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Pairing: River Ward x Fem!V!Reader; Slight SilverV Summary: (Request) You’ve been cured of your terminal disease. Johnny Silverhand no longer lives in your brain. It’s left you in a coma for two years, and when you wake up, everyone you’ve ever cared for has either moved on or no longer wants to see you, even your boyfriend, River Ward. Rating: Mature/Restricted — MDNI; AGELESS BLOGS DO NO INTERACT. Word Count: 7.4k+ Categories: Angst, Smut, hurt/comfort, slow burn-ish CWs: Reader is V and is referred to as V; rough sex, unprotected P in V; Reader hallucinates in the form of dreaming; Johnny doesn’t have a body; Spoilers for the secret ending/‘The Tower” ending. Not proofread. Notes: Canon-divergent; might've gotten some lore wrong. I just wanted River and V to have a happy ending.
MASTERLIST CYBERPUNK MASTERLIST
Everything hurts. Your head. Your body. Your ears as the incessant beeping of the heart rate monitor filled the room. All of it. Waking up from a two year coma was anything but pleasant.
Your operation had been a success. Johnny had finally been removed from your head, but as you came to that realization, a piece of you really missed him. Sure, the relic was killing you, and sure, you fucking hated the gonk when you’d first met him—he did try to kill you after all—but overtime, Johnny Silverhand was a man that you could eventually call your friend.
That realization and the news that you’d never be able to have chrome in your body ever again? That shit hurt the most. You had made a silent promise to Jackie before he had died—a promise that you’d make it to the big leagues, just for him… So much for that. You hadn’t ever expected to make it for only a few months. Maybe you should have just put a bullet through your skull after Misty had left you up on that roof. If you had, maybe you would have seen your best friend again.
As the team drops you off, you stare out at the sun and let out a big sigh. You’d wondered what Night City had gotten up to in that time, but really, the only thing on your mind was one man: River Ward.
You’d never fully explained what was going on with you and the relic—all you could tell him was that you were dying, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to be with you. Your mind flashes back to the morning after you’d crawled into his bed, spending the whole night with him inside of you. The sound of his voice humming a soft melody as he made you a cup of coffee fills your head.
“Best coffee, best jambalaya—“ you remember finding the recipe on his computer. It was sweet that he’d wanted to impress you. You didn’t think you’d ever fall for a fuckin’ cop, but you did, and you wore his “fuck the police” shirt almost every night to bed after that. He was sweet; he had a big heart, and his intentions with you were pure. It was hard to find a man like that in Night City.
It only takes a couple of rings on the holo for him to answer.
“No damn way,” he says. God, you missed his voice.
A small, hopeful smile spread across your face. You don’t remember the last time you’d felt hope to begin with. “River,” you breathe out. “It’s me.”
”’Me,’ who?” His voice is gruff, filled with clear uncertainty. Though, you don’t think that you could blame him.
Still, “Wow… Wasn’t expecting that,” you say.
“Yeah, well,” he says. “Old cops carry suspicion in their back pocket. The V I knew wouldn’t have waited two years to return a call.” Well, shit, that hurt too. “What’d you expect to hear after all this time?”
Why was he acting this way? In all honesty, it was starting to piss you off. You couldn’t help but let your classic sarcasm slip through. “Dunno… Maybe something like ‘Wow, glad you’re not dead!’”
You watch as he shakes his head, seeming a bit disappointed in himself. “You’re right,” he sighs out. “Sorry… Really am glad you’ve come up for air.” He pauses for a moment. “Gotta admit, I’m a little mad at you.” There it is.
It seemed like everyone was either mad at you or had thought you’d died. Hell, Panam wouldn’t even pick up the phone for you. It didn’t even ring. All you could do was leave a voicemail and hope, but knowing her? She’d already declared you a traitor—someone she’d never speak to ever again.
“River,” you sigh. “I was in a coma. They just woke me up.”
“Oh, shit, V,” he says, a clear look of surprise on his face. “Sorry… Here I am being a fuckin’ asshole to you.” You’d never seen him so on edge, quick to anger before. Well, that’s not true. You remember when you’d helped him find Randy—he was full of anger back then, hasty to find his nephew, but after that? He’d relaxed, a bit lighter. He was so gentle with you after that.
You could tell there was something eating away at him now. “You okay?” You finally ask, unable to keep yourself in the dark any longer. “Gettin’ the vibe that something’s wrong.”
“Honestly?” He says. “Everything is.”
He admits to you that he had been struggling to scrounge up the eddies for Randy and his rehab. It ended up with him making a deal with the Trauma Team. If he provided them with NCPD secrets, anything and everything he could, they would give him the funds. It seemed like he was ashamed of what he’d done.
“Clearly, you didn’t have any other options,” you tell him with a shrug. He doesn’t seem to like that.
“How could you possibly know that?” He grunts.
What was that supposed to mean? Was that some sort of dig? Sure, you’d been a merc, but that doesn’t mean you risked your morals for eddies. Hell, you’d pissed off Elizabeth Peralez for refusing to lie to her husband about all the brainwashing.
Whatever. You decide to let it go. “No,” you tell him. “I know you; woulda done it differently if you’d had a choice.”
He shakes his head. “I dunno,” he says. “I’d like to believe that, but…”
You curse under your breath, a twinge of guilt in your heart. Maybe the two of you could both work on having a little more empathy for each other. “Now I feel bad,” you say. “Can we meet? Help each other out?”
You knew that things couldn’t ever go back to the way they were—not right away at least. A lot could change in two years, and he’d spent all that time thinking that you’d ghosted him, tossed him to the side without any explanation. Even if he knew the truth now, it wouldn’t change how he felt. You should have told him more about the relic, the plan, everything. After everything you’d been through with him, everything he’d told you about him and his family—you owed him a little more honesty and candidness than you had given him. Still, maybe with a little work, the two of you could—
“Too late for that.”
Oh.
You can’t even hide the shock and sadness in your voice. “What? Rather not see me?”
You hate the look he gives you through the holo. “Look, I’m not the man you used to know. I couldn’t look at you in the eye. Not you, not— The fuck am I blabbin’ for?” There’s a lost look in his eye. There’s no way he meant anything he said. There’s no chance he didn’t want to see you after all this time. “I gotta go.”
”Wait a second, River—“
Before you can say anything else, he hangs up, leaving your heart in your stomach and a pain in your chest. This pain hurt more than any bullet wound or relic malfunction ever could have. You stare back at the sun and sigh, shaking your head, before dialing the next number.
Vik is the only person willing to see you. Panam still hadn’t answered your call, and Judy had left Night City. She was married now… You were happy for her, but it didn’t hurt any less. All your friends had thought you’d abandoned them, and in turn, it seemed like they either did the same to you or had simply just chosen to forget you and move on.
Vik had confirmed that you’d never be able to get implants again, and it left you feeling lost. Your entire life, living as a merc, some streetkid who would risk their life everyday to make it a legend in NC, was all you’d ever known. You’d be a gonk to think you could return to doing jobs like that without any cyberware. It’s what kept you less vulnerable to enemy hacks and bullets.
Hell, you couldn’t even defend yourself from getting mugged as you left the clinic. Any eddies you’d had were gone. You truly had nothing left for yourself. Misty helps you up off the ground, and though she assures you that she thinks you’ll be able to get yourself back on your feet, you’re not sure if you believe her. Either way, you wish her the best of luck on her journey to whatever ancient forest she was leaving to.
Yet another friend gone from your life.
You find your old car in the parking lot of your old apartment building. You’re surprised someone didn’t scrap it or steal it. As the engine roars, you let out a sigh and get in. There’s only one place that you think you can find solace in this world.
You arrive at Johnny’s grave. Tears well up in your eyes as you run your hands over the metal, feeling the divots in it from the words you carved into it. “Johnny Silverhand—the man who saved my life.”
You half expect to see a flash of blue light, the appearance of the ghost that had lived inside of your head. He’d tell you to pick yourself the fuck up, to find a way to turn shit around, but he didn’t. He couldn’t because he wasn’t there with you anymore.
So you begin to talk to yourself, truly to yourself. “What the fuck am I doing?” You sigh. “I miss you, Johnny. Bet you didn’t think I’d ever say that, huh… But I told you I wouldn’t ever forget you.” You continue to look down at the carving. “After losing Jack… Even though I was always fightin’ with ya, you were still my best friend. I wish I could’ve found a way to save us both.”
The tears start running down your face. When was the last time you’d actually cried like this? Sure, you had cried when Jackie died right in front of you, but this? This was full on sobbing. Tears falling down in large drops, soaking your face, nose running as you struggled to breathe.
“I’ve got no one anymore, Johnny… Should have just spent the last years of my life living it with you—doin’ jobs instead of focusin’ on the damn relic. Should have gone out with a blaze of glory.” You shake your head. “But no one remembers me. I’m just another face, no longer on my way to becoming a legend. Anyone who does remember me either hates my guts or is moving on without me…”
With shaking, flesh-made, free of chrome hands, you wipe away your tears. “Fuck!” You curse as you kick his grave. It’s not fair to take it out on Johnny; you know that. It’s not like he asked for his engram to be copied onto the biochip, and he’s not the one who told you to shove the damn thing into your head. As bad as you felt for Evelyn Parker, part of you was angry with her. Had it not been for her or Dexter Deshawn, maybe you and Jackie could have been legends of the Afterlife. What was the point of getting into the what-ifs, though?
”I’m sorry,” you breathe out, still struggling to catch your breath. “It’s not your fault.” You continue to talk like Johnny can hear you, and while you know there’s no such thing as heaven, and even if there is, Johnny Silverhand sure as fuck didn’t make it in, you try to pretend that he’s up there, listening.
“I know that you don’t like River, but… I miss him so much. He doesn’t even wanna see me,” you finally let out.
Johnny had always had a disdain for the ex-cop. He always claimed that River only stuck around to try to sniff you out, get dirt on you and turn you into whoever was willing to give him the money for it, but you knew otherwise. From the moment you’d met the man, you knew all he wanted to do was seek out justice in whichever way he deemed fit. Though you were a merc and he was a cop, he saw value in what you did. Sometimes, not every issue can be solved by the cops. Sometimes, the system was immoral itself. He knew that more than anyone.
“Don’t know what he did or why he feels like he can’t look me in the eye, but it still hurts… I’ve dated plenty of gonks in my life, and he’s the only one that I think actually cared about me,” you confess. “Maybe he’s punishing himself for what he did, but I couldn't care less about what secrets he was sellin’. It’s not like the NCPD and I were chooms, right?” You let out a watery chuckle. “Maybe I’ll try callin’ him again, but who knows.”
Silence. Dead, uncomforting silence. Johnny really was gone.
Your eyes glance back down at the grave, and you sigh, standing up and shaking your head. “Thanks for listening, Johnny,” you say. “And… Thanks for everything else. For saving my life, multiple times. For showing me how to live like a Samurai… For helping me find a way to survive the relic… Just wished I could have found a way to save you too. I know you said you felt like you did everyone in your life dirty, weren’t a very good friend to them, but… You were a great one to me. You’re the reason why I almost made it to the top to begin with.”
You get back into your car and start it up, turning on the radio. When you do, the car fills with the sound of 107.3 playing through your speakers. Samurai fills your ears. It’s at the moment that you think maybe, just maybe, Johnny did hear you. Maybe this was his way of telling you that you’d be okay, to just give it some time.
Vik lets you crash in the clinic. He’d told you that as long as you kept it on the downlow, you’d be okay until you got back on your feet and scrapped up enough eddies to get your own place.
You get a job at Tom’s Diner. It certainly isn’t as fast paced or dangerous or thrilling as being a merc, but it pays you a decent amount. It eventually gets you by just enough to rent out a shitty apartment in Watson. Just like old times, huh.
You don’t even take the time to unpack once you get in. Instead, you toss your single bag of clothes into the corner and hop into the shower. It’d been a long time since you’d felt water pressure this good. As the hot water cascades over your body, you think back to the second time you’d spent the night with River.
It had been in your apartment that time. You’d been pretty insistent on not wanting to spend the night having sex in silence due to the fear of waking up his sister, his niece, and his nephew. You remember the feeling of his hands on your body as you led him into your shower. The way they had covered the swell of your breasts as you leaned against the wall, bending over for him. He’d buried his face into your neck, moaning and grunting, telling you how good you’d felt around him. Your cunt squeezed and fluttered around him as his hips slammed into your ass, his large hands bruising your thighs from the way he was gripping on to you.
When you open your eyes, you remember that he’s not there. He didn’t want to be there. God, he couldn’t even look at you.
You’re out of the shower after that, not wanting to relive the memories and thinking about what could have been. You quickly dry yourself off, get dressed, and get into bed, making a mental note to buy new clothes to fill your wardrobe.
Over the span of a few months, you find yourself doing a lot better. You continue to work at the diner, making just enough money to keep paying your rent. Living a life of luxury isn’t something that you even consider anymore. Every once in a while, you stop by El Coyote Cojo every once in a while. You’d given Mama Welles the scare of her life when you’d walked in. You’d gotten her all caught up on what was going on, telling her that it didn’t feel right to call her. You could handle the anger of everyone else in your life, but never Mama Welles.
She’d smacked you upside the head. “¡Estúpida!” She cursed at you. “I thought you had died. Don’t you think losing my son enough! Misty told me she was leaving, and I thought that was it for me—thought I’d lost all of my…”
Her children. Though she’d never say it, she truly did think of you, and eventually Misty, as her own. Living in Haywood meant everyone around you was family, even if you didn’t like them, but Mama Welles loved you. When you didn’t contact her for two years, she really did think you were gone, and it hurt her more than she would ever let it show.
“I’m sorry, Mama Welles,” you say. “I just… Everyone I called—either mad at me or forgot about me and moved on. Didn’t know what I would do if you did the same,” you tell her. “I promise to be around more. I’m done workin’ as a merc. No more danger for me,” you sigh.
She pulls you into her arms, holding you tightly. “Well, if you ever feel like leaving that diner, my door is always open; you can always come work for me, mija,” she tells you. “And there’s always food on my table for you. You know that.”
You nod as you rest your chin on her shoulder. God, you missed this feeling—the feeling of family.
You eventually take her up on the offer, and you start working as a bartender. You slowly start to become filled with life again. You spend your nights laughing and joking around with Pepe; you make enough money to buy more than five outfits, and your apartment starts to feel more like a home as you fill it with paraphernalia that matches your style and personality.
Still, you couldn’t help but feel that something was missing. As you looked around the bar, wiping out glasses, you watched as a few couples sat closely together, smiles on their faces as they gushed to one another. Pepe picks up on the melancholic look on your face.
“Tired of being single, eh?” He teases, nudging you playfully.
You shake your head and sigh, your focus back on the glasses in your hands. “Just…” You struggle to come up with an excuse for your glum expression. “Yeah, I guess. I actually met someone before… Well, you know,” you confess to him. “But he doesn’t wanna see me anymore.”
He shrugs, picking up a glass to help you with your work. “Hey, you never know—“
”Trust me, I know,” you reassure him. “I tried but… Fuck, the look he was giving me when he told me… I don’t think he’ll ever talk to me again.”
He puts a hand on your shoulder. “Maybe he’s just scared,” he suggests. “Whatever it may be, I don’t think you should give up if you really want things to work out.”
When you go home, Pepe’s words weigh heavy on your mind. Were you really just giving up that easily? As you lay in bed, your eyes glance over to your wardrobe where your replica of Johnny’s jacket hangs. Sometimes, you dream of him, and you just… talk. You talk to him about what’s going on in your life, and he listens. Sometimes, he gives a quip here and there, but you don’t mind. You don’t mind until you wake up, that is. Those dreams feel way too real sometimes.
This was one of those dreams…
”Pepe’s right,” he says, taking a long drag of his cigarette. He’d always been on you for not smoking. Now, he got to smoke all the cigarettes he’d ever wanted. “You shouldn’t give up just because the fucker told you he can’t look you in the eye. Fuckin’ make him.”
“I thought you didn’t like River,” you say.
He scoffs, pushing himself off of the wall he was leaning against, walking closer to you. “I don’t, but you’re so fucking miserable without him. I hate to say it, but it’s killing me to see you like this. The V I knew was a fucking rock star who could fuck like nobody’s business.”
You raise an eyebrow at him. “So this is about you wanting me to get laid?”
He groans, and though he’s wearing his classic aviators, you can tell he’s rolling his eyes at you. “No, it’s not about me wanting you to get laid,” he says. “It’s about me wanting to see you happy, V. I know I tried to kill you and all in the beginning, but you were still my friend in the end. You matter to me.” His cybernetic hand is now cradling one side of your face, and you lean into it. “Truthfully, the reason why I didn’t like River, aside from all the cop stuff, was because…” He sighs, shaking his head. “It’s hard to hear the woman you feel a connection with have… thoughts… about another man.” His thumb strokes your cheek. “But I want you to be happy, and damn it, whenever you were with River? That’s the happiest I’d ever seen you…”
You look up at him in shock. “Johnny, I—“
You wake up, alarm blaring in your ears. “Fuck me,” you groan as you hit the snooze button. “Weird fuckin’ dream.” You roll over, and you stare at the jacket again. “But maybe you’re right, Johnny.” You really missed him.
You go about your day as usual. Wake up. Shower, Get dressed. Head to the Coyote for your shift. Work. Drink a couple of beers. Get home.
This particular night, however, you’d had more than just a couple of beers. Instead, you had taken shot after shot as you kept thinking about your dream, thinking about your last conversation with River. It’d been a few months since then. How was he doing? Was he safe? Was Randy’s recovery going well?
All of these questions continued to weigh on your mind as you laid on your bed, looking up at the ceiling. Before you knew it, you were dialing River’s phone number. It rang out a few times before it eventually went to voicemail.
“Hey,” you began, voice shaking. “I’m sorry for callin’. I know you don’t wanna hear from me, but… Fuck, Riv, I miss you,” you continue. A knot began to form in your throat, making you choke on your words. “You know, I thought I’d spend my entire life being some good for nothin’ merc, but… when I met you, you made me wanna slow down.” You sniffle. “That night at Joss’s place—the one when you made that jambalaya for me—“ a chuckle makes its way past your lips. “It was so nice. Slow. Different from how I’d lived my entire life, and just being there with you, living in that moment with no worries about the relic, the jobs I was workin, or if I was gonna die… I craved more of it; it made me ready to slow down.” Though you didn’t realize, tears began to slip down your face. “But I only wanted to live that way if it was with you…”
There’s a long pause. You begin to softly sob to yourself. God, you felt pathetic. You had always swore you’d never cry like this over a man, but fuck it, River was different.
”I’m sorry,” you apologize, pulling yourself together. “I don’t know what’s going on with you or why you’re so afraid to look me in the eye, but I need you, River… Without you, being able to live out the rest of my life means nothing. I would have taken six months with you over however many fuckin’ years I’ve got left now without you,” you say. You sniffle and wipe away at your nose. “I got a new place, and a new job—one where I’m not constantly putting me or other people in danger, I promise… I’ll send you the address if you ever wanna stop by… If not, I get it. I’m sorry… See ya.”
You hear the click of your phone as you finally hang up, and once you do, you close your eyes and fall asleep.
“Hey!” A gruff voice calls out to you. When you open your eyes, you see Johnny. Great, another dream. “V!” He calls. “Wake the fuck up!”
You groggily sit up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. “Christ, Johnny, the fuck do you want? Not in the mood to talk.”
“Good because I ain’t either,” he says.
The sound of knocking echoes in your mind. “Huh?”
Johnny smirks over at you and nods towards the door. “Wake up,” he tells you, a hand holding onto your shoulder. “Think it’s time I finally left you alone, huh. Time for you and me to finally move on from each other.”
”What’s that supposed to mean?”
He doesn’t answer you. Instead, the room begins to fade away around you as he starts walking away, heading into a black void. He ignores you as you call out his name.
Then, you wake up in a cold sweat. You groan as your head pounds with a hangover. You don’t remember the last time you’d drinken this much… Oh wait, yeah you do. The last time you’d gotten this drunk, you’d let Johnny take the wheel, and he’d broken your promise of taking it easy.
You look down at your arm, and you fingers run over the tattoo. “Johnny + V” it reads… You were glad that in the end, you were at least able to keep that much from your days as a merc. The thought of not being able to get implants anymore no longer bothers you. You just needed your memory of him and the work the two of you had done together. That was enough…
The sound of someone pounding on your door brings you out of your thoughts, and you jump. “Shit,” you groan. “I’m comin’.”
You look around your apartment for your clothes. You’d only slept in your bra and underwear; it seemed like you weren’t sober enough to completely undress yourself.
You find a pair of shorts and tug them on before stumbling over to the door and opening it. The sight of the man in front of you is enough to pull you out of your hangover. “River…”
He looks at you, eyes filled with guilt. “Hey, V,” he greets. “‘S’been a while…”
You nod, still a bit in shock, and step out of the way of the door. “Uh, come in.” As he walks in, you look around your apartment. It’s a mess. “Sorry… I wasn’t actually expecting you to show up.” You chuckle, a bit nervous. “Also wasn’t expecting you to even open that message. I’m sorry; I guess I just had too much to drink last night.” Oh god, you were rambling…
But for the first time in a long time, you see River smile. It’s not a wide, boisterous smile. It’s soft and small, but it was still a smile. He’s clearly been entertained by your antics.
”It’s okay,” he reassures you. “I, uh, didn’t expect myself to come see you either, but… Joss walked in on me listening to the message, and she… Well, you know how she is,” he tells you.
“Guess I should thank her later then, huh?” You chuckle out. He’s gone quiet again, having a hard time looking into your eyes, so you speak up. “River, you know that I don’t… I don’t blame you for doing what you did, right?” You tell him. “I mean, I don’t think I’m really one to be giving out any lectures about morals given what I’ve done… What I used to do.”
Now, he’s looking at you, but he’s still so reluctant to do so. “I know,” he finally speaks after a bit. “It’s just.. I’m not the same anymore, and I don’t want you to expect something that I can never give you.” He walks further into the apartment, taking a seat on the couch. His hands run over his face, as if he’s trying to wipe away the shame and embarrassment he was feeling. “Before you left, after we’d gotten together, I was happy. Relaxed. For the first time ever, I felt truly at peace,” he says. “But then you disappeared. Randy needed to go to therapy, and Joss and I couldn’t afford it, and—“ he sighs, “it really changed me for the worse.” He looks up at you again, eyes soft and vulnerable. “I don’t think I can ever go back to being the River I was… And I don’t want you to get hurt because of it.”
As he speaks, you stand in front of him. Your heart hurts. That look on his face—it’s the same one that he felt when he’d told you about his parents for the first time. He feels like that little boy again. “I’m sorry,” you whisper to him. You then walk over to the couch and sit next to him. “River, I didn’t mean to make you feel like you couldn’t… be yourself, the new version of you, without me, and I’m sorry that I couldn’t be around to help you out,” you sigh.
“It’s not your fault,” he tells you. “You… didn’t ghost me like I thought you did. You were only trying to save your life, and I’m glad you’re okay now.” Two years without you was hard. He remembered the first time he was struggling with money. He’d left you a voicemail, begging you for your help. Even if it were just a small loan, he’d take what he could get.
But then you never answered, and he’d left you another voicemail, angry and hurt. ”After everything I helped you with, everything that I told you—“ he cried into the phone. “Thought you’d have a little more respect for me. I don’t ever wanna see you again, so wherever the hell you are, don’t bother calling me back.”
You didn’t listen to those messages until after you’d called him, just after waking up. Hearing him speak that way, the betrayal he must have felt… You couldn’t imagine.
“I’m still sorry,” you say to him. “I wish I could have told you about it all, but I just couldn’t. I wanted to, but I didn’t want you to worry.”
”You told me you couldn’t make plans for the future; you told me you were dying,” he sighs.
It was true. The first night after you’d slept together, he’d asked you if you were serious about him, and you told him that while you were, your time together was likely limited.
“I should have listened…” He says. Then, he grabs hold of your hand. “I missed you so much,” he finally confesses. “Even if I was pissed at you… I’ve never had anything like I had with you.”
You looked up at him, leaning forward. “I missed you to River,” you say. “I… I don’t know if I can do this without you. It’s so fucking hard. Johnny’s gone; all my friends either hate me or they’re leaving, and I can’t even go back to being a merc. I was on my way to becoming a legend, and it’s all just gone.” Your bottom lip starts to tremble as you think over the past few months. You don’t think you’d ever experienced loneliness like this before. “But it didn’t even matter anymore after I met you. I wanted to live the rest of my life with you, you know… That’s why I did it. I didn’t know it would put me into a fuckin’ coma, though.”
“Would you go back and change things?” He asks after a bit.
You take a moment to think on it. Back then, you’d spent so much time thinking about all of the what-ifs of your situation. What if you trusted Hanako? What if you asked Rogue for help? Was Panam the right answer? Or maybe you should have just ended it when you were on that fucking roof top.
”I don’t know,” you finally answer. “Depends on if you’ll take me back or not… If not, then yeah, I would go back if I could—forget about finding a plan to save myself and just spend my final days with you.”
He hums in response. “You like me that much then, huh?” He teases.
You shake your head at him, looking up at him with full honesty. “No,” you say softly. “I love you, River. I regret never being able to say it before I left.”
He seems a bit surprised by the confession.
You see it on his face and pull back a bit. “You don’t have to say it back. I get that it’s been two years, but I still feel—“
You’re cut off by the feeling of his soft, warm, and full lips tenderly pressing against your own. It feels like the first time he’d kissed you up on that water tower. “I love you too, V,” he says softly, barely pulling back. His kisses grow hotter and heavier as he leans in even closer, laying you down on the couch. “Fuck, I missed you so much,” he confesses in a whisper.
You moan against his lips. “River.” You sound so whiny and desperate as your hands wrap around his large biceps. He certainly didn’t slow down in the gym while you were gone. That was for sure. “Bed, please.”
He nods and moves his hands down your body so that they can wrap your legs around his waist. Once you’re secure, he lifts you up with ease, the cold chrome in his hands somehow setting fire to your skin as he carries you over to your bed, setting you down gently.
He begins to kiss down your neck to your chest. His hands slide underneath the cups of your bra, over the swell of your breasts. His cold fingertips tease at your nipples, and he chuckles. “Really answered the door in just this, huh,” he says. “Didn’t even know it was me.”
You whimper, back arching into his touch. “Fuck, River, just take it off already.”
He smiles at you and follows suit. He tosses the piece of fabric to the floor and dips his head down to take one the nubs into his mouth. “Fuck,” he groans. “Missed this. Couldn’t get you out of my head for two fuckin’ years.” His sucking gets harsher, causing you to squeak in surprise. “No one could ever make me forget you. I tried so hard.” He was leaving bruises across your chest as he sucked on it. “But always kept thinking about you, how you felt in my arms, how you felt around my cock.”
God, you were a mess. You could feel your wetness seeping through the panties you were wearing. There was no doubt your shorts would have a wet patch in them soon. You’d grown so sensitive to his touch. “River, please. Just fuck me already,” you beg. “I need to feel you. ‘S’been so long. I missed you so much.” Tears well up in your eyes. You’re not sure if it’s from his touch or if it’s just your desperation to be with the man you love again, even if it was just one last time.
River doesn’t say anything. He only nods and pulls down your panties and shorts, and they join your bra that he’s tossed on the floor. His fingers run up and down your folds, collecting your arousal. He can’t help but to bring his digits up to his mouth and lick them clean, making him groan. “God, I missed the way you tasted.”
He shifts himself down the bed so that he can pull your legs up on his shoulders. Almost immediately, he puts his tongue to work on your core. He eats you out like a starved man, licking up and down your slit before moving his lips up to suck on your clit. He puts two fingers inside of you, curling them up and down to press right against all the right spots.
Your heavy lidded eyes gaze down at him, and you swear you see a halo around his head as he devours you. You try to thrust your hips out but he growls against you, causing you to moan even louder. He wraps his free arm around your legs and pushes your hips back down into the bed. “Stay still,” he grunts.
“Fuck, River,” you moan. “I’m gonna cum. Don’t stop!” Your moans are whiny, desperate, fucking joytoy like. “Please.”
His fingers work in and out of you fast and hard, and he continues to lick at and suck on your clit until he can feel you gushing as you climax. You can feel him chuckling against your pussy as your legs shake. God, it’d been so long since you had been touched like this. You couldn’t even bring yourself to get off with your own hands since you’d woken up from your coma.
When you come down from your orgasm, River pulls back, and the entirety of the lower half of his face is soaked. It makes you groan, only aiding to turn you on even more. You lean forward and pull him towards you, kissing him with a hunger like never before. You taste your own arousal on his tongue, and you swear you feel feral.
Your hands push on his chest and you make him lay down on the bed. Before he can say anything to you, you’re undressing him. The first thing to go is his tank top. You throw it on the floor without any care. Next comes his bottoms. You tug them down, allowing his cock to spring free. You smile at the sight of it, wasting no time. You let some saliva drip from your mouth, right on to the tip, and you use it to stroke him. He groans in pleasure.
”Fuck, V,” he moans. His hips thrust up towards you. “Nggh, fuck, please.”
You waste no more time putting him in your mouth. You happily suck on his cock, tongue flicking and twirling around the tip as you look up at him with big eyes. “Fuck, I missed this,” you say after taking your mouth off of him with a pop. You continue to stroke him as you speak. “God, you’re huge. Can barely fit you down my throat.”
His hand is stroking at your hair as he watches you. “You take me so well, though,” he says. “Always did. Swear to god no one has even taken me that deep ‘til I met you.”
You take him back into your mouth, and you smirk around his cock as he throws his head back in pleasure, hand slightly pushing you forward. It’s wet and sloppy, and every time you feel the tip hit the back of your throat, your pussy clenches, begging for something, anything it could get.
Suddenly, he’s pulling on your hair, taking you off of him. “I need to fuck you,” he grunts, sitting himself up. “And if you keep using your throat on me like that, I’m not gonna last.”
He maneuvers you so that you’re on your hands and knees, ass high up in the air. “Fuck!” He say, giving it a slap.
You moan as the tingling sensation, and you push yourself back towards him. You’re absolutely dripping, your cunt begging to be filled. “River,” you whine. “Please.”
He smirks down at you, continuing to run his large hands over your ass. “Please, what?” He teases. His hand grabs hold of his hard cock, and he runs the tip up and down between your folds. “Wet as fuckin’ ever,” he comments, and he lets out a chuckle as you continue to whine, pressing your ass back into him. “Tell me what you want, V.”
”Damn it, River,” you grunt. “Fuck me already.”
“So needy,” he comments, but he wastes no more time, pushing himself inside of you. He moans as he feels your walls begin to clench around him. “So wet,” he huffs. “Lettin’ me slide right in.”
You mewl as his cock stretches you open. He gives you a few moments to adjust before he begins to thrust into you. He slides himself almost completely out before he slams his hips into yours. His hands have an unreal grip on your waist as he pulls you back onto him. It doesn’t take long for one of them to travel up your body til it’s at the top of your neck and grabbing at your hair. ”Oh, fuck!” You yell. A smile spreads across your face as he pulls you up, pressing your back against his chest. “Fuck me,” you groan. “River, please don’t stop.”
He’s breathing heavily in your ear, letting out small grunts as he continues to pound into you. “Still so fucking tight,” he says. “I missed you. Couldn’t fuck anyone else without thinking about you.” It feels like he’s confessing all of his sins to you, and in a way, he was.
Truly, River tried to move on from you. There were plenty of women who he’d spend his nights in bed with, but each and every time, the only way he’d finish is if he’d closed his eyes and imagined you. Your hair, your soft skin, your eyes. God, did he love your eyes, and he’s reminded of that when you tilt your head back to look at him. Your brows are furrowed and your eyelids feel heavy as your mouth hangs open in pleasure.
“Fuck, you feel so good.” You’re beaming up at him, completely fucked out. “I missed you. Love you so much, River.” Before you can even think about it, you’re cumming around him.
As he feels your walls tighten around him, arousal dripping out of you, his hips only work into you even harder. “Fuck yes,” he gasps. “Fuck, can I cum inside of you?”
You whine, your arm reaching behind you to grab hold of his neck. You nod before pulling him down to press a kiss to his lips. His hips begin to stall, and he pulls away, eyes squeezing shut as he spills into you.
With a few final thrusts, the two of you finally crumble back onto the bed. His arms shake as he struggles to not completely crush you. You can feel his hot breath against your back as he presses his forehead into his, leaving soft kisses on your skin. “I’m sorry,” he finally says after a bit. “Didn’t mean to just… leave you the way I did. I was scared that you’d see me differently.”
There’s a pang in your chest as he confesses to you, and you turn yourself around. Your hands reach up to hold his face. “I was scared too,” you tell him. “I didn’t know if my plan was going to work or not… I didn’t know it would leave me asleep for two years—If I could change things, I would… I should have been more open about what was going on.”
He leans into you, nuzzling your nose with his own. “You sure you wanna try again, V?” He asks. “I’m not the same man you once knew.”
You shake your head, shrugging. “When I told you I loved you, I meant it,” you say. “I did all of this so that I could live a life with you… If you’ll still have me, that is.”
He smiles and lets out a soft chuckle. “I love you too,” he says before kissing you. He then rolls off of you to lay by your side. His eyes glance over at the clock as he pulls you into his arms. “Let’s take a nap,” he says. “We can shower, and I’ll take you out for lunch after.”
You weakly nod, already dozing off. “Okay, River.”
He smiles. “Okay, V.”
just some Gabe and Martina headcanons cause I just keep thinking about them.
they met during high school, they meet through a mutual friend that introduced them and Gabe fell in love instantly. Gabe liked to play the bad boy persona but when he was around her, he turned into a squishy mess.
Gabe immediately went into the army after high school but still kept in contact with Martina. she was his texting buddy, Gabe got more courage through the phone to ask her out and promised to take her somewhere nice when he was done with training.
Continua a leggere
Genji x gender neutral reader
Part 3 of journey to forget
Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 (you are here)
Challenge (day 6: recovery)
Requested: No
Word Count: 706
Meditating helped a lot in the journey, it helped them calm down a lot and think things through correctly, without regret or praise, just acceptance.
There were a lot of things they’d learned to accept already, but it’d nearly been a year since they came to the monastery.
There were still a lot of things they thought about with regret, things that would take a lot of time to accept but that was a normal thing, a thing that with steady process could be accepted.
Continua a leggere
Fear.
That’s all that rushed through his person as he pushed past doors and people, muttering apologies in his native tongue as he launched himself around corners and down hallways.
Fear.
He could barely breathe. He couldn’t speak clearly, rambling under his tongue in cut off words and phrases. He made no sense.
Fear.
What was left of his human parts were coiled tightly, precise, not missing a single beat against the metal floor of the Overwatch base. Metal feet colliding against the hard metal floors like a rabid symphony, scratches and cracking and squeaking and scuffing. It truly bled the ears.
Fear.
He knew no longer of the monk’s words. The painful trials of learning patience and long grueling time of relearning how to feel again were thrown out the window.
Fear.
The heat coming off of his face blinded him, steaming up the faceplates covering his face. His face was red under the metal coverings. Wet too, from salty tears and dribbles of snot like he were some scared little child again.
Fear.
Fear of losing you.
But his older brother followed. The older Shimada matched his younger’s speed once he took off from his place in one of the training rooms towards the medical bay. Upon turning the corner towards the sterile door, Hanzo had snatched at Genji’s shoulders, yanking him back. Folding the arms at the elbows, Hanzo grabbed Genji’s wrists and pressed him against the wall.
Both panting, Hanzo glared at his younger brother.
Footsteps could be heard follow, the jingle of spurs had followed, along with the calm calls of Genji’s master.
“You need to calm down,” Hanzo scolded. “What good will you running amuck do for them? In the state that they are in? You could distract them! They could slip up! They could die!”
“Let me go, anija!” Genji spat, attempting to yank himself away from the older Shimada. “I need to see them!”
Instead, he only grunted as Hanzo pressed him closer to the wall.
“Not until you calm down.”
Cole and Zenyatta had rounded the corner, the cowboy out of breath and grasping at his knees, panting like a wild dog. Zenyatta tilted his head towards his student before humming softly.
Hanzo and Cole alike were both shocked to see the omnic suddenly stand on two feet. In their time of knowing Zenyatta at the base, the omnic always seemed to defy the laws of gravity and float everywhere in a lotus position.
“Let go of his wrists, Hanzo,” he calmly advised, placing his metal hand on top of Genji’s tense shoulder. The older brother hesitated before sighing, releasing Genji’s wrists. “He is right, Genji. You cannot panic now for their safety and health. Miss Ziegler and the other medics are doing what they can to help them.”
Just as Genji opened his mouth, the door opened. Ana Amari stepped out, adjusting her eyepatch as a tear slipped from under the black cover. She was shocked to see the four outside, but eyed Genji the most. Her eyes softened before she sighed.
“Ana?” Cassidy whispered.
“They’ve lost a lot of blood. Angela is doing what she can to save them,” she mumbled. She stepped away from the door. “You can sit in the viewer if you need to, but… I wouldn’t stay long.”
Upon hearing those words, Genji rushed inside only to stop dead in his tracks at the window. One way, bright, crowded. A small screen sat in the corner, a view from above looking down on…
Genji felt Cole’s hand on his shoulder, but paid no mind to it as he watched your face.
Stitches across your face, bruised, bloody still and bandaged to all hell. You had caught in an explosion in Dorado, Los Muertos’ doing. You were in a small building when it had happened.
If you were right outside…
Genji didn’t even want to think about what would’ve happened.
He could already see some equipment that took him back to when he was initiated into Blackwatch. Cybernetics.
You had lost a body part… Maybe more. He remembered how devastating it was for him to lose both of his legs and a whole forearm.
“Genj…” Cassidy murmured, “they’ll be alright.”
He could only imagine how terrified you were, how much you were screaming and crying from the agony. Reinhardt had told him you were strong though, even as he and Morrison dug through the wreckage to find you. He saw how the old German warrior was saddened that even he couldn’t stop this from happening.
He felt like he would vomit right there.
Cole and Hanzo stepped outside after Zenyatta waved them off. The two were left in near silence. They could only hear your faint heartbeat fluttering every now and then.
“I know that this is a hard time for you, Genji,” Zenyatta hummed. He placed a hand on Genji’s shoulder and watched the screen with his student. Precise fingers worked on your body, tools were passed and needles dug in and out of your skin, sealing it closed as other needles numbed your body. “I know that you are suffering, that time is cruel to you as to us all during this tragedy. But know that even as time may take away what we love the most and how it may bring pain and agony, know that time will also heal all wounds and time will allow you both to grow. But sadly, all we can do now is wait.”
Genji said nothing, only letting his shoulders slouch. He was defeated. There was nothing the ninja could do now but wait just as his master had said.
“How about we meditate on this and we can discuss how we can help them after they wake up? Perhaps brightening up your shared quarters with some flowers?”
Genji looked to his master before smiling. Zenyatta, all the wiser, knew despite the faceplates blocking his view, that his student would do so at the drop of a pin.
And so the two sat in the viewing room, listening to your heartbeat slowly growing stronger.
tags: comfort, insomnia, bad dreams, more comfort (did I mention the comfort yet?)
word count: 805
synopsis: V has a bad dream, one that makes her scared for her future with River. River, ever the optimist, assures her of a different outcome.
a/n: i literally wrote this instead of sleeping. i wanted to make it nsfw but omg, i just wanted this comfort and by-river, i've got it now it's time for bed again.
You were awake. Fuck, of course you were awake. Like a sleep-deprived demon, you peeled yourself up from River's bed by your knees. Your back stretched long, your feet kicking away your share of the sheets.
You braced your hands out under your pillow, releasing a long-uncomfortable groan as you finally stiffened upright to rest on your thighs.
You pulled the sleeves of River's long-sleeve shirt up to your elbows before forcing your hair from your face. River was quiet next to you, sleeping on his side. Still facing where you were lying.
"Whats'a matter, V?" Johnny asked from his perch at River's windowsill. "You come to your senses?"
You shook your head, trying to move lightly in the shared bed. "No, uh, I had a bad dream."
You folded your hand to your face, rubbed at the edges of your eyes then forehead, hoping to remind your body how tired you were.
"About the cop, right? 'Cause I'll remind you, he's right next to you." Johnny tried to quip but you dropped your hand to your lap and glared at him with a deadened stare.
"Alright, sheesh. Somebody's not a midnight person." Johnny raised his hands to admit defeat then disappeared with another squeeze of your eyes.
"V," River groaned out, snaking his beefy arm over your waist. "What's wrong?"
You glanced down at River, who was slowly waking to sit up. "Aw, Riv, I'm sorry...I-I couldn't sleep."
River released a tired noise from his throat, his free hand going to rub at his cybernetic eye. Then his hand slipped easily down your back, tracing your spine.
"If you can't sleep, I can't sleep," River tried, though you were sure if you'd slipped out of bed, he wouldn't have noticed.
"That's not true," you snided with a tired smirk, "You were sleeping soundly a second ago."
River returned your worn smile, resting his lips to your shoulder. "I was hoping to pull you into me, hold you a while."
You rolled your head with another groan, your body warring with your tired mind. The warmth from his lips wafted through the fabric and melted into your skin.
"You have a bad dream?" He asked, his hand on your waist pulling you closer to him.
You slowly formed to his hard body, his lips tracing up to your ear. You tried at a nod, a noise escaping your mouth that spurred River to continue enveloping you.
"Tell me about it?" River whispered into your ear, his hand at your waist curling into your hip and slowly lowering your back to bed.
You blinked slower and slower, finding your head against the pillow again. "I...I woke up, cured but I couldn't find you," you admitted, staring across the room to your reflection before focusing on River.
You turned in his hold, stared up at his chiseled face before touching softly at his stubbled chin. You tried to explain away your feelings, push him away but you couldn't help the watering of your eyes.
"Aww, V," River cooed, his voice a deep grit. "It's okay, I'm right here."
But that wasn't what you were upset with now. Now you were thinking about the morning River would wake up and you weren't there. That it'd be a husk, just full of remnants of yourself but replaced with Silverhand.
"I know," you tried, shutting your eyes and turning your head. "It's stupid."
"It's not," River leaned in, kissing your cheek. "I'm not going anywhere. And you're not going anywhere."
You shook your head lightly, "You can't guarantee that."
River leaned in, resting his forehead to yours, his body to yours. "I can't, but I will be there for you until I can guarantee it."
You hummed, nudging your nose to his, crossing your eyes while you stared into his.
Your eyes tempted to close then, feeling consumed by the comforting weight and warmth of River. He dropped his head from yours, rolling you onto your side to face him.
He carefully crossed his arm under your neck, pulling you closer before draping your leg over his hip like you often did in your sleep.
"Get comfortable on me," River soothed, tanging his fingers in your hair with the gentle massage of your scalp. "I'll keep bad dreams away."
You scoffed tiredly, almost amused by his attempt of dream catching. "River--"
River ran a careful hand up and down your thigh, easing you into a further comfort. Your eyes tried to stay open then, feeling his arm cross behind your back and press you just a little bit closer to him.
You melded into him like a puzzle piece, your eyes finally closing to ease you off to sleep.
"I love you, V," River whispered into your hairline, curling his fingers in soft circles along the small of your back.
“Here are the items you missed on your last mission. Hope to see you again!” You said to a fellow Guardian. He thanked you and walked off.
Today, you were helping your friend Kadi55-30 at the postmaster office. The other day you saw how much items she had to deliver and asked if she wanted help. Kadi nodded eagerly and thanked you in advance.
Another Guardian walked up to you.
“Name please.” You said sweetly.
“Nina!” The Guardian stated, smiling brightly.
You walked to the back of the small vendor and looked in the ‘N’ section. You found a small box with a hand canon and a warlock arm band. You walked back and placed the box in front of the girl.
“Here you go Nina! All the stuff you missed on your last mission. Enjoy!” You said. Nina nodded and giggled before skipping away.
“(Y/N), do you mind making a few delivers for me?” Kadi asked, as she walked up next to you.
“Sure! Just tell me where to take them.” You reply. Kadi waddles to the back and returns with a stack of colorful boxes. She hums while she unstacks them. You knew a few of the names on the boxes and blinked in surprise when you see a box for a certain Exo. You gently picked it up and attempted to see what was inside. Before you could get a peak, Kadi made a squealing noise. You looked up and saw her rush towards you.
“You okay Kadi?” You asked, voice full of worry. Kadi gently took the box from you and taped the top shut. You gave her a questioning look.
“It’s a s-special order for Cayde.” Kadi tried to explain, her voice cracking a little. You nodded slowly and picked up all the other boxes.
“Please don’t open it again.” Kadi said quietly.
“I won’t. I promise.” You reassured her, walking off to deliver the packages.
You headed towards the Bazaar and climb some stairs that lead to Guardian apartments.
You quickly arrived on to the first stop and placed the box at the door. You rang the door bell and skipped away.
Next, you took the elevator and went up to floor 4. You walked down the hall and found the correct room. You rang the doorbell and a Guardian answered. You happily handed them their deliver and they thanked you before running inside excitedly to open it.
Now, all you had to do was deliver Cayde’s package. You knew he wasn’t at his apartment. He was probably at his Vanguard station in the Hangar. You hummed as you made your way to Cayde’s area.
There were a few Hunters talking with the Exo. They needed a quest to do together and Cayde was deciding which one to give them. You patiently waited until he was free.
“(Y/N)! How’s my favorite Guardian?” Cayde said, eyes twinkling.
“Hey Cayde. I’m helping Kadi today and she needed me to deliver this to you.” You replied, placing the box on the table. Cayde quickly grabbed it and looked at you.
“You… didn’t happen to open it, did you?” He asked. You shook your head. Cayde let out a sigh of relief.
“What did you get?” You asked, still curious.
Cayde looked over to you, eyes searching your face. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly before he gently grabbed your arm and pulled you behind his workspace. You blushed as he turned to you. You could feel him heating up.
“I umm.. I actually g-got something for you…” Cayde said, resting the box in your arms. Your face lit up and you quickly open the package.
Inside, was a custom made cloak. It was black, blue, and white. There were a few stripes on it but what caught your attention were the symbols at the bottom. There was a white Ace of Spaces and blue Heart.
“I hope you l-like it.. the Ace is to remind you of me and the Heart is for umm…” Cayde trailed off, looking at the floor. “It means… that.. you are my Queen of Hearts… so… it’s us…”
You squealed and jumped onto Cayde, wrapping your arms and legs around him. He let out a yelp before chuckling and wrapping his arms around you tightly.
“Thank you Cayde. I love it so much!!!” You said before peppering his face with kisses.
Cayde heated up even more and started to stuttered while you stopped and realized what you had done.
You pulled away and hid your face in the new cloak. Cayde shook his head before walked over to you and pulling you tightly against him. He gently tilted your head to look up and he pressed his lips against yours. The kiss was gentle and sweet. Cayde hummed happily and you wrapped your arms around his neck.
You two separated and blushed madly at one another. Cayde stepped around you and took off your cloak before putting on the one he got you. You twirled around and giggled as Cayde whistled is amusement.
“Looks good on you, (Y/N).” He said, voice full of admiration. You bowed gracefully before hugging him.
“Thank you Cayde. This is the best gift I have ever received.” You said, kissing his horn. Cayde’s face heated up and snuggled into you hug.
“Do you have to help Kadi more or can you stay here with me?” Cayde asked while you two walked back to his station.
“I’m sure Kadi can hold down the fort.” You said, taking his hand in yours. Cayde kissed the top of your hand. A few Guardians giggled and cheered. You blushed while Cayde chuckled.
The rest of the day consisted of kisses, helping Cayde assign jobs, and tickle fights. And later that day, you and Cayde cuddled the night away.
30 Days Posts of Mass Effect └ Paragon or Renegade
When Jaal's family is taken by the Roekaar, he asks Bridget to trust him. That's not the problem. Trusting Jaal is as easy as breathing. What isn't so easy is watching as a madman nearly kills the man who has stolen her heart.
AO3 Link
Bridget can’t think. She can’t breathe.
All she can think about is how horribly wrong things have gone.
When Jaal desperately begs for her aid, explaining that Akksul has recruited his siblings into the Roekaar, she agrees to help without hesitation.
When they come across said siblings on the battlefield, and they begin bearing down on her with insults, she tries her best to keep her cool. Even as they tower over her and spout that she’d be better off dead, she doesn’t retort. She doesn’t want to feed into Akksul’s poisonous beliefs about her kind.
Even when Lathoul is shot and tells them of the bombs that have been planted, she doesn’t lose her focus. She remains fixed on her goal.
It isn’t until they reach the Forge proper that things begin to spiral.
Once they disarm the bombs, Teviint runs to Jaal, clinging to him like the scared child she is. “I killed Lathoul! I killed him. I’m so sorry.”
Bridget stares at her in concern. This girl can’t be more than a teenager, and yet Akksul is using her as a weapon, twisting her confusion into a tool for his hatred.
Jaal, however, is less sympathetic. He stares down at her coldly, not offering a hint of comfort. “He’s not dead. You’re lucky”
She looks up at him, her expression so lost and afraid. “I lost my mind, Jaal. I want to go home.”
“But the cause!” Baranjj protests. “I joined because of you!”
“I shot our brother,” Teviint counters, looking at him as though he grew a second head.
He looks down in uncertainty, his hands balling into fists at his sides. He seems just as scared and anxious as his sister. Looking back to her, he says, “Don’t leave me-”
“Let her go.” He is cut off by Akksul appearing from the shadows, stalking forward like a villain. “I only want soldiers who are committed to our cause.” His icy gaze turns to Bridget and Jaal and he sneers, “Not weaklings who stand by and watch the destruction of our people at the hands of aliens.”
More Roekaar filter in from the upper level of the Forge, their weapons all trained on their little group. Akksul stands proudly, assured in his upper hand.
Teviint seems to shrink back, hiding behind Jaal. Baranjj also tries to make himself smaller, pulling into himself. Bridget feels herself bristle in anger. “You recruit kids and make them fight their families,” she spits, glaring at the Roekaar leader. “It’s sick and so are you.”
Akksul seems unbothered by her accusations. Stepping forward, he says assuredly, “I speak for our people and I say you’re done in Heleus.”
He raises a hand to gesture towards Bridget and she instinctively lifts her rifle, aiming at him. Simultaneously, Jaal warns her not to, but Akksul is already grinning.
Chuckling maliciously, he leans into her personal space, the barrel of the gun pressing against his chest. “Martyr me.” He urges. “Please. I dare you.”
Bridget stares him down, hissing out an exhale. Jaal had asked her to trust him on this mission, to follow his lead. And killing Akksul certainly wouldn’t plead a great case for her, especially considering his followers still have their weapons trained on her.
Everything about him infuriates her. But she somehow remains calm.
“I made a promise to my friend that you’re making really hard to keep,” she growls.
His smile falls, and he stares at her in frustration for a long while before turning his attention back to his followers.
“They move onto our planets. They they take our resources, make us weak!”
“I’ve watched Ryder make planets habitable!” Jaal appeals to the angara, his voice impatient but resolute.
“Exactly!” Akksul retorts. “And they’ll never let us forget it.”
“She rescued your beloved Moshae!” Jaal interrupts, and it has the Roekaar leader pausing.
“I know,” he admits quietly, spurring his supporters to look at one another in uncertainty.
“Saved. Her. Life,” Jaal continues, his words punctuated and strong.
“I know, stop defending them!” Akksul says indignantly, beginning to sound like an annoyed child.
Not paying him any mind, Jaal attempts to keep going. “The Moshae trusts Ryder, and-”
“Stop.”
Akksul cuts him off by aiming his gun at Jaal, clearly threatened that he’s losing control of the situation.
Jaal looks at him warily, taking a half step back and raising his hands defensively.
“We’ve been fighting the wrong enemy,” Akksul rambles. “Maybe the enemy is this traitor!”
Lowering his hands, Jaal stares him down resolutely, muttering a quiet warning, “Easy…”
Panicked, Bridget raises her gun to Akksul once more, looking at her angaran companion in distress. “Jaal?”
She hates that her voice sounds so small.
God, what is she supposed to do here? Akksul is clearly crazy. He claims to want to protect the angara, but here he is threatening to kill one of his own. She’s not about to let him take Jaal’s life. And yet, as has already been established, shooting him is off the table, too…
“Don’t!” Jaal warns, sparing her a glance and a careful gesture, his eyes pleading with her. Trust me, they say.
She does. Of course she does. It’s Akksul she doesn’t trust.
Turning his full attention back to the man before him, Jaal’s gaze hardens. “The Moshae trusts Ryder. You’ve become a danger to your own people,” he utters lowly. “Walk away.”
Reason isn’t reaching Akksul, though. Gritting his teeth, he retorts, “Or…I kill you and reveal the Resistance for the traitors they are!”
He pulls the trigger and a sharp, panicked scream tears itself from Bridget’s throat. If everyone’s attention wasn’t focused on Akksul and Jaal, she’s sure she’d be getting looks for the anguished sound she just made. But that isn’t at the forefront of her mind right now.
Jaal’s dead. He’s dead and she did nothing to stop it. She’s trembling uncontrollably, her gun still pointed at Akksul, but she’s frozen in place.
She wants to kill him. Wants to make him pay for killing the man she was easily falling in love with. He deserves it. But as desperate as she feels right now, she made a promise to Jaal…and she’s not about to break it now.
A pained groan draws her attention and her gaze immediately snaps in its direction.
It can’t be…
Akksul missed. He was at point-blank range and he somehow managed to miss. The bullet grazed Jaal’s cheek, leaving a small, shallow cut in its place. Blood trickles down his face as he stares Akksul down unwaveringly.
Bridget wants to cry with relief. To hold him close and reaffirm that he’s okay. But she can’t quite get over the shock of thinking he was lost to her, no matter how brief.
Everyone gapes at the scene in utter awe and disbelief.
Jaal has commanded the attention of the entire Forge, and rightfully so.
Akksul looks up at his followers, a lost, uncertain expression on his face. The Roekaar begin to filter out, shaking their heads in disgust as they do.
Staring Akksul down, Jaal carries a powerful weight to his gaze.
“The alien is not the monster here,” he declares with conviction.
Akksul does not answer right away. His focus is on the angara turning their backs on him. “I love my people…” he utters quietly, looking down in defeat.
Bridget believes it. Unfortunately, his heart has been poisoned and twisted beyond recognition. She wonders what he might have been like had he not been captured by the kett. Despite all the hurt he’s caused, she pities him in that moment.
Jaal does not deign to respond to him, but he seems to come to the same conclusion as Bridget. After a long moment of staring at his former classmate, he turns to his siblings and says, “Come on…let’s get you home.”
Following quietly, Bridgets walks slightly behind him. She glances up at Jaal, noticing the trail of torn flesh that had been carved by the bullet, blue trickling lightly from the edges. She can’t believe how close he came to dying. Any closer to the right and he would have been gone from her life entirely. Hell, it’s a miracle the bullet didn’t hit his cowl either. She’s not terribly familiar with angaran anatomy, but she’s certain there must be vital blood vessels there. The fact that he stands before her relatively unscathed is astronomical.
The blood that had begun pooling at the edge of his wound spills over slightly, running down his cheek. She reaches out, but stops short of touching him. “You okay…?”she asks quietly.
He spares her a glance before saying, “Yeah, thanks…” before letting out a strained grunt, a wince pulling at his lips.
They make there way back in relative silence. On the shuttle, Bridget can’t help but stare at Jaal the whole way, a sense of numbness overcoming her.
A bandage now rests over his injured cheek, but it didn’t make her feel any better.
He almost died. He almost died and she almost let it happen. Granted, she knows that shooting Akksul would have been a terrible idea, but she just can’t stop thinking about it. She cares about Jaal more than she ever thought possible. At this point, it’s more than a silly crush. Even though she knows he doesn’t return her feelings, the thought of losing him…Of never again getting to tease him about idioms or spend time working on projects together…It tears her heart apart.
She can feel Vetra’s eyes on her throughout the ride back, but her companion remains silent, for which she is grateful.
At some point, they land back where they started, Teviint apologizing to Lathoul and the mothers coming to reunite with their lost children. Jaal gently puts his hand on her shoulder and guides her to the side. She follows, her gaze still hollow and empty. She’s barely processed anything since Akksul fired his pistol.
“Thank you for trusting me,” Jaal tells her, looking out over the landscape. “Killing Akksul would have made the Roekaar stronger.”
He’s so calm. Too calm. Infuriatingly calm. He’d almost died for fuck’s sake!
It’s enough to snap Bridget out of her apathy. “He shot you,”she says, bitter.
“I’m glad he did. It exposed how far he’d fallen.”
Even still, he remains composed and collected. He even smiles.
Bridget stares at him in disbelief. “Jaal, you were this close to dying back there! Do you have any idea how risky that was?!”
He has the audacity to chuckle at her and she bristles.
“It all worked out, didn’t it? A little risk was worth it, I’d say.”
She can’t believe it. Here she is, tearing herself apart with worry and he has the gall to think her reaction is amusing.
“You idiot!” she cries, banging her fist against his chest. “You think it’s funny that you almost had your brains blown out?” She hits him again, and he takes small steps back with each advance, staring down at her with wide, surprised eyes.
“Is your life that meaningless to you?” she continues, tears beginning to form. “Or am I just stupid for daring to care that I might lose you?!”
Bridget stops assaulting his chest, though her fists still rest there, trembling. Her gaze has fallen to the ground and she shuts her eyes tightly, the tears now falling freely. Her frame shakes as sobs begin to wrack her body.
He instantly pulls her close to him, cradling her in his embrace.
She does her best to suppress her crying, though it takes her a minute. The desperate kiss he presses against the crown of her head makes it even more difficult to pull herself together, but eventually, she calms down enough to speak.
“I was really worried…” she ends up whispering, her voice somewhat hoarse.
Jaal pulls back just enough to look her in the eyes. His expression is pained, his brows drawn together in worry. Gently, he lifts a hand to wipe her tears, his thumb drawing careful arcs across her cheek.
Carefully, he pulls her forehead to his, and they both close their eyes as they lean into each other. “It will heal,” he murmurs. “All scars do.”
She sniffles slightly, her arms pulling Jaal into as tight of a hug as she can, though his bulky torso makes it impossible for her embrace to completely encircle him.
“I apologize for worrying you…” he says quietly, one hand absently petting her hair.
She doesn’t respond, just pulls him even closer.
They stay like that for a long while, and when they do part, he makes sure to plant another feather light kiss atop her head.
Bridget looks up at him, her expression full of confusion and longing. He softly trails his hand down the side of her face. He stares at her for an achingly long time before clearing his throat and stepping back. She misses his warmth immediately.
“We should get back…” he says, looking back towards the others. “I want to say goodbye before my family heads home.”
Absently, she nods, watching as he heads over.
She tries not to focus on the kisses or the gentle touches. Jaal is a naturally affectionate person. He was just comforting her. It doesn’t mean anything more. Thinking that it might…that’s just setting herself up for more hurt. She doesn’t need to do that to herself.
At least he’s alive. She can cling to that.
Sighing, she gradually makes her way back to the group.
She pushes her longing down. Far enough away where she can try to forget that he’s captured her heart so thoroughly.
——
So I haven't written anything in over 3 years...but I have an actual excuse this time. Long story short, cancer sucks. (Don't worry, I'm not in danger of dying, but having chronic pain the last few years honestly hasn't been much better...)
In any case, I've really missed writing and finally found the inspiration to finish this after starting it years ago. I have a few more projects I hope to work on, though I can't say how many more of them will be Andromeda related.
Just changed the exposure on the pic so you can see it better - the original was REALLY dark. You can find it here: https://meyar-ahraan.tumblr.com/post/614369283913482240
Thank you to @kyloxmoegi1993 for sharing this one with me! ❤️ Absolutely in love with it! I swear, this could’ve been taken in his and Ais’s apartment! LOL!
Mindwipe
The mysterious and mystical Decepticon
Art by me
Transformers © Takara Tomy/Hasbro
Female | Italy | more Writing than Painting
459 posts