Let's Sit Back and Watch the Bed Burn |Virgato|

Chapter 5

Richard jumps at the sound of the door to the agency bursting open, smacking against the wall loudly and making every single head turn towards the entrance. Chris is storming in, looking absolutely livid as he marches towards the infirmary, tearing off pieces of clothing on his journey.

"I want to know who the fuck was out in that desert," he's hissing at various agents he passes, anger coursing through his veins as he pushes open the doors to the infirmary. Richard pushes back his desk chair and dashes over, wondering what on Earth has made his best friend this angry.

Chris is sitting on one of the beds, a nurse tending to a large bruise on his torso and various cuts on his arms and neck. He looks battered, a sight Richard isn't used to seeing on his best friend. Not even when he came back from Colombia did he look so destroyed. "Chris, who the fuck did this to you?"

"I don't know," Chris snaps, fists clenching beside him. "I was ready to take out Conway when suddenly I'm getting shot in the fucking chest by someone camped out a little ways out. I'm betting all my money that it was one of Kolm's stupid fucking agents that just couldn't resist trying to take me out. When I find out which of those pricks it is, I'm going to-"

Richard places a calming hand on his best friend's shoulder, feeling Chris tense from underneath his palm. "Chris, you need to breathe, alright? Getting worked up about this isn't good for you right now. I'm sure someone is looking into it right now." He doesn't know for sure on that, but if it brings Christopher's anger down a notch, he'll make sure it's happening.

Chris breathes out through his nose and sighs, "Alright." He thanks the nurse helping him before hopping up off of the bed, rubbing a hand over the bruise on his chest. "Thank God for bulletproof vests, but those things leave quite the bruise behind. What should I tell Joel I got this from? Another impromptu MMA fight with you gone wrong?"

"He's believed it all the other times before," Richard laughs, picking up the bag Chris dropped at the entryway. "Was told you brought something back for me. Is it a t-shirt from the hotel you stayed at? A postcard?"

Chris gives him a small smile and shakes his head, "Nah, it's something even better."

They reach Richard's office quickly, dumping the contents of the bag onto his desk as Richard lets out a low whistle. "Jesus, Chris, what did you do?" He picks up what used to be a laptop, now demolished almost completely and burned. "Is this what set off those mines Francis was talking about?" He places the laptop behind him on his other desk, sitting down and beginning to prod at it with tweezers.

"I'm assuming," Chris replies, crossing his arms across his bare chest. "Whomever that fucker was that shot me had it up in their base, along with some shattered binoculars and a sniper rifle. I've got the gun being looked at already, but the binoculars are also for your enjoyment, Rich." He picks up the broken gear and sets it beside the laptop, where Richard is observing the hard drive. "Figure out who the owner is yet?"

"Not really," Richard tells him. "I'm looking for the serial number right now, maybe I can find an address through that as to who this belongs to, but it might take me a while." He removes his glasses and sighs, rubbing his eyes. "I've gotta leave right now, though. I have a date with this really cute guy who I promised I'd take to dinner, and I'm not one for leaving gorgeous people waiting." He places the broken laptop and binoculars down underneath his desk before the two of them leave the office, the door locking behind them.

"Have fun on your date," Chris tells him. "One of these days, you are going to have to tell me about this mysterious boy, Rich. But until then, remember to use protection and to not scare him off." He gives his best friend a wink, who in return, raises his middle finger at him. "I love you!"

Richard shouts back an 'I love you, too' in return, and Chris laughs before heading off towards Francis's office, hoping to discuss the botched mission, when he's stopped by one of the other agents, who's holding a laptop with video footage running.

"We're running a scan on the area from the satellite set up by the base," he's told. "We haven't picked up anything yet, but the moment we do, we'll contact you."

"Thank you," Chris tells them before opening Francis's office door and stepping inside. He shuts it behind him before facing his boss, whom he knows must be irate. "Sir, I'd like to discuss the mission with you and my findings."

Francis lets out a boisterous laugh. "Your findings? Velez, what did I tell you about this mission? This man could possibly get someone killed, and before you can come in to explain yourself to me, I get word that another agent managed to botch it?" He leans forward in his chair. "I want you to find whatever agent prevented you from carrying out this hit and eliminate them, understood? Don't bother showing your face in this office until it's been done."

Chris nods, determination filling his veins as he leaves, "Yes, Sir."

_

Joel can hear the garage door opening as he's just starting to put peroxide on his various cuts, hissing as he begins cleaning a large cut on his chest. He looks pretty battered, various cuts and bruises from being blown off of his feet at the base. His head is still throbbing, most likely from a mild concussion, and once Chris comes through the door, he sure as hell is going to demand answers.

He hears a door opening and closing, keys hitting the kitchen counter before a loud gasp rises from his husband's throat. "Oh my God, what happened?" Chris asks him, stepping forward and cupping Joel's face. "Did you get into an accident at work?" Yeah, you could say that.

"Went to go look over a building we were thinking of tearing down," Joel explains, hissing some more as Chris dabs a cotton ball on one of the cuts on his shoulder. "It had passed inspection before we entered, but just as we headed upstairs, I fell through them to the bottom floor. Knocked my head off of them when I fell, but luckily it wasn't too far of a fall." He smiles as Chris presses a kiss to his bruised cheek. "What are you doing home early? Thought you said you had to work late tonight?"

He doesn't miss the way Chris stiffens at his question; his lips pursed as he begins to bandage Joel's shoulder. His demeanor shows that he's definitely hiding something, and Joel's not sure he wants to know what it is. They've always been completely honest with each other, well, as honest as Joel could be. "They managed to figure it out without me. I actually have the next few days off. Told me I haven't used much of my days off and that I could go ahead and use them. Figured it wouldn't hurt to take some time off and spend it redecorating the house or something." He tapes the bandage on Joel's arm and places a kiss on top of it. "Did they give you some days off because of the accident? To heal?"

Not exactly. "Yeah, told me to take a few days off to rest, get back to work when I could. I mean, I own half the company, so it's not like they could refuse it now, could they?" He hops off of the kitchen counter and tugs his shirt back on, hissing as his back arches, extending the cuts. "Plus, I get to spend the next few days with you and I'm not going to complain about that." He wraps his arms around Chris carefully, arms still aching from the impact back in the desert. Chris gives him a grin before kissing him sweetly, hands on his hips.

"How about we go upstairs and cuddle?" Chris suggests, grabbing his bag off of the floor and adjusting it on his shoulder. "I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that cuddling helps with injuries, might as well give it a shot."

Joel lets out a light chuckle, kissing Chris on the lips once more before cleaning up the counter and placing the first aid kit back into the pantry. "I do think some R&R is much needed. Lead the way Mr. Velez-Pimentel." He doesn't miss the way Chris shyly smiles at the name, always having a soft spot for their names joined together. Joel remembers the first time he got to call Chris that, the way his husband's cheeks turned a bright red, and the shy smile that followed. Joel remembers thinking how lucky he was to have Chris in his life.

Which only makes it hurt worse at the returning thought of Chris not being completely honest with him lately. He's tried not to notice how his husband has been spending a lot more time at work as of late, more time making excuses as to why he can't attend certain functions with Joel. Joel's actually lost count of how many times he's rescheduled some of their dates because Chris can't make them.

Halfway through their third movie, he looks down at his sleeping husband, passed out, curled up and resting on his chest, and wonders how much longer the two of them will last before all of the lies they've kept from each other decimates them.