618 words of Ed analyzing his rookie. Set mid-season 2.
Written for my 2019 Summer Prompt Challenge on Ao3.
The End is Nigh
Ed didn't know nearly as much about Sam as he did the rest of the team. He'd read his file, gotten a few blunt facts from the man himself, but Sam played things close to the vest. So when he admitted that his girlfriend was breaking up with him, Ed was… well, shocked wasn't quite right.
It was a revelatory moment. Little pieces fell into place. The way Sam looked at Jules, their jokes, even the fact that he always walked in within 3 minutes of Jules showing up.
The part that was shocking was that he didn't really care. The breach of protocol, the risks - none of it really mattered when Sam looked like a lost kid, heart on his sleeve, bleeding all over the place.
He didn't look much better when he met Ed for that drink. Spike and Lew had tagged along last minute, happy to lend moral support in the form of beers and games of pool. Ed sat at the table with Sam, watching the kid plaster on smiles and tell jokes.
"So how often are you actually happy at work?"
"What?" Sam's head whipped sideways, forehead creased as he looked at Ed. "What're you talking about?"
Ed gestured towards Spike and Lew, "I'm talking about you downplaying your own feelings to make other people comfortable." Sam blinked at him. "It's a bad habit."
"I don't... I mean, I just…" Sam scratched the back of his head, focused on his beer. "I'm happy, with work I mean. I like it."
"You like shooting at bad guys and kicking in doors," Ed shook his head, took a swig of his beer.
"No." Sam's forehead was creased again. His fingers traced lines over the condensation on his beer. "I like after. When we see people, saved, with their loved ones. The reunions."
Ed nodded, eyes zeroing in on the frown that was forming on Sam's face. "That's a reason to wake up in the morning I suppose." Sam shrugged. "Not as good as a pretty girl."
"Yeah, well," Sam's chuckle was just this side of bitter, "I've never been good at keeping the, uh, personal happiness side of my life going."
"You're not alone in that." Ed took another drink, tried not to think of Greg too loudly. He had his own issues from time to time, but a smile from Sophie? That usually put things in perspective.
Sam opened his mouth to say something, but a funeral durge sounded from his cell phone and both his mouth and his eyes closed. He took a breath through his nose before pulling out his phone.
"Why is THAT your ringtone?" Spike appeared with a scrunched up brow and arms flung wide in question.
"It's not a ringtone, it's a warning siren." Sam muttered as he flipped the phone open. The ringtone cut off. "Yes, sir?" There were several more of those and very little else before Sam closed his phone again.
Spike poked at Sam's arm when the kid face planted into his palms. "What was that?" Spike looked over at Ed, eyebrow raised.
"The general." Sam pushed his hand through his hair, sitting back up. He looked at Ed, face long and eyes blank, "I need to take some personal time?"
Ed paused with his beer halfway to his house. He had not expected that, "Why?"
"I've been summoned." Sam nodded towards his phone, still sitting on the table. Ed looked over Sam's shoulder - Spike raised his hands, starting backing away. Lee didn't even bother making eye contact.
Ah. Somehow, Sam having issues with his dad was the least surprising thing he'd ever learned about the blond.
"Need the official request by 9am."
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