Heart Burn | Neteyam X Na’vi!reader (Part 1)

rainy days with abby

the soft pitter patter of dense raindrops hit the window next to your shared bed. the gloom of the thunderstorm’s shadow creating a dark comforting sanctity that threatened to lull you back to sleep. large familiar hands wrapped around your waist, holding you back to her strong chest. the warmth of your bodies under the fluffy blanket felt like nirvana.

abby’s subtle snores blew gentle breaths onto your neck, until she’d awoken from your waking. she’d always been a light sleeper.

her hugging of you tightened until you descended into a long needed stretch, a groan coming from your throat as abby softly giggled and rubbed your arms.

“bigggg stretch,”

you smiled at the phrase she used every time you stretched the sleep out of your tired body. you found yourself back nestled in her arms, her chin on top of your head.

“goodmorning, lovey.”

“ ‘morning pretty lady.”

the swollen-ness of her morning face came into your view from above as she kissed your forehead, gentle fingers sliding underneath your pajama top, tracing small circles on your lower back.

“i can go make you some breakfast?” you offered.

“now you’re talkin’”

Opposites attract [1]

aged!Neteyam Sully x human!warrior!reader

In which the cruel ways of the RDA to save humanity come to light and a movement against the killing of Pandora begins. With young people receiving training in the resistance army to become warriors and protect the indigenous. You get put into cryosleep and sent to Pandora as one of the finest warriors. Here, you come face-to-face with the future Olo'eyktan. What if the two of you butt heads? And something forbidden blooms?

warning: english isn't my first language, based on my series 'You're dead to me' so also recycled parts for this introduction (not everything, I added different details so you better read👹), mentions of historic events.

Word count: 3,6k

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A century ago, the planet earth changed for the worst. More oil was extracted from beneath the ground, and the oil production was more massive than ever. The air worsened by the second to the point that humanity needed breathing masks to walk through overpopulated cities. Climate change also took its toll, as the icebergs from Antarctica completely melted as well as the permafrost and bacteria from billion years ago started spreading over the planet. The RDA took action on this and people were thankful for the fact that they took their chance to save humanity. Yet no one knew what they were actually doing behind the scenes. Humanity held their breaths waiting for all these years of great sorrow, thanks to the greed of the rich, to end. Nothing is what it seems, and the hopes of a minority was soon stripped away from them, as the secrets of the RDA came to light. Sending trained marines and scientists to this other planet in our galaxy: Pandora. A planet so far away that resembled our planet Earth. Their living circumstances natural, like the age of the hunters and collectors. No electricity, no mass production and no capitalism, just spiritual beings living in the name of their god. Yet, their peaceful lives soon came to an end, because the humans came to Pandora in greed. A planet not corrupted with technology or the rich, meant a healthy planet. A planet with lots of green. A planet where climate change doesn't play a role. A planet not destroyed. A planet able to inhabit. Coming in peace was never an option for humans, as taking something what is not theirs is their habit. Columbus and America, Europeans and Asia. Slavery. The occupations during all the world wars. They feed onto power. Pandora wasn't any different, as they planned to extrude the natives, forcefully take Pandora's sacred resources and inhabit the planet. While many humans didn't mind this, their focus laying on the fact they'll soon be saved from the dangers they caused, there was a minority in the billions of people that decided to set their foot down. The resistance, starting as a demonstrating group on the streets soon turned into a professional organization to protect Pandora of their own species. Gathering people who actively wanted to prevent Pandora into going extinct, protecting the natives from the monster one calls humanity.

You, (Y/N) (L/N), belonged to said minority. You despised your species. The way they could think they could get anything they wanted. So greedy, so narcissistic. When the news came out about the RDA, you were beyond furious. 'The past is the past. Let it go' they said when they spoke about history— slavery. Yet look at this, the past just repeats itself in different scenarios. 'The government wouldn't do that' some didn't believe it, no one could be that cruel in their eyes. Living in their fantasy world and not being realistic. The government would do it, definitely. Anything for getting their greedy hands on any form of money. Being around ignorant people isn't your cup of tea. 'It doesn't affect me', say the same people that found apologizing about slavery bullshit. The same people that didn't care about climate change and global warming. You didn't deem yourself fit, but you wanted to do something to help the innocent natives. They didn't do anything to deserve that kind of treatment, so you went against the greedy hands. You got questioned, interviewed and monitored for at least a year until you were allowed into the organization. You were beyond enthralled to know you could finally be useful.

You soon started training at the organization with a few others that got accepted for their loyalty and perseverance, but it was no usual military training. You all learned about life on Pandora, you and the others that had potential in them learned to live like the people of Pandora: the bow and arrow, spears, but also hand-to-hand combat if anything were to go wrong. The training honestly went great, you didn't regret taking this step for one bit. You felt fit and worthy, and most importantly you found people around you that had the same mindset as you about this whole ordeal. You had friends that went through this entire process with you, telling each other about their lives and how they ended up here. While they were almost like warriors following orders, every night the group would sneak away to be like teenagers again, kids having fun and playing games. For a long time, it was the same routine. Wake up, eat, and train for almost the entire day, do homework, have dinner, sneak out, and sleep. The homework might have been one of your favorite parts of this training. It was to learn the language of the people, Na'vi. It took some time to master it, as you weren't very familiar with pronounciation. "Oel nati kamy?", your voice sounded unsure as you tried to say the formal way of greeting someone in Na'vi, but you earned a slap against your forehead in return from one of your friends. "No, it's Oel Ngati Kameie, skxwang!"

Years of training together ended up being so worth it, because when all of you reached the end of your teenage years, it got announced that you were finally ready to head to Pandora. You 'graduated' as one of the finest warriors of your class. You felt so delighted to know that all of your hard work paid off in the end. The day that you would finally get shot into space and sent to Pandora to fulfill your duty, you felt the adrenaline travel through your body as you felt incredibly nervous. You were about to leave everyone you have ever known behind on planet Earth to fight for your norms and values. What will feel like only a few years to you, will be a decade for your friends and family. Saying goodbye, definitely was hard. The resistance thought that it was best to not say goodbye on the day you were to leave, but a few days before that. They reasoned it would have been harder to leave your loved ones behind and you actually second that. A lot of tears were shed, but everyone was proud of you for standing behind you thought was correct. This was only a temporary duty, as you would get sent back to earth once you fulfilled your duties, but what if you wanted to stay? In the books, you read and learned that Pandora was like something unrealistic, out of a fairy tale. What if you would want to stay instead and guard said fairy tale til your last breath? You all follow your superiors' suit to the air travel that will sent all of you to your final destination, putting your stuff where they tell you to. With no seconds left to spare, they immediately tell you to follow them to your tubes, you were getting put into cryosleep. You still couldn't believe it. They were going to put you to sleep for six years and you're gonna wake up looking the same, but temporarily living in a dream world you trained your entire teen years for. You lay down in your tube, ready to get put to sleep. The nerves were truly getting to you. "See you on the other side!", you jokingly said to lift up the mood, and your friends started joking around, telling one another goodbyes and what they should do if one of them doesn't wake up. You just lay there quietly, closing your eyes as you waited to get put to sleep.

What actually took six years didn't feel like that to you at all. One moment you closed your eyes as you were put into cryosleep and after what felt like one second passed, you got woken up from your deep slumber. The claustrophobic space you are in makes something inside of you itch. Good thing you were into cryosleep, you couldn't have survived sleeping in this tube every night for six years in a row. Once your tube was pulled out of the wall, you immediately feel yourself floating. So this is what space felt like.

"Drink and eat lots, since you will feel very weak!", a loud voice echoes through the room as one by one everyone left their cryosleep. You float through the room with a smile on your face as you hold onto handles, lockers, anything to keep your balance. An excited scream could be heard from behind you, it was your friend Siria. "You are not dead I see," she jokes as she floats towards you, her arms wide open to invite you in a hug, "this is honestly insane, I can't believe that we are actually doing this!" You wrap your arms around you as you share her excitement, "I know right? We worked so hard for this, I can't believe this is happening." You met Siria on your first day being at the resistance base. She shared her passion for nature with pride and you always admired her for this. A cough is heard behind your back and Siria looks over your shoulder to see who it was, "Kai!" she squeals as she carefully gets out of your hug, floating towards their other friend to engulf him in a hug. You watch as Siria and Kai share their excitement with each other. They really didn't age at all while being in cryosleep, such an interestingly concept it was. You float towards them, holding onto Kai's shoulder to keep your balance and not pass out, because damn they were right. You feel so tired and weak. If you weren't in space right now you probably would have fallen to the floor. Your limbs felt like cooked noodles, you really needed to eat. "The trio is back at it again to cause havoc!!" Kai ruffles your head, your hair tangling in between his fingers as he did so. The three of you were the inseparable trio. While you had a group of friends you hung out with, you three always just stuck together like glue. It may have been the fact you bonded over being reckless warriors, thriving on the thrill and action, or the fact all three of you were top students, but that doesn't matter. Siria and Kai are your partners in crime til death do you all part. The two are engaged in a deep conversation, but you didn't bother to listen or chime in. You wanted to explore, and see what you worked your entire teenagehood for. Grabbing onto the handle against the walls, you made your way towards the huge window, were also most of the crew was floating around. You had to see this for yourself, you had to believe it with your own eyes. What if you were still dreaming?

"Excuse me, Pardon me!", still not used to not having any gravity, you keep bumping into other warriors. A 'watch where you're going!' was screamed your way, but you paid no mind to it as you had more important things to do. Floating past the last person that kept you from seeing outside, your eyes immediately widen at the beauty that lay in front of you. A planet, looking exactly like earth, right in front of you. It was beautiful, the true meaning behind mother nature. You bring your hand towards your cheek to pinch yourself, was this real? Were you truly experiencing this? When you pinched yourself so hard, leaving a red mark on your skin, and you didn't wake up you knew this was real. You were knocked out of your senses pretty quickly, as everyone was told to dress up, eat and get together in the common area. Where that was? No idea, but what you knew is that you were excited as hell. You basically swam through the air towards the lockers, where your supposed gear would be. The sight was probably incredibly silly, you thought, you probably looked like a swimming frog. Yet you didn't care about the stares that were given you. The only thing on your mind was to see Pandora with your own eyes- not out of books, notes you had to read, or drawings. You left without telling Kai or Siria, but you would probably find them, considering you're going to the same destination and those two definitely weren't to miss.

You float past all the lockers with nameplates, looking for your name. You proceed to float, using the lockers to pull yourself up and speed up towards the lockers that start with your last initial. Upon floating in front of the locker that had your last name written on top of it, you slam the locker open in excitement. Clothes sealed in recycled plastic, a pair of shoes, and an oxygen mask. Fortunately, it wasn't those old aquarium-like masks. When you learned about those you thought they were ugly as hell: a head in an aquarium. Those were designed like gas masks. Was that the best way to explain them? They only covered the mouth and nose part to breathe properly, it didn't cover the entire face anymore. You flash a skeptical expression towards the clothes in your arms. They were dark colors, dark colors in a hot amazon-like forest? If it were up to you, you wouldn't have chosen a little more, bare, clothes. For the sweat to at least dry up and not soak in the clothes. "Weird choice of clothes, right?", Siria appeared next to you, out of the blue, making you flinch. You quickly managed to cover it up and compose yourself, "I'm gonna end up looking like a crab while fighting a villain, kind of embarrassing." she laughs at your reply and grabs a hold of your forearm, "come on let's go change. Kai already went to change!" And with that, your friend pulls you with her. Changing your clothes was kind of awkward. The room was a big space where all women changed next to one another. It gave PE class vibes. You felt sticky and disgusting as you changed out of the clothes you wore for six years. Wearing fresh, clean clothes is always better than nothing. The material feels nice against your skin, and very cooling. As you look in the mirror, fixing every detail to look as neat as possible. You roll your sleeves up just a tad bit and tried to loosen the corset-like clothing piece around your upper body. It doesn't look exactly like a corset, but it's one of those clothing pieces that have a corset built into it. The mask is hanging against your hip, ready to be used 24/7 once you stepped foot on Pandora. The pants were a little wide thankfully, enough space to move into.

"What is it with the corset though? Who wears a corset while fighting?"

"Maybe it's bulletproof or something?"

After this whole ordeal in the dressing room with some people whining about the clothes being too hot, while others were second guessing if the outfit was nice to fight in, you finally made your way towards this common area. There everyone was awkwardly sitting, what one could call sitting in space. Everyone was given a granola bar to snack on and a sealed bag with a sweet drink in it. You leaned against Kai, as you were too tired to use your strength to hold onto anything. Eating the bar and sipping from the overly-sweetened drink, you listened to the peptalk your superiors were giving you all. They were mainly talking about how the RDA is sending more backup and technology, so it will be very tough to defeat them. There was also something about dead marines in Avatar bodies that really got your interest. The resistance's insider got this information the moment your air travel left to Pandora. Shit really is about to go down soon, so there is no time to dwell and laze around.

What almost felt like a decade to you, actually took just a few hours before you finally landed on Pandora. During the landing all, maybe twenty of you in total, were seated as you braced for impact. It wasn't too bad, it was like a plane landing. Before the doors opened, the duffel bags you took with you were placed on your laps. You were allowed to take your most important stuffs and put it in this bag. So what did you take? Your phone and Polaroid camera. I mean, you were barely twenty and missed a lot of your childhood, a little living and enjoying Pandora's scenery couldn't be too bad? You put your mask against your face, pressing it down and securing it as you breathe in the oxygen from the earth. Red lights flash through the area you're in with the others as the secured door lowers to the Pandorean ground, revealing the beauty of mother nature. You rise from your seat as your seat belt was already unclasped. Without waiting any longer, you rushed to the outside world in a heartbeat. Watching your surroundings, it seems like you landed on the resistance base. Unlike the RDA base, which you saw during your learning process, this one was more integrated with mother nature rather than destroying it to make space. It was so organic, so natural. A team was already waiting for your arrival, all standing in a row as you lock gazes with a Na'vi. Unlike the things you were taught about Na'vi clothing, this one was wearing human clothes. This was an avatar, the ones the RDA founded. If this already got you excited, imagine what will happen if you met a Na'vi.

You all greeted them in the formal Na'vi way. The sun was burning your skin as you listened to your superiors talk, but the fresh wind blowing through the air made you feel at home. "All of you here, thank you so much for being here and help the Na'vi." One of the people spoke. You learned that she was of importance to the resistance. "Over the past six years, while all of you where in cryosleep, we have decided where all of you will settle and with whom. RDA's focus is on the forest, so that is where we will place you at. We will divide you over the different forest clans, who are aware of your arrival and help." The warriors in front of you held a file, as they all opened it up and divided you all into teams. You waited patiently with your arms behind your back. You were pretty confident about where you would be placed at. Surely it would be a clan where you would come of great use, right?

"And last, for the Omatikaya clan. The top three warriors of the class: warrior (Y/N), warrior Kai and warrior Siria. Ending on top of the class in both theories and physical, they will get placed into the clan in the most danger: the clan with RDA traitor Jake Sully. You will be taken with Norm, who is of importance to the Omatikaya clan." So Norm was his name. A pretty goofy one if you had to be honest. The avatar named Norm stood at least 10 feet tall as he looked down at all of you, literally. You just reached around his crotch area, which is kinda embarrassing because imagining running into his front. Hopefully, he likes to travel in his human body more. "Then that's settled, Oel Ngati Kameie." His hand rested against his forehead, slowly bringing it down to his chest as he watched the three of you proudly, who were standing at front confidently. You flashed him a kind smile in return, ready for whatever adventure you will come across, "Oel Ngati Kameie."

Before you knew it, you were on your way to high camp, the base of the Omatikaya clan. Since the doors of the helicopters were slid open, you could peek out of the helicopter and admire the beauty of Pandora. Your eyes lit up as you saw mother nature herself and the animals that lived within it. It was something so magical, something unbelievable. A group of birds flew past you and you looked back at them in awe. It was a species you never saw before, a species that doesn't exist on planet Earth. "Are those the hallelujah mountains?!?" Kai almost fell out of his seat at the sight, heading over to your body that was basically sitting at the edge of the helicopter. He took a seat next to you as he threw his arm around your shoulders, "they're floating, like literally!" You reached for your bag, taking your Polaroid camera out and snapping a pretty picture of the sight. The Polaroid left the bottom of the camera and you ripped it off, shaking it to make the picture appear, "this is going to be in my travel journal." You announced proudly as you stared at the way the ink slowly faded in. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this, I might throw up and pass out!" Siria leaned back as her head tolled back as well, as if accepting it all if she died right now. Norm watched the three youngsters with proud smiles on his face. He remembered being this excited himself when he first got to Pandora and saw the beauty for himself, "we are almost there kids, brace yourself. You will be staying at high camp to integrate with the Omatikaya." A squeal left Siria's lips as you could only watch the horizon,

excited for what's about to come.

A/N: hii!! Thank you sm for reading! This was an introduction type of part, so it's similar to the introduction of "You're dead to me". Do not worry, this is a Neteyam x reader so he's coming in the next part. Stay tuned and let me know what you thought. <3

comment on the TAGLIST if you want to get tagged for this series.

Taglist in the comments!!

patroclus ever so gently kissing achilles' eyelids while he sleeps— achilles is sometimes awake but pretends he's sleeping just to feel pat's love.

𝖫𝖺𝖽𝗂𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖦𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗅𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇, 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝖩𝖾𝗋𝗈𝗆𝖾 𝖵𝖺𝗅𝖾𝗌𝗄𝖺, 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖻𝗈𝗒.

I think he looks much better with his scars. he may be dead, but he’s one sexy deceased ginger. 

Could I ask for an Ellie with a girlfriend who's a drummer? Thank youu!!

CRAZY TALENTED

i enjoyed writing this so bad, i’m also like really sorry the smut at the end is so short…. i don’t really have an excuse BUT this is two posts in one day, cut your girl some slack mkay?

warnings: modern!ellie williams x drummer!reader. generally just sub!ellie. dom(ish)!reader. reader displays casual dominance a few times. man spreading (r). smut at the end! fingering (ellie receiving). lmk if i forget anything babies. (side note, this really was not proofread so m’sorry for any typos.)

—————

WHEN YOU MET.

ellie insists that when you met it was love at first sight. she remembers it clearly, her in an uncomfortable metal chair amongst other crowd members in the humid bar. and you. pretty as ever you, who caught her eye immediately, up on stage playing the hell out of those drums.

ellie was mesmerized, the way your head bobs as the sticks in your hands beat down on the huge drumset in front of you, how you’d smile when a crowd member would shout in praise or let out a wolf whistle.

you were apart of an indie band who’s on a steady rise to stardom. this was her first time at one of your performances, initially just wanting a night out but staying for the show.

ellie is pulled out of her thoughts by you going on to your drumming solo, bringing a huge grin to her face when your head aggressively bobs and hands move at a pace that made them look like little blurs.

when you finish, claps break out from all around. people shout, whistle, snap, all of the above. the love directed at you makes you bring your hands to your face, covering up your bashful smile. you playfully groan when your band mate pulls you into a hug, whispering praises in your ear.

you’re thanking everyone, giving a little bow when your eyes meet the distinct green ones. you’re stopped in your tracks, unable to bring yourself to look away.

a lazy grin pulls at your lips when you see the sort-of dazed look on her face when you don’t look away.

in sync, your bodies erupted in chills.

TEACHING HER.

“you’re crazy talented…” ellie’s voice comes over the sound of the loud echos of the drums. you stop, bringing both of your sticks to one hand.

“hm?” you tilt your head a little, not really hearing what she said.

“i said, you’re talented. i could never do that, the most i can do is run my fingers over a few strings.”

you smile at her compliment. “thank you baby,” your lip is pulled between your teeth as you think for a second before motioning for her to come over. “..i bet you could do it, c’mere.”

ellie had tagged along to your solo practice, (as she does quite frequently these days). the practice room was something like a mix between a garage and a band room you would see in the average highschool.

ellie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion but she followed your command nonetheless. when you pat your thigh for her to sit, her face gains a rosy tint and her eyes widen.

“w-what? you want me to sit?”

“mhm, wanna teach you.” you casually manspread a bit more, giving space for her to sit down. your hands come to both sides of her waist to pull her back into you when she shyly sits down near your knee.

“you wanna fall?” you scold her softly. “here hold these…”

ellie takes the drumsticks from your hands, letting you position them correctly. your head comes to rest on her shoulder as you start to guide her hands to the correct drum you want her to hit down on.

her focus is broken by the gentle bounce of your leg as you keep count of the beats, her face breaks out into a blush, and she nearly drops one of the sticks.

“pay attention.” you scold gently.

SHOWING HER.

ellie’s comment got herself here.

“you’re so fuckin’ fast with your hands….”

naturally, you had to show her just how fast you could be. now she’s pinned beneath you, back arching up as your fingers relentlessly tortured her sopping cunt.

“fuck— baby please.” she whined, looking down at you with those big green eyes clouded in tears.

“what’s my girl need, huh?” you smirked at her from between her legs. you were being cocky, you’d been kissing up and down her thighs for going on 10 minutes now, you knew exactly what she needed.

“y’mouth.. need it so bad.” she punctuates her sentence by grinding down, trying desperately to find your mouth.

“what do you say?”

“please.”

Had a thought about how Abby Anderson would absolutely be like a drummer in some college punk band but then rescinded that thought because she has school jock energy so i propose that instead she would be the one invited to some random house party, falls madly in love with the girl playing the drums without ever talking to you so now she is trying (and failing) to figure out who you are on campus and checking out the local scene to see if your band is playing again lmao 

OKAY SO I GOT THIS REQUEST — former!ellie x reader, current!abby x reader; based on the song Left For Dead by Kiki Rockwell, specifically the part “my lover left me for dead, my pretty little body keeps the wolves fed.” The lover being Ellie and the wolves (obviously) being Abby😫 just a bunch of angst and smut (if possible😗). Where Ellie chooses Dina over r in a life or death situation and like Abby (coincidentally) finds R half dead from other humans and takes her back to her hideout or whatever and like nurses her back to health:) sorry it’s so long and it’s fine if you don’t want to, can just ignore this🫶🏼 luv u and your writing!!

a/n: Took me a long time to pick this one up, but here we go!

𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 || 𝐀𝐛𝐛𝐲 𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧

Inspo: Jacob Banks - Devil That I Know Kiki Rockwell - Left For Dead Max Richter - The Young Mariner

Pairing: Abby Anderson x Black!Fem!reader

Summary: Left for dead with a heart of love...

Warnings: Angsty as fuck with a large bit of torture

Part Two - Finale

Words: 4858

Ragged breaths filled the air of the small janitor’s closet. The surface of the workbench and small shelves holding cleaning chemicals are covered in dust. Dirty old rags on the ground. Some left previously, and new ones that had crimson seeped into the fabric. Pieces of medical tape were ripped and discarded along with the garments that had been torn to fashion some sort of bandage.

Your mouth was gagged by your shirt and jacket you bit down on. The soft cold breeze inside the room sent chills down your exposed stomach as you pressed the fabric from your shirt against the bullet wound. A groan fell from your lips as you ran a stripe of tape over the fabric, feeling extra pressure causing white hot pain to flash behind your eyes.

Pants fell from your lips as you released the articles of clothing from your mouth. A speckle of spit left on your lips as you blinked tiredly. “Fucking, Wolves.” Your soft hiss slipped from your lips as you grabbed your gun from beside you. Carefully, you sit up near the door and press your ear to the wood.

It’d only been minutes ago that you had been chased down. Left for dead by your now ex-girlfriend and friend, who you weren’t even sure made it out. If they did and if you made it out of here, you were going to kill them, literally. After saving their asses countless times back in Jackson, this is how they were going to repay you? Oh, yeah, you’re going to fucking gut the two of them.

But that would be the last thing you ever did as footsteps approached the closet. And before you could even respond, the door swung open. Light projected into the room, blinding you as you raised a hand to try and allow your eyes to adjust.

“I found the demon!” The person called as your brows furrowed together.

You crawled back, lifting your gun and aiming at the large figure before gunshots filled the air. The air lost in your lungs was regained with your gasping when seeing the Seraphites body thud against the ground. You kept to the corner of the room as a full-on firefight took place beyond the doorway. But with your mind still in a daze from your wound, you weren’t to put up a fight. Needing more rest than anything else.

It took a while but the gunfire soon seized to exist. Incoherent yells were heard outside as you blinked tiredly, swallowing the lump in your throat as you held your stomach. Footsteps approached, then stopped. “Manny, Mel, we have an outsider!”

Still, in a slight daze, you lifted your head. Your eyes shot wide as saucers as you made eye contact with her, Abby. The entire reason for you being out here and following Ellie to Seattle. Hell, in a way, Abby was the reason why she was bleeding to death in this janitor’s closet alone.

Two other figures, Mel and Manny you guessed came behind Abby. “You know the orders, Abs,” Manny stated, sending a knowing look to the muscular girl.

Their knowledgeable conversation left a horrible dread in your stomach. But you knew that if you put up a fight, you died. Even if you didn’t they would kill you nonetheless. And either way, you hadn’t killed someone before. You were out here to keep Dina and Ellie alive with your medical skills, not kill anyone.

So, it piqued the trio’s interest when you slid your gun their way. Staring down at the Baretta before back at you, finding you shaking your head. “Kill me if you have to,” you breathed. “I’ll put up less of a fight than Joel and Tommy did.”

With the mere mention of the two men, one she killed, Abby felt her chest tighten. “You’re from Jackson?” Abby asked, coming over and dropping to a knee beside you.

A shaky laugh fell from your lips. “Born and raised,” you said half-heartedly. “I shouldn’t even fuckin’ be here right now. Goddamnit, Ellie.” You muttered aloud, feeling Abby carefully lift the hem of your shirt to see your wound.

The bandage you had crafted had done very little to stop the blood flow. It caught a decent amount, restraining the slash of the blade performed by one of the cult members you ran into, but it wasn’t enough to hold everything else in. The cotton had become so damp that your blood began to slither past the bandage and down soaking into your pants and down your waistline.

“Is there anyone else with you?” Mel asked, coming to join your side, shrugging off her backpack and beginning to take out a medical kit.

Manny, who seemed confused by the two girls helping you, said, “Guys, Issac told us to deal with any Outsiders if we encounter them-”

“Manny, shut up for a second, alright?” Abby interjected, silencing him. He pursed his lips, turning towards the door to keep watch.

“There were people with me, but they left me for dead,” you answered the doctor’s question. “I thought I killed one of your people, but I don’t even know who the fuck is out there. I mean, I can’t kill anyone - I’ve never killed anyone - and it was just in the heat of the moment and I- I-”

Your rambling was stopped by Abby, who placed a hand on your shoulder. The touch made you flinch away, mind still conscious of the fact that this was the same girl that killed your mentor. A man who had cared for you and saved your life a handful of times. And you should be exacting the revenge you sought out here to do. To get payback, but truthfully, you were more inclined to not do it in spite of Ellie.

But you knew Joel wouldn’t you risking your life for something he caused to save Ellie. Unlike your ex, you weren’t clouded in rage. Sure, you were angry that you lost someone close to you, but that was the way of life. You mourn them and then you have to carry on. Nothing more than that. And Joel would’ve wanted you to have a healthy and careful life.

When Mel began to apply a new bandage, you cried out. Hand flying to Abby’s arm where you held on for dear life. Head thrown back against the wall as your face scrunched up in pain. “There others here, in Seattle,” you told them, trying to distract your mind from the pain surrounding your abdomen. “I don’t know where they are now. But your friend, the guy with the scar across his face and Leah, they’re both dead.”

The trio looked at you, shock evident in their eyes as you stared at them uneasily. “Leah was killed by those cultists and Ellie… she killed the other guy when he had a bag over my head,” you said. “If I could, I would’ve saved him and talked to him civilly. But my girlfriend was more inclined to make fun of him. I’m sorry.”

“What’s your name?” Abby asked, changing the subject purposefully. Although it surprised you, you cleared your throat with a groan.

“Y/n. Y/n Y/L/N,” You answered.

She nodded. “Well, Y/n, we’re going to get you proper medical treatment,” she told you. “Can you walk?”

You pursed your lips in doubt, and she opted to just lift you up, arm under your knees and the other around your lower back. A squeak falls from your lips with your arms wrapping around her neck. Tucking your face in her shoulder to hide the evidence of pain on your face. Abby successfully got you out of the janitor’s closet of a school that Ellie and Dina left you some time ago. Leg’s still aching from the debris that had prevented you from following the pair in a classroom somewhere down the hall. That and the door Ellie had consciously blocked with a desk, leaving you inside with a Clicker.

Stepping outside, you were quick to spot the truck that had a dog inside, sitting and waiting patiently. “Wait. Wait, a sec.” Abby stopped at your request, looking down at you in question. You bit your bottom lip, looking at her and the truck and shaking her head. “If Ellie finds me with you, she’s going to kill us. Maybe you should leave me here or something. I promise you, I’ll be out of Seattle before you know it. I don’t want to be locked up in a cage or killed by-”

“You’re coming with us.” The soft, yet, the unwavering firm tone in Abby’s lips silenced you. Lowering your head as Mel popped open the hitch and helped Abby pull you inside. “Manny, drive us back to the stadium. Mel and I will see how we can help, Y/n.”

“Abby, Issac’s going to kill us for bringing an outsider back-”

“Manny, just fucking drive,” Abby ordered. “At most, he’ll question her about the people that she was with.” The Hispanic man pursed his lips, cursing quietly before hopping into the truck and starting it. Leaving Abby to close the hatch and crouch by your side with Mel on the opposite side.

Retrieving items from her bag, Mel pulled out a set of bandages. “I’m just gonna replace the one you made so we can stop you from losing any more blood,” she explained. “When we get back to the base, I’ll clean the wound and stitch you up.”

Although the idea sounded great, you shook your head. “We need to disinfect it now,” you told her. “In my pack are a few bottles of Vodka. We can use that as an antiseptic until we get to your base.”

“You’re a doctor?” Mel inquired, eyes slightly widened in surprise.

You nodded. “Learned enough to know how to patch me or others up,” you explained. “Father taught me.”

Grabbing your bag, Mel grabbed one of the bottles you spoke of and took off the lid. “This is going to hurt like a motherfucker.”

“Oh, I know,” you chuckled, teeth slightly gritting in anticipation. “Let’s just get it over with.”

There seemed to be a pause where you built up the preparation in your mind and Mel tried to find confidence in doing the action. But those milliseconds didn’t carry on for too long before you were screaming in agony. Head slamming against the truck bed, nails creating crescent moons in your palm. You hadn’t even realized the sudden flailing of your arms and legs.

“Abby, hold her down!” The taller girl did as told, placing her hands firmly on your shoulders as you cried. When the stream of the intoxicating liquid seized, you were painted on the pale side of the visual. Mel quickly worked to bandage the wound and Abby tried to keep you at ease and not throw up anywhere or pass out.

Which was fruitless when you let out a sigh before your eyes fluttered shut from exhaustion. Abby clenched her teeth as she sat on the side benches along the edge of the truck bed. “Her body is just tired and in pain, Abs,” Mel stated. “But you need to know that Manny is right. Once I patch her up, Issac is just going to put her in a cage and torture her for information.”

“I know.” Abby ran a hand down her face, unable to retract her gaze from your sleeping features. So at peace and finally calm after all the bullshit you had been through. Truthfully, she had no reason to believe you and she didn’t, but she did believe you when you said you shouldn’t be out here. You were smaller in frame and height than Mel. Standing at full height, you were around Abby’s bicep and you didn’t have any defining muscle on you that screamed power in any fight. And that fact that you hadn’t killed anyone and were out here chasing after her showed that you were mentally strong. She just didn’t know if that would be able to carry on when Issac got his hands on you.

A groan shook at the back of your throat as you stirred awake. Face wincing in pain as your body ached and wished for you to rest for longer. Attempting to move your arms resulted in the harsh burn of something around your wrists. Eyes flickering open to find yourself in the center of a poorly lit room. An old fashion torch lamp was set on a few crates near a window that was blocked out by the sun by some white curtains.

Looking down at herself, she found herself in her old pair of dirty jeans with the same shirt on. But her wrists and ankles were tied together. Restrained to a chair with the harsh burn of rope being her reminder of defiance.

“Ah, good. You’re awake.” You watched with fearful eyes as the man stepped inside with a bottle of water. Shutting the door behind him and locking it before making his way over. Grabbing a discarded chair and dragging it towards you. The sound of the hind legs scratching across the ground made you wince. Sitting in the chair opposite of you, the man took a seat and smiled. “Now, we can talk about why you’re in my city.”

Issac. That was who you guessed this guy to be. He didn’t seem like some middle-class wolf taking orders from a higher power. He maintained a level of intimidation that came off as something natural. The way he talked, walked and even looked. Nothing got past this man without his say-so. And telling by how he seemed already annoyed told you that you were suspect number one for some of his troops roaming the city were dying.

Sloshing the water bottle around in front of him, he silently held it toward you. Looking between the bottle and the man, you let out a strangled sigh through your nose and nodded. Twisting the cap off, he held the open end to your lips and tilted it back enough for you to take a sip. Parting when you felt the dryness of your throat subside.

“Now, tell me where you’re from, who you’re with and how many of you there are,” Issac said in his gruff voice. “If you don’t, I’ll make this helluva lot worse for you.”

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you let out a slow controlled breath. “I’m from Jackson,” you started. “Came here by myself when I ran away from home-”

A loud laugh fell from Issac’s lips as he shook his head, and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. His dark eyes never strayed from your own. “Do I need to bring in my three soldiers that saved your life and ask them what you told them?” He asked, leaning his arms on his knees. “Or am I going to have to force the truth out of you?”

“I am telling you- MOTHERFUCKER!” You groaned eyes clamped shut at the feeling of a blade stabbed into your thigh. If he had stabbed any higher, he might’ve hit your femoral artery, but this would be easy to patch up. Of course, that’s if you survived past Issac’s torture.

“Y/n.” The use of your name on the man’s tongue was vile. It left a shiver running down your body as your eyes opened to find the man staring at your pained expression intently. “Your girlfriend left you for dead, right?” You let out a shaky exhale, tears brimming in your eyes with your lips pursing. The man frowned, shaking his head slightly as he asked, “So, why the fuck are you protecting her?”

Your lips wobbled, eyes flickering shut with your hands clenching. Breaths began to be choked up as you shook your head. Letting out a quiet cry at the thought of the auburn-haired girl. The girl that saved you from Clickers on a patrol run. The girl that had promised to keep you safe and one day, have a family with you.

Where was that now?

Where was she?

Hadn’t you risked enough coming out here with her and Dina? You lied to your father and left Jackson, your home. You’d given every waking moment of your time to this girl for the past 5 years, and this was how you were repaid. Being tortured for actions that you hadn’t condoned or acted upon. All you wanted was to keep her safe, but she must’ve not wanted the same as you.

With tear-soaked cheeks, you lifted your chin and shook your head. “I don’t know who you’re talking about,” you wept. “I came here alone and sought out Abby for killing-”

Your scream was muffled by the door that was dividing Abby from you. Her face scrunched up in aggravation. How could you be so loyal to someone who left you for dead? She couldn’t wrap her head around it because you shouldn’t be putting yourself in your girlfriend's place. Issac had promised Abby that he would allow you to rest before eventually sending you on your way, but that had been if you would tell the truth. Yet, you were putting up a useless fight for someone who wasn’t coming to save you.

Tears streamed down your cheeks as Issac coursed the knife down your forearm. Red breaching through the crack of your flesh and staining your pale flesh. Body trembling in the hot restraints of the rope that strained against your clenching limbs. Feeling the mounting pain to fizzle to a gentle stream of stinging when Issac pulled the blade from your flesh. Sitting back in his chair to take in your dishevelled and broken figure. From his doing, cuts were inflicted along your arms, legs, and one along your cheek. The blood slithered down your skin and sunk into your clothes. Hair astray from his hands that grabbed locks when he cut your face. And your eyes were bloodshot from the tears that never seized to fall.

“I came here alone,” you said through sobs. “I sought out Abby for killing my mentor.”

Issac sighed, shaking his head in slight astonishment. “You’re resilient, I’ll give ya that.” He rose from his seat, water bottle in hand. “Fighting for someone that isn’t coming to save you. It takes guts and I respect that. Really, I do. But I wonder how long it’ll take until you realize that your girlfriend left you behind- No, keep your eyes open.” The man tapped your cheek, forcing your head up. Finding your eyes hollow of emotion as you stared back at him.

“She isn’t coming to save you, Y/n,” he said quietly. “Whatever you thought of your girlfriend was a lie and you need to realize that before you die for someone who didn’t give a shit about you.” Crouching down in front of you, the man took your hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “If you tell me the truth, I can guarantee you that your girlfriend will be brought to justice. I’ll make my men go out and find her. From there, you can do as you wish. Kill her, torture her- I don’t care. But I need the truth, Y/n.”

In a drowsy state, you managed to keep eye contact with the man. Licking your dry lips as you swallowed the lump in your throat. “I’m from Jackson. I came here alone and sought out Abby for killing my mentor.”

All the man could do was stare at you, shell-shocked. You choked on your breaths, keeping the man’s gaze. A knock at the door grabbed your guys’ attention, seeing the door slightly open with Abby stepping inside. Her eyes focused on your dishevelled and broken form that was barely holding up. Eyes glossed over with tears as you broke the eye contact, bowing your head.

“I’m in the middle of something, Abby,” Issac grumbled. “Whatever you have to say is going to have to wait.”

“Issac, we both know she is going to keep this up until you kill her,” Abby protested. “If you aren’t going to do it, then let her recover. This isn’t getting us anywhere in finding her girlfriend.”

The man stared at you, taking in his soldier's words for a moment. Standing to his feet, placed the knife down on the chair and looked at Abby. “Keep her awake and give her this.” Placing the bottle in the girl’s hands, he walked out without another word. Leaving Abby to hold onto the bottle and stare at your figure that could be mistaken for dead if it wasn’t for your rising chest.

It was sad, honestly. How you could still hold love for someone that left you for dead was astonishing to Abby. Of course, she didn’t know your life story and she didn’t know shit about what you and your girlfriend had been through. But what she did know is that you weren’t made for this. You had skills that people dreamed of having, yet, you were out here hunting her for reasons that you may relate with, still didn’t change the fact that you weren’t built for surviving in the wild.

Walking over, Abby moved the knife, placing it in her lap as she sat down. Twisting the cap as she said, “Have some water.” You didn’t respond and you didn’t move. “Y/n, look at me.”

Still nothing. So, with a gentle hand, Abby grabbed your jaw and lifted your head. Finding your eyes heavy with exhaustion. Standing to her feet, Abby placed her thumb on your bottom lip and gently parted your lips. Realizing what she was doing, you willingly opened your mouth, allowing her to slowly pour the refreshing drink into your mouth.

Although she was your enemy, her touch was warm and soft. Treating you like a fragile ornament that could break with the faintest amount of squeeze. She cared. Her eyes watched you softly with the faintest hint of darkness that you couldn’t distinguish. She was worried. It was all that you had hoped to find from Ellie right about now, but you were receiving it from the woman you had been told was a monster. A woman who killed a man you deeply cared about. Who was she, truly?

Greedily drinking all of the water, Abby pulled away, placing the bottle on the floor. Taking a seat, Abby leaned back in the chair, eyes intently taking in your sorrowful expression. “I can’t understand you.” Her words made you raise your bloodshot eyes to her in question. Abby groaned, leaning her elbows onto her knees, closing the space between the two of you a little more. “How can you still love her after what she did to you?”

You bit your bottom lip, breaking eye contact and looking down at your legs. The steady ache from the stab wound had numbed to a point as long as you didn’t move the limb, you could forget it. But you couldn’t forget the wound so freshly cut into your mind. One that seemed to come up every single time Issac questioned you about your reason for being in Seattle.

“She changed me,” you finally answered, breaking the silence. “It’s something I can’t repay, but I thought… I thought that if I did everything to save her from trouble, maybe it would be enough.” You chewed on your bottom lip, shaking your head in thought. “I just can’t believe she would leave me behind. I can’t.”

Sniffling, you looked up at Abby. “That doesn’t make me foolish, okay?” You defended. “Ellie won’t leave me. She loves me. She loves me more than killing you, alright?” Exhaling deeply, you shook your head. “So, please. Just… Just let me go. I’ll convince her to go back and we’ll leave. She needs to know I’m ok.”

Abby stared at you sadly, pursing her lips at your denial. It was hard to hear that you, so pure of heart, wanting to do everything you could to support someone, were so clueless to signs of your fate. Ellie wouldn’t stop. You and Abby knew that. But you were too caught up in love to realize the pain you were trying to protect yourself from. Bargaining for something that wouldn’t come true.

Then it popped into her head, why would someone hurt you this bad? Or, how could someone hurt you this bad? It was damn near soulless the way Ellie had been able to inflict this much pain in one action in seconds. No verbal response, just a single action.

“Y/n, I’m sorry,” Abby whispered, piquing your interest. “I’m sorry for what I took from you.”

You frowned, staring at the girl in question. “What do you mean?”

“Joel,” she answered, making your expression lower into sadness. Abby ran a hand down her face, shifting forward slightly. “If I didn’t do what I did, maybe things would be better for you. You wouldn’t be here and dealing with what you’re dealing with.”

A faint tremble of your lips could be seen as you glanced up at her for a split moment before looking down. Letting out a shaky sigh and blinking away the fresh set of tears that were brewing in your eyes. Inhaling sharply as you bit the inside of your cheek. “Why did you do it, Abby?” You inquired quietly, looking up at the girl. Finding her expression shifted into one of regret as you shifted in your seat. “Abby, he was my mentor, a friend, the last person I got to call my father. He was one of the only people I had left, and you took him from me. So, please, I need to know why you took him from me if I can trust you.”

Abby let out a shaky breath. Hands clasping together as her lips parted. A fumbling of a sentence formed in her mind before she swallowed the lump in her throat. “Joel killed my father in Salt Lake,” she confessed. “I never got over it. I gathered information and searched for answers that could tell me where he was. So, when I found out he was in Jackson, I hunted him down with my group, and I killed him.”

Her confession left the room in a cold stillness as she waited for your response. So, she continued. “I hated him so much for what he took from me,” she muttered. “Finding my dad stabbed in the throat, having no chance to say goodbye or to give him a hug. Joel took that from me and I took that from you, and I’m so fucking sorry.”

Looking up, she found you staring down at her empathetically. “I’m sorry for your loss, Abby.” That was the last response she thought to receive. She’d taken so much from you, yet, you still had a softness in your heart that wasn’t afraid of being given out. “We’ve dealt with enough pain and I don’t want anymore. I just wanna go home with Ellie and be happy, you know?”

Falling to a knee, Abby grabbed your hands and held them softly. “You gotta listen to me, Y/n,” Abby said. “Ellie, she left you behind. As much as I don’t want to agree with Issac on this, he is right. If she loved you, she would’ve done anything to keep you safe and alive.”

A hard pill to swallow, that statement was. It felt like the imaginary knife Ellie had stabbed into was twisting further and further into your heart. Stealing whatever love that you had left for the girl and using it for her own personal gain. Because, in the end, that was the whole point of you coming. Getting guilt-tripped into seeking revenge for a man that only wanted the best for you. You didn’t even get to mourn his loss. You were just thrust into this quest that you wanted no part of. But your love for Ellie was something you couldn’t extinguish. It burned brighter than any flame imaginable.

And she used it against you.

Burning your heart and leaving a permanent scar that reminded you of how your trust could be twisted and forced against you in a selfish act.

“We were travelling with another woman- Dina,” you said out of the blue, making Abby frown. “I don’t know where they’re staying, but we were on our way looking for somewhere to set up camp until we found you.” Inhaling deeply, you closed your eyes. “She has a revolver, a Baretta, and a hunting rifle. Dina is pregnant, so if you go looking for them, don’t hurt her, please-”

“Y/n, you don’t have to tell me this if you don’t want to.” Abby surprisingly placed a hand on your cheek. Her warmth and comfort were enough for you to lean into the touch. The cold pinch of your tears covered her palms as you opened your eyes.

Pursing your lips, a thin-lipped smile appeared as you shrugged. “What else do I gotta lose?”

“Depending on how you look at it, this could be psychological thriller, or you could say it has a romance aspect to it, or it could be horror. But above all else, when I could see this film from India’s perspective as a coming-of-age story of a girl, that’s when I felt that I could direct this film, that it became interesting to me… Rather than leaving her nest in search of a commendable, positive, beautiful set of values, India leaves as a devil, in search for evolution into being a complete evil incarnate. So in this respect, this is a completely subverted coming-of-age story.”  — Park Chan-wook, Stoker: A Filmmaker’s Journey

Norman Reedus