“Are you sure you don’t have the map upside down?” 

“Benji, do you honestly think that I’d be holding the map upside do-” 

There was a pause. A moment of reflection. The sound of paper being jostled as the sound of laughter joined it. “You were saying?” 

“Be quiet, Benji. We’re gonna be late.” 

“You love me really, don’t deny it.” 

~  F I R S T   ~

Their first kiss was in the heat of the moment. A mixture of blood, sweat, fire and tension had set the scene as an explosion had thrown them both to the ground, a large steel beam almost crushing them under its weight. As Benji had blinked back the dust from his eyes, rubbing away blood from somewhere on his head, he had heard Ethan calling out to him, and his head was spinning. The voice got closer, louder, clearer, and as a hand reached out towards him, he wasted no time in taking it, feeling himself yanked to his feet as another hand held his shoulder steady. 

“Are you ok?” Ethan shouted, causing Benji to wince. 

“No- bloody hell, no need to shout, Ethan.” 

“I’m not shouting!” Ethan continued to yell, clearly unable to hear just how loud his own volume was, causing Benji to chuckle a little madly. 

“You’re totally shouting.” he replied, glancing around them before back to Ethan, who was covered in dust and was bleeding from a gash on his shoulder. “I’m ok. Been better but we’re alive, right?” There was a moment, as Benji said that, where Ethan fell silent and his eyes scanned over the younger man almost frantically. There was an expression on his face that Benji found hard to read, and as he opened up his mouth to speak, to ask if Ethan was ok, that was when it happened. 

Benji felt his back hit the wall behind him, lips pressing desperately against his own in a messy kiss. It took no time for Benji’s hands to be gripping Ethan’s torn shirt, pulling him closer as he felt one hand on the side of his neck and the other gripping his hip tightly. Their teeth bumped against one another as the sheer relief of survival overpowered the two men, and by the time Ethan pulled away, they were gasping for air. 

Ethan did not move away, though, his head hovering just a few centimetres from Benji’s as he placed a hand on the wall next to the tech’s head, letting out a shaky breath.

“Ethan?” Benji broke the silence as they stood there, his fingers still tangled in sweat-covered fabric as he met Ethan’s gaze. 

“Yeah?” 

“Shall we, um...”

“Get outta here?” Ethan finished the sentence, met with a nod by Benji. 

“I’d like to do that again when we’re not, y’know, gross and bleeding.” Benji added, cheeks flushed pink as he pushed himself off the wall onto somewhat unsteady feet (weakened by the kiss, moreso than the explosion). 

“I think that can be arranged.” Ethan’s reply was accompanied by a smile, an arm placed around Benji’s shoulders as the two moved towards the nearest safe exit. 

---

~  L A S T  ~

Their last kiss was surprisingly similar, though far less frantic and passionate. 

They knew that time was running out, that they had to get the bomb as far from the city as they could. Of course, neither would let the other do it alone, knowing the results that it would lead to; there was no way that one would be leaving the other behind. That just wasn’t how it would go. 

“I’m not leaving you.” Benji had said. “Not now, not ever.” Tears formed in Ethan’s eyes as he heard that, the knowledge of his perfect husband not leaving his side even until the very end was so extremely ‘Benji’. Cupping the younger man’s face, Ethan leaned in and nodded. 

“I know, Benj. You’ve always been by my side.” he whispered, pressing his lips to Benji’s in a tender, yet overwhelmingly loving kiss as tears began to roll down his cheeks. Their last moments would be spent together. 

As the van took off, bomb counting down in the back, Benji’s heart was pounding and he knew that this was it. Bombs were somewhat of a sore spot for him, memories of being strapped to one leaving him shaking at the thought, but he felt Ethan’s hand reaching over to grab his own, steadying the trembling of his clammy palm. 

“I love you, Benjamin Hunt.” Ethan said, as the van sped along the isolated road, moving out of range of the city as the minutes became seconds. “More than life itself.” Lifting Benji’s hand to his lips, he gently kissed the platinum wedding band on his finger as the beeping of the timer became louder and louder. 

Ethan was rummaging around the suitcase when he felt it; the small tap against his ass. There it was again, just a moment later, and again a little while after that, and when he finally turned around to see Benji, sat on the edge of the bed, a look of pure innocence in his eyes, Ethan raised an eyebrow. 

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to touch your butt.” Benji exclaimed, holding up his hands in feigned defence. 

“Sure you didn’t, Benj. You just can’t take your hands off me.” Ethan retorted with a sly smirk on his face as he turned back around to find his grey shirt - it was one of Benji’s favourites, and perfect for their anniversary meal. 

“How dare you accuse me of such a perverted thing!” Benji looked shocked, placing a hand over his heart as he fought back a smile. 

“Hm?” Ethan glanced over his shoulder and saw Benji’s expression, the older man finding it so endearing as he finally gave in. Turning around fully, he pushed Benji back against the bed with a chuckle, resting on top of his partner as he took one of Benji’s hands and placed it on his ass. “There. Happy now?” 

Benji’s heart felt as though it was about to burst through his chest, push its way through as he fought back every emotion that coursed through his veins. How had this happened? How could it have gone so horribly wrong? He let out a broken cry as he dropped to his knees, recalling the moment Ethan had rushed in to save him, only to be met with a bullet to the throat. It had all happened so fast, he couldn’t stop it, couldn’t save him. 

Couldn’t save you... I’m sorry... 

Looking up to see Ethan’s lifeless body on the bed of the motel he had somehow got them to, glad no one had spotted them so late in the night, Benji’s hands were trembling as he saw the way the blood stained the sheets and not giving a damn about how hard it would be to clean. Not when that blood was supposed to be inside Ethan’s body, not pouring out onto white fabric. Tears stung his reddened, bruised cheeks as he leaned forwards, head resting on the rough carpeted floor, a strangled sound passing his lips as he thumped his fist on the ground repeatedly. Ethan should not have died for him, shouldn’t have died at all, but certainly not for him. Even though he knew that it was something that the older man was willing to do, he refused to accept that it would actually be the way that it would go. Benji couldn’t let this be how it ended. As he had cradled Ethan’s lifeless body in his arms, holding his partner to his chest and screaming into the night, he had begged whatever deity was out there to bring him back, to wake him up from this nightmare, to change time, anything. Just to bring Ethan back to him. But no one had listened, and Ethan remained gone. 

But there was one thing that he had not tried, and he knew that it was a terrible idea, yet it was an act of pure desperation which led the technician to a remote road in the middle of nowhere, the moon and his car headlights the only source of illumination. His hands were clammy as he gripped the steering wheel tightly, finding it difficult to let go for a few moments as he took slow breaths. His tear-glazed blue eyes glanced down to the box that sat on the passenger seat, knowing that it contained the answer to his heartache, knowing that it would bring about further trouble in the long run. But that didn’t matter to him. All that mattered in that moment was getting his love back. Life wasn’t worth living without Ethan in it, and as he finally stepped out of the car, box under one arm, he knew that this was the only way to get him back. It took him no time to make the preparations, placing the box in the hold he had dug, perfectly in the centre of the crossroads as he had heard. He just hoped that it would work... 

“Benjamin Dunn.” A voice startled Benji from behind and he turned around to see a man stood in a black suit, hands clasped in front of him with an incredulous look on his face. “Never thought we’d see you around here. Your mother-”

“I know who she was.” Benji cut the demon off, knowing all about his mother’s youth as a hunter before leaving the life to protect him and his older brother. 

“She had quite a reputation.” The man continued, taking a few steps towards the agent. “But you did not follow in her footsteps. You chose to fight a different enemy... Interesting.” 

“I’m not here to talk.” Benji’s voice was sharp as tears formed in his eyes once more. 

“Of course you’re not. You’re here to make a deal.” The man studied Benji’s face for a moment, red eyes almost shining in the darkness. “Judging from the dried tears on your face, it was someone very close to you... Brother? Friend? Lover?” 

“I want you to bring him back. I need you to...” His voice broke as he trailed off, swallowing against the lump in his throat as he looked down to the floor. 

“I can do that for you, Benjamin. But you of all people must understand the cost. Everything comes with a price, and mine comes in the form of ten years.” 

“I understand. I’m willing to do whatever you want, give you whatever you want, I just need him back.” 

“That can certainly be arranged. Ask and you shall receive.” There was a pause as the demon stared Benji down, an almost mischievous smirk on his face as Benji nodded. 

“I want you to bring back Ethan Hunt, as he was before.” 

“No one is ever the same after returning from death, Benjamin. But a deal is a deal, so if that’s what you wish...” The man stepped towards him, a glint in his red eyes as he leaned down and pressed his lips against Benji’s. The agent winced at the kiss, knowing it was necessary and yet still hating the idea of kissing anyone other than Ethan. But it was a contract worth making. 

--- 

Benji was certain that he returned to the motel in half the time it had taken him to leave, but he had to get back. Had to see if it had worked... 

“Ethan?!” Benji burst through the door of their room to see Ethan sat up on the bed, hand at his throat, an expression of confusion across his face. Benji thought he might collapse as he took in the sight, the relief of seeing his partner alive once more hitting him like a truck, as he rushed over and wrapped his arms around the other. “Thank god you’re a- awake. You had me so worried.” Pulling back from the embrace, Benji looked into Ethan’s eyes and felt the tears beginning to flow once more at the disbelief that it had actually worked. He didn’t even think on what he had paid in order to get here, but none of that mattered. 

“Benji?” Ethan’s voice was weak as he cupped the younger man’s cheek, wiping away the tears. “What happened?” 

“You almost got yourself killed for me... You’re such an idiot.” Benji tried to play it off light hearted, but inside his stomach was twisting and turning beneath the lie. “But it’s ok, I got you back here and now-”

“No, Benji, I mean what happened?” Ethan stared Benji down, making the tech rather uncomfortable. “I don’t remember much, but I haven’t lost everything. That was a fatal hit I took.” Ethan ran his fingers over his own throat, where the bullet hole had been. “There’s no way I could have made it from that, Benji. What did you do?” 

Benji stood upright and turned away, moving to get Ethan some water from the kitchenette. “Nothing, I worked it all out. That’s all.” 

“Benji, please... I need to know. How did you bring me back?” Ethan’s voice was desperate now, his gut sinking as he pushed himself off the bed and slowly crossed the room on unsteady legs. 

“I just- I met up with someone who could fix it. We came to an arrangement and now you’re back. Can’t we just be happy that you’re-” 

“Benji.” Ethan’s voice was firm as he gripped Benji’s shoulders, forcing his partner to look him in the eyes. “I wasn’t born yesterday, I know about arrangements to bring people back from the dead. What did you trade?” Ethan already had a sickening idea, knowing what those kinds of beings demanded in exchange for a returned life, but he needed to hear it from Benji. Needed his partner to prove him wrong. The two men stared at one another for a few moments, a tear rolling down Benji’s cheek as his lower lip began to tremble. 

“I had to do it, Ethan. Losing you, I- it wasn’t acceptable.” Benji replied, voice wavering as Ethan began to shake his head, stumbling on the spot slightly. 

“No... No, no...” 

“Ethan, the world needs you. Far more than it needs me. I just did what it took to make sure that the world didn’t lose you.” At that, Ethan all but exploded as he shook Benji’s shoulders, raw emotion forcing its way out of his body in the form of tears and vocals. 

“But I need YOU, Benji!” 

“But what kind of a world is worth living in if you aren’t there, Ethan?!” Benji’s voice cracked as he shouted, his body beginning to shake as he crumbled into Ethan’s arms. “I couldn’t let you go, Ethan. I couldn’t do it. I needed you.” Silence fell over them as Ethan cradled Benji close to his chest, running his hand over the soft, dark blonde hair as he began to silently sob himself. The thought of having to give up his Benji, like he had to give up his Julia, was too much for him to take. He couldn’t face losing another love, this time far more permanently. After what felt like forever, Ethan finally broke the silence. 

“How long?” 

“What?” 

“How long do you have?” Ethan pulled back and met Benji’s gaze once more, their eyes mirroring one another with overpowering emotion. 

“It doesn’t matter, Ethan.” 

“How. Long? Please... I need- I need to know how long you have.” 

“Ten years. I’ve got ten years before they take me.” Benji inhaled a slow, shaky breath, knowing that inside that brilliant mind, Ethan was already trying to work out a million ways to try and save his soul. It was useless, though. Benji would take ten years with Ethan than the rest of his life without him. 

It was hardly uncommon for their work to follow them home. There were plenty of stories of IMF agents facing troubles from previous missions, some going missing, being hurt, or even killed. But Benji always thought that it wouldn’t happen to them. Sadly, that wasn’t the case, as he and Ethan sat in a cafe on the coast, their table on the deck overlooking the water.

It was a perfect morning, their vacation having kicked off to a great start with a visit to a local theme park and today, they planned to take a drive out to the nearby hills to see the sights. It was exactly what both of them deserved, they had earned it after so many difficult missions. But it was the very sun that comforted them that caused Benji to spot the glint as it caught the barrel of a gun nearby.

It took all of half a second for Benji to notice the trajectory and make his move.

The pain didn’t hit him instantly, because his mind was rigged to check for Ethan’s injuries. However, when he saw that his partner wasn’t hurt, that was when he realised just what had happened.

His hands moved to his stomach, coming back warm and wet with deep red blood, and Benji knew that this was not good. Of course, it could have been worse in his eyes, because the bullet could have hit Ethan, but as people ran around screaming, as he heard his partner yelling for someone to call for help, Benji felt his body becoming weaker.

“God, Benji, what the fuck were you thinking?” Ethan’s voice was strained, choked with tears that threatened to fall.

Three Sentence Fic @supergeekytoon​

Three Sentence Fic @ineverhadadoubt

Note: this is awful and I know it but I couldn’t help myself.

Three Sentence Fic @ineverhadadoubt

Note: Ok I had to go with this idea that has been discussed before only because I find the concept fucking hilarious

“Ethan, were you going to tell me about the bloody great crater you left down Main Street today, or did I have to just find that out directly from the Mayor herself?” 

“Well saving people sometimes requires some collateral damage, Benji, that’s what being a superhero means…” 

Three Sentence Fic@nogoatshere