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saintslewis · 6 months

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“𝐂𝐔𝐅𝐅 𝐈𝐓”

𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 — 𝐋𝐇𝟒𝟒

˖ ࣪⭑ pairing: sir lewis hamilton x fem!oc

˖ ࣪⭑ summary: didn’t lewis say he’s a professional dancer? let’s test it out!

˖ ࣪⭑ warnings: cussing, outfit descriptions (the norm), links to posts, typos

˖ ࣪⭑ wc: 4.7k

˖ ࣪⭑ saint’s team radio!: hi babies….SORRY Y’ALL LMAO. i clearly skipped the 10 day mark but that’s okay! that’s why i made it longer for y’all to enjoy! I hope you enjoy and once again, tags are down below and let me know if you want to be tagged! and pls do click on the links to see the visuals, it’s important! (you can do it after)

pls like, comment and reblog!

renaissance:the series masterlist • previous chapter

general masterlist

The FaceTime ring chimed as Nadia adjusted her phone on the dashboard of her car, her cradled body in the driver's seat as she sniffled and wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

"Yo. What's-" Lewis made sure to look at his phone correctly to see the sight before him. "Nads? Are you okay? Where are you?" Lewis asked, slowing the car down a bit.

"I'm in the school parking lot with some pastries next to me." She sniffed again before continuing. "Like I don't know if I can even go in there after our posts because those kids are ruthless and also these pastries are so good and this car is giving me so much stress and you're so pretty and i can't get raye tickets and this wig didn't wanna lay this morning and jeez, it's just so much and i'm just a girl." Nadia rambled as she hid her face in her hands, not even looking at her phone.

"Sorry to call you so early but I had no one else to call so I just decided to call my husband. Do you wanna see the pastries? This girl gave them to me for free in the bakery." She spoke, tucking her hair behind her ear and grabbing the pink box to show Lewis, not missing how big his smile was.

"What?"

"Nads, do you wanna talk about it? There's a lot to unpack." He asked, his face holding a smug expression as he watched her place the box down and give him a look.

"No thanks, we can keep everything in the bag. Anyways, I'm the only one in the parking lot and I've got a class in 25 minutes but I don't wanna see my colleagues." She said, looking out of her window to see if anyone was lurking around. "Where you headed?" She snapped her attention back to him.

"Brackley. Got a meeting with the team for upgrades." He said, eventually speeding up the car and she nodded. "Okay don't go quiet on me. Have you checked your socials yet?" Lewis asked the girl. "Nope, I muted the app after Rihanna called me sexy." She replied with a big smile on her face, making him jokingly roll his eyes. "I'm assuming you did the same?" She asked and it was his turn to nod.

"So just to make you aware, I'm free on Wednesday after 12 so if your friends are available maybe we can meet them then?" Nadia suggested, packing her stuff up as she sat properly in the car seat. "Uh I'm sure they'll be cool with that. We can have a thing at my place, like a game night or something. Also why are you leaving work early that day?" He asked, stopping at a red light and put all his attention on her.

"School's are closing for like two weeks." She answered.

"Well then, have you ever been to Miami?"

"No..." she gave him a side eye as he continued to drive, the engine roaring.

"Well, we're going there next week for the Grand Prix so do you want to go? Then afterwards we leave for Malibu."

"But what if I wanted to watch Love Island during that weekend?" She muttered, making the man giggle.

"You can watch Love Island in Miami." He smiled, seeing her jokingly roll her eyes. "Fine. But wait, who do I need to speak to for like flight tickets and race stuff?" She mentioned.

"Tia'll have everything ready." He assured her, kind of surprised at how willingly she agreed to his proposal, something he had been nervously thinking about the whole morning.

"Alright then, pookie bear. Talk later, I have to face those ruthless critics i call my kids." She picked up her phone and did a little pose, to which Lewis didn't hesitate to take a Facetime photo of. They both waved at each other cutely before hanging up.

"You're the flyest babe on the planet, you can do this." Nadia hyped herself as she gathered her things and got out of her car.

The hallways were empty, the silence gnawing at her as she glanced through some doors to see students either sleeping on their desks or actually focused on what the teacher was saying.

Continuously taking deep breaths as she got closer and closer to her designated classroom, she could hear her Year 12 students talking about whatever gossip was going around the school. Goosebumps slightly covered her skin as she held her arm out to touch the door handle, her conscience screaming at her to turn around and drive home just to stress about this very situation.

Eventually gaining the confidence, she opened the door and it was as if the world stood still. All her students turned around to look at their frightened yet fashionable teacher slowly walk to her desk as she tried her hardest to not make any eye contact with their smug faces.

Placing her things down onto her little shelf next to her organised desk, she flipped her hair a little and walked to the front of her desk, leaning her whole body weight against it.

"Now before you lot start with your questions, just know I wasn't ready to be out there yet and truly, I wanted to tell you guys a while ago but now was a good time for the..launch." She announced and watched as her students continued to smirk at her, her heartbeat rising as the silence grew more and more.

"Can we see the ring?" A student, Daniela, asked loudly as she walked closer to her teacher. The minute Nadia extended her shaky hand out, they all came flocking to get a closer look at the diamond ring.

Eventually settling the class down with the fear that the Headmaster could just pop in, everyone was seated as Nadia was racking her brain on how she could sell this marriage to teenagers who could definitely see right through her.

"So how did you two meet then? You mentioned that you were from Stevenage like a while back." Vicky, the class leader, asked sitting in the front row and maintained eye contact with Nadia the whole time.

"Well it was our parents actually. They're all really close but Lewis and I never built that bond for all these years. It took a dinner invite from his parents for us to really fancy each other. We properly met the year I started teaching here." Nadia was cheesing, proud of the story she came up with that was half-true.

She could tell that their gears were turning in their heads, making comments to each other as if they were judges on a panel. Nadia hadn't expected the silence that would follow after each of her answers but it was quite unsettling.

"Since you said you weren't seeing anybody and you weren't the least bit interested in Formula one, how'd you end up with thee Sir Lewis Hamilton?" One of her male students asked from the back, Nathan. "I'm still very clueless about that sport and that's why I wanted you guys to teach me today. Can I count on you guys to help?" Nadia asked, pulling her chair closer to her desk as she clasped her hands together to look around her classroom to capture all the excited faces.

"James, where's the slideshow?!" "Ha! Give me my money." "We used to pray for times like this!" "Wait till Miss hears about brocedes!"

Those were amongst the shouts from her students, reminding her that she couldn't leave them alone even if she wanted.

Interrupting her train of thought as her students scrambled around the classroom, her phone buzzed with two notifications following each other. Opening her phone and heading for iMessages, she audibly gasped when she saw what Lewis had just sent her.

"What are you blushing at, Miss?" A kid pointed out, Nadia not even realising she was smiling quite hard at her phone.

"Do you want to teach me about F1 or should we go back to the French Revolution?" She sassed, making the class groan as they all somewhat surrounded a desk and whiteboard for her F1 lesson.

WEDNESDAY.

Holding the tub of cookies close to her, she thought back to the previous days and what her students informed her about the sport. As much as she can admit that she had forgotten most things they told her, a few thoughts lingered in her mind throughout the days, her emotions were on all time high for the man she married. Not wanting to come to one sided conclusions, Nadia decided to address these issues with Lewis when the time was right.

It doesn't help that she, once again, went down a rabbit hole of Lewis to see what his fans were like and how they thought of him from their perspective.

A knock from her front door snapping her out of her head, standing to open it up. Lewis stood there dressed ever so casually with a graphic tee and shorts paired with high top Jordans. Nadia would never say it out loud but seeing him wearing a cap, be it in a picture or right in front of her, brought slight butterflies to her stomach.

"The person who handles security downstairs is really looking out for you. Also, hello Nads." He smiled as he brought his hands forward to show a pink box with croissants inside, Nadia's heart melting, he remembered that she said she likes this specific bakery when they first met.

"Lewis, you didn't have to. Thank you." She said patting him on his exposed arm, wanting to keep her hand there for a little longer. "Hello to you too. Why do you say that about the guards?" She asked, taking the box of pastries from his hand and cradling it close to her, walking into her small kitchen to place them next to the flowers from the weekend.

"Well, when I drove in, he warned me about all the people who came to the entrance overnight. Apparently, they would go from building to building looking...for you." He said, slowly closing the front door as he walked into her home.

The goosebumps were very evident, her tattoos eerily coming to life with fear. "O-oh. Tia did warn me about this, just never expected this so early on." Nadia nervously smiled, the multiple locks on her door not enough to make her feel safe. "Hey hey, it's okay. I know this is overwhelming. Would you be more comfortable with a few of my security guys to be around until you make your moving decisions?" He asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. Seeing how scared she was and how she seemed to be overthinking it, he desperately wanted to change the subject.

Choosing to not answer verbally, she nodded and gave the man a small smile as she lifted herself off her kitchen counter. "Let's get the negatives out," Nadia sighed out. "Let me get my shoes and phone then we can get to your place in time. You can wait on the couch for now." She turned around, looking straight ahead as she headed for her bedroom.

Taking the invitation, Lewis made his way to the comfortable looking grey couch. Beneath his feet sat a custom carpet in the shape of the infamous Murakami flower logo, a small smile etched on his face. The living room filled with all types of scented candles and incense sticks, two plants on either side of the tv stand. A full length mirror hung on the wall right in between the kitchen and living room, the arch of it filled with star stickers. A few vinyls were plastered onto the wall behind him with something written underneath each one and a custom piece of art sat in between the black discs, a painted picture of two people hugging with matching NY caps on. The little signature at the bottom spelling out 'Rea' and tiny initials signing 'R + N'.

Oh, the guilt sunk in quite quickly in those few moments as he observed a small part of her home. That's exactly what it was to Nadia, her home. Purely hers. Everything in his sight clearly held a special significance to the woman and because of his situations, he was taking that away from her. Her 'best teacher' pillows sat neatly on the couch, definitely gifted to her by her students that she loved. The picture frames and polaroids sat nicely on the side table, Nadia's smile wide and bright as she had stood with family and posed wildly with her friends.

His scandalous decisions had roped in a woman who looked like she had finally found her own way in life and he was taking that away from her. Everything she had worked for would be reduced to just being known as his wife. The thought making him cringe as he could picture the headlines.

Nadia fixed her shoelaces quickly as she found Lewis sitting on her couch staring at nothing, his arm sat high on the edge of the couch. "Lew? Are you okay?" The woman's soft voice went into his ear, his head turning to see her ready to go. The Barcelona jersey untucked, her jean shorts displaying the very few tattoos she had on her legs and the gold anklet contrasting with the stark white appearance of her Air forces.

"I know we're about to leave but do you mind if we talk a bit?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the couch and clasping his hands together. "What? You about to divorce me already?" Nadia joked but seeing him give the smallest smile only for it to fade away slightly scared her. Going to sit next to him, she sat one of her pillows over her lap and leaned on her elbows to hear what he had to say.

"Are you truly sure about this marriage? I feel like everything's just hitting you all at once and I feel bad. It feels as if I'm taking away your independence all because of stupid things people have said about me. I looked around and you already made a life for yourself and I don't want to do anything to hurt you." Lewis confessed, hands constantly fidgeting with the rings he had on. He was so sure that he would see her agree with him but seeing her downward smile surprised him.

"We already signed the papers, Lew, and it's going to sting you like a bee if we even think of letting this go. From my perspective, we're two people who are building a friendship who just happen to be married. I still am anxious about leaving my life behind but one thing I won't allow for myself is to be deduced to be someone's wife, no offence." She stated, seeing him nod.

Breathing in a little before continuing, she sat a bit comfortably on the couch facing him. "This is a very weird situation, one that not a lot of people go through but we're learning and that's the cool part. You and I have lived incredibly different lives and there's a reason why our lives are intertwining so much. I just ask for some time to figure out how to live in the limelight, right now I'm grateful for the journey. Except for the ysl heels, those bitches are uncomfortable." Nadia laughed a little, ending her sentence with a joke. He giggled along, his eyes crinkling with the left eye closing a bit more than the other. It was such an adorable sight to see.

"I appericiate the honesty, Nads. It's something that's been on my mind for quite some time and to hear you voice it out lifts some weight off my shoulders." Lewis chuckled, the sight of her smile was one he wanted to keep in his mind forever.

"Glad I could help, pookie bear. Tell me, do your friends like cookies? I made a bunch yesterday because I was stress baking." She asked, standing up and walking towards the kitchen. The nickname clearly sticking to him but he didn't mind, it was special.

"It would be weird if they did not like cookies. They smell good too." He complimented, unconsciously jingling the car keys in his hands. "Thank you, also made them vegan friendly." Nadia smiled, picking up the plastic tub and headed for the front door. Lewis couldn't control his eyes as they fell to her retreating figure, little peaks of more tattoos showed under the hems of her shorts. Taking a breath in, he walked towards her as she fiddled with her keys with the front door open.

"Oh my god, Tia sent a list of people she picked out for my team." Nadia gasped, tugging on the red seatbelt of the Range Rover a bit while going through her texts with Tia to see random faces with all their details laid on text.

"Really? That was fast." He said, one hand on the steering wheel with the other resting on his leg. He turned into an avenue, the car's engine roaring through the quiet street as they passed by homes that were hidden behind large gates and trees.

The pair spent the whole 35 minute journey just jamming out to their scarily similar music taste and getting a few snacks for the game night that'll be held, Nadia not realising that she's actually becoming famous because multiple people recognised her and asked for pictures. Once she got back into the SUV, she laughed about the situation until tears came out.

"They all look around my age or a bit younger, oh this is some scary shit." She joked as she looked through everyone's photos, to which Tia then said that Nadia will meet everyone in Miami before Lewis' media duties.

"And when are you meeting them?" Lewis asked, slowing the car down and turning into a driveway before stopping in front of the large gate. "Miami" She muttered. Pressing a button somewhere, the gates opened to quite the driveway with the motor court right in front of the large modern home. The beat of the song completely changed as the house came into view, Nadia taken aback at the visuals in front of her and she completely understood why the trees were hiding such a masterpiece behind them.

In the motor court, there stood a black Mercedes Benz amg gle coupe and an arctic grey Porsche 992 Turbo S outside of the garage looking fresh out the dealership. "My God..." Nadia muttered as she covered her mouth at everything she was seeing. Lewis definitely loved seeing Nadia astonished and excited at everything he's shown her so far.

Parking the Range Rover next to the Porsche, the two got out of the car and grabbed their belongings along with the snacks they bought earlier. "Is anyone else here yet?" She asked, only carrying her tub of cookies whilst Lewis carried everything else.

"Nope, just us. Was thinking of showing you around the house, just to get used to it." He smiled and slightly giggled at the side eye she gave him. "Now now, pookie bear. I still have to decide. But let's put the stuff inside." She smiled at him and watched as he opened the door with his fingerprint.

The moment she entered the massive house, her breath was taken away by the beauty of the foyer alone.

"So which floor do you wanna start with?" He asked, leading her into the living area, the kitchen space looking like it came out straight from the magazine. Looking to her left, she looked at the abnormally large garden with so many chill spots and what looked to be a tennis court.

"And this is all yours?" Nadia was stunned to say the least. The amount of luxury surrounding her was staggering and she wanted to hide within herself, scared to even comment until Lewis answered her question.

"Well, it's ours now that we signed on the dotted line."

And it's safe to say that the cookies surprisingly weren't dropped onto the floor.

Walking outside the home to marvel at the creation before her, Lewis followed right behind and watched her take it all in. "Are you able to take one more surprise? I think the closet did it for you." He grinned. His hands were behind his back as always and she looked back at him with a smile.

"You've done so much for me already, Lew. What could possibly top the Harrods trip." She asked, hands on hips while slightly joking. His smile grew even more as the butterflies in his stomach reacted to the nickname.

"How about a car? Would that be better than Harrods?" He asked, mischievously putting his finger on his chin as if he's thinking. Nadia's eyes widened for the upteenth time, her hands flying to cover her mouth.

"Are you fucking with me right now? Lewis, I swear if you're joking, I'm going to kick you in the ass." She exclaimed as the man held out different keys in his hand, the smile never leaving his face.

"Lewis whatever your middle name is Hamilton, are you serious? I'm going to fucking cry, oh my god." Nadia's voice was already quivering but she refused for her tears to fall.

"Wait no don't, you said that they would ruin your lashes." Lewis genuinely wanted to laugh at her reaction but he felt so happy that he could do this for her and hopefully get her used to it.

"First it was the Raye tickets then the croissants then an entire car? Not to mention the new shit I got. Oh this is gonna be so fun." Finally uncovering her mouth, they both smiled at each other then laughed. "Let's go look at it, Nads, before everyone gets here." He suggested and like lightning, the girl was already standing next to the car and was eagerly waiting for it to open.

"My God, Lewis! You didn't tell me she was so beautiful. Like crazy beautiful." Currently, Nadia was being cradled in the arms of one of Lewis' closest friends, Amara.

Standing in the entryway of the house, everyone exchanged greetings and hugs as the friend group hadn't seen each other in a long time. Moments before, the pair watched as cars rolled in the motor way as each of his friends climbed out of their cars hyped as ever, carrying different things in their hands.

" 'Mara, if i could kindly have Nads back, I can finally introduce you guys." Lewis jokingly rolled his eyes at his friend who didn't want to let go but eventually did.

"Guys, this is Nadia. Nads, this is my crew. We've got Miles," He pointed at the tall man with the brightest smile she's ever seen. "Amara, who's cradled you just now," The woman waved to Nads who definitely returned the energy.

"Charlotte, who threatened to sue if she didn't meet you," Lewis then pointed to the woman standing next to Amara, she was as stunning as ever. "Daniel or 'Spinz' if you will." Another man smiled at her, tilting his cap like a cowboy. "Andrew, and right next to him is Natalia." He ended off by pointing at the two right next to Daniel.

"Nice to meet you all, I'm Nadia as you know." She shyly greeted back, never the one to introduce herself as much. Everyone spoke at the time, patching the words together to say that they're delighted to meet her.

"Uh, we've got snacks in the kitchen and the games are set up in the living room already." Nadia suggested as she pointed behind her, not even realising that Lewis' arm was around her shoulders the whole time.

"Oh please lead the way." Natalia piped up as walked over to hold Nadia's hand and walk to the kitchen, the rest of the woman following suit and immediately started complimenting the woman.

Deciding that they would tell their friend groups the truth about their marriage, Nadia and Lewis happily agreed to their plan and it most definitely seemed to work.

"God damn, your parents chose good, man. The Barcelona jersey and she's just a teacher? Can your parents hook me up because damn." Daniel spoke up, shocked at Nadia's appearance knowing that his friend barely explained how she looks.

"And don't even get me started on the tattoos, Spinz. I'll call my dad for you though!" Lewis laughed as he walked away, the rest of his mates laughing, walking towards the living area.

An hour into the game night, Nadia and Lewis had won both boards games, celebrating as if their favourite team won the league. The atmosphere was light, conversations flowing as music played in the background, well that was until 'Love Is Wicked' by Brick and Lace started playing and that's when the nostalgia hit.

It was as if everyone lost their minds, immediately clearing the space to dance. Somehow, Lewis and Nadia found sunglasses and started dancing together. Amara being the friend who films everything, filmed the two having the time of their lives. Lewis trying to copy her dance moves whilst they both sung incoherent lyrics to the song, laughter spreading while the songs played out loud.

The song switched to 'Work' by Rihanna and the girls went crazy. Moving the party to the outside porch for fresh air and more space, the well light outside lights lit quite well. The girls were moving the hips to the beat, shaking ass nah chance they get. Nadia being the dancer here, just wowed the girls even more, hyping her up so much that the boys included themselves in the dance and they eventually created an unforgettable night hanging out and laughing until the moon rose.

"So, how was it?" Lewis asked, laying next to Nadia on a blanket on the grass. The rest of the crew were laying on the other blankets across the large backyard, resting after an intense game of hide n seek. "I haven't had this much fun in quite a while. It felt nice to feel like kids, just having a good time. Once again, thank you. For this, the Porsche that i still can't believe is mine, even the ring that I stare at all day." Nadia expressed, lifting her hand to look at the ring once more.

"If you need or want anything, don't hesitate to let me know and I'm very serious, Nadia." Lewis said, turning his head to see her staring up at the night sky.

"You're bluffing." She scoffed until she turned to see his face, a raised eyebrow as he stared at her. "Anything?" She asked.

"Anything." He scrunched his nose a little, the diamond studs glistening under the moonlight.

"New wig? With a new bracelet?" She turned her entire body to face him, leaning her head in her hand.

"Done." He smiled. "Although that was severely underwhelming, bruv." He said, turning on his back once.

The two shared a loud laugh afterwards, their laughs travelling to the moon that watch over them.

taglist: @non-stop-imagines @folkloresthings @tispys-blog @userlando @lorarri @thisismeracing @thatsdemko @myescapefromthislife @slytherinjimin3nthusiast @jamie2305 @like-fire-love-blog @sugardontbesweet @simpfortoomanymen @mauvecherie-writes @queenshikongo3 @eugene-emt-roe @deepgothfiremuffin @18754389 @cherry2stems @anubisnoir @littlelizzies-world @httpsserene @apenasumlug4r @youre-sooooo-funny @eddiesbitch83 @arshiyuh @alika-4466 @peyiswriting @sunfairyy @roseseraj @vsfavs @goldenleclerc @mistruscity

(if your blog is blank, that means tumblr couldn’t find you! :( I’m sorry!)

dividers by: @cafekitsune

pics: pinterest and ig

Nadia’s fc: @/unclewaffles on ig!

#☆ ‧₊˚ saint’s media pen #f1 x reader #lewis hamilton #formula one x black reader #x black fem reader #formula one x reader #x black reader #f1 x you #f1 x black!reader #f1 x oc #f1 imagine #f1 fic #lewis hamilton fanfics #lewis hamilton x black reader #lewis hamilton x oc #lewis hamilton x reader #lewis hamilton fanfic

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aceghosts · 2 years

Text

Oh, The Reckoning Begins Chapter 5

Series Summary: Five years ago, Junior Deputy Blue Murphy disappeared with Joseph Seed at the final standoff, only to be found a year later in Dutch's bunker. Now, five years later from that final standoff, Blue Murphy and Hope County have moved on with their lives. However, new sinister forces threaten Blue's life, and they will have to rely on the man who started this all to survive: Joseph Seed.

Ch. 1| Ch. 2 | Ch. 3 | Ch. 4 | Ch. 5 | Ch. 6

Rating: Mature

Warnings: I need to give a serious warning for trauma and guilt in this chapter. This also heavily and explicitly references events from FC5, including mentions of murder and torture. On the safe side, I'm also going to give a warning for manipulation and toxic relationships. This should cover everything, but please let me know if I should tag for anything else.

Words: 5,351 words.

Ships: Mentions of previous Junior Deputy/Joseph Seed, but this is a Junior Deputy/Joseph Seed Fic.

Author's Note: IT'S FINALLY HERE!!!!!! Blue and Joseph are finally interacting with each other, and Blue gets to let loose on him! I'm excited for this chapter, and I really hope everyone enjoys it! A huge thank you to @sstewyhosseini for taking a look over this chapter! I really appreciate your comments/reactions, and I can't thank you enough. (Also, if you're not following Mika, you should! Seriously, she is awesome!) Lastly, I don't make listening recommendations for chapters, but if you're interested, PVRIS' Thank You (Feat. Raye) is what I've had in the background on repeat while writing this chapter.

AO3

Sharky clears his throat, disco music playing over the car stereo as Blue tears their gaze away from the window. Sitting in the front passenger seat, Blue finds Sharky focused on the road as he drives his Jeep towards the prison. When they called Special Agent Hawthorne, Blue could only think of one person they wanted beside them when they faced Joseph: Sharky Boshaw. Naturally, that also meant that Hurk joined them for the ride. Not that Blue minded. “You sure you, uh, don’t wanna turn around, Blue Jay? You don’t have to talk to Daddy Seed.”

Blue smiles warmly at him, touched by Sharky’s concern. “I have to do this, Sharky. I promised Special Agent Hawthorne that I would talk to Joseph, and I intend to keep my promise.” They know Sharky is worried for a good reason. Sharky, along with a few others, saw firsthand how much being in the Bunker messed with Blue. He spent a lot of nights at Blue’s place, making sure they were going to be alright. On the first anniversary of their freedom, Sharky spent the whole week with Blue, distracting them from the memories of the Bunker. Like Boomer, Grace, and so many others, Blue owed Sharky a debt they could never repay.

Sensing that the conversation needed a change, Hurk leans forward from the backseat, sagely glancing between Sharky and Blue. “We’re gonna be fine, y’all. This prison ain’t nuthin’; you should’ve seen some of the other prisons I’ve been in. Just follow my lead!” Blue frowns, raising an eyebrow. Well, that was concerning.

Sharky shakes his head. “Just cuz you traveled all over the world doesn’t mean you know what’s gonna happen, cuz! What if we get shanked by some dude who made a knife out of a plastic spork?!”

“You’ve been watchin too many of them scared straight reality TV prison shows, Sharky! If you gotta worry about anythin’, its prison riots…” As Hurk rambles on the dangers of prison, Blue tunes him and Sharky out, thinking of Joseph. What would Joseph’s reaction be to seeing Blue? He obviously wanted to see them, but Blue wondered why he wanted to see them. Why couldn’t Joseph just move along with his life the same way Blue was? Why did he want to drag them back to the past? “What do you think, Broba Fett?”

Blue blinks, focusing back on the conversation. “Sorry, Hurk. What was that?”

Hurk and Sharky share worried glances between each other before Hurk repeats his question. “Prison Riot or Shanking?”

“Prison Riot, obviously. I mean, haven’t you watched movies or TV? Everything goes to shit! It makes me think of those Purge movies you forced me to watch.” They really hope Joseph isn’t about to start a prison riot while they’re talking with him.

“Told ya!” Hurk punches Sharky’s shoulder playfully, continuing his ramble about prison riots. Sharky looks over at them with concern again. Blue knows they shouldn’t do this, but they can’t live with the blood on their hands. There’s too much blood on their hands already. They just had to help the FBI, and then, Joseph would be out of their life for good.

An hour later, the trio arrives at the prison, making their way through security. As they walk through the metal detectors in the visitor center, a news report plays over the radio at the guard station, “The American Government is anticipating a drought in several states, adding to an already difficult crop season.” Besides the sound of the radio, everything is quiet and calm. Too calm for Blue’s liking.

BEEP! The metal detector goes off, and Blue grins sheepishly at the Corrections Officer. They fish their lucky pocket knife out of their olive-green cargo pants, handing it to him. “Please keep that safe. It’s important to me.”

“We’ll take care of it. You can retrieve it on the way out.” Blue nods, feeling naked without their lucky pocket knife. That knife has saved their life more times than they can count; they feel defenseless without it. Eventually, they make their way through security with Sharky and Hurk, thankfully getting into no major trouble.

“Ranger Murphy.” Blue turns to find Special Agent Hawthorne approaching them. He holds out his hand for Blue to shake. “I can’t thank you enough for taking time to speak to Joseph Seed. You’re doing a great service for your country.”

“No problem,” Blue takes his hand, shaking it, “You can just call me Blue by the way. My friends, Sharky and Hurk came with me.” They release his hand, motioning to Sharky and Hurk standing behind them. Blue feels odd to be in a prison, especially when it wasn’t a Resistance stronghold, housing their boss and allies.

Special Agent Hawthorne turns to Sharky and Hurk, shaking hands with them both. “I am Special Agent Dylan Hawthorne. Thank you for accompanying Blue.”

“Charlemagne Victor Boshaw IV,” Sharky introduces himself, puffing out his chest. If he notices Sharky’s attempt at intimidation, Special Agent Hawthorne doesn’t acknowledge it.

“You can call him, Sharky,” Blue adds.

Hurk looks around the prison, taking in the sights around him. “Told you this would be a nicer prison, cuz. Most of the prisons I’ve been in smell like ass.”

Special Agent Hawthorne raises an eyebrow, deeply concerned by Hurk’s statement. “You’ve been in prison before?”

He nods. “Yeah, man, I’ve been in some real bad prisons,” Hurk shudders, haunted by what he saw, “some of the worst places I’ve ever been, and that includes bein’ at home when Daddy and Mom were gettin’ divorced.”

Special Agent Hawthorne blinks, speechless at Hurk’s revelation. “We should prepare you to talk to Joseph Seed.” He motions for the trio to follow him, turning on his heel.

The walk to see Joseph is a quiet, solemn affair. Blue shoves their hands in the pockets of their Bomber Jacket, the same one they were infamous for wearing while fighting Eden’s Gate. It was too late to turn around, right? Definitely. Or maybe, they could-. Sharky bumps their shoulder playfully, and Blue smiles at him warmly. He smiles back, a feeling of confidence rushing through Blue. They could do this; they could face Joseph.

Special Agent Hawthorne opens the door, leading the three into another room. The other FBI Agent, already in the room, stands up from his metal folding chair, placing his Styrofoam coffee cup on the metal table. He approaches the group, holding out his hand for Blue to shake. “Special Agent Jack Mitchell.”

“Jay Murphy, but you can just call me, Blue.” They take his hand, shaking it. Special Agent Mitchell is older than Hawthorne, but he radiates an easygoing confidence, partially setting Blue at ease. He’s certainly more laidback than Special Agent Hawthorne, who seems to be on alert 24/7.

As he releases Blue’s hand, Special Agent Hawthorne introduces Sharky and Hurk. “These are Blue’s friends, Sharky and Hurk, who are here with them for moral support.”

“You ready to talk to him,” Special Agent Mitchell asks, jerking his thumb back towards Joseph, “That guy is a real loose bag of screws.”

Blue shifts uncomfortably at Special Agent Mitchell’s assessment of Joseph. It always felt wrong to call Joseph crazy, almost as if it was a way to let the system off the hook for failing him. Meanwhile, Sharky and Hurk laugh in agreement as Special Agent Hawthorne glares at his fellow agent. “Mitchell, we need to be professional. We don’t want to influence their views one way or the other.”

He rolls his eyes. “Relax Hawthorne. They’ve already dealt with Seed.”

“Yeah,” Sharky confirms, “We know how crazy Daddy Seed and his siblings were.”

Special Agent Mitchell laughs as Special Agent Hawthorne pinches the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “We should start briefing Blue on the proper protocol while talking with Mr. Seed.”

They nod. “Right. What do I need to know?”

“You’ll be talking to Mr. Seed alone.” The words are barely out of Special Agent Hawthorne’s mouth before Sharky and Hurk cut in.

“No way!”

“Nuh-uh!”

Blue knows Sharky and Hurk are just looking out for them, but they feel frustrated, knowing that they have to do this alone. “I have to go in there alone. I’m going to be fine; please trust me.”

“We do trust you-,” Sharky starts.

“But we don’t trust him,” Hurk finishes.

They smile comfortingly at Sharky and Hurk. “I know you don’t, but you can trust me. After all, they’re going to have safeguards to protect me, right?” Blue looks over at Special Agent Hawthorne, who nods.

“The Correction Officers already searched Mr. Seed before taking him into the private visitation room. He should not have anything on his person to hurt you with. Although, we do recommend not touching him.”

A shudder runs over Blue. “Definitely not touching him.”

“We are setting a time limit of 15 minutes, but if you have a good rapport with him, we may have you continue to talk to Mr. Seed past the 15 minute limit. You can also leave before those 15 minutes end if it gets too traumatic.” Special Agent Hawthorne explains.

“Feel free to sit there silently, Blue. You don’t have to actually speak to him,” Special Agent Mitchell chimes in helpfully, “After your time is up, you and your friends are free to leave.”

Special Agent Hawthorne looks at them seriously. “If Mr. Seed threatens you in any way, Mitchell and I will be there to protect you. We will be watching through the one-way window,” He points towards the large window, next to the door, “We will also be listening to your conversation. Mr. Seed will be cuffed to the table, which means he shouldn’t be able to touch you.”

Blue doesn’t think Joseph will hurt them, or at least, he won’t hurt them intentionally. Love and Punishment always went hand in hand for Joseph. “Okay,” they take a deep breath, “I’m ready to go in.”

“WAIT!” Sharky grabs their wrist tightly as Blue heads towards the solid metal door. “Please, don’t do this, Blue Jay. You don’t owe him anything.”

Blue pulls their wrist out of Sharky’s hand. “Yeah, I do have to face him, Sharky. I have to face him, put an end to this.” Somehow, they feel a sense of finality, the sense that Blue is at a crossroads, and they won’t be able to undo their choice. Hell, it kinda felt like the final battle, the showdown at the small Church where all this started.

Blue opens the door, shivering as they step into the cold, sterile room. The door closes behind them with a solid thunk, and Joseph’s head snaps up, cold blue eyes settling on Blue. Their chest tightens, Blue struggling to breathe. Long dormant emotions bubble up to the surface. Panic. Wrath. Guilt. Love. Their feelings towards Joseph were a complicated web, with too many strings that could not be untangled. A part of Blue longs to turn toward the door, bang, and scream to be let out. But they know what they’re here for. Eli. Virgil. Marshal Burke. John. Jacob. Faith. Abigail. Arthur. Phil. Repeating the names of the dead in their head over like a mantra, Blue heads towards the metallic chair, their eyes never leaving Joseph.

Prison had not been kind to Joseph Seed; Blue doubts it was kind to anyone. They feel fucking miserable in this room with its sickly pale, yellow walls, thick concrete floor, and ice-cold table. Joseph’s hair is pulled back in his usual bun, sporting more gray hairs than the last time they saw him. His beard also conveys more gray hairs, slightly shorter than the last time. Dark circles under his eyes give him the appearance of two black eyes, and there are more lines on his face, looking wearier than ever. Pulling out the chair, Blue takes a seat, shoving their hands in their jacket pockets. Joseph watches them expectantly as if he thinks Blue will talk first. No fucking way.

After what seems like an eternity, Joseph speaks, “Blue Jay-.”

“DON’T CALL ME THAT!” Blue snaps harshly, lips pulled back in a snarl. “You don’t get to call me that. Not after the goddamn shit you put me through.”

A brief flash of hurt appears on his face, but Joseph quickly composes himself. “I see, Blue,” He pauses, waiting to see if Blue will even allow him to call them that, “I did not think you would come. For so long, you had no interest in seeing me. Even now, in front of me, I scarcely believe you are real.” Joseph lets out a disbelieving laugh, reaching for Blue. His hands are stopped by the cuffs, frowning at the hindrance.

God, what a miserable fucking place. They know Joseph wants them to talk about why they didn’t visit them, and plant doubts in their head about those just trying to help them. Blue won’t let themself be manipulated by Joseph. Instead, they focus on a safer topic. “How’s prison?”

Joseph looks disappointed but seizes the chance to speak anyway. He always did love the sound of his voice. “Prison is…,” Joseph trails off momentarily, searching for the right words, “difficult. Prison is not a place that uplifts sinners and helps them achieve redemption. It is a place meant to break them, to set them in their wicked ways. I am able to help some of the lost children within these walls, but many will not listen. I continue to write, but it is difficult to get writing supplies.” He reaches for them again, the handcuffs stopping him once more. Blue flinches, out of instinct more than fear. He looks disappointed by their reaction as if Blue should know better. “I have no intention of hurting you. I miss you, Blue. I truly do. It hurt that you never came to see me. It hurts even more to know that you only came to see me out of obligation.”

“And what obligation would that be Joseph?” They feel wrath starting to simmer under their skin, the scar on their chest itching faintly.

His blue eyes stare into Blue, looking right into their soul. Joseph had a gift for manipulating people, always seeing past the façade. Their muscles tense, screaming for Blue to run, to get the hell away. Instead, they stare back, refusing to let Joseph win. “Tell me about them.”

They raise an eyebrow. “About whom?”

“The victims. I know you, Blue. Special Agent Hawthorne would not have been able to get you to come here without putting a face to the suffering.”

Wrath swells within, clawing to break free. Swallowing their wrath, Blue glares at him. “At least, I’m trying to help people. You’re just rotting in a jail cell.” They sound bitter as they lash out at Joseph. “Besides, what would you know about why I wanna help people?”

He smiles softly, and Blue realizes they might have fucked up. It’s too late to take back those words, no matter how much they want to. “Oh, Blue. I knew it from the moment I met you, from the moment you arrested me in my Church. I knew you could not see the suffering of others and turn a blind eye. You saw the suffering of Hope County, and you knew you had to help in your own misguided way. You and I are alike in that regard; we always felt the pain of others too deeply.” Joseph pauses, his face turning pensive. “Yet, we have different ways of helping. I tried to show Hope County the light, the love of the Father’s embrace. You played their hero, Hope County’s Knight in Shining Armor. You wanted to save them, the same way you wish someone would have saved you and your mother,” He smiles at them tenderly again, “I know you are only trying to help. Please Blue, tell me about them. Let me shoulder part of that burden.”

What kind of monster could look away after seeing all the shit that Eden’s Gate put Hope County through? What did Joseph expect from them? For Blue to run? It was only after being in the Bunker with him that they realized what Joseph wanted them to do. He wanted Blue to play their part, to bring the reckoning he saw come to life. Of course, he probably didn’t see the deaths of his siblings in that plan. Fuck that. If Joseph wanted to know why Blue was here, Blue would tell him. They would tell him all the goddamn gory details. “You wanna know about them, Joseph? Fine, we can do that.”

“I do want to know about them, Blue. As I said, you do not have to bear this pain alone.”

Blue lets out a bitter laugh. “Famous last words, Joseph. Fine, let’s talk about Abigail Carter. She was an investigative journalist, trying to expose your followers. Instead, she ends up at the bottom of a fucking cave. And you wanna know the best part, Joseph?” He raises an eyebrow, sensing where they might be going. “She looked like fucking Faith,” they continue, their words sharp and biting, “Guess your followers learned a fucking thing or two. Ain’t the first time that you left a Faith at the bottom of a cave?”

“Blue.” They hear the edge to his tone, the disapproving Father tone. Too bad for Joseph he can’t do anything about it.

They charge ahead. “What? Your followers picking up the wrong message? Too bad, Joseph. You should’ve stopped that a long time ago. You know, I still feel guilt for killing Faith. Do you feel guilty about leading her like a lamb to the slaughter?”

Joseph regards them coldly, his eyes narrowed. “I see you’ve given into Wrath again. Besides, you should not talk about things that you know nothing of. I loved Faith; She was the most perfect of all my Faiths. I did not kill her. Perhaps, you should take a look at the blood on your own hands.”

“I’m perfectly fucking aware of what I’m guilty of, Joseph. I just don’t think that you understand your role in her death either.” They swallow, getting back on track. “The next person your followers killed is a kid named Phil Santiago. He was the kind of guy who always did right by the people in his life. Couldn’t stop himself from helping others. Well, he just had to pick up a pair of hitchhikers, who just happen to be your followers, and…”

They trail off, remembering the vibrant way Phil smiled in his photos, so full of life and happiness. Yet, he was the one missing, probably six feet beneath the ground. “Phil sounds like a good man. The world is a darker place for his loss,” Joseph tilts his head, still watching them carefully, “Phil and Abigail are not the only reason you are here.”

Blue nods. “The final one is a farmer named Arthur Wilson. He was killed by some of your followers in a cornfield. Can’t imagine why they would want to hurt some farmer.”

His eyes narrow, speaking softly. “Does Arthur Wilson remind you of your Grandfather, Blue? I remember you telling me in the Bunker that your Grandfather was a rancher.”

Closing their eyes, Blue thinks of their Grandpa. He died several years before Blue moved to Hope County, but he had been their hero, the kind of person Blue aspired to be. Kind, determined, and honest, Grandpa had shown them that the world wasn’t a cruel place. He showed Blue that despite the terrible shit you go through, you can always choose to be a better person, to be a kinder person. They didn’t know Arthur Wilson, but something about him reminded Blue of their Grandpa. Blue nods, admitting the truth. “Yeah. Yeah, he does.”

Joseph seizes on this, finally finding a real crack in their armor. “Do you think your Grandfather is proud of you, Blue? Do you think he would be proud of you being here with me?”

Glaring at Joseph, Blue responds, “I know Grandpa would be proud of me trying to help these people. You have the chance to help them too, Joseph. I know you care for your people. This new guy is going to get them hurt. By helping the FBI, you can avoid your followers getting hurt.”

“And for what? For my children to be arrested?”

“I don’t know. I’d rather have the people I love alive rather than dead.”

The room quiets, the two staring at each other silently. After a few moments, Joseph’s face softens, letting out a sigh. Blue feels themself relax, sliding their hands out of their jacket pockets. “I did not mean for our reunion to go this way. I only wanted to understand why you are here.”

“It’s fine.” It isn’t. It will never be fine again.

“I hope that when I get out of prison, you and I will be able to see each other again.” Blue snorts in derision; Hurk Drubman Sr. had a better chance of getting elected than Joseph did getting out of prison. “I am telling you the truth, Blue. We are family. The Voice has told me that you and I will walk through the Gates of Eden together. You know this to be true.”

Blue snaps, their wrath fully kicking in. “WE ARE NOT A FAMILY!” They holler, standing up and slamming their hands down on the metal table. Blue’s heart beats loudly in their ears, the world narrowing around them. It scares Blue how good it feels to be absolutely fucking wrathful again. Meanwhile, Joseph shrinks back in his chair, hands still chained to the table. His blue eyes are wide, absolutely fucking terrified. Blue only remembers Joseph being that scared of them once.

Joseph is on the ground before them, trembling hands raised in self-defense. Around the pair, the bliss storm swirls, nausea rising in Blue’s stomach. Blue holds their shotgun up, the butt of it pointed towards Joseph. Wrath overwhelms Blue as they stare down at Joseph, panting heavily. They want to bring down the butt of the shotgun on his face, bashing it in till Joseph’s face is nothing more than a bloody pulp. They want to tear him from limb to limb, bathing in his blood. It’s what he deserves after all the hell that he put Hope County through, for all the hell he put Blue through.

Sniveling, Joseph cries, “Please Blue! Don’t do this!” His blue eyes are wide with fear, tears streaming down his cheeks. His yellow aviators are broken, the right lens missing, and the left lens cracked. Both his eyes are already starting to turn black and blue along with other bruises forming on his face. Joseph looks frightened of Blue, absolutely fucking terrified. Somewhere, deep inside Blue, a tiny voice tells them they don’t have to kill him, that this isn’t Blue. For a second, they start to lower the shotgun, listening to the tiny voice. But the Wrath wins. It quiets the tiny voice, coursing through Blue’s veins. They raise the shotgun again, preparing to slam it down in his face.

They never do.

Joseph looks behind Blue, obviously towards the windows. Blue hopes Special Agents Hawthorne and Mitchell don’t intervene. Now that they are pissed off, Blue is itching to give Joseph a goddamn piece of their mind. Joseph’s gaze returns to them, swallowing nervously. “You and I are a family, Blue. Our time in the Bunker has shown us-.”

Blue cuts him off, fury blazing in their eyes. “FAMILY?! After everything you did to me, you still want to insist we’re family?! After what you did to my friends? After murdering people I cared about? After torturing people I loved? After torturing me? After brainwashing me? After making me think that you loved me,” Tears burn at the corner of their eyes, running down Blue’s cheeks as they draw a shaky breath, “After you trapped me in that Bunker for a year? After letting me fall in love with you? What kind of fucked up family does that to each other? Why would you do that to me, Joseph? I thought…I thought…” Blue can’t bring themself to say those words, wiping at their eyes with the cuff of their jacket sleeve.

His mouth hangs slightly open, the full weight of Blue’s words bearing down on him. “Blue, I wanted to save you like everyone else. I wanted to show you the path, the Father’s loving embrace. My feelings for you were never an act. I have always loved you; I still do. Everything I did, I did because I cared.”

They laugh bitterly, shaking their head. “No, you don’t get to say that. What you did to me didn’t fucking save me, Joseph; it fucked me up. I can’t sleep without having nightmares. Eli, Vigil, and Marshal Burke haunt me in my nightmares. Jacob, John, and Faith haunt me in my nightmares. You haunt me in my nightmares. I’m paranoid, always looking over my shoulder like I’m in a fucking warzone. I’m terrified that your followers might come back for me and finish the job. I struggle to trust people because I’m afraid that they’re going to be like you. I’m scared that Jacob’s programming will kick back in one day, and I’ll just go berserk and kill all the people I love,” Blue chokes back a sob, wiping at their eyes again, “You know, the worst part isn’t what you did to me, but it’s what you did to all the people I cared about. My friends treat me like I’m fragile, like they’re scared I’m gonna break. Some days, I wonder if they expect me to finally lose it and run back to you. My mom wonders what the hell happened to her baby, and it kills her that she can’t make this all better.” They think of their mom, remembering how she reacted to the sight of Blue’s scars.

“Blue Jay, I wanted to check-.” Their mom opens the door to their room, stopping before Blue can pull on an oversized T-shirt over their tank top. After getting out of the Bunker a few weeks ago, Blue moved back with their mom and stepdad in Colorado. It was just temporary until Blue could function again. Until Blue could pretend that Joseph didn’t haunt their every waking second.

“Sorry mom, I was just changing shirts…” They trail off, as their mom’s eyes widen, hands coming up to cover her mouth. The WRATH scar is a nasty sight, red, angry letters scrawled deep and messily into their skin. Their mom steps forward with tears in her eyes. She never looks away from the WRATH scar, guilt bright in her warm, blue eyes. “Mom, it isn’t….”

She uncovers her mouth. “Did he do that to you? That…That…” Their mom can’t say Joseph’s name. She just refers to him as that man, the words sounding like a curse.

Blue shakes their head. “No, mom. He didn’t do that to me; His brother is the one who did it.” Blue and their mom stand in silence as Blue watches tears roll down their mom’s cheeks. They fall into an old habit, shrugging off the pain and hurt like it’s nothing. “I’m okay, mom,” They lie, grabbing the t-shirt and pulling it on, “Go downstairs. I’ll join you in a few.”

Their mom frowns, her eyes finally meeting Blue’s. “Blue Jay, you don’t have to pretend-.”

“I’m okay, mom. Really!” They plaster a smile on their face. Blue can do this, pretend that they’re still normal and not fucked up. Their mom’s shoulders drop as she realizes they won’t change their mind. She nods, leaving Blue alone in the silence of their room. Blue takes a deep breath, only realizing now that they’re shaking. Grabbing their hoodie, Blue pulls it on, heading out of their room. They walk down the familiar brown carpeted hall of the house that used to belong to their Grandpa but now belonged to their mom. As Blue reaches the top of the staircase, they hear the soft sounds of sobbing. Kneeling by the top of the staircase, out of sight, Blue looks down to find their mom on the couch with their stepdad.

“Shh..Shh..It’s alright, honey,” Blue’s stepdad drawls, rubbing their mom’s back as she sobs into his chest.

“You didn’t-You didn’t see it," She cries, an echoing sound of grief, “He carved up my Blue Jay, and now, they’re trying to pretend as if nothing happened. Why did he do it to my Blue Jay?” Another keening wail rings out, and Blue stands up. They hear their mom continue to cry. “Why did he do that to my Blue Jay? Why?”

Wrath burns within them, and Blue turns, itching to give Joseph a piece of their mind. Their hands reach out, aiming to grab him by the shoulders and shake Joseph. “YOU-,” Blue snarls quietly, turning to berate Joseph. All they find is an empty hallway, no Joseph to be seen. It’s not the first time they’ve turned to say something to Joseph after emerging from the Bunker. They’re just used to seeing him there, always in the corner of their eye. He was a constant in their life, and now, he was gone.

Guilt weighs heavily on Blue’s shoulders, a tired, empty feeling washing over them. They want to run down to their mom and tell her that this wasn’t her fault, that this wasn’t anyone’s fault. Instead, they walk back to their room, closing the door silently behind them. Blue gets into their bed, burying themself beneath the blankets. Looking at their nightstand, Blue catches sight of a framed photo, one of their Grandpa. It was the first time they managed to drag him hiking, their Grandpa smiling with Blue as the pair enjoyed the nature around them. Grabbing the photo, Blue pulls it close against their chest, muffling their cries into their pillow. “I wish you here, Grandpa,” they cry quietly into their pillow, “You would know what to do; You would know how to make this right.”

Wiping their eyes, Blue stares at Joseph, determined to put him behind them once and for all. “I should hate you for all you’ve done to me, Joseph, but I can’t. You will always have a part of my heart. But I’m not going to take all the shit you throw at me under the guise of love and caring,” giving him a small, relieved smile, Blue continues, “I hope you have a good life, Joseph, just know that I want no part of it.”

The door opens behind the pair, and Blue looks over their shoulder to see Special Agent Hawthorne in the doorway. He looks concerned for Blue as he clears his throat. “The fifteen minutes are up. If you would like, you can leave now, Blue.”

They don’t look at Joseph as they turn away from the table. Heading towards the door, Blue takes a deep breath. Behind them, Joseph screams. “BLUE! DON’T WALK AWAY FROM ME!” They hear him sob, calling their name. “PLEASE COME BACK, BLUE! DON’T GO!”

Special Agent Hawthorne allows them to step through the door, closing it afterward. The closed door muffles the sounds of Joseph’s desperate screaming. Glaring at Special Agent Hawthorne, Blue states firmly, “Don’t call me if you need him to talk.”

“Hey, Blue Jay, are you-?” Sharky doesn’t finish as Blue crashes into him for a hug. They wrap their arms tightly around him, burying their face in Sharky’s sweatshirt. He smells like gasoline and smoke, familiar and comforting which is what they need. He instinctively wraps his arm around Blue, rubbing their back. Hurk joins the hug, sandwiching Blue between the two men. “It’s gonna be okay, Blue Jay.”

“You’re gonna do all right, Amigo,” Hurk echoes.

“I know,” Blue replies, a sudden weariness, and emptiness taking over them, “I just wanna get out of here.”

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