(A 911 Buddie fanfic) Every Breath You Take (I'll be watching you...)

Chapter 10

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Chapter 10

.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Safe. Safe and loved.

That was all David wanted for the man in front of him, for the hero who continually risked his own life to save the lives of others. Evan Buckley, with the bright blue eyes that were so expressive David found himself being dragged down into the emotions with him. He tried to ignore the fact that those eyes were currently filled with fear, tried to remind himself that Buck just needed to be shown how things could be and he would eventually understand. He would eventually see that David deserved his love in return.

His skin was warm against David's palm, the light prickle of his stubble scratching at the pad of David's thumb. For a moment, David almost forgot why he had come back down to the basement, but the dried blood staining Buck's temple caught his eye and he forced himself to let go. He dampened the cloth he had brought down with the water in the bowl before placing his fingers below Buck's chin to guide his head into a better position.

The large pupils that glared back at him told David that the drugs were still well in effect, and despite the defiance that settled in Buck's tightened jaw, he didn't have it in him to fight back. But oh damn, the sight of it had David's heart beating wildly in his chest. The wince of pain when the cloth touched the open wound, the sharp intake of breath… David's grip tightened on the cloth, his eyes flickering across Buck and drinking him in.

"You are a masterpiece," David whispered, dabbing at the wound and cleaning away the blood. "Has anyone ever told you that?"

Buck remained silent, his gaze moving away from David, staring determinedly elsewhere. It caused the corner of David's mouth to tick upwards in a small smile and he tugged at Buck's chin until he was in Buck's line of sight once more.

"None of them could ever compare to you."

"None of who?" Buck asked, his voice raw and broken, sending a tingle up David's spine.

"The others," David answered, nonchalant.

He had tried to distract himself with them, tried to find someone that could consume his mind as Buck did, but the closest he had ever come was with Devon. Devon who had walked out on him, abandoned him, and all but mocked him by showing up at his club. But, David thought to himself, it was meant to be. By leaving, Devon had done David one last favour. He had brought Buck back into his life.

"But they don't matter," David continued, pulling away the cloth and searching Buck's eyes. "Not now."

Buck shrank back, his brow creasing in questioning as a frown tugged at his lips, and David wondered if Buck would be jealous if he knew the details. He wondered if Buck would feel the same dark frustration grip a hold of his heart that David felt whenever he had to watch Buck with that other firefighter. Just the thought of him, of Eddie Diaz, had David's anger rising, had David wishing to claim Buck as his and his alone.

But the thought was pushed away momentarily, the sound of glass breaking somewhere above them distracting him and pulling his attention upward. He strained his ears a moment before abandoning the bowl and cloth in his hands and pushing up from the bed, stalking toward the basement exit and pulling the door closed after him. It was halfway up the stairs that he reached around his back for the gun he had hidden in the waistband on his jeans.

He hated the damn thing, but he knew the situation may eventually call for something a little more definite than the drugs he had been using. Sometimes you had to give in to the dirty methods.