Title: Taking Care of Themselves
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Will LaMontagne/Ethan Delacroix
Fandom: Criminal Minds
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Will LaMontagne or Ethan Delacroix, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.
***
"What do you mean, somebody was watching you?"Will's voice was sharp, causing Ethan to look up in surprise. He hadn't expected his boyfriend to sound angry about this.
But then, Will was the protective type, he mused. Of course he wasn't going to be pleased to hear that somebody had been watching his lover with a hungry gaze, as though that man had wanted to rip his clothes off and devour him right there on the spot.
It wasn't complimentary, and it wasn't sexy. It was just creepy, the way that guy had stared at him. Ethan had felt like he needed to take a shower when he got home.
He had done so, and felt better. But first, he had made sure that all of the windows were closed and locked, as well as the door into his apartment. He had wanted to be sure that he was safe, that nobody could get in unless they had a key to the place.
And, of course, other than himself, the only person who had a key was Will. So he didn't feel uneasy when he got into the shower. He knew that he was safe.
Ethan shook his head, holding up a hand.
"You know that people watch me all the time, baby," he said, trying to keep his tone placating. "But this was different. The way this guy was staring at me was really creepy. I just wanted him to get out of there, but he stayed until the last set."
Will was frowning now, almost scowling. "You took a cab home, didn't you? If there's somebody like that going to your shows, I don't want you walking home alone."
Ethan smiled, hoping that his relaxed attitude would calm Will down and make his boyfriend realize that he was watching out for his own safety, that he was being cautious. "Yes, I took a cab home, and I made sure all the windows and the door were locked when I got here."
Will nodded, relaxing back in his chair.
"If there's somebody watching you at work, then I want you to be extra careful when I can't be with you to walk you home," he said, reaching out to take Ethan's hand.
Ethan let his fingers intertwine with Will's, squeezing his boyfriend's hand gently; he nodded in response to the other man's words, knowing that he would take them seriously and obey them. The last thing he would do was take any chances with his life.
There had been times before he'd met Will when he hadn't really cared what happened to him; he'd gone through a period where he was a hard drinker.
But little by little, he had come to the realization that his music meant too much to him for him to simply throw his life away inside a bottle. He was worth more than that.
And then, miraculously, he had found Will, and his entire life had changed. He had told himself that he was going to live for his work, that his music was enough. But when their paths had crossed, he realized what had been missing from his life for so long.
Love. Someone to care for, someone who cared for him. He had craved that love in his life for so long, and now, by some divine miracle, he had it.
He wasn't going to let that love go, or take a chance on losing it. Not ever.
If that meant being overly cautious and holding everyone else at arm's length, then he would do that. It was something he'd always been aware of, anyway, the fact that there were some unsavory people who might become fascinated with him through his music.
It wasn't like he'd never dealt with stalkers before. Fortunately, they'd all been tourists, and they hadn't been around for long enough to become truly dangerous.
But this time, he had the feeling that the man watching him wasn't a tourist, that he was a native of New Orleans, and that he knew the city well. He didn't feel like a garden-variety patron of the club, either. Ethan couldn't help feeling that he was a dark, malevolent presence.
One that he and Will both had to protect themselves from.
He knew that Will's job was dangerous, much more so than his could ever be. And he worried about his boyfriend all the time. He wanted to keep Will safe.
Maybe that was something neither of them could ever do, Ethan reflected. They couldn't wrap each other in cotton wool, or watch over each other every minute of every day to make sure they were kept safe. They just had to trust to fate, and believes in themselves.
They would do all that they could to keep each other safe, but in the end, they each had to take care of themselves in their own way when they couldn't be together.
It would have to be enough, he told himself. He turned his hand over in Will's, then brought the other man's hand to his lips and kissed Will's palm, his lips lingering over that soft skin. When he lowered their still-clasped hands, the look in Will's eyes was unmistakable.
"I think we should go to bed," Ethan murmured, not surprised at all when Will smiled and nodded. He stood up, pulling Ethan to his feet and into those strong arms.
No words were spoken as the two of them headed down the hallway to the bedroom.
***