Post-Pardon: Home Is Where The Heart Is

[notthatcrazy]

It's been a long five years since their escape, and thanks to several high-risk high-reward jobs from higher-ups who wanted to maintain plausible deniability if things went wrong, the A-Team had finally earned their freedom.

It's been a bit of a rough transition, truth be told. None of them are quite sure where to go from here. B.A. had responded by heading back up north to visit his family, and Hannibal was still talking about starting some kind of private security firm. As for the two of them, it had taken a while but they'd finally managed to find a beachfront home that wasn't too hemmed in by development. The terms of their pardon included a fairly generous settlement which, combined with a few clever investments Face had made, meant they wouldn't have to worry about money for quite a while.

Now they just have to figure out what to do with themselves.

"Close your eyes." He sneaks up on his partner from behind, wrapping his arms around his waist. "I got a surprise for you."

Comments

[notjustaface]

"Our girl..." he echos with another gentle, almost uneasy laugh. He can't help it, there's been an awful lot of 'ours' in the last decade but it's always been the team... now it's just the two of them.

Not just for a month either.

"And working at a bar like back in Montreal?"

[notthatcrazy]

"Yep. Our girl."

They still keep in touch with the others, of course. You don't go through something like that with someone and just say 'okay, bye' when it's over. Hannibal's hinted he might even have some legit, for-real work for them down the line, though somehow Murdock thinks he'd be rolling his eyes a bit if he could see them right now.

"You seemed to enjoy it. Long as I get to stop in for a visit every once in a while."

[notjustaface]

Brushing a gentle kiss against Murdock's stubbled jaw, he lets out a soft murmur of approval.

"You know you're always welcome where I'm at." He's been a good guy, not that he hasn't had a few close calls and a whole lot of temptation - but in the end he's always come back home.

"No secrets."

[notthatcrazy]

He can't really ask for better. He's tried to make it clear to him over the years that whatever happens, they'll get through it as long as they stick together. He still hasn't forgotten how scared he was when he'd tried to run off.

"I can't believe Montreal was that long ago..."

[notjustaface]

It's that fear that keeps him in check, though. And part of him will always believe that Murdock deserves better - someone he knows for sure won't ever hurt him.

"The years went fast..." he murmurs, offering a dry smile that plays to his realization that they're getting older - he's getting older.

[notthatcrazy]

"Mmm, that they did."

He reaches for his hand again, looking at the rings he still wears.

"You still thinkin' about makin' these official?"

[notjustaface]

He takes a long moment to consider the thought, twining their fingers together with a gentle squeeze.

"No reason we can't." It's legal, and mostly recognized now - at least where they're at. And they've more or less made it clear they're stuck with each other for the long haul anyway.

[notthatcrazy]

"It'd be nice... just friends and family, not havin' to prove anything to anyone."

No secret identities, no international gun-runners to bust...

[notjustaface]

"Family..." he chuckles under his breath, letting the irony of that one settle in. If he had family, they probably wouldn't even come.

Still, Murdock's got a point.

"Yeah, it would be."

[notthatcrazy]

"Chosen family counts," he points out.

"We can think on it while we settle in first."

[notjustaface]

Working on arm our his back, Murdock squeezed him tight and brushed a kiss against his cheek.

"Not much to think about," he says with an easy breath; "just pick a date and get the ball rolling, you know?"

[notthatcrazy]

"Just don't wanna make too many big changes too fast."

Not that it would really change much about their day to day lives... it just feels like a big change.

[notjustaface]

Definitions are important - and making that jump from boyfriend to fiancee to husband is a pretty big, even if it doesn't change much between them or to those around them.

"Maybe give it a year or so?" He offers, "Give us a chance to settle in?"

[notthatcrazy]

They never even used the word "fiance" before except for the cruise, where Face could rationalize it as part of their cover.

"Sounds like a good deal."

[notjustaface]

It's a hard word to spit out, it means setting things in stone where they're a whole lot less likely to be changed than when they're just dating.

You know, like they have been... for years... in so much as their relationship could ever be called "dating".

"My fiancee..." he says with a tilted half-smile betraying how difficult it is to say it out loud.

[notthatcrazy]

It's been a long, gradual process of making things permanent.

"I like the sound of that."

[notjustaface]

Honestly, Murdock's been the only permanent thing in his life for as long as he can remember. It's gotten easier to think he just might really stick around.

"Thought you might," he grins against his ear, kissing him again.

[notthatcrazy]

After almost 15 years together in the Army and on the run, he certainly hopes he's getting that idea.

"It's a big step."

[notjustaface]

"Not that big..." he shrugs, his eyes skirting to the dog in the kennel.

"I mean, it's not like we're talking about kids."

[notthatcrazy]

"Not yet."

They've got some more settling down to do before they'll even be close to ready for that.

"But it's still... it means a lot, y'know?"

[notjustaface]

A whole lot of settling down. A whole, whole lot in Face's not entirely humble opinion.

"Ya think?" He quirks an eyebrow, sitting up slightly to shift Murdock toward him. "It's a good thing."

[notthatcrazy]

They'll get there eventually. He's entirely confident they will.

"I dunno... feels like there's a difference between knowin' something yourself and sayin' it to everyone."

[notjustaface]

Face won't deny the thought completely, of course.

Half-laughing, he nods into Murdock's shoulder; "It makes it official, I think. Kind of feel more permanent."

[notthatcrazy]

He's pretty much given up any pretense of distance and is basically sitting in his lap at this point.

"Not that we weren't already."

Hell, they've already had a longer relationship than a lot of people he knows.

[notjustaface]

Not that before the pardon they really had much of a chance of anything long term with anyone else... but after Charissa Face had sort of lost the ability to think about permanence. After Montreal he had that back again.

"Well, you know what I mean."

He nuzzles against him affectionately, brushing a kiss in the soft curls above his ear.