WARNING: NickxEllis (Nellis) ahead. This is kinda different, I guess, since this was inspired by a pic of our two fav boys. Either way, enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: Valve owns these wonderful boys, not I. But I do however, own this story.

"I'll tell ya one thing; I hate it when ya'll get called away like this."

"I know, right? It's like…short notice shit or somethin'."

"Any idea how long you guys will be?"

"Oh, I dunno pip squeak…could be all night."

"Well wherever you guys will be at, stay safe. I don't want Ro callin' over here ten times a day 'cuz of the last time you two caused trouble."

"Hey it's us, remember?"

"El?" Nick called from the walk-in closet. "Where are my socks?"

"Hold on a sec, Francis." Ellis shifted the cell phone from one ear to the other, holding it against his shoulder as he proceeded to search through the fresh laundry on the bed. "Nick's askin' about his socks."

The man on the other end chuckled. "Tell him I'm sorry, but there was no more tee-pee so I had to improvise."

"Hey, Nick? Francis says—"

"If it's another toilet paper joke, don't encourage him!" Nick interrupted sternly. "I've heard one too many this past week to last me a lifetime. If he wants to be a dumb-ass he can save it for the Chief."

Francis snorted. "Kill-joy."

"As a matter of fact, tell him I'll debrief him down at the rendezvous point," the older man continued. "He only called because he's got nothing better to do than to annoy me with his pre-assignment toilet humor. That's why he called your phone after I ignored him."

Ellis shifted the device back to the other ear once he found a pair of socks. "You hear that, Francis?"

"Yeah, yeah," he sighed in exasperation. "I heard. Tell him fine, I'll see him there. Later, pip squeak."

"Later."

Ellis couldn't help but to feel a bit exasperated as well once he closed his cell phone and tossed it onto a pillow. He sighed as he neatly laid out Nick's socks and proceeded to fold the rest of the laundry. How many times had Nick and Francis gone out on assignment and nearly cheated death—fifty? A hundred? So many that it felt like a million lifetimes and even then Ellis wondered how many of his own were used up worrying about the one he loved.

Tonight was no exception. Just like the many, many times the two detectives were paired together for a hush-hush assignment, Ellis always found himself speculating what may or may not happen to either of them. Even if Nick told him little to nothing at all, he still couldn't stop his imagination from running rampart as various scenarios made him question whether or not he would come home unscathed.

Not to mention how demanding the job was, and even that was a heart-ache all its own. There were countless times when Nick would suddenly just up and go; be it during the day when he was spending time with Ellis, or in the dead of night when his other half was sound asleep. Some days El would be left either to hitch a ride on a bus or just hoofing it straight home when Nick would take whatever vehicle they had with them. Some nights he would announce his displeasure loudly on the phone be it with Francis or someone else on the force, and thus would discuss the current situation as he hurriedly dressed, or he would slip away quietly like a mouse and let the mechanic sleep.

The most frustrating was whenever Nick would get an unwanted phone call during a much needed period of stress-relief—which was basically passionate, unbridled love-making—and as Ellis would try to tease his other half in making the call wait, Nick would pull out and away only to jump into a different kind of action that required a different type of weapon; basically not showing any signs of hesitation and leaving a certain vulnerable young man in a state of frustrated disappointment. Certain levels of intimacy only became a constant craving whenever he thought they had time before a phone call would ruin it. Nowadays on a constant basis because of how often his lover would un-expectantly leave, he found the downtime of being alone rather unfulfilling.

Whatever the case may be—pun-intended, although at times even the joke would sound too ironic if not down-right annoying—the younger man was practically left in the dust of the older mans wake. It was unnerving.

"What time is it—oh, excellent. I'm not running behind like I thought I was." Nick said as he finally emerged from the closet and made his way towards their oversized dresser. "If I can keep Francis' jokes at bay I'll be able to focus more clearly tonight." Ellis didn't hear him. In fact he wasn't even paying attention since he was so lost in thought that his hands barely fumbled with the laundry.

"Not to mention stay alert during the mayor's big speech," the detective muttered, clearly not noticing his boyfriend's not-on-this-earth stare. The sounds of multiple drawers opening and closing were barely registering in the mechanic's mind as Nick went searching for the rest of his attire. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that Mayor Wilson is trying too hard this time around. Sure, last time his election campaign didn't go quite as planned—and we can all thank Francis for that one—but really he just needs to drop out now before... Ellis? Ellis, what's wrong?"

One gently placed hand on his shoulder was enough to nearly send the daydreaming young man through the roof; he jumped so high and reflexively swatted the other man's hand away it almost made Nick go into defense mode and apprehend him like he would do to a crook on the run. But instead of doing just that he opted with holding his palms out and showing him that he meant no harm.

"Hey, hey kiddo. Relax! It's just me."

Ellis, whose heart was racing a mile a minute with respiration to match, stared at Nick as if he was seeing him for the first time before turning away and covering his eyes with a hand in embarrassment. "S-Sorry. I didn't hear ya exit the closet..."

"I'll say," Nick smirked. "You've been staring at my underwear and not saying a word that I was sure something was still stained on it." He tried again at making physical contact and this time Ellis didn't jump as Nick carefully wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist from behind, resting his chin on his shoulder. "Did I really scare you that bad?" He asked softly.

"No, you jus' caught me by surprise is all," El replied with a shake of his head. He returned the comforting gesture and held onto Nick' arms, the warm embrace welcoming as he sighed contently. "You and Francis have a big night ahead of ya's?"

"Yeah," Nick said non-enthusiastically with a roll of his eyes. "Just some stupid security detail as the mayor gives another pointless speech with the city council about some new proposition or some shit. This is his last chance to look good before the re-election so he thought hey, why not get some of the police force involved?"

"And what does Francis think about ya'lls dressin' up real nice?"

The detective snorted. "Hates it, of course." His grip tightened and Ellis found himself questioning whether or not Nick was doing it intentionally because there was something he wasn't telling, or because he truly wanted to share a moment with him. "But if you ask me, I'd much rather be doing that than volunteering for some pointless stakeout."

"But ya gotta admit that it's a nice change of pace," El offered, nuzzling his cheek against Nick's. "Plus I'll be right down the street from ya, so you'll know where I'll be at."

Nick nodded as he pulled away. "Then I won't be keeping you any longer." He went around to the other side of the bed and sat down, grabbing his socks to put them on. "I'll put in a call for Michael and Leonard to keep an eye on you. I don't want anything happening while I'm not around."

"Is that really necessary?" The kid couldn't help but to question. "It's been awhile since the trial and nothin' else has happened—"

"Ellis, some members of that runaway gang are still out there," Nick pointed out as he stood to loop his belt through his suit pants, turning to face him, "and regardless of the success of the sentencing of their ring leader, I'd rather be safe than sorry. You know how bad it got—Christ, they found out where you were working and did a drive-by in order to send a message to me, and then they went to Ro's sister's place and did a number over there! What were Francis and I to do at that point? Nailing him became a top priority and I'll be damned if the fucker gets the last laugh while he's in the slammer."

"Nick, I know," Ellis chided with a pointed look. "I was there, remember? I can't jus' not continue to stay home in a state of fear, y'know. I'd rather move on with my life and go back to work…regardless, as you say, even if they did put holes in the place." True, enough time had passed since the trial, but the threat of even further retaliation was still there and lurking in every possible shadow. He understood the risks of dating someone high in the ranks with a known reputation such as Nick's, with the possibility of him getting so deep into a case that Ellis himself would become a target, and like it or not, Nick was right. If Ellis wanted to remain alive and unharmed he would accept protection whenever it was offered. Or in this case, not having any choice at all.

He mulled this over as Nick continued to put on the rest of his suit. The man only had his pants halfway on and currently was debating which dress shirt should go with it. The choice of color was a bit unorthodox even for the outspoken detective, but Mayor Wilson preferred his local law enforcement to dress in certain numbers outside of the black and dark blue line, even if Chief Tucker found it ridiculous. He wasn't saying that Nick didn't look good in white, and he could only imagine what colors Francis chose, but wearing something that would make him stand out like a sore thumb was bound to get a statement across. Special meeting or not, Nick looked damned good in a suit.

Eventually older man chose the medium blue shirt and put it on as he waddled his way towards the bathroom; presumably to fix himself up and brush his teeth. If Ellis wasn't a bit bothered by Nick's words he would have found the sight comical. "I understand you're only covering for Keith since he's still fighting a cold, but for my piece-of-mind I'd be more at ease knowing that you were being looked after with the right people."

"I only took it 'cuz somethin' told me you were gonna get called away," Ellis muttered sadly, before adding with a snort, "Like we ever spend any real time together, anyways." Since the laundry was no longer deemed a top priority the mechanic concentrated on helping his boyfriend get ready for work; mainly finding the white jacket that went with the pants.

Deep down he knew he shouldn't be too hard on Nick, since the incident with the gang was enough of a wake-up call for both of them. Looking into a mirror was enough of a reminder of that since Ellis still bore the scrapings from the beating he endured under and on the side of his left eye. Even the deep gash above his nose that was given to him by the leader who punched him with a ring on, was now going to be a permanent scar. It wasn't exactly something he was proud to parade around with but it was an ugly reminder of how much worse it could have become. It wasn't like Nick had failed to mention that a few days after the drive-by the gang was successful in kidnapping the young man in the middle of the night—while supposedly being under the watchful eye of "two of the forces most trusted people"—but more of like that by not saying anything about it he could more easily deny that the event ever took place.

During quite a few rounds of torture, basically meaning the more Nick and Francis dawdled over his rescue the more angered his captors were becoming, Ellis had more time to think than necessary and under the most extreme of circumstances; through the throes of unmerciful pain and occasional spittle of blood, he had around that time been contemplating whether or not he still wanted to have a relationship with Nick since the man seemed to be more into his job than reminding himself with the fact that he had someone waiting for him at home. Sometime before the dynamic duo were able to figure out El's location, he succumbed to the relentless beatings and fell into unconsciousness; thus waking up in the hospital some two days later in the Critical Care Unit with a rather distraught and unkempt Nicolas by his bedside.

He never forgot, through his partially drugged and confused state, the unmistakable relief he felt the moment he saw him. The detective was kind enough to hold back his enthusiastic yearnings to squeeze what remaining life Ellis had out of him—once he heard the young man stir—by gently caressing his face and neck, and apologizing profusely about not getting to him sooner and admitting that it was his own fault Ellis got involved. With shaky and unsure movements Ellis' hands found Nick's arms and he prompted the older man to lift him up enough to be embraced, stopping any further self-loathing of an already beat-up soul to provide him with the comfort and reassurance necessary in order to show him that he was alive—that he was still breathing, his heart still pumping, and with limbs unbroken.

Contrary to the fact that he was staying in a ward where he was to be closely monitored with minimal contact outside the circle of medical personnel, with Nick being a major exception of course, Ellis ignored the protests from a pair of bruised lungs as he hastily fumbled to take off his oxygen mask in order to share a much needed kiss with his boyfriend.

A harsh and painful cough was what eventually ended the passionate moment, and Nick was the one who helped him lie back down and put the mask in its place. Through stinging tears Ellis gulped in deep breaths of the precious air with uncomfortable shudders as Nick talked him through it. But in the days to follow once Ellis was stable enough to be moved into a different wing, Nick went back to work on bringing down the ones responsible for making the pursuit personal.

"Okay. Once I get my shoes on and my jacket, I'll be on my way," Nick announced as he came out of the bathroom. Ellis found one of the white jackets among the multiple dark attires that took up half the closet. It was amazing how much each in turn was worth and how many there were. If Nick ever decided to sell any of them, he would without a doubt still get a pretty penny. "I was thinking since you're gonna be there late, I can drop you off at the shop and pick you up later after the meeting. Then if you're not too tired, we can go grab a bite to eat down at the diner."

Ellis smiled. Nick always did have a knack for thinking ahead, whenever it suited him. "In that fancy suit of yers?" He taunted playfully as he examined the white fabric. Then he got an idea once the jacket passed inspection. "Why detective…am I hearin' correctly that you don't mind eatin' at a homely restaurant dressed all nicely instead of goin' somewhere more upper class?"

Nick snorted. "It's better than having you look out of place at a place where a jacket is required. Don't you think, sport?"

He shrugged to himself as he exited the large clothing compartment. "Oh, I reckon I would look good in one of yer get-ups. Especially this here thing of beauty."

"I don't think I have an outfit that would fit you, considering you have a bit of a smaller frame than I do plus my shoulders are a little bit broader," Nick pointed out as he finished tying his shoes. "Not to mention that I've never seen—"

"Nah?" Ellis mused with a goofy smile as he wore the white garment, holding onto the lapels like he was an important business man. He knew he looked rather ridiculous with it on considering that he was dressed in the rest of his mechanic's uniform—hat included—and the jacket wasn't even buttoned. "How do I look?"

"I think it suits me better than you," the detective replied with a chuckle as he stood and approached him.

"Do you think so?" The younger questioned as Nick grabbed onto the bottom lapels and brought him in a little closer. Ellis looked down at what he was wearing, imagining what it would be like to wear something so expensive to one of Nick's favorite eateries, then decided that white wasn't really his forte. He looked up into an amused pair of emerald eyes. "Mmm…maybe yer right. I have to say yer fuckin' sexy in this cloth, Ni—"

The rest of his name was cut-off as the older smashed their lips together; one hand placed behind the mechanic's head as he nearly crushed the blue hat while the other gripped Ellis' hip just below the elbow. Ellis gently placed a hand on Nick's chest; thumb lightly touching the scars that the detective earned during one of his escapades, as the other fingers lightly clutched at the dress shirt.

Slowly their bodies were brought in closer as their arms wrapped around one another, the kiss deepening. Ellis didn't think what he was wearing was enough of a turn on for Nick to grab him so suddenly, but he allowed his mind to relax and surrendered all control as he found himself being led towards their bed, lips remaining firmly locked as his back hit the soft mattress, Nick climbing in-between his legs. With one sweep of an arm, all the clean laundry that invaded their space was soon making friends with the floor.

"I thought ya had to get goin'," Ellis said breathlessly as Nick stretched the kid's arms above his head in order to give his neck some attention. "Yer gonna be late..."

Nick hummed into the crevice of skin and fabric, making El arch his back and roll his hips into him. "I don't have to be there until another hour or so," he groaned, making Ellis move his head so he could attack the other side. "And I still have to pick up Francis."

"Then ya better hop to it—umf!" His body gave an uncomfortable twitch as Nick brought up one knee under his leg. "N-Nick…could…could ya maybe move a bit? Yer gun is diggin' into my thigh."

Nick smirked as he looked up at him. "Well now, that's a shame."

"Huh?" Ellis asked, confused. "C'mon now, I'm serious—take it out before you accidentally shoot me or somethin'!"

"Oh I'm gonna shoot you alright," Nick purred as he leaned in, much to Ellis's dismay since it was really starting to hurt. "There's just one problem, though."

"What?" El choked out.

"My holster is empty."