Jim Bickerman x Fem!Reader || Oneshot
Plot: The search for riches (And fairytales) take him a little too close to death. Again. But this time the weapon is not teeth or claws or bullets out of a rival poachers gun- its a pretty, pretty voice. And pretty eyes. And pretty hair and the prettiest smirk he knows.
(*cough* it's a siren. And they look r e a l l y familiar.)
Warnings: A siren is gonna try to seduce and kill your husband Y/N, come get him-
Its freezing, the icy wind hammering your face even as you cross your arms across your chest and dip your head down; listening to Jim and Reba argue behind you. The boat buzzes under your feet, treading the salt water below as you race across from the docks and the little Greek village (And the room you were hoping to thaw out in tonight.), towards the spooky little island the locals warned you not to visit.
Because of course you have to go to the spooky little island the locals warned you not to visit. Of course.
Sure, it could be baseless rumours or a tourism gimmick, but the man directing the boat looks severe. Grim. A little scared, you think. And every legend has its roots somewhere- Jim said it himself. If its not a monster then it'll be something rare, and rare makes money appear like magic.
"My voice draws you to me. Under the sapphire waves I'll take you home. You'll love me, you'll rest forever in a dreamless sleep for me." Reba reads out loudly, over the sound of the motor and the waives; the card from the café you had breakfast at between her fingers flipping around crazily against the wind. She looks tired; she's always tired when she comes on a trip with you and Jim. Honestly so are you when you go on a trip with him with or without her. The old man somehow has more energy then the two of you do, for sure. At least when it comes to money. Conveniently, when you need the motel room tidied up- he's too old, and his joints are stiff, and he needs a nap. Sure grandpa.
... she keeps coming, though. And so do you, so are either of you much better?
"This sounds like garbage to me." She keeps going, handing the card back to Jim.
You approach the two of them then, offering your hand to Jim so he'll give you the card and you can read it over yourself. You agree, it looks hokey, but it can be both gimmick and true,.. you suppose...
Beside you Jim is clearly feeling the cold, too, pulling the beanie he'd bought earlier further over his ears. You watch his breath turn into fog before he talks; speaking as loudly as Reba. "Lady, I'm telling you its worth a shot. A guy at the bar last night said he'd seen it lotsa times. Now, he wasn't so good with English, but I think he called it a manatee. So- a mermaid, maybe."
"Oh god Jim you're gonna get us arrested. We are not hunting a manatee!" You groan/cry, the first words you've said since you got on this cold old motor boat. "Natures sweetest creations!!"
"No, no, listen- " When he turns to you there's a more beseeching look on his face then when he spoke to Reba. After all Reba is never going to sleep with him. He HAS to answer to you. "Listen, sugar, we're just gonna look around. I swear- if y'see one little manatee, we'll go back to the room. I have a feeling, though."
You give him a withering look, figuring out if he's sincere. He usually is, though. With you. So you sigh, and hand him back the card. ".. Fine, but its not gonna be a mermaid."
Jim's face drops into a grim and unconvinced look, and Reba perks up. "See!- "
"If its anything, this is a siren." You say, matter-o-fact, as he takes the card. Reba gives a sigh, and rubs her temples as a slow grin spreads across Jim's face again; pleased and cocksure.
"You heard her, miss fish and game," Reba rolls her eyes so far upwards they almost disappear into the back of her skull. Jim tucks the card away into a pocket. "We're doing this."
"-which is particularly dangerous for you, Jim." You add, your eyebrows knitting together.
"-how's that?"
"Oh yeah, siren's go after dudes, generally. Don't they?" Reba asks, and you nod, looking to her. "'Specially horny bastards." A vitriolic grin tugs across her lips, picking up the flask she brought to keep warm and taking a swig. "... So I guess you're the ideal target, huh?"
"Hey- "
You pat Jim on the shoulder. Give him an awkward look, like, 'mhm, yep'.
"Fresh meat." A grin twitches at the corner of your lips, remembering how he'd called you that before.
~
For the rest of the boat ride, Reba continued to tease Jim. That was just their relationship, so you didn't think much of it, just sat down in the back of the boat where the little dingy roof was. You were hoping that it would give you a break from the harsh icy wind, but it did not.
You took out your phone to scroll Pinterest for a bit, but there wasn't any data connection. "Rats."
When you finally got to the little tiny, unkempt dock on the island, the captain of the little motor boat who has been totally silent for the rest of the ride, told the 3 of you that he would be back in an hour- no earlier. He'd wait 5 minutes and if he doesnt see a sign of you then he's leaving again. He gave the waives a dark, cautious look- then turned the boat around and went back to the mainland.
"... spooky for no reason. Great." Reba comments, sarcastic, and obviously a little disturbed. Not enough to feel scared, she's as fearless as Jim is (At least outside of crocodiles), but definitely unsettled. Giving a nod, you turn on your flashlight. "Feels like we're in an episode of scooby doo, don't you think?"
Jim wasn't listening, focused solely at the water. Listening to it. Fully in his element. So when he says you should all split up, you consider that a bad, albeit funny, coincidence. Reba shakes her head, and wanders off. "Sure thing, Fred." She mutters, disappearing into the dark.
You touch his shoulder, before heading off yourself in the other direction, following the thin beach that was more pebbles and rocks then sand. "Goodluck!"
"Be careful for me, sweetheart." For a moment he tears his gaze away from the water, catching your smile before you disappear into the dark too.
~
Jim is still watching the ocean, daring something to come out, his hand on the gun at his side- when you come back not 10 minutes later.
Your appearance catches his attention immediately, watching you come slowly out of the darkness with a confused frown spreading across his face. Wasn't your hair different before? What happened to your jacket?, why aren't you wearing it? Its below 30 degrees out tonight. Why do ya look a little... wet? The tips of your hair dripping with seawater and your clothes sticking to you like a second skin.
But you flash him a smile, and he hears... music. Quiet, haunting music, coming from the direction of the water, almost like it's coming from the mainland or something. Far away. And all of a sudden everything is alright; You hadn't said anything, oddly quiet, but everything was fine. Maybe you're not cold. Maybe you tripped and fell in the water.
He's forgotten about what he was doing, what he was waiting for, what he's doing here. He can only think about you. "Shit, Y/N, what happened??" He chuckles, nervously. When you reach him, still not saying a word but with that sweet smile, he's taking off his own coat and pulling it around your soggy shoulders. He's cold, the wind chills him to the bone and his teeth immediately start to chatter. "You tripped or s- somethin'?"
... you just give a shrug, and smile again. Apparently you didn't know what happened to you. ... which is odd-
-Or, or maybe the sweetheart was just embarrassed. Thats fine, he wont push you.
With deft fingers, you pull his coat closer around you and you just looks so damn cute. He couldn't imagine taking it back, even though he was starting to not feel his fingers anymore. He's had worse, anyway.
... When you lean up and give him a gentle kiss, he forgets all about his icy fingers. And your lips are wet, and cold, but he cant bring himself to care about any of that either.
After he responds well, you give him another kiss; a deeper one; parting your lips against his and softly stroke his tongue with yours. Vaguely he thought this was Different; you usually didn't like to get into it with him on a job. You didn't wanna make it weird for anyone else you were with. But he would never complain about a few kisses from you.
They warmed him up. Should he be cold right now??... His skin feels boiling hot all of a sudden. That haunting music coming from the mainland gets louder, too, the humming voice seeping into his head and making him feel all... comforted. A little inexplicably anxious, but Safe so long as he's Here. With you.
When you pull away theirs a wicked smirk on your pretty face looking up at him. He recognises the smirk; at least he thinks he does.
He knew what it meant.
Next thing he knows, you're on the ground, on your knees, your jeans gettin' all muddy digging into the rocks and the grainy sharp sand. You don't seem to care at all, though, you're so calm. Which makes him Think. Are you alright? You seem off. Maybe he should-
He never even finishes that thought when your fingers, which he can see now are tinted blue at the tips and are dripping water as if you just raised your arm out of the bath tub, slip around his boots. You're lookin directly up at him from tucked between his legs; that demons smirk so pretty on your lips. You bat your eyelashes ever so softly, though.
"Jim... " Your voice for the first time since you came back to him. Or is it your voice? Its coming out of your mouth, your pretty face, but something is immediately off about it. Kindof echoey, like the two of you are in cave which- you're not, but-
Doesn't matter. Does. not. matter. As soon as the tip of your nose makes contact with his thigh, nosing ghostly cute against his jeans, still looking up at him like That, like you head's nothing but sin, all the thought in his head flickers off again. Whatever it was, it wasn't important. Could'nt've been. Nope.
~
Its not until the music gets louder again, like its playing directly in Jim's ears now, that sense truly starts to fight back. Something here is not. right.
Why the hell are you on your knees when Reba's just around the corner? Thats not like you; thats not like his Y/N. And the music's too loud, makin' his ears buzz and ring. Causing a shooting pain to crack across his mind.
The woman who looks like you notices that her spell is beginning to lose its effect, and gracefully stands up again in one fluid motion; even closer to him, pressed up against him. Silent. His coat slipped off your shoulders to thump in the dirty sand and all of a sudden there's not an article of clothing on you. Cold, slippery fingers go around his face. ... a grim frown stretches across Jim's face. Goddamnit.
"Jim... " That haunting voice. Its just like the music. Jesus Christ- The witch pouts your lips, and y'look so sad. Your eyes so round. "What's wrong??... I'm all yours right now,.. " She tilts your head to the side, sliding your hands down his arms to his hook- and his hand. On his gun. "Don't you want me??"
He knows its not you now. He knows it. But he still cant move- an invisible force holds him completely still. He cant get away from the monster that looks like you; is using you against him. The HELL is he supposed to do?? Shoot you????
Your fingers draw hearts on the back of his hand, watching his face so so intently; waiting for him to fall back into it.
... but he wont.
He's a little tougher then that. A little tougher then Reba thought. He's gotta be.
When suddenly he raises his arm, the creature jumps away from him like a frightened cat. Or a wisp. He's pretty sure he heard a hiss. It's far enough back now either way, that the butt of Jim's rifle held right out- just brushes your cheekbone.
"Back... off... " He growls, through grit teeth.
... a downright evil smile slips across your pretty face. But no fear. No fear at all, despite the panicked tone in the siren's voice. "But Jim!- "
The voice doesn't even sound like you anymore. More a nasty, water warped version of it.
"Shut up."
The evil look on your face turns miserably dark. Terrible ugly hatred shines off of it that you're almost unrecognisable until he realises 'you're' gone. All thats left is a naked woman he's never seen before, looking at him like he's filth. Rotten. Now, some men like when the pretty girls are mean to 'em. He's not one of them. "Oh you're a s t u p i d old fool."
"Yeah." Its a lot easier to pull the trigger when its not his sweet girl's face looking back at him. A loud BANG! shatters the sound of the music all around him; leaving only the sound of the wind whistling in his ears.
And the monster's gone- until he feels a presence at his back. Jim's about to turn and just try again-- but the voice speak up again. "Fine. Be that way, see if I care. I was only hungry."
Then the presence disappears entirely, and stays gone. After a few moments and Jim is sure she's gone for good, he lets out a huff of a breath. Part relieved he lived, part pissed he's not getting paid. And really fucking cold. Where'd that damn jacket go-
~
When you really come back around, he knows it's you because you're talking to Reba, and there's no more music. You must have met each other on the other side of the island. You flash him a smile. "Hey, did you see anything?" When you get a good look at him, though, hunched over on a rock with mucky jacket and a grim look on his face, your soft smile falls a little; a concern in your eyes. Oh he's gotta look a wreck right now. "... What happened to- oh- "
You recognise the look in Jim's eyes when he gets closer and let him kiss you; drawing your arms around his neck like its the most natural thing in the world which at this point it is, and only becoming more confused with the close contact. What's- is that- how is he hard!??-
What on earth has he been doing out here. Is he okay???
You attempt to ask him just that when he has to breath, mist between you from all the hot air and the cold wind, a husk in your voice from the kiss, and your eyelids half-hooded hazy with being kissed like That, but- "Oh- " He kisses you again. Okay. You'll just wait this out, then.
A few more kisses and he finally has to take a break. A crooked, wilted grin tugs across your mouth. "... what was all that for??"
"Yeah, I'm disturbed." Reba pipes up from a little further away, having wondered off during all of That. She's opening up her gun and counting her bullets.
"Uhh... " Jim looks awkward, like he's clearly unsure whether to tell the truth or not. "Heh. I'll tell ya later. Lets get outta here, hm?"
You tilt your head to the side, confused. "I thought you wanted to find the sirens, though?"
"Nope, not anymore." He shakes his head, hooking his prosthetic-arm around your waist because Fuck No he's not putting down his gun, and walking you towards the dock. "Silly idea. Wanna go back and get cozy with you in the room, okay? Whadaya say? Lets go. Where the hell is that creepy bastard with the boat, now??"
You share a look with Reba. You both know he's acting odd. "... Jim, are you sure?"
"Oh yeah. Yeah." He nods, t o t a l l y certain. "Also you're gonna haveta sit on my lap on the way back sweetheart, to hide the tent. You know the drill, heh."
"... uhuh."
Now Jim watches the water like its infested with crocs. You look, too; and see a glimmer of something shiny down there catching the moonlight; hear a teasing hum in the air that may or may not be imagination. His face is pale and he looks sick, though. You don't know why just now, whether its something to do with the dark murky waters or something else entirely (Though you do have your suspicions); you just know you need to wrap your arms around him. Bury your face in his shoulder, make sure he can feel that you're real and right there.
"... remind me t'not go chasin anymore fairytales, sweetheart."
