This is my first contribution to @badthingshappenbingo!! I don’t think this is super angsty or anything, but I assure you it will definitely get more angsty in different fics. For this board at least, I’m not doing requests, however that is possible to change for the next board (which I will be requesting once I’m done!).
Characters: Skylar Clark & Aaron Serrano (cameo from Luke Erikson)
Fandom: The Natvian Chronicles (A/N: Everything that I write for BTHB is not canon (story wise), and should not be taken as such.
Skylar awoke to the feeling of stickiness in her lungs. For a moment she couldn’t breath—her lungs struggled to bring in air—and she couldn’t help but wonder just where in the world was she?
As she continued to try finding a steady breath, she felt the warm bed under her. It was so different than the cold stone floor she had lain upon the past few months. At least, she thought it was months, time really stopped existing when you became property.
She coughed, her throat alighting with searing pain. Something dripped down the corner of her mouth—blood or mucus—she wasn’t sure. Skylar had finally begun to find a steady breathing rhythm, though it was still painful. The rest of her body ached, a dull thrumming pain that made her head spin.
In what seemed distant, she heard the creak of a door. It almost sounded familiar. Footsteps—someone was approaching her bed. She tensed, wishing she had a dagger in her hand. With no other option, she closed her eyes, pretending to sleep.
Feeling the presence of the other person before her—which she could barely read—she waited for what they were going to do. Maybe kill her? Or perhaps poison her? It was sad to say either would have been fine at that point. Skylar got ready for what she believed would be a painful end—
But instead, she felt hands.
Gentle hands, and a soft towel. The person wiped away whatever she had coughed up, and they smoothed her hair back. Then—without warning—a cool, damp cloth was being pressed on her forehead. She felt the droplets of water roll down her face and into her hair, the coolness soothing her fiery skin.
They were speaking, softly, words in a language she had heard before but not understood. The voice was male, and like everything else—oddly familiar. She felt an odd chill run down her spine. Everything felt oddly familiar, like she was wearing a coat she hadn’t worn in ages—known but untouched.
The door creaked open again, and another person walked in. Their heavy footsteps finally stopping in front of the bed.
“She’s been out of long time, hasn’t she?”
Again, another familiar voice. Just where in the world was she?
“Yeah, about a week. Jacob says the poison had already spread to a majority of her body—he says that we were lucky we found her when we did. She would’ve died if she didn’t get the treatment when she did.”
“…You were worried, weren’t you, Aaron?”
Aaron.
Her Aaron.
She was home. Skylar was home.
Skylar let out a shaky breath, hacking up violently. She felt the hands—no—his hands pause, and both sets of eyes were on her.
“Is she alright?” Luke asked.
“I…I don’t know. I think she’s still flushing the poison out of her bo—
He stopped speaking when she opened her eyes and began trying to sit up. Her vision swam, fading in and out—but she couldn’t help but smile at them both despite the struggle.
Luke looked like he usually did from what she could tell—a gruff, stubborn asshole. But she noticed the smirk on his lips, and it wasn’t difficult to see the happiness on his face—in his own, asshole way of course. Skylar then shifted her focus to Aaron, who looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. Deep bags rested under his eyes, his eyebrows were knit with worry.
“I’m…gonna—you know…go.” Luke shifted on his feet, watching the two of them for a moment, before turning around and shutting the door behind him. She and Aaron were alone.
For Skylar, his eyes had always been easy to read, he was awful at hiding his emotions. But right then, as he continued to look at her, she couldn’t read him at all.
She coughed repeatedly again, her throat blistering in pain. Something came out of her mouth again, slowly trickling down her lips. Skylar screwed up her eyes, refusing to look at Aaron as she went through this. Her head swayed, and she knew she had blacked for a moment out because the next thing she knew—she was laying down again.
“Here, hold on.” Aaron grimaced, and she soon felt the soft towel wiping at her face again. She groaned, the pounding in her head coming back louder than before. The cool cloth being pressed to her head did little to ease the pain.
Aaron heaved a heavy sigh, like he was releasing all of his frustration & sorrow with the world. Her heart began to ache, guilt clawing at her back like a stab wound. He never deserved to see her like this, he didn’t deserve to feel pain over her.
Though she failed the first couple of tries, she managed to lift her arm—just enough to reach his own forearm. Aaron stared at the sick hand, confusion flooding in his eyes. She managed a light squeeze, before allowing her hand to drop.
He hesitated for a moment, staring at it—before taking her hand in his own. He seemed to study it, and Skylar didn’t fail to notice his eyes had become glossier.
“Gods, Skylar. I…I’m…damn, I can’t believe what you’ve been through.” He choked, before fiercely rubbing his eyes. “…I was terrified. I couldn’t—wouldn’t believe you were dead.” He paused, taking in a deep breath before continuing. “…Sean & Kyle were the ones who found you. Apparently, you were deep in the forest outside of Unity. I’m not going to ask you anything now…honestly I’m just relieved you’re alive.”
He looked up from her hand to her face, hesitating to say something. Before he could get the words out, Skylar managed to squeeze his hand, smiling at him. “I’m…can we…can you stay with me until I sleep again?”
Aaron, for a moment, said nothing. He shifted in the chair he was sitting in, adjusting the grip on her hand. But then he let out a soft smile and nodded. “Sure thing, Sky. I’ll stay as long as you want me to. Though I will have to get Jacob soon, so he can check up on you.”
She nodded, still hurting, but content as he sat beside her. The two settled into comfortable silence. Skylar felt herself falling deeper into sleep—the presence of her friend soothing her nerves. At times she felt him look at her, and his fingers continued to play with her hand.
It felt like hours had passed, but she was sure it was mere minutes. Her eyes became heavier, the warmth of the bed whisking her away to rest. She believed she heard voices, distant and faraway in the land of the awake. Skylar smiled, recognizing the voices of her comrades. But greeting them would have to come for another day—
