“Mind if I crash here?” Eli sluggishly looks up from his position, kneel sitting on the ground, arms the only thing keeping him from face planting, to see a staggering Speed half tripping his way to him over debris, half his white hair stained with red.
“Nah man, don’t mind… at all.” He brings up a hand to wipe at god knows how much blood is pouring from his nose.
“Chill, thanks.” It’s a pathetic half wheeze the leaves Tommy as he sits on a flat slab of what used to be wall. It shifts jarringly when his weight settles, startles him like a cat. The sound he makes flicks a chuckle out of Eli.
“Yeah, yeah, real funny.” There’s a long pause, only painful because Eli’s sure he’s bruised his ribs, doesn’t want to move because he’s also sure he’s cracked something, or finished cracking it when he started moving around three minutes ago.
“You got a good comm? Mines busted.”
“Yeah, go ahead, knock yourself out, everyone else is just bitching at Bucky, no clue why.” Eli huffs a short breath, a ghost of a laugh.
“You didn’t see his stunt?” Eli watches as Tommy leans his head down on something, eyeing that large red stain, frowning before the clicks on the comm.
Tommy wasn’t lying, he winces as at least four different voices clamour on the line, but he cycles to a different one, hearing a much calmer voice.
“This is Patriot, I’m on Speed’s comm.”
“Patriot, confirm location as the Western Plaza.” Eli can see its broken sign from where he is, confirms.
“Speed and I need medical attention. My chest hurts like crazy and I heard a crack a short while ago, half of Speed’s head is covered in blood, no idea if it’s his.”
“Maybe ask him? Hawkeye and Daredevil are on their way, they’re the closest to your position.”
“Sweet, thanks.” Eli lowers the comm from his ear and god this hurts. He picks up a fist sized rock and tosses it as best he can at Tommy’s leg. The complaining he gets in return tells him he’s awake enough.
“That blood on your head yours?” He gets a mumble of ‘I unno’ and he sighs.
“Get your ass over here, I’ll check.” There’s a long suffering groan, he kicks his legs out in a play of a fake tantrum, jokes on him though, now Tommy’s just put his ankle in grabbing distance. The yelp he gives when firmly yanked is too satisfying to not smile.
“You could have just asked, asshole.”
“I did ask, asshole.” Well shit, there’s a sizeable amount of Tommy’s skull that was too squishy for his liking, which was any squish at all.
“I really hope you survive this, so I can beat you up for tripping me up back there, and for worrying me.”
“Awww, Eli, anyone tell you you’re cute when you worry?” He doesn’t mind how close they are right now, doesn’t mind how carefree this ball of ‘I don’t care’isms is smiling like an idiot right now, what he does care about right now, is his searing ribs and his one of Tommy’s pupils is fighting to eclipse his iris.
“Hey, wanna get dinner after this? I know a great pho place.” Eli can hear footsteps approaching.
“Yeah, Tommy, pho sounds nice.”
