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amongthebooks · 8 months

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{whumptober: day 1}

FANDOM: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Reboot)

PROMPTS: Safety Net | Swooning | “How many fingers am I holding up?” | "But now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps.”

PAIRING: Simon 'Ghost' Riley / John 'Soap' MacTavish (SoapGhost)

WORD COUNT: 1.7k (AO3)

TAGS/CW: falling, near death experience, light angst with a happy ending, hurt Simon "Ghost" Riley

SNIPPET:

Ghost had no time to react as both he and his attacker were sent flying. His muscles tensed to brace for a quick impact… only it never came. Fuck, it still hadn’t happened yet - they were still falling. Why were they still falling? A fact realized only a moment too late, was that both men were fighting in a wing that was still under construction, around a place that would soon be a stairwell. The caveat? Instead of that finished structure, there was a big gaping hole. or Ghost takes a fall while on a mission.

“I’m in place, you’re clear to move,” Ghost stated into his comms, settling into his position of overwatch.

The 141’s latest mission had sent them to the heart of a city, seeking out a target of extremely high priority. The immediacy and sensitive nature of the man they were looking for had been the sole reason that the team had agreed to infiltrate an area where things could go south quickly.

All it meant for Ghost is that they had to practice extreme caution. That one misstep could lead to an unwanted interaction with civilians.

Ghost was posted up in a multi-story building, chosen due to the fact it was in the middle of being constructed. It had been relatively easy to gain access, the toughest part coming where he had to navigate through the various ladders and scaffolding, the tools serving as the only means of getting between levels.

Setting up his lookout post using a top floor apartment allowed him a clear view of the building across the street without being too obvious from the outside. There, he provided support as Gaz and Soap infiltrated the building, constantly updating them to the security detail’s locations as they swept each floor.

Before long, he watched through two sets of windows as Gaz secured the target. Both men having a tight grip on him, quick to cuff his hands and gag his mouth.

Ghost watched as they descended back the way they came, heading to where Price was waiting outside with the exfil vehicle.

A few minutes later, and he was sitting on his heels, waiting to hear his favorite words.

“Mission success. Ghost, regroup on us.”

That was his cue. Ghost lowered his scope as he turned to grab his gear and leave. He didn’t get far, though, before the door suddenly burst open. And behind it? A man pointing a gun in his direction.

Shit.

Ghost wasted no time in rolling to the side, hearing a shot fly by him as he ducked into the adjacent room, hand reaching to unsheathe a knife on his thigh. He stayed low to the ground, waiting for the other man to take the bait.

The fight was anything but clean - Ghost not expecting resistance, and the intruder not expecting a tank to be his target. Fists and blades flew, guns abandoned as the close quarters got tighter.

Before long, the two had burst back out into the hallway. Both were out of breath and pissed that the encounter hadn’t ended yet.

With one last attempt, the intruder lunged at Ghost, putting his entire body into sending the man to the ground.

Ghost had no time to react as they were both sent flying.

His muscles tensed to brace for a quick impact… only it never came. Fuck, it still hadn’t happened yet - they were still falling. Why were they still falling?

A fact realized only a moment too late, was that both men were fighting in a wing that was still under construction, around a place that would soon be a stairwell. The caveat? Instead of that finished structure, there was a

big

gaping

hole.

Ghost used his strength to kick at the man mid-air, succeeding at prying the arms off of him seconds before his back connected with something firm. The wind was knocked out of him as he tried to understand the reason for his sudden cease of movement.

But before he could assess things, he heard a snap, his fall continuing seconds later.

What was going on?

His body spun as his leg snagged on something, and then everything stopped. Well, to say that everything stopped would have to mean that the room wasn’t upside down and spinning - but it most certainly was.

Ghost felt as if he was going to be sick.

He tucked his head to his chin, looking around to assess the situation. As it was, the fall had to have lasted at least a few stories at the minimum. His leg had been caught up in some rope, miraculously enough that it had looped in a way that stopped his descent in its tracks.

It was a safety net.

It made sense now, recalling the harsh snap when he had first fallen.

The nets were only meant to handle a fall of six feet, and Ghost guessed that he had easily doubled that amount. He had been lucky that it had snapped in a way that had snagged on his leg, though it had definitely pulled something and left him still suspended up in the air.

The alternative would have been a much worse fate.

Peering to the ground below, Ghost clocked the body of the man that had fought him, and how it was in a contorted, unmoving heap at the bottom of the stairwell.

That could have been him.

Ghost’s head spun as he tried to reorient himself. Too disoriented on the fact that luck had saved him from certain death that he didn’t hear his radio going off.

'-ost? Lieutenant, check in, godammit!'

'Price, I’m going to Ghost’s last known location.'

All the while, the man dangled like a fish on a line as he resigned himself to his fate in the net, blood already rushing to his head. He had definitely gotten whiplash from the fall, feeling sick to his stomach and sore in more places than one.

Ghost was still utterly disoriented when he barely registered his name being called; far away at first but getting closer with every passing moment.

Footfalls that seemed to pick up until, “Oh my god,” he heard Soap mumbled breathlessly. Of course it was Soap that had come to find him.

Ghost assumed he was creating quite the sight, even when he couldn’t see the other man. Walking into a room to see your lieutenant hanging upside down, entangled in rope, would get a rise out of most of his men, he knew.

Though Soap wasn’t like most of his men.

He had half of a mind to attempt rotating around to greet the man, though he didn’t want to risk the seven foot fall that awaited him. That, and he felt like he’d be sick if he moved even an inch.

“Ghost? Ghost! Shit, no, please tell me you’re not-“ The man circled around him until he was facing him properly. In lieu of a verbal greeting, Ghost raised one of his hands to wave gingerly, ignoring how the movement made the nerves in his arm tingle like crazy.

Even from the vertical distance between them, he could clearly make out the loud sigh Soap let out. Presumably figuring out his predicament.

“Steamin’ jesus, are you serious? You can’t just not answer your comms, Ghost! What’s a man supposed to think, walking in here to find that body over there and you suspended in the air like that?” The smidge of relief on Soap’s face had morphed into something more harsh, his accent getting stronger as he ranted.

And oh…Ghost hadn’t even thought of it like that. Of the conclusions that could be made from seeing his attacker’s broken body below him, and his limp one all tangled up. He opened his mouth to reassure the man, before another wave of nausea washed over him.

On second thought…talking would have to wait another moment.

Soap let silence fall over them for a few moments before he sighed again.

“Alright, let me find something to soften the fall, LT,” he offered before turning on his heels, pausing in the doorway. “Oh, and don’t go anywhere, ‘k?”

“Fucker,” Ghost mumbled as the other man’s laugh echoed down the hallway. Deciding to blame the fact that he was lightheaded as the reason he let a few chuckles of his own out.

Soap was back after a few minutes, hauling two bags of insulation behind him.

He made short work of placing them underneath where Ghost was dangling before disappearing again, presumably to get to a position where the rope could be cut.

In the meantime, Ghost allowed his eyes to shut. An overwhelming feeling of exhaustion seeped into his body the longer he continued to be suspended.

“Ready?” Soap’s voice echoed down the empty stairwell.

“ ‘mm?” Ghost grunted as his eyes fluttered open. His mind trying to fill in gaps again as the room seemed to spin again.

His reprieve was short lived when there was suddenly a distinct snap was heard, and Ghost’s body was in free fall once more. This time for a much shorter amount, though, before he impacted something soft beneath him.

Ghost stayed prone until Soap caught back up to him.

The man immediately tried to help haul him to his feet, balking when Ghost swatted at his hand and insisted that he didn’t need help standing.

Soap scoffed, “There’s no way you can stand after dangling like that, sir.”

When he received a side eye from the man, he added, “Alright, how many fingers am I holding up?”

After a few unsteady steps, Ghost had made it to his feet, though he had to immediately brace himself on the nearby wall.

“Uh,” he squinted towards Soap, looking for where his hand even was. Fuck, why was the room spinning so much?

“None?” Ghost settled on, before suddenly swooning, eyes rolling back as he started to go down. Soap luckily lunged to catch him before his body hit the ground.

“It’s alright, LT. I gotcha,” he said reassuringly, repositioning his arms so that he was essentially bridal carrying the man. He figured it was the easiest way he’d get them both outside, especially when Ghost couldn't be awake to protest.

Soap couldn’t help the mote of excitement that buzzed through him as he made his way out of the building.

After all, it wasn’t every day the lieutenant was found hanging mid air, and he had a feeling there was no way that the rest of the team would let Ghost live this day down.

#whumptober2023 #no.1 #safety net #swooning #”how many fingers am I holding up?”#“But now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps.”#callofduty #fic #near death experience #ghostsoap #soapghost #mw2 #mwii #ghostMW2 #soapMW2 #Scar's SoapGhost Fics

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robyn-runestone · 8 months

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“When a thin cloud of dust descends from the temple’s roof, Layton knows it’s already too late. Luke is up ahead of him, sketching a wall carving into his little notebook. He doesn’t notice that something is wrong. By the time he figures it out, he will already be…”

——————

Whumptober Day 1: “How many fingers am I holding up?”

#whumptober 2023 #no.1 #”how many fingers am i holding up?”#professor layton #fanfiction #im so excited for this month!

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cyberwhumper · 8 months

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The dull clanging of the hollow metal pipe filled the air as Baxter dragged it slowly behind himself. Rust and dried blood pepper the bent and gnarled metal, matches to the wounds on the captive man tied up across the room.

"You still with me?"

No response. Whiskey doesn't even look at him. Rather, his eyes seem completely lost and unfocused, as if he is unable to comprehend his own predicament. That mangled ankle is getting to him faster than he expected.

Or he's pretending. Waiting for a chance to strike. He already did it once, didn't he? He will do it again.

The thought upsets Baxter. His cybernetic fingers tighten around the pipe. He's holding his rage in check by an ever-fraying thread.

"I'll give you one last fuckin chance. How many fingers am I holding up?"

With one swift motion the impatient man slaps Whiskey across the face, so hard his artificial joints nick the already bruised skin. He groans in pain and clenches his teeth, struggling against the ropes for any hope at retaliation.

"Eyes on me now, prick. I know you're not as sick as you're pretending to be. Now answer the fuckin question."

"Fuck… yo..u"

This is going to be fun.

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celtic-crossbow · 8 months

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Whumptober 2023

No. 1: “How Many Fingers am I Holding Up?” | No. 5: Debris

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x Fem!Reader (pre-relationship)

Setting: Prison era

Warnings: Head injury

‘Please, don’t be dead. Please, don’t be dead!’ The railing on the stairs wobbled— a testament to the poor solidity of the building— as you hurried down the two floors separating you from the archer. The both of you agreed to tread carefully when entering the old hospital, the look of it not inspiring confidence but the probability of what it could contain overpowering any hesitance. Medical supplies were scarce in this world. Two Tylenol tablets and a pack of gauze would mean everything in what used to be the simplest of situations.

“Daryl?” You called as loudly as you dared after shoving open the heavy metal door to the ground level. The hole in the flooring was easy to spot with the beam of your flashlight, several feet wide with dust still rising from the collapse. Your stomach twisted when there was no immediate reply, but another call was not necessary when you saw a piece of debris shift. A low groan followed the movement. You would swear that the moisture in your eyes was from the dust in the air.

You had to hold the light in your mouth to help move the rubble covering him, but there he was. A little worse for wear but in one piece and blinking up at you with a dazed expression. The flashlight was propped against some of the wreckage so that your hands were free to help him sit up.

“Are you okay?” He blinked a few more times and pressed the heel of his palm to his forehead. He didn’t answer, minutely swaying where he sat. “Dixon, are you with me?”

Daryl finally seemed to realize you were speaking to him and met your eyes, more than a little disoriented. “Huh?”

Worry gnawed at your heart. “Are you alright? How do you feel?”

“Like I jus’ fell through the floor fer a half full bottle’a meds.” His speech was a bit slurred, his movements slow and jerky. He held up the aforementioned antibiotics and shook the bottle lightly. “Still got ‘em though.”

You couldn’t help but smile. “Let me look you over and then we’ll get out of here.” You left no room for argument. The archer quickly squeezed his eyes shut when the flashlight was pointed toward his face, swatting at your hand lazily. “Stop it, I need to look at your eyes, you big baby.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He slowly peeled open one and then the other, keeping his hand in front of them while they adjusted to the light. After a few seconds, he dropped his arm so you could see two evenly sized, reactive pupils.

“Good. That’s good.” Lowering the light, you reached for the back of his head before he could think to stop the unwanted touch. Your fingers quickly probed at a wet, raised area.

“Hey! Tha’ hurts, woman!”

“You’ve got a decent sized bump on your noggin, Dixon. How many fingers am I holding up?” You had perfected the art of ignoring his griping over the span of months you’d spent with him, a feat that the others in your little apocalypse family wished they all could achieve. Or maybe he just wasn’t as grumpy with you to begin with. Your hand hovered between you, three fingers wiggling to get his attention.

Daryl scoffed and began preparing himself to stand, nonchalantly flipping up his middle finger. “How many m’ I holdin’ up?”

You sighed with a fond smile, dropping your hand to his arm to help him get to his feet. “Yeah, you’re okay enough to get back to Hershel.” It was a bit of a struggle getting him upright, and he swayed a little before you settled his arm over your shoulders. “I’m driving.”

“Hell no, ‘ve been through ‘nough today.” His tone was gruff but not angry.

“And I’d like to make it in one piece. I bet you see two of me right now, don’t you?”

“Wouldn’t be such a bad thing, don’ reckon.”

You could feel your cheeks burn. You ducked your head when you felt him staring at you and pinched his side playfully.

“You must’ve really hit your head, Dixon.”

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omgiamwish · 8 months

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"Mikey... I only have three fingers." "Not if you use both hands!" "... My other hand is on your head." "Oh... Haha, oops!"

Whumptober 2023 Day 1 - "How many fingers am I holding up?"

#whumptober2023 #no.1 #how many fingers am i holding up?#tmnt 2003 #art #blood #injury #tmnt #leonardo #michelangelo #fan art #artists on tumblr

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artsyhamster · 1 year

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this one goes out to all the binoclards out there who had other people try on their glasses

#Disco elysium #Disco elysium fanart #harry du bois #kim kitsuragi #im gonna spare kim the how many fingers am i holding up question #the answer is most likely: i can see the amount of fingers. they are just very. very blurry

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breezy-cheezy · 8 months

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WHUMPTOBER Day 1:

“But now this room is spinning while I’m trying just to fill in all the gaps.”

OR: “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Hellooooo Arknights peeps have some Silverash siblings (watched friends in the discord cook up a funny scenario where Enciodes just. Tries so hard to get to his sister's birthday party. He has not slept in 3 days. There have been 2 assassination attempts. He has fallen off a cliff. He has like 3 concussions somehow. He Will Get To This Party. For political relations of course.)

I feel this goes without saying buuuut just in case:

Please don't tag with ship tags thank you!!

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skyward-floored · 8 months

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Whumptober Day 1: Swooning, “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Welcome back to whumptober yet again >:D I’m going to try and do all 31 days again, we’ll see if I can manage it!

Anyways, this got longer then I meant it to, but I had to corral the ending into something that made sense XD Enjoy!

Read it on ao3

————————————————————

“You find that key yet, Rancher?” a voice called from way off in the distance.

Twilight barked back a negative, and continued to sniff around for the key to the exit of the room the others were in. There’d been a spot only his wolf form could easily get to, and so he’d climbed up to it and crawled through, moving soft dirt with his paws until he’d entered into the more spacious area he was in now.

The room appeared to be circular, but there were several high walls he couldn’t see over so he couldn’t tell for sure. They were somewhat maze-like, and confusing in their layout, so Twilight was forced to rely on scent, searching for the metallic, and no-doubt rusty-smelling key.

He turned several corners, following a faint metallic smell he hoped was his objective. There wasn’t much in the maze apart from a few rats and the concerning remains of a skeleton, and Twilight padded cautiously on, perking up the moment the glint of a treasure chest finally caught his eye. He ran up to it, and transformed back into a Hylian, eagerly opening the chest.

A dark, shining key sat inside, just what he’d been looking for.

Twilight reached inside with a warm feeling of satisfaction, then heard a faint click as he lifted the key. A cloud of dark particles shot up from the chest, blowing right in Twilight’s face, and he gasped involuntarily, inhaling a good portion of it.

He began coughing as the dust coated his throat, the dust making him choke as he stumbled backwards. The cloud settled after a moment, but Twilight kept coughing out whatever he could, blinking tears from his eyes and wiping dust off his face.

He patted himself down, and looked around for any threat or danger to his person, but the room was as silent as it had been, and apart from the dryness of his throat, Twilight felt no ill effects.

Must have been an old boobytrap, he thought to himself, coughing a bit more as he pocketed the key and headed back the way he came. Arrows or something were probably supposed to fly out at my face... Whatever it was probably disintegrated because they were so old.

Twilight coughed again, and shook more dust out of his hair.

It’s a good thing I wasn’t here a few decades sooner.

Twilight made it back out of the maze and into the other room without further incident, though the skeleton tried to grab him as he walked by. He easily fought it off, and told the others about it with a laugh as they continued through the dungeon, and the strange black dust entirely fled his mind.

The dungeon was large, obviously some kind of fort once upon a time, but it had been long abandoned apart from the monsters who’d taken up residence inside. The heroes ran into a large group of them shortly, and they set to work, room echoing with shouts and screeches alike.

Twilight went for a troublesome-looking gibdo (one of Legend’s fortunately, apparently his didn’t scream), and began attacking, slicing at the strangely thick bandages.

Sky was fighting another one nearby, and a little further away Legend was yelling something as Wild shot several fire arrows. A group of the gibdos burst into flames, but Twilight tried to focus on his own battle, even as Legend yelled at Wild again.

The gibdo wasn’t fast, but it was sturdy, and it took a lot of time for Twilight to make any headway in hurting it. He jumped around to the back of it more than once, slicing in the same spot, and the gibdo finally seemed like it was flagging after several of the attacks.

It made a move for him, swiping at his middle, but Twilight took the opportunity to roll around and run it through with his sword, the monster letting out an odd moan before collapsing into dust.

Twilight glanced at where the gibdo had swiped at him, but his tunic wasn’t even ripped. Satisfied that he was fine, he jumped back into the fray, avoiding a stalfos that jumped at him and nearly sliced off his arm. Twilight immediately went on the attack, blocking another swipe with his shield, and lunging forward to swipe at the monster.

But the moment he stepped forward, a strange wave of something swept over him, making him stumble. He blinked dizzily, head lightly spinning, and looked around in confusion.

His head felt light, the battle around him fading at the edges, and he put a hand to his head, wondering what on earth was going on.

He felt almost as if he was suffering the effects of an injury, a knock to the head, blood loss or something similar, but that gibdo had barely touched him, why was he..?

Twilight stumbled as he avoided a swipe from the stalfos’s blade, clumsily blocking it with his shield. The crash of the weapon hitting it made him wince, and he desperately tried to gather his wits about him so he could fight back.

What was going on here?

Twilight tried to go on the offensive, swinging his sword, but somehow he missed the stalfos entirely. The lack of resistance made him stumble, and the stalfos let out a strange clattering cackle as it swung at him again, red eyes blurring in Twilight’s vision.

A glowing blade suddenly entered his sight, and Twilight watched as Sky swiped straight through the stalfos that had been hedging him, the bones falling to pieces. The room was suddenly a lot quieter, and Twilight distantly realized that that must have been the last monster.

“Twilight, are you okay? That thing nearly got you!” Sky said with a smile, his voice only mildly worried as he sheathed his sword.

Twilight gave him a nod, blinking as he tried to make the room quit swimming around him. It refused to stop though, and Sky’s expression turned more truly concerned.

“Twilight? Are you all right?”

“Fine, I’m... I’m fine,” he said a little shakily, resting a hand on his head. “Think I... just...”

He coughed, black flecks falling on his hand, and his mind abruptly flashed back to the dust in the treasure chest.

...perhaps the boobytrap hadn’t been as ruined as he’d thought.

Sky’s eyes went wide, and the room suddenly lurched, shaking and wavering all around. Twilight heard a shout, but it was muffled and strange, and didn’t make any sense to his ears.

He couldn’t hold his weight any longer, and he felt his eyes roll back in his head as his legs gave out.

(...)

Something shook him, a bit frantically, and Twilight sluggishly came back to awareness.

He blinked his eyes open, and bit back a groan as he closed them again, his vision swirling and rolling around. Something was shaking him again, but Twilight didn’t reopen his eyes, afraid he would throw up if he did.

“Rancher, open your eyes, come on.”

Twilight reluctantly cracked them open, several things moving above him in dizzying color.

“How many fingers am I holding up?” the same voice asked him, and Twilight blinked, trying to focus on the things in his vision that kept blurring in and out of focus.

“Quit movin’ th’m,” he mumbled, and more voices echoed above him, making him only feel more dizzy as he tried to listen to them.

“Concussion you think?”

“He didn’t hit his head, there’s no injuries there I can find.”

“Well what’s wrong with him then?!”

“Has he had anything to eat today?”

“Probably needs a bath, he’s filthy.”

“Don’t be stupid, that wouldn’t make him faint!”

Twilight’s breath caught funny in his chest, and he coughed again, a sharp wave of vertigo hitting as someone sat him up. A groan escaped his lips, and a hand gently turned his head.

“Twilight, what’s wrong? What happened?”

Twilight blinked hazily, trying to focus on whoever was talking to him, but his vision refused to do what he wanted it to, and his dizziness grew to an excruciating degree.

He let out a whimper, uncertain of what was going on, and felt a sudden sharp pain in his chest, intense and painful. It spread through his body like liquid fire, and he cried out, moving suddenly agonizing.

“Twilight!”

The hand was back and frantically patting his cheek, and something moved in front of him again, but all Twilight could do was focus on the dizziness and pain that was demanding all of his attention.

“Twilight, please, focus, do you know what happened?”

Twilight breathed in shakily, tensing as another wave of pain ripped through him. He had to tell them what was wrong, he had to warn them in case there was more of the dust, in case it hurt one of them— but all he could do was try not to scream.

“Twilight?”

Twilight squeezed his eyes shut, then reopened them, trying to meet whoever was in front of him’s eyes.

“Th... dust...” he moaned, voice barely more then a whisper, “brea... thed...”

His breath caught with pain, and Twilight heard someone shout as the dizziness overcame him again, darkness washing over his vision.

(...)

When Twilight woke back up, he was being held between two people, arms over their shoulders.

He blinked dizzily, and saw stone under his feet, moving slowly as he was carried forward. We must still be in the dungeon.

Another wave of that strange fiery pain ripped through him, and Twilight gasped, making whoever was holding him startle.

“He’s awake!”

Footsteps clattered on the stone, and hands poked at him, lightly holding up his chin.

“Rancher? How are you feeling?”

Twilight couldn’t manage anything more then a groan, and something gently ran through his hair.

“Okay, that’s alright, you’re going to be fine. Can you drink something for us? Warriors thinks a potion will help.”

Twilight mumbled something he hoped was a good enough reply, and something cool was pressed to his lips. Sweetness hit his tongue as it was tilted back, and Twilight drank, waiting for the potion to kick in.

The very beginnings of warmth began to settle in his chest, but then his stomach lurched, and he jerked forward, coughing up the healing draught and gagging at the taste of it coming back up. It felt weirdly dry as well, nearly making him choke, and Twilight felt the arms come up to prop him into a slightly different position.

“Easy Rancher...”

“Should we give him another?”

“He won’t be able to keep it down, not with the way he’s acting.”

“Well now what?!”

“...Guys? He’s... not just throwing up potion.”

The room went oddly quiet, apart from Twilight’s harsh breathing, his stomach and head now swirling with nausea. He’d finished throwing up, but now his tongue and throat felt like sandpaper in his mouth. He coughed something out, and there was a hand on his cheek again, holding him steady.

“Four said he mentioned breathing in dust earlier... do you think that’s what he meant?”

“I don’t see what else he could have meant.”

“So the dust is making him like this... we just gotta get it out somehow!”

Twilight moaned as his head swirled, and something touched him, gently rubbing his shoulder as his awareness started to fade again.

“Don’t worry Twi, we’ll fix this. Just hold on.”

(...)

Twilight came to with a jolt the next time, something forcing his mouth open, air being pulled through his lips.

He heaved in a gasp, and hands moved to hold him down, voices talking far above his head and the ground rolling up and down under his back. He tried to struggle, but the hands were firm, and something brushed through his hair as he tried to drag in another gasp.

“I’m so sorry Twilight, but this’ll help, try and stay still.”

The wind increased in its intensity, and Twilight felt like every bit of air was being sucked from inside him, leaving him unable to breath, unable to fight, to get away they were holding him down—

A sob choked from his throat, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t resist, couldn’t stop them from doing whatever it was they were doing and it made him feel sick. What felt like sand fell down his cheeks, and he let out a breathless scream as the air continued to be pulled from him, the fire in his limbs blazing, his head swirling.

There was more talking but Twilight couldn’t focus on any of it, his world narrowed down to pain and wind and a scratchy feeling in his throat and lungs and all over inside of him.

It hurt.

He still couldn’t breathe, no matter how he thrashed or cried out and the pain was so intense and thick that the darkness soon dragged him under yet again.

(...)

A hand was brushing through his hair, teasing out knots, gentle in its motions.

Twilight didn’t do anything but focus on it for a minute, the touch soothing and calm. Then he realized just how dry his throat felt, his insides hollow, and he let out a breathy moan, trying to open his eyes.

“Whoa, easy,” someone said, and Twilight finally dragged his eyes open, pleasantly surprised when his vision didn’t smear. He was able to look to the side and meet who turned out to be Four’s eyes without any swirling spots or fire in his chest, and he felt a spark of equal relief and confusion.

“...’thy?” he rasped, and Four nodded, looking pleased.

“Hey, he’s awake!” another voice said, and Sky leaned over into Twilight’s vision. He looked tired, but there was a smile on his face. “Good to see you up, Rancher.”

“Oh thank Hylia,” another voice gasped, and Wild appeared in his vision as well, looking utterly relieved. “We weren’t sure if that was going to work or not.”

“If what w...work..?” Twilight croaked, and Sky, Four, and Wild all looked at each other.

“We had to get the dust out somehow,” Four said quietly, guilt thick in his voice. “I figured since you inhaled it... sucking it out would be our best bet.”

“Four has an item that worked rather well,” Sky said, though his smile had grown tight. “We weren’t sure at first if it had helped, but... well, we’re glad you’re all right, Rancher.”

Twilight blinked, and looked between the three. He was having some trouble following exactly what was being said, he felt sore and tired, and a bit like a paper straw someone had sucked air through a few too many times, but even he could tell that Four felt awful.

And sure, he didn’t quite know why, or remember exactly what had happened, but Four had helped him, and that was enough for Twilight.

“Thank you,” he said sincerely, and worked past the bit of dizziness still in his head to reach over and pat Four’s hand. “Thank you.”

He couldn’t manage anything further, but it seemed like it was enough. Four took his hand in his and gave it a squeeze, and Twilight dredged up a smile.

“Screw dungeons,” Wild muttered fiercely, and went back to playing with Twilight’s hair. “They’re stupid and they suck.”

Twilight barked out a laugh, wheezy and uncomfortable, but it was worth it seeing the relieved looks that were exchanged above him.

“Agree. Screw ‘em,” he croaked.

#linkeduniverse #linked universe #lu twilight #lu Sky #lu four #lu Wild #whumptober 2023 #day 1 #swooning #how many fingers am i holding up?#writing from the floor #ask to tag #more specific warnings on ao3 if you need that #anyway WHEW #I stayed up late trying to finish this #I finally wrangled an ending that’s... well it’s okay I guess XD #at least it’s done

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jasmines-library · 8 months

Text

Just One Big Headache

WHUMPTOBER 2023: Day one, prompt "How many fingers am I holding up?" FANDOM: Supernatural Summary: A routine salt 'n' burn takes a nasty turn when the spirit directs its anger towards you, leaving you with a nasty concussion, but not to worry, the Winchesters are there to look after you. Warnings: Head injury, concussion, loss of consciousness, violence, weapons, broken ribs. Word count: 1.8k Author Note: Aaaaaand its off! Welcome to jedi-archives whumptober 2023! I promise i'm going to try my best to get these out everyday but i can't make any promises. My prompts are coming from a mixture of the official @whumptober prompts and my own. I'm starting off with something slightly fluffy to ease us in. With that said, happy whumping!

MASTERLIST ⛤ WHUMPTOBER WORKS

🕸 ⋆ ⁶𖤐⁶ ࣪⋆🕸

'it's just a salt 'n' burn' they said. 'it'll be fun' they said. Oh boy were they wrong.

The air was crisp as you stepped out of the Impala. You watched as the little clouds of air rose before your face, illuminated by the street lamps which flickered haphazardly. Tugging your jacket closer to your body you made your way around to the back of the car, following the crunch of Sam’s shoes as he walked across the frosted grass. Dean propped open the trunk and made quick work of loading rock salt into his rifle and ensuring that there were enough matches inside his pack. The other Winchester hauled the shovel from the car and leaned it against his shoulder; it was hefty and made with iron, caked in mud and rust. The pistol that you shifted between your hands was so familiar, like an extension of your body. It fit snugly in your grip. Flicking the chamber open with a metallic click, you made sure it was fully loaded before snapping off the safety and slipping it in a holster on your belt.

The grass was damp from the frost that had settled on the grass in the graveyard. It had managed to claw its way up the gravestones and trees like fingers too. It seeped uncomfortably through the toes of your boots as you trudged towards the grave. Small and unkept, it sat located towards the west side of the gravesite. It belonged to a young woman who was brutally murdered a few years ago, but who’s case ran cold. It was safe to say that she was pissed; her revenge taking the form of hunting down those who were associated with the woman who killed her. But what started out as unfinished business soon turned cold and twisted as she turned to others who had wronged. Her grave stood out on the line of tall, pearly stones with dainty flowers laying at their feet. It was dark and clad with weeds. Unloved.

Dean’s duffel landed with a thud next to the grave, unsettling the ground around it. The shovel went down next to it.

“Alrighty.” He said, rubbing his hands together. “You know the drill.”

Sam rolled his eyes, but brought out his hands in front of him anyway. “Seriously dude, I don’t even know why we bother anymore.”

“It’s a game of chance, Sammy. Now shoot.”

After the count of three, you and Sam shaped your hands into a fist and brought them forwards. You smirked. Dean had played scissors. With a groan, he pulled his hand back and reeled his body away.

You laughed. “Scissors everytime, Dean.”

The eldest Winchester grumbled something underneath his breath, but picked up the shovel and begrudgingly began to dig until the shovel hit something solid, you and Sam kept your eyes peeled for any sign of the spirit.

“Okay. This is it.” he confirmed, hauling up the lid of the coffin. It creaked open on unsteady hinges. The corpse beneath still had skin attached to its discoloured bones. It pooled loosely around the woman's frame. The putrid smell that emerged would have made you gag had you not already had your fair share of salt ‘n’ burns. “Keep an eye out for that son of a bitch.”

Sam lent a hand to haul his brother out of the newly dug pit. From where you were standing, a few feet away, you could see the top of his hair poking out from the top of the opening. Almost mechanically, the brothers began to tip the gasolene and sprinkle the salt onto the body.

The deathly howl that suddenly emerged in front of you snapped you awake. The spirit raced towards the Winchesters, gritting her teeth and scowling. Her vacant eyes narrowed at them as she got closer, but your fingers were on the trigger before you could blink, sending her away with a shrill cry and a cloud of grey.

“Hurry.” You told your friends, who had moved from preparing the body to the old duffel on the ground. Dean rummaged around desperately on his knees, not caring about the cold, until he felt the familiar grit of the matchbox against his fingers. Tugging it out, he ran back to the body. Sam tugged the shotgun tighter to him and positioned it in front of himself. The two of you danced around, keeping your eyes peeled for the ghost.

The spirit appeared behind you this time, wailing like a banshee. Sam shot it in the chest before it howled shrilly and disappeared.

“Dean! Hurry up!” You cried as it reappered again. He was busy fumbling with the matches, which refused to light on the cold box. He pushed too hard against the cardboard and felt the stick snap and splinter. He cursed loudly.

“I’m trying!” He huffed back through gritted teeth.

All it took was that one look over your shoulder to Dean for the spirit to catch you off guard. Sam’s shout of your name was a second too late as a ghost appeared behind you, wrapping its cold, bony fingers around you and flinging you away. You cried out in pain as your head collided with one of the neighbouring gravestones and your body slid to the floor.

“Dean!” Sam yelled out for his brother, firing his weapon at the creature and sending it dissipating to somewhere else on the property.

The match slipped between Dean’s fingers, twisting in his grip as he tried to create friction between the two objects. Time seemed to stop as Sam raced towards your side to be cut off by the woman re-emerging in his path. That was when the match tumbled from his brother’s grasp, landing on the heap of chemicals and starting the chain reaction of events.

The woman reeled back as she burst into flames like a candle. The sound she made was dreadful, it cut right through you as she writhed on her feet. When she finally finished her onslaught of screaming and her bones were no more than a dismal pile of ash, Sam fell to his knees in front of you, cupping your head in his hands. It lolled to the side, unable to hold itself up against the throbbing pain in your skull. Sam was suddenly aware of the blood that trickled from your temple and coaxed his fingers, crying out again for his brother, he gave your face a gentle tap. Your eyes fluttered beneath heavy lids.

“Hey, Hey. Kid. Stay with me.” He pleaded, searching your face. “Open your eyes Y/N, come on.”

Your eyelids felt like they were made of lead. Your head felt hazy as you peeled them open, watching Sam swim before you.

“That's it! Keep them open Y/N.”

Dean was to your left, his hands roaming your body for any other injuries. You whimpered when his fingers flushed against your tender skin on your upper back. You were sure you had a broken rib. Or three.

“I know. I know sweetheart. I’m sorry.”

Sam’s face was close to yours as he tilted it upwards. He saw the way that your pupils were dilated; one the size of the fucking moon, the other lagging behind.

“Shit. Dean?”

“Okay, sweetheart,” Dean prompted, “Can you stand?”

He moved to position himself under your arm, wrapping it around his neck. Sam’s arm weaved around your waist and the two of them hauled you to your feet. The movement made you want to hurl and you cried out as the pressure in your head and ribs increased tenfold.

“You’re okay, sweetheart, You’re okay.”

Your movements were sluggish as you floated towards the car. your vision doubled and you were now struggling to differentiate left and right. Your legs trembled in your fogginess, you seemed to lose all control of your limbs, relying heavily on the arms wrapped around you to aid you back to the Impala. It was when your vision blurred and your legs completely folded beneath you like a crushed can that Sam scooped you up into his arms. He cringed at your noise of discomfort, but raced behind his brother to the old car which was parallel parked across the street.

“We’re nearly there kiddo,” He hushed. “Just keep those pretty eyes open for me, okay?”

You tried to keep them open. You really did, but it just became too much. Your body became slack in Sam’s arms as you gave into unconsciousness.

The light was too bright when you peeled your eyes open again. You were back in the bunker, propped up on pillows in your bed. Your whine alerted Dean to your awareness. His hand, which was clutching yours, moved to wave in front of your eyes.

“Y/N? How many fingers am I holding up?”

Sam rolled his eyes, swatting his hands away. He saw the way you squinted painfully against the light and moved to the switch on the other side of the room to dim it, before promptly coming to perch on the edge of your bed. . Satisfied, you hummed and scanned the room, eyes landing on the two worried Winchesters who loitered in your room. They breathed a visible sign of relief when they saw your eyes focus on theirs. Your ribs still stung, and the throbbing in your head was still present. You reached up and trailed your fingers across your temple. The skin had been cleaned there, the dried blood no longer glued to your face. You could still feel it in your hair where Sam hadn’t quite managed to get it all out. The skin was rough and had begun to scab over. A pair of hands wrapped around your wrist and pulled your fingers away.

“Don’t touch.” Sam said tenderly, handing you a glass and a handful of painkillers. The glass was cool against your lips as you swallowed them thickly. “It should heal on its own. It didn’t need stitches.”

You blinked groggily. “What happened?”

“Ghost got you good.” Dean told you. “You have two broken ribs and a concussion.”

“And the ghost?” you asked.

“Taken care of.”

Nodding slowly, you rubbed the sleep from your eyes.

“I-” Dean stuttered. “You had us worried Y/N”

“I'm sorry.”

Sam shook his head firmly. “Not your fault.”

“But-”

“Nope. Not hearing it.” He said sternly.

You sighed. “So, what's the damage, Dr Winchester?”

The youngest brother chuckled at the remark, glad to see that you were feeling more of yourself. “You are going to stay in bed and rest for a few days. We are going to stay here and look after you.” he told you before you rolled your eyes at the idea of being bed bound.

“I suppose I could do that.” You shrugged, not opposed to the idea of having the Winchesters as your personal waiters for the next few days.

“I thought you’d be happy.” Dean shook his head, then gestured to the covers and the tv which was mounted on the wall. “Room for two more?”

🕸 ⋆ ⁶𖤐⁶ ࣪⋆🕸

DAY TWO

🏷️ Whumptober Taglist

#whumptober2023 #no.1 #how many fingers am i holding up?#concussion #brokenribs #unconscious #hurt/comfort #whumo #supernatural #supernatural x reader #winchester #winchesters x reader #fanfiction #writing #angst #supernatural fanfiction

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serickswrites · 11 months

Text

How Many Fingers Am I Holding Up?

Warnings: rescue, captivity, torture, unconsciousness, restraints, poison, caretaker and whumpee

“Whumpee! Whumpee! I’m here. I’m here!” Caretaker shouted as they ran to the basement where they knew Whumper had to be keeping Whumpee. They had checked the rest of the house and Whumpee was nowhere to be found.

Caretaker kicked open the door and hesitated on the stairs. Whumpee was slumped over, arms pulled at an awkward angle by the chains that kept them attached to the wall. “Whumpee?”

They could see Whumpee’s body move with each breath, but Whumpee didn’t respond to their words. Caretaker hurried forward. “Whumpee?” They rolled Whumpee onto their side. “I’m here Whumpee. Whumpee! Say something.”

Caretaker gave Whumpee a little shake. Whumpee blinked open bleary eyes. They blinked, their gaze unfocused. “C-C-Caretaker?”

“I’m here, Whumpee. I’m here.” Caretaker said softly as they looked for a way to get the cuffs off Whumpee’s wrists.

Whumpee’s lips twitched as their eyelids drooped closed once more. “Hmmmm,” they hummed once before going quiet.

“Stay awake, Whumpee. Talk to me.” Caretaker worked quickly.

“Mmmmm. ‘m ‘ere,” they whispered as they struggled to open their eyes once more.

Caretaker tapped Whumpee’s cheek as Whumpee’s eyelids fluttered. “Whumpee. Keep your eyes on me.” What had Whumper done?

“C-C-Can’t. T-TTooooo ‘ny. ‘zzy.”

“Whumpee, how many fingers am I holding up?” Caretaker had a sinking feeling in their stomach. “Whumpee, how hard did you hit your head?”

Whumpee blinked up at Caretaker with fever bright eyes. “No. P-P-Poi--” their words cut off as they began to cough. Loud, wet coughs wracked their body as they tried to speak once more. Caretaker rubbed Whumpee’s back as Whumpee kept trying to speak.

But Caretaker knew what Whumpee was going to say and didn’t need Whumpee to finish. Whumpee had been poisoned. Rage boiled in their stomach as they realized Whumper had set this trap for Caretaker. Made it easy for Caretaker to find Whumpee. But didn’t make it easy to save Whumpee. Caretaker made a silent promise that they would pay Whumper back in kind once they got Whumpee to safety.

“It’s ok, Whumpee. I’ve got you. I’m going to save you,” Caretaker said as they lifted Whumpee into their arms.

Whumpee had gone silent after the last bout of coughing. Terribly silent and still. “Whumpee?” Caretaker tapped Whumpee’s cheek as they started towards the basement stairs. “Come on, Whumpee. Wake up.”

Whumpee’s only response was the quiet, irregular wheeze that let Caretaker know they were still alive. “Hang in there, Whumpee. I’ve got you. I’ve got you. Hold on.”

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clintbartonruinedmylife · 8 months

Text

Whumptober 2023 - Day 1

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

“Barton!” he could hear from somewhere far away. His hearing has never been the best but at the moment it sounded as if the someone who just talked to him was wrapped in cotton candy.

“Ouch,” Clint moaned and tried to sit up but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

“No such thing,” the voice said. He knew the voice but right now he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Wha…” he mumbled. “Wha’ appen?”

“You fucking idiot went alone against Rhino. Spidey told you to wait for him, but…” the voice sighed and somehow he remembered that sigh.

“Can you open your eyes?” the voice said now and this was the moment Clint realized that it was dark because his eyes were closed. He blinked and from one moment to the next it was too bright and he groaned again.

“Hur’s…” he moaned.

Something appeared in front of his face. A hand. A weird hand.

“How many fingers am I holding up?” the voice asked and Clint glared at the weird hand. It was… it was metal. “Come on, Clint, how many fingers?”

“Thirteen,” Clint muttered.

“Okay,” the voice huffed. Bucky! Clint remembered. The voice belonged to Bucky! “Hospital it is.”

“No,” Clint protested. “I don’eed a ‘spital.”

“You definitely need to see a doctor,” Bucky said. “Rhino hit you harder than we expected and…”

“We?” Clint asked and tried to sit up but Bucky put his hand - the weird hand, the metal hand - on his shoulder and held him in position.

“Spidey and Steve are here, too. They're fighting against Rhino,” Bucky said.

“‘N you?” Clint slurred.

“I’m staying with you till we can bring you to the hospital,” Bucky said.

“L’ve’u,” Clint mumbled and closed his eyes. Bucky was quiet for a very, very long moment, then he whispered.

“Love you, too.”

#whumptober2023 #no.1 #how many fingers am i holding up #marvel #fic #clint barton #hawkeye #bucky barnes #winter soldier #winterhawk

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adrift-in-thyme · 8 months

Text

Whumptober Day 1: “How many fingers am I holding up?”

Read it on Ao3

- Wild & Four

- Summary: On the battlefield, Wild suffers a concussion and Four has to split to keep him safe

CW for head injury/concussion and brief mention of vomit

—————————

“Champion! Behind you! Look out!”

Four knows it’s too late even as he shouts. In the time it has taken him to turn around, catch sight of the armed moblin, and open his mouth, the monster has already raised its weapon. And at the distance he is from Wild, there is no possible way he can make it to him in time, even at a sprint. But he tries anyway. Cutting down the nearest monster, he breaks into a run.

Wild whirls around as his warning registers, sword held ready. His eyes widen as he sees the moblin and for a split second Four dares hope that maybe, just maybe he will have a chance at defending himself or getting out of the way. Sure enough, Wild throws himself into a sideways leap. But even as he does, the moblin swings its weapon in a wide, horizontal arc.

The sword catches up with the champion at the tail end of its journey. It collides with his side with such force Four is certain he can hear the bones in his arm breaking from here. Wild goes flying head over heels, then lands a few feet away in a heap of bloodied tunic and spread-eagled limbs.

“Wild!”

Four looks between the champion and the monster that has now turned its eyes on him. If the others were here perhaps he could afford to rush to his friend’s side immediately. But they are back at the camp, awaiting the results of their patrol.

A patrol that was never supposed to lead to a camp full of black-blooded monsters.

Gritting his teeth, Four makes his decision. Holding the sword high, he closes his eyes and lets the familiar sensation wash over him. Magic flows through him and out, his emotions splitting and solidifying.

“Oh no! Wild!”

No sooner has he opened his eyes again, Red catches sight of their fallen friend. His face spasms as he takes a step forward.

“We’ve gotta help him!”

“You go to him, Red—” Vio says.

“And hurry it up,” Blue interrupts, gesturing toward the monsters that are now closing in on Wild’s prone body. “He hasn’t got much time.”

Vio nods. “I’ll come with you.”

“We’ll handle the monsters over here,” Green says, already turning on his heel. Blue lunges after him without hesitation.

Red doesn’t have to be told twice. He rushes over to Wild as fast as his legs can take him, cutting through any monsters within reach. Once he reaches the fallen champion, he skids to a halt. Sheathing his sword, he hits the ground on his knees beside him.

“Wild?”

Wild looks far worse from this proximity than he did from far away. His arm is indeed broken and lying at an unnatural angle. Blood darkens his tunic on his right side where the weapon hit him the hardest. The crimson liquid trickles down his forehead too and an angry bruise is already forming beneath it. Its purples and blues and golds stand starkly against the pallor of his skin.

Bright blue eyes blink open, then promptly shut. Wild groans.

“Is he awake?”

Vio comes to kneel beside Red, brows pinched in a frown. Red wipes at his eyes, swiping away the beginnings of tears.

“I-I think he’s waking up.” He leans forward. “Wild, can you hear me?”

“Mhm.” The champion groans again, shifting a bit. “Hurts.”

Red puts a hand on his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’re here now. We’ll make it stop hurting.”

Vio turns away and starts rifling in his pouch. “Prop his head up, Red.”

With gentle hands, Red complies, guiding the champion’s head into his lap. Wild pries his eyes open and squints up at him.

“Wha…happened?”

“You were wounded in battle,” Vio says. He is in the process of setting out supplies now. A bottle of potion stands amongst the blades of grass, its crimson contents glittering in the midday sun. A bundle of bandages joins it. “Though we’ve yet to ascertain the severity.”

Red thinks for a moment, then holds two fingers in front of Wild’s face. Try as he might, he can’t quite still their trembling. But it doesn’t matter if anyone sees. Not now, with his friend so severely injured. And besides, he wants to help in any way that he can.

“How many fingers am I holding up, champion?”

Wild blinks mismatched pupils, trying and failing to focus on the appendages. After a moment, he snickers.

“Four.” He starts to giggle. “Like–like you. Four Fours.”

Red looks over at Vio. The violet-clad hero pauses in the middle of unscrewing the potion, bottom lip caught between his teeth. Seeing double, acting loopy, pupils in two different sizes – the symptoms all point to the thing he had suspected since seeing Wild’s head injury. A concussion.

“Hey!” Blue calls from a short distance away. The screams of monsters drift over from where he and Green are still battling fiercely. “You guys gonna keep us updated or what? Is he okay?”

At that moment, Wild’s laughter turns into a wet, hacking cough that shakes his injured body and brings tears to his eyes. Cringing, Red strokes his hair in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.

This situation is getting worse by the moment, he is sure of it.

“He has a concussion,” Vio calls back. “And some bad bruising, broken bones. I can’t be certain of the internal damage.”

“But the potion will take care of that, right?” Red asks, desperately.

Vio shrugs. “For now. But we need to get him back to camp as soon as possible. He’ll need rest and a fairy. Here, he can’t get either.”

Wild’s coughs subside, though he shivers with the aftershocks of them. He slumps back against Red, breathless. Sniffling, the hero reaches down and slips his hand into Wild’s.

“You’re gonna be okay.”

He squeezes and the champion squeezes back, albeit lightly.

“Don worry bout me,” he slurs, gazing dazedly at nothing. “Be fine.”

The very fact that he isn’t even attempting to get up, tells of the lie in his words. But neither Red nor Vio sees fit to point it out. Merely sharing another glance with Red, Vio sets aside the cap of the bottle. He watches Wild for a moment to ensure he won’t begin coughing again, or worse, vomit. Then, when he is relatively certain he won’t do either, he touches the bottle to his lips.

“Here, drink.”

He tips it back just enough that the liquid slides sluggishly into Wild’s mouth and the champion swallows obediently. Once he has drained it all, Vio places the bottle back in his pouch and turns his attention to the bandages. Green and Blue jog up to the little group as he unravels them, sheathing their swords. Wild looks up at them, a slight grin tugging at his lips.

“Four Fours,” he chuckles, and Blue’s face instantly folds into a death glare.

“What on earth is he rambling on about?”

“He’s out of it,” Green says, taking note of the bleariness in Wild’s unfocused eyes and the blood still drenching his tunic. “You said he had a concussion, Vio?”

Vio nods. “The potion should take effect soon, but he’ll still need to rest up.”

“We need to get back to camp as soon as possible.”

“Yes. Here, help me move his tunic out of the way.”

Green bends and lifts the fabric up and away, revealing a sizable gash marring the champion’s left side. He lets out hiss as the air touches it, hold on Red’s hand tightening.

“It’s okay,” Red murmurs.

Vio immediately gets to work, cleaning the wound as best he can and then wrapping it in the gauze. The other three help in any way they can and between them all, they manage to make quick work of it.

“That’ll have to do for now,” Vio says, standing up and brushing off his tunic.

Blue blows out a sigh. “Great. Now we’ve gotta get him back.”

“I can walk,” Wild croaks. He is a bit more alert now that the potion has had some time to work. But still in no state to go skipping back to camp.

He looks up at them, familiar determination coloring his eyes. “Sorry, but you guys definitely can’t carry me.”

“No, we can’t,” Vio agrees, calmly. “Not unless we absolutely have to, at least.”

“But we’ll support you every step of the way!” Red promises.

Green nods. “Of course we will. Every step of the way.” He unsheathes his sword and holds it high, already beginning to shimmer in colors of four. “Though we’ll do it as one.”

Between one blink and the next, one small hero is standing before Wild. He offers the champion a small smile.

“But don’t worry. No matter what you won’t be alone.”

He bends and hooks his arm under Wild’s shoulders. The height difference makes maneuvering him upright difficult, and when Wild stumbles, both of them nearly topple. But Four manages. And soon they are limping down the hill, back towards camp.

Back towards safety.

Four breathes a sigh of relief. His body is vaguely sore from the battle and splitting, his mind worn from worry and strategy. The sooner they can return for both of their sakes, the better.

“Hey Four,” Wild mumbles, beside him.

“Yes?”

“Thanks.”

Four smiles. “Anytime, Wild.”

#whumptober2023 #no.1 #how many fingers am i holding up?#linkeduniverse #fic #concussion tw #blood tw #injury tw #mention of vomit #lu wild #lu four #lu colors #whump #trin writes #hurt/comfort #angst #HERE WE GOOOO #I’m so excited for this month

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quietlyimplode · 8 months

Text

the language of flowers and silent things.

Whumptober 2023: Day 1 - How many fingers am I holding up

Warnings: perceived death (no death I promise), panic

Word Count: 2.3k (gif not mine)

Summary: The marriage of Clint and Natasha.

A/N: there are people that stand with you in darkness, brave the shadows and not shy away, if you have friends like that hold them tight. This is for you @broken--bow .

Friend, without you there would be no whumptober, there are no words for the consistency of friendship you have supported over the last month, and thank you doesn’t seem enough. I wish it were more, but thank you all the same.

Masterlist

Whumptober Masterlist

KASHMIR

2011

“It’s cold,” Natasha grumbles.

“Yep,” Clint replies, popping the p, and trudging on through the snow.

“How far?”

The snow is white and endless, and Natasha is sure they aren’t going the right way. Her rifle, slung across her shoulder, rubs and feels heavy, as it hits the back of her thighs; even though likely it’s her backpack that has the weight.

Clint glances at the gps, a small look of surprise on his face.

Natasha stops.

“What?”

“It’s less that two hundred metres,” he says, pointing to the left.

He adjusts his pack and trudges forward, giving Natasha places to put her feet as she grumbled again.

“You’re Russian!” he says, exasperated as the safe house comes into sight.

She throws him a look a rolls her eyes.

“I don’t like the cold,” she deadpans.

Approaching the house, they both split up, covering the front and back and simultaneously breach the door way.

Covering the rooms in a pattern, Natasha is first to call all clear, followed by Clint, as she beelines for the generator and sets up the heater.

The white noise of the generator infuriates Clint as he keeps the first watch; more snow falling. He

wonders if it will ever stop.

The cold that penetrates is icy, even though they’ve used spare blankets under the doorways and old newspapers on the window.

Natasha was finally asleep.

He knows by the soft breaths, slow and even.

She doesn’t like sleeping in the cold, and he knows why, it reminds her too much of the barracks of the Red Room.

She berates herself about becoming too soft, even as she makes their apartment and their rooms a constant temperature.

Less nightmares.

He tells her it’s not a bad thing to protect yourself from bad dreams, but it never seems to stick.

She sighs audibly and he wonders what she’s dreaming.

If the snow continues to fall at this rate, they’ll be snowed in. The trek here all uphill, and he hates Maria a little for directing them to this one.

“Hydra,” she’d said, “they’ve taken advantage of the political climate, and infiltrated the region.”

It’s a shame; he think idly, Kashmir is beautiful, but the evil that has infiltrated made it unsightly.

The man that they had killed was wanted by Interpol, crimes against humanity and all that.

Natasha’s kill shot hitting him between the eyes, as Clint had done the calculations quickly around wind speed and elevation.

One shot, one kill.

They made it look easy; isn’t that why Fury sent them?

Now, stuck in the snow, in a quaint house, Clint has too much time to reflect and worry about the repercussions of not being extracted until the snow stops.

His grip tightens on the gun, and he adjusts his position.

Natasha focuses on the landscape, the parts she can see anyway. Snow covers the door, just reaching the window and she feels vulnerable at not being able to see all the ways around them.

She knows if she looks at Clint, she won’t be able to hide her disappointment.

He won’t be able to hide his fear.

The satcom phone lays inert, as they await the next call.

Any way out.

Any opportunities for exfil.

Not likely for the next twenty four hours anyway.

The tension in the room is palpable. The generator has enough petrol for the next five hours, and the temperature is far below zero.

Clint focuses on the bowl of cereal, the snow still around them.

This was supposed to be easy.

He suppresses a shiver and pulls his coat around him trying to gain any heat he can.

The one room they’d kept heated, now growing colder.

He knows they both feel it.

Natasha pushes away her bowl, half eaten.

“You gotta eat, Nat,” he murmurs.

“We need to leave,” she argues, “the generator is done, the food almost gone, and the pipes are frozen. We have no water apart from what we have in that bucket.”

He shakes his head.

“It’s cold outside, no one is coming here in that weather; plus where are we gonna go? We have to wait for them to come.”

She’s knows he’s right. Standing and staring out the window, she shivers.

It’s not a good sign.

“Clint.”

The seriousness in her tone has him on edge as he joins her.

“It’s stopped snowing.”

They both know, when the temperature drops the snow stops, the sun, or what was left of it, hides behind the dark as the black starts to descend, night approaching; though the hour not late.

“What are we going to do?” she whispers.

They move to the smallest room, a tiny broom closet, big enough for the both of them. No windows, blankets piled in.

“I hate the cold,” she gristles, her teeth gnashing.

Clint pulls her closer, trying to stay warm, even though he’s sure it’s not helping.

“Talk,” he asks, “take my mind off this.”

The request isn’t lost on Natasha, the beginning of the third day had begun and they still had no way out, the sat phone silent, stood next to the door.

“Mmmm,” she says; trying to stop her teeth chattering.

“If you changed around this house, what would you do to make it better?”

It’s an old game, one they used to play when nightmares would keep either of them awake and neither wanted sleep.

Clint bites, he wants nothing more than the deep dread that fills his body to go away.

“Thicker windows,” he starts, “and for there to be a better security system.”

Natasha grunts in agreement.

“Insulation,” she continues, “the bedroom, I’d move to the back of the house, maybe another bathroom.”

Clint snorts.

“Like our house?”

She laughs, shivers hard and suppresses another.

“What’s that like again?”

He sits up a little straighter, and starts talking about the blueprints he’s sketched out when they’d first started dating.

“You know, you’ll have a library, and I’ll have a target room, the kitchen will be big, and the bathroom always warm.”

“The house is always warm,” she corrects.

“Heated floors?”

He nods, “definitely heated floors.”

She rests her head on his shoulder.

“”It sounds nice.”

The night passes slowly.

Both in and of consciousness, eating where they can and bodies shivering hard against the cold.

“My lungs hurt,” she grunts, forcing herself to take a breath.

Clint can’t answer, he agrees, but can’t do anything but nod his head.

She’s terrified; not because she’s going to die, but because he is.

“Talk to me,” she says, her teeth chattering.

She remembers Russia, the coldness of the room and the lack of heat in their dormitory rooms. The blankets thread bare.

She felt it then, but had no context about how warm the world could be.

“You think the world is warm?”

Natasha hadn’t realised she was talking out loud.

“It’s different, here, don’t you think?”

He swallows, trying to readjust his position but finds his limbs uncooperative.

She’s not making sense and he’s worried. He can’t think straight though and maybe she can’t either.

They won’t die here.

Someone will come.

“When we get married,” she starts.

They both laugh.

But it’s the silence that hangs.

“What are we going to do, Clint?”

She can see their breath, and movement is getting harder. Natasha knows this cold, Russian winters this biting, freezing kind of bitter. If they die….

If they die it’s not a bad way to go, here, safe with someone she loves and a life she curated for herself.

If she dies…

“What kind of wedding will it be?”

Clint stops her train of thought.

Desperate to change the subject to anything apart from their imminent death, he hugs her closer, trying to not be unnerved by how cold her skin is.

“Small,” she considers, indulging him.

“I’ll wear white, you’ll wear a tux, but it’ll only be our closest friends.”

He nods.

“Who are we inviting?”

“Maria.”

“Coulson.”

They take turns naming their friends.

“Pepper.”

Clint frowns, “really?”

“Yeah, why?”

The shiver stops him from answering, and she tries to pull the blankets more around him.

“If you invite Pepper, we’d have to invite Tony,” he says grumpily, disliking the fact that someone who heavily objectified Natasha would be invited.

Natasha’s head rolls over to him, a smile on her cracked lips.

“We’d make him sign a NDA,” she almost laughs.

“He wouldn’t be able to talk about it, and it would destroy him.”

Clint laughs, a cough bubbling as he sucks in too much cold air.

“He’d probably get a good present anyway.”

“Fury?” Natasha asks, and Clint nods.

“Yeah I think so.”

He sighs.

“Is it sad it’s such a short list?”

She shrugs.

“Who else would you invite?”

Clint knows.

Family. Isn’t that who you’re supposed to invite for your wedding? For you brother to be your best man? Or for your mother and father to sit in the front row and cry?

“Who’d walk you down the aisle?”

She ignores the question.

“I’d invite Yelena,” she decides, looking wistful.

Clint rubs her leg.

“Yeah. I’d invite Barney,” he agrees. Even though it’s likely his brother and her sister as long since dead, it’s a nice thought to have.

“Your mom,” she opens the thought.

Natasha stops but continues after a moment.

“I think I would have liked our mothers to come, even if mine abandoned me.”

Clint doesn’t know what to say.

“I would have liked that too,” he breathes.

“I think you’d walk me down the aisle,” she whispers, coughing into her gloves.

“Where?”

He knows where, he just wants her to say it.

“Okinawa,” she smiles, knowing he loves the shores of the tiny island as much as she does.

“Of course,” he smiles back.

They sit in silence

“We can find them, I think.”

Clint says it with conviction.

Natasha looks at him intensely, breath white, nose red.

They’re going to die here, he thinks idly. Why not give them another mission, even if it only gives them hope.

“Our parents?”

He shakes his head.

“Our siblings.”

Natasha sees Yelena standing at the door, sad eyes, hands waving goodbye.

Her eyes open and close languidly.

“Okay.”

She knows what he’s doing.

Offering hope when there isn’t any.

Gloved hand reaches out under the blankets and takes his.

“If we survive this, and if we find Barney and Yelena, we will get married. You just have to ask,” she proposes.

Clint nods, his movement slow, his voice quiet and somber.

“Yeah, of course.”

“Natasha? Will you marry me?”

Head against his, she kisses him slowly, purposefully; like it’s the last draw of breath she’ll ever take.

“Yeah, Clint, of course I’ll marry you.”

Maria panics at the empty house, wondering where her friends are.

If they thought she wasn’t coming, maybe they left to find safety; it would have been a death sentence.

Temperatures outside so cold it had taken far too long to trek anywhere for safety, the snow too deep.

As it was, it had taken too long for the helicopter to land anywhere safely.

Maria looks around.

Two people that already have so much trust issues, she’s not sure what they would have done.

She’s sure they would have thought no one was coming.

In the instant, Maria feels panic.

She clears the first room and the medic clears two more rooms; then — Maria finds them.

Huddled together, Natasha’s head on Clint’s shoulders their faces pale and they look half dead.

She calls the medic over, unwrapping them from the blankets.

“Thready,” the man tells her, assessing Clint, then Natasha.

They drag them out, laying them down on stretchers as they both call it in on the sat phone.

Maria places the warmers over their chests, as the medic works on placing an IV for both of them.

They work quickly and efficiently; slowly working to warm their friends, hoping against all hopes that the hypothermia has no permanent effects.

Natasha hears before she sees, the whir of the plane, the pain in all her muscles as life starts flowing back into her.

“Clint,” she tries.

Voice cracking, not loud enough, she can’t see him or hear him, her heart hurts and her thoughts race.

They’re going to get married.

They’re going to find Yelena and Barney.

They’re going to…

Breath comes fast, alarms blare and she panics; sitting up, eyes now open she finds herself connected to machines and monitors.

Clint lays next to her.

Laying back, doctors surround her.

“Clint,” she says again.

Maria appears in her field of vision, a stoic face.

“He’s okay too,” she clarifies.

Panicked eyes greet her.

“Natasha,” Maria says, “look at me.”

Wild eyes look her.

“How many fingers am I holding up?”

She sticks two fingers in Natasha’s face, and predictably, her friend rolls her eyes.

“Two.”

Maria puts three more.

“Three.”

She nods.

“He’s okay,” she assures.

Closing her eyes, Natasha grunts and sinks back into a deep sleep.

“God you’re both so predictable,” Maria grunts, half holding him down.

“She’s fine, look, okay?”

Clint gives her a goofy smile, clearly still delirious.

He sees Natasha, oxygen mask on, eyes closed.

“She’sgonnamarryme,” he tells her, words mumbled.

“What?”

Maria thinks she misheard, because neither Clint or Natasha feel like the marrying type.

He nods, “jus’ gotta find Yelena and Barney.”

Clint’s eyes slip closed.

“She’sgonnamarryme,” he says again, falling back into a drugged sleep.

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