ONE (1) HEROIC ACT

private blog for eric king of house of ashes.

follows are OK, PM me if you wanna thread.

crosscanon and OCs are always OK.

writer is 21+. no smut with minors.

(incomplete) choices so far:

did not ask for air support

did not cut the rope

discovered that UV light affects the creatures

chose to cooperate amicably with the iraqis

His eyebrows knit into a frown at the vague, almost nervous answer. The mention of losing his son has him tense up visibly and straighten his posture. Only briefly taking his attention off Eric to smile and nod politely, if stiffly, at the waiter bringing their drinks.

“ Taken away from - ? What do you mean ? What do I ‘ deserve to know ‘ ? “ He replies, now speaking in a hushed tone. He doesn’t understand where all this keeps coming from. Was a war and an ancient temple infested with demons not enough? He’d enjoy seeing Eric’s squad again, of course. Even with the little time they spend in the temples together, he really feels like they made an impact on each other. Nothing like a life or death situation to bring people together. But whatever King is talking about, he already knows nothing good will come from it.

Zain will be leaving for England in a few months. Salim is proud beyond words, and mournfully relieved as well. Is getting to enjoy these last months of his son’s childhood with him in peace too much to ask?

He knows that, whatever this is, he shouldn’t take his frustration out on Eric. Just him coming all this way to warn him means that what he’s saying aren’t just empty words. That he really does care. That’s really all he can want from him. It’s more than most Americans give at least. His expression softens. “ I am okay . I’m sorry I left so suddenly . After almost dying all I wanted was to hug my son . And I did . I made it home . “ Seeing his son so full of worry had broken his heart. The memory of his wife just leaving them one day had involuntarily crossed his mind at the sight. He’s never felt more relieved to be alive as when his son’s expression changed the moment he realised he had returned home.

Salim hasn’t told him the full extend of what had happened. He wouldn’t even know where to start. After a tearful reunion he had all but collapsed on the cushions in their living room. He doesn’t know how long he was out for but when he woke up the bandages on his chest had been replaced and Zain had left for school.

“ This something you will tell me about at a more discreet moment . How worried about it should I be ? “

“We’re doing our best to make sure you won’t be,” Eric says, his posture straightened as he does. Personal situations, small talk-- all that stuff is terrible to him. But talking about the work is as easy as breathing, and he’s hit a point in his life where he doesn’t think about what that might mean any more. “And when we were interrogated, we kept talking about you to a minimum. But what happened is something the U.S. government doesn’t want getting out, and that means all of us might be deemed liabilities somewhere down the line.”

Kolchek gave them your name, he thinks about saying, but he’ll save that for later. “None of us gave away your hometown or where you came from, of course, and to be honest I’m not sure how much resources America’ll give to locating to an Iraqi soldier, but...

“I don’t know anything for certain. And I’m... sorry that I don’t, Othman. I really am.”

A true leader, a good leader, wouldn’t be so full of uncertainty. Othman may not have been assigned to him, and to be truthful Eric likely lost all his status the moment the ground caved in beneath his feet, but he can’t help but feel responsible for all this, anyway.

It wouldn’t do for him to be swallowed by his own guilt, however. So he decides to wash the bitter taste in his mouth down with soda instead.

Salim hadn’t expected to see any of them again after he had walked away. Let alone that the apparent commanding officer of their little entourage would come find him in Bandra-Mandali. 

He doesn’t know much about the lieutenant colonel. They didn’t have much opportunity to talk down in the temples. Not that he would’ve expected them to have time or the civility for any formalities in the first place. That he’d actually managed to convince them not to shoot him on sight had already been a surprise. The friendship he’d built with Jason and Nick had been a bigger, but even more pleasant one.

He’s more impressed than creeped out that the man managed to find him at all. Besides Zain and him, he doesn’t know many in their town that understand a word of English, even less that would openly associate with someone speaking it natively. Then again, the war is over as far as Salim is concerned, they lost. Technically this is American territory now, even if no one really seems to care about such technicalities. The Americans or Saddam, it’s the same to small town folk like him.

Of course, all of that is without knowing any of the misery that’s to come.

He sniggers at Eric’s confusion. Most Americans are ignorant, that much is a fact he’s come to accept. But it is amusing to see it manifest in such harmless things. “ I’m allowed to have soda , yes . “ He says then gestures towards one of the empty seats at the table. “ Sit down , I’ll order for you . “ With that, he calls out to the server in Arabic and orders them both a drink.

He turns back to Eric after. “ Not to be rude , but I’d have thought you all would want to be halfway home already after … all that hell . Is there something else you needed from me ? “

Salim says it’s all right to sit, so Eric sits. Pain flares up his right leg when his weight shifts, but here in public he does his best not to bring attention to it.

At the man’s question, he says, “Yes.” Only for his eyes to widen slightly as he backtracks swiftly and says, “No, I mean... not in that way. In fact, I think the less official involvement you have with us the better. After the debrief...”

Eric’s expression turns wry, awkward. “I can’t really talk about it in the open like this, to be honest. But Lt. Kolchek mentioned you had a son, and none of us want to see you taken away from him.” He pauses, hands folding on the table. “By ‘us’ I mean-- well, Lt. Kolchek, Sgt. Kay, Rach-- Agent King, and I.

“I’m sure we can arrange a more private meeting later if you want the details. If nothing else you deserve to know.”

When Kay spoke of what Othman did for him with the monster Eric had inspected, and when Kolchek spoke of what he learned in his time with Othman in the den, Eric’s blood had run cold thinking of what leaving him behind would’ve meant in the scales of the universe. He’d thought himself a step above going after Hussein’s weapons instead of openly attacking an already tired Iraqi military, but he’s got just as much work to do as the rest of them.

Eric’s thumbs fidget, rubbing against each other as his hands remain interlocked. “I came here because I wanted to see if you were okay.

Eric isn’t nearly the level of medical genius that Aldo is, and he knows his own worry probably makes him think the wound is worse than it is. But shit, if it isn’t disarming to see a cut on Aldo’s brow open and drip down the side of his face.

Between the two of them, Eric’s far more accident prone as a person (thank God he’s stopped getting into fights, though). That said, he doesn’t think he’s ever seen Aldo visibly hurt before... but at the same time, it isn’t like Eric’s been good about keeping up with him until recently, either.

Closing himself off from his loved ones after his accident is something he still has to atone for-- Eric knows this. Honestly, it’s probably why his expression’s twisting over a wound so minor.

Then again, Aldo’s never been minor to him. Eric hopes he knows as much, even if he’s always been shit about talking feelings. Everyone’s got issues, though.