gannxn

[gannxn]

trentxreed:

  “Let me see” he said pretending to think, “Nope. Come again i don’t have feeling and don’t fill anything because if that’s what you’re going for, then better luck next time”

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.”

[gannxn]

jasonxcollins:

  It had been ages that Jason had talked to his friend Gannon, he had known him since they were little and they even went to the same high school. Jason was glad that he had someone that knew him, his past and also someone that understood how much he hated BS. Jason had been busy working on exams for his classes and also grading papers; he finally had sometime to relax and so he decided to head to head over to his friend office, getting some take out on his way. 

  Jason enjoyed the cold night, it was relaxing and peaceful but it also reminded him of New York and the past he ran away from and the denial he had about the past. Jason made it to Gann’s office knocking on the door before walking, “Hey how is is going and it has been ages” he asked with a smile, “i brought some takeout if you’re hungry”

@gannxn

The paperwork was mounting. Sometimes Gannon felt like he lived in a fortress of filing cabinets where sunlight never broke through. There was no glamour in being a homicide detective. Instead, there was constant grief and violence, bargaining with devils, putting witnesses and devastated innocents on trial. His mouth screwed into a purse as he stared down at the endless black font. Transcripts from an interview conducted in 1967 with chilling similarities to a current case. The patterns were endless, and sometimes he wondered if they would drive him mad. He was lifetimes away, spiraling into that deep trance of concentration when he heard a knock on his office door followed by the rattle of busted blinds as it was pushed open.

There was both relief and surprise when he looked up and saw Jason holding a bag of take-out. Gannon knew he needed to keep working, but if he continued at the pace he was going, his bones might have melded to his chair. 

“Jason.” It had been ages. “What the hell are you doing here?” It was said amiably with an edge of warmth reserved for few people. The detective was on his feet, clearing space on his desk, and tucking away his work. “I’m fucking starving.”

[gannxn]

malachixcroft:

Malachi wasn’t sure if he wanted to literally wipe or kiss the stupid smirk off of Gannon’s face. It wasn’t worth it – or was it? Kai couldn’t tell. At least, not yet. The bid had been surprising, but then again, Malachi could admit that it almost wasn’t. There wasn’t much he could do to argue it, anyway, and he hoped that he could at least talk this out before Gannon threw something hurtful at him like he had before.

The look on the Croft’s face was probably enough to give Kai away, as he slid his arm through Gannon’s, never taking his eyes off the other man’s features. He’d planned this out in his head, probably multiple times, had tried to convince himself that he was going to do things right for once. Right being tell Gannon he had never been interested at all and that he had a girlfriend waiting at home for him. However, as soon as Malachi found the nearest empty room, he pushed Gannon into it and closed the door behind them.

“Okay, hear me out.” Malachi took a deep breath, already beginning to pace as the words came tumbling out. “I’m gay, okay? I am gay. You know that – how I obviously feel about you – I wasn’t playing hard to get; I wasn’t doing any of that shit. I’m just…I’m…” He stopped his pacing, turning to face Gannon, “I haven’t told my parents. Hell, I haven’t told anyone but my best friend, Asher, and God knows how she’s managed to keep her mouth shut for this bloody long. I couldn’t say anything. Not because I’m embarrassed, but because…I know what it would do to my father’s parliament position. I couldn’t take that away form him in Britain. My brother has told me multiple times that he’s heard them discuss it and how…I just can’t, Gannon.”

His voice trailed off near the end, like the revelation had taken nearly everything out of him. Kai looked around, anywhere but at Gannon’s piercing blue eyes, clearing his throat, “I’m sorry, Gannon. I really, really want this with you. But I wouldn’t blame you if you realized that this kind of relationship isn’t for you. It probably isn’t – you deserve more than this. Than what I can give you. You deserve the most out of a relationship…one that doesn’t require a high school kind of sneaking around. But give me tonight. I probably don’t have a right to ask for anything, but I want this.”

The spell that their arms were interlocked made the moments he hung onto Malachi’s touch before pale in comparison. Once, it was a touch to his shoulder to get his attention, a grip on his arm to get him to focus, a brush of shoulders as they worked to haul someone into the back of an ambulance. Now, the touch was constant, and it wasn’t broken as they moved through legions of party-goers. It felt good to walk through the room with Malachi on his arm. He felt proud. Gannon kept his chin level with the floor, though he was distracted by the link between them, the brush of their hips and elbows and ribs as they walked.

When Kai pushed him into a room — a small sitting room with a view of the snowy outside, lit by little oil lamps — Gannon barked in surprise. “Jesus,” he mumbled, left somewhat cold by the sudden shove and loss of contact. He adjusted the collar of his coat, fumbled with his tie, and tried to shut down the irritation. Malachi did that for him, immediately arresting the room with an air of urgency. Gannon crossed his arms, not sure what was coming next. Was it an explanation? Or a reprimand? Or worse, a rejection? “Fine, proceed,” he spat, agreeing to the man’s terms as if he’d actually considered not listening to whatever Malachi had prepared for him within the last 5 minutes.

As Malachi began to speak, Gannon’s arms unraveled from their barricade across his chest and fell to his sides. It wasn’t the shock of what he was hearing, really. It was what he’d known, despite deeply planted seeds of doubt which had grown like weeds over time. But the complexity of Malachi’s secret, and the reason for it — of course, it was selfless. He was living a lie in order to protect someone close to him, not to preserve his own reputation. I just can’t, Gannon. The words hurt, but the detective understood. To a degree. 

When the blonde’s words fell away so did his unique gaze, the one that flashed in the back of Gannon’s mind when he wasn’t expecting it to. Without thinking, he moved closer to him, and reached to tilt Kai’s chin up so he could see the blue and the gold of his eyes. But there was more. Malachi’s words just kept tumbling out, apology after apology. It struck Gannon that he wanted it, too, but, sadly, he knew he wasn’t going to sneak around for anyone. “Hey,” he said, his voice soft and lacking it’s usual burning edge. “I get it. I don’t agree with it, but I understand your motive. Look — let’s just enjoy the evening, okay? Then tomorrow, we can go back to staring broodily at each other across a crime scene. No harm, no foul.” It hurt to say the words, to lob off the link that had grown tentatively between them, but Gannon wasn’t going to explain why he couldn’t sneak around with him, why that just wasn’t in the cards, why lying or concealing the truth wasn’t something he could abide. That part of him remained tightly sealed off, despite Malachi’s confession.

Gannon was not going to confess a thing.

He folded his hands behind his back, though the distance between them remained minimal. “So. I have you for one night. What to do with you ..” He tried to sound mischievous, but he simply felt defeated.

[gannxn]

jakebennett:

Jake rolled his eyes in amusement. Gannon had always been one of his go to guys whenever he was in a bad mood. There was never a dull moment when the two got together. “That I am and I wouldn’t trade my cold heart for any amount of money. You’ll only see me dance in your dreams.”

“Actually, if you were dancing, I’d probably classify it as a nightmare.”

[gannxn]

isabelxmeadows:

As Isabel moved around the table, picking at a few bits and pieces, she allowed herself to get lost in her thoughts for several moments. She was anxious about the outcome of the auction, sure, but it wasn’t just that. The last couple of years had been hard for her, she’d gone out of her way to even consider dating or romance as any kind of option. Throwing herself out there like this was a huge step for her, especially considering the chance of rejection. It wasn’t the auction, it was the whole idea of any of it. “They’d better,” she chuckled.

“Disappearing into the sunset sounds like a brilliant idea right about now,” she laughed. “Somehow I can’t see it happening, though. But did you have any plans to bid on anyone? I have to know.” She flashed him a playful grin, a grin that softened when he said how beautiful she looked. “Thank you, you clean up pretty well yourself, Mr.”

Her somber spirit wasn’t lost on him. The downcast glances, the lack of her usual, easy smile. Forgetting the truffles completely, he turned his focus on her. For all intents and purposes, Isabel had become his best friend. Though they didn’t often use the label, or feel the need to remind one another, they seemed to have fallen into a pattern that suggested they were just that. Gannon cared about few people in the city (at least in a way that stretched beyond the requirement of his job, his civic responsibility in that role), but Isabel topped the empty chart easily. “Anyone here’d be stupid not to bid on you. You know that, right? What are you worried about?”

“Well, we’ll keep it on the back-burner in case tonight goes to shit,” he said, his own laughter tumbling out. “Uh —” He considered lying. “Well, yeah. I did bid on someone,” he said. “But really just to send a message.” Half-truth. “He’s this guy I work with sometimes, an EMT. It’s complicated.” At the compliment, he looked down at his coat, and smoothed his lapels. “I feel like a fucking idiot.”

[gannxn]

jessicamcrgan:

Sleepless nights at the station had become normal for Jessica. Ever since her partner was found dead, she was determined more than ever, to find the men behind it. Their case had led them up to the province of Montreal, and since her arrival, she spent more hours behind the walls in some old crappy police station than she had in her newly rented out apartment. She had a vengeful hero complex to her. At this point, it became more about finding justice for her partner than the bigger picture. Which, of course, was horrible to even admit considering how serious the case was all together. They were working on stopping something huge, but all she could think about was making sure the person who put her partner down, got his own special bullet to the head.

Which was why she was staying so late. Once again, she was seated behind a mountain of papers that were piling up on her desk. She was working with a homicide team in hopes they would help since this was more of their area. Gannon was one of the men working beside them. He was smart and knew what he was doing, so she appreciated that. But when she was at work, she was meaner than ever. A sense of pride swept over and even more so when this had to do with her partner. — After a moment of then flipping through the same pages over and over, Jessica stood up and let out a long sigh. She was getting nowhere. When she later looked over, she caught sight of a tallish figure a few feet over. Thinking it would do her good, she kicked off her heel and headed in their direction, only to learn it was Gannon. “Looks like I’m not the only one here this late.” She began, crossing her arms. “Are you,,, about to leave?” 

His leather jacket fell around his shoulders like the arms of a lover; he had worn it in so well that the soft hide felt like another layer of skin. It wasn’t the warmest coat in the winter, but it was the easiest to sling on as he was rushing out his front door. He shoved his keys and his phone his pockets, and began putting to rights the folders he’d destroyed over the span of the long evening. This was what made him good at his job, but it was also what kept that sturdy wall erected between himself and others — a blessing, or a curse, depending on which side of the wall you were on. Most of the time, it was his excuse not to get to know people. If he buried himself into his work, and made little time for anything else, the likelihood of something cropping up out of nothing was nil. Then again, the people that operated in the very tight circles surrounding him had become like family, at least as close to family as Gannon could reckon. His own family was so fucked up and stilted, it was shit for comparison. 

When he heard a familiar, feminine voice sounding, he straightened and his pale eyes shifted in that direction. He huffed a surprised laugh. He hadn’t gotten to know Morgan all that well, but from what he could tell, she was a very diligent and unapologetic presence. He respected that, because he often assumed the same sort of role among his colleagues. So, he gave her breadth, let her work at the pace she set. Gannon knew what it was like to be possessed by something. The death of his parents and the mystery surrounding the day it happened had been a similar ghost for him. It took over the limbs of his body, like a cool, ground fog, and he was victim to its will. “Looks like it,” he said, his mind too tired come up with something witty. He checked his wrist watch, then laced his scarf around his neck. “But I think you mean early.” It was just about 4:30 AM. “Time for breakfast.” He stood back from his desk, his cases stacked neatly under his arm. “You wanna come?”

[gannxn]

trentxreed:

  “Know you are ruining my my fun Gann. Why do you always like doing that?”

“Are your feelings hurt?”

[gannxn]

isabelxmeadows:

Isabel wasn’t at all surprised when it took Gannon a moment to respond – he’d been off in his own little world since they arrived. It hadn’t never really bothered her all that much, she knew that he had a lot going on, as did she from time to time. Maybe not so much now, but she’d definitely been through her own fair share of crap over the last couple of years. “No chance of that, you know how I am around food,” she responded with a smile. To be honest, if they were going anywhere that involved food, she’d need to be at the forefront of that decision, she wouldn’t go just anywhere, she was picky.

“I’m fine,” she lied a moment later, but was quick to laugh, shaking her head. “Regretting every single decision that brought me here tonight. That’s all.” She shrugged, reaching out for a macaron a moment later and taking a bite. “Do I not look okay?”

Slipping his arm out of hers, he moved over to peruse the overstocked table. The more he looked at all the sweets, the more he wanted straight liquor. Something syrupy and sour-mashed. Maybe it’d coat the walls of his stomach in steel, and keep him from worrying about the outcome of the auction. He would have rather been thinking about the case files on his desk than the bullshit he was worrying over now. Gannon didn’t like playing games, and this felt like a fucking game, this whole auction thing, but he’d played right into it. He shouldn’t have bid on anyone, especially not Malachi Croft. “Hey, you know all the best spots in town, Isa. If they know what’s good for ‘em, they’ll leave that up to you.”

He turned back to her at her response, hearing the tone of her words before she tried to cover them up with laughter and a shake of her head. A gentle touch to the small of her back hopefully served as a reminder that he was here to support her no matter what happened. “If it turns out to be a .. fuckin’ gila monster that bids on you, we’ll steal all the macaroons we can carry, and disappear into the sunset. You have my word.” He gave her a tender smile, reserved for no one else on the planet. “You look beautiful.”

[gannxn]

jakebennett:

“That’s a downside to our friendship, only one of us can be happy at one time.” Jake flashed him a smug grin. The grin quickly disappeared and was replaced with a frown and a sarcastic laugh. “No amount of money can get me to dance.”

“Oh, but when things are good, they’re good.” He grinned back at the man, always right at home in one of their good-humoured pissing contests. The man’s deep frown and dark laughter amused him all the more. “You wouldn’t dance for a charity? You’re a cold-hearted man, Bennett.”

[gannxn]

thelucas-harrington:

Lucas smiled slightly. “I apologize,” he said, though he thought the man was being overdramatic. His response and expression had been perfectly neutral. “Parties like this aren’t especially my forte.”

“I’d say you’re in the wrong business, senator, but fair enough. I’ll leave you to it.” He lifted his glass at half-mast in a wordless toast before turning and disappearing back into the crowd.

[gannxn]

malachixcroft:

@gannxn

When Malachi had read the list of those being auctioned off, he’d been absolutely mortified to read his name.

He had known exactly who had filled this out for him; the handwriting belong to none other than his younger brother, Dimitri. Malachi knew this was to get back at him for whatever vendetta Dimitri had against him, and it broke Kai’s heart to know that this kind of cruel joke wasn’t beneath someone like Dimitri. The older Croft was lucky he didn’t have to do any damage control; most of the important people weren’t here, and Malachi expected not to get any kind of bid whatsoever on his name. But of course he wouldn’t luck out that much; fate liked to play cruel jokes on him, and when he read Gannon O’Ahearn, signed so perfectly on the bottom of his date card, he felt his heart simultaneously skip a beat and sink to the bottom of his stomach. 

“Gannon –”

Malachi had no words. He first felt like some kind of foolish joke; like his pain was somehow going to make Gannon feel better like it had in their first conversation, and the joy it would bring Dimitri when he realized his brother had to pretend to be in the closet in front of a truly amazing man. 

“I can explain,” his voice was resigned, like there was nothing else he could do. How could he explain this without being a complete and total asshole? He hadn’t come out to the world yet, let alone his parents, and now Malachi had to make the best out of a night for someone he desperately wanted. “Can we talk somewhere, please? Private?”

Gannon took the scenic route around the ballroom, watching Malachi’s face go from ghostly white to a blushing pink and then white again. At first, he’d done it out of spite. It was a lot of money to get a fucking point across, but at the end of the day, he did it, because he wanted to spend time with Malachi somewhere outside of a crime scene. 

He harboured the sneaking suspicion that if he’d simply asked the blonde for a date, he would have gotten a withering excuse and a rejection so bloody and exact it would have outdone whatever murder scene was unfolding around them. This took all the worry out of getting told no. It also made him feel sort of like an idiot, chasing someone who obviously either wanted nothing to do with him romantically, or was so deeply barricaded in a closet, he’d need a crow bar to pry him out. The worst idea of all was that he simply didn’t want Gannon. A reality that hurt, but would have been easier to take on his own turf, not while standing around in a great hall sipping punch with a bunch of strangers dressed like assholes.

He wore a little smirk as he finally drew closer to him, but he tried to kill it off by chewing on his bottom lip. He’d tried out a few things he could’ve said while idling with Isabel near the hors d'oeuvres and feeling sort of sorry for himself. So, you’re just gay when a charity’s involved? was the clear winner, but Malachi beat him to the punch. 

“Oh, this should be good,” he said, his low voice dripping with playful sarcasm. “Come on,” he muttered, offering his date his arm. 

[gannxn]

thelucas-harrington:

“Well, if we found a public toilet that was sanitary, that would certainly garner some press,” he responded dryly, taking a chocolate-covered strawberry from a passing platter.

Gannon lifted an arched eyebrow at the man’s humourless tone, and his very dark expression. “Okay. The joke was bad, but you look like I just took away your birthday.”

[gannxn]

isabelxmeadows:

@gannxn

Isabel wasn’t going to deny it, she’d been nervous since stepping foot into the venue – before that if she were truly honest. She was still questioning her reasons for doing this evening, aside from the obvious ‘it’s for charity’. There was too much of a chance of some obnoxious creep bidding on her and that worried her more than she cared to admit. So when Gannon had suggested they accompany one another to the Gala, she couldn’t have been more relived. Having her closest friend around would at least steady her nerves up until it was time to go up on stage.

“Okay, would it be bad if I started eating already?” she questioned after a while, her gaze shifting from the table full of sweets and treats to the man stood beside her. “These are too tempting to pass up now…”

Gannon would be lying if he said he wasn’t slightly nervous himself. When he’d asked Isabel to come along as his date, it had been for two reasons in particular: 1) because he was comfortable around her, and they always seemed to have a good time; if he had family in Montreal, she was it, and 2) there was a real possibility the bid he placed would fall through and need a serious buffer. Not that he would ruin her good evening on account of his misfortune, but her presence would at least soften the blow in the event something catastrophic happened. He held her arm snugly against his side as they stood idly by the punch bowl. He was pretty distracted, mainly because of work, but for other reasons, too, that he had casually left unmentioned to Isabel ...

“Huh?” he said, snapped out of his own thoughts. “Oh —” he cast a look over the long, buffet tables laden with food. “Yeah. I say eat. It’ll calm your nerves and keep you from eating nervously if your date takes you out for dinner.” He gave her a discerning look. “You feelin’ okay?”

[gannxn]

jakebennett:

“Define enjoying yourself.” Jake said with a grin as he leaned up against the wall. “Because if you consider enjoying yourself dancing and chatting with a million different people then no, but…” He trailed off to enjoy a sip of his drink before continuing. “If enjoying yourself means having a drink in your hand then yes I am.”

“Hey, it was your question,” he mumbled, swirling around the contents of his glass as he came to stand nearby his friend and watch the rivers of people move through the room in strange currents. “Fair enough,” he conceded, taking a sip. “But by our usual standards, if you’re having a good time, I should be fucking miserable.” He smirked. 

“Seriously, though. I would pay some serious money to a charity to see you dance.”

[gannxn]

malachixcroft:

Malachi’s gaze followed Gannon’s, and the only thing reflected in his eyes was a look of pure pity. Just because he was used to seeing people in so much pain did not mean he had to like it or distance himself with it. He knew he’d be in the hospital tomorrow, looking for that girl to check in on her and ask her how she was doing. It was just the kind of person he was – he got far too emotionally invested in his work and all it did was come back to bite him in the ass. Gannon’s words were a reminder of that, and Kai didn’t bother to reply to it. 

“Needed –” Malachi’s eyes were comically wide once more, but the pain overtook whatever other emotions he thought he could have in this situation. Gannon’s words were sharp, digging like knives into Malachi’s skin until he felt like he was going to shrivel up and die of pure embarrassment. “If that’s how you want to see it, then okay,” the Brit’s voice was quiet, but his gaze didn’t waver from where it had met Gannon’s, “I won’t argue.” He shook his head, already feeling like he wished the earth would just open up and swallow him whole. Anywhere would be better than where he was, and Gannon’s tone only caused Malachi to curl back into himself like the thought of anymore conflict would ruin him. Kai wanted to snap back – admit that it was the opposite of what he wanted to hear – but he didn’t. His own silence was deafening, and he held Gannon’s gaze with another resolve that promised he wouldn’t forget what was said. 

“The Highland case,” Malachi let out the breath he was holding, another wave of distraught hitting him. He took cases far too seriously, even though he was hardly involved in the first placed. The hospital and the Montreal Police worked close, and Malachi was almost sure that being stuck in the middle with Gannon was going to be his downfall. “Congratulations. I know you’ve been working towards that one for a while, huh?” He huffed, finally giving a smile, “I’m proud of you. Didn’t think anyone else could get the job done.” His words were sincere; no hint of hesitation within them. Maybe he could make this easier on himself – but no one wanted to hide forever, and Malachi could never expect that of anyone.

“Are you going to the Gala?” he asked suddenly, forgetting that he looked like a red marshmallow at the moment, “I am. I mean – I was going to go. To donate. For the charity. If you’re there, I’ll see you, right? I should really…get cleaned up.” Kai released his grip on Gannon, nearly forgetting about it in the first place. He wanted to talk more, like they could finally get to that other level that was only hinted at. But Malachi was most certain he’d ruined that, and now, he had nothing but his own pity to comfort him.

It wasn’t how he wanted to see it, but Malachi wasn’t really giving him any options otherwise. The hushed voice in which the blonde man was speaking made Gannon incredibly uncomfortable, like he was embarrassed, or like the topic of their relationship — whatever it was — was so sacred and taboo that to speak of it would end in a witch hunt and a few burning stakes. The detective shifted as if he were standing too close to an open flame, leveling his stare on the man. He knew it was a sharp look, and he normally kept it tucked away for when he really needed to rattle someone in an interrogation room. His eyes had a way of getting him what he wanted out of people, so he wielded his gaze like a weapon. A frostbitten sword. He hoped the man got the idea. What the fuck do you want from me?

The subject of the Highland case didn’t do much to lessen his stress anymore. It was a short-lived victory, one that still had the long-standing trial to endure, months and months of testifying and bargaining, and now he already had at least another case on his docket. Still, he preferred to stay busy. It helped bring him a calm that would otherwise be lost. He hated to think the kind of man he would be without his work to ground him. It was one of the reasons he’d begun to see Malachi in a different light. Not only were they compatible (well, he thought they were, anyway - after tonight, he was second guessing his intuition), but they had their work in common. If nothing else, Malachi could understand the stress he was under, and vice verse. That wasn’t something a lot of people had the opportunity to share with a partner. He stopped his thoughts abruptly. His mind had wandered to this place before, and he always came out feeling like a fool.

He had to admit hearing Malachi say he was proud conjured a warmth within him that was foreign. Ducking his head in a genuine show of modesty, he let the compliment roll over him. Sure, he’d gotten claps on the back from peers and firm handshakes from the suits upstairs whenever he achieved a victory for the department, but there was something sincere about Kai’s words that he just hadn’t gotten anywhere else in a long time. He adjusted his lapels and tried not to show just how much the words meant to him. “Appreciate it.” Despite himself, he smiled back at him. “Yeah. It’d almost gone cold, but it’s not over yet — next, we testify.”

The question caught him off-guard, and he had to think for a moment. “Gala?” A pensive look. He caught up when Kai provided more details. “Oh! Yeah, that.” Gannon watched in slow motion as Malachi withdrew his hand, then looked back up at the man, regarding those mismatched eyes in his way. “Yeah, I’ll be there,” he assured him with a nod, taking a step back. Before he could offer a proper goodbye, an officer had approached him, possessed by urgency. The detective gave a stilted sort of wave — “To be continued?” — before disappearing into the flurry of chaos that was the crime scene.

[gannxn]

romanmeridius:

Once, a jet’s takeoff or the flight of a chopper would have had him drunk on adrenaline. The combat had been the very rise and fall of his chest, and occupying the belly of an aircraft resulted in airborne delirium. Roman missed that hysteria. He was homesick for the war, when most were homesick from it. Now the flighted travel resulted in his fingers, twisted in the dark fur of his K9 comrade. It resulted in the shut of his eyes– even though he could not see with them open. It resulted in the downing of his medication, and the panic of an engine that at time held an immense similarity to explosives. There was more turbulence mentally than what he felt from the physical plane itself.

On arrival, the former soldier was lucky he remained in tact. Yet his misery only became fortified. As if Zeus did not draw the attention to him, it maximized when a flight attendant announced they would allow him the privilege to de-board, first. The situation only worsened when the woman found his arm and lifted. “That’s what the dog’s for.” Roman snapped upon wrenching his arm from a delicate grasp. He could hear himself become the cabin’s public enemy. Hoisting his duffel across his shoulder, Roman allowed Zeus to lead him down the aisle and up the ramp, all the while cursing the eyes that tailed him.

He figured Gannon was shit-deep in work; it was one of a plethora of reasons that he hadn’t given his arrival time, figuring he would hire a cab. Sir. Roman’s stride lengthened. Excuse me, sir. He didn’t want their service aid. He had become the master at creating scenes. As soon as a security man’s hand wrapped around his forearm, Roman revolted. Instinct fueled reaction, and he startled Zeus in the process of his escape. Sir, I’m sorry, but there is a man here for you. There. Where was there? His aggravation heightened. Though his head swiveled, he could not search for the there that the man had spoken of.

His vacant eyes first settled on Roman’s white-knuckled grip of a harness, then the sleek, black beast clamped within it. Breath in his lungs stilled, unmotivated to move forward. Gannon knew what he was seeing, was able to draw the points of light together and form the full constellation, but he didn’t want to. It was a reality he hadn’t prepared to enter, a reality that was unforgiving and merciless. Wavering unseen, he let his mind wrench over the sight for a longer stretch than he should have. Roman’s gaze was the same slate blue, dark and somewhat steely, or perhaps the blue of the ocean, but its depth was unreadable. It stole over Gannon without recognition leaving a chill in its wake. A ragged swallow made its way down his throat, and he reasoned with himself. This wasn’t a time to appear shaken by these circumstances. For whatever reason, Roman had kept it private. Gannon wasn’t going to make a big deal out of him not saying something.

At least not in the middle of the fucking airport. Not when the wounds were obviously still so fresh.

It was strange to see someone you admire brought low by circumstance. Roman wasn’t simply blind, but he wore a heavy mantle he’d never worn before. Gannon couldn’t describe it, but it was weighted and dark, and it pulled him down despite his height. There was no pity. Pity was for men who did not help themselves. Roman was not that sort of man. Even torn of his sight, he made his own path through the trailing world. A little smirk appeared then at the corner of Gannon’s lips as the flight attendant was rattled out of their role of Good Samaritan. 

With a sharp intake of breath, the detective crossed the remaining stretch of awful carpet between them, his hands in the pockets of his coat. “Surprise,” he said with a defeated fanfare, hoping his voice would funnel the man’s attention toward him. When close enough, he gave a dark look to the attendant — it bordered between dismissive and disapproving. Gannon dealt with victims constantly, and the one staunch similarity between the lot of them was that they did not want to be treated like one. “We’re good.” His voice may as well have been a sickle of ice. Though he was unsure of Roman’s new threshold, Gannon wasn’t about to stigmatize the moment by making it about his loss of sight, about his injuries, about anything but their reunion. It had been years. So, he reached out and took the soldier’s hand, gingerly attempting to pull him into a hug.

He took his time, curious to see if the gesture would be rejected.

[gannxn]

trentxreed:

  “Well you you did a terrible job Gann”

“I live to disappoint.”