Rating: PG

Paring: Nick/Ellis(Left 4 Dead2).

Disclaimer: Not mine, just playing.

Notes: First Nick/Ellis fic, and first L4D2 fic in general. This pairing has invaded my brain so I wanted to try writing for it, never mind that I'm like three years late into this fandom or whatever.

Un-betad so any mistakes are my own.

Nick swore as he fired off another shot, the infected going down before him only to be replaced moments later by another. The combined noise of the bridge lowering and the helicopter at the other end had attracted more and more infected with every second, and not just the standard ones either. Hunters, spitters, and chargers oh my.

A loud explosion sounded in front of him as a grenade blew a hole in the horde's numbers but Nick didn't bother to look to see who had thrown it. His main concern was getting to the helicopter in one piece. The grenade had taken out more than enough infected however and checking to see that the rest of the team were making their way to the chopper Nick fired his shotgun into two staggering infected before him, then turned around and ran as fast as he could towards the helicopter.

A startled yell made Nick turn back just in time to see Ellis go down, head smacking hard against the concrete as a hunter straddled him, it's claws swiping over his front. Even as far away as he was Nick could see that the cuts went deep.

If this had been a couple of weeks ago when he couldn't wait to be rid of the group he had found himself with he would have left Ellis to his fate, let him be used as a distraction for the infected so Nick could get away. Now though without thinking he turned a made a run for the downed man, ignoring Coach's exclamation of surprise as he shot every infected in his path to get to Ellis. When he reached him Nick forcefully kicked the hunter off of Ellis and shot it twice. Just to be sure.

Nick cleared as many nearby infected as he could before he bent down and dragged Ellis up, draping one of his arms over his own shoulders before moving them both up, ignoring the groan of pain that Ellis made as he was jostled too much. Without pause Nick dropped his shotgun, drew out his Magnum and pulled them both along, doing most of the legwork as Ellis's feet were dragging across the tarmac, his head lolling slightly as he moved. Nick didn't need to see the wounds to know that Ellis was hurt bad, real bad. He just needed to focus on shooting any infected that got too close and getting the both of them to safety.

" Should've just left me." Nick did his best to ignore the slurring of Ellis's voice and focused on getting them to the chopper a wave of relief washing over him as he saw Rochelle and Coach giving them covering fire as they moved. " Would've made it if you just left me." Nick shifted Ellis, taking more of the younger man's weight as Nick tried to get them moving faster.

" Yeah well I didn't want to deal with a lecture from Coach and Rochelle's bitching." Nick's words were biting and sarcastic as always but from the smile that pulled at Ellis's lips he knew that Nick didn't really mean it.

" They probably would've thrown you off the chopper to teach you a lesson." Ellis wobbled on his feet and stumbled slightly, Nick cursed as he held tighter onto him not missing the way that Ellis's eyes were drooping.

" Come on kid stay with me here." Nick got them moving again but the pace was much slower than he would have liked, and moving slowly when infected were only yards behind them was not good.

" I'm here, I'm here." Ellis wasn't picking up the pace however. Nick could hear Coach and Rochelle yelling at them to move, worry clear on their faces even as they shot down infected after infected, but without sacrificing his gun Nick couldn't get them to move any faster. Ellis wasn't exactly light.

Cursing once, Nick made up his mind and tossed the gun away, grabbing the arm that was loosely draped over his shoulder in a firm grip and fisting his other hand in the waistband of Ellis's coveralls. With the better leverage he was able to haul them on at a faster pace. Ellis was still fading slightly though and while Nick was making better time having him fully unconscious on his hands would prove to be much harder to manoeuvre.

" Hey Ellis, you've got to stay awake alright?" Nick grunted slightly as they moved, muscles straining more the further they walked.

" I know, I know. I'm tryin'." Ellis's voice was quiet, barely audible over the howls and moans of infected behind them.

" Tell me one of your dumb stories, I wont even tell you to shut up this time. Scout's honour." Nick could hear the rotors of the chopper, not far now.

" Like you were ever a boy-scout." Nick couldn't stop the smirk that pulled at his lips for that, technically he had been but he'd been kicked out after a week. But that was a story for another day. Before he could respond though Ellis's head lolled again, feet slipping on the road as his legs stopped working right for a moment.

" Come on it's not far now, you can rest when we get to the chopper." Nick felt more than saw Ellis nod as his eyes focused on the helicopter, both Coach and Rochelle moving to it as fast as they could while keeping them covered. " I bet they'll have bandages, we'll get you patched up."

A jockey appeared to their right and went down with a screech before Nick could blink. " And when we've gotten out of this shit-hole I'll take you out somewhere, like a proper date and everything." Nick knew he was more than likely talking to himself at this point.

" Will we have to wear fancy suits and shit?" Nick almost jumped at Ellis's voice and paused for a moment, realising that he hadn't been expecting a response.

" No. We'll go somewhere you want to, no suits required. A bar, a steak-house. Anywhere you want kid." Rochelle and Coach were at the doors to the chopper.

" Sounds nice." Ellis seemed to have regained some energy as Nick found that he had to take less of his weight and they were moving faster. " But we should go somewhere you like as well, somewhere fancy." Nick snorted at that.

" You'll have to wear a suit." Nick ignored the increasingly louder screams and howls behind them. Ellis shrugged.

" Seems only fair." They were almost there. " And maybe we can like go out somewhere and you can show me those gamblin' skills you like to brag about." Nick couldn't help but smile at that, not caring that the only likely thing waiting for them after their helicopter ride would be a quarantine camp. Or the barrel of a gun.

" Sounds good to me kid." They made it to the doors, Coach and Rochelle reaching out to grab them.

" Sounds good to me."