Quill, Parchment, & Ink

Title: Guarding Love
Characters: Jake Jensen, Carlos “Cougar” Alverez, Franklin Clay, Linwood “Pooch” Porteous
Fandom: Losers (2010)
Series:
Written For: angelskuuipo for Twelve Days of Fic Christmas
Prompt: Te Amo
Summary: Cougar watches over an injured Jensen and confesses something.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None explicit
Warnings: injured!Jensen, concerned!Cougar
Disclaimer: No one recognizable belongs to me, not making any money off this.
Author's Note: Just another story for the 12 Days of Fic Christmas. Hope you enjoy this one, it’s a little more depressing than a Christmas fic should be, but it fit the prompt.


The Losers clustered around the hospital waiting room, anticipating the emergence of the doctor with news on their youngest teammate. A minute later, the man emerged; almost stepping back out of the room when confronted with the remaining three men of the team. “How is he?” Clay demanded.

“He’s resting,” the doctor replied. “He’s stable for now but we want to keep an eye on him for a few days to make sure there are no complications.”

“Can we see him?” Pooch asked.

“Not right now. He needs to rest for a bit longer. Come back this afternoon and you can see him then.”

The three members of the Losers exchanged glances before Clay nodded at his two subordinates, sending them down the hall. “No one goes into that room until we get back,” he ordered before following after Cougar and Pooch.

“We can’t leave him alone,” Pooch burst out as soon as they exited the hospital. Cougar wordlessly growled his agreement.

“I don’t plan to,” Clay replied, “but fighting and arguing with the doctor would only call attention to ourselves.”

“So what are you planning?” Pooch asked.

Clay eyed the other two men for a minute. “Cougar, think you can get into Jensen’s room undetected?”

“Si. No problema,” Cougar replied.

“Good. You do that. And, Pooch, I want you to go empty our safe house. We’re moving as soon as Jensen’s mobile again.”

“The Pooch will put everything in the van,” Pooch replied. “And let you both know when the Pooch is done.”

Cougar nodded stiffly before heading back towards the hospital. He didn’t bother to wait and see if his teammates were moving off. He had an assignment and his own reasons for carrying it out.

It was a simple matter of waiting for the security guard’s back to be turned and then Cougar walked right past. (The security was almost laughable at the hospital.) He had taken note of the cameras earlier out of habit and easily avoided them as he made his way up to the correct floor.

Jensen’s door was ajar when he reached the right hallway and Cougar slipped down the hall, peering into the room to see the blonde tech asleep in the bed.

There were none of the machines surrounding Jensen that Cougar had been expecting. There was a nasal cannula feeding Jensen oxygen, a small heart monitor, and an IV but nothing else.

Cougar prowled the room for a few minutes, trying to settle his nerves at the sight of Jensen lying so still. The tech was rarely still; even when he was coding or hacking he was constantly moving that to see him motionless now was worrying the sniper. Even in sleep, Jensen would toss and turn, causing Cougar to wrap himself around the younger man to hold him still.

Now he wanted nothing more than to have that issue but Jensen remained still in the bed. After a few minutes, Cougar gave up on pacing, settling into a chair beside Jensen’s bed. He got up after a moment and moved it so he could face both the door and the bed, watching both of them.

For about an hour, Cougar sat patiently, alternating between watching Jensen and scanning the doorway and hall for anyone who might be too interested in Jensen. As he was getting up to stretch his legs the blonde stirred and Cougar was instantly at his side. “Jensen,” he said softly. “You’re safe.”

Jensen shifted again in the bed but didn’t open his eyes, turning his head towards Cougar’s voice. Cougar petted his hair in response, soothing the man. Jensen pushed up into his touch, clearly recognizing it, even with his eyes closed.

Cougar leaned down, pressing his lips to the other man’s forehead. “Te amo,” he whispered, just loud enough for the other man to hear.

Jensen’s eyes cracked open at that. “Why don’t you say that again when I’m awake?” he mumbled.

“Te amo, mi corazón,” Cougar repeated. He pressed a kiss to the other man’s lips. “I am very glad you will be all right.”




Te amo, mi corazón—I love you, my heart