AN: These are not the droids you are looking for--...I mean uh, move along :3[Word Count: 1000]
When the boat finally stilled, Ellis was the first one out, easily jumping the railing to the walkway before the gate opened itself. The Hunter-Billy- found that he rather liked being attached to Ellis' front and repeated his earlier Koala-like attachment; tiny arms curled over Ellis' shoulders, hand clutching at the shirt fabric over his shoulders and legs wound tight around his torso. The mechanic hardly noticed, aside from noting he could now easily get to the weapons strapped on his back without hurting the kid. He didn't notice Nick glaring at his back and if he did, he chose not to acknowledge it.
Billy noticed at the very least and kept a wary eye on the conman from over his new guardian's shoulder, all the while doing his best to stay out of the way whenever Ellis grabbed for another weapon or more supplies. They quickly learned that the child had no problem holding the few extra shots of adrenaline and half-empty bottle of pills they found. He also had something of an ability in finding the extras and was soon prowling next to Ellis' leg, running ahead only to pounce at a bottle of pills, batting it around in a curious manner before stuffing it in the pouch of his hoodie as he'd been shown and returning to the mechanic's side. Ellis, to say the very least, was ecstatic and gave the child a fond pat on the head each time he returned.
The adventure through the plank countryside was…mostly eventless. There was mass relief when the rumble of a Tank was nowhere to be found, and the choking sobs of a Witch were heard in the distance but never pinpointed. Then came the safe room. It hadn't taken long to find the dying lights, they were just enough to signal the room…in a drainage pipe. Nick's complexion paled considerably and he stopped cold, "You have got to be shitting me."
Ellis looked over his shoulder and Billy plopped down by his leg in an exhausted manner, just outside the saferoom, "'Bout what?"
"It's a sewage pipe!" The mechanic gave him a looked that more or less said 'yeah, so?' and Nick twitched, "We aren't staying there. Christ, Coach, tell me we aren't staying there."
"You three are." The large man said in a dry manner. He was already reloading his shotgun, "Ro and I saw a house a bit further down. You an' Ellis stay here with the kid."
Ellis tilted his head scratching just below his cap, "Ya sure y'don't wanna take 'im with ya? He's pretty damn good at findin' stuff."
"Why can't we all go to the damn house?!" Nick seemed to miss the rest of the conversation, still trying desperately to stay out of the pipe.
"Because I don't know if it's safe yet." Coach gave him a finalizing look, "Now. You and Ellis keep an eye out and on each other. We'll be back soon if it's not safe; if it is, I'll come back for you both." Nick looked ready to protest further, but the older man cut off with a warning tone, "Nick…get your ass in the safe house." That being said, he turned and led Rochelle off.
"Safe my ass." Nick mumbled once they were a good deal away and edged towards the pipe. Ellis grinned, picked Billy up and gave Nick a push the rest of the way through the door before pulling it closed.
"C'mon, Nick, it ain't that bad. 'Least the floor's solid, right?"
Nick shot him a dark glare and settled in the driest corner he could find. Billy wiggled his way out of Ellis hold and onto the low table and began emptying the contents from his hoodie, batting curiously at the pill bottles once more. Ellis watched a moment before he settled next to Nick, keeping his voice down, "Y'alright?"
He'd grown used to Nick cringing over his accent and merely smiled when he did this time. The mechanic leaned over, nuzzling at the older man's neck, "C'mon, smile for me?"
"Give me one damn reason to smile in a sewage pipe." Nick mumbled darkly.
"I can give ya three." Ellis offered with a cheeky grin, crawling his way into the man's lap.
Nick regarded him a moment, before a natural smirk crossed his features, "Don't suppose I can convince you to skip one and two?"
Ellis shrugged, cheeky grin still in place, "We got until Coach and Ro get back…I'm all for skippin' foreplay, Mr. Gamblin' Man." That being said, he gave Nick's suit a sharp tug, just enough to pull the jacket loose without snapping the buttons off completely and began working on the blue undershirt. He felt rough hands slide under his shirt, up his sides and the mechanic gave a needy, throaty growl, tugging at Nick's shirt more instantly, "Skippin' one an' two means you focus on the other half, Suit."
"Aw, how cute. Overalls thinks he gets a say in the steps." Nick mumbled, the sarcasm teasing compared to its usual bite; he relented all the same, hands leaving the shirt and moving to fight with the coveralls tied at the younger's waist. He'd barely managed to get the tie undone before there was a growl from the corner and a mass of black and blue was suddenly lodged between them.
Ellis gave a little yelp of surprise; Nick merely glared death and daggers at the child as it latched insistently on Ellis.
"M-mine." He managed to get out in an unsteady voice that was still a close resemblance of a growl. Before Nick could really get past processing the protective claim, Ellis cut him off with a delighted crow and hugged on the Hunter.
"Aw, lookit, Nick! He can talk! Can ya say our names, too? C'mon try it—Ellis and Nick--." If there was anymore, Nick hardly heard it. His focus was on Billy; plotting how to get rid of the brat without alerting Ellis.
Post AN: Dadida~...Yeah orz part 4 will be cranked out eventually! Gotta go attack brother with ideas.
