One day, maybe
Written for the prompt : Losers, Jensen/Cougar, Denying their feelings for each other
Fandom : The Losers
Character : Cougar & Jensen
Word Count : approx 1000
Rating : PG-13
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Jensen was keeping his distance from the rest of the team, trying to work on the theory of out of sight was out of mind but it wasn't the case. Seriously whoever came up with it as a theory clearly didn't know anything about anything, because in actual fact in Jensen's opinion it was even more difficult to not think about the team when he couldn't see them than when he could.
He was trying to submerge himself in the latest tech developments available to him at base. He was supposed to be concentrating on the latest equipment and working out what he could use . . . actually that was a pointless exercise they all knew he could use and probably improve the performance of most of the equipment available if he had the time, but the real crux to his current research was what was going to stand up to his needs – lightweight, portable, heat resistant for the hot countries, not going to fritz out in the high humidity zones and seriously . . . they'd only just got back from their last mission and Cougar . . .
He sighed and tried not to think about Cougar, about blood and bruises and . . . he closed his eyes, took a few more steadying breaths before turning his attention back to the hardware in front of him.
A few more minutes of listening to the base techs enthuse and Jensen half-heartedly told them to put together whatever they thought would stand up to the requirements of 'Clay's team's missions'. They were used to him bringing them equipment that had not stood up to the test of the environment, he figured it was time they did something more with their time than make him come up here post-Mission to go through this crappy process when he could be back with his team and C-. . . No he wasn't thinking about him.
Cougar had been asleep before Jensen left this morning and Jensen had allowed himself a few minutes to watch him breath deep and steady, to watch the rise and fall of his chest and know that he was safe, alive and healing. All would be fine and he'd be back to fighting fitness again before they knew it.
Cougar had shifted slightly in his sleep and rather than risk being caught staring Jensen had leapt up, grabbed the other boot that he'd never got round to pulling on and headed out to finish getting ready.
Cougar had struggled to fall asleep the night before, the pain in his bruised ribs making breathing uncomfortable, finding a position to lie in restfully a problem. He'd been twitchy, tempted to ignore Doctor's orders and get up to wander the house. It had been so long since he'd bunked alone, that the nights when Jensen wasn't there in the room with him were always odd, unless he had returned to his old family home.
Jensen though wasn't in the room. Cougar figured it was probably in deference to the doctor's orders but how did he convince the younger man that it was easier to sleep when he was there in the room, even if he was tapping away on his laptop until the early hours of the morning. It wasn't like he could come out and say it, claim that it was nothing more than being used to the sound of Jensen's breathing from the bed or sleeping bag alongside his own.
Hell, he couldn't even convince himself of that any more. He didn't know how to tamp down on his feelings. There was no logic, no reason behind them. They were team mates. That was all they were, all they could ever be. Friends, colleagues, team mates . . . Family.
The door had opened and Jensen had come in, seemingly unsurprised to find Cougar awake. He'd crossed the room bending down beside the bed and setting a glass on the bedside table, before reaching a hand behind to help raise Cougar enough to take the water and a couple of pills that he'd brought through in the other hand. "Doc said if you were having difficulty sleeping to give you some of these, so er . . . here have some of these."
Jensen hadn't looked up, had attempted to keep his distance despite being so close and Cougar's heart had twisted at the thought that the other man could be so considerate without it meaning anything. It was just so Jensen.
"You going to try sleeping any time soon?" Cougar asked as Jensen lowered him back to the bed.
"I guess so," had been the response just before Jensen had moved away to start changing and readying himself for bed. Cougar had noticed how Jensen had laid out clothes for the morning, but before he could ask any questions about it, his eyes were already growing heavy and he wondered exactly what it was that Jensen had given him.
He'd woken in the morning to an empty room, but a fresh glass of water and pills beside the bed. He'd taken his time to get up and make his way to the bathroom before returning to his bed, listless.
Pooch, Clay and Roque had all been in to check on him, made sure all was fine. He made the required responses before closing his eyes again as if to return to sleep. None of them could lift his spirits like a visit from Jensen would.
One day . . . one day, Cougar mused, drowsing on the edge of sleep, in a different universe to this one, Jensen would feel the same way and he'd be able to admit how he felt about the younger man and the feeling would be returned. One day . . . in a different universe to this one because that was something that Jensen would believe in.