MULTI-FANDOM DREAM WORLD - born procrastinator - I write whatever comes to mind - I'm a slow writer - my words get jumbled, hello run on sentences - I try my best - just for funsies
a/n: this is just a oneshot or whatever, not planning to do anything else with it
Chrollo's dark eyes softened briefly at the woman in front of him, she was worlds different compared to his much darker self, he was constantly questioning how you came to love someone like him, you were always there with loving, open arms whenever he came back from his latest heist, never questioning what happened, just always ready to make him feel loved.
"Hi, baby" today was no different, his heart swelled at the pet name, the days stress wilting away from his soul, your gentle hands were pulling his coat down from his shoulders, exposing his skin to the cooler air of the house, you smiled warmly as you hung his coat on the nearby hanger, coming to stand in front of him again to grab his hands in your smaller ones, you began to guide him over to the bathroom.
"You stay right here, I'll be right back, okay?" He could barely muster a nod, but you understood anyway, he sighed and slowly managed to pull the rest of his clothing off, you came back in once his socks were off and smiled softly, putting two fluffy towels down on the counter and moving to start the shower, you made sure it was the right temperature.
Your attention was back on Chrollo, you watched as he slowly stepped into the tub, you got undressed yourself, stepping in after him, your eyes stayed glued on his face, his eyes were wound shut, he seemed to relax under the warm water, you squirted some shampoo into your hands - it was your favorite scent and his favorite soap to use, you gently ran your hands through his dark hair, he instinctively lowered his head slightly, making it easier for your shorter self.
He leaned into your careful touch, he was like a giant cat at the moment, you swore that if there was dead silence right now, you would be able to hear him purring, you lathered the soap in his hair and scalp, taking care not to miss any spots or be too aggressive.
You watched as he leaned his head back to rinse the soap out, mindlessly grabbing the body wash, you squirted some onto his shower puff, he opened his eyes finally, eyes on the puff and then on you, you smiled up at him, noticing the slightest twitch of his own lips.
He sighed softly as you began to gently scrub the days grime off him, this was one of the handful of days where he'd have a hard time taking care of himself, but you'd gladly be there to pick of the slack and he absolutely adored you for it.
He rinsed off the soap again, relishing in the water rushing down his body, his eyes were closed but he still managed to reach out for you, pulling you into a lazy hug, his arms wrapped around your hips, and yours wrapped around his neck, he leaned down until his forehead was pressed against yours, his eyes still closed. "Thank you.." He whispered, you nodded and gave him a soft squeeze "It's what I'm here for, Chrollo" his heart could soar at your unspoken promise.
He could feel your fingers gently running through the hair at the back of his head "Your turn" he said softly, switching spots with you. He immediately went to work on washing your body for you, he slowly lathered the soap in your hair, massaging your scalp at the same time, the corners of his lips curled upwards at seeing how content you were.
He grabbed your body wash, and started to wash your body, his hands slowly roaming over every curve, his hands drifting over your skin, you were beautiful to him, every scar and imperfection you had and thought was ugly was perfect to him, you were a work of art sent from the heavens in his eyes, the prettiest flower on this very earth.
You rinsed your body off, both of you were clean now but still refused to get out at the moment, Chrollo's hands rest on your hips, yours were on his face, softly caressing his cheeks, you held a loving look in your eyes, one that had Chrollo almost weak in the knees, it always amazed him with the way your eyes gleamed with pure adoration for someone like him, someone as dark and cold as him loved by someone as bright and warm as you.
The contrast was a welcome one.
Your thumbs caressed his cheekbones, your eyes never leaving his, his hair clung to his face, framing it wonderfully "I love you, sweet girl" he mumbled, moving his face to press a firm kiss to your palm, he lived for the smile that burst on your face whenever he told you that, he pressed your body against his, there was nothing sexual about this, he wanted to relish in the feeling of your soft skin against his own.
The shower was done, you and Chrollo stepped out of the bathroom, he had a towel wrapped around his waist, droplets of water still slowly running down his body, you had a towel wrapped around your body, your hair damp, you eyed Chrollo's back, his tattoo in full view.
You never cared once in your life about the Troupe, you just cared about him, you never paid attention to anyone's views on your relationship with him, their negative opinions never crossed your mind or tarnished your love for him, you never once the dark stain the Troupe left on him.
a/n: this is my first try at something hunter x hunter, I really like it and I really like Illumi, Chrollo and Hisoka lol
A blur of violet rushed by Illumi's rigid figure, his dark eyes following after it from left to right, he was waiting for the right time to strike, he could hear the sound of the blur coming towards him again, but he was ready this time. He raised his hand at the same as the rush of black got into his space, the blur grunted, Illumi pinned it down to the ground by the shoulder, Illumi's cold gaze stared down at the woman beneath him "If you keep doing the same thing, you're gonna get killed" he mumbled, holding out a hand to her.
The woman grumbled, rolling her shoulder with a soft groan "I can't control my fade that well" Illumi rose a brow at her "It just goes in a general direction" she muttered, eyes narrowed downward "That's the point of the sparring lessons we've been doing, you learn how to control it" Illumi said, his voice bland as ever, she sighed and nodded "You'll get the hang of it" he said, in a slight soft voice "Now, again" she sighed heavily.
Illumi stood across from her "Knock me down" he said to her, her gaze hardened, she lowered into an attack stance, Illumi stood as still as a statue, waiting for her to advance on him, she released a slow exhale before darting off towards him, Illumi simply watched her, she took a small jump, her being disappearing from plain sight in a cloud of violet smoke, Illumi listened carefully, waiting to sense her exit point.
Her fade used the same sound, whenever she entered and exited from it, Illumi got used to it very quickly, anticipating her attack when he heard it, it kinda sounded like when you waved a thin sheet of metal but warped almost, he heard it again and turned, fully expecting her to come at him but she jumped again and vanished from sight, Illumi's brow darted upward again, visibly confused, the sound filled his ears again. He turned back around but was too late, she tackled him to the floor, Illumi grunted softly at the impact, he eyed the woman on top of him, who held a bright smile on her face at her accomplishment "Told you" hearing Illumi say that caused her smile to widen if at all possible, she leaned down to give him a soft, but firm kiss, Illumi returned it without hesitation, they stayed like that for a few more seconds before the door of the sparring room creaked open.
They pulled away from each other instantly, eyes on the new person in the room "Interesting way of training" said Silva from the door, the steely assassin actually held a look of amusement on his usually stern face "Illumi, you got a new assignment" Illumi nodded. "(Y/n), please go with him" her eyebrow quirked, but the head of the Zoldyck family didn't look like he was second-guessing his decision at all "Are you sure?" Silva's gaze hardened briefly "I'm fully confident in Illumi's skills but you need all the training you can get, this is a good opportunity for you" she nodded.
She was about to walk out of the room when Silva stopped her with a large hand clamped on her shoulder, her posture went rigid "You have a special target, you will help Illumi with his mission but after that, you separate and go on your own - your own, (Y/n), don't allow Illumi to follow you" he said firmly, she nodded and headed off after Illumi to get ready.
-
The rain was pouring, making visibility terrible for her, Illumi and the target "If you fade us in, we could be in and out before they even know" Illumi observed the mansion, taking note of every guards position, she wanted to say that she'll try but Illumi wouldn't take that but she got ready anyway, taking his hand in hers, she eyed the mansion with hesitation until she felt Illumi squeeze her hand softly, she took a slow inhale, pulled Illumi along with her and faded with him.
They both grunted softly, feet stumbling over soft carpet, they looked around, finding themselves in a bedroom on the second floor "You did it" Illumi muttered, exploring the room, she looked out the window to see where they were exactly "I got us to the back side of the mansion" she stated. "The target should be on the third floor, that's where their office is" she nodded, Illumi went for the door, carefully turning the knob, light flooded the dark bedroom from the hallway, (Y/n) closed the door on him, Illumi's eyes darted to her, wondering why she did that.
"I can fade us up there" she suggested, Illumi thought over it and the few things that could go wrong "We don't know what's above us" he said simply "It'll be fun" Illumi rose a brow "If you insist" he gave in, she smiled and grabbed his hand, she was getting ready to fade upstairs, swinging their hands between them, mustering up her courage, but the sound of the doorknob turning caught her off guard, her fade still went off but she was still in the same room.
Her hand went cold, her head snapping to the left to find that Illumi was gone - wait, what?! where the hell did he go?! did I send him by himself?!, her mind was everywhere at what she just did, she faded Illumi on his own, light flooded the room again as the door slowly opened. She darted behind it, watching as a single woman walked in, the door closed and the woman walked to her closet but not before stopping to turn the light on, (Y/n) froze, daring not to move as the woman opened her closet door, she moved behind that one.
She waited for her to close the door and she did after a few moments, (Y/n) lunged at her, covering the woman's mouth with her hand, pulling her body against her own, the woman screamed into her hand, eyes wide with fear, the woman thrashed in (Y/n)'s hold, but her hold didn't budge, she continued to scream into (Y/n)'s hand, her muffled screams filling the room. "Shut up or I'll kill you right here" she muttered in a dangerous tone, the woman still cried into her hand, they both stumbled over to the woman's bed, she was still fighting against (Y/n)'s hold on her, (Y/n) abruptly turned her so her back was pressed to her chest, her hands still clamped to the woman's mouth, her screams quieted but she still thrashed around.
"Stop it" (Y/n) grunted as the woman sharply elbowed her ribcage "Fuck.." She mumbled under her breath, cringing at the pain, the woman was still fighting against her "Oh my god, fine" she snapped her neck in an instant, the sound echoed in the room, silencing her and halting her motions altogether, (Y/n) sighed and shook her head, she started to place her on her bed, making it look like she fell asleep.
She left the room, quietly making her way upstairs, gratefully running into none of the staff or guards, probably thanks to Illumi or timing "There you are" Illumi stated, her eyes landed on him leaving a room "The target is dead" he said, eyeing her down "I don't know what happened" she said, letting out a heavy exhale, Illumi approached her and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, he never initiated any loving actions but he gladly reciprocated them, so this was a first. "It's okay, you helped me and that's what you were supposed to do" his voice was soft, like he wasn't going to allow anyone else to hear him speak this way, he brought her head against his chest "You did good" that compliment was hardly above a whisper "Lets get going, okay?" She nodded but stopped, recalling her own assignment she was given.
"Uh, I can't, I have to go somewhere" Illumi tilted his head "Where? I'll come with you" she shook her head, stepping away from him "I have to do this alone" she started to walk away but was stopped as Illumi grasped her wrist "I'm coming with you" he stated "You can't" she argued back, stepping away from Illumi and vanishing from sight, Illumi's brow twitched, his eyes never leaving the spot where you stood.
She faded out of the mansion, running as soon as her feet touched the sopping wet ground, she didn't like pushing Illumi away but Silva's words are what went, her mind raced over her target, she didn't know why they wanted her to track him down of all people, the Zoldyck's took jobs from them once in awhile, she wondered if they double-crossed them or something
-
She stood in front of an old, abandoned building, she didn't need to knock but she did use Zetsu to conceal herself, she walked right through the old door, it's hinges creaking loudly, she eyed the main room of the building, it was a crumbling church, she stood in the sanctuary but no one was there, she could hear echoes of voices coming from the hall at the back of the room.
She quietly walked through the hallway, her steps silent, the voices grew louder as she got closer, she could see a door at the end of the hall, it was slightly ajar, dull lighting shining through the crack, the voices came from the other side of the door, her hand raised to press it open but she halted in her movements, hesitating.
She took a deep breath and opened it, the hinges squealing loudly, she cringed at the sound, if they didn't know before then they knew now "What the hell?!" a booming voice echoed throughout the room, she opened her eyes to see Uvogin, and the rest of the Troupe's stare on her "Uh..hi" she spoke, her voice holding steady "What the hell do you want?" Machi was the second to speak, her gaze narrowed on her "I-..I need to see Chrollo" she replied, numerous gazes were exchanged between each other. "You have no right to walk in here and demand an audience with the boss, traitor" Feitan spoke next, her eyebrows furrowed at the black haired man "That's enough" a stern voice came from the back of the room, everyone stopped and turned to see Chrollo, the head of the Troupe, his eyes were narrowed at her, everyone made a path between the two of them "Come with me" he held out a hand to her, beckoning her over.
She eyed the smaller room Chrollo brought her to, as soon as he closed the door behind them, he had her in his arms, his face pressed into the crook of her neck "Are you okay?" He asked, his tone full of worry "I'm fine, they don't hurt me there" she replied, hands holding his own, her expression took on a more serious one "They sent me to track you though" she said, holding out a small device in her hand, he eyed the small tracker. "I was supposed to get close to you, and then put this on you since they know the relationship we have" she fumbled with the tracker "What do I do?" Her voice was quiet, Chrollo sighed, grabbing the tracker out of her hands "You do your job" he said, placing the chip inside the collar of his jacket, she shook her head "They'll kill you.." She tried to grab the tracker back but Chrollo stopped her with a hand to her wrist.
"I doubt that, it'll be fine, they probably just want to keep tabs on me" he explained, smiling down at her "I know how to take care of myself, (N/n)" he reassured her "And I have the Troupe who are equally capable, I also have a few tricks up my sleeve so really, don't worry" he held her hands in his, squeezing them softly, his happy expression dropped in the next moment, her eyebrows knit together in confusion "Chrollo..?" She asked, he shook his head "Illumi's here" he said, his voice taking on a more firm tone.
Chrollo led her back out into the room that the Troupe was in, all Troupe members were staring at Illumi, his aura remained unbothered, but she could see him just barely relax at seeing her, safe and sound "Hello, Illumi" Chrollo greeted him, Illumi said nothing "Talkative as ever" Chrollo grumbled, stepping aside to allow her to go to him, she was about to step down when Chrollo grabbed her arm, leaning down to her ear "Promise you'll be careful" he whispered softly, they shared a gaze and she nodded.
Illumi observed the Troupe members, making absolutely sure no one dared to try anything, no one said anything until everyone knew they were out of earshot for each other, Illumi and (Y/n) walked in silence, back out into the pouring rain, he grabbed her hand and she faded them away from the Troupe's hideout, once Illumi was absolutely sure no one could hear them, he turned to her.
"My father gave you a job today, didn't he?" He got his answer when she stopped in place "Why didn't you tell me?" She sighed at that "He wanted me to do it alone.." She muttered, her gaze on the ground "Told me to make sure you didn't follow me, of course I knew you'd follow me anyway" Illumi nodded.
"He just wanted me to put a tracker on Chrollo" Illumi could've sighed but chose to stay quiet "Because of how close the two of you are?" It was her turn to nod "You really didn't have to do it alone..I- I'm here for you" his voice almost died off at the end of his sentence "I did it though, put it somewhere he'll never know" Illumi seemed to perk up at that "Good job" his voice was monotonous but she understood that he was genuinely praising her.
"You're going to ask Iron Mike to give you the damn directions over the summit?" you eyed Deek curiously, a brow raised "This the same Iron Mike that specifically told you to fuck off and that he'd kill you if you ever showed your face at Lost Lake again?" Deacon sighed, rolling his eyes "I knew you'd say that exact sentence but baby, listen to me" Deacon stood in front of you, taking both your hands in larger ones.
Deacon looked at you with hope in his eyes "This is the best shot for us, getting away from all this will do us both some good" you hesitated, not yet wanting to agree with him having to go confront Mike himself to help you both over the pass.
"Fine.." you sighed, Deacon smiled softly, placing a kiss on your forehead "Just stay here, I'll be ba-" Deacon halted in his tracks as your hand wrapped around his wrist "I'll ask, probably have a better shot than you" you said, pulling Deacon back against his bike.
,Deacon sighed as he waited for you to come out from lodge, hopefully with Mike in tow, his eyes perked up at the sound of your laughter, he chuckled breathlessly as you walked out of the lodge with Mike right behind you, in a cheerful mood than earlier.
The mood was tense yet again as Mike approached Deacon, you almost felt the need to chew on your fingernails "This sweetheart has somehow convinced me to drive you both over the pass" Mike gestured to you, you smiled softly "If it gets you out of here, I'm all for it, don't get me wrong" his face was void of anything positive. "There's a way over the summit and unfortunately you are the only one who knows" Deacon grumbled, Mike nodded "Get ready then because when we leave, you ain't coming back" Mike's gaze hardened into Deacon's equally steely stare.
-
The drive up the pass was cold, the winds nipped at your exposed hands and cheeks, you and Deacon rode on your own bikes - not having the heart to leave it behind with Boozer "You okay?" Deacon's voice called through the walkie talkie, you flexed your hands on the handles "I- it's fucking cold.." Your voice shook as you replied "We're almost there, okay? It's only cold on the summit" you nodded, steeling your nerves.
-
Hope filled you as you finally made it to the top, Deacon came to a stop, you rose a brow, still shivering from the winds that randomly whipped through you "What's up?" You asked, seeing his head turned towards what was on the other side - your eyes widened. Scorched lands stretched as far as you could see, there was no tree in sight or patch of green grass "What the fuck..?" You muttered under your breath, Deacon continued on, making the way down seemed a whole lot easier than driving up.
-
You came through a small gorge, you could hear screams and shouts ahead, a cabin came into view, along with two Militia looking men and - a huge fucking infected grizzly bear, Deacon grunted as he slammed on his brakes, you coming to a slow stop "Stay here, don't come out until that thing is dead" he stated, not bothering to look back at you, your gaze hardened "You sure you can do this alone?" You asked wearily, eyes darting between him and the crazed bear, Deacon let out a heavy exhale "I got this".
-
Just as Deacon said he would, the bear fell and the two Militia men climbed down from the roof of the cabin, you were leaning on your bike, elbows resting on the gas tank and your chin in your hands as you watched the whole ordeal, you listened as the two men thanked Deacon endlessly, watching their interactions with him carefully "(Y/n)!" He shouted, the two men looked confused for a second until you drove into view.
"(Y/n), this is Russell and Mullins" he gestured to the two men, you nodded at them "Corporal Russell was about to take us to their camp" he looked back at the man named Russell who merely nodded "Of course, c'mon" he said, mounting his own bike "Mullins, you stay here! Guard the pass" Mullins protested but did so anyway.
On the way to Russell and Mullins' camp, Russell tells you about life in the camp - a military camp, explaining how things are done, who's in charge, what they do there.
-
He lead you and Deacon to a gate, towering defense walls on either side "Talk to Captain Kouri, he'll get you both set up, he should be over in the corner there" Russell gestured to the far left of the camp, he left you after that, you and Deacon dismounted your bikes, leaving them beside each other. "Are you sure about this?" You asked, Deacon looked at you "New beginning, remember?" He smiled softly at you, eyes darting around you both before he pressed a quick kiss to your forehead "Love you, sweetheart" he muttered lowly, you sighed softly and followed after him.
"Captain Kouri..?" Deacon asked the man sitting on a bench, the man's brows rose and he stood "At your service" Kouri shook Deacon's hand, a shining glint flashed in your vision, you looked down to see a very familiar ring on Kouri's hand, the same ring that Deacon gave Sarah on their last night together, Deacon noticed it too. Deacon tensed, the action unnoticed by Kouri, he pursed his lips and swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, you subtly jabbed Deacon's side, he shook his head, sighing softly. "Deacon, Deacon St. John, and this, this is (Y/n) (L/n)" Deacon gestured to you. You nodded as Kouri shook your own hand, he eyed you down, seeming to size you up before turning back to Deacon "You're the man that saved two of our own?" Kouri asked, Deacon nodded "Well, your help was very much appreciated".
-
Captain Kouri showed you around the Diamond Lake outpost, introducing the two of you to the vendors they had, the medbay, the sleeping quarters, cafeteria, you stared at the group of soldiers, training - well, moreso getting orders and insults barked at them by their leader, it seemed a little on the dreary side but if it's what kept them up and running, it works. "I was in the 10th Mountain" you could hear Deacon and Captain Kouri still talking behind you "And her?" You heard the Captain ask "She's a biologist, started out as a nurse" Kouri hummed "A person with military experience and another who could potentially save the world and help save lives while she's at it? We might as well have struck gold".
"We have two scientists already, both working on the same thing, but only one actual doctor, we might have to divide her time equally, we'll see what the commander has to say at the recruitment ceremony" you and Deacon shared a confused look.
-
You, Deacon and some hipster named Wade Taylor were chosen to work in the main camp, the other woman who was with you three was put in the work camp, she had a loud mouth anyway. You were weirdly given the rank of Lieutenant for your bachelor's degree in biology, you had a feeling it was mostly just so Colonel Garret could keep you under a more guarded watch and order, Deacon was given the rank of Corporal for his military expertise.
-
Garret gave you and Deacon a tour of Wizard Island, even taking you through what they called the Ark which was a large cave system in the mountain "Lieutenant" Garret stated, your spine went rigid "Yes, sir" you replied "Considering you'll be one of our scientists, I think it's important that you meet your colleagues". You brought your hand to your forehead in a salute "Of course, sir" you said, mentally cringing at the way you were acting - your military experience was slim, the only experience you've had was your father, didn't really teach you much though, besides discipline when you needed it most "You too, Corporal" Garret eyed Deacon beside you "Yes, sir".
Garret brought you to two tents that were directly beside each other, he stood at the door to the one on the right, he pushed it open "Lieutenant Weaver" Garret barked, a man stood to attention, saluting the Colonel "Sir" Garret stood rigidly, beside the table in the middle of the tent. "This is you and the Witch's newest addition, Lieutenant (L/n), and this is Corporal St. John" you saluted again, Deacon doing the same, your gaze was on the man's dingy lab coat "James Weaver, Lieutenant Weaver" he introduced himself to you. "Deacon St. John" Deacon stated, his posture set in stone "(Y/n) (L/n), Lieutenant (L/n)" he chucked as you repeated his words back to him, your tone world's lighter than Deacon's "Are you taking them to meet the Witch?" Your brow arched slightly "Yes, follow me" Garret stalked out of the tent, walking to the door of the left one.
"This is the tent of the Wizard Island Witch" you were confused at the name "She's a botanist and research scientist" your eyebrows furrowed briefly "I can see where the Witch title comes from" the Colonel's lips twitched upwards, he pushed the door open. Your ears filled with the sound of a woman scolding a grunt for not knowing how to read, you couldn't see her from where you stood outside, your eyes glanced to Deacon's, his stare already on you, you could feel his hand softly brushing against the back of yours, you wanted to hold his hand but Colonel Garret made it clear that romantic relationships were not tolerated.
When the grunt moved out of the way, the Witch had her back turned, you could see blonde hair tied into a tight, neat bun underneath a green cap, she had a black tank top on and camo green cargo pants tucked into black boots, something about the way she carried herself seemed so goddamn familiar, but you couldn't put your finger on why that seemed, your eyes couldn't pull away from the back of her head.
"Lieutenant" Garret called, you blinked, pulling yourself out of your trance, and glancing at Deacon, who seemed to be in the same problem as you, you tapped his hand with your pinky, his gaze darted down to you, his pinky softly wrapping around yours "Yes, sir" she finally replied, attention still mostly on whatever she was doing beforehand "I have some people here who I want you to meet" you could see that she was visibly annoyed, but she sighed and turned around anyway, and your world seemed to come crashing to an abrupt halt.
Your eyes widened and your palms started to sweat, your whole spine went rigid as you took in the sight of Sarah - who was very much alive after all, your mouth was dry and your slightly agape, you could feel the shock in Deacon too, just from holding his pinky with yours "Lieutenant Whittaker, meet Lieutenant (L/n) and Corporal St. John" Garret held his arm out to you, you unconsciously stepped forward, your hand slipping away from Deacon's, her blue gaze locked on yours as you blocked her view of Deacon.
You could tell by the look on her face that she recognized you too, the look of shock not unnoticed, she shook her head slightly "Yes, the new scientist" she spoke, her voice wavering as she held out her hand, your body seemed to be on autopilot as you shook it "Yeah, I uh- I was a biology major before this" the words left your dry lips without thinking, she nodded "We- we definitely can use that brain of yours" she smiled, nervously.
You stepped aside, her stare immediately darted back to Deacon "Corporal" Garret snapped Deacon out of his stupor, he took a few steps forward, his eyes nervously looking at you as he questioned everything, you couldn't comfort him - not now at least, but now you questioned if you could ever after this.
"Corporal Deacon St. John" he said simply, you could see that Sarah was still stunned but trying desperately to calm down, Garret could feel how tense it was as he cleared his throat "Corporal St. John" Deacon hesitantly saluted. "You will be catering to our scientists, whatever they need, you go out and get" your eyes lowered to the ground, you could barely feel yourself, everything felt suppressed, you could feel tears welling in your eyes, you cleared your throat "Colonel, sir" you said quickly, all eyes were on you. "May I step outside? It's just- spaces with this many people, have me on edge" the Colonel seemed to dwell on your request "Yes, don't go too far though" you nodded and practically bolted out of the tent, the cool air did nothing to quell the attack coming on, your feet carried you to the small garden that was outside Sarah's tent, you dropped to the ground at the back of it.
Your fists clenched tightly, your knuckles turning white, your whole body shook in tremors, your breathing was coming out shakily, you closed your eyes as tears slowly fell down your face. You sighed shakily as your head hit the small wall that fenced in the soil, your gaze on the clear, dull sky, you could barely feel anything "(Y/n)?" You barely heard Deacon calling out for you, or his presence beside you now. "(Y/n), baby look at me" his voice was calm, his hands gently grasping your chin, bringing your gaze back down to him, his heart clenched, painfully as he took in your pained expression - you were heartbroken, plain and simple, but why?.
He held your face in his hands, his expression mirroring yours as realization set in on what was wrong, I mean what couldn't be wrong right now, not exactly wrong but still, tears still fell down your beautiful face and he wished he could erase all your doubts. "Hey, baby" his voice still held the same soft tone, your hands gently grasped at his wrists "I-..I'm scared" you spoke, your voice was so small and fragile, Deacon's heart could've shattered right there but he held strong "Scared of what, honey?" He asked, softly wiping your tears away.
"Losing you.." Deacon sighed softly, tears threatening to fall "Who said anything about losing me?" You swallowed down the pained lump in your throat "You have Sarah back again..I don't see why you would need me" your voice held steady this time, Deacon shook his head. "(Y/n), I made a promise to you back at Lost Lake, do you remember that?" Your eyes slowly closed as you recalled the day in the grove, where Deacon confessed to you "I promised you that I was yours always from that moment on, and you know that I don't break promises" you opened your eyes, his gaze catching yours. "Sweetheart, I'm yours, not even Sarah can take that away from you" his hands grasped yours, his thumbs rubbing slow circles on the back of your hands and over your knuckles "I'm sorry.." You said, your voice barely above a whisper, he sighed breathlessly "It's okay, baby" his whispered, laying two firm kisses to the back of your hand.
"They took all my rings but this will have to do for now" your brows furrowed, clearly confused at what he was doing, you watched as he pulled a string of red thread out of his pocket, he sat down in front of you, nimble fingers going to work on the thread, you wondered what he was doing. He was tying the string around on itself, creating a small braid, he chuckled softly, grabbing your wrist and gently pulling your hand to him "A temporary fix until the real thing" he muttered, tying the braided thread around your ring finger, your heart seemed to skip several beats at what you realized was happening.
"(Y/n), you are the light of my life, you have kept me going when all seemed..when all seemed hopeless, you were there for me through everything after Farewell" you eyed the fabric band that was tied around your finger "Honey, you are my reason for everything.." You could feel more tears welling in your eyes "Will you..will you marry me?" The question left Deacon's lips under his breath, but you heard him perfectly.
"If it means being yours for the rest of our days, how could I say no?" Deacon smiled widely at that, pulling you up to him, his arms wrapping around you in a firm embrace, he sighed breathlessly into the crook of your neck. You could feel his lips curl into a smile against your skin, his hold tightened around you for a second "Hearing you finally say that, its just-..it just-" Deacon stuttered, you smiled softly "I love you, Deacon St. John".
a/n: please let me know if you'd like a second part of Deacon and reader finding out Sarah is alive and their reactions to it, I'd probably write it anyway but still lol, my stories are never proofread so if my grammar sucks, apologies
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You've known Deacon a few years before the apocalypse began, you just so happened to be in Farewell at the same time as him, Boozer and Sarah were, you watched him send an injured Sarah off with a NERO chopper, your heart ached for the lover's separation, having grown fond of their relationship.
Until you've experienced the much softer side of Deacon, you've seen him at his worst multiple times, seen him break, seen tears streaming down his face, you've also been the one to calm the sea of rage and hopelessness in his heart once or twice, or several times. Deacon did vow to find Sarah with whatever it took, and you helped him every step of the way, you loved him, you weren't entirely sure if he loved you but you felt like you could feel it, in certain things he did for you.
In turn of you giving him a light in darkness, he has done the same for you, he was there when you were down, there when all seemed lost and hopeless, he was your shoulder to cry but you only used that shoulder in the darkest of moments, his hands have held yours when they trembled, his smile replaced yours when you couldn't bring yourself to.
That had to have been love.
You were sitting outside the cabin in Lost Lake, watching Deacon tinker with his bike, Boozer's dog napping in your lap, Deacon sighed, fiddling with a wrench that kept slipping off the bolt he was trying to tighten. "Maybe try a smaller wrench?" Deacon's head lulled back "This is the only wrench I have" he muttered back, annoyance clear in his tone "Deek, you've been fiddling with your bike for over 30 minutes already, fucking with the same bolt" you picked up the puppy and placed it in front of it's little house.
"What's wrong?" You kneeled down beside him, studying his expression "Nothing" he replied, lifting his hand back up to his bike, you gently placed your hand on his arm "Deek, your bike is fine, what is it?" Deacon's arm lowered, dropping the wrench to the ground. "I was thinking about you.." His voice was soft, tone almost shy, you couldn't deny that your heart skipped a beat "Wh-..what about me?" Deacon turned his head to you, he cleared his throat and shook his head "Nevermind" he stood up, eyes staying on you.
"Wanna go for a ride?" He held out a hand to you "Where are we going? We just restocked yesterday" he smiled softly "Just for a ride, I want to show you something.." You slipped your hand in his, standing up "Ride with me?" He asked, mounting his bike, you obliged, getting on behind him, and gripping the bars beneath you.
"Okay, Mr. St. John, have me back before midnight, yeah?" He chuckled at your joke, shaking his head and starting the ignition "Okay, Cinderella" the engine started, the bike lurching forward into motion.
-
The wind breezed through your hair, sending it whipping around behind you, you were leaning against Deacon, your arms wrapped around him, since you ran over a bump and almost fell off, it was his idea, not that you minded much "Do you still have nightmares?" Deacon's voice called back to you, your whole body tensed slightly "Uh.." You were nervous to tell him, afraid you were annoying with what you felt was your overbearing neediness.
"Are you?" He asked again, his tone taking on worry "Um, yeah..still do" you finally replied "For how long?" He asked, you sighed "It's on and off, sometimes I'll have good sleeps, other times I won't" Deacon shook his head. "How long, (Y/n)?" The only sounds that could be heard was the bike's engine and the sound of the wind breezing passed the both of you, you sighed breathlessly "A few weeks" you could feel Deacon's posture go rigid, you knew he wouldn't like it, but you said it anyway.
The rest of the ride was silent, not tense but you felt like if you said something that went against your wellbeing, the atmosphere would turn tense instantly, so you decided to just leave it at that for now.
-
Deacon slowed the bike to a stop, you could see a trail in the tree line, Deacon dismounted, you following after him "I found this place, a while back on a job for Mike, I got sidetracked, wandered off the beaten trail and found it" Deacon approached the edge of the trail "Come on" he held out his hand to you, you stared for a few seconds "I don't bite, (N/n)" he smiled, you hesitantly slipped your hand in his, he gently pulled you along the path.
You were both about 10 minutes in, it was quiet and peaceful, the sounds of insects served as background noise, you could forget that the apocalypse happened here "I came here a few times after that run, just to think and breathe" he muttered, your hands still loosely held together.
You came to a grove, one that made your eyes widen, it was beautiful and serene, there was a pond a few feet away from you with a small waterfall behind it, flowers and bushes littered the the edges of the grove, fireflies floating around silently, you were in pure awe, unaware of the longing look Deacon gave you and the warm smile he held on his lips. "This-..it's beautiful" you whispered, letting go of Deacon's hand and walking over to the edge of the pond, the water was still, no ripples whatsoever, you sat down, Deacon sitting beside you, it was quiet again, this time it was a good quiet.
It didn't last long too long "Hey, (Y/n)..?" He sounded nervous, more nervous than usual, you acknowledged him by nodding, too enamored by the calm sight before you, you could feel his eyes on you but you couldn't bear to pull anyway from the scene. Deacon couldn't help but stare at you, the same longing look in his eyes from before, he admired you, the shape of your nose, the curve of your lips, your soft (h/c) hair, your soft (s/t) skin, he licked his dry lips and snapped his gaze away.
"I want to tell you something.." His voice was quiet, your trance finally broke away from the scenery "You've done so much for me in the entirety of us knowing each other, you've helped me through so many up's and down's". "You stayed right by my side when I've been so crazy, especially on my search for Sarah" you shook your head "Deek, you don't have to thank me for that, I'm sure I'd do that if I never knew the fate of my partner, you're just looking for closure.." Deacon took his turn to shake his head "No, I'm sure everyone's sick of me" Deacon laughed lightly.
"But you.." Deacon moved so he was kneeling in front of you on his knees "I want to do anything for you.." His words were quiet, it sounded like he was afraid of your reaction but he continued "I want to be anything for you.." You were stunned, unsure of whether or not he was confessing to you or just telling you how close he felt to you.
Deacon paused in his ramblings about your story together, eyeing your expression extra carefully "You..don't feel the same" his head dropped in defeat "What? No" you sat up, mirroring his sitting position "Deacon, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to say that..I was too scared" you smiled shyly, you could feel heat gathering in your cheeks. "Scared of what?" He asked "Scared of me saying something stupid and you not feeling the same way, I never want to ruin what we ha-" Deacon pressed his lips to yours, silencing your worries, you tensed at first, a little surprised at his actions but you warmed up to it quickly, kissing him back.
You were in pure bliss, finally after all these years, you got to feel Deacon's lips against your own, everything he's ever wanted to say poured in it, Deacon ran his hands up your arms, your own hands finding the skin of his neck, you pulled away instantly, realizing what you were touching- his tattoo of Sarah's name, his love for her basically immortalized on his skin, Deacon looked confused at your expression until he realized what you were looking at.
"Hey.." His hand caressed your cheek "Sarah will always have a place in my heart, you know that, but..the rest is yours" your heart fluttered at his words "If you'll have it" Deacon eyed you, waiting for your answer, you couldn't help the smile that curled on your lips "I'd love that" you breathed, your arms wounding around his neck and pulling him into a deep kiss, his hands finding the small of your back.
Deacon slowly pushed back on you, carefully lowering you to the ground, him hovering over you "You can have all of me, (Y/n)" he said, gentle eyes gazing into your own "No matter what, I'll always be yours" Deacon pressed a small kiss to your cheek. "That is a promise I'll make to you, if you can do the same" he held a hopeful look in his eyes, his thumb traced your bottom lip slowly "I promise" you brought your pinky finger into view, Deacon chuckled, wrapping his larger pinky around yours "We belong to each other".
It was nearing nightfall, you and Deacon laid tangled in each other's arms ever since your confessions "It's getting late.." You hated to break the moment, but night held dangers of it's own, Deacon sighed "Yep, let's get back" he stood up, holding a hand out for you, which you took with a smile.
-
The bikes came into view, nightfall was in full effect now, the same dreary world was back, ominous screeches could be heard in the distance "Hey" Deacon said, drawing your attention back to him, he smiled warmly at you, easing your worries a great deal "It's okay, I will never let anything happen to you" Deacon made his own silent promise of that, giving your hand a gentle squeeze and bringing it up to his lips, giving your hand a firm kiss, you blushed.
"(Y/n)..?" He asked once you were both back at the edge of the tree line "What?" You replied "It'll probably seem too soon..though I doubt that" he turned to face, grabbing both your hands "But from how long we've known each other..I feel like it's okay" you could almost hear him swallow the lump in his throat from how nervous he was, you could see how careful he was trying to be with his next words, you laughed lightly "Calm down, charmer, you can't lose me now" your heart melted as you earned a bashful smile from him.
He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, you placed your hand on his cheek, Deacon could almost faint at the adoration you had in your eyes, that was all for him and he almost couldn't handle it, the way you held him, the tone your voice had when you spoke to him, everything about you was comforting "I love you, Deacon" the words left your lips in a hushed tone, it was like it was only meant for him to hear it, three words for him and only him.
His heart soared at the words you spoke, the words his soul ached to hear, your eyes were warm and gentle, Deacon was an anxious person underneath his gruff exterior, with a wall made of bedrock around his heart, only the right people could ever get through to him. You just so happened to be one of those people "I-..I love you too, (Y/n)" he finally found himself able to reply to you, he pulled you in for a tight hug, tight enough to keep you from disappearing as if this was all a dream.
Deacon found his person, you in turn found yours too, he loved you and you loved him, that was all you ever craved, him- in his entirety, mind, body and soul, he was the missing piece to your messy puzzle, finally, you found your heart full again, and nothing in this world would take that feeling from you so easily, not even Sarah.
if you're into video games and days gone, please feel free to check out my three part fanfic of Deacon St. John and you, as his biological younger sister, which you can find here!
also if you're not looking for a sibling bond-esque fic, I have a fluffy ass oneshot???? I guess, of Deacon and you again, this time as more of a close friend/lover archetype, which you can now find here!
so far, I write a mix of gender neutral but leaning more towards a female lead type of reads
Deacon lifted himself to the second floor of the lodge, he glanced around at his surroundings, not having time to register a crazed Carlos rushing at him, knocking him onto his back "Deek! What the hell is going on?!" Boozer shouted, Deacon wasn't able to respond, as he was trying to push Carlos off of him. Carlos then opened his hand that was trapped against his chest by Deacon's own, and he blew a powdery substance into Deacon's face, Deacon backed away from Carlos, sputtering and gasping as the drug began to mess with his vision, Carlos yelled, throwing Deacon's gun away from them and stalking towards the disoriented man.
Deacon continued to back away from him, desperately trying to take hold of his bearings, Carlos was screaming at nothing a few feet away "Time to get low, brother! Time to get low!" Everything sounded like someone stuck a plug in Deacon's ears, he tried his best to blink away the deliriousness, slowly coming to a shaky stand, Carlos was having none of that as he went to land a hard kick to Deacon's stomach, sending the latter to the ground once again with a pained yelp.
"You wanted to kill me, right? I'm right here, Deacon, right here!" Carlos was in Deacon's face, hovering above him as Deacon again slowly began to lift himself back up, the drug-induced haze slowly easing away, Deacon looked up to Carlos's crazed stare, the Ripper laughed loudly, kicking Deacon in the shoulder and sending him down to the ground once more. Deacon groaned at Carlos's weight on his back, Deacon trying to rip himself out from under him "Poor little Mongrel, all outta luck" Carlos muttered to him, kneeling down, forcing even more weight on Deacon.
Carlos pulled out a knife in his belt, Deacon's eyes glinted with fear, the blade ominously glowing in the fire-lit atmosphere, Carlos brought the knife to Deacon's back, tracing the tip of the knife over where Deacon's Mongrel tattoo would be. "Deacon St. John.." Carlos muttered, the only thing Deacon could hear was Carlos's breathing and his own "Brought low..by the lowly Jessie Williamson" Deacon tensed and his dark brows knit together "Jessie..?" Deacon said, visibly confused "I..I thought you were dead" Jessie chuckled "No, you left me to die".
"But that's okay, all is forgiven..because I found the Path" Jessie pressed the blade down more, Deacon tensed at the feeling "And you too shall find it, real soon" Jessie roughly tugged Deacon's leather jacket off "Take this off, now" Jessie ordered, removing his foot from Deacon's back, Deacon glared "Now, Deek" Deacon lifted himself up, pulling off his leather jacket "I want your back bare, St. John" Jessie looped his thumbs in his belt loops, Deacon complied, stripping his torso bare "You have to be cleansed before your set on the path" Jessie brought the knife into view.
Deacon didn't want to lie about how scared he was, Jessie Williamson was about to carve out his back for what he did to him all those years ago "I thought you said no hard feelings" Deacon grumbled, Jessie scoffed "There isn't any, I just told you, you need to be-" "Cleansed, yeah I got that" Jessie glared, shoving Deacon down again with his boot.
Deacon's hands balled into tight and sweaty fists at the feeling of Jessie above him, getting ready to cut into him "I have you where I want you, Deek" Deacon inhaled sharply, feeling the knife dig deep into his skin with ease, Jessie sighed, sounding pleased with himself, the knife continued to glide down Deacon's back, his pained cries filling the room, Jessie was halfway down one side of his tattoo when the dangerous click of a gun sounded next to his ear.
"Mongrel Princess" (Y/n) stood beside him, aiming a pistol to the Ripper's bald head, he paused his actions, her eyes filled with worry as she saw the state of her older brother, blood oozed from the large cut on his back "Don't worry..he's not dead" her eyes trailed back to Jessie, burning with hate, Jessie hid the knife from her sight.
"Get away from him" She barked, Jessie nodded, pushing himself off his knees, as he rose, he swung the hand that held the knife at (Y/n)'s inner thigh, she gasped, dropping to her knees, Jessie stood up, pointing the knife to her neck "You almost got me, Princess" Carlos smirked, (Y/n) clutched a hand to her wound, she brought the gun back up but not before Jessie kicked her hand, knocking the gun out of her grasp, she gasped and groaned, hand throbbing in pain.
"The two St. John siblings, only one I'm missing is Boozer but he's not that far" Jessie sneered, (Y/n)'s eyes landed on Deacon, he was pulling himself onto his knees, hissing and gasping as his wound stretched with his muscles, he crawled to sit beside his sister "Look at this.." Jessie kneeled in front of them with a wide smirk on his face, he eyed the burn on (Y/n)'s upper arm, clicking his tongue. "That doesn't look too good, (Y/n)" he examined the burn closely, also minding her expression "That would be a second-degree burn you got there..meaning, you would still feel this" Jessie pressed his knife to the burn site, she screamed at the feeling of intense agony, tears trailed down her bruised face, he dragged the knife down the middle of the burn, ripping screams and cries from her throat.
Deacon couldn't stand his sister being tortured like this, Jessie made a full incision down her wound, he didn't stop there, dragging the knife along the rest of her uninjured arm, Deacon couldn't take it anymore "Jessie!" He cried, Jessie's eyes darted to Deacon "Stop it!" Jessie merely laughed "Please! Fucking stop!" He begged, grasping at her arm. "Jessie! She had nothing to do with any of this!" He yelled, his own tears slowly trailing down his cheeks "She didn't burn your tattoo off! Okay?! I did, remember?!" Deacon was mentally groveling at Jessie's feet, Jessie stopped his actions, pulling away from (Y/n), attention on Deacon "She was just there, she- she was a damn bystander that day!".
Jessie said nothing as he brought the bloodied knife up to Deacon's clavicle "You're right, Deek.." Jessie said under a low breath, pressing the knife into his skin, Deacon barred his teeth, Jessie jerked his hand right, making a slash across Deacon's collarbone, (Y/n) cringed, her hand mentally finding Deacon's clenched one, she could feel Deacon's hand soften almost instantaneously upon contact, their hands wounding together. Jessie brought the knife back to his clavicle, pushing the blade back in and jerking his hand to the left, slashing the other side of Deacon's collarbone, Deacon groaned loudly, gripping her hand tightly, (Y/n) cautiously looked around for the gun, seeing how close it was to her- was it in her reach? Of course not, she mentally rolled her eyes at where it was, just out of her reach, she'd have to throw herself to it if she was going to have a chance.
Her eyes went back to Deacon and Jessie, Jessie still carving him up, she'd have to do this now, she let go of Deacon's hand and her attention went to the gun, she readied herself, trying to make her intentions unknown, she took a deep breath, lunging her full body towards the gun. She was only able to move within mere inches of the weapon before an agonizing pain shot up from her calf, her hands barely grazed the grip as she cried out, she looked back to see Jessie with the knife plunged into her leg- deeply, she panted and turned, clawing her way to the gun, Jessie was pulling back on the knife, trying to stop her from moving any closer.
She desperately fought against Jessie's hold despite what he was using to hold her with, she grew frustrated because with every grasp, she could feel the gun's cool metal under her fingertips, taunting her, Jessie pulled even harder on the knife, making the injury even longer. She was fed up with it all as she cried out once more, mustering up the rest of her strength to reach for the gun, she got, she was able to grab it, she could cry even harder at her small victory, Jessie was able to pull her back towards him, unaware of her new finding.
(Y/n) quickly turned over on her back, aiming the gun at Jessie's head, Jessie froze "Get low, motherfucker!" She said through gritted teeth, shooting Jessie right in the middle of his forehead, he dropped instantly, (Y/n) eyed the knife in her leg, she pulled it out without hesitation, she panted heavily as she eyed the blade, she fell back on the floor "(Y/n)?" She barely heard Deacon's worried voice, she could feel him though. "(Y/n), stay with me" Deacon pleaded, hastily gathering his belongings, his heart dropped as her eyes closed, he immediately checked her pulse, he sighed heavily in relief as he realized she just passed out "Boozer!" Deacon called out, carefully but quickly scooping her up in his arms "Deek?!" Boozer replied, Deacon walked over to the hole in the floor.
"Oh Jesus, is (Y/n) okay?!" Boozer's voice was filled with worry "She just passed out, either from blood loss or she was just really exhausted- I don't know, we have to get her back to camp..!" Deacon slowly lowered his sister down into Boozer's waiting arms, Deacon dropped down after them "You don't look any better" Boozer eyed the blood still running down Deacon's chest "I-..I'll be fine, just worry about (Y/n)" Boozer hesitantly nodded, following after Deacon.
-
Deacon and Boozeman approached the bikes, Deacon pulled his med-kit out from his saddlebag, instructing Boozer to gently put her on the ground so he could tend to her wounds "This will do for now, stop her from losing anymore blood" he found a rubber band in the box- a tourniquet to slow blood flow, he tied it securely around the leg that had the deep cut, grabbing a bandage to put on the wound itself "Deek, what about you?" Boozer asked, still worried for his brother, he sighed and shook his head "Boozer, I said I'm fine, I'll deal with it later" he grumbled, clearly annoyed.
Deacon nodded once at his work, he did his best to bandage all of her wounds "It should do for now, Addy will be able to help her" he gestured for Boozer to put her on the back of his bike, they tied her wrists around Deacon's chest, securing her to him so she wouldn't fall off "Ready?" Boozer asked, watching Deacon adjust themselves, he nodded, revving his bike as they began to drive off.
-
They finally arrived at the camp, it was nearly morning "Someone's at the- wait, it's Deacon and Boozer" the gate creaked as it was pushed open, allowing them inside, they parked in the parking lot, Deacon quickly went to cut the ropes off of them, carefully getting off the bike and holding her up at the same time "Deek-" Boozer was about to say something "I'm fine" he cut him off, scooping her up into his arms and wasting no time as he lightly jogged to the infirmary.
He burst through the doors "Addy! Rikki!" He laid her down on a gurney "Add-" "Deacon" Addy came from around the corner "I was wondering where you all went" Deacon nodded "I'm sorry but I didn't come here for small talk" Deacon moved, putting his sister in full view for Addy, she gasped. "What happened?" She asked as she began to scrounge around for supplies, Deacon ran a hand through his dark hair "Rippers..Rippers happened" Addy nodded. "She was torched- same as Boozer, she has a long cut on her arm from the burn site, a cut on her calf and one on the inside of her thigh, multiple-..multiple bruises" Addy could see that Deacon was visibly stressed "Deacon.." She calmly said as she went to work on his sister "Go find Rikki, get her to help you, okay? I got her from here" Deacon nodded, leaving the infirmary.
-
It was around the middle of the day now, Deacon was fixed up, thanks to Rikki, he was sitting outside their cabin, eyeing Boozer's dog as it slept "Deek" Deacon's eyes darted to Rikki as she came up to him, she had no signs of concern on her face "Is..is she okay?" Deacon was almost afraid to ask "She's awake" Rikki said as Deacon shot up from his seat, joining Rikki as she walked back to the infirmary.
Deacon took a deep breath, swallowing the lump in his throat as he stood in the doorway "It's okay, Deacon" Rikki reassured him, gesturing him to keep coming, he could hear light laughing coming from inside, Deacon abandoned his doubts and followed the smaller brunette, he was almost blown away at the sight. (Y/n) was sitting up, smiling at Addy "Addy" Rikki said, their laughter stopped but their smiles stayed, Deacon's gaze found his sister's "Deacon" Addy stood "She's going to be fine, lost a bit of blood but nothing some good meals with red meat can't fix, as for the burn..a little worse than Boozer's but we caught it before it got even worse". "She'll make a full recovery as long as she uses the burn salve I gave her and she keeps it clean" he nodded "In other words, she's all patched up, not good to go though, she still needs to rest" Addy gently patted his shoulder, letting them have some time alone together.
"Hey.." (Y/n) was the first to speak, patting the spot next to her, he sat down beside her "How are you doing?" She asked, unconsciously finding his hand again with her own "Me? I'm fine, how are you?" Deacon stared at their hands together "Deacon, really" she said again, he sighed. "Physically, I really am fine except for the cut on my back- shit still kinda hurts, mentally, I'm not really sure.." She nodded, she gently squeezed his hand "I was scared..scared for you, scared for me, I didn't know if I was going to make it out, and then you came along..saved us both" he smiled slightly.
"And then turns out it was Jessie fucking Williamson, back from the dead and out for revenge despite what he said" Deacon exhaled shakily "At one point when we were there, I thought you were dead.." He admitted, sounding almost ashamed "But I'm not, I'm right here, Deek" she squeezed his hand again. "I know..this whole ordeal was terrifying" she nodded, leaning her head against Deacon's shoulder, Deacon laid his head against hers "I'm so glad you're okay.." Deacon said, voice barely above a whisper "You too, big brother" she replied, they spent the next few hours silently cherishing each other's company until Addy said it was time for (Y/n) to rest.
Deacon spent the next day orchestrating a plan of rescue, much to his own dismay, Rikki convinced him that he couldn't go in blindly shooting or both of them might not come back, Deacon was deep in thought, his mind constantly racing over what was happening to you.
(Y/n) groaned in pain, her head and wrists were aching, she didn't know why they were aching but she got her answer when she opened her eyes to her wrists being strung up to two thick branches, she was in a candlelit room, words were crudely written on the wall in blood, sharp dead branches littered the room, she assumed it was the Ripper's definition of decoration.
"Shit.." She rolled her head, doing her best to stretch her neck muscles, (Y/n) lazily tugged against the bindings, seeing how secure they were, seeing they were tied pretty firmly against her, she still kept tugging, despite the burning sensation of the ropes digging into her wrists "Dammit!" She exclaimed in frustration, sighing heavily as nothing was happening.
The sound of approaching footsteps sent her alertness to 11, her eyes darting to the door across from her, the door slowly opened, it's hinges creaking steadily, a Ripper was in the doorway, this one seemed different than the others, held a more powerful aura. "Carlos.." She said, weakly as she came to the realization of who this was, Carlos let out a small smirk "Mongrel Princess, when the group I sent out told me they were successful in catching a Mongrel, I never expected it to be you.." Carlos took slow but calculated steps to where she was bound.
Carlos stood two steps in front of her "Oh my, should've told them to be gentle, I would have if I knew I was dealing with precious cargo" Carlos leaned closer, (Y/n) could see his numerous cuts more clearly, she leaned back as far as she could.
"The little St. John" Carlos declared, almost proudly, (Y/n)'s gaze hardened, she looked to be thinking hard, her face contorted into a look of shock "Jessie.." She muttered quietly, Carlos barely picked it up "Jessie Willamson.." Carlos pulled away, sighing lowly "That is not my name, not anymore, I soon won't have a name at all, we renounce our names to rid of our pain" he stated "As do all Ripper's".
"Deacon had a hand in torching your Mongrel tattoo off after you murdered someone in the MC over drugs..I was there, I watched them drag you into the old safehouse, Deacon told me to stay in Jack's car and to turn on the radio while they dealt with you" (Y/n)'s gaze darted at Carlos. "I came out of the car after awhile, Deacon came out of the safehouse and from the second he opened the door, I smelled burnt flesh and I saw your body on the table, bloody and torched, thought you were dead but guess I was wrong" Carlos let out a breathless chuckle. "I have found the path, and soon you, your brother and Boozer..will be forcefully put on the path, as for you..you will be my wife" Carlos sneered, leaning closer to her, she could almost feel his breath on her face "Fuck off, I'm not marrying you" she replied, kicking him in the thigh, Carlos let out a low growl "But first, you must be cleansed" Carlos eyed her left arm which was covered by her shirt, he looked away and down next to her, he picked up a blowtorch.
(Y/n)'s eyes widened at what he was about to do "You touch me with that and I will shove that so far up your ass, you'll turn into a dragon" she tensed against the binds as he lit the torch, it's ominous blue glow lighting the small distance between Carlos and (Y/n)'s facial features. "Princess, you must be cleansed as I have" Carlos held a dangerous look in his eyes, he grabbed a knife, cutting through her shirt's sleeve with ease, he ripped it off once the fabric was thin enough, he exposed her inked skin to his insane stare, (Y/n)'s arm was tattooed with a whole sleeve that reached from her shoulder and down to the back of her hand "My, my..your whole arm is tainted, that's not good" he tutted, bringing the torch back up again.
Sweat was rolling down her face in beads, her chest heaving heavily, Carlos brought the blowtorch closer to her arm, she began to feel the white hot heat of it, nearing closer and closer with every second "You'll pay for what Deacon did" Carlos muttered lowly, (Y/n)'s whole body jolted and tensed at the feeling of the hot flame torching her tattoo off, she screamed, gritting her teeth together tightly, tears welled up in her pained (e/c) eyes.
Carlos brought the torch away, admiring the small patch of melted skin on her shoulder, the smell of burned skin wafted in the air, (Y/n) almost gagged at the scent, Carlos said nothing as he brought the torch back to her skin, burning another patch of her tattoo off, she yelped, thrashing wildly against the ropes, trying desperately to back away from the crazed Ripper, the pain was unbearable and she begged to God that she would black out already. Her head lulled forward, the pain from being tortured mentally and physically exhausted her "No, no, Princess, you stay with me" Carlos patted at her tear-stained cheek, Carlos roughly gripped at her chin, pulling her face to look at her arm.
(Y/n)'s jaw clenched at the sight, more hot tears trailing down her face, it was burned up to the middle of her bicep, words refused to be spoken at the sight of her arm, the top layer of her skin was completely gone, she could just see black charred, bloodied patches of the tissue underneath, it was a stark difference compared to the rest of her untouched arm "Don't worry, Princess..I'll cherish you regardless" Carlos was pressing his face into her hair, inhaling heavily at her scent, but she ignored it, too traumatized at her injury to fight back anymore.
-
Deacon made it into the Ripper's camp, Boozer right behind him on his bike "You remember the plan?" Deacon spoke in a loud voice over the roar of the engine "Yeah, blow the dam, drown the rats, kill Carlos and save (Y/n)" Boozer replied, Deacon didn't acknowledge it, keeping his attention forward on the road. They approached the dam "You know how to do this, right?" Deacon asked, raising a dark brow at the one handed man beside him, Boozer shook his head with a chuckle "Easy as riding a bike" Deacon rolled his eyes "Are you sure? I mean, I know how to do this, I was in the army for God's sake" Boozer shook his head again "I got this, brother, just watch my back".
Deacon guarded Boozer as best as he could, keeping the Ripper's that attacked off of him, Boozer was on the last charge "You sure this is gonna work?" Boozer asked over the walkie talkie "You doubting my plan?" Deacon replied, a teasing lilt in his voice "It's..it's a lot of water, it'll get 'em" Deacon said "If you believe it, I will too" Boozer said, a few seconds later. Boozer approached the last detonation site, Deacon sniping the Ripper's that attacked with ease "How's it going, Boozeman?" Deacon asked, a wary tone in his voice "Hey, it's not easy with one hand" Boozer replied "Just hurry it up" Boozer rolled his eyes "I got it!" Boozer started into a dead sprint, trying to put as much distance as possible between him and the dam "Get the hell out of there, Boozer!" Deacon yelled, waiting for his friend to catch up.
The explosives went off, sending a shockwave and tremors through the surrounding area, the blast knocked Deacon and Boozer on their asses "Christ!" Deacon shouted as he covered his face to protect it from the brief blast of heat, the area darkened as the light from the bomb died down, Deacon and Boozer let out a laugh "Fucking hell" Boozer exclaimed as he sat up, Deacon helping him to a stand. They looked at what was left of the blast, tons of water was still rushing through, big chunks of debris was being swept towards the campsite "Lets get going" Deacon nudged Boozer's arm, both of them setting off into a jog.
-
Carlos left (Y/n) alone for a bit, saying something about Deacon and Boozer needing to be here to change too, her head was hanging, exhaustion taking its hold on the beaten and battered girl, the sound of the door opening was heard but she paid no mind to it, lighter footsteps approached her, she still ignored them. "Hey.." it was a girl's voice, (Y/n) weakly lifted her head, her bloodshot eyes met the worried ones of Lisa, a girl her brother saved a while back "Lisa..?" Her voice was weak, barely there, Lisa was bald, cuts littered her body, the signature 'R.I.P' symbol carved into her forehead. "That's not my name.." Lisa grabbed a knife nearby, gingerly grabbing hold of the uninjured part of her arm "Ripper's are cleansed of their pain, and made into a new person once they completely abandon their name..and I have" she cut the rope and (Y/n)'s arm limply fell to her side, a sharp jolt of pain shot through her body as her shoulder muscles stretched, pulling at her healthy and injured skin, she yelped, hissing at the sensation, Lisa cut the other rope.
(Y/n) was unprepared to hold her full weight, she collapsed into Lisa, who barely caught the older woman "I-..I can't" (Y/n) whispered weakly, Lisa helped her stand fully "Yes, you can" she quietly said words of encouragement "Your brother might be here, the dam was blown, the camp is flooded" hearing the mention of Deacon lit a small fire of hope for her. "C'mon, I know a way out but you need to walk" Lisa held her at arms length again, (Y/n) grunted in pain at the bruising on her legs, she closed her and sighed heavily, willing the pain away "I'm right behind you.." She said quietly, crouching low behind her as she walked out of the room "I'll meet you outside" Lisa said in a rushed whisper, walking ahead of her.
(Y/n) eyed the room she was in now and if she wS being honest at all, she felt a lot safer in the room she was being held in, (Y/n) carefully stalked towards the Ripper slashing up a survivor, who looked nearly dead, she grabbed the Ripper, wrapping her hand tightly over his mouth and slicing his neck open with the knife Lisa left her, she helped the body quietly fall to the ground "So, you wanna find the Path, huh? Let me help you, motherfuckers" she said through gritted teeth, wiping the blood on the knife against her pant leg.
She cleared the whole room, silently mourning the losses of the survivors that she couldn't save, she opened a set of double doors, it opened to a skywalk, she walked into another set of double doors but they were already open, it had a small staircase inside that led into another room. This one had a group of Ripper's in it "There's too many" she said under her breath, she carefully walked towards the door instead, hoping they wouldn't see her, she sighed in relief at breathing in fresher air than what was inside.
-
Deacon and Boozer fought their way into the lodge, killing every Ripper and Freak they saw "What if she's not here?" Deacon rose an irritated brow at Boozer "Like not at the lodge but somewhere else in their territory" Deacon's stare left the one handed man "We look for her, and I don't care if we have to kill every single one of them to do that, they're all fucking dying tonight anyway" Deacon grumbled, venom in his tone.
-
(Y/n) panted, having escaped the area where she was held, she was too scared and exhausted to go look for her little bit of things, she was grateful that she decided to pack light today, bringing merely a boot knife and handgun, her jacket she could part without, again she packed light to just go out on a bounty run, not to get attacked by Ripper's.
She ran through the fields, trying her best to remember which way the lodge was, she prayed to whatever was left out there that Deek would find her or she would find him, she could hear the shouts and yells of the Ripper's, finally discovering that she escaped, this only fueled her adrenaline, running even faster.
She wasn't completely aware of her surroundings, not realizing she was crossing a road or that a Ripper was on patrol there, but the Ripper was aware of her, the female Ripper lunged at her, successfully knocking her to the ground, (Y/n) yelped in pain as she landed on her injured arm, she scrambled to her feet as fast as she could, realizing she was in danger "Where you off to in such a hurry, little girl?" The Ripper rasped, a sickening smirk on her face, (Y/n) growled, clutching her knife as tightly as possible, the Ripper was armed with a club, nails embedded at the tip of it.
(Y/n) sliced through the air, the blade connected with nothing, the Ripper laughed wildly as she swung the club around, (Y/n) narrowly dodging every swing, (Y/n) swung again, the blade cut into the Ripper's skin, the Ripper kicked at (Y/n)'s hand that held the knife, successfully knocking it out of her hand, (Y/n) cried out at the pain, she was now left defenseless, the Ripper still having her weapon. The Ripper swung once more, this time (Y/n) ducked low, the attack barely missing her head, she could feel the swing send a gush of air across the top of her head, (Y/n) saw an opportunity of attack and she took it.
(Y/n) kicked the Ripper in the kneecap, the Ripper's knee easily snapping backwards at the force of her kick, the Ripper doubled over, screaming in pain at her broken leg, (Y/n) hastily came to a stand, glaring down at the Ripper who tried her best to still grab her, she eyed the leg, cringing as she saw the bone protruding through the skin. "Guess eating shit and dirt all day didn't do you any good" the Ripper growled "You little bitch!" (Y/n) took two steps toward her, standing directly above her head "Get low, bitch" (Y/n) said as she stomped hard on the Ripper's head, a chill creeped up her spine at hearing the sickening crack of the Ripper's skull caving in.
(Y/n) kept going, she could see the lodge across the field she was in, the dam was indeed blown up, the damage from the water was strong but they deserved it, they all did, she trudged on, despite her legs protesting. She paused in her steps as she heard a light staticy noise- like from a radio, she scrambled to find it instantly, scrounging around through all the debris and looking around in the vehicles, she found the source of the noise, it was a walkie talkie, she grabbed it and immediately held down the talk button. "Deacon St. John, come back" she said, her voice nearly wavering, nothing yet "Boozer, Deacon, come in" she said again, more static reached her eyes, she sighed heavily, wanting to hit something but she held back "Deek, please come in" she begged, stray tears trailing down her dirt and blood covered skin.
-
Deacon cut through the last Ripper standing between him and Carlos, they went inside the lodge, both sighing in frustration at the lack of stairs "You're never gonna make it up there" Deacon grumbled, Boozer kicked a pillar that was next to him "Yeah, I know, I'll boost you up though, throw in an extra hit for me, will ya?" Boozer got into position to boost Deacon up to the second floor. "-con St. John, come back" Boozer and Deacon froze at the sudden voice blaring through Deacon's walkie talkie.
"Boozer, -eacon, come in" the signal was cutting up badly "Deek, please come in.." The voice came through loud and clear that time, Deacon gripped the device and pressed the button "(Y/n)?! (Y/n), is that you?" He released, white noise filled the air for what felt like forever. "Deacon..?" Her voice was low, Deacon felt like he could burst into tears "(Y/n), it's me..I'm here" Deacon replied, he could hear her sniffle, he could tell she was crying. "Deek, I wanna go home.." She sounded so weak, Deacon swore he'd kill everything here for making her like that "Wh-where are you?" Deacon asked, brows furrowed with worry.
"I made it out of where they were keeping me, I'm outside, on a road" Deacon nodded "Okay, just uh, come to the lodge, and be careful" Deacon pleaded "What are you going to do?" Her voice replied, Deacon's gaze hardened "Something that should have been done awhile ago" Deacon released the button, turning to Boozer "I'm ready".
They were both very close growing up, Deacon would do anything for his little sister, her all the same.
Their bond was no different in the Apocalyptic wasteland of Oregon. Boozer, (Y/n) and Deacon stuck by each other's side since they left Farewell, since they said goodbye to Sarah.
"Deacon, (Y/n), you there? Lost Lake to St. John siblings, come back" Boozer's voice sounded through the walkie talkie strapped to Deacon's chest "Yeah, Boozer?" Deacon acknowledged him, his eyes keeping a close eye on his sister, who was currently harvesting some plants they could use "What's up?" Deacon's voice lowered, barely noticeable.
"A group of Rippers were seen driving by the camp, looked like they were heading in your direction, keep a look out" Deacon's dark brows furrowed together "Dammit.." Deacon muttered under his breath "Okay, yeah, we'll make our way back" his put down the device and looked around for (Y/n), who was suddenly nowhere to be seen.
"(Y/n)..?" Deacon's eyes darted around the area "(Y/n), where are you?" He turned, his worry was gradually climbing "(Y/n)?" He called, he could hear the sound of roaring motors in the distance- probably the Rippers Boozer was talking about "(Y/n)! Dammit, you were just here!" He hastily searched around the small grove "(Y/n)!" He fumbled around with the walkie talkie strapped to his chest "(Y/n)! Where are you? We need to go!" He spoke into the device, crackling noises sounded back.
"Deek? What's wrong?" He sighed in relief when he heard her voice "Jesus, (Y/n)..we gotta go, there's Rippers coming and we aren't safe here, where did you go?" Static again before her voice replied "I found a stream, and there's fish in it" he nodded like she could see him "Okay, ju- just wait there, I'm coming to you" he strapped the small device back to his chest and immediately set into a light jog.
"(Y/n)?" He called out in a normal voice, scanning the bank of the stream "Over here" her voice came from behind a small bush, practically hiding her figure "I caught a few, we can turn them into the kitchen" Deacon eyed four fish beside her "Okay, but we have to go, here let me" he knelt down beside her, pulling a roll of string out of his bag and quickly stringing the fish together. "'Kay, c'mon" he tied the fish to his belt and grabbed her wrist, pulling her along with him "If we make it in time, we can leave before they get here" he said through panted breaths.
Yet, as always, the St. John's luck was never on their side, Deacon came to a halt, pulling them down into a crouch "Fuck..!" He said through gritted teeth, (Y/n) sighed "We can take them, there's only 3" (Y/n) said, a hopeful lilt in her tone, Deacon's gaze hardened as 5 more Rippers pulled up "Of fucking course.." (Y/n) muttered under her breath.
"The Lost are here!" The pair listened in as one of the Ripper's exclaimed "Find them" The group of Ripper's spread out, slowly stalking towards them "Go, go back to the stream, hurry!" Deacon said through hushed whispers "I'm right behind you" he nudged her back in the direction of the stream, the younger St. John did as she was told, scrambling up in a low crouch, Deacon following after her.
"How are we going to get back to the bikes?" (Y/n) asked after they made it an okay ways away to stop for a few minutes "You go around, I'll distract them" Deacon and (Y/n) shared a worried glance. "No, that's crazy even for you" she said, taking his larger hand in hers "We go together, Deek" her tone was firm "Together or I'm staying right here" Deacon sighed heavily "Don't do this now, just go, I'll be fine" her brows furrowed in frustration "Fine" she said, pulling away from him and walking away "Be careful".
Deacon turned away from her fleeting form, seeing 6 of the Ripper's coming into view, armed with Machine Guns and Rifles "Okay, time to get low, motherfuckers" Deacon never did notice the absence of the other 2 Ripper's.
(Y/n) carefully treaded along the grassy area, keeping a steady watch on her surroundings "(Y/n)?" The sound of her brothers came through the walkie talkie, startling her for a brief second "Yeah?" She replied "Make your way back to Lost Lake, I'll meet you there" she rolled her eyes, shaking her head "I'll wait for you" (Y/n) neared the road, glancing in both directions to make sure no one was on it.
Seeing that no one was near, she walked back in the direction of the bikes, walking in the tree line to stay hidden in case someone did drive by. Her eyes caught sight of numerous bikes parked on the road, her pave quickened as she could see her and brothers bikes still there, looking to be in the same condition they left them in.
She let out a breath of relief as she stood by her bike, she quickly checked it over, making sure nothing was missing "Deek?" She pulled the walkie talkie closer to her mouth "I'm here, you at the bikes?" He replied, she smiled "Yeah, are they all gone?" Deek took a second to reply "Yep, all dead and accounted for" (Y/n) could hear the exhaustion in his voice "Heading back now" She put the device back in its place, doing Deacon the favor of also checking over his bike.
She was crouched down, eyeing the engine and all that, the scuff of boots meeting gravel caught her attention, she didn't turn to look "That was fast" she jested, coming to a full stand once she deemed her brothers bike good. "Expecting your brother..Mongrel Princess?" She gasped, turning to meet 2 Ripper's, their bloodied and cut up bodies in full view, she quickly reached for her walkie talkie but the Ripper that didn't speak to her lunged for her, knocking the device out of her hand.
"No!" She yelled, thrashing against the Ripper's hold, their drug fueled strength proved to be 10x stronger than her, she grunted as she continued to fight against them "Carlos will be most pleased to see that we have caught the little Princess" the Ripper was in her face, she could smell his breath wafting into her nose, she cringed.
"Let go of me, you fucks!" She cried, kicking at the Ripper that wasn't holding her, trying to push him away, her boot-clad foot ended up connecting with the Ripper's groin, he doubled over in pain, she smirked at the satisfaction "Did that hurt, motherfucker? I hope it did!" She growled, the Ripper stood "Little bitch!" was the last thing she heard as the Ripper slapped her so hard, she blacked out.
Deacon finished looting all of the bodies, hoping to find some rags so he could fix up some bandages for a couple hits he took, he walked towards the direction of the bikes, wrapping the bandage around a bullet gash on his arm "-you fucks!" He halted in his tracks, picking up the sound of yelling "(Y/n)" he said, taking on a full sprint, the sight of 2 Ripper's lugging his unconscious sister onto the back of their bikes entered his vision.
"(Y/n)!" He shouted, adrenaline fueling him "No, (Y/n)!" The 2 Ripper's turned to him, having fully got his sister on one of their bikes "Let her go, you bastards!" The Ripper's started their bikes, the rev of the engines haunting Deacon "No, no!" He sprinted even faster if at all possible, they were pulling away from the grove, Deacon ran at the bike that had (Y/n), lunging with his full body at it but they were too fast, Deacon landed face first into the pavement, he scrambled to his feet despite the pain.
He felt so hopeless as he watched them drive away, their figures getting further and further by the second, his knees crashed to the ground. Defeat, failure, hopelessness and fear clouded his mind and body, defeat because he couldn't stop them, failure because he couldn't protect (Y/n), hopelessness because he was so close to saving her, if he was any faster, she would be in his arms right now, and finally..fear, fear because of what they do to hostages.
He sat against his bike, back against the engine "St. John to Lost Lake, do you copy? Deacon St. John to Lost Lake, come back" static filled his ears as he waited for a reply "Deek?" The familiar voice of Rikki reached his ears "Is everything alright?" Deacon's head lulled back, hitting the tank of the bike "No, Rikki.." He muttered, gaze set on the direction of where the Ripper's went.
"What is it? Is (Y/n) okay?" A lump formed in his throat, scared his voice would crack and waver if he answered, he waited a few seconds, taking a deep breath before he spoke again "No, goddammit" his reply was quick "What happened? Is she hurt?" Rikki's voice was taking on a worried tone "She will be, we were attacked by Ripper's, I- I thought that I- I thought that I killed them all but I guess not.." Deacon held his head in the hand that wasn't holding the walkie talkie.
"They took her..the last 2 Ripper's that I didn't kill, they took her" it was quiet for what felt like forever until Rikki spoke again "Okay, come back to camp and we'll figure out what to do from there, plus Mike wants to see you, it's urgent" Deacon's hand slapped the ground "Dammit, Rikki! Iron Mike is the least of my problems right now!" His temper flared even higher.
"Skizzo sold you, Boozer and (Y/n) out to Carlos.." Her voice was quiet as she spoke the one sentence that Deacon needed to be pushed over the edge "That's why Carlos has been sending groups of Ripper's to harass the supply runs, it's also why Carlos sent a group of Ripper's to capture both of you, come back to camp, Deek".
Deacon stomped up the steps of the lodge, roughly pushing the door open "It was for the good of the camp!" Deacon's anger flared upon hearing Skizzo's voice "Christ, Skizzo! If we start turning on each other, then we're no better than the Freaks, Rippers or anyone for that matter!" Iron Mike gaze flitted to Deacon, who standing behind Skizzo "Your treaties not gonna hold with the way you're running things!" Skizzo still hadn't noticed the other presence that entered the room. "You're going to get our people killed, it's three bikers for a whole camp!" Skizzo argued, Mike shook his head "That is not how we do things and you of all people should know that!" He yelled, pointing a finger in Skizzo's face "It doesn't matter who you were or what you've done in the past, if we don't stick together, we'll be gone in a damn week!".
Skizzo rolled his eyes "Whatever, Mike, don't come groveling at my feet when Carlos attacks the camp to get them" he waved him off, turning around and immediately running into Deacon, Skizzo's eyes went wide as he took a step back, he didn't really get that far as Deacon threw a punch that knocked Skizzo on his ass, a cut marked his cheekbone "Deacon?!" Skizzo said, bewildered "Yeah, it's me, what, did you expect the Ripper's to have me?".
Deacon knelt to eye level with him, he shook his head "You know what they do have?" His voice had a dangerous edge to it "(Y/n)" Deacon pulled his boot knife out and stabbed the knife into the wooden floor right next to Skizzo's leg, Skizzo visibly jumped "You got my sister captured, because what? You trying to be a hero? Huh?" Deacon was basically growling at this point.
