Title: Sun, Sea, Sand, Sterling, and Spencer
Rating: PG-13
Prompt: Holiday
Setting: unknown
Word Count: 617
"Hello, Spencer."
Two words was all he spoke, but Eliot knew that voice anywhere and it made his blood boil in his veins.
"Sterling," he ground out the reply, turning to greet him with a fake smile that barely made it out of grimace territory. "Why'd you bring me here?" he asked, eyes darting to the crowds of people wandering by - happy couples, happy families.
"What? You're not pleased to be getting a free holiday in the sun?" the Interpol agent smiled, waving a hand in the general direction of the surroundings. "Sun, sea, sand, and yours truly," he said with a grin that Eliot would love to wipe off his face one way or the other. "What more could you possibly want?"
"If I wanted a vacation, I'd take one," the hitter said sharply, arms folded across his chest. "As far as beach buddies go? You don't even make the bottom of the list."
"Tut-tut, Eliot," said Sterling shaking his head as if he were scolding a child. "Now is that any way to speak to the man that holds your future in his hands?" he asked, leaning in close to whisper in his ear. "I say the word, and you're on a plane to a Myanmar jail, faster than you can blink," he smirked annoyingly as he pulled back to look the hitter in the eye. "Even you have fears, and I'm guessing that scenario does indeed make the top of Spencer's 'most scary' list."
Eliot bit his lip and clenched his fists. If he hit this guy, if he even said the wrong thing, he knew damn well Sterling would do what he said. Jail wasn't a great option anywhere, but the kind of country he was talking about, there was no way Eliot Spencer was going through that, not again, not now.
"One more time," he said in a low voice. "Why. Am I. Here?" he asked pointedly.
Sterling continued to smirk.
"Quite simple," he nodded once, turning to lean on the railing, looking out over the sand and the sea beyond. "My line of work, much like yours, develops an impressive list of enemies. I want a holiday, get away from things, but I'm always looking over my shoulder," he explained. "With you here, I have someone to look for me."
"You need protection?" asked Eliot, clearly shocked. "Seriously, you came to choosin' a bodyguard and you picked me?"
"Who else is better qualified to guard my body?" asked Sterling with a look that said too much.
Eliot had at least six answers to that but declined to give any of them. The pair of them shook off the moment, both turning their focus back to the view then.
This wasn't such a bad deal, Eliot realised, as Sterling explained how he had paid for the whole thing, hotel rooms and meals, all inclusive. All the hitter had to do was stick close to his charge and take care he didn't get hurt or worse. As much as he could hate Sterling, he had to respect the guy for the solid plan used in getting him here, and a stunning choice of vacation spot.
"How do you know I won't just wait til you're asleep and then deal with you?" asked Eliot when Sterling was done with his explanation.
With eyes still on the horizon, he only felt the man beside him move closer.
"Promises, promises," he said near his ear then turned to walk away, with a chuckle that was unmistakable.
It was going to be a long two weeks, and yet Eliot was smiling as he followed Sterling to the car. Nothing to say it couldn't also be fun.
