbed the back of his head again, trying to focus on how he would manage spending some time alone with Charlie for the first time in days.
XxX
It was a beautiful night to stay outside watching the stars. Maybe there was a lot of work to do inside, maybe there were Cairo thieves to catch, but that didn’t mean Colby and Charlie couldn’t have something somewhat close to their first date.
Colby’s lips curved in a crooked smile when he heard someone behind him, walking towards him. He knew those footsteps well; they were different from everyone else’s. “Hey,” he muttered as he turned around. “Is everything okay?” he asked, just in case, because Charlie was carrying a giant briefcase.
“Yeah… Everything’s fine. Well, I was just wondering if you didn’t mind me working on the case while we talk?”
It was weird to get such proposal. Supposedly, Colby and his lover were going to talk about them, about what could happen when Amita’s child was born, and not about Dr. Farrow. But then again, if Colby said that he wanted Charlie to concentrate on personal issues, he’d probably make him want to stay at the office, working on numbers. “Sure, no problem,” he ended up responding, feeling a bit disappointed. “The coffee shop is two blocks away from here. It has a nice atmosphere.”
Colby noticed that Charlie was shuddering. Was he afraid of the talk they were about to have? If that was the case, the green-eyed agent would have to convince him not to back out. He had already experienced what Charlie was capable of doing a few months ago; he didn’t want their relationship’s hiatus to be longer than it already was.
The two blocks until they got to the coffee shop seemed to be endless. They kept looking at the floor, sometimes at the buildings, and occasionally at one another. In those little moments, Colby couldn’t help but smile to make Charlie comfortable; he was rewarded by a little smile back every time.
“Okay, here it is,” he said when they stopped in front of a big, beautiful shop, where the tables were lightened by tiny golden bulbs. Wood furniture could be seen inside; it was a nice place, it looked pretty different than the usual coffee shop where people just passed by to get a cup of coffee and go to work.
“The angles, the lighting,” Charlie whispered, and then he walked in. Colby followed him and once they were inside, his lover looked at back at him. “You’ve made an excellent choice, Colby.”
“Thank you… I thought you’d like it,” he muttered, feeling a big overwhelmed.
They sat at a table in a calm and a bit dark corner where they could talk. There was soft music playing in the background, and there weren’t many people around.
A little nervous, Colby didn’t say a word as he watched Charlie take off his jacket; he looked so well with his messy hair barely touching his white shirt. He was also wearing a tie; there was nothing sexier than that.
Charlie opened his briefcase and took out his laptop, a note book, some markers and the piece of paper he had been analyzing earlier. He put everything on the table and started typing, as if there was no one else with him. It was awkward. In fact, it made Colby start feeling as if his being there didn’t make any difference to Charlie at all.
Discouraged, Colby tried not to push his lover. Maybe Charlie wasn’t ready to talk, maybe he needed some time… but when two minutes later the waitress approached them and asked them what they were going to have, Charlie paid attention to her.
After Colby had asked for an espresso, the other man looked up from his computer, said, “Just a cup of black coffee for me, thanks,” and got back to his analysis.
As he shook his head, Colby started getting annoyed. Being scared was okay, but Charlie doing this to him wasn’t. He tried to breathe normally, but Charlie’s attitude was hurting him so much that finally he got the urge to open his mouth and say it.
“Here it is. Thank you,” the waitress interrupted him before he started, bringing them what they had asked for. However, she was soon gone, while Colby’s intention to talk wasn’t. He made another attempt to express himself.
Unexpectedly, the mathematician threw his markers to the table, miraculously not hitting the cups of coffee. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he excused himself, as he covered his face with his hands. “I didn’t mean to…” He put his hands away, resting them on the table, not looking at Colby. “I didn’t mean to not talk to you since we got here. When I agreed to come, I didn’t think… I didn’t think this would be so hard to handle.”
As much as Colby wanted to protest before, Charlie’s expression held a sincere apology. So he put away his anger and said, “It’s not easy for me either, but we can’t continue like this.” Then he sipped his coffee as he waited for Charlie to calm down; he was pleased to see him put his computer and everything else aside. Still, the mathematician didn’t touch his black coffee.
“Colby, when the paternity results are ready -and that will be in a month, by the way-, things could change… a lot.”
“I know.” Colby stared at his own hands holding the cup; then he looked up at his lover and continued, “But it doesn’t matter if it’s your child or not; you can always count on me, Charlie. I want you to know that.” Still, Charlie fixed his eyes on the table. Colby could see the way his throat moved, swallowing in hesitation, so he leaned on the table and whispered, “I mean it. This, what we have… it has to remain strong no matter what, okay?” Charlie finally looked up; Colby sensed that he wasn’t sure yet. “Do you understand me?”
Holding Colby’s gaze, Charlie nodded slowly. “Mmhm.” In this opportunity, it seemed that he had really got that his lover wanted him back.
But just in case, Colby asked, “Are you okay?”
Charlie ran his hands over his curly hair before answering. He smiled tenderly at his coffee as he talked. “It’s just that it’s really nice to hear that. I thought I had lost you. I was afraid I had made a huge mistake, and…”
“Hey, it wasn’t your fault. If that kid turns out to be your son, he or she was conceived before you were with me. You didn’t cheat on me, so don’t feel like you did something wrong.”
The little smile on Charlie’s face was suddenly gone, and it was replaced by a worried expression. “You’re right. I didn’t cheat on you; I cheated on Amita, and she didn’t deserve it.”
Admitting that wasn’t hard, since it was the truth, but Colby preferred to remain silent and concentrate on his coffee.
“Sometimes I wonder if this hell we’re going through isn’t our punishment,” Charlie added. “I had a dream a few of days ago… You were in the corner of a room and all of a sudden the walls disappeared. There was water everywhere… and you were drowning. I tried to help you… and I couldn’t.”
Colby kept to himself the words he wanted to say and let his lover finish. Blushed, Charlie started running his hands over the edges of his cup of steaming coffee.
“You could say it was a silly dream, but it was horrible for me. I felt that after what Amita had done to you, you would end whatever it is that we had… that you were going to leave me.”
Slowly, Colby reached for Charlie’s hand and squeezed it. He leaned on the table again, and when his lover turned to him, he muttered, “Charlie… I would never leave you. You can be sure of that.”
Charlie lowered his head, not reacting to Colby’s touch. “But what about what she did to you? You’re not going to recover from that just like that.”
“Well, that’s why I need you,” Colby responded in a second, letting Charlie know that he wanted him there, with him, while he tried to get over the memories of Amita taking advantage of him and the voice of David talking about his rape. Then he let go Charlie’s hand.
A spontaneous expression came to the mathematician’s face, and he smiled, running one hand over his chin. Shyly, he looked at his laptop screen.
“What is it that you’re working on?”
“A code Farrow told us about. Apparently, it’s already broken… which I don’t get.”
“What do you mean?”
“I was talking to Larry… you know, before you asked me to come here,” Charlie muttered, smiling widely, but then he became serious again, “and we agreed on running Farrow’s numbers again.”
“I take it as he made a couple of mistakes.”
“Probably, but we’re not sure yet. At first sight, I said that it was okay, but after taking a better close at it…”
“… which I assume was a couple of minutes…”
“Yeah, exactly,” Charlie responded, and Colby smirked, loving the way his lover’s brain worked. “The point is that I could find other possible patterns, and that worries me. This code could be related to a completely different meaning.”
“And what do you think it’s based on?”
“Mmm… To be honest, I don’t have any idea, yet. My knowledge on the Egyptian culture is not very deep. But with Larry and Farrow’s help, I think I’ll be able to find a solution for this.”
Looking at the screen, which displayed hieroglyphics and their meanings, Colby couldn’t help but asking, “And you trust Farrow?”
“I don’t, but he’s worked on this case for a long time, so we need his expertise. By the way, he got into our personal lives today before the shooting. He found out about us and our hiatus and he tried to offer advice.”
“Really?” Colby frowned. “That’s not good.”
“I know, but now that Ian’s with him, I don’t think he’ll cause anymore trouble.” Grinning, Charlie started typing again.
“I’m glad I’m not in Arizona. That’s going to be quite a show.”
“Yeah… In the meantime, I gotta keep working on the Eye of Horus, too. It’s all about fractions; it’s simple algebra, it shouldn’t represent much work.” Charlie cocked his head and continued, “Algebra has a very interesting meaning itself, did you know that? It’s tied to a mathematical concept, but it also means reunion, restoration or connection.”
“As in people getting together and bonding?”
“You know what? That would be a great way to explain it.” Charlie’s face lit up as he looked at the other man. His cell phone started ringing, and he immediately picked the call. “Hello? Really? Thank you so much, doctor. What time? Yes, that’s all right, of course. Thanks again.” After hanging up, he stared at the device. He seemed to be really pleased by the news.
“Who was it?”
“That was the doctor who’s taking care of my dad and Liz. He says that they will be allowed to leave tomorrow morning, so we should be there to pick them up.” Charlie swallowed, as happiness spread over his face. “Finally, it seems that some things are getting better. We’re all going to get together…”
Feeling that contagious happiness running through his veins, an idea came to Colby’s mind. “Algebra.”
Charlie’s excited reaction caught him by surprise, but when the mathematician reached for Colby’s hand, he knew that everything would be all right.
“Yes, Colby. Algebra,” Charlie agreed, smiling widely as he covered Colby’s hand with his.
XxX
When Ian was asked to go to a private airport in the middle of the night, he cursed. Having something to do with a wealthy life really upset him. But when he was actually there, the idea of it was worse than that - a stunning jet, with lots of people waiting to serve whoever would pay enough money for it.
He stood in front of the incredible machine, thinking that the only reason why he’d get on it was solving a case. Besides, he hated luxury and he wouldn’t enjoy any of the whims of celebrities, anyway.
“Good to see you!” someone said behind him, and of course, Ian recognized the voice. Dr. Farrow was coming towards him after talking to Don and a couple of other FBI agents, who had probably given him standard instructions about what to do if something bad happened. He was in his casual wear, completely dressed in black and carrying a briefcase -Ian would have to keep an eye on it-, while two strong men carried his luggage into the jet.
Just looking at him in all his glory was intoxicatingly annoying. Without a doubt, Ian approached him and said, “Hey, let’s make something clear before this starts. I will keep an eye on you everywhere you go, whatever you do, so you better behave.”
“I know. It’s an undercover mission. I know how that works,” Farrow answered, standing in front of Ian, very close to him.
“Really?” As he talked, Ian looked at Don, who was a few meters away, talking to his agents.
“I’m pretty sure, yes. I’ve been instructed by Agent Eppes, which was useful, but the truth is, my life is all about dangerous people not being able to find me. I’m used to it.” The archeologist held Ian’s gaze for a moment, then walked towards the jet. “Enjoy the trip, Agent Edgerton. Whatever you want, you can ask for it. I have it right here,” he said before putting on his sunglasses and getting into the plane.
Punk. He thinks he leaves a big impression on people by wearing sunglasses and walking around as if nothing could scare him. Shaking his head, Ian took out his own sunglasses, put them on and confidently walked towards the jet. A few seconds later, he stopped. An idea hit him, and he didn’t like it at all. Jesus. He watched Dr. Farrow gesturing him to hurry, and shook the idea out of his head. No. We don’t have anything in common, not one stupid thing.
With that, he relaxed; but, just in case, he took off his sunglasses before he got into the jet.