A/N: Prompt: habits and rituals
Genre: canon
Word count: between 300 to 350 words
Title: If I Never See You Again
Summary: Eames had plugged in his own IV line countless times. So why was it so difficult this time?
Arthur handled PASIV lines like they were part of his arm. He was the one who maintained the machine, rolled the lines away each time, disposed of sharps in the appropriate containers. Neat, efficient, self-assured from years of familiarity with the work and a well-earned confidence.
Eames licked his lips, his brain screaming about how stupid this was, how it went against everything in his personal code, how there wasn't enough money in the world. He'd had years of familiarity too, but suddenly the needle didn't want to slide home, like it didn't want him to go down another level, either.
Then Arthur's clever fingers were there, pulling the line out of his sweaty grip and running one calloused thumb over the skin on the inside of his wrist.
"Security's going to run you down hard," Eames said, just to see the quirk of Arthur's mouth. It was the first thing Arthur had ever said to him, from the first job they'd worked. Eames was already so gone for him, even then; he just hadn't known it at the time.
"And I will lead them on a merry chase," Arthur replied, throwing his own words back at him as he focused on threading the needle into Eames' vein on the first try.
Eames chuckled through the lump in his throat, letting his head fall back in defeat, thumping hard on the floor underneath him. His eyelids shut over the wetness behind them, refusing to admit to such weakness in front of Arthur. He might not be coming back. Of all the jobs, over all the years, this one might be his undoing. He forced his eyes open once more, determined his last view be one of the point man hovering over him.
"Be back before the kick," he said, and he didn't know if it was a request or a promise.
Arthur smirked and met his eyes, confidence in every line of his body. He'd done this a hundred times. "Go to sleep, Mr. Eames."
He closed his eyes again and left himself in Arthur's capable hands.