DISCLAIMER: All recognisable characters and concepts...belong to somebody else.
Chapter 12: Resistance
Indy could feel his body getting better. Marion stayed with him, despite the threat of Abner catching up with her. Indy watched her change the dressing around his ribs, her brow furrowed in concentration. Those years ago, he thought she was beautiful. Now he knew she was. Before, he'd had a longing to take her into his arms but it was beginning to feel like an aching need.
Indy wanted to feel Marion in his arms. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair and he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to feel her body pressed against him, whether it was skin-to-skin or through clothes he didn't care. He just wanted her.
But it was a weakness and to admit to it would be too humiliating. He couldn't degrade himself like that. Especially not to her. It didn't matter how bad it got, Indy was determined not to do it. She already knew, why did she insist on hearing him say it?
Punishment?
~NQM~
Marion could see it, the longing and the internal struggle. It was written all over Indy's face, burning in his eyes, as much as he tried to hide it. She wanted to give in and crawl into the bed with him but she knew he had to do this. He had to see that admitting his vulnerabilities to her didn't make him less of a man – it made him a better one.
And Marion knew that. She'd seen Kamau admit his vulnerabilities, his fear of failing his people, to Chinaza. And, after, he'd come away with more power and confidence. She'd seen Sigurd Dalen, another one of them, turn to his wife Ingfrid with his. A fear of losing more people he cared about to his own mistakes. He then went into battle stronger. And she'd seen Leo bear his soul to Catalina, his emotional scars from Akator which still haunted him, and he was better for it.
Marion realised what Indy needed. She sat on the edge of the bed and unwound the bandages from the hand those asses had broken. Over the time she'd been around the Holy Children, she'd learned how to deal with all the injuries you could get. Indy looked at her.
'Why's it so hard for you to say, Jones?' she asked, focusing on what she was doing in favour of looking at him.
'Why do you need to hear it if you already know?' Indy shot back.
'Because you need to say it,' Marion said.
Indy was silent for a moment. 'What makes you think that?'
'You can't bring yourself to say it because you think it's weak.' Marion stated a fact. The hand Marion was tending to twitched and Indy hissed in pain. She continued. 'Doesn't anything get to you?'
'What do you mean?' Indy asked.
Marion carefully picked her words. She had to make him understand that he was human. 'I mean you saunter around like you're indestructible. You always have. Like that whip of yours is all you need to stop bullets. But look at yourself now. Fractured ribs…' She squeezed the centre of his hand lightly and Indy hissed in pain again. '…broken hand. You could have been the American flag when I found you.'
'Except black instead of white,' Indy muttered.
'And then there's that!' Marion glared at him. 'You're brushing it all off like it's nothing. All you seem to show much emotion for are the artefacts you search for. Isn't anything else important to you?'
'What kind of a dumb question is that?' Indy turned his head away. 'Of course I care about other things.'
'Really?' Marion asked. 'Such as?'
Indy jammed his eyes shut. Marion started wrapping a new bandage around his broken hand. As she did, she said, 'See? You think emotions are a weakness. But, if they are, why do people who acknowledge them have better lives?'
All of the Holy Children to name a few.
Indy opened his eyes and pressed his lips together tensely. Marion knew he wanted to say something but he couldn't think of anything. He didn't know what to say to that. Marion tied the bandage off and stood up, walking over to the wastebasket and throwing out the dirty bandages.
Marion could feel Indy's eyes on her back.
~NQM~
Indy hated this. He looked over at Marion. She was asleep at the desk. Her hair fell over her face in a way that made his hands itch to brush it back. He was going to break. He could feel it coming and there was no way to escape.
Indy just couldn't reach her. She was too far away. Indy barely even felt the tears burn behind his eyes and spill over. He barely even noticed it or cared about how weak it made him look. He didn't just want Marion back in his arms, he needed her.
'Marion?' He called out to her.
Underneath her hair, Indy saw her eyes press together harder. He tried again. 'Marion?' He felt so desperate. He needed her.
Marion lifted her head and opened her eyes. When she saw him, she looked at him in surprise. Then she put the glare back on her face. Indy felt his chest tighten. What he was about to say, what he could feel bubbling its was up his throat, went against everything he'd ever thought since he became a man.
'I was scared.' It was weakness.
But Marion's glare softened into a gentle look that he hadn't seen since before he did the runner. She walked over and stood over the bed. Then she leaned down, but she still wasn't close enough for him to reach.
'And what were you scared of, Indiana Jones?' she asked softly.
Indy's lips were suddenly dry. He licked them nervously. He didn't want to say this. 'I…I love you.' It spilled out of him though.
'And that scared you?' Marion asked.
Indy nodded.
'Why?'
Indy knew this was breaking at its worst. Everything was just rolling out of his mouth. 'I thought love was a fairytale, something someone made up for little kids…I thought it was just an animal attraction, what I felt for you. I…I thought it'd burn out quickly and we'd be done. And then I…I realised I loved you and…' He nearly choked on his own words.
'And you…?' Marion wasn't letting him get away that easily.
'I was terrified.' Indy felt more tears spill out of his eyes. He hated the weakness, but he couldn't stop. He needed her and his emotions had gone like an erupting volcano. 'I ran away because I thought that'd make it go away.'
'Did it?' Marion sat down on the edge of the bed, still too far away from him.
'No!' Indy jammed his eyes shut. A sob ripped its way out of him. 'God, no! I…I still love you.' His body shook as sob after sob after pathetic sob tore out of him. Why did she make him do this?
Then Marion cupped his cheek. She leaned in close. 'There now. That wasn't too hard, was it?' Her lips brushed against his.
Indy sobbed against her mouth in relief. He lifted his good hand and cupped the back of her head. Something, that he would find out later was her shoes, hit the floor with a thud and Marion slipped under the covers with him. Her leg slid between his and Indy turned, breaking the kiss and burying his face into her shoulder. He still couldn't stop the pathetic crying though.
Marion didn't seem to mind, stroking his hair. She kissed his temple and whispered against his hair. 'Oh, and for the record, Indy? I love you too.'
And Indy, unexpectedly, felt a hell of a lot lighter. It was like some huge burden had been lifted from him. He chuckled through his tears and kissed Marion's shoulder.
