Just A Little Talk

[notjustaface]

Hannibal's got their orders - but there's something he has to clear before briefing the boys, and since Peck's more than up and about there's no better time than the present.

Face is still lounging by the kiddie pool, but everyone else has scattered.

"Where's Murdock?" Hannibal asks, pulling up a lawn chair that's seen better days.

Coming out of his half-doze, Face sits up and blinks several times. "Hmm? Oh, he's helping BA out with an engine."

"Good, we've got time." He shifts back on his seat and lights a cigar, letting a long moment pass before elaborating; "We're going back in."

"Sure... good. Maybe this time I won't have to play bait?"

"No, no bait. But I'm considering pulling Murdock off the mission."

"What? No!" Face shakes his head, brows knit together. "Why?"

Hannibal exhales a thick plume of smoke and sighs; "He went against a direct order."

That doesn't sound like Murdock at all... as long as Face has known him he's practically killed himself more times than they can count without even batting an eye. "What? That's..."

"Not like him, I know. It's like you."

"I have never..." Well, maybe... a little. Not outright refusing but maybe modifying it a little...

"You boys have been spending a lot of time together."

Face shrugs as best he can without tearing his stitches. "We're best friends, man. What'd you expect? I mean, what'd he do?"

"He had to see you. Watched them patch you up, sat with you... you do realize there's a reason what you two are doing is frowned upon, don't you?"

He didn't know that much, just that when he woke up Murdock was just... there. Like he belonged there. "We're not doing anything."

"You can't bullshit me, Face." Hannibal growls. "You think I don't see the way he looks at you? The way you string him along?"

"I never...."

"Shut up and listen because I'm not saying this again." Hannibal looks straight at him, shutting him down in the way few people ever could. "He's been in love with you for years and if you don't already know it, you're blind and stupid."

"Can I talk now, is that okay, Colonel?"

Hannibal frowns, chewing the wet tip of his cigar.

Face continues; "It's a crush, okay? And yeah, I know... we're dealing with it."

"Dealing with it? By sleeping together?"

"No!"

"Don't lie to me."

"We talked about it, okay? And he knows that it's not going down that road. I'm not that guy, okay? He knows."

"And you never gave him a reason to think otherwise?"

He lowers his head, he hasn't meant to - things just are the way they are. "He'll get over it. And we're not sleeping together any more... maybe not at all when we go back home."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Hannibal clearly sees through the words. "You need to make up your mind, because you know as well as I do he's already made up his."

Face moves to say something, anything that sounds better than 'maybe' or 'that's not the way it is' but he can hear Murdock coming around the corner with BA and Percy growling at each other about whether or not his special hot sauce could de-grease an engine.

"Figure it out." Hannibal mutters, pushing up out of the chair; "Before you hurt him again."