Chapter 3- Our Spot
A/N: Sorry I keep forgetting to do Trigger Warnings.
Trigger Warnings: Mentions of drug abuse, assault, self-hate and depression.
(Laurens' POV)
Over the next two weeks, I steadily began to regain myself. Alas, I realised, this was one of those things that would keep haunting me forever.
It's all your fault...
It's all your- stop.
That was my minds main process for the next few weeks. An on and off cycle of blame and guilt but it eventually just felt like... me...
And I guess that scared me a lot...
These weeks were also an eruption reminiscing for me... Haunting every time a silence crept upon me or my eyes shut for a lengthy time... Another form of my mistakes...
Leaving him behind to die...
After the last mission on retrieving the (what I can now call) man, it hasn't been too busy down in the Liberty's base. Which added even more time for me to grieve over my own stupid mistakes I was too weak to push away. No important meetings nor planning for our next attack because until this man woke up, we had nothing solid to work with...
Which brought me next, to him. Elizler had stabilised this mystery figure within three days of compete hard work. He was alive but wasn't waking up or showing any signs. Also (because of another one of my mistakes) even if he does wake up, there could be something wrong with him whether it be a paralysed limb or memory loss.
I visited him almost every day with all this spare time on my hands, just watching him and trying to get my head around the fact he can hear me. And I did speak to him. Elizler told me that it could help quicken the speed for him to wake up. So I did speak to him. Only when I was alone though as a few times Lafayette had come with me and only about three times with Mulligan.
Lafayette was on the mend now too, the medication working faster than normal. He had to attempt at using his shoulder more frequently but that wasn't exactly hard when you work in an army-styled base.
Above ground, the civilian's medical technology was quite lacking compared to what we can do (or more specifically, what Elizler can do as head of the Medical department). Usually at the surface, it would take months for a bullet to the shoulder to completely heal, however by the end of the third week with an injury like that down here, all you really got were rare stabbing pains. But we would still send them in for training as soon as they were able to.
Nobody can be a slacker here.
Well... Not all the time anyway...
Down here, we barely have any spare time in between training and (for captains) paperwork. All the missions, whether they be minor or major, were usually strict and important at some degree...
Other than one mission we all loved...
If anything, this particular quest was pointless if you asked me. It seemed it would only be a matter of time before we shut it down... Though some part of me knew the General used this just to get us all out and enjoying some aspect of a normal life without worry.
More like an... extremely small holiday. Only really lasting a few hours...
Every month would mean a new squadron to choose from to go above ground. That said squadron divided and separated amongst a city to patrol and secure the area. Of course, nobody Up-Top knew it was us. We kept our selves very well hidden, only appearing to help.
This mission really was a cop out. This didn't do us any favours but waste precious time we don't have much of.
But... I did love it...
Whenever my Squad was chosen, I would always separate off with Mulligan, Lafayette and him. All of us really had a great time above ground. We joked, talked and all the while saving people from robberies and occasionally murder.
This was the only thing I was flexible about- even now. Just because this used to be mine and his thing, doesn't mean I can strip away the experience from others. I just kept to myself a lot more and was usually the lookout whilst Mulligan and Lafayette joked about things so irrelevant that it slips my mind.
And this month of January brought forward our turn Up-Top. Each Friday we would leave Up-Top to perform the orders given (or most likely, mess around).
The air was frigid and thick Up-Top. Busy and noisy Up-Top. Dark and starry Up-Top. My hairs stood on end as the wind made them reveal along the layer of my flesh.
Lafayette and Mulligan began to sit down across the top of a ledge, about fifteen stories up from the ground- I followed silently. My legs swung absently in the air, every now and then, watching little crumbles of dust dance away from the buildings top.
This may have been seen as quite sorrowful from the outside, but to me on the inside, it was comforting. I didn't need to talk. Just remember good times of when he was still alive. Either throwing little pebbles to the tree across the street, or joking to push the other off the edge off the building...
"You know you'd never beat me, right?!" He laughed with a competitive tone.
"Oh, you seem so sure of yourself!" I stood tall, inching closer.
"I am! Come on, just face it! I've got faster reflexes than you!" Despite being smaller than me, he walked me backwards towards the edge (I not realising in the moment).
"Somehow I doubt that..." I grinned wide.
"Oh yeah?" He roughly grabbed a loose part of the suit upon my chest, "You wanna test that theory?"
Before I had I chance to retort, I was shoved with great force over the top of the building. My hair only whipped in the plummet for less than a second, before my arms jolted, gripping dearly to the ledge underneath his feet. I didn't even yell. I just gazed up at his proud face, smirking broadly and devilishly.
"Beautiful night tonight!" He smiled wide.
I retorted, "Oh yeah, you should see from here!"
"And what? Miss this view?" He bent down closer to my face, making sure his strong British accent came through.
A/N: IT'S NOT KING GEORGE OR SEABURY DON'T WORRY!
"My god, you're so hot." Was all I could say, almost forgetting about the fifteen stories below me.
"Why dear Laurens, I'm flattered! But you must be so glad Lafayette and Mulligan weren't here to hear that..."
I somewhat hummed in agreement, "Yes. We'd be dead otherwise..." I laughed and looked down in awe, "Not as dead as I'll be if I fall though... Come on, help me up."
He just tapped his chin slowly and mockingly. "Should I? Give me a reason."
"You love me."
"Hmm... Is that really worth it?"
"I guess not..."
I was too quick for him to question my answer before we swiftly switched places while I grabbed at his ankle, tugging him over the side.
"Now," I began, dusting off my hands, "do tell me how it feels to hang for dear life over a fifteen-story building, dearest."
"Oh come on Jack!" He whined while gazing down with terror stitched to his eyes. "I'm sorry!"
"What was that?" I grinned in dominance.
"I'M SORRY!"
"I apologise, the wind is quite loud up here, what did you say again?"
"I'm slipping Jack! Please just pull me up!"
"Are you sure about that?"
"YES! I'M SORRY!"
"Well... Only because I love you..."
His lips escaped a sigh of relief as I bent down to curl my fingers into his. I pulled him to the ledge where he wobbled slightly in a strong breeze. We both stepped away from the edge swiftly, laughing nervously and slightly out of breath.
"Remind me why I still love you..." He muttered under his breath.
"Yeah... well at least you do..."
He connected our eyes together and lent up to furiously press warmth to my lips. I stepped back slightly to gain my balance again before running my fingers through his thick, golden hair that had fallen out of the hair tie earlier that night. He traced his hands to my waist pressing closer into me so when we did finally let go of each other's lips, we were inches apart trapped inside this starry night.
"Now I remember." He grinned latching back onto me, letting us be safe and alone for once in a long time...
We didn't need street lights to light up the street when he was around. His smile was always so wide, creasing dimples into the tops of his cheeks and making his eyes either squint or fully close. He even took his last breath with a ghosting smile lingering as he coughed out steams of blood.
But I had to stop there. This place on top of this building was the only happy place I had now... and I was not going to ruin that... Remembering the kiss on top of the city structure made me smile slightly, it feeling wider than it actually was. I swung another kick to the bricks watching it crumble again. Lafayette and Mulligan were both messing about with each other about two meters from me. I heard the occasional joke and gossip in between daydreams but mostly stayed out of it. This was my place to remember him and the good times we shared together.
It wasn't that I wanted to forget him, I just wanted to forget how he died… and how I had to leave him behind…
When he had died, and I came up here with Mulligan and Lafayette, the two had suggested we move our usual spot… but I refused. They both learned to let me sit silently after that. It started a little awkward at first, but smoothed out over time. Us four were extremely close friends. We laughed. We smiled. We talked. Just like friends should. We were all an individual puzzle piece to a four-piece puzzle. Each unique enough to fit together perfectly.
And I did miss them. Jesus, I really missed them.
They were still around and by my side except so distant to me… We rarely laughed. We rarely smiled together. We rarely talked. Just like friends shouldn't be… The forth piece to the puzzle was lost so the other three could never be complete without it…
My smile dropped at this thought and I sighed down to the tranquil street below. The only thing to catch my attention was a woman on the sidewalk. She seemed drunk. Most likely early twenties. She was stumbling on cracks in the pavement, holding the walls for support. I almost rolled my eyes at her efforts but if I did, I would have missed the dark figure creeping up behind her…
Lafayette and Mulligan didn't notice until we all heard a repeat of shrilling and struggles.
Each of us stood tall and gave knowing looks to each other. A quick nod, and we were abseiling on ropes down the face of the building. As we neared the bottom, her slurred screams rang louder and louder, sending out an adrenaline rush pouring through my veins. Our landing feet were almost silent behind this (what I noticed was male) figure.
Ugh! Stereotypes! I spat inside my head.
Even though this woman was extremely wasted with alcohol, she put up a strong fight to this man… "HELP ME! HELP ME!" She kept shrieking while being forcefully dragged away.
My fingers signalled for Lafayette to slip forwards and take this guy. Like always, he obeyed.
The man fell to the floor with a thump and the girl screamed, soon 'running' as far as she could. I let her run, instead driving my attention to the thrashing man sprawled on the pavement.
"Now," I began slyly, slipping down to his level, "what were you doing?"
He spat, "Nothing you bastard."
"Hmm… Is it strange that I don't believe you?"
He didn't reply.
"TALK TO ME! WHAT WERE YOU DOING?!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, pulling his shirt close to me, dragging him with it.
He just giggled, slightly dazed…
Wait…
Before I could react, he shoved his lips on my own. My eyes grew extremely wide with fury and shoved him to the floor, kicking once hard in the ribs.
Again, he just laughed.
"He's high." I scoffed unamused and wiping my lips hard. "Deal with this shit you two. Now."
They looked down on him, disgusted, but still dragged him away. They'd figure out what to do, whether it be handing him to the police or wipe both the girl and his memory. Most likely the former option.
Like his lips were poison to me, I physically spat to the floor and took constant sips from my water flask. Still, it seemed his putrid taste of cannabis just wouldn't run from my mouth with the liquid. I shuddered slightly and shook my head.
This guy was a proper prick.
Bastard.
But that wasn't what truly strung… It was the realisation that that druggy was the first one to touch my lips after he died… I wouldn't say kiss, because that wasn't romance.
That prick.
Could the universe not even let me keep my last kiss with him? Was I that horrible to not even deserve that?
"Laurens." A deep voice called from the other side of my earpiece.
"General?" I was stunned for a second. Washington never called me during these missions. Either it was a mistake or something serious was going on…
No. The General never made mistakes. So my mind set panicked with the latter.
"Laurens." He repeated again. "I need you back at base. Now, I understand that the rest of your Squad wants to stay behind, so you will put Lafayette in charge. Understood?"
I paused for a second. "Yes, Sir. But can I ask, what is this about, Sir?"
"Irrelevant. I need you here ASAP. Can I trust you to follow orders?"
I sighed. "Yes, Sir."
"Good." The line cut short.
I slung my head into my hands and began to trudge up the street, all the while, informing Lafayette on what was happening.
I let my eyes gaze up at the bright moonlit sky once, before I swung off into the night.
Author's Note: And here's another one! I will updating quite a bit today all over my profile so I might have another chapter on this one… or two other fic's :D (Warning! Self-Promo!) If you want to check them out! (I'm Throwing Away My Shot, and, Catch My Fall.)
I'm in a writing mood today!
Leave what you thought about this down below along with any questions you think of x
Until we meet again!
-L.E-Rae _x_