Fic for damerel (Part 1)
Recipient: damerel
Author: TBA
Disclaimer: Author doesn't own the show or the characters and isn't making any profit.
Title: Aftermath (Part1)
Pairing: Colby/Ian
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: spoilers for ep 6x08 Ultimatum
Summary: Ian Edgerton has bridges to mend after taking Colby hostage.
Word count: 7191
Author's Note: My first attempt at Numb3rs fic… maybe that should be under a ‘warning’ heading ;). I didn’t get all of damerel’s prompt into this, but I did manage to get some angst and some handcuffs in there. I was actually hoping I would get this prompt, because I’ve had a plot bunny hoping around ever since seeing Ultimatum.
I have to admit that I tweaked the ep a little. I felt it finished a little too neatly, with everything seemingly resolved ready for the reset button the following ep. Fair enough, that’s how TV shows work, but I wanted to make things a bit less tidy - this wasn’t something Colby would just shake off once he was out of the prison. I planned to make Ian grovel more than he ended up doing, but hey-ho.
Also, I have no idea how quickly Ian would’ve been released, so it may be a bit unrealistically quick.
Lastly, I’m not very good at titles, but this one amused me because not only is it the aftermath of the episode, but, technically, it’s also after math. *vbg*
~*~
Ian Edgerton stood back from handcuffing Colby Granger to the pillar and wondered, not for the first time, what the hell he was doing. He could feel Granger’s glare like a physical thing and hoped he hadn’t burnt too many bridges. He liked Colby; their military background gave them a similar outlook on life and the slight case of hero worship was a real ego boost, especially from someone as easy on the eye as Granger.
There was precious little evidence of that hero worship now, but he was banking on there being enough left to at least get him heard, where Eppes might not have given him even that much.
The adrenaline rush they were both feeling made sparks fly. Colby was understandably angry at his hostage status and Ian was angry that his friends seemed to believe he was guilty of murdering Costello. They exchanged a few barbs that Ian, at least, would regret later. He hoped Colby would regret them, too.
Once his demands had been made and the professor was off working his magic, Ian relaxed a little. Colby seemed to have listened and mellowed slightly. It was up to Charlie now and all Ian could do was wait. He was very good at waiting. And he had an excellent distraction tied to a pillar in front of him.
Ian had always had an instinctive understanding of what made other people tick, how to get into their heads and read their unconscious body language. His time in fugitive recovery had only deepened that ability. Now, he focused all that on Colby, reading all the unconscious tells his body gave off, and was pleased by what he saw.
Colby was angry, but he’d never seemed scared of Ian, not even when he’d had his own gun pointed to his head. Some of it was down to training, but Ian thought there was more to it. Just as he thought Colby’s slightly blown pupils were down to more than the dim lighting.
Ian could’ve done without David putting Nikki on the phone to ‘talk him down’. He hadn’t called her in awhile, because he’d realised things wouldn’t go anywhere between them. Nikki was feisty, she gave as good as she got and kept Ian on his toes. He’d had fun when he was with her, but in the end, she was just a bit too confrontational and challenging. He understood it - she’d grown up surrounded by brothers; she was a woman in a man’s world, and a black woman to boot. She’d had to fight to get where she was. Ian liked a good fight, but he also relished the chance for some peace and quiet, the chance to relax and not have to talk all the time. Nikki was too gregarious, but Colby didn’t strike him as an all night party guy and he certainly didn’t seem to need to talk just to fill a silence.
He liked having Granger at his mercy and entertained himself with thoughts of just what he could do with the other man tied up and helpless… and wearing a few less clothes. He was glad the orange prison jumpsuit was quite baggy, as it wouldn’t do to let Colby see Ian’s interest in him while things were still so up in the air.
They talked on and off while they waited to hear from Charlie. Colby shared a story about beating up the school bully and then getting beaten by his dad for not being honourable. Given the context, it was obviously Colby’s way of trying to talk some sense into Ian, but it seemed like a true story, rather than something Colby had invented to manipulate Ian, so he filed it away. Colby definitely sounded sincere when he said that he didn’t want to have to stand at Ian’s funeral.
Time seemed to slow down and his two hour deadline seemed to be days away.
And then things went into fast forward; Sinclair passed on the coded message; Colby reasoned out the rest of Ian’s plan to get arrested in order to ferret out the mole in the Marshalls; Ian put his trust in Colby, released him and gave him his gun back; the real bad guy, Galvin, was caught and Garcia was found and saved from being permanently silenced.
When time slowed back to normal, Ian was faced with languishing behind bars for a bit longer until a judge got around to officially releasing him. Nikki stopped by for a chat and Ian flirted, asked for a conjugal visit, but he didn’t put much effort into it. Nikki must’ve realised it, too, because she played along, but basically shut him down by throwing his cell coverage line back at him. Ian hoped that meant she wouldn’t be hurt if anything happened between himself and Colby.
He didn’t see Colby, so he decided that the first thing he’d do after getting out was pay a visit to the other man’s apartment. They needed to talk, clear the air. Yes, Colby had figured things out in the end, had understood why Ian had done what he’d done, had maybe even forgiven him for the big picture, but he knew he’d have to work for forgiveness over the little things, like the fact that he’d put a gun to Colby’s head and handcuffed him to a pillar, or the fact that he’d threatened Colby more than once. Ian was going to have to fix things if he hoped to get anywhere with Colby... and he really did hope to get somewhere with him.
~*~
Colby stepped outside into the morning sunlight. He made some quip to David about it being nice, outwardly keeping his cool. Inside, however, he was in turmoil, with several different thoughts and feelings warring for his attention. He was quiet as they started back to the office, concentrating on driving, but he caught David shooting him sidelong looks and racked his brain for something to break the silence. 'Outwardly cool, remember?' he told himself.
"So, how are you doing, David?" he said at last, surprising himself - he’d wanted to distract his partner, sure, but he’d intended on a lighter topic.
He’d evidently surprised David, too, as his friend's tone was incredulous when he said, "Wait, so you’re asking me how I’m doing?"
"What? It’s a valid question; he’s your friend too," Colby replied, somewhat defensively.
David sent him a brief measuring look, before turning his attention to the passing scenery. He was quiet just long enough for Colby to wonder whether he’d get an answer, then he said, "Right now I’m angry; he could’ve handled things differently, trusted us instead of turning a gun on one of his friends, but I'll get over it."
Colby wondered whether it was only him who flashed back to the aftermath of the Janus List debacle with the words ‘trusted us’ and guessed by the set of David’s shoulders and his firmly-forward gaze that he wasn’t.
They fell silent again after that, but luckily it wasn’t long before he was pulling into a space in the underground parking, closely followed by Charlie’s Prius. The Eppes brothers met up with him and David as they waited for the elevator to arrive. Don said, "It’s been a rough day, why don’t you all get off home; leave the reports 'til tomorrow?"
Colby didn’t imagine for one moment that Don would follow his own advice, nor was he surprised when David decided to stay and do his report. When Don raised an enquiring eyebrow his way, Colby said, "Nah, I’d rather get it done while it’s still fresh." He didn’t fancy sitting at home with only his thoughts for company. Not that he was particularly looking forward to all the questions, concern and sympathy from his well-meaning colleagues waiting upstairs either.
"Well OK, guys, but I’m telling you both now, you’re riding a desk for the rest of the day," Don said.
"Ah, c’mon, Don," Colby groaned, though it was half-hearted at best. He knew Don was right to bench him; his mind really wasn’t on the job.
“Nope, I’m sorry, Cole, but can you honestly tell me you’d be one hundred percent focused if we got a case right now?”
Colby didn’t answer verbally, but that very silence and the rueful expression on his face must’ve been answer enough for Don, as he grinned slightly and clapped Colby on the shoulder.
The door opened and Colby took a fortifying deep breath before following Don the short distance to their team’s collection of cubicles, flanked by David and Charlie. Don’s presence helped clear most of the well-wishers away and Colby satisfied the rest with a quick, “I’m fine, thanks,” and a smile.
He was soon sitting at his desk and powering up his computer. He glanced down briefly to type in his password and when he looked up again Charlie was drawing to a stop in the gap between his and David’s desks.
“Hey guys, I’m heading out,” he said.
David looked up from his own computer and smiled. “Hey, Charlie. Thanks for your help today. Go home and get some rest, you’ve earned it.”
Charlie got the bashful, pleased look he wore whenever anyone complimented him, a look Colby had always found endearing, though he’d never say it out loud. “Make sure you take your own advice, David; you’ve both earned some rest, too.”
“I plan on sleeping for a whole day once I’ve got this report written,” David assured.
“Well then, I’ll leave you to it - the quicker I get out of your way, the quicker it’ll get written,” Charlie said with a grin. He turned back to Colby, mouth open presumably to say goodbye, but Colby got in first.
“I’ll walk with you, Charlie,” he said, standing up. David glanced his way, but didn’t say anything, while Charlie readily agreed.
Colby waited until they were out of earshot of, then stopped walking and said, “So, I know David’s already said it, but thanks for all your hard work today, man. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t found Garcia in the nick of time. You probably saved Ian’s life and maybe mine, too.”
“You don’t really think Ian would’ve hurt you, do you, Colby?” Charlie asked, looking faintly dismayed.
“I gotta tell you, Charlie, when you’re tied up and there’s a gun waving in your face, a bullet seems entirely possible.” That just served to make Charlie look even more dismayed, so Colby softened his tone. “But no, I don’t think Ian would’ve shot me. If his bluff had been called, though, he would’ve lost all credibility and the marshals could’ve come in even harder than they did. Ian wouldn’t have gone down without a fight and there’s nothing to say I wouldn’t have caught a stray bullet from one of them.”
Charlie absorbed that information and nodded. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to narrow the search.”
“Don’t sweat it, man; you’re a genius, not a miracle worker,” Colby teased.
Chuckling, the two men resumed their walk to the elevator, managing to arrive at the very moment the doors opened. Nikki stepping out explained the timely arrival and Charlie hopped on with a quick goodbye.
Colby and Nikki wandered back to their section of the bullpen. “So, how’s Ian doing?” Colby asked.
“He’s OK,” Nikki replied. “He’s gotta sit in his cell a bit longer ‘til a judge signs his release, but I think he’s relieved to have been proved right.”
“You gonna see him when he gets out?” Colby asked, aiming for nonchalant and looking sidelong at Nikki. He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted her answer to be.
“Nah, probably not. He’s not called in awhile and his comment about bad cell coverage sounded like a line to me,” Nikki replied.
“I’m sorry,” Colby replied, though he didn’t really think he was, even as her answer set off butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t going to examine the feeling until he got home, though, and maybe not even then.
“Don’t be, I wasn’t looking for a diamond ring. It was fun, but I think Ian’s just too much of a lone wolf to ever stop wandering and settle down with someone.” It was a fair assessment, but it stung Colby. He added that reaction to the ‘examine later/never’ column.
Things were quiet for the next few hours as they all wrote up their reports. Colby started when a hand waved in front of his eyes. “What’s up, David?” he asked, hoping to cover his surprise.
“I was hoping you could tell me, man,” David replied. “You’ve been staring off into space for the last ten minutes.”
“I have not,” Colby denied.
“I’m afraid you were, Colby,” Nikki said, and now they were ganging up on him, which was just wrong.
Grasping for an explanation, Colby said, “I was just thinking of something for my report.”
“Uh huh,” David said, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. “That might wash if I’d not watched you print out and sign your report already.”
‘Damnit, so much for that,’ Colby cursed to himself. Of course, that was the moment Don chose to materialise from who knows where.
“What’s up, guys?” he asked.
“Nothing much; Colby was just woolgathering for the last ten minutes, so I was about to suggest he go home,” David answered, smirking at Colby.
“Thanks man, just rat me out to the boss why dontcha?” Colby said with a grimace.
“Don’t worry, Cole,” Don said, “I just came over to send the whole lot of you home anyway.”
Colby sent David a look that said, ‘Ha, payback’s a bitch’. He was certain that it took a considerable effort of will on David’s part not to stick out his tongue in response.
~*~
An hour later found Colby, hair still a little damp from a much-needed shower, sitting on his sofa with a cold beer and a freshly-delivered pizza, flicking through the TV channels for something to watch. He settled on a football game; neither side was his team, but it was something that didn’t require concentration.
He wolfed down four slices with the first beer, keeping his brain empty while he satisfied his hunger. Then, hoping to keep his thoughts at bay a little longer, he fetched another beer, paused, shrugged and brought the rest of the six-pack along. It promised to be a long night.
Colby was conflicted about what had happened. He was angry and a little disappointed, yet also understood what had driven Ian.
As much as it angered him that Ian had brought up the Chinese mission and compared it to Ian’s own predicament, now he’d had time to cool off, Colby could see that there were some similarities. He knew what it was like to be considered a bad guy, to be hunted by his friends, to be behind bars with people who knew he was a federal agent, and all the while being on the trail of the real bad guy. Still, it hurt that Ian had brought it up, had targeted Colby not because of their friendship, but because of a mission Colby still found it hard to think about. A mission that had cost him friends, trust and very nearly his life.
And Colby was disappointed. It was no secret to anyone, least of all himself, that he had a bit of hero worship for Ian. It was probably unfair, but he held Ian in high regard. The man was a legend when it came to bringing in the bad guys, so it struck Colby hard to see him cornered, on the edge and reduced to taking his friends hostage, to see him as just a desperate man. It hurt that Ian would rather put a gun to his head than trust him to help. If he’d just come to Don and explained, none of today’s events would’ve had to happen. Colby had been out in the cold, it wasn’t an option for him to tell Don what was happening, but Ian hadn’t needed to go that route, loner or not.
And yet… A little bit of Colby was glad that Ian had chosen him as his hostage, that he’d got to spend all that time alone with the object of his hero worship. They even talked a little, strained though it had been. Colby kinda hated how pathetic that made him feel, but he was honest enough with himself to know that he felt a little more than simple hero worship for Ian Edgerton and he couldn’t help being happy for the time to watch the other man up close.
Colby was also honest enough with himself to admit that he’d felt a little jolt of arousal as Ian fastened the cuffs around his wrists. It had taken him by surprise - he’d been tied up before and never felt anything other than annoyance. Even when a lover had suggested it he’d only gone along with it to make them happy, never really getting much out of it himself, and after his near-death experience at the hands of Lancer, he’d had no desire to be restrained… until his inappropriate reaction to Ian earlier in the day.
Colby was on his fourth beer, feeling lightly buzzed and relaxed and thinking about Ian and those handcuffs was having an effect. Arousal washed over him and his dick twitched, slowly starting to harden. He stared at his crotch for a moment, before mentally shrugging and deciding to go with it. After all, there was no one around to see him jerking off to thoughts of Ian Edgerton and god knows he could use the relaxation of a good orgasm.
He settled a little deeper into the couch and spread his legs, lazily rubbing against the front of his jeans, encouraging the growing bulge. He waited until his cock was pressing painfully against his zipper, before popping the button and sliding the zip down to release the pressure.
He reached into his boxers and pulled his cock out, giving it a few teasing pulls. Colby cast his eyes round the room, but couldn’t see anything that would work as lube and couldn’t be bothered to move to his bedroom, so he made do with spit, licking his palm a few times, before returning it to his dick.
Closing his eyes, Colby brought up images of Ian prowling about, looking intense and dangerous. He imagined himself cuffed to something a little more comfortable than the pillar from earlier - those corners had bit into his arms unpleasantly - helpless to avoid whatever Edgerton had planned.
Ian seemed the type who would have no qualms about cutting the clothes off someone, so Colby pictured Ian slicing through his t-shirt, the cold blade of the knife ever so slightly grazing his spine.
He moaned. Loudly. Jesus, it looked like he’d found another kink he didn’t know he had! Colby Jr. certainly seemed to enjoy the image judging by the precome that started beading at the tip. Colby increased the speed of his hand, smearing the precome over the shaft and easing the way. He added a twist of his wrist on the upstrokes, panting now, getting closer.
In his mind’s eye he saw Ian pressed up against his back, reaching round to undo his trousers. This drew out another moan and caused his hips to thrust up hard; he was close now, just starting to feel the tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine.
Fantasy-Ian peeled aside the flaps of Colby’s now-open trousers and…
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Colby’s eyes flew open, his hand freezing mid-stroke. He sat for a second or two, dazed by the sudden interruption, his mind struggling to change gear. “Damnit!” he moaned.
It was probably David or Don come to check on him. He thought about ignoring them and going back to his daydream, but then remembered that both men had a key. Swearing, he shoved his painfully hard erection back into his jeans and carefully zipped up. “Just a minute,” he called.
He wiped his hand on the back of his jeans, trying to get the worst of the spit and sticky precome off it. Luckily he tended to wear his shirts untucked, so the hem should hide the wiped-off evidence and the incriminating bulge. He just hoped the smell from the remaining pizza slices would cover the musky scent of sex.
He willed his erection away, but he’d been too close to coming for his body to give up easily, so it was a little uncomfortable to walk along the short hall to his front door. He didn’t bother to check the peephole, so was somewhat startled when he opened it to find neither David nor Don. Instead, he came face to face with the object of his recent fantasy.
He stared at Ian, speechless for a second, then shook himself out of it and managed, somehow, to make his tone even as he said, “They let you out then?”
Ian grinned, “They did. I had to get debriefed by the boss, but as soon as I could get away I came to see you. I… wanted to make sure we were OK after today.”
Colby was taken aback - Ian actually seemed hesitant. His own brain was still a little sluggish, caught between fantasy and reality. His traitorous cock had perked up again, which didn’t help his concentration.
At a loss, and realising they couldn’t stand in limbo at his front door, Colby turned and headed back inside the house without a word. The sound of boots on the wooden floor and the click of the front door telling him Ian had followed.
~*~
continue to Part2
Author: TBA
Disclaimer: Author doesn't own the show or the characters and isn't making any profit.
Title: Aftermath (Part1)
Pairing: Colby/Ian
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: spoilers for ep 6x08 Ultimatum
Summary: Ian Edgerton has bridges to mend after taking Colby hostage.
Word count: 7191
Author's Note: My first attempt at Numb3rs fic… maybe that should be under a ‘warning’ heading ;). I didn’t get all of damerel’s prompt into this, but I did manage to get some angst and some handcuffs in there. I was actually hoping I would get this prompt, because I’ve had a plot bunny hoping around ever since seeing Ultimatum.
I have to admit that I tweaked the ep a little. I felt it finished a little too neatly, with everything seemingly resolved ready for the reset button the following ep. Fair enough, that’s how TV shows work, but I wanted to make things a bit less tidy - this wasn’t something Colby would just shake off once he was out of the prison. I planned to make Ian grovel more than he ended up doing, but hey-ho.
Also, I have no idea how quickly Ian would’ve been released, so it may be a bit unrealistically quick.
Lastly, I’m not very good at titles, but this one amused me because not only is it the aftermath of the episode, but, technically, it’s also after math. *vbg*
~*~
Ian Edgerton stood back from handcuffing Colby Granger to the pillar and wondered, not for the first time, what the hell he was doing. He could feel Granger’s glare like a physical thing and hoped he hadn’t burnt too many bridges. He liked Colby; their military background gave them a similar outlook on life and the slight case of hero worship was a real ego boost, especially from someone as easy on the eye as Granger.
There was precious little evidence of that hero worship now, but he was banking on there being enough left to at least get him heard, where Eppes might not have given him even that much.
The adrenaline rush they were both feeling made sparks fly. Colby was understandably angry at his hostage status and Ian was angry that his friends seemed to believe he was guilty of murdering Costello. They exchanged a few barbs that Ian, at least, would regret later. He hoped Colby would regret them, too.
Once his demands had been made and the professor was off working his magic, Ian relaxed a little. Colby seemed to have listened and mellowed slightly. It was up to Charlie now and all Ian could do was wait. He was very good at waiting. And he had an excellent distraction tied to a pillar in front of him.
Ian had always had an instinctive understanding of what made other people tick, how to get into their heads and read their unconscious body language. His time in fugitive recovery had only deepened that ability. Now, he focused all that on Colby, reading all the unconscious tells his body gave off, and was pleased by what he saw.
Colby was angry, but he’d never seemed scared of Ian, not even when he’d had his own gun pointed to his head. Some of it was down to training, but Ian thought there was more to it. Just as he thought Colby’s slightly blown pupils were down to more than the dim lighting.
Ian could’ve done without David putting Nikki on the phone to ‘talk him down’. He hadn’t called her in awhile, because he’d realised things wouldn’t go anywhere between them. Nikki was feisty, she gave as good as she got and kept Ian on his toes. He’d had fun when he was with her, but in the end, she was just a bit too confrontational and challenging. He understood it - she’d grown up surrounded by brothers; she was a woman in a man’s world, and a black woman to boot. She’d had to fight to get where she was. Ian liked a good fight, but he also relished the chance for some peace and quiet, the chance to relax and not have to talk all the time. Nikki was too gregarious, but Colby didn’t strike him as an all night party guy and he certainly didn’t seem to need to talk just to fill a silence.
He liked having Granger at his mercy and entertained himself with thoughts of just what he could do with the other man tied up and helpless… and wearing a few less clothes. He was glad the orange prison jumpsuit was quite baggy, as it wouldn’t do to let Colby see Ian’s interest in him while things were still so up in the air.
They talked on and off while they waited to hear from Charlie. Colby shared a story about beating up the school bully and then getting beaten by his dad for not being honourable. Given the context, it was obviously Colby’s way of trying to talk some sense into Ian, but it seemed like a true story, rather than something Colby had invented to manipulate Ian, so he filed it away. Colby definitely sounded sincere when he said that he didn’t want to have to stand at Ian’s funeral.
Time seemed to slow down and his two hour deadline seemed to be days away.
And then things went into fast forward; Sinclair passed on the coded message; Colby reasoned out the rest of Ian’s plan to get arrested in order to ferret out the mole in the Marshalls; Ian put his trust in Colby, released him and gave him his gun back; the real bad guy, Galvin, was caught and Garcia was found and saved from being permanently silenced.
When time slowed back to normal, Ian was faced with languishing behind bars for a bit longer until a judge got around to officially releasing him. Nikki stopped by for a chat and Ian flirted, asked for a conjugal visit, but he didn’t put much effort into it. Nikki must’ve realised it, too, because she played along, but basically shut him down by throwing his cell coverage line back at him. Ian hoped that meant she wouldn’t be hurt if anything happened between himself and Colby.
He didn’t see Colby, so he decided that the first thing he’d do after getting out was pay a visit to the other man’s apartment. They needed to talk, clear the air. Yes, Colby had figured things out in the end, had understood why Ian had done what he’d done, had maybe even forgiven him for the big picture, but he knew he’d have to work for forgiveness over the little things, like the fact that he’d put a gun to Colby’s head and handcuffed him to a pillar, or the fact that he’d threatened Colby more than once. Ian was going to have to fix things if he hoped to get anywhere with Colby... and he really did hope to get somewhere with him.
~*~
Colby stepped outside into the morning sunlight. He made some quip to David about it being nice, outwardly keeping his cool. Inside, however, he was in turmoil, with several different thoughts and feelings warring for his attention. He was quiet as they started back to the office, concentrating on driving, but he caught David shooting him sidelong looks and racked his brain for something to break the silence. 'Outwardly cool, remember?' he told himself.
"So, how are you doing, David?" he said at last, surprising himself - he’d wanted to distract his partner, sure, but he’d intended on a lighter topic.
He’d evidently surprised David, too, as his friend's tone was incredulous when he said, "Wait, so you’re asking me how I’m doing?"
"What? It’s a valid question; he’s your friend too," Colby replied, somewhat defensively.
David sent him a brief measuring look, before turning his attention to the passing scenery. He was quiet just long enough for Colby to wonder whether he’d get an answer, then he said, "Right now I’m angry; he could’ve handled things differently, trusted us instead of turning a gun on one of his friends, but I'll get over it."
Colby wondered whether it was only him who flashed back to the aftermath of the Janus List debacle with the words ‘trusted us’ and guessed by the set of David’s shoulders and his firmly-forward gaze that he wasn’t.
They fell silent again after that, but luckily it wasn’t long before he was pulling into a space in the underground parking, closely followed by Charlie’s Prius. The Eppes brothers met up with him and David as they waited for the elevator to arrive. Don said, "It’s been a rough day, why don’t you all get off home; leave the reports 'til tomorrow?"
Colby didn’t imagine for one moment that Don would follow his own advice, nor was he surprised when David decided to stay and do his report. When Don raised an enquiring eyebrow his way, Colby said, "Nah, I’d rather get it done while it’s still fresh." He didn’t fancy sitting at home with only his thoughts for company. Not that he was particularly looking forward to all the questions, concern and sympathy from his well-meaning colleagues waiting upstairs either.
"Well OK, guys, but I’m telling you both now, you’re riding a desk for the rest of the day," Don said.
"Ah, c’mon, Don," Colby groaned, though it was half-hearted at best. He knew Don was right to bench him; his mind really wasn’t on the job.
“Nope, I’m sorry, Cole, but can you honestly tell me you’d be one hundred percent focused if we got a case right now?”
Colby didn’t answer verbally, but that very silence and the rueful expression on his face must’ve been answer enough for Don, as he grinned slightly and clapped Colby on the shoulder.
The door opened and Colby took a fortifying deep breath before following Don the short distance to their team’s collection of cubicles, flanked by David and Charlie. Don’s presence helped clear most of the well-wishers away and Colby satisfied the rest with a quick, “I’m fine, thanks,” and a smile.
He was soon sitting at his desk and powering up his computer. He glanced down briefly to type in his password and when he looked up again Charlie was drawing to a stop in the gap between his and David’s desks.
“Hey guys, I’m heading out,” he said.
David looked up from his own computer and smiled. “Hey, Charlie. Thanks for your help today. Go home and get some rest, you’ve earned it.”
Charlie got the bashful, pleased look he wore whenever anyone complimented him, a look Colby had always found endearing, though he’d never say it out loud. “Make sure you take your own advice, David; you’ve both earned some rest, too.”
“I plan on sleeping for a whole day once I’ve got this report written,” David assured.
“Well then, I’ll leave you to it - the quicker I get out of your way, the quicker it’ll get written,” Charlie said with a grin. He turned back to Colby, mouth open presumably to say goodbye, but Colby got in first.
“I’ll walk with you, Charlie,” he said, standing up. David glanced his way, but didn’t say anything, while Charlie readily agreed.
Colby waited until they were out of earshot of, then stopped walking and said, “So, I know David’s already said it, but thanks for all your hard work today, man. I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t found Garcia in the nick of time. You probably saved Ian’s life and maybe mine, too.”
“You don’t really think Ian would’ve hurt you, do you, Colby?” Charlie asked, looking faintly dismayed.
“I gotta tell you, Charlie, when you’re tied up and there’s a gun waving in your face, a bullet seems entirely possible.” That just served to make Charlie look even more dismayed, so Colby softened his tone. “But no, I don’t think Ian would’ve shot me. If his bluff had been called, though, he would’ve lost all credibility and the marshals could’ve come in even harder than they did. Ian wouldn’t have gone down without a fight and there’s nothing to say I wouldn’t have caught a stray bullet from one of them.”
Charlie absorbed that information and nodded. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to narrow the search.”
“Don’t sweat it, man; you’re a genius, not a miracle worker,” Colby teased.
Chuckling, the two men resumed their walk to the elevator, managing to arrive at the very moment the doors opened. Nikki stepping out explained the timely arrival and Charlie hopped on with a quick goodbye.
Colby and Nikki wandered back to their section of the bullpen. “So, how’s Ian doing?” Colby asked.
“He’s OK,” Nikki replied. “He’s gotta sit in his cell a bit longer ‘til a judge signs his release, but I think he’s relieved to have been proved right.”
“You gonna see him when he gets out?” Colby asked, aiming for nonchalant and looking sidelong at Nikki. He wasn’t quite sure what he wanted her answer to be.
“Nah, probably not. He’s not called in awhile and his comment about bad cell coverage sounded like a line to me,” Nikki replied.
“I’m sorry,” Colby replied, though he didn’t really think he was, even as her answer set off butterflies in his stomach. He wasn’t going to examine the feeling until he got home, though, and maybe not even then.
“Don’t be, I wasn’t looking for a diamond ring. It was fun, but I think Ian’s just too much of a lone wolf to ever stop wandering and settle down with someone.” It was a fair assessment, but it stung Colby. He added that reaction to the ‘examine later/never’ column.
Things were quiet for the next few hours as they all wrote up their reports. Colby started when a hand waved in front of his eyes. “What’s up, David?” he asked, hoping to cover his surprise.
“I was hoping you could tell me, man,” David replied. “You’ve been staring off into space for the last ten minutes.”
“I have not,” Colby denied.
“I’m afraid you were, Colby,” Nikki said, and now they were ganging up on him, which was just wrong.
Grasping for an explanation, Colby said, “I was just thinking of something for my report.”
“Uh huh,” David said, sounding thoroughly unconvinced. “That might wash if I’d not watched you print out and sign your report already.”
‘Damnit, so much for that,’ Colby cursed to himself. Of course, that was the moment Don chose to materialise from who knows where.
“What’s up, guys?” he asked.
“Nothing much; Colby was just woolgathering for the last ten minutes, so I was about to suggest he go home,” David answered, smirking at Colby.
“Thanks man, just rat me out to the boss why dontcha?” Colby said with a grimace.
“Don’t worry, Cole,” Don said, “I just came over to send the whole lot of you home anyway.”
Colby sent David a look that said, ‘Ha, payback’s a bitch’. He was certain that it took a considerable effort of will on David’s part not to stick out his tongue in response.
~*~
An hour later found Colby, hair still a little damp from a much-needed shower, sitting on his sofa with a cold beer and a freshly-delivered pizza, flicking through the TV channels for something to watch. He settled on a football game; neither side was his team, but it was something that didn’t require concentration.
He wolfed down four slices with the first beer, keeping his brain empty while he satisfied his hunger. Then, hoping to keep his thoughts at bay a little longer, he fetched another beer, paused, shrugged and brought the rest of the six-pack along. It promised to be a long night.
Colby was conflicted about what had happened. He was angry and a little disappointed, yet also understood what had driven Ian.
As much as it angered him that Ian had brought up the Chinese mission and compared it to Ian’s own predicament, now he’d had time to cool off, Colby could see that there were some similarities. He knew what it was like to be considered a bad guy, to be hunted by his friends, to be behind bars with people who knew he was a federal agent, and all the while being on the trail of the real bad guy. Still, it hurt that Ian had brought it up, had targeted Colby not because of their friendship, but because of a mission Colby still found it hard to think about. A mission that had cost him friends, trust and very nearly his life.
And Colby was disappointed. It was no secret to anyone, least of all himself, that he had a bit of hero worship for Ian. It was probably unfair, but he held Ian in high regard. The man was a legend when it came to bringing in the bad guys, so it struck Colby hard to see him cornered, on the edge and reduced to taking his friends hostage, to see him as just a desperate man. It hurt that Ian would rather put a gun to his head than trust him to help. If he’d just come to Don and explained, none of today’s events would’ve had to happen. Colby had been out in the cold, it wasn’t an option for him to tell Don what was happening, but Ian hadn’t needed to go that route, loner or not.
And yet… A little bit of Colby was glad that Ian had chosen him as his hostage, that he’d got to spend all that time alone with the object of his hero worship. They even talked a little, strained though it had been. Colby kinda hated how pathetic that made him feel, but he was honest enough with himself to know that he felt a little more than simple hero worship for Ian Edgerton and he couldn’t help being happy for the time to watch the other man up close.
Colby was also honest enough with himself to admit that he’d felt a little jolt of arousal as Ian fastened the cuffs around his wrists. It had taken him by surprise - he’d been tied up before and never felt anything other than annoyance. Even when a lover had suggested it he’d only gone along with it to make them happy, never really getting much out of it himself, and after his near-death experience at the hands of Lancer, he’d had no desire to be restrained… until his inappropriate reaction to Ian earlier in the day.
Colby was on his fourth beer, feeling lightly buzzed and relaxed and thinking about Ian and those handcuffs was having an effect. Arousal washed over him and his dick twitched, slowly starting to harden. He stared at his crotch for a moment, before mentally shrugging and deciding to go with it. After all, there was no one around to see him jerking off to thoughts of Ian Edgerton and god knows he could use the relaxation of a good orgasm.
He settled a little deeper into the couch and spread his legs, lazily rubbing against the front of his jeans, encouraging the growing bulge. He waited until his cock was pressing painfully against his zipper, before popping the button and sliding the zip down to release the pressure.
He reached into his boxers and pulled his cock out, giving it a few teasing pulls. Colby cast his eyes round the room, but couldn’t see anything that would work as lube and couldn’t be bothered to move to his bedroom, so he made do with spit, licking his palm a few times, before returning it to his dick.
Closing his eyes, Colby brought up images of Ian prowling about, looking intense and dangerous. He imagined himself cuffed to something a little more comfortable than the pillar from earlier - those corners had bit into his arms unpleasantly - helpless to avoid whatever Edgerton had planned.
Ian seemed the type who would have no qualms about cutting the clothes off someone, so Colby pictured Ian slicing through his t-shirt, the cold blade of the knife ever so slightly grazing his spine.
He moaned. Loudly. Jesus, it looked like he’d found another kink he didn’t know he had! Colby Jr. certainly seemed to enjoy the image judging by the precome that started beading at the tip. Colby increased the speed of his hand, smearing the precome over the shaft and easing the way. He added a twist of his wrist on the upstrokes, panting now, getting closer.
In his mind’s eye he saw Ian pressed up against his back, reaching round to undo his trousers. This drew out another moan and caused his hips to thrust up hard; he was close now, just starting to feel the tell-tale tingle at the base of his spine.
Fantasy-Ian peeled aside the flaps of Colby’s now-open trousers and…
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Colby’s eyes flew open, his hand freezing mid-stroke. He sat for a second or two, dazed by the sudden interruption, his mind struggling to change gear. “Damnit!” he moaned.
It was probably David or Don come to check on him. He thought about ignoring them and going back to his daydream, but then remembered that both men had a key. Swearing, he shoved his painfully hard erection back into his jeans and carefully zipped up. “Just a minute,” he called.
He wiped his hand on the back of his jeans, trying to get the worst of the spit and sticky precome off it. Luckily he tended to wear his shirts untucked, so the hem should hide the wiped-off evidence and the incriminating bulge. He just hoped the smell from the remaining pizza slices would cover the musky scent of sex.
He willed his erection away, but he’d been too close to coming for his body to give up easily, so it was a little uncomfortable to walk along the short hall to his front door. He didn’t bother to check the peephole, so was somewhat startled when he opened it to find neither David nor Don. Instead, he came face to face with the object of his recent fantasy.
He stared at Ian, speechless for a second, then shook himself out of it and managed, somehow, to make his tone even as he said, “They let you out then?”
Ian grinned, “They did. I had to get debriefed by the boss, but as soon as I could get away I came to see you. I… wanted to make sure we were OK after today.”
Colby was taken aback - Ian actually seemed hesitant. His own brain was still a little sluggish, caught between fantasy and reality. His traitorous cock had perked up again, which didn’t help his concentration.
At a loss, and realising they couldn’t stand in limbo at his front door, Colby turned and headed back inside the house without a word. The sound of boots on the wooden floor and the click of the front door telling him Ian had followed.
~*~
continue to Part2