#everythingirl44

Lincoln wakes to a knee in his side and groans, squinting against the lights of their room. He immediately buries his head back in his pillow; it’s too early for the lights to be on. “Whasit?”

Al, halfway off the bed, freezes with a guilty expression that quickly softens into a fond smile. “Go back to sleep, Linc.”

Lincoln rolls halfway to Daisy, reaching for the warmth of her body, but keeps his gaze on Al with one bleary eye. “Fire?”

Al’s brow furrows. “I don’t-”

“A mission?”

“No…”

“Then come back t’bed,” Lincoln murmurs, already tucking his face into the curve of Daisy’s shoulder. He smiles as she relaxes against him even in her sleep.

He feels the mattress dip as Al lays back down, but immediately shivers as the blankets are pulled off of him and Daisy. Daisy stirs at the disturbance and sits up; Lincoln doesn’t want to exert the effort to chase after her, but he watches with a smile as she pushes the hair out of her face.

She wakes easier than he does, and her voice is mostly normal when she asks: “what are you doing?”

Lincoln isn’t looking, but he can hear the grin in Al’s voice nonetheless. “Taking my tax.”

Daisy scoffs, but mirth seeps into the noise. He can see the moment she gets an idea: her mouth widens into a proper smile and her eyes glitter with mischief.

“No, Daisy, wai-!” But he spoke too late; Daisy has already jumped half on top of Al, and half on top of him, to tug at the sheets Al is holding tight in his hands.

“Quit it!” Daisy protests, laughing through her words. “You’re hogging the blankets!”

Lincoln twists around to watch them, and also to shift Daisy’s knees away from his stomach. Al’s barely containing his laughter, and judging from the lines around his eyes he won’t be able to much longer. Daisy’s still pulling at the blankets, but it’s half-hearted now, interrupted by her peals of laughter until finally she slumps over Al’s torso, forehead bumping gently against his.

“That wasn’t fair,” she whines. “You cheated.”

Al meets Lincoln’s eyes and his mouth quirks upwards. “I didn’t, my love.” He finally releases the blankets, and Daisy takes part of them with her as she returns to Lincoln’s other side.

Daisy lays back down, gasping as she regains her breath. Lincoln can still feel the occasional remnants of chuckles in Al’s chest.

“You know we’re never going to be able to go back to sleep now,” Daisy whispers, a giggle caught in the back of her throat.

“I cannot believe you!” Daisy’s voice is a little hoarse, run ragged from the previous night’s endless pacing and muffled tears.

From his reclined position in the hospital bed, Al averts his eyes and gives a little shrug. “I didn’t know.”

Lincoln scoffs, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. “Don’t lie.”

“I’m not-”

“You promised you wouldn’t lie,” Daisy cuts in, softer than Lincoln but with just as much reproach.

Al grits his teeth, jaw clenching. “I-” he stops. Breathes. Starts again. “I did what was necessary.”

“Jumping in front of a loaded gun, knowing you wouldn’t heal?” There’s heat in every syllable, anger covering the deeper well of concern that spirals within him.

The lights begin to flicker, and Daisy shoots Lincoln a look, half chiding, half something gentler. The lightbulb stops fluctuating, and the tense line of his mouth loosens a little.

“You two were in the line of fire!” The words tear from Al, reflexive, and he looks slightly betrayed at the actions of his own tongue.

Lincoln uncrosses his arms and steps a few feet closer, his voice softening as if he’s explaining theoretical physics to a toddler. “Al. We’re not worth-”

“You’re worth everything. Everything. Don’t you see that?” He looks first to Lincoln then to Daisy. “Why can’t you see that?” It’s like his face has broken open; it’s a vulnerability he’s never shown them, not like this.

Daisy’s jaw works uselessly for a moment, speechless, but then she shakes her head, waves bobbing from the vigorous movement. “You can’t put value on-”

But Lincoln cuts her off, rushing forward to where Al is placing his feet on the floor in preparation to stand. “What are you doing? You’re still healing!” His words are brusque with worry.

Al puts up cursory resistance as Lincoln half-wrestles him back into bed. “You’re too far away,” he murmurs, his nose wrinkling as he says it.

Lincoln swallows, all contrary bluster draining from him in an instant. “No.” He wraps both of his hands around the other man’s hand, clasping it to him. “No, I’m right here.”

Daisy moves to Al’s other side, climbing into bed beside him while taking care not to jostle any of the equipment monitoring him. “Me too,” she says, tucking her head high enough up on his chest that her hair tickles his jaw.

Al sighs, leaning into her touch. “I can’t-” He closes his eyes to avoid the piercing blue of Lincoln’s gaze. “I can’t lose you. Either of you. I’d do anything to prevent that.”

Lincoln looks at Daisy, five nuances in his expression; she understands them all. He takes one of his hands away from Al and squeezes Daisy’s shoulder. She smiles up at him, a little sad.

He leans down to press a kiss to the top of her head and another to Al. “I know,” he mutters into his hair. “I know.”

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