This is a horrible fic. I don't own Black Lagoon. I am sorry for this. Truly.
Moments
They are the small moments of our life. Insignificant and easily missed moments that make us who we are. There are good ones and bad ones that make up our life. She had only survived up until three years back. Those moments to her were non existent. At least until he showed up with his stiff white shirt and his greenish tie.
She knew she hated him the moment she laid eyes on him. He was a typical wimp who'd spent his entire life in a shiny polished bubble. It made sense though. He was a pansy after all. Sure he'd shown that glint of madness when he'd come up with the plan to take the chopper head on. She'd chalked it up to luck. After all why would a decent white collar be so fucking dangerous?
His eyes were filled with terror as he leaned heavily against the wall. His face had gone pale as he tried desperately to stem the bleeding. Revy watched him as he struggled to make a tourniquet out of his tie. His hands were shaking and he fumbled with the fabric. She pulled out a cigarette from her crumpled pack and lit it as he continued to struggle with quickly escalating fear.
After a certain point one stops feeling the pain; be it physical or psychological. For both of them people have coping strategies. For her it was a quick visit to the shooting range Chang had trained her at. Rock needed coping strategies. He wasn't very good at dealing with pain. She would have called him a pansy but it wasn't like it was his fault for being normal. Normal people visited shrinks and doctors. People like her did no such thing. Trust wasn't something that could exist in this city.
But Rock had been different, sure he was a stubborn, overtly sensitive, nice guy with a hero complex but he had a darkness to him. A darkness that terrified her, it made her blood turn to ice, it was eerie, hypnotic. He had this strange control over her; something so strange that all he had to do was ask and she would do it. She was terrified of what he had become and of how much deeper he would sink.
And it would be all her fault.
Another loud explosion rocked the hallway as more debris blocked the small opening in the fresh wall of rubble. Dust from the ceiling drizzled down around them like delicate snow flakes. Some of it settled on her knees and she blew at it. Her gaze followed it as it floated away to settled on Rock's hair. She chuckled in mild amusement. He looked up and caught her eyes, he had started to look exhausted, eyes brimming with tears he pressed his now soaked tie against the wound. He gasped and heaved.
"Not like this..." he gasped louder.
The blood was almost black, death was right around the corner but she wondered if she should tell him. It wasn't like they had any hopes of being rescued.
"Revy...please help...help me." He pleaded, tears and snot running down his face. His blood slicked fingers attempting but failing to grip her elbow.
Blood this dark. She sure felt guilty. It was after all her job to keep him safe. It was her redemption; or at least it was supposed to be.
He kept telling her she saved him from his past life and that he was grateful but it didn't change the fact that she snatched his happiness and life with a single blow. He deserved so much better. He deserved to have a life, a family, maybe six little Rock's running around. Maybe a large dog. Probably one of those golden retrievers. He looked like someone who'd own a golden retriever. But what was he stuck with? A shitty job, a nut case of a partner, a daily routine of attempting to outrun a bullet.
He deserved to be happy. He didn't deserve to die in a random collapsing building with no means of escape. He didn't deserve to die because of her. And yet here he was drenched in black blood as he tried to stay positive. Even on the brink of death.
He deserved so much more.
Japan had been a strange place. Everyone wore smiles like they were having the best of time. She lived on the brink of death and despite living everyday as her last, she never quite learned to smile like that. That unguarded smile that Rock would wear so often. The smile that made her stomach flip and tempted her to punch it off lest she steal a quick peck. But he was too thick to notice. Everyone knew but he didn't. Maybe that was part of his charm? He was her perfect dream. With his spotless white shirt and green tie.
His spotless white soul.
The blood stained his shirt as he slammed himself back against the wall opposite her. The corridor was narrow and their outstretched legs were interlocked. He grabbed his hair tugging at it hard before running his hands down his face leaving a trail of thick blood.
"You look like one of those tribal warriors." Revy whispered out with a breathy laugh. She didn't know what was worse; knowing that he was gonna die because of her or seeing him break like that. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him together but she couldn't. As much as he needed it, as much as SHE needed it. She needed something else far more. He didn't smile at her joke.
"We aren't gonna make it...they'll never find us " his voice was a strangled whisper.
His words struck her, she wanted to cry. But she couldn't, for both of them, she needed to stay strong. The blood stained shirt was no longer pristine and stiff. It was a mess, crinkled, ripped stained. Too much like her.
"Revy...I don't..." He sobbed. She'd thought he was getting deeper into the darkness but this; this fear and sorrow that he displayed made her smile ever so slightly. So he wasn't entirely tainted yet. She hadn't destroyed him yet.
She stretched out a slender arm and beckoned him over. He dragged himself towards her and fell back against the wall right next to her, their bodies touching each other in an unconscious effort to attain mutual comfort.
"I don't want to die...Revy. And I don't want to be alone."
"Don't be a dumbass, dumbass. I'm right here aren't I?"
"But you..."
"Shut up Rock."
She pulled out a lighter to finally light up her cigarette and inhaled the smoke before handing it over to Rock who took a drag before offering it to her.
"Nah you need it more than I do."
She saw his hand pressed up against the wound, the blood seeped past his fingers, staining the ground beneath them. She reached over with her left and placed it gently over his and squeezed his fingers in reassurance.
"You'll be fine dumbass." her voice trailed off. She felt exhausted.
Rock didn't say a word. He let his head fall onto her shoulder, burying his face into her neck. Breathing in the sweet scent of shampoo mingled with the strong metallic tang of blood he made up his mind.
"I think I should probably say this by now..." He began but waited for her to look at him with those deep amber eyes. He waited for something, he didn't know what but he waited still. He pulled away from her attempting to look at her face without removing the pressure on her abdomen. The hot blood continued to pour out past his fingers.
"Revy?" His eyes searched her face but found nothing. Her eyes half open and blank, the lit cigarette burnt slowly as it hung limply between her lips. His fingers frantically searched for a pulse again and again. There had to be a pulse, he argued. he simply couldn't find it was all. He was probably disoriented and tired. He had to be. So he pushed her and shoved her because he knew she was just messing with him. Because she promised to be right here. He shoved her harder because this wasn't supposed to happen. He wasn't supposed to get kidnapped and she wasn't supposed to get shot in an attempt to rescue him. More rubble fell around them.
She swore she would never come rescue his pansy ass again. She swore she would be with him. there was a banging above them as something fell and Rock sat back against the wall. The legendary Two Hands resting limply against him.
Denial.
"You're a fucking liar Revy." Rock chuckled. He closed his eyes as the banging grew louder and let his head fall back. None of them was going to get out. He let out a strangled laugh. "Together till the end huh? Talk about clichés."
He ran his bloodstained fingers through his partners hair.
"I lo..."
"ROCK!" A deep masculine voice interrupted his confession. He looked up and amongst the fallen support beams debris was a freash opening. Daylight streamed in through the small opening but somehow it wasn't relief that he felt. It was cold and gut wrenching. His throat constricted painfully as his eyes stung. Body trembling he hunched over himself as a sob broke out of him.
"Rock? Revy? Are you in there?" More banging and grunting followed. "Just hang in there."
They are the small moments of our life. Insignificant and easily missed moments that make us who we are. There are good ones and bad ones that make up our life. He had only survived up until three years back. Those moments to him were non existent. At least until she showed up with her hot temper and scathing tongue.
Hate is also accepted in this case. I'll go cry in a corner now.