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If you"d asked James why he took the Group Bombardier job, he"d have said it was because it would be less stressful because he didn"t have to aim while getting shot at.
Then Ev goes up without him. And James stares at the horizon for a very long time while Harry stands next to him and doesn"t say anything.
"You get used to it, right?" James asks.
"No," Harry replies.
"Was it easier for you up there, even though you couldn"t be in the same fort?"
"We were still in it together in the same way," Harry says, and he thumps James on the back. "Now Ev"s got Bubbles, and you"ve got me."
"Not so bad, that," James says and slings an arm around Harry"s shoulders, giving him a shake until he laughs and shoves at James. "What the hell do we do until they come back?"
"Worry about them," Harry says. "Get back to work and worry about them."
"Mind if I camp out in your office?" James asks. "I"m new at this. I don"t know how to worry and work on the ground."
"You"ll figure it out," Harry promises. "And my door"s always open."
*
The whole fort makes it back. Most of the forts do, in fact. But James isn"t ashamed to admit he"s really only concerned with the one fort and the one man flying it.
He waits in the barracks while Ev goes through interrogation. He knows Ev"s going straight to the showers after, getting the sweat and grime and stress off of him so he can hit up the Officer"s Club and tell the story of his brilliant flying with a huge grin and a full cup of cockiness.
James lays on Ev"s rack to wait, unashamed to be so obvious he missed him. He sighs in relaxation as Ev"s smell surrounds him, and he relaxes further as he thinks about the fact that Ev is on the ground again. He"s close again. He"s safe again.
He doesn"t mean to doze off, but he wakes up to Ev leaning over him, smiling and smelling like Army soap. "Hi," James says.
"Hey, handsome," Ev replies. He cups James"s jaw and leans in, kisses him slow and sweet. James, still half-asleep, hums in pleasure and barely moves his mouth. "God, I missed you," Ev murmurs against James"s mouth.
James slides his hands up Ev"s back, getting his fingers under his undershirt and feeling the still slightly damp skin of his back. "Knew you"d be back," he replies. "You can"t resist me."
Ev laughs against his mouth and nudges James"s side, sliding onto the cot next to him and curling in good and tight so they can both fit. "Never could," he says. "Never want to." He nuzzles James"s cheek, then settles them so their foreheads are touching, and their breath mingles. "Gotta say, not having you up there makes me want to stay right here all night."
James pulls Ev"s leg over his own hip and nuzzles on his collarbone. "Don"t let me stop you," he says, words slow and slurred because Ev is here and warm and alive, and he made it back to James, and all he wants is to stay where he is and cherish it all.
He feels Ev press a kiss to his temple, and then he falls back asleep. He doesn"t know it until later, but Ev is right behind him.