AN: I can't take all the credit for this one. I wrote the stuff in Julia's POV, but the amazing Echo wrote everything from Cuke's POV.
This wasn't actually where we ended the RP, but I like the end here. Plus I'm working on a sequel fic. So there's that fun stuff to look forward to!
"Just focus on me."
She wanted to. Oh man, how she wanted too. But it was difficult enough to open her eyes, stay alert, let alone focus on anything. She wasn't as quick on her feet as he was, and she knew one of these days his missions were going to get one of them seriously injured. She had just been hoping it would've happened later rather than sooner. "I'm…I'm trying to, Min. she managed to get out. "I just…" she shut her eyes - tight, hoping that it would help her refocus "…I don't know how much longer I can do this."
He was mad. He was so unbelievably furious at himself for letting her slip off the mountain like that. He shook the rhubarb. "Jules, I need you to look at me, okay?" He shook her again. "I need ya to keep your eyes open."
Slowly, she opened them back up. It took too much work to do it - it shouldn't have taken that long. She hated it. Why was it taking so much work? "Okay." she croaked out. "Okay. Eyes open." she repeated, as if saying it a second time would make it easier. Maybe she was hoping it would be.
"Good, good." He murmured. "You're gonna be okay. I called Marten and he's sending help. Everything's fine." Okay, maybe that was a little lie. "But right now I need you stay with me."
Deep breaths. In and out. In and out. She could do this. She could do this. Why was it so hard to do this? "Min? If I…if I don't…" she wasn't going to say it. She could think it all she wanted, but saying it made it seem even more likely and she couldn't bring herself to accept that reality. In and out. In and out. And for the love of all that's holy, keep your eyes open. "…you have to know."
He wanted to say something. "Don't talk like that." or "You're gonna make it.". He knew better than that. He knew that if he interrupted her, she might not get to say whatever she's thinking. He nodded softly.
Barely above a whisper, she managed to get out the words she'd been holding back for years. "I love you." a little smile curled on her lips. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Not a big enough weight to make the whole staying awake thing easier, but it was out in the open now.
That was not at all what he was expecting. Especially not after he let her fall off the freaking mountain. He glanced at the artifact sitting a couple feet away from them. He was going to leave it here in the mountains. He didn't want it anymore. The stupid thing almost killed Julia! Cuke didn't have to think about the next thing he said. He probably should've because he said the most stupid thing ever.
"A-are you sure?"
If it wasn't for the fact that she was struggling to stay alive at the moment, she would have shot him a look that read "are you kidding I'm on my death bed because I was following you you idiot did you ever think I cared about the stupid artifact of course I love you it's the only reason I'm here."
But unfortunately, at the moment, she couldn't get that look across. She probably couldn't even get that many words out. Keep breathing. In and out. "O-of course I'm sure. Min, when have I ever not been…" another breath, but this one was shorter, shakier "…been sure about something?" she tried to smirk, but all things considered it came out as more of a grimace.
It hit him like a ton of bricks. Of course she's in love with him. Why else would she always have information on practically every artifact? She wanted to see him. After a moment, he came to realize that she never asked for anything in exchange for all her help. Not fame, not money.
And he almost killed her. He refocused his gaze to her. She had to have been in serious pain. Noticing three little raindrops on her cheek, he looked up. It wasn't raining. The sky was still covered in the light gray clouds that the mountains always had. Then he realized he was crying.
"Julia, you're dying and this is sounding too much like a goodbye." He could hear engines in the distance. Help should be there soon.
Even now, even in what she was sure were going to be her last moments, she felt a giggle slip out. It was quiet and weak and was quite honestly mostly air. But it came out. "Figure that one out…" In and out. In and out "…on your own, Cuke?"
She wasn't sure if she actually heard sirens or if it was her brain telling her it was time to let go. She wasn't even sure which one she wanted in the moment. "I love you." she said again, in fear that she would never get another chance to say it again "I always did."
He smiled through his tears. "You don't think you could've picked better timing?" He wasn't expecting an answer. He knew she was going to live through this. She had too. The sirens were closer now.
He still had that little voice in his head telling him to let go. There was so many things he wanted to say. He wanted to tell her that he liked the way she did her hair. She would've smiled at that. Or maybe he could tell her about how much he thought of the times when she was an archaeologist. How much he missed how things were. He took a shaky breath and began to say something, but he was quickly interrupted by an ambulance wailing as it reached their location. Then everything was happening so abruptly.
Cuke was being yelled at by so many people at once. "Stand back, sir!" "Step aside!" People were pushing him and pulling him away from Julia. Paramedics put her on a gurney and started to carry her to the ambulance. He was fighting the people holding him back. He needed to get to her. He was yelling, tears running down his face. The sirens drowned out his cries; they drowned out everything. Once the ambulance doors shut, he crumpled to the ground. People were shaking him. "Sir! Sir, we need to get you off this mountain!" He could feel people pulling him out of the snow, but he felt numb. Eventually, someone got him on the back of a jet ski, and took him down the mountain.