fic: whatever it is that a wound remembers for des-pudels-kern

[hold_onhope]

Title: whatever it is that a wound remembers
Pairing(s): Mark/Eduardo
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Medical trauma
Word Count: 3,000
Summary: Mark is good at computers and keeping Eduardo safe. He is not good at keeping himself safe. AU; spies with feelings.

@ my LJ
@ AO3

Comments

[des_pudels_kern]

The title includes the word 'wound'. This seems relevant to my interests.

The summary also seems relevant to my interest.

Disoriented confused sleepiness! This seems to be a trend in Santa fics right now, and coincidentally also highly relevant to my interests.

Wait, wait, so a previous attempt included melting lungs? What is happening? Spy stuff? An operation? Mark being his usual self and caring, trying to save Eduardo's life (presumably; it's also possible he is merely trying to preserve his lungs, I'm assuming the two are related though), and being all silent and no-nonsense and walking out on Eduardo to do so instead of wasting time on frills or reassurances.

Oh my God, Eduardo, those are too many scars! You need someone to look after you, since you obviously fail at it!

Ah, okay, good. Mark agrees with me. He's got it. ('Assigned to him'. Handler? Backup? Tech support? Curly-haired guardian angel with a bad bedside manner but an impressive track record?)

The messages self-destruct once they’ve been read, and no matter how often Eduardo tells him that their life is not actually a Bond movie, Mark never even acknowledges it as a cliché.

That's because Mark underneath the tough interior Mark's a geek and a dork (and overly careful because Eduardo has too many scars already) and playing at clichés is fun.

Notice how Mark is not actually answering the question regarding chemical warfare. Banter. There is banter in the midst of espionage and possibly future lung melting. This is perfect. It slows him down? Not the point, Eduardo, the point are your lungs! Mark knows that; Mark is keeping his leg still so he won't lose contact with you because he may not come out and say so but he cares and wants to reassure and needs reassurance himself that Eduardo is there and whole.

I take it it's a point of dispute who's in charge.

Is it bad that I like deadly things in fic? Nah, I'm sure it's not. I just like reading the fic equivalent of action movies, those always have deadly things in them.

Of course Eduardo looks at Mark working and sees beauty in it. How could he not? Whereas Mark treats coding as something entirely functional, the means to an end, mission after mission. It's not worth talking about, it just is, something that needs to be done and will be done, like brushing teeth. What is careful and risky and precious is the part where Eduardo goes out and risks getting another scar.

Ooooh, and the protectiveness goes both ways (not a surprise, but, always nice to see it confirmed) - Eduardo goes in, of course he goes in, but there's no need to bring invaluable Mark into the danger zone.

What? What? I want to know what's going on, but, Mark telling Eduardo to ignore whatever is going down and just get out! Of course he's not telling Eduardo to head into danger. Still, it's suspicious that he doesn't simply give the facts instead of being so obviously secretive.

I knew, I knew! If Mark dies Eduardo is going to kill him. Or something. The idiot. Self-sacrificing is a curse on those who risk being left behind. He'll be fine, though (I know this because there's no character death warning).

I bet Eduardo stayed by Mark's head, touching him in one way or the other, until he either was forced away or fell asleep by Mark's side.

[des_pudels_kern]

Eduardo has a room in Mark's house. Eduardo has a place with Mark's family. This is tugging at my heartstrings and playing them like a fiddle. Mark brought Eduardo home, into his private space, because he wanted Eduardo in it, a part of it, because Eduardo is not just job, he is Eduardo and home and safe, and Mark wants him to have a place to feel at home and safe himself.

It's like DADT. As long as it can be ignored it doesn't matter, but the moment it becomes an issue it's over.

Complete the OP? You mean clean-up, right? Mark better already have been done with his code, because those two mountains of brawn probably barely know ho to turn a computer on. (Okay, so this is not fair, they are Harvard-level intelligent, but I doubt they are qualified to end what Mark started if it isn't done already.)

The salute! *curls up in ball and dies*

Hospital, and Eduardo being allowed in, the only one who fits the Venn-space of sufficient security level and next of kin (or as good as). And Mark's usual sarcasm just making the contrast to the machines around him, to his thin voice, to how close he came, stand out more and driving home that Eduardo almost lost him. Mark may be the one lying in that bed but right then it's Eduardo who's the broken one in need of mending, and so Eduardo curls around Mark's chest as if that way he could protect them, Mark's lungs who almost failed and his own heart that almost failed with them.

This was so good. This was so perfect and gorgeous and good and exciting and dramatic and moving and sad and comforting, I like it, I love it, thank you so much! *hugs*