Warnings: Language.
Disclaimer: This is a work of FanFiction using characters from the Alex Rider series, intellectual property and copyright of Anthony Horowitz.
Ben leant his head back against the shower wall with a sigh. He'd stayed at the unit house for almost a week now. He wouldn't say it to them, but fuck he really did miss them as a team. They hadn't mollycoddled him or even mentioned his most recent tirade. They'd just been there. Well mostly at least. Wolf had insisted on taking up paperwork at SAS HQ London the minute the others had told him Ben was staying with them for the week. He didn't know if he was thankful for it or not. Ben flicked the tap over too cold to force himself to wake up. From the light outside the small bathroom window he guesstimated it to be about 9am and rinsing himself off one more time under the cold spray he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist.
He wiped the mirror off and stared at the reflection looking back at him that still looked tired. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was just getting a bit old. He smiled grimly to himself when he reminded himself he was only 21, before he pulled a towel through his hair and scrubbed it dry, wrapping it around his waist before he walked out of the steamy room.
"Derek, I'm stealing some clothes!" Ben yelled as he crossed the hall. He heard a groan from downstairs and smiled to himself as he walked into the room he'd used for his stay and grabbed a t-shirt and jogging pants. Ben sat on the edge of the bed with a frown on his face, he'd felt better for the sleep. His head had finally stopped hurting like a bitch and he knew that between his unit and Sheath, no matter the discord between them, they'd arranged for the alcohol to be gotten rid of to stop him pushing boundaries that really didn't need to be pushed.
What would happen at the end of the week's stay with the guys he wasn't sure yet.
He didn't leave himself to ponder on it, knowing that doing so would just pull on those tired thoughts of the last five weeks. Instead he pulled the clothes on, throwing the towel on the dirty washing pile that always lingered in the corner of Eagle's room and jogged down the stairs into the kitchen. Snake looked at him with a raised eyebrow and Ben shrugged before he moved straight to the coffee machine.
"Going for a run?" the medic asked. Ben turned with the cup of coffee halfway to his mouth and a surprised look. "You're dressed for it."
"I wasn't planning on it and I haven't got trainers." He wiggled his socked toes. "Could be an idea though. It's been a while."
"I've got spares. 10's right?"
"Yeah." Ben agreed. Snake disappeared into the hall and rummaged in the resident pile of shoes by the door for a second before he threw a pair at Ben's feet with a smirk. Ben kicked them over to one of the chairs at the table and sat down, pulling them on his feet quickly. He glanced up when Snake popped two Ibuprofen on the table. Ben took them without complaint knowing they would prevent the muscle pain he would undoubtedly have after the first run in almost three months and he ran a hand through his wet hair. The medic was watching him carefully and Ben just gave him a small half smile combined with a shrug.
"Go on." Snake nodded towards the front door. Ben finished the last of his coffee quickly and grabbed Eagle's iPod from the side. He stopped in the doorway and turned back to see Snake sat reading the morning newspaper.
"Thanks Quinn."
He didn't stay to see the smile that he received in response and instead jogged down the hall and out onto the street.
Ben knocked on the door an hour later feeling like he'd just run a marathon. He leant over with a hand on each knee as he saw someone approaching the door through the frosted glass panels. It was pulled open by Snake who just raised an eyebrow and chuckled as he walked in the front door.
"All that desk work has made you lazy." Snake teased. Ben flipped him off and walked into the kitchen. Snake sat back in his normal chair with a relatively fresh cup of coffee in his hand as Ben pushed himself up onto one of the counters next to the fridge and reached over to grab a bottle of water. He winced slightly at the twinge in his legs.
"Give us a couple more of those Ibuprofen will you?" Ben asked. Snake threw the box over from the cupboard behind him and Ben caught them, popping two in his mouth and swallowing them with a mouthful of the water.
"Guess you don't feel better then.
"No. My feet are going to fall off."
"Did you cooldown?" Snake asked.
"If you count one push up from where I pretty much fell over at the front door, then yeah." Ben responded with a smirk, "It'll be better when I go tomorrow."
"Maybe cut the time a bit or run with Derek. He's a good paceman."
"Run with Derek?" Ben echoed with a disbelieving expression, "Quinn, are you trying to make me suicidal?" Snake just laughed and took a drink from his cup. Ben frowned and peered into the lounge from where he was sat, "Where is he anyway?"
"Gone out somewhere. Knowing him, probably for food of some kind."
Ben nodded slowly not believing a word of it, he knew awkward questions were coming his way. But then, he supposed he didn't really mind. He was more relaxed than he had been in weeks. "So you told him to go out so we could talk?"
"Pretty much." Snake agreed, "How's that fitness schedule we made up when you left?"
"Great, I look the best I have done in my very short life." Ben replied sarcastically. He slid off the counter and sat in one of the chairs with his bottle of water, "It was alright for the first few months, then stuff started happening and it kind of went downhill to the point my feet now hurt after one run."
Snake rolled his eyes, "Just pick it up again, you've lost a bit of mass especially the last few weeks. Train with one of us if you need too. Do Special Operations do fitness tests?"
"Yeah of course, just nothing like SAS stuff. I did the SO one straight after getting back from Croatia with no issue at all." Ben took a drink from his bottle, "Grab a glass please."
"Is it just sprints and stuff?" Snake asked with a frown as he grabbed a glass from the cupboard behind him easily and passed it over.
"Yeah, not so much core strength or combat skill." Ben agreed as he grabbed some ice from the freezer and another bottle of water from the fridge. "They do training, it's just nothing new for me. Right now I'm well below what I want for myself attainment wise, but then I guess I wrecked myself pretty bad for the last 12 weeks."
"12?" Snake asked quickly. Ben nodded,
"Six back here after Croatia with a lot of alcohol, six on assignment."
"We've all been there." Snake said gently. Ben shrugged, "Some more than others."
"I do like my alcohol for coping though, let's be honest." Ben stretched his arms in front of him, "And don't say "oh you're young" it's not really an excuse."
"Who cares? As long as it's not excessive, which this time it was." Snake shrugged, "Besides, I hadn't even realised how out of it you were."
"Fucking Monica." Ben muttered. Snake smiled lightly and he leant forwards,
"Serious question, I'm not taking the piss are you and her-"
"Fucking hell no." Ben said with a shake of his head quickly, "Never have, never will. She's just good to be around. Very positive and funny."
"Seems quite clever too." Snake said as he folded the paper. Ben nodded taking a sip from the glass, as Snake looked at him seriously. "Bit too clever to be someone you just happened to meet in a coffee shop."
"I knew you would realise." Ben said with a smirk, "I fucking knew it. How long have you known for?"
"Since she turned up at ours. She seemed a bit too clued on with what was up with you for it to be a coincidence. Also, I know very few people with enough balls to tell Wolf to shut the fuck up."
"She did that?" Ben asked with a small smile.
"She was worried after she brought you back from the hospital, said she'd clear up all the shit overnight and sort you out for morning but that was the most she could do."
"You have her number now don't you?" Ben asked with a sigh.
"Just in case." Snake agreed with a smug smirk, "Anyway, as long as you have someone to talk to in that "shit show" I don't really care. It's your session soon right?"
Ben looked up at the clock and swore as he jumped out of his seat and ran to the stairs, giving Snake a small smile before he ran up to the shower.
Ben looked around at the busy Costa coffee store that was opposite the Royal & General bank. It was full of suits and high class shoppers taking a break at the busiest time of day. He'd already seen a couple of people he knew walk through the door and it was with a practiced eye that he watched them all do the same thing when they walked in. Scanning the room before joining the queue, not stopping in the act until they engaged with the hostess who would receive a warm pleasant smile and probably the best customer interaction she'd have of any of the clients she'd see throughout the day. There was one agent who walked in though that didn't bother with the act. Ben smirked as she joined the back of the queue chatting on her phone the entire time, even while ordering the coffee and completely ignoring the put out look upon the hostess' face as she paid by card. The phone was always hung up as the drinks were placed on the tray and Ben watched as Sheath turned and made her way over to their normal booth that he'd snagged in the corner before it had gotten too busy. He didn't miss that the grin was hesitant today and he watched with a somewhat disappointed face as she placed both coffees on the table and slumped into her chair with a sigh.
"How mad are you at me?" she asked edgily.
"Really mad." Ben agreed with a straight face, "Both at the fact you managed to obtain their address illegally and that you stole not only my phone but my car as well."
"I made you a bacon sandwich to say sorry!" she said quickly with a frown on her face, it morphed into an apologetic look and Ben felt his face twist into a smile as he let out a laugh at her. He didn't miss the look of relief on her face as she ripped open two packets of sweetener as drained them into her coffee.
"You're a real wanker sometimes Daniels you know that?"
"Says the world's biggest bitch by self-admission." He said with a smirk, "Come on Sheathy, you have to let me get an awkward apologetic look out of you sometimes. It's so rare."
Sheath raised an eyebrow and let out a huff of laughter as she stirred her coffee. "So how you doing?"
"Better." Ben admitted as he took a drink from his cup, "Thanks by the way, you uh, didn't need to clean up the mess."
"Don't mention it. Just make sure you repay the favour the day I fall into a drunken state yeah?"
"Nah I'm going to leave you to get mind raped by Huhne." Ben responded sarcastically. Sheath laughed into her coffee and coughed gently to clear her throat before looking at him.
"What times your session today?"
"In about half hour." Ben shrugged. "Hopefully I won't be escorted out in a straightjacket."
Sheath smiled down at the table and shook her head, "You'll be fine."
"Yeah the guys are good at sorting this sort of shit."
"Mhmm, with that idiot running around I can see it must be real good for your mental state."
"Derek," Ben emphasised with a pointed look, "Isn't that bad. He's can just be a bit hectic."
"He's ginger. Of course he can be hectic. They're all a little strange." She responded with a smirk. Ben just smiled and shook his head.
"I don't get what's with you two." Ben took a sip from his coffee, "They're convinced we're a thing by the way."
Sheath blanched behind her cup, and she smothered a laugh behind her hand. "Seriously?"
Ben hummed his agreement, his own smile coming onto his face. Sheath rolled her eyes. "SAS aren't known for their imagination."
"I can tell." She responded, picking up her phone when it beeped on the table. Ben had the manners to look away and he glanced at the Bank they were sat over the road from. He took a deep breath as his mind drifted back to what, or rather who, was going to be appearing on his doorstep within the week and he felt himself somewhat deflate. He turned his head back to see her looking at him curiously and he leant forwards in his chair and rested his forearms on the table holding the cup between his fingers with a frown.
"Want a chill out night tonight?" Ben asked simply. Sheath reciprocated the movement with a serious face.
"Nice cover. What's up?" Sheath asked with a frown. Ben shook his head slightly.
"Just need an unbiased opinion on some things, plus a movie and takeaway could be good."
"No alcohol." Sheath insisted, Ben rolled his eyes before he nodded. "Then yeah sure. One other condition, we watch Kingsman." Sheath stated, Ben let out a huff and laughter and nodded. Even though they'd watched it more than once.
"The things I put up with as your friend." Ben murmured,
"Eggsy is fit. It's not my fault." Sheath smirked, "Anyway, one for you on table 10."
Ben glanced over discretely and snorted into his coffee at the blonde woman dressed fully in pink with a Chihuahua in her bag on the table. He still didn't know how she managed to realise that woman was there without scanning the same as everyone else.
"She is kind of hot actually." Ben said seriously. Sheath gave him a deranged look and flicked her finger against his forehead. "You do realise, if I flicked your wrist like that it would probably snap right?"
"You'd have to catch me first."
Ben watched her as she glanced at the door when it opened, she gave the new comer a warm smile and wave, Ben glanced over to see one of the agents they'd both trained with early on. The man gave them both a curt nod before joining the queue the same as most others that came in here from the building over the road. Ben just watched her with an amused expression at her demeanour,
"You are the weirdest Suit I know." He whispered. Sheath grinned at him.
"Thanks." She put her phone in her bag quickly and placed the almost empty cup on the table. "So mine or yours tonight?"
"I don't really want to go to mine. Can we do yours?"
"Yeah that works. I'll be home at 8ish. You going to bring your car so I can get it listed?" Ben nodded as the woman drained her mug and nodded to the bank, "I best get back. I'm fairly sure Jones will carve my heart out with a teaspoon if I don't get something worthwhile on a desk soon." She stood and picked up her bag, Ben smirked as she smoothed her shirt with a disdainful look down. "Fucking Suits. See you."
"See you later." Ben agreed, and he took another sip of his coffee as she walked out of the coffee shop and ran across the road at a speed he was vaguely surprised at considering the heels she was wearing. He smiled to himself and shook his head as he drained the last of his drink. He left a tip on the table and walked out ensuring to cross at a different part of the road and enter through the other revolving door as he went for his remedial with Huhne.
"How'd remedial go?" Snake called as Ben entered through the door that evening. He kicked his shoes off into the pile with the rest of them and threw his keys on the side with the others before he walked through to the lounge. He smiled at the occupants of the room and dropped his bag to the floor, feeling the smile falter slightly as Wolf looked around at him.
"Yeah, well." Ben said simply. He could feel Wolf still watching him as he slumped down on the sofa next to Eagle.
"You look better." Wolf acknowledged. Ben gave him a nod of acceptance and Eagle grabbed the remote from the side.
"Movie?" he offered, Ben glanced at the clock on the wall and shrugged.
"I'm going out in an hour. Makes no difference to me."
"Where you going?" Eagle asked quickly. Ben considered not saying. They'd seemed to have gotten it into a routine of taking the piss. Apparently he waited too long to say anything. "Eugh. Again. Really Ben, put her down already. It's disgusting."
Ben rolled his head onto the back of the sofa with a groan, "She's a friend. I've told you this."
"He won't believe you." Snake stated with a grin. Ben glared at him.
"I think Fox has got himself into a pickle with the oompa loompa lady." Eagle explained gesturing with the remote in wide circles in the air, "You have yourself an issue of unrequited love. You should squash it."
"What?" Ben asked with a raised eyebrow. Eagle looked at him carefully his face splitting into understanding and he tilted his head to one side with a curious look.
"Oh she's got you under the thumb." Eagle announced.
"Blowjobs." Snake supplied with a sage mocking nod. Ben just looked between the two of them and shook his head with a deranged look.
"Or is it anal?" Eagle asked with a calculating look. Ben snatched the remote from Eagle's hand and yanked the guy that was blocking the view of the TV back onto the sofa.
"Just because you two have never had either." Ben returned offhandedly as he started to look for something to watch. Eagle looked to Snake curiously.
"Both then." Snake deduced. Eagle nodded eagerly. Ben just groaned and threw the remote at Snake who caught it easily, grinning at him as he slumped back on the sofa.
"I don't know why I put up with you idiots." Ben muttered with a smile on his face that slipped as Wolf walked out of the room without a word. He heard as a glass was placed in the sink, before the man's footsteps echoed through from the hallway and as he trampled up the stairs. Ben looked up at the ceiling with a frown as a door closed and he looked back down to see Snake watching him carefully.
"He's not mad anymore." Snake said. Ben rubbed the back of his neck with a shrug.
"Regardless, I'll be back at mine tomorrow night. It'll get a bit less awkward here for you then at least."
"You're always welcome here." Eagle said as he threw his feet up on the coffee table in front of the sofa, "This place is half mine."
"I'll sort it." Ben murmured, "Just let me be out of the way, I don't really want him doing something he'd regret."
"Well, I'm figuring you won't be staying here tonight." Eagle said with a shrug, "Just make sure not to get love juice on my jeans- "
Ben growled and lunged at him. Snake just dragged the coffee table away with his foot from where the pair fell to the floor wrestling, before he leant back in his chair, threw his feet up on the newly claimed table and picked what to watch on TV.
Ben pulled the car up to the front of the block of flats and passed his keys to the valet as he climbed out, he gave the man a smile as he climbed in and drove his car away. He looked at the front entrance that was pouring light out onto the street before he jogged up the steps, giving another smile to the security guard as the man nodded his head and Ben pushed through the revolving glass door into the expansive lobby. He knew he was being followed in this particular block of flats. When you had this many agents residing in one block, it would have been stupid to not have the highest security. He gave the receptionist a slight wave before he walked briskly over to the lifts and pushed the call button. He spared a glance behind him to see one of the security cameras pointing at him and he sighed. He knew how this worked, your car registration was scanned before you even pulled up outside the building. It was then confirmed as a visitor by the valet man. If it was an unknown number plate it sent a small alarm to the security guards outside. In the case of a delivery, the packages were taken on the door and taken up to the room by one of the staff inside the building, if not you were asked for ID and who you were visiting this would all be checked prior to being allowed admittance to the apartments from the 3rd floor up.
He stepped inside the lift, that much like the one at the bank had an ornate design to it and as the doors slid closed behind him, he heard the same mechanical whir that would be scanning for weapons of any sort. He had none on him today, but prior he had been asked for his agent ID for his firearm. Today there was none of that. He was off active duty and when that happened your weapons were left in your locker. Or so they wished. Ben knew every agent had at least one in their home in case it was needed. You made enough contacts to be able to obtain one easily enough.
The lift dinged for floor 23 and he walked along the hallway and knocked on a familiar door with a casual hand. He saw one man come out from a door further down the hall. The man looked at him carefully before he nodded and walked towards the lifts. He lifted his hand to knock again as the door swung open carelessly, Sheath grinned at him already out of the suit and in a pair of jeans and a simple print t-shirt even though he guessed she'd only just got in by the bag and jacket thrown on the breakfast bar.
"Shut the door." She called over her shoulder as she moved straight towards the kitchen. Ben just smiled to himself as he stepped inside, shutting the door and kicking his shoes off. "Want a drink?"
"What you got?" he asked as he shrugged his jacket off.
"Non-alcoholic beer?" Ben stopped and looked at her with a deranged look, "I like beer but try not to drink on weeknights."
"That'll do, weirdo." Ben commented with a smirk, as he walked over to the sofa in the right hand side of the large room. He slumped on his end that was closest to the wall and he watched as she popped the caps and walked over with both bottles in one hand, passing him his and she slumped into the opposite corner of the sofa. "Good day at work?"
"Boring. People in that dump just don't know how to take a joke." She responded taking a swig from her bottle of Pils. "How was your session?"
"Annoying." Ben admitted, "I have to have dailies this week."
Sheath cringed, "How come?"
"I can tell you if you know how to keep quiet." Ben returned with a serious look. Sheath frowned but nodded nonetheless, "The guy that bled all over my lounge is going to be lodging with me."
He watched as the woman blinked, the frown deepening slightly before she looked at him, "What?"
"And that was my exact reaction." Ben said with a smirk, "I have no clue why."
"There's got to be a reason for it though." She commented, "You work with him?"
"Well, yeah a few times." Ben admitted, "It's not like he's my best friend or anything. In fact I think even saying we're friends is a stretch."
"Not exactly your type Daniels?" She asked with a smile. Ben let out a huff of laughter and shook his head.
"We don't get on all that well. It's a weird situation." Ben explained as he took a drink from his bottle, "You know when you work with someone and you can get on with them okay, but you kind of wish you didn't work with them?"
"Yeah." She agreed, Ben nodded.
"That. I mean it's nice enough on assignment, few jokes, bit of pointless chat. But aside from mission Alex I don't know him at all."
"Alex is his name?" she asked. Ben nodded quickly, "Well, there was a point where I didn't know you. Or where you didn't know your unit."
"Yeah this is different though. I don't know if I want to know him better." Ben said slowly, he rolled his bottle between his hands thoughtfully, "With you and the guys it just kind of happened, like we spoke and that friendship was there. With Alex it's not like that."
"Is it you or him stopping it?" She asked carefully. Ben shrugged,
"I don't know. All I know is last time I had any contact with him outside of an assignment it didn't go so well."
"Well, that's not good. What happened?" Sheath asked with a frown at her beer.
"I tried to offer him some advice and he pretty much told me to go fuck myself." Ben said with a small huff of laughter. Sheath beside him grinned, "Yeah I know, I probably would've done the same thing. But he's young you know, he shouldn't be an Agent."
"How young is young?" Sheath asked with a raised eyebrow. Ben cringed,
"14 when I first met him two and half years ago."
Ben watched as the woman's eyebrows rose in surprise and she gave a low whistle, "Well, shit."
"Exactly. Which is why I tried to speak with him the last time I saw him." Ben explained he frowned when he saw Sheath gave him a deranged look accompanied by a smirk, "What?"
"You tried to speak to someone who is only four years younger than you and tell them they were too young to do the same job as you?" Ben clicked his teeth together and pinched his lips in thought, "Seriously, then you wonder why he went off on one at you."
"He is too young though." Ben said quickly, Sheath shrugged.
"And how would you of reacted in the same setting?"
"I probably would have told me to go fuck myself." Ben muttered before he took another long drink from his bottle. "I think I should've spoken to Quinn about this."
"I'm just being honest with you, if you didn't want me to analyse it you would have spoken with him."
Ben didn't respond to that, he didn't really need too and the woman stood as she drained her bottle to grab another beer from the fridge. The truth was he'd considered speaking with Snake first. Purely because he knew the medic would be honest with what he had to do. But in the end the woman that was popping caps off the top of the beer would be brutally honest and still have a non-biased opinion on Alex. He also wasn't so short-sighted to realise that his own thoughts weren't completely unbiased, in fact they were anything but and as much as he was sure she'd be able to pick out the real underlying issue that would probably be somewhat harsh to his ears. He needed to know what it was.
Ben looked up when he felt a bottle being placed in his hand and he took it quickly, finishing his first and placing the empty on the table.
"Alright." Ben said, "I'll admit I came here because I need your help."
"I know." Sheath smirked as she took a drink, "So go on."
"I don't know what I'm thinking right now." Ben explained slowly, turning to look her with a frown. "Like I know what's there it just doesn't make sense and then I think of something else that completely negates the original thought. It's really hard to explain and it makes me sound kind of crazy."
He glanced to see that she was watching him carefully as she took a drink, but she didn't make to say anything.
"It's just things like I'm glad he's alive but I'd rather he never came back. I'm glad I work with him, but I would rather I didn't have too. I know he's good at it, but I'd rather he wasn't doing it at all." Ben said slowly as he thought of but a few of the things he'd thought of over the last 5 weeks. "It's just really fucking complicated."
"It is," Sheath agreed, "Working with people you care about is a pain in the ass."
"I don't care about him." Ben laughed, Sheath gave him a disdainful look. "There's a difference between care and concern Sheathy. I'm concerned he could die while he's working with me. It's more like a shareholder would be bothered by their investment going to shit."
"Okay so you are concerned about him." Sheath amended with a smirk, "So why?"
"Because there's a high chance it could be my fault." Ben admitted, he watched as she narrowed her eyes at him, "Don't look at me like that."
"You think this is your fault?" She asked with surprise in her voice. Ben rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, "Daniels come on, be rational here, there is no way this is your fault."
"Rationally I know that." He said firmly, "I do. Rationally. But there's just this thing that it doesn't connect somewhere. I could have refused orders or something."
"Well I'm glad you didn't because who the fuck would I speak too when they sacked you." Sheath muttered, "Really though, it's not your fault. Orders are orders and he must have agreed to do the assignments. That part of the choice is completely out of your hands."
"Orders suck." Ben muttered, Sheath smiled slightly beside him. "I do wish he'd never come back though. And that is completely selfish."
"Not really, you feel guilty. The object of your guilt goes away, when it comes back naturally you are going to want it to not have." Sheath took a bit of her drink, "Do you feel guilty because you enjoy the work when you are with him?"
"A bit, but that dulls a bit each time." Ben admitted, he rolled his bottle between his hands again, "It's more when he gets hurt because of something I could have stopped or because of a decision he made like six weeks ago."
"Well would it help if you knew him better, that way you could know why he made that decision or whatever?" She asked curiously. Ben looked at her for a second before he shook his head,
"I don't think that's a good idea. I work with him you aren't meant to have an emotional attachment to people you work with here." Ben explained as he leant his head back on the sofa, "I mean if we worked together and someone wanted to shoot me would you stop it?"
"Fuck no." Sheath responded, Ben mock glared at her, "I'm joking. Of course I would."
"And if you couldn't?"
"Then I'd have to accept it and work through it. It would be harder than if it was just another Suit from the workplace, but there wouldn't have been anything I could do to change it." She shrugged, Ben frowned and looked down at his bottle. "You're four years younger than me as well by the way."
"Three and a half." Ben countered, Sheath raised an eyebrow at him, "But I get what you're saying."
"Thing is Daniels," Sheath said as she tucked her feet up under her on the sofa and turned towards him, "You are thinking of a situation that might not ever materialise. I don't know what you've done in the past or what you've landed yourself in, but trying to pre-empt something like this just doesn't work. You just have to make the most of what you have and accept that people in this company will make debatable decisions they think are right. Such as Alex has."
"Doesn't mean I have to be happy with them." Ben responded as he lifted his head from the back of the sofa. "I don't like these conversations with you, you're so blunt."
"Well I could lie to you and tell you to continue the way you are, but I don't particularly want to turn up at yours every time you get back to find you slumped on a sofa with a bottle in your hand."
"That was uncalled for." Ben muttered as he heard the sharp tone, Sheath looked at him seriously.
"Not really. If you think people are just going to stop caring about you because you feel bad, you're seriously deranged."
"Yeah I know that." Ben agreed quietly, he flicked the top of his bottle thoughtfully, "Why did you go to my unit?"
"Because they know how to deal with you like that. I don't. I can tell you a stupid joke and I can clean your house but it wouldn't really solve anything in the long run."
"Well I came here today," Ben commented offhandedly, the woman smiled beside him, "You're better at this than you realise."
"Thanks, but really, I haven't said anything you didn't already know. I've just been your mirror." Ben looked at her seriously and he thought back over the conversation. He took a sip of his beer and let out a huff of laughter, she smiled slightly at him. "Sometimes we just need to hear someone say out loud the things we already know." She commented with a smile. "So tell me what this Alex looks like. I'm intrigued."
"He's a bit young for you."
"Please. I look like I'm 16 it'll be fine," She responded with a smirk. Ben laughed at that and shook his head,
"You're fucking unbelievable sometimes you know that?" Ben commented as he stood to grab a couple more beers, Sheath watched him and he glanced over the top of the fridge door, "What do you want to know?"
"As much as you do." she said quickly. Ben frowned.
"Well he's couple of inches shorter than me, blonde hair, brown eyes- "
"Muscles?" Sheath asked with a grin, Ben laughed as he removed the caps off two bottles.
"Smaller build than me, lithe I guess is the best way to explain it." He commented as he shrugged and walked back over to the sofas. "Bit quiet but when he does speak it tends to be pretty sardonic. Clever. Annoyingly so in fact."
"Sounds like I might have a new favourite spy." Sheath commented as she took the bottle with a grin. Ben mock glared at her, "So what other stuff?"
"I don't know." Ben replied she gave him a disbelieving look, "Well I found out he has no family the other day but that was from Jones."
"That's kind of sad." Sheath commented. Ben nodded once, "How many assignments have you done with him?"
"Six." Ben responded as he took a drank from his bottle, "We don't really discuss anything outside of assignment business. That's why I'm worried about this crap."
"Well from what you've just said, he doesn't sound the sort to tell someone to go fuck themselves like he did before you worked with him." Sheath said simply. Ben looked at her with a frown,
"No I guess not." Ben agreed, his eyes opened in realisation and groaned letting his head flop back onto the sofa, "I said something to him about his life being with his family. Not with MI6"
"Ah." Sheath said simply. "That is uh, difficult."
"Wow." Ben murmured, "I'm such an idiot."
"Yes. Yes you are." Sheath commented carefully. Ben looked at her sharply. "What? Your words not mine."
"No wonder he went off on one." Ben frowned to himself and lifted his head to look at her, "How do I fix this?"
"You don't." She said with a shrug, "When he gets to yours just act like it was anyone else. I highly doubt he wants any special treatment because he has dead parents. Your biggest issue is going to be getting over your own restrictive thought process to be able to do that."
"Could just treat it like an assignment." Ben commented before he groaned at the knowing smile on her face "You knew that from when I first said I worked with him didn't you."
"Maybe." She replied with a smirk,
"I hate you."
"No you don't. Now when can I meet him?" she asked with a grin, Ben gave her a horrified expression.
"Fuck that. You two would drive me batshit crazy."
Sheath laughed and she shook her head, "It's in my best interests to keep you sane Daniels. I have to have something to look at in the office."
Ben rolled his eyes and let out a huff of laughter. "How long you off field for?"
"I'm being deployed next week." Ben felt a small frown on his forehead and the corresponding pang of worry. She tilted her bottle at him, "There's that, what did you call it, concern again Daniels."
"Fuck off." Ben murmured as she laughed. He took a drink from his bottle. "Where you off too?"
"Sao Paulo." She returned with a shrug, "Should be nice. Yay for sunshine."
"Yay for drugs and gang wars?" Ben offered, Sheath laughed again.
"Not quite. But that sounds badass we'll settle for that. Movie and food time now?"
"Sounds good. You order, I'll sort the movie?" Sheath nodded and got up to get the phone from the kitchen counter. Ben watched her go with a small smile, "Sheathy?"
"Hmm?"
"Not a word." Her face fell into a blank confused expression and tilted to the side. Ben mused how she looked like a lost kid and he laughed.
"About what?"
"Exactly."
Ben eased the door of the units house open quietly. It was 6am and he wasn't game for another round of piss taking after managing to gain a sore neck from where he'd fallen asleep on Sheath's sofa. He crept down the hall and into the kitchen flicking the coffee machine on with one hand, he spun on the spot when the light came on above his head and Eagle was stood with his arms crossed over his chest.
"Well look what the Fox dragged in." he commented. Ben just gave him a pointed look and went back to making the coffee. Eagle sat in one of the chairs at the table with a smirk, "Good night?"
"Yeah." Ben replied as he turned with a straight face, "Watched a movie, ate takeaway and fell asleep on the sofa."
Ben could feel the disbelieving look on his back and he made two cups of coffee without turning around to look at it. He turned and placed one on the table when they were done.
"Want to come for a run with me today?" Ben asked. Eagle tilted his head sideways. "I want a paceman. I feel slow."
Eagle shrugged, "Why not? Not got anything better to do until we're cleared."
"How long is that going to be?" Ben asked with a frown. Eagle just shook his head,
"Who knows. How long is a piece of string? They'll send us all to HQ in a month or so though for office hours."
"Well that's going to suck." Ben commented, Eagle nodded quickly. "You're going to have to wear a suit."
"Don't remind me. I hate those things." The red head took a sip of his drink. "Are you clear yet?"
"Nah of course not. I don't think I'm even going to make their deadline for Cub's residency."
"Well that's not a bad thing right?" Eagle asked curiously. Ben shrugged.
"Don't know." He looked thoughtful for a second, "They'll probably still proceed with it anyway. Besides, how bad can it be? The worst thing that happens is he is just someone living under my roof and we don't talk."
"Sounds like the situation Wolf takes with him whenever he rooms with someone." Ben laughed and Eagle watched him carefully as the smile fell away quickly. "It will get sorted you know. You were both drinking that night and you were angry."
"I know. I'd just rather it never happened in the first place. I should have more self-control than that." Ben explained, he glanced up as he heard familiar heavy footsteps on the stairs and he stood up quickly, not wanting to get into a confrontation with Wolf before his morning coffee. "Going to get changed for that run."
"Run, Fox, run." Eagle said with a laugh as Ben ducked into the lounge and waited for Wolf to reach the coffee machine before he disappeared out of the other lounge door and straight upstairs shooting a quick grin at Eagle who watched the route with an amused expression.
Ben pushed his own front door open for the first time in a week and he dropped his keys onto the hook below the hall mirror with a familiar gesture. He kicked his shoes to the corner behind the door before walking through to the lounge. He stood in the doorway for a minute, staring at the spot on the floor where the young spy had been and between the slats of wood he could see the blood. He swallowed heavily and looked around the rest of the room. The blood had been cleaned from the wall beside him, but it hadn't come off completely. He grimaced and pulled the door shut to the lounge before he walked into the kitchen and sat down heavily in one of the chairs. He'd have to get a TV in the kitchen he figured and he leant his head back over the chair with a sigh.
The first thing he noticed about the house was how empty it was, and he wondered if after Alex had stayed, he should look at getting something smaller, at most a two bedroom and preferably a flat. He looked around the kitchen carefully, spotting the glass box that was tucked in the corner full with bottles. He walked over to it with a frown on his face and peered at the multitude of bottles, all whiskey that glistened under the kitchen light. He sighed and reached a hand out to flick the kettle on. He had known coming back here wasn't going to be good, and he knew that a good portion of his actions following Alex's unexpected return were shock but the fact that just not being able to think was available from the store down the road was a tempting one.
He shook that thought away immediately. He took a deep breath to try to assuage the mood the house had put him in and the memory it evoked. He made a cup of coffee before he headed up the stairs to get one of the spare rooms into a decent state for the arrival of his special guest. Ben frowned when he realised he didn't even know when Alex was due to be getting here yet, but he mentally shrugged as it gave him something to do.
He paused at the top of the stairs and looked at the two rooms available. One was at the front of the house, that was the smallest, the other was at the back. Ben pursed his lips together and glanced into the room at the back that had a double bed and a computer thrown in the corner with a bunch of messy files on the desk. He sighed to himself and knowing which one would be better suited, he started disconnecting the computer and moving all his work junk into the room at the front.
It took almost 6 hours for all the stuff to be moved and set up in the opposite room for work, and as he threw the newly quilted duvet onto the double bed he let out a long breath. It was almost 1am and as the dregs of the exhaustion he'd been suffering since his "self-punishment" raked at his eyes, he pulled the door closed and headed for his own room. He pulled off his clothes and climbed under the duvet. He stared up at the ceiling, very aware of which room was under his and what had happened there. He forced his eyes closed, not wanting to fall back into bad habits and begged for sleep to take him.
Bzzz
Ben awoke to the sound of his phone ringing against the mattress the next morning with a frown. He glanced at the clock on the phone and let out a deep breath
"Sheathy." he greeted sleepily. He heard her laugh.
"Daniels. I woke you."
"Mhmm." Ben agreed as he nudged his head into his pillow with a sleepy smile.
"You sound remarkably cute right now."
"Sheathy. If you called just to wake me up, I'm never speaking to you again." Ben growled as he rolled onto his back.
"Of course not," there was a pause, "I bring you news."
"Hmm?"
"Your roommate is awake and is due to be discharged in a week."
Ben blinked owlishly at the ceiling, trying to figure out what she meant. "Oh. How'd you know?"
"Message for Jones. Just about to deliver it to her now."
"So, were you meant to call me?" he asked. There was a pause.
"No– oh shit got to go."
Ben yanked the phone away from his ear when the dial tone blared from it, and he just looked at his phone conspiratorially and the time that showed 8am. Four hours sleep. Ben groaned and pulled the duvet back up over his head with one hand as he twisted onto his side. He made a mental note to murder the woman at more reasonable time of the day.
He stopped when he realised that meant another five days here on his own, he groaned and rolled onto his back once again. He pulled his phone up in front of his face and squinted at it before he pushed call on a familiar number. He put the phone on the pillow and twisted his head rather than hold his arms up and they flopped back onto the mattress with a thud.
"Morning Foxy." Ben wondered why he'd decided to call Eagle this time of morning with his chirpy voice.
"Make a space for me man, I'm coming back for a few days." Ben murmured into the speaker. There was a pause and he waited trying to stop his eyes from closing.
"Everything alright? Do you need me to pick you up?"
"Mhmm, that would be cool."
"Alright. See you in an hour."
"Bye." Ben muttered as he stared up at the ceiling blinking slowly. He pulled the duvet over his head again, deciding to get a couple of minutes before the door would undoubtedly be bashed off its hinges.