#ah ot5

[shadeofazmeinya]

Relatively Unharmed (Rewrite)

Summary: Jeremy gets Gavin home from a deal gone wrong that left a bullet lodged in Gavin's arms and fear of how the other Fakes are going to react. Sure Jeremy's chest hurt from the fight, maybe enough to leave them just barely able to catch their breath, but Gavin is surely what the focus should be on here. To make sure the others aren't going to be mad at this new crewmember they've added in not protecting their own.

Prompt fill: One of the crew is in a bad way healthwise for whatever reason but hides it so no one will worry, but its worse than they thought and the other have to find them passed out and nurse them back to health.

A/N: Rewrite of an older fic to remove a certain character. Also to have nonbinary Jeremy with they/them pronouns because Rimmy Tim is canon, baby! Let me know if there are any parts not edited properly. And as always comments and reblogs are supper appreciated!!!!

Jeremy grits their teeth as they push forward, Gavin’s arm thrown over their shoulder as his feet drag out of the elevator floor. Gavin shakes with a wet cough that chills Jeremy’s heart, blood dripping and spilling. Just a little longer, Jeremy thinks, their own chest tight under their body armor, where growing welts stretched with every shift. Making every step and breath ache, burn. But it doesn’t stop them, as Gavin was drifting in and out, body heavier in their arms. Jeremy punches in the security code of the penthouse door, pushing inside to meet the startled and worried eyes of the other Fakes as they stumble and all but collapse inside.

It wasn’t often that trade deals went south. Especially ones that were supposed to be easy, ones with people they’ve dealt with before. But it happens. This might not be the first time. But it is the first time it was Jeremy’s fault.

They shouldn’t have shot first. They shouldn’t have sparked it all going down. Because of them, Gavin was just barely conscious on his feet, the others catching his broken body as they pass the threshold of safety.

“What the fuck happened?” Geoff’s angry face is on them. Michael and Jack were carrying Gavin away, relieving Jeremy of his weight and it takes everything not to fall down after him. They watch him go as Geoff steps even closer.

Jeremy knows, deep down, the anger is only stemmed in worry and fear at Gavin’s state. It still makes Jeremy flinch back.

“T-They pulled out a gun. I didn’t know what else to do, so I shot them. But there were too many and one of them got Gavin in the shoulder. H-He fell so hard. I got him out of there as fast as I could, I came straight back –“

They’re interrupted by a howl of pain from Gavin as Jack and Michael work together to try to set and disinfect Gavin’s shoulder. Jeremy pales at the sound. Geoff gives them another angry glare before rushing over to Gavin’s side.

Jeremy wants to go to Gavin too, heart wrenching at another scream ripping from his throat. But with the others already working over Gavin, there wasn’t room for Jeremy to go to his side. The rest probably wouldn’t want them to either. Not after they were the reason Gavin was screaming, crying in pain, so much blood dripping down, spilling onto the floor.

Jeremy slowly leaves the room, moving further back into the penthouse, away from the wailing. As the adrenaline drains, as the panic of getting Gavin home, getting him to safety drains, they can start to feel the ache in their chest worsen.

They nearly double over in pain when they reach the bathroom, bending over the counter, clutching their chest. Taking off their armor nearly makes them collapse, hissing and cursing the strains pulling every muscle. There were two bullets stuck in it, one right over their heart. At least Jeremy did one thing right remembering to wear it.

Despite it being off, Jeremy still feels like they can barely breathe, chest on fire with every heaved breath. They glance to the mirror, looking at their now bare chest already molting into purple and black. It looks hideous under the harsh bathroom lighting, the pristine mirror missing none of it. Jeremy tries to feel around their ribs, tries to feel the damage, but all they can do is hiss and wince in pain the second their hand touches sensitive skin.

They start to reach for some painkillers in the medicine cabinet but then stop. There was only one bottle. Only one pill bottle left and Gavin needed it more than them. Gavin was hurt more. Sure Jeremy’s bruised, maybe bones even cracked, but that’s nothing compared to a bullet ripped into one’s shoulder. So Jeremy sighs, dropping their arm away from the painkillers. They grab their shirt to slip it back on, which proves difficult but they manage, sliding back out from the bathroom to see how the others are doing.

Gavin’s unconscious as Jeremy walks back to the living room. His shoulder was wrapped up but everyone still looked worried over him, fussing around him. Jeremy doesn’t blame them, he had lost a lot of blood. They’ll still need to keep a close eye on him even if the wound was closed.

Geoff turns to Jeremy as they come back in, eyes narrowed and it makes Jeremy freeze and their heart sink.

It was their fault Gavin got hurt. It was because of them that they could have lost him. It’s grounds enough for Geoff to want them gone, want to kick them out or worse. Jeremy swallows under his gaze, starting to shake, in fear or pain or both they can’t tell.

But before Geoff could say anything, deliver his sentence, Jack appears, eyes knit in worry as she looks him over. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” Jeremy says, the lie slipping past their lips before they can even think to stop himself. Relatively they’re fine, they tell themself. Compared to Gavin, they’re fine.

Jack doesn’t look convinced, not completely, but Jeremy still hides their stiffness, hides their labored breath as they go over to a chair and carefully sit down. “How’s Gavin?” they ask quietly, getting the focus away from them.

Jack sighs. “He’s going to be alright. The bullet didn’t hit anything major. Just barely missed breaking his bones.”

There’s an awful silence after that, as they all glance at Gavin. Watch his chest move up and down, slow. Quiet. “I’m sorry,” Jeremy breathes out.

“What do you mean?” comes Geoff’s gruff voice, piercing eyes to them. Jeremy has to look down, speak to their knees.

“I shot first,” they admit. “I know I wasn’t supposed to. They didn’t even have their guns fully out yet, were only just reaching for them and I… I panicked and shot. I started the shootout.”

“From the sound of it you had plenty of reason to,” Michael speaks up. “If they were going to shoot one of you, better you don’t give them the chance to.”

“I didn’t know for sure they were going to shoot,” Jeremy mutters. “I just saw one of them raising a gun and I shot. We were outnumbered, but I still did it anyway.”

“What happened after that?” Geoff finally speaks, making Jeremy shrink back more, even if Geoff’s tone was even.

“I kept shooting, but one of them hit Gavin in the shoulder. I got as many as I could before dragging Gavin out with me to the car. I’m not sure I got them all…”

Geoff sighs, a sound Jeremy is sure in disappointment. They should’ve tried to not let any survive, but they needed to get out of there. Needed to get Gavin somewhere safe.

The room fills with awful silence. Something strained in it as they watch Gavin breathe, body too pale, so much paler than he should be.

Jack finally moves, hands stained with blood that she goes to wash off. Jeremy can’t look at it. Instead, they sit back against the chair, trying to keep their breathing even, but it’s hard as the pain seems to only be increasing. A rib has to be cracked, there’s no way it hurts this much and it isn’t. Maybe Jeremy should find some bandages later and wrap it up. But they’re not even sure if they can get themself back up off the chair.

The others all start shuffling around, getting some food started and wrapping Gavin up in blankets on the couch. Then Jack comes back, footsteps pounding on the floor as they all see her pulled face.

“Is this your body armor?” Jack snaps, voice sharp but strained. Worried. In her hands she holds up Jeremy’s armor, bullets stuck in it, shining under the living room lights. Jeremy realizes they had just left it on the bathroom floor after changing out of it.

“…yes…” Jeremy mutters in response, hurting too much to shrink back from Jack’s intense gaze.

“What the fuck Jeremy?!” Comes Michael’s shout as he sees the bullets, knowing they would at least cause major bruising, if not worse. “I thought you said you didn’t get hurt!”

“I said I was fine!” Jeremy shouts back but then winces. Screaming was not helping their state.

“You’re not fucking fine!” Michael hisses, storming up to them and lifting their shirt up to see their chest, to expose the horrible bruises to the others. Jeremy tries to bury into the cushions of the chair as they all gasp.

“It looks worse than it is…” they try, but the others can all tell they’re lying, as their voice shakes and body grow paler.

“You’re supposed to tell us when you get hurt!” Michael retorts, dropping his shirt.

“I didn’t want to worry you, Gav needed to be helped first –“

“And exactly how long after Gavin being helped were you going to tell us?” This time Geoff’s sharp voice, again glaring at him.

“I don’t know…” Jeremy mumbles.

“Did you at least take some painkillers while you were in the bathroom?” Jack says as she digs around for more bandages.

“No –“

“What?!” Again Michael’s loud voice cuts through. “Have you gone completely fucking stupid on us? They were right there!”

“Gavin will need them more –“

“We have plenty to spare,” Jack says, pushing Michael aside and sitting besides Jeremy, bandages in hand. “It takes five minutes for us to get more. Michael, grab the idiot something for the pain. I’m going to make sure they didn’t break any of their ribs."

“Did you drive all the way here with your ribs hit like that?” Geoff says as Jack works on getting Jeremy’s shirt off, Jeremy hissing through their teeth.

“Had to get home –“ Jeremy utters, falling back and gritting in pain as Jack starts poking at their chest.

“You should’ve tried to call us to pick you up! It’s a fucking miracle you didn’t break a rib into your lungs!” Michael yells.

Jeremy can’t even retort, just groaning in pain as Jack continues to try to examine their chest and then more for any wounds she needs to wrap.

“Can’t fucking believe you!” Michael continues his rant, as he disappears into the bathroom, voice and stomping feet heard as he continues to his spew of curses. He returns moments later to hold out a pair of pills to Jeremy. Jeremy doesn’t refuse it this time, immediately taking them and swallowing them dry.

“There,” Jack says as she’s done examining them. “We need to get you laying down. And no more moving around. We’ll get the Docs in here later to properly check it out. But for now nothing seems broken.”

“You’re such a fucking idiot,” Michael grumbles, but he leans over and presses a kiss to their forehead, showing the more worried side of the anger.

“Next time, tell us when you’re hurt,” Geoff says, his face softer, eyes less intense.

“I’ll do my best,” Jeremy says, giving a small grin despite the pain.

Geoff sighs, shaking his head, but the small smile return tells enough. And Jeremy knows all is forgiven. “Let’s get you in bed,” Geoff says, pressing a gentle kiss to their cheek. “I think we all need a rest from the excitement of the day.”

“Next person who hides being hurt is getting fucking shot, I swear to God!” Michael says, regaining his rant as Geoff and Jack help Jeremy up.

Jeremy can only just smile, feeling better knowing their family isn’t that angry with them. Knowing their family is going to take care of all of them just fine.