NEWER! "Hazard Pay - Chapter 26"
Title: Hazard Pay - Chapter Twenty-Five
Pairing: Noah/OMC
Rating: M
Prompt: Action!Noah in action ripped from the headlines!
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
***
Hazard Pay - Chapter Twenty-Six
“Jesus,” Jeff whimpered. “Jesus, I’m a wreck.”
“Shhh,” Noah soothed, stroking his hand over Jeff’s brow.
“I thought I killed you.”
“I’m fine. Do you want another glass of water?”
Jeff thought for a moment. “Yeah, okay.” He sat up in the hospital bed, then paled and tilted toward the floor. “Oh, crap.”
“Woah!” Noah caught Jeff by the shoulders and gently pushed him back down. “Just take it easy, okay?”
“I knew I shouldn’t show you that video.” Jeff pounded his fist on the mattress. “God, I’m so stupid!”
“I’m fine,” Noah said again, adjusting the bed until Jeff was reclining rather than lying flat. “Don’t worry about it.”
“You had a flashback,” Jeff argued. “A fucking flashback, and it’s all my fault. I never should have shown you that footage, but I thought it would help you remember. I’m a selfish bastard.”
“You’re not selfish.” Noah handed him the paper bag from Java. “Here, breathe into this some more.”
“I thought I killed you,” Jeff said into the bag as he breathed. “I thought you were dead.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting?” Jeff’s voice, still muffled by the bag, rose an octave. “Noah, your eyes rolled back in your head. You passed out. If you hadn’t been sitting down, you would have collapsed on the floor.”
“Yes, but you made me put my head down on my knees and then I was fine,” Noah reasoned.
“Eventually.”
“It was just a few minutes,” Noah corrected.
“A few minutes.” Jeff pulled the bag away from his face. “A few minutes during which I thought to myself, ‘You stupid motherfucker. You just got him back and now you killed him.’”
Impatiently, Jeff raised the bed until he was sitting. This time his color stayed good.
“Are you okay?” Noah asked. “Or do you want me to call the nurse again?”
“No, I do not want you to call the nurse again,” Jeff snapped. “And you’re the one who should be lying down, not me.” He tried to get up, but Noah pushed him back again.
“I spend all day in bed,” he said. “I hate it. Here,” he added, handing Jeff his cup. “Drink your tea. You’ll feel better.”
Jeff sipped his tea obediently, and his color improved a little more. Noah pulled a chair up to the bed and sat. It was growing dark outside, and the windows rattled in the cold wind. Noah’s leg still throbbed from the day’s exercise, but the painkillers had dulled it to a manageable ache. Thankfully, despite the emotional exhaustion of remembering, his mind felt clearer than it had in months -- since waking up in Oakdale, in fact. He still didn’t remember Germany or Baltimore, but perhaps that would come later. In the meantime, he relished being in the same room with Jeff. He looked older, somehow, and a little weary, but still as gorgeous as ever.
“What was the assignment in Tokyo about?” Noah asked.
Jeff made a face and set his empty cup aside. “Trade economics. Pretty boring stuff.”
“You’d make it interesting,” Noah said confidently. He hesitated. “Why didn’t you go back to Iraq?”
Jeff grimaced again. “The network wanted me to,” he admitted. “But it didn’t feel right.”
“You could have gotten another cameraman,” Noah pointed out, although the very thought made his stomach hurt. “Elvis, maybe.”
Jeff looked at Noah, his blue eyes dark and solemn in the growing dusk. “I want you,” he said simply, just like he had all those months ago in Honduras.
Noah blushed and looked down at his hands, which were curled around his coffee cup. “I’ll be able to work again, eventually,” he said. “I just need to finish my therapy and get out of here. It will take a while, but I’ll do it, and maybe if you put in a good word with the network we could-”
“Noah,” Jeff said. “Look at me.”
Noah reluctantly raised his eyes.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jeff said softly.
Noah’s stomach dropped. “You don’t want to work with me anymore?” Before Jeff could answer, Noah stood and threw his cup in the trash. His hands were shaking too hard to hold it anyway. “Is it because of what I did in Iraq?” he asked, trying to pull himself together. “Because I went on that patrol without you?”
“No, it’s not,” Jeff said. “But while we’re on the subject, I need to ask you something.”
Noah turned, wiping his now-sweaty palms on his jeans. His leg hurt worse all of a sudden, as if to mock him, and he felt like he might fall over.
“Okay, ask,” he said, trying and failing to hide the tremor in his voice.
“Lopez arranged it so you could go on that patrol, but just you, not both of us, right?”
“Yeah.” Noah scratched the back of his neck nervously.
“Did you get the sense something was off with him?’
“Kinda,” Noah admitted. “Maybe.”
“But you went anyway,” Jeff said.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Noah blinked in surprise. “To get the shot,” he said.
Jeff closed his eyes. “Okay,” he said softly after a moment. “Okay. I get it.” He dragged his hands across his face, then opened his eyes. “But do you get why I was so angry?”
“No.”
“Noah,” Jeff said impatiently. “You could have been killed. You almost were killed.”
Noah shrugged. “I wanted to get some good footage. For you.”
“And you didn’t care how dangerous it was?” Jeff’s voice rose.
“I don’t get why you’re upset,” Noah said helplessly. “I was in danger every day over there. We both were. That was the job. Since when did we give a shit?”
“There’s a difference between taking risks and having a death wish,” Jeff said sternly.
“I don’t have a death wish,” Noah objected.
“Don’t interrupt me when I’m mad at you!” Jeff yelled, and Noah rocked back on his heels in surprise.
“I’m sorry,” Jeff said immediately, scrubbing his hands across his face again. “But do you really think I cared more about getting footage than about your safety? Like you were expendable? Is that honestly what you think about me?”
“I don’t think that’s what you think,” Noah said carefully. “But work comes--”
Jeff pointed a finger at him. “Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it.”
Noah sighed. “Okay. But that was the rule we agreed on.”
“It was a stupid rule, okay?” Jeff pressed his hands together, getting his anger under control. “Look, Noah, it’s not that I don’t want to work with you, okay? I love working with you. You’re the best cameraman I’ve ever had.”
Noah folded his arms. “But...”
“But I don’t want to lose you,” Jeff said, his voice breaking. “I almost lost you once and it nearly killed me. I love you, Solo, and my work, my career, is nothing compared to that.”
Everything in Noah softened. “I love you, too, Carter.”
Jeff held out his hand. “Then come here, you idiot.”
Noah took Jeff’s hand and allowed him to tug him onto the bed. They kissed blissfully until Noah’s leg started to ache from the position. Sensing his discomfort, Jeff shifted so that Noah could lie down, resting his head on Jeff’s chest. Jeff put his arm around Noah’s shoulders and idly toyed with the locks of his hair.
“God, I missed you,” he murmured.
Noah pressed closer, listening to the comforting beat of Jeff’s heart, and closed his eyes in contentment. “I missed you, too.”
“I never should have left you in Baltimore,” Jeff whispered. “I never should have let that bastard Snyder take you away. I was a coward.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“I was,” Jeff said. “He threatened to out me, and I panicked.”
“It’s complicated,” Noah said. “Because of your family, and your career.”
“No, it’s not,” Jeff insisted. “It’s simple. I should have stuck by you. I should have fought him in court. So what if it ended up in the media?”
Noah yawned sleepily, and snuggled closer. “Luke’s kind of a force of nature. It’s hard to stop him when he’s got an idea in his head.”
“No kidding.” Jeff rested his chin on the top of Noah’s head. “I hate that guy.”
Noah smiled. “Pretty sure the feeling’s mutual. But it’s not a contest.”
“The hell it’s not,” Jeff muttered. He hesitated. “When Pippa called, she said you told her--”
“I want you,” Noah said. “Not Luke.” Jeff sighed, and Noah could feel his body relax underneath him. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” With an effort, Noah sat up and looked at Jeff. “When you tried to tell me how you felt, back in New York, I pushed you away.” He shook his head. “I was so stupid.”
“You weren’t stupid, you were scared,” Jeff said. “And you had every right to be. Snyder really did a number on you.” Jeff scowled. “It’s his fault you have a death wish.”
Noah laughed and settled back down on Jeff’s chest. “No, it’s not, and I don’t have a death wish.”
“Like hell.” Jeff stroked his hair, and Noah murmured in pleasure. “Seriously, it’s not that I don’t want to work with you, Solo. I love working with you, you have to know that I do. But I can’t watch you throw yourself into danger. My heart won’t take it.”
“You throw yourself into danger all the time,” Noah pointed out.
“True, but at least I have a basic sense of self-preservation.”
Noah harrumphed, but decided to drop the argument. “So what are we going to do?” he asked instead.
Jeff sighed, his breath tickling the top of Noah’s head. “I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out. The first thing you have to do is get better.”
“So, the new rule is, work comes second?”
Jeff snorted with laughter. “Yeah. I know it’s frustrating,” he added when Noah growled in annoyance.
“You should get back in the field.” Noah said reluctantly. “Your career is important to you, and it should be. You worked so hard to get where you are. Beau said-” He stopped, biting his lip.
Jeff stiffened. “Beau said what?”
“Nothing.”
Jeff sat up, careful not to jostle Noah’s leg. “Noah,” he said warningly.
“Nothing!” Noah said again. “We were just...um, talking about you-”
“When?” Jeff snapped.
Noah shifted restlessly under his gaze, feeling like the subject of one of Jeff’s infamous exposé interviews. If Noah had been behind the camera, this is the moment he would have zoomed in on the interview subject’s sweating face.
“Noah,” Jeff said again, relentlessly.
“We were just chatting,” Noah said. “And by the way, I’m supposed to tell you left for the airport. He’s going to try to get a flight home.”
Jeff whipped out his cell phone, muttering to himself as his fingers dance over the keys. “Wait, there’s an email,” he murmured. “Looks like he caught the shuttle to Chicago.” He read further, frowning. “He says he likes you. What’s that about?”
Noah settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes. “I’m a likeable guy.”
“Noah,” Jeff said. “What did my idiot cousin say to you? Did that son-of-a-bitch threaten you?”
Noah grinned. “No more than Pippa did. And she was way more scary.” He opened his eyes and tugged at Jeff. “Come on. It’s been a long day, and I just wanna sleep.”
Jeff huffed in annoyance, but lay back down next to Noah. Noah curled around him, as much as he could with his injured leg.
“I know you got a hotel room,” he murmured, “but could you just stay here a while, until I fall asleep?”
“Of course.” Jeff settled into a comfortable position, then held Noah close. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to.” Using the controls on the bed, he dimmed the lights in the room. It was full dark outside now, and the wind had picked up, whistling and pressing icy fingers against the glass like it wanted to climb inside and get warm. Even though they were in the newer part of the building, Noah could feel a draft on the back of his neck.
“Cold,” he muttered grumpily. He felt Jeff drag a blanket up and adjust it around his neck and shoulders, then kiss the top of his head.
“Sleep,” he ordered. “I’m right here.”
Noah slept.
***
When he awoke, he had no idea how much time had passed, although he had vague memoires of nurses coming in and out, checking on him and administering meds. He figured it was a new day, because Jeff looked well-rested and was wearing different clothes.
Jeff sat in the chair by Noah’s bed, cell phone pressed to his ear and fingers tapping on his laptop, which was set up on a rolling cart he had obviously scrounged from somewhere. He had a cup of tea at his elbow and what looked like several different newspapers scattered at his feet. He was wearing his dark-rimmed reading glasses, which he claimed were dorky but Noah thought were sexy as hell.
For a moment, Noah thought they were back in the field. He wondered what their next assignment was and automatically glanced around for his camera gear. Eager to get rolling, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and was rewarded by pain so sharp he bent in half.
He swore and pressed his hand to his leg as reality came crashing in. Jeff looked up in concern. Noah gritted his teeth and waved him off, using his crutches to hobble to the restroom.
After a quick shower, Noah frowned at his reflection in the mirror, running a hand over his beard. It was definitely past time to get his shit together, he decided. He pulled his jeans back on-one seam had been split open to allow for his injured leg-and paused to catch his breath. It was definitely easier to get cleaned and dressed than it had been at first, and he rarely needed help, but he wasn’t close to fully functional yet.
Noah scowled at the mirror again. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, asshole,” he ordered his reflection. After all, Jeff was here now, and whatever next steps Noah took, literally or figuratively, his partner was by his side.
Cheered, Noah draped a towel around his neck and limped back into the room. He pulled a clean shirt from a drawer, then rummaged around for his razor, deciding that the first step of the day was definitely going to be toward coffee.
“Okay, okay, just give me a minute, and I’ll call you back.” Jeff’s voice sounded tense, and Noah turned to stare at him in alarm. Jeff looked up and met Noah’s eyes. His face was pale and his expression grim.
“I said I’ll call you right back,” he snapped at the person on the other end, then hung up.
“What’s wrong?” Noah asked.
Jeff took a deep breath. “We have a problem,” he said.
To be continued…
Pairing: Noah/OMC
Rating: M
Prompt: Action!Noah in action ripped from the headlines!
Disclaimer: Don’t own ‘em. Don’t make no money.
***
Hazard Pay - Chapter Twenty-Six
“Jesus,” Jeff whimpered. “Jesus, I’m a wreck.”
“Shhh,” Noah soothed, stroking his hand over Jeff’s brow.
“I thought I killed you.”
“I’m fine. Do you want another glass of water?”
Jeff thought for a moment. “Yeah, okay.” He sat up in the hospital bed, then paled and tilted toward the floor. “Oh, crap.”
“Woah!” Noah caught Jeff by the shoulders and gently pushed him back down. “Just take it easy, okay?”
“I knew I shouldn’t show you that video.” Jeff pounded his fist on the mattress. “God, I’m so stupid!”
“I’m fine,” Noah said again, adjusting the bed until Jeff was reclining rather than lying flat. “Don’t worry about it.”
“You had a flashback,” Jeff argued. “A fucking flashback, and it’s all my fault. I never should have shown you that footage, but I thought it would help you remember. I’m a selfish bastard.”
“You’re not selfish.” Noah handed him the paper bag from Java. “Here, breathe into this some more.”
“I thought I killed you,” Jeff said into the bag as he breathed. “I thought you were dead.”
“You’re overreacting.”
“Overreacting?” Jeff’s voice, still muffled by the bag, rose an octave. “Noah, your eyes rolled back in your head. You passed out. If you hadn’t been sitting down, you would have collapsed on the floor.”
“Yes, but you made me put my head down on my knees and then I was fine,” Noah reasoned.
“Eventually.”
“It was just a few minutes,” Noah corrected.
“A few minutes.” Jeff pulled the bag away from his face. “A few minutes during which I thought to myself, ‘You stupid motherfucker. You just got him back and now you killed him.’”
Impatiently, Jeff raised the bed until he was sitting. This time his color stayed good.
“Are you okay?” Noah asked. “Or do you want me to call the nurse again?”
“No, I do not want you to call the nurse again,” Jeff snapped. “And you’re the one who should be lying down, not me.” He tried to get up, but Noah pushed him back again.
“I spend all day in bed,” he said. “I hate it. Here,” he added, handing Jeff his cup. “Drink your tea. You’ll feel better.”
Jeff sipped his tea obediently, and his color improved a little more. Noah pulled a chair up to the bed and sat. It was growing dark outside, and the windows rattled in the cold wind. Noah’s leg still throbbed from the day’s exercise, but the painkillers had dulled it to a manageable ache. Thankfully, despite the emotional exhaustion of remembering, his mind felt clearer than it had in months -- since waking up in Oakdale, in fact. He still didn’t remember Germany or Baltimore, but perhaps that would come later. In the meantime, he relished being in the same room with Jeff. He looked older, somehow, and a little weary, but still as gorgeous as ever.
“What was the assignment in Tokyo about?” Noah asked.
Jeff made a face and set his empty cup aside. “Trade economics. Pretty boring stuff.”
“You’d make it interesting,” Noah said confidently. He hesitated. “Why didn’t you go back to Iraq?”
Jeff grimaced again. “The network wanted me to,” he admitted. “But it didn’t feel right.”
“You could have gotten another cameraman,” Noah pointed out, although the very thought made his stomach hurt. “Elvis, maybe.”
Jeff looked at Noah, his blue eyes dark and solemn in the growing dusk. “I want you,” he said simply, just like he had all those months ago in Honduras.
Noah blushed and looked down at his hands, which were curled around his coffee cup. “I’ll be able to work again, eventually,” he said. “I just need to finish my therapy and get out of here. It will take a while, but I’ll do it, and maybe if you put in a good word with the network we could-”
“Noah,” Jeff said. “Look at me.”
Noah reluctantly raised his eyes.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Jeff said softly.
Noah’s stomach dropped. “You don’t want to work with me anymore?” Before Jeff could answer, Noah stood and threw his cup in the trash. His hands were shaking too hard to hold it anyway. “Is it because of what I did in Iraq?” he asked, trying to pull himself together. “Because I went on that patrol without you?”
“No, it’s not,” Jeff said. “But while we’re on the subject, I need to ask you something.”
Noah turned, wiping his now-sweaty palms on his jeans. His leg hurt worse all of a sudden, as if to mock him, and he felt like he might fall over.
“Okay, ask,” he said, trying and failing to hide the tremor in his voice.
“Lopez arranged it so you could go on that patrol, but just you, not both of us, right?”
“Yeah.” Noah scratched the back of his neck nervously.
“Did you get the sense something was off with him?’
“Kinda,” Noah admitted. “Maybe.”
“But you went anyway,” Jeff said.
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Noah blinked in surprise. “To get the shot,” he said.
Jeff closed his eyes. “Okay,” he said softly after a moment. “Okay. I get it.” He dragged his hands across his face, then opened his eyes. “But do you get why I was so angry?”
“No.”
“Noah,” Jeff said impatiently. “You could have been killed. You almost were killed.”
Noah shrugged. “I wanted to get some good footage. For you.”
“And you didn’t care how dangerous it was?” Jeff’s voice rose.
“I don’t get why you’re upset,” Noah said helplessly. “I was in danger every day over there. We both were. That was the job. Since when did we give a shit?”
“There’s a difference between taking risks and having a death wish,” Jeff said sternly.
“I don’t have a death wish,” Noah objected.
“Don’t interrupt me when I’m mad at you!” Jeff yelled, and Noah rocked back on his heels in surprise.
“I’m sorry,” Jeff said immediately, scrubbing his hands across his face again. “But do you really think I cared more about getting footage than about your safety? Like you were expendable? Is that honestly what you think about me?”
“I don’t think that’s what you think,” Noah said carefully. “But work comes--”
Jeff pointed a finger at him. “Don’t say it. Don’t you dare say it.”
Noah sighed. “Okay. But that was the rule we agreed on.”
“It was a stupid rule, okay?” Jeff pressed his hands together, getting his anger under control. “Look, Noah, it’s not that I don’t want to work with you, okay? I love working with you. You’re the best cameraman I’ve ever had.”
Noah folded his arms. “But...”
“But I don’t want to lose you,” Jeff said, his voice breaking. “I almost lost you once and it nearly killed me. I love you, Solo, and my work, my career, is nothing compared to that.”
Everything in Noah softened. “I love you, too, Carter.”
Jeff held out his hand. “Then come here, you idiot.”
Noah took Jeff’s hand and allowed him to tug him onto the bed. They kissed blissfully until Noah’s leg started to ache from the position. Sensing his discomfort, Jeff shifted so that Noah could lie down, resting his head on Jeff’s chest. Jeff put his arm around Noah’s shoulders and idly toyed with the locks of his hair.
“God, I missed you,” he murmured.
Noah pressed closer, listening to the comforting beat of Jeff’s heart, and closed his eyes in contentment. “I missed you, too.”
“I never should have left you in Baltimore,” Jeff whispered. “I never should have let that bastard Snyder take you away. I was a coward.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“I was,” Jeff said. “He threatened to out me, and I panicked.”
“It’s complicated,” Noah said. “Because of your family, and your career.”
“No, it’s not,” Jeff insisted. “It’s simple. I should have stuck by you. I should have fought him in court. So what if it ended up in the media?”
Noah yawned sleepily, and snuggled closer. “Luke’s kind of a force of nature. It’s hard to stop him when he’s got an idea in his head.”
“No kidding.” Jeff rested his chin on the top of Noah’s head. “I hate that guy.”
Noah smiled. “Pretty sure the feeling’s mutual. But it’s not a contest.”
“The hell it’s not,” Jeff muttered. He hesitated. “When Pippa called, she said you told her--”
“I want you,” Noah said. “Not Luke.” Jeff sighed, and Noah could feel his body relax underneath him. “I’m just sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” With an effort, Noah sat up and looked at Jeff. “When you tried to tell me how you felt, back in New York, I pushed you away.” He shook his head. “I was so stupid.”
“You weren’t stupid, you were scared,” Jeff said. “And you had every right to be. Snyder really did a number on you.” Jeff scowled. “It’s his fault you have a death wish.”
Noah laughed and settled back down on Jeff’s chest. “No, it’s not, and I don’t have a death wish.”
“Like hell.” Jeff stroked his hair, and Noah murmured in pleasure. “Seriously, it’s not that I don’t want to work with you, Solo. I love working with you, you have to know that I do. But I can’t watch you throw yourself into danger. My heart won’t take it.”
“You throw yourself into danger all the time,” Noah pointed out.
“True, but at least I have a basic sense of self-preservation.”
Noah harrumphed, but decided to drop the argument. “So what are we going to do?” he asked instead.
Jeff sighed, his breath tickling the top of Noah’s head. “I don’t know. But we’ll figure it out. The first thing you have to do is get better.”
“So, the new rule is, work comes second?”
Jeff snorted with laughter. “Yeah. I know it’s frustrating,” he added when Noah growled in annoyance.
“You should get back in the field.” Noah said reluctantly. “Your career is important to you, and it should be. You worked so hard to get where you are. Beau said-” He stopped, biting his lip.
Jeff stiffened. “Beau said what?”
“Nothing.”
Jeff sat up, careful not to jostle Noah’s leg. “Noah,” he said warningly.
“Nothing!” Noah said again. “We were just...um, talking about you-”
“When?” Jeff snapped.
Noah shifted restlessly under his gaze, feeling like the subject of one of Jeff’s infamous exposé interviews. If Noah had been behind the camera, this is the moment he would have zoomed in on the interview subject’s sweating face.
“Noah,” Jeff said again, relentlessly.
“We were just chatting,” Noah said. “And by the way, I’m supposed to tell you left for the airport. He’s going to try to get a flight home.”
Jeff whipped out his cell phone, muttering to himself as his fingers dance over the keys. “Wait, there’s an email,” he murmured. “Looks like he caught the shuttle to Chicago.” He read further, frowning. “He says he likes you. What’s that about?”
Noah settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes. “I’m a likeable guy.”
“Noah,” Jeff said. “What did my idiot cousin say to you? Did that son-of-a-bitch threaten you?”
Noah grinned. “No more than Pippa did. And she was way more scary.” He opened his eyes and tugged at Jeff. “Come on. It’s been a long day, and I just wanna sleep.”
Jeff huffed in annoyance, but lay back down next to Noah. Noah curled around him, as much as he could with his injured leg.
“I know you got a hotel room,” he murmured, “but could you just stay here a while, until I fall asleep?”
“Of course.” Jeff settled into a comfortable position, then held Noah close. “I’ll stay as long as you need me to.” Using the controls on the bed, he dimmed the lights in the room. It was full dark outside now, and the wind had picked up, whistling and pressing icy fingers against the glass like it wanted to climb inside and get warm. Even though they were in the newer part of the building, Noah could feel a draft on the back of his neck.
“Cold,” he muttered grumpily. He felt Jeff drag a blanket up and adjust it around his neck and shoulders, then kiss the top of his head.
“Sleep,” he ordered. “I’m right here.”
Noah slept.
***
When he awoke, he had no idea how much time had passed, although he had vague memoires of nurses coming in and out, checking on him and administering meds. He figured it was a new day, because Jeff looked well-rested and was wearing different clothes.
Jeff sat in the chair by Noah’s bed, cell phone pressed to his ear and fingers tapping on his laptop, which was set up on a rolling cart he had obviously scrounged from somewhere. He had a cup of tea at his elbow and what looked like several different newspapers scattered at his feet. He was wearing his dark-rimmed reading glasses, which he claimed were dorky but Noah thought were sexy as hell.
For a moment, Noah thought they were back in the field. He wondered what their next assignment was and automatically glanced around for his camera gear. Eager to get rolling, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and was rewarded by pain so sharp he bent in half.
He swore and pressed his hand to his leg as reality came crashing in. Jeff looked up in concern. Noah gritted his teeth and waved him off, using his crutches to hobble to the restroom.
After a quick shower, Noah frowned at his reflection in the mirror, running a hand over his beard. It was definitely past time to get his shit together, he decided. He pulled his jeans back on-one seam had been split open to allow for his injured leg-and paused to catch his breath. It was definitely easier to get cleaned and dressed than it had been at first, and he rarely needed help, but he wasn’t close to fully functional yet.
Noah scowled at the mirror again. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, asshole,” he ordered his reflection. After all, Jeff was here now, and whatever next steps Noah took, literally or figuratively, his partner was by his side.
Cheered, Noah draped a towel around his neck and limped back into the room. He pulled a clean shirt from a drawer, then rummaged around for his razor, deciding that the first step of the day was definitely going to be toward coffee.
“Okay, okay, just give me a minute, and I’ll call you back.” Jeff’s voice sounded tense, and Noah turned to stare at him in alarm. Jeff looked up and met Noah’s eyes. His face was pale and his expression grim.
“I said I’ll call you right back,” he snapped at the person on the other end, then hung up.
“What’s wrong?” Noah asked.
Jeff took a deep breath. “We have a problem,” he said.
To be continued…