Chapter Text
Half-asleep, Adam patted around in front of him, searching drowsily as light spilled in. His hands met nothing but emptiness. Adrenaline returned while he struggled to sit up, pain still burning in his abdomen. "Lute?" He clutched at his shirt, a cruel reminder of her lingering warmth on it. He didn't notice his hands trembling until her absence worsened the hurt. A familiar dread coiled into his gut. "Where the hell are you?” his voice cracked as he called out.
The sounds of rustling sheets right nearby snapped him out of it. She had been there all along. He pushed aside the disheveled covers to make sure. And yeah, there she was, hidden underneath, still beside him. Man, she was so much smaller than him it was hard to tell. She barely weighed down the space she did take up.
“Jeez, why'd you have to scare me like that?” Grumbling, his voice caught in his throat as he collapsed back down alongside her.
He was so zoned out that he didn’t even realize how he’d woken her up or that she’d been calling him this whole while.
“Sir?”
“Crap.”
“Were you saying something or were you sleep talking again?” she demanded to know.
“Psh. Why the fuck would I sleep talk?! That junk's for chicks, everyone knows that.” There’s no way he actually talked in his sleep... right?
She sighed as she sat up. “I need to check your injury.”
Right when she scooted up toward him and lifted his shirt to reveal the wound, he shivered.
“Did that hurt?” she asked.
“No way! I’m not a wuss.”
“Then what was that reaction for?”
"Oh seriously? You can’t just expect a guy not to react in a situation like that,” he grumbled.
Lute stifled a slyness as she nodded over her judgements then laid back down on the mattress, adjusting herself. “I’ll check up on it again in a few hours.”
A tense silence keyed the air when she laid beside him. There was so much that he wanted to say and ask, but certain things would only make him feel like a pussy. He tried to swallow down his instability and man the hell up, but she was near intimidating it out of him.
“Why do you care so much?”
There it was.
She shifted her head towards him. "What?"
“I mean, I don’t get you. Like, why?” he repeated. “Yeah don’t get me wrong, I know I rock and all, which is probably why you’re doin’ all this, but hell,” His eyes darted towards the nub in place of where her limb should’ve been, making his blood run cold. “you ripped your fuckin’ arm off and it’s like that shit doesn’t even faze you! Totally badass by the way but—”
She interrupted his rambling by moving in close—really close this time. It was to the point where he started sweating bullets; practically feeling her breath on his skin.
“What are you—”
Her arm slipped under and around him, clutching his back and nestling her head into his chest.
All of his muscles stiffened up. “…Holy shit,” he uttered. Heat flushed him as he took a shaky breath, pulling her in closer without second thought. It didn’t really sink in at first, but, his hold on her was almost concerning with how tight it was.
That scene of her crying over and pleading for his life played on a loop in his mind. It crushed him knowing that there was a point where he was convinced that would be the last he’d ever see of her. As pathetic as he felt for it, he couldn’t let go of her.
Lute’s slight twitch at the reciprocation betrayed her composure; a solid sign he had managed to catch her off guard. It was damn rewarding finally being able to make her all embarrassed for once instead.
“This is why,” she muttered, clearly trying to hold it together. “And the second I see any of those pieces of demon filth, especially the ones who dared lay a finger on you,” her voice rose. “I swear I’ll tear them into pieces on sight.”
“Okay, as much as you’re freaking me out right now, that’s honestly pretty hot.”
“You think so?”
”Oh yeah.”
He shifted when the quiet settled. “So, got another question for ya,” he started again. “What did I say exactly?”
“About what?”
“Well, y’know, you said I was sleep talking or something,” he mumbled. “Just to make sure you’re not screwing with me because, c’mon.” His palm pushed into his forehead at how the words tumbled out of his mouth. “…Fuckin’ weak.”
“Are you sure you want me to tell you?”
“Yeah, no ‘cause it’s not like I just asked you to or anything,” he mocked.
There was a pause before she answered. “You kept reaching for me in the middle of the night, saying things like ‘please don’t leave... I can’t live without you, babe’ over and over.”
He tried to hold in his laughter, finding it hard to believe she wasn’t joking. “Now that is the craziest shit—“
“Sir.”
His expression dropped. “Don't tell me you're serious.”
“I am.”
Running a hand through his hair, the nerves latched into his bones. “Look,” his tone lowered. The quiet got loud for a second time as he skimmed everywhere but her to try and avoid the situation he put himself in. “I just,” he began finally. “I really don’t want to die, okay?"
She pulled away from him a little, her hand dragging down along the front of his shoulder.
“Because, if I died, I wouldn’t be able to do awesome shit anymore, or brag about how good we pounded some of those cunts.” He fidgeted with the gold stud piercing in his ear. “And if I was dead, I wouldn’t have my lieutenant either, which would really suck, y’know, cause, a commander has to have his lieutenant with him, right?”
“You’re hesitating again, sir. Say it as it is.”
“I did ‘say it as it is’ lady! Lay off me,” he tried defending, but her eyes only narrowed at him.
He tutted. “…fine.” As he gave in, his words morphed into whispers. “I uh, I need you, Lute.”
A faint smile tugged up at the corner of her lip.
No one else could make him spit those types of things out and be so damn attractive while at it. He was supposed to be in charge of her, not the other way around. But realistically, could he live with himself if he stopped her? Admittedly, nothing simultaneously infuriated him and got him off more.
“You won’t die, I’ll make sure of it. Next extermination will be our best, and bloodiest.” She pressed her forehead into his chest again, the edge in her words conflicting with her actions. His fingers offhandedly pushed through the back her hair.
“Hey, Lute?”
Adam didn’t understand what made him do a lot of things out of nowhere recently, and this was one of them. The beating in his ears only got louder as she waited for him to say or do something; he had to commit at this point.
He parted from the squeeze, gripping a hold of her chin to keep her focused up at him. His other hand loosely resting around her neck. The hesitating persisted, but he moved in regardless. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t done this all before; but this was Lute, and it felt, weirdly different with her for some reason. It irked him with how he probably looked incredibly stupid right now.
And right when he got close enough, still slow when it came to the final push, she yanked him in by the shirt. Before he could even process, her lips were on his. Lute beat him to it, as if she’d been waiting to do that this whole time.
The whole atmosphere had shaped itself around the two of them, all warm and heavy. So, this is what it felt like, huh? Man, was it intense but, so good. It was difficult for him to grasp, but, maybe, just maybe, history wouldn’t repeat itself with her.
When they did break apart, her face was flushed, and he knew his was too. Any remnants of murkiness from the night before cleared by the gold that rushed to both of their faces. But that only left room for the tension to thicken between them.
”Adam…”
“Fu…uck.” His breaths came out rapidly. “Is this really what I’ve been missing out on?” Adam asked, near panting. “Damnit, just get on top already wont’cha?” The second he reached for her waist, she grabbed his wrist, halting him.
“Don’t you remember what I said?” Her nails dug into his skin, like she was having a hard time trying to fight it herself. “No pulling any bullshit.”
”You’re seriously killing me, you know that?”
“What happened to not having enough strength?”
“Well hey, I like to take my risks.”
Lute shook her head. “We can’t. Not now at least. You need to focus on your recovery for the time being.” Leaning in an inch away from his face, she drove a finger into his chest, continuing. “That being said, when the moment does come, you better be ready, because I won’t hold back.”
This crazy woman; she was driving him off the walls, and strangely enough, he was into it.
“This healing stuff better hurry up then.” His wrist escaped her grip as he positioned his fist under her chin. “Because let’s just say I don’t plan on holding back either, Dangertits.”
She grinned, planting a small kiss on his cheek. Now this, this was really it for him.