Charles Smith x Reader

Forty-Nine

The world was cloudy before your eyes as light cut through the dark. Pressure eased and out of reflex you took such a deep breath that it chased fire through your lungs.

Everything was watery. It felt like an obscure dream, pictures spinning before your eyes. Everything was so loud yet so silent.

But one thing was very clear. His face. Or what was left of it.

Unable to form words, you frowned and squinted your eyes in hopes to regain a sharper vision. Watery red melted, twisted and turned until a few details appeared.

Someone moved next to you. A dark figure fell to its knees. Unclear words were yelled. Then there were hands on your shoulders and you helped in pain.

"(Y/N)...", a voice tickled the back of your head, familiar and frightened. "(Y/N)!"

Charles' face appeared right in front of you. Struck by surprise, you flinched only to gasp as a sharp pain chased through your shoulder.

Charles' eyes jumped to where blood poured.

"You're hurt.", immediately, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a piece of fabric to tie it around your wound.

Pulling a face, you tried to chuckle. But it was more like a whimper.

"I have- argh!", you sucked in a sharp breath to keep your mind from drifting away. "Quite a few..."

"Careful.", he put one arm around you while the other went to lay on your back.

You allowed yourself to put all your weight on him as he helped you back on your feet. With one hand pressed to your thigh you let him guide you around the house into temporary safety.

It felt like the world turned upside down as he pushed you against the wall. Tears ran down your cheeks while you tried to work on your breathing.

"(Y/N)." Charles grabbed your face with both hands to make you meet his eyes. "We gotta get out of here."

Suddenly your senses sharpened.

"No!", you gasped and pulled a face.

Quick movements hurt like hell.

He frowned.

"You're bleeding all over."

"I-... C-Clark... he's... here!", you pressed out between clenched teeth.

All at once, Charles' face darkened. There was this shimmer in his eyes. Hatred. Disgust. He would have liked to kill Clark, he couldn't deny that.

"Where?", his eyes chased over the battlefield.

Fighting had died down. Now there were only a few poor souls left who desperately tried to save what was left of the rest.

It was a sad sight. But in the end everyone has know the risks. The price of blood was paid.

And yet.

Your soul wasn't satisfied yet. It screamed for one more death. Just one.

"Clark.", you locked eyes with Charles, dedicated and flat out refusing to be convinced otherwise. "I want his head."

For a long, very long time Charles just stared at you. His hands came to rest at the sides of your head. Now he was so close that you wouldn't be able to slip away. Not even if you wanted to.

His deep brown dug into your trembling (E/C). His warm breath caressed your cheeks, sticky with dried blood.

"I want to go to Canada with you.", his voice was calm but persistent.

It itched in his fingertips.

"And I want to go to Canada too.", you said, tilting your head. "With you."

"Let's go."

"Charles.", you grabbed his face and breathed a kiss to your lips. "Just one more. Not for them. But for me."

He eyed you. And the hint of a smirk tugged at the edge of his lips.

"Maybe you're more cruel than I thought.", a chuckle almost made its way up his throat.

You smirked, tired but also on fire.

"Are you disappointed?", you asked with a heavy tongue.

He shook his head.

"Not at all.", Charles grabbed your hands to offer support once more. "Come. I'll hold you. Just lead the way."

It took all your strength to keep your mind together and not drown in pain and suffering. Nausea tied your throat.

But you wanted to go on.

You had to.

Charles kept you close to him, the warmth of his body hugged yours and kept you alive. It kept you from shivering but it did not help with the cold that seeped into your bones.

Your cheeks glowed. Everything was cold.

Your eyes jumped through the area. Green trees and dusty stones wherever you looked. Brown trunks melted into one large wall.

Your breathing was kind of heavy. But you managed. At least for now. What drove you was pure hatred and the wish to end Clarke's life.

It would be the only thing that could satisfy you.

Thin splatters of blood lead the way through green patches. With your eyes narrowed you tugged at Charles' shoulder.

His eyes followed the nod of your head. Suddenly his legs froze. He lowered himself, pulling you with him and made an attempt to hide you between trees and bushes.

"What are you doing?", you pressed out between clenched teeth.

No answer. Charles' hands left you and almost immediately you could feel how a painfully heavy weight pushed down on you.

Gravity struck, your shoulders sunk and a sharp pain stabbed right into your joints. A whimper crawled up your throat but you swallowed it before anyone could notice.

Tears blurred your vision.

"Charles..!", you breathed his name with a hint of a threat as he pulled away.

Low sounds of annoyance vibrated in his throat as he threw a glance back at you.

"I won't let you do this.", he replied, his voice shaking from the effort he needed to keep quiet. "You're injured."

"So are you!"

"But I've killed. My life was made of murder and theft."

You sucked in a sharp breath. Anger distorted your face. Your jaw clenched but you swallowed a curse.

He was right, even though you hated to admit it. You were bleeding like a pig and everything felt like it was falling apart. You were falling apart.

And Charles couldn't bear to see it.

"Fine.", you let out a deep breath. "But make him suffer."