Beneath Gunmetal Skies - Chapter 68
Marcus knows his role on his team: heās the one who carries the gun, makes the hard calls - and takes the hits. He has no time or patience for anyone or anything else. But when Jake - a brand-new recruit Marcus has been tasked with training - messes up on his first mission and gets them both captured, nothing could prepare Marcus for the way his world quickly spirals out of control.
AO3
Masterlist
This is a series. Start here, continued from here.
Levy: (historical) the act of enlisting someone for military service
Contents: hypervigilance, lashing out at caretaker, reunion, trauma reveal, discussion on noncon, PTSD, dissociation, perseveration, head injury, STD testing, medical exam, bruises, guilt, gonna tag nsfwhump
~
Stashing the transport had gone off without a hitch ā and Marcus was trying not to let paranoia creep into his mind about that. It was in the next town over, burning on the edge of a cornfield.
Marcus did feel a little guilty about the cornfield. But ditching it anywhere in the town risked being caught on camera, and he simply could not risk that. Maybe the farmer would get a good settlement from the trillionaire asshole who slapped his name on the stupid fucking transports with their stupid fucking timebomb batteries. A quiet settlement would probably be a better outcome than having it plastered over the news that yet another one caught fire and couldnāt be put out for days.
Again.
The train ride back had gone off without a hitch, too. Marcus had jogged from the train station to Larsās house ā a route he knew intimately now, after spending weeks wandering this town with nothing better to do than waste time waiting for his shoulder to heal. The jog took about thirty minutes, and the train ride had taken an hour. This whole thing had taken only three hours, all told.
Plenty of time for AMTEC to find Larsās house, find Jake, and shoot him to death where he lay.
Plenty of time for Jake to die of his injuries, if Lars had missed something ā or if Marcus had simply been too late in getting him to them.
His shirt was entirely soaked through as he rounded the corner onto Larsās street. He began to sprint as he saw Larsās house. Nothing seemed amiss; the door was still in its frame, the lights on, no strange vehicles on the street. The place looked as normal as it had yesterday.
Things had looked mostly normal at the train station, too.
Marcus ran up Larsās driveway and tried to open the front door. Frustration and relief both crashed through him as the handle refused to turn. He banged on the door.
āItās me,ā he called.
After a few seconds, the lock scraped, and the door opened. Lars stood in the doorway, looking like theyād seen a ghost.
Marcus paled. āNo.ā The word left him like air after someoneās been punched. He stepped over the threshold. Lars moved in front of him.
āMarcus, wait,ā they said urgently. āHeās okay, heās alive, butāā
āLet me see him,ā Marcus said. His hands shook. His flesh-and-blood arm ached ā and he knew it was because he needed to be holding Jake.
āYou can, I just think we should talk first,ā Lars said. They stepped in front of him again.
Desperation, clean and strong, surged through Marcusās body. He shoved Lars out of his way, pinning them against the wall so hard they grunted. Their head cracked against the plaster. He brushed past them and went to Jakeās room. Dread churned in his stomach. He prepared himself for blood.
He prepared himself for a missing limb.
The Jake he found still had all his limbs, and had no more blood on him than when Marcus left. He looked so small in the bed, all gangly six-foot-two of him. He raised his gaze to Marcus when he came in, but his eyes didnāt focus. Marcus went to his knees beside the bed and cradled Jakeās head. The swelling around his eye had gone down a little bit, but the bruising on his face was even worse.
āHey, Jake,ā he said softly. āIām back. Youāre okay.ā
Jake stared at Marcus, lips forming silent words for an uncomfortably long time.
āM-Marcus,ā he finally croaked.
āYeah, Jake,ā Marcus said, lifting Jakeās fingers to his lips and kissing them. āTold you Iād come back, right?ā He felt the air change as Lars came into the room behind him. His hackles rose, but he didnāt tear his gaze from Jake.
āP-please donāt leave,ā Jake said, his voice raw, like heād been crying for hours.
āNot planning on it,ā Marcus said. āIām all yours. Except for bathroom breaks, I donāt have to leave you again, okay?ā
āIt hurts,ā Jake sobbed. Tears ran from his eyes and down his temples, pooling in his ears.
Marcus lifted his head, still not looking away from Jake. āHey, do you think he could get more of thatāā
āTh-they raped me,ā were the next words out of Jakeās mouth.
Agony blazed through Marcus from skull to spine. His fingers locked hard on Jakeās hand. He was frozen in place; he couldnāt have moved if he tried. But he shouldnāt be touching Jake, he⦠he tried to kill Jake, after Jake touched him when he was like this. After Jake knew.
He couldnāt make himself let go. He couldnāt force his fingers to release. āTheyā¦ā he croaked.
Jake began to sob. āB-Brady and Surles,ā he said. āThey raped me, it⦠it hurt.ā
Marcus was shaking. He could feel the room spinning around him, could feel the air freezing in his lungs, but he couldnāt do a thing to make it all stop. He swallowed. The air got caught halfway down.
āI-I⦠I begged them to stop,ā Jake whimpered in a broken voice. āI couldnāt make them stop.ā
There was a knife in his chest, and every word was twisting it harder. āJakeā¦ā
Jake wailed softly, rolling closer to Marcus as he shook apart. Marcus froze for a moment; he shouldnāt touch Jake. The knowledge felt base-level, as simple as his own name.
Like an even deeper reflex, Marcusās arms moved on their own. He gathered Jake close and held him against his chest. Jakeās tears wet his shirt. Marcus felt the echo of disgust, as if he was borrowing something he thought Jake should have. Jake only pulled him closer.
āI⦠I wanted to warn you,ā Lars said timidly from the doorway.
Marcus was beyond words. He felt their absence, practically heard the crackling, vicious snap of words that he would have thrown back at them if he was able. He couldnāt even form them in his mind. All he heard and felt was screaming horror. He held Jake tight and rocked him ā more instinct, motions he didnāt care to question or stop ā eyes wide with grief and guilt as he stared at the wall.
āM-Marcus,ā Jake whimpered as his fingers gripped Marcusās shirt. āMarcus.ā
Marcus swallowed hard. āHmm,ā he croaked out, just to show Jake he was there.
Slowly, Jakeās sobs eased. Marcus laid him back down on the bed and stroked his fingers through Jakeās sweaty, tangled hair. Jake raised fogged eyes to Marcusās once more. He felt his heart crack in his chest.
āMarcus,ā Jake murmured.
āHere,ā Marcus said flatly.
āPlease donāt leave,ā Jake whispered.
Marcus shook his head. āAlready said.ā His fingers gently traced Jakeās brow, his nose, his chin. āNot going anywhere.ā
āIt hurts,ā Jake said softly.
Marcusās nostrils flared. āI know,ā he said, turning to Lars. āCan he please getāā
Lars was staring at them both in horror.
āThey raped me,ā Jake said, in that same broken voice as before.
Marcus turned back to Jake and watched him devolve into sobs once again. His heart thundered in his chest. āWh-why is he doing that?ā he breathed.
Lars stepped fully into the room, hands tucked into their armpits. āHeās perseverating,ā they said, mouth drawn. āAsking repetitive questions, saying repetitive things. Itās a sign of head injury. Heās got⦠a pretty bad concussion.ā
Marcus stared at Jake with dread tingling in his chest. āHow long⦠has he been like this?ā
āSince a few minutes after you left.ā Larsās voice sounded dry and dead.
Tears pricked at Marcusās eyes. āAnd how longā¦?ā
āHard to say,ā Lars said weakly. āMaybe a few hours. Maybe a few days. There isnāt much to do but monitor him. He can sleep; not letting them sleep is a myth. Sleeping might be good for him, actually.ā
Jake was already beginning to settle again. āWh-what else did he tell you?ā Marcus said. The tears in his eyes fell down his cheeks.
āPretty much just that,ā Lars said. āāWho are you?ā āWhere is Marcus?ā āIt hurts.ā āThey raped me.ā And then talked about the rape a bit, sometimes. Just that, over and over again for three hours. So.ā They shrugged and rubbed the back of their head.
Marcusās brows twitched together. āIām sorry,ā he rasped. āFor⦠for hurting you.ā
āItās fine, dude,ā Lars said. āI shouldnāt have stopped you. Now we should, umā¦ā They stared at the floor, arms crossing across their chest. āWe really should⦠test him for⦠well. Everything. I already pulled some blood and sent that to the clinic under a false name. But the other stuffā¦ā They chewed their lip. āItās⦠a swab, around and just slightly in his, um⦠his anus. But I didnāt want to⦠to do that, until you got back.ā
More static in Marcusās brain. It was hard to think.
Lars spread their hands. āItās important, Marcus,ā they said heavily.
Marcus blinked. āYeah.ā His mouth was so dry. He stood, only for long enough to kick off his boots.
āM-Marcus?ā Jake breathed.
Marcus was shaking as he climbed into bed beside Jake and smoothed his fingers through Jakeās hair. āHey, Jake. We⦠just need to get a quick swab, okay? Just a quick swab, to see if you caught anything. Itāll be fast.ā His eyes flicked to Lars. āRight?ā
They were already putting on gloves. āItāll be fast,ā they said, unwrapping what looked like a long q-tip. They knelt beside the bed, on Jakeās other side. āJake, could we ā could Marcus ā pull your pants down for just a second? Just for long enough for me to swab you? Just a little pressure around your anus, and then Iāll be done.ā
Jake looked at Marcus, his eyes huge and trusting. Marcusās throat swelled as Jake nodded weakly. Marcus drew the blanket back and, with one hand, carefully eased Jakeās sweatpants down off his hips.
He didnāt mean to look. He didnāt. But his eyes landed on the bruises that marked Jakeās hipbones. He saw the clear shape of each finger that had gripped Jake, the deep blue color that meant the bruises were only a few days old.
Marcus gasped softly and pressed his face into Jakeās temple. Jake turned his head, whimpering softly, and ground his forehead against Marcusās.
āJust bend your knees up for me?ā Lars murmured.
āI gotcha,ā Marcus said. He cradled Jake tightly. āItās okay.ā
Jakeās breath caught. His fingers tightened in Marcusās shirt.
āI gotcha.ā It was a promise, and a plea. āI gotcha.ā
āAnd weāre done,ā Lars said, snapping the swab off into a specimen tube.
Marcus tugged Jakeās pants back up and covered them both with the blanket. Jake rolled onto his side, burying his face in Marcusās neck.
Lars finished prepping the swap and stripped off their gloves. āI can⦠leave you two alone, if you want,ā they said. They headed for the door.
āMarcus?ā Jake whimpered in Marcusās arms.
āLars,ā Marcus said roughly. They paused. āI⦠I really am sorry. And grateful. Heād be dead⦠weād both be dead, if not for you. Andā¦ā He dashed tears from his eyes. āHeās⦠heās myā¦ā His throat threatened to close.
āYeah,ā Lars said. āHeās yours. I get it. And for the record⦠he cares about you, too. Head injuries can make people act weird, but⦠this isnāt that. He loves you. More than life. Hope you know that.ā They turned without another word and stalked out of the room.
Marcusās chest ached as Jake trembled in his arms. āMarcus,ā he whispered. āPlease donāt leave.ā
āI wonāt,ā he said, trailing his metal fingers across Jakeās forehead. His sweaty shirt clung to his skin, but he didnāt care. āIām not going anywhere, Jake.ā
āIt hurts.ā
āI know. I know it does, Jake. But Iām here. I gotcha.ā
A sob. āThey r-raped me.ā
āI know.ā A kiss into Jakeās hair. āI know, Jake.ā A kiss against his forehead. āIām so⦠fuck, Iām sorry.ā
āThey raped me, Marcus, th-they cuffed me and⦠I s-screamedā¦ā
Marcus shuddered as a sob of his own broke through him. āIām sorry,ā he said. āI should have come for you sooner. Iām so sorry. Iām so fucking sorry, Jake.ā
āI wanted you to come for me. Even when I thought you w-were⦠dead.ā Jakeās grip was so weak on his shirt.
Marcus thought he might break apart from shame. āIām here now,ā he offered pathetically.
Jake sobbed against his chest. āMarcus,ā he whimpered. āMarcus, Marcus, Marcus.ā
āIām here,ā Marcus said. āIām here.ā
āMarcus,ā Jake sobbed. āPlease donāt leave.ā
Marcus gritted his teeth against the pain and prepared himself for another onslaught. āI wonāt, Jake. I promise. I swear, Jake, you have me. Feel me, yeah? Not going anywhere.ā
āIt hurts,ā Jake whimpered.
āYeah, Jake.ā More tears burned in Marcusās eyes. āI know.ā
Continued here
If you want to be on the taglist (including for the spicy chapters,) let me know! I only tag people in 18+ chapters if I know they are adults through conversations or if their age/age range is in their bio.
@yet-another-heathen, @kixngiggles, @theloveofwhump, @starlit-hopes-and-dreams, @boxboysandotherwhump, @studyofwhump, @newbornwhumperfly, @violets-whumperflies, @whump-all-night, @clickerflight, @wolfeyedwitch, @atlaswashere024, @twigsofmanyfaces, @apokolyps, @grizzlie70, @painwithoutplot, @whump-blog, @alexmundaythrufriday, @atomicsandwichprince, @styx-n-st0nes, @jumpywhumpywriter











