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house-of-kolchek · 3 years ago

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Sister Dearest (Part Three)

Jason Kolchek x Reader

HELLO!

I will admit this now, I may have gotten carried away with this one. There were just so many relationships I wanted to dive into! I hope you all enjoy the finale to Sister Dearest!

Part 1 : Part 2

Word Count: 7.3k

MASTERLIST

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You stuck close to Jason, your hand hovering just within arms reach of his bag. He led the way, his rifle aimed, shining its light across the dark temple. You could feel yourself flinching at every sound, every echo and scratch as your free hand rested on the gun Jason had given you.

Nick cleared his throat behind you, mumbling something about Eric having “tough questions to answer.”

“I wouldn’t like to be in those shoes,” Jason remarked, sighing slightly as he made his way towards the generator. You stayed silent, your mind swirling with a hundred different emotions regarding the Colonel.

He was your stepbrother, of course you loved him, but his actions today had struck something in your heart. You had never felt so inferior, so expendable before. Having Eric - who was supposed to be responsible for the whole team - brush you off as unimportant, a piece of bait, had stuck with you.

You startled when a hand caught your own. Your gaze snapped up to meet Jason’s brown eyes, and his furrowed brows. He squeezed your hand as he gave you a sideways glance.

“Nicky’s just getting to work on the generator. You okay?” he muttered, and you nodded, just a little too quickly.

“It’s nothing of importance right now, just got a lot going through my mind,” you answered, still stuck in an emotional daze. Jason sighed, glancing over to Nick once more before turning his full attention to you. His hand came up to cup your chin, tilting your head so he could make eye contact with you.

“Believe me, I understand, but I need you sharp right now.” You broke out of your daze at his commanding tone. “I can’t keep you safe if I can’t reach you.” You nodded, slowly, your heart fluttering as he kept you close.

“You’re right. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be, Darlin’. You’re doing a damn good job so far,” he mumbled into your ear, causing your heart to flutter even more. “Now keep close to me, please. And keep an eye on that shoulder of yours too, ya hear?” You simply nodded, not trusting your voice, and he graced you with a small smile.

“Got it,” Nick cut in, with a small whoop of victory as the lights flickered back on. You smiled, and Jason complimented the Sergeant. The grin on his face faltered though, as a light flickered back off in a distant hallway.

“We have to follow that, don’t we,” you groaned, marching after the Lieutenant as he took charge. He radioed to Eric, warning him of the situation before stepping into the hallway, you and Nick close behind.

“This way,” he muttered, keeping his rifle poised as your group wandered through some winding hallways. You held your breath, peeking over the marine’s shoulder every chance you got.

“Jason, watch!” you cried, yanking him back by his backpack. He whipped his head around to meet your gaze, his eyes wild as he searched for a sign of danger. You grabbed his arm, pointing to the bottom of the doorway. “It looks like a tripwire.”

Nick peeked over before clapping you on the shoulder. “Nice spot (Name).” His gaze slid over to Jason. “You were almost a goner there,” he teased, stepping over the wire and into the room. Jason turned back to meet your gaze, a soft expression in his eyes.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, and your face twisted in a mischievous grin.

“I need you sharp right now,” you mocked, and Jason rolled his eyes, his lips turning up in amusement.

“Hardy har. Get in the room.” You cackled as he guided you over the tripwire, before turning to analyze the setup. “Simple enough, just need to cut the trigger.”

You watched as he did so, radioing in again to warn Eric of the IED, grimacing slightly as the Colonel responded.

“He’s moving up,” Jason informed, and Nick hummed.

“Shame you warned him about the tripwire.”

You said nothing, only offering the Sergeant a disapproving glare. As angry as you were with Eric, you were all stuck in a life and death situation. Your priorities had to be keeping everyone alive.

Jason caught notice of your glare, clearing his throat and looking to Nick. “Easy,” he warned. You offered a small smile as he moved forward, gazing at a small crate before shoving it to the side. “Let’s just hope this asshole that shot (Name) is far away from here.”

A sudden scream caught you all off guard, the marines’ grips tightening on their rifles. Your mind flickered with recognition; where had you heard that voice before?

“Is that Joey? He’s alive!” Jason called, subconsciously leaning in closer to listen for the man’s cries again. Nick shook his head, baffled.

“Not possible, I watched him die!” He argued, and what little hope you held in your heart fizzled out.

“All due respect, buddy, you’re not your usual self,” Jason shot back, offering Nick a stern, but concerned stare. “We can’t just leave him behind.”

“Hey! Anyone wanna tell me what’s going on here?” Eric cut into the conversation, his gun outstretched as he stepped up to your group.

“We heard Joey,” you informed, jerking your thumb to the hallway, and Eric met your gaze before nodding. There was a certain look in his eyes that you hadn’t seen before. It was guilty, and sad.

“We think we heard Joey,” Nick corrected, his face souring.

“It was him alright, we’re gonna go look for him,” Jason offered.

“No,” Eric piped in. “I can’t drag (Name) down in there, it’s too dangerous for a non-combatant.” You were surprised to say the least, this was the first time he’d shown any concern for your well-being since everyone had fallen into the Godforsaken temple.

You watched as Jason’s gaze flickered between you, then Eric, then the hallway. His expression hardened and he squared his shoulders.

“Alright, I’ll stay with (Name) and take her back to the temple. You two go on and find Joey,” He suggested, and the other two men nodded, offering you a look before stepping into the hallway. You met Jason’s gaze, your heart breaking as you thought about what must be going through his head.

“You didn’t have to do that. I can see how much you wanna be out there looking for Joey,” you muttered, and he shook his head.

“That’s alright, as fucked as those two are, Joey’s still in safe hands with them. Your safety’s more important.” You blushed, hiding your face with one hand as he grabbed the other one, guiding you back the way you came and to the temple.

As you followed beside the Lieutenant, you took a good look at him. There was dirt smudged across his cheeks, and you could see just how tired he really was in the way his boots scraped against the dusty ground. You squeezed his hand just a little bit tighter, offering whatever sympathies you could. His thumb brushed idly against your knuckles as the two of you finally made it back to the temple.

Jason sat down on the broken stairs, gesturing for you to follow him. You noticed him twirling something between his fingers, something small and shiny. You rested a palm on his shoulder.

“What’cha got there?” Jason opened his hand, showing you a small wedding band resting in his palm. Your stomach clenched. Where did he get that?

“It was Merwin’s,” Jason answered your silent question, going back to fiddling with the little object. “Those fuckin things got to him, and I couldn’t do anything. And now I’ll have to tell his wife what happened.” You could hear the defeat in his tone, and your heart ached for Merwin. As questionable as his comments were, he didn’t deserve to go like that.

“I’m sorry, Jason,” you offered, rubbing his shoulder as an attempt to provide some comfort. He glared daggers at Merwin’s ring, shaking his head.

“This wasn’t in the job description,” he muttered, more to himself than you. You let out a breath. He was right. This wasn’t like anything you’d seen before. It was wearing everyone thin, and you could tell that it was just the tip of the iceberg still. Jason’s hand found your knee, clearly ready to get the attention off him. “What about you? How’re you doin’?”

Your throat closed up, your eyes burning with unshed tears.

“I watched my sister fall to her death,” you choked out. “I don’t know how to keep a positive mind with this.” You swallowed your tears, trying to think about anything but the piercing scream as Rachel fell, and the cries Eric let out as he watched.

“Hey, just focus on the present for now. I know it’s hard, but.. Fuck,” Jason trailed off, clearing his throat before he tried to reform his words. “I know it’s hard, but it’s the best shot at keeping us alive.” You looked into his eyes for a short moment, taking in his soft expression.

“Thank you,” you breathed, before you turned to fiddle with the only thing you could get your hands on - your camera. Jason took notice, bumping your good shoulder with his, trying to change the topic to something more optimistic.

“Get any good shots?” You tensed at his teasing question. You’d certainly gotten more than a few…

“Fuck it,” you mumbled, pulling the device over your shoulder and handing it to the man. “Feel free to take a look,” you said with a smile.

Jason looked back to you with a certain twinkle in his eye, before he started flicking through the photos from earlier that day. You watched, your breath caught in your throat as he passed through picture after picture of the base, all featuring one thing in particular…

“Is that my ass?” Jason asked, holding the camera up for you to view. Your cheeks exploded in a blush, as you covered your eyes, hiding from his mischievous grin.

“What? It’s very photogenic!” You protested with a small chuckle, a laugh of his own rumbling in his chest as he shook his head again. You watched him as he passed through a few more photos, a small grin tugging at his lips.

You didn’t know how he did it, but his presence as he sat next to you, grinning down at your camera, managed to calm the storm in your mind, leaving just one thought front and center. It was him.

“I like this one,” he said, holding up the camera once more. You smiled at the familiar picture. The two of you standing, facing the camera with sweet grins.

“Me too. It’s my favourite.” You grinned, glancing at the picture and back to Jason. He had that same expression on his face, a warm smile and a gleam in his eyes as they darted across your features.

“Mine too, you look great,” he quipped with a grin. You gave him a dirty look, scrunching your nose up, and he chuckled. “You always do.”

“You realize how cheesy that just was, right?”

“Well, is it workin’?” he said in a low voice, leaning closer to you. You could feel his breath against your lips as his hand came up to brush the side of your cheek. Your own breath caught in your throat, and everything felt warm, as he inched closer and closer, his nose brushing against yours, until-

“HEY! You’d better come see this!” Nick’s voice called from across the temple. Jason actually groaned, his forehead bumping yours and his hand falling to your knee. He muttered something under his breath - something you couldn’t quite catch - before heaving himself onto his feet, offering a hand to pull you up next to him.

You took a second to calm your racing heart. Had that really almost happened?

You followed behind Jason, freezing when you saw Nick and Eric dragging a massive, scaly body.

You stared at the thing you could only describe as a monster. It was huge, likely three times the size of Eric, with long claws, fangs and no eyes. You couldn’t help but shudder at the sight, as the marines hoisted the creature up onto a large table.

“What the fuck is that?” You called out, and all three turned to look at you.

“A monster,” Nick started. “They’ve been chasing us down all night, ripped Merwin to shreds.” You shuddered at the image, your eyes falling to the long claws on each limb.

“Alright,” Eric interrupted. “(Name), you stay with me to document an autopsy for this… thing. Kolchek, you and Kay work on building a perimeter. We’re gonna need all the defense we can manage.” You watched Jason’s expression harden, as his shoulders squared up again in an authoritative stance.

“Sir, I’d be happier if (Name)-”

“Kolchek, remember your rank,” Eric flared. You cringed, knowing just how much he disliked it when his pride was damaged. Everyone in the room knew how Jason’s sentence was going to end - he clearly didn’t trust you with Eric. A small part deep within you wanted to agree with him, after all that had happened that night. Eric caught your gaze, his own softening just slightly. “I’ll keep her safe,” he promised, his voice taking a much calmer tone. Jason held his stare for a moment, before turning to you, relaxing only slightly when you offered him a nod.

“You still got that gun I gave you?” he asked, and you nodded. “Good. Keep it handy.” His voice was tight, his restraint just barely present. He stepped closer to you, his hand finding your back as he leaned in to whisper in your ear.

“Be careful, please.”

“I will,” you mumbled in return. “Come back in one piece.”

With a nod, he pulled away, making intense eye contact with Eric once more before heading down another hallway, Nick trailing behind him. You turned to Eric.

“Alright, what do you want me to do?”

–

You snapped one more photo of the creature’s face, shuddering only slightly. You were finally getting used to its unsettling face. Eric was muttering information into a voice recorder, poking and prodding at different parts of the monster’s form.

With a sigh, he lowered the recorder, turning to face you. The tension between the two of you was high, and you could barely meet his gaze.

“How’s your shoulder?” he asked, and your hand brushed against the bandages.

“Fine. It’s sore but I can still move okay.”

Eric sighed again.

“I’m so, so sorry. What I forced you into was completely wrong, I assure you I won’t let that happen again,” he admitted, his head falling. You inhaled sharply, fighting to keep a straight face.

“It was wrong, and you did it twice,” you said lowly. “How can I be sure you won’t do that again?”

“You can’t. You’ll have to trust me. All I’ve been doing tonight is making mistakes. It’s lost me too many people, and I can’t afford to lose any more. Especially my own sister.”

My own sister.

You fought to keep tears at bay. That was the first time he’d referred to you as your sister. You held his gaze for a long time, watching as the guilt and sorrow swirled around in his eyes.

“Okay. But if you hit three strikes, I’m kicking your ass so hard. Rules of baseball, man.” Eric let out his breath before chuckling at your comment, offering his sincerest thanks. “C’mere.” You pulled him into a hug, feeling him deflate a little bit. “I’m really sorry about Rachel.”

“Me too.” After a moment, Eric pulled away, his eyes misty, before turning back to the monster at hand. “Right. Now that we’ve got that sorted, I’m going to do a UV sweep here.”

You nodded, stepping back with your camera aimed. Eric switched the UV light on, hovering it over the creature. You jumped as the thing burst into flames, and Eric stumbled back, frantically searching for a fire extinguisher.

As he killed the flames, you leaned back against the desk, catching your breath once again. Eric dropped the extinguisher as you checked your camera for any damage. A photo preview came up - your finger must have hit the button when you jumped.

“Oh my god Eric! You have to come see your face in this picture!” you cackled, and he furrowed his eyebrows, taking a step over to you before freezing. You caught a figure moving out in the temple behind him, your eyes widening as he whipped around.

“Kolchek, is that you?” he called into the darkness, holding his hand out behind him as he poked his head out of the tent. “Wait here,” he said, unholstering his gun and stepping out into the temple to investigate.

You unholstered your own weapon, pressing your back against the desk as an extra comfort. You strained your ears for any sounds, anything that could help you identify what was going on.

You jumped as Eric’s figure popped back into the tent, his arms raised up.

“Hey! It’s me. I didn’t find anything-” he started, only to be cut off by a scream.

A very familiar scream.

“Shit, that’s Jason!” you cried, tearing out of the tent and towards the sound. Eric followed after you, the two of you crashing your shoulders into the doorway, tumbling out into the scene. As your gaze finally caught Jason, your heart stopped.

He was on his back, fighting against what looked like Joey, but different. Joey was swiping wildly at Jason, lashing out and making every effort to sink his teeth into the marine. Jason struggled against the creature above him, trying to keep his balance on the wooden beam holding the two of them up.

You sprinted down the staircase as Jason stabbed Joey with a stake, scrambling back just enough to give a clear shot. You fired your weapon without thinking, catching Joey in the shoulder and sending him stumbling backwards.

As Nick hoisted Jason back to his feet, Eric came up from behind, waving the UV light again. Joey screamed as he burst into flames, finally stumbling off the wooden structure and falling down, far until you couldn’t hear him anymore.

As Jason finally stood on his feet again, he was knocked off balance by a body. Your arms wound tight around him, pulling him close as you let out the breath you’d been holding. You felt his arms wrap around you just as tight, as his face buried into your shoulder.

“I thought you were gonna die,” you mumbled into his ear, and he squeezed you even tighter.

“Not happenin’ tonight sweetheart,” he replied simply.

The clearing of a throat broke you out of your embrace, and Jason pulled away, one hand hovering close to you. You stood in his personal space, within arms reach as you tried to push away the fear of potentially losing the man you’d come to care so much for.

“Lieutenant. Glad to see you’re alright,” Eric said, wringing his fingers together. The two of them shared a nod, and you made brief eye contact with Nick, before you were being directed back into the temple.

“C’mon, let’s get back inside,” Jason muttered into your ear, and you nodded your head.

“Good idea. Besides, I have a great new photo to show you.”

—

Jason was stressed to say the least. He had you pressed up against a rock next to him, as he fought to stay out of the line of fire. He wasn’t sure where this man had come from, all he knew was that they couldn’t get him from their current position.

“Nick,” he hissed. “We gotta flank him! Only way we’re gonna get rid of this clown!” Nick nodded, peeking out from his own cover to fire blinlly at your attacker. Jason turned to face you.

You had your gun in your hands, your camera strapped close to your chest. Your eyes were wild, brows furrowed in a determined line as you tried to hide the genuine fear coursing through your veins. Jason caught your hand with his own.

“Listen, you ‘n me are running to that rock over there. Stick close to my ass and don’t get shot, got it?” he ordered, and your gaze snapped to his. You nodded, your muscles tensing as you prepared to run. He turned to Nick.

“Now!”

Nick peeked over again, providing cover fire as you and Jason darted out. He slid behind the rock, turning to press a hand against your back as you slid up next to him. He fired back at the man, offering Nick the same cover.

“Flank him!”

He was vaguely aware of Nick’s heavy footsteps behind him. He ducked down again, reloading his rifle as he quickly scanned the room, searching for the Colonel.

“Fuck, hope Eric didn’t get shot,” he mumbled out loud, and you agreed, risking a glance over the rock.

Jason almost yelled as you popped up from behind the cover, firing a few rounds towards your attacker. You were determined, he’d give you that. He snapped the new ammo cartridge into place, following your lead and sending more bullets flying.

“I can’t get a clear shot!” Nick called out, and Jason tensed. As he scanned the room again, a crumbling pillar caught his eye.

“Up there, aim for the pillar!” he ordered, and you voiced your acknowledgement, following his example and shooting at the stone. The man stumbled out into the open - right into the line of fire. Jason kept shooting, barely noticing as Eric slid into cover next to him, a nasty red mark decorating his temple.

The Iraqi soldier cried out as a lamp burst beside him, clawing at his face. Jason watched with a hard gaze as the man stumbled back into the temple entrance, leaving the marines behind. You let out a sigh of relief, slumping against the rock.

Unfortunately, your relief didn’t last very long, as eerie screeches rang out from the cliffs below.

“Shit. Push back into the temple!” Jason yelled. “Move!”

He ran behind you, up the staircase and through the doorway. You crashed into Nick ahead of you, unable to slow down your momentum in time. Jason whirled around to one of the doors, forcing it closed with his shoulder and letting out curses as he pushed. Nick came up on the other door, pushing it shut to close away the monsters.

“Wait!”

Everyone froze, and Jason caught you and Eric both perking up at the familiar voice ringing through the air. He let out a heavy breath as Rachel burst through the small space between the doors, panting and covered head to toe in what looked to be blood.

“Rachel? You’re alive?” Nick breathed out from beside her. She caught his eye, opening her mouth to speak when a force nearly bowled her over. Rachel’s arms fell around your form as you held her in a tight embrace.

Jason watched the scene, his heart warming and a smile making its way onto his face as he watched your shoulders sag with relief. Rachel held you back just as tight, mumbling something into your ear. He turned back to the door, pushing it those last few inches, a new resolve flowing through his veins. They needed a win, and they had just gotten one.

After a long moment, you pulled away from Rachel, stepping aside to allow Eric some space to greet his wife. You stepped up beside Jason, within an arm's reach of him, a subconscious action that he certainly noticed. He glanced towards you, reaching up to brush away a stray tear that was falling down your cheek, before taking your hand in his for a moment.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jason caught Nick, watching Eric and Rachel with a glare. Nick had explained the whole situation earlier, how Rachel had been the girl he was seeing the past few weeks. He cleared his throat, catching Nick’s attention and offering a curt shake of his head. Not now.

Nick sighed, stepping forward to offer Rachel a quick hug, and some words of relief once she’d stepped away from the Colonel. He made intense eye contact with Eric, who nodded his chin to the Sergeant. It was clear by his angry stare and tense body language that he’d figured it out.

“Are we good?” Eric asked, his voice low. Nick paused for a moment.

“We’re good.”

“Good to see you ma’am,” Jason interrupted, resting a warning hand on Nick’s shoulder. You glanced between the three of them, and Jason caught your eyebrows furrowing.

“Who else made it out?” Rachel asked, her tone desperate. Jason’s heart sank, and he had to take a deep breath.

“It ain't good,” he sighed. “We lost Merwin, those things got him. Joey too… and Clarice.” Rachel tensed at the doctor’s name, which didn’t go unnoticed. “What is it?”

“Clarice.. She was infected. Those things got inside of her,” Rachel admitted, her gaze finding the floor. “That wasn’t her anymore. She stayed behind because she didn’t want to risk hurting us.” Jason heard the sharp intake of your breath, as you quietly mourned your friend. Jason sighed, defeat hitting him hard in the chest.

“I believe it. Same thing happened to Joey.”

The moment was interrupted as the doors thumped, and everyone leapt further into the hallway, guns aimed to fire. The monsters screeched from behind the doors, their claws scratching at the old wood. Jason glanced back to the temple, before grabbing an extra pistol from its holster, twirling it around his fingers and extending it to Rachel

“Make every shot count,” he warned, his eyes catching yours as you stared intensely at his hand, your gaze heated and just slightly dazed. The corner of his lip tugged up, and he gave you a quick wink before turning back to the group. “Alright, fall back to the main temple!”

“Mind if I stick close to you?” You were on Jason’s heels, stepping behind him with your pistol tight in your grip. He couldn’t keep the smug grin off his face as he glanced over to you. Your brows weren’t as tightly knit when you stood near him, and his face warmed at the fact that you gravitated to him to stay safe.

“You bet. I want you on my ass like fleas on a dog,” he grunted.

“Not a problem, it’s an identifiable target,” you retorted, reaching to risk a slap on his rear. He jumped, his mouth opening and closing as he flustered. You cackled, leaning in closer. “Let’s go kick some ass.”

—

Jason didn’t know how he’d lost you, yet here he was. Standing in the entrance to something that looked straight out of Alien, next to the man he’d just been pointing his rifle at. Salim was crouched on the ground, looking out into the vast space.

Jason listened as Salim told him about his son, a boy with just his father, on his way to university all the way in London. His heart clenched, a wave of sympathy washing over him.

“Single parent. Tough fucking gig,” he said, as an offer of support for the older man. Salim hummed his agreement, standing up on his feet and looking to the Lieutenant.

“Is your conscience clear, Jason?” he asked, and Jason hesitated.

No, it wasn’t.

And without thinking, Jason spilled his emotions, telling him everything about the checkpoint incident, about the innocent woman that haunted his dreams at night. He told Salim about his life before, about his struggles with addiction and how he fell to the marines as a last ditch effort to get himself clean.

“And the worst part is, after all that I still couldn’t protect her,” he admitted, tipping his head back to force the tears that were burning his eyes back into his skull. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms.

“You mean (Name)?” Salim probed, and Jason nodded.

“She’s a non-combatant, a photographer. It was like I was the only one who was actively tryin’ to keep her safe, and I still managed to fuck that up.” He kicked at the dirt, his mind flashing with all different kinds of images, all portraying a new brutal death that you may have faced. “I wanted to kiss her earlier, y’know? Came within inches of it too…” he trailed off, his head hanging low as he fought to maintain his composure.

“Jason, from what I’ve seen, that woman can hold her own,” Salim offered, resting a hand on the marine’s shoulder. “Don’t give up on her quite yet.”

Jason met Salim’s gaze, a new wave of respect washing over him as the man offered his encouragement. He wondered just what kind of lunatic he had been to judge this man so quickly, his opinion simply based on the uniform he wore.

“Thanks, Salim.”

And Jason crossed his fingers, begging to every higher power he knew of that you were alive and okay.

—

Jason’s screams rang out through your head, the painful image of him being dragged away by one of the vampires playing on repeat. You shuddered, picking at your fingernails as you followed behind Eric, Nick and Rachel.

You should have been focused on something else, namely the ancient man with the fangs that was chasing you around the temple, but the only thing on your mind was Jason, and his echoing screams.

You prayed to every higher power that he was alive and okay, trying to think of any situation where he could have made it out alive. He was a smart, capable marine. If he wasn’t he would never have made it to the rank of First Lieutenant, that you knew. So you held on to your hope, believing in the fraction of a chance that he was still alive.

You took in your surroundings, your breathing still uneven as you recovered from the marathon you’d just run, having finally escaped the ancient monster, if just for a moment. Your gaze hovered over the iron bars, and the skeleton hovering in one of the locked cells. You gulped.

“Look! Jason’s alive!” Rachel called from the other end of the room, and your heart leapt into your throat. You raced over to your sister, your gaze following her direction and falling to the markings in the sand. A simple arrow with the initials “JK” next to it was enough to send your brain into overdrive, and you took a few steps forward.

“Wait,” Nick called, and you couldn’t keep the scowl on your face as you turned to face him. “I can’t do this anymore.”

“Nick,” you warned, and his steely gaze turned to you, just briefly.

“No, we might not get another chance,” he cut you off, turning back to Rachel. “I know you said to put things on ice-”

You knew you should have been more focused on what was at hand, but you couldn’t help but tune out, gazing down at the little arrow drawn in the sand. He was alive, and you had to find him, before that changed.

You jolted forward as a body bumped in your eyes, turning your head to see Nick wandering away, his head down as he muttered an apology. You furrowed your eyebrows, but chose to leave the man be, he clearly needed a moment for himself.

Eric followed, his hand patting your shoulder, and then Rachel was by your side.

“You ready?” she asked, and you nodded, walking in time with her.

“So, how did that go?” you asked, nudging her shoulder slightly. She looked up to meet your gaze, her walls falling for just a moment. You managed to contain your surprise, you hadn’t seen her this emotional since the two of you were kids.

“I feel terrible about hurting Nick,” she sighed, and you brushed your arm against hers in a silent offer of comfort. “But, I’m happy with the decision I made. Seeing Eric again after so long… I can’t help but just see the man I fell for all that time ago.”

You couldn’t help but smile, your heart warming at her happiness.

“I’m glad, I always have faith that you two can see it through. You both deserve happiness.”

“And what about you? What’s all this going on with Kolchek?” she teased, bumping you with her arm. Your cheeks heated up, as you met her amused stare.

“Oh shuddup. I actually really, really like him,” you admitted with a grin. “I don’t know how, I’ve only known the guy for like a few hours, but it feels like I’ve known him for much longer. He’s been protecting me with everything he’s got, and he even sees straight through this confidence act I’ve got going on.”

Rachel suddenly stopped walking. You glanced up to her, as Eric caught her attention in the distance. She waved him off, holding up one finger as a gesture to give the two of you a moment. When her gaze met yours, it was sad, and filled with guilt.

“You shouldn’t have to act confident,” she said in a low tone.

“Well… I dunno,” you trailed off. “I don’t want people to be able to see how hard I try.”

“I’m so sorry,” she said, suddenly. “I’m so sorry I’ve made it so hard on you to be my sister. All you’ve done is support me, even after all the shit I put you through. I’ve never even told you I love you.” She gripped your hand, her eyes pleading into yours, pouring out every regret she held.

You felt tears pricking at the corner of your eyes, your heart overwhelmed with love for your big sister. You pulled her into a hug, ignoring the gunk on her clothing that would surely mess up your outfit.

“It’s okay,” you offered. “You were never the emotional one in the family.” She choked on a laugh, and a large grin hit your face. “I love you too, Rach. I’ll always be your biggest fan.”

The two of you pulled away, wiping at your misty eyes. As she took the lead down the rest of the hallway, you followed, just a step behind. For the first time in years, you felt that sisterly bond between the two of you again, the thought bringing another smile to your face.

“Oh, and for the record,” Rachel called over her shoulder. “I’m rooting for you and Kolchek too.”

—

“Okay, does anybody else think this place looks like something straight out of Alien?” you called to the rest of your group, marvelling at the massive area ahead of you. You shivered at the ominous green fog covering the ground.

You heard a hum from the others around you, as you pulled your camera up to snap a few shots. Following behind the others, you stared at the strange, monster-shaped figures littering the pathway.

“Are those cocoons?” Rachel asked, and your mind clicked with understanding. You shuddered, almost feeling their non-existent eyes boring into your back. You stepped closer to the group, trying to ignore the chills running up your back as you all navigated a maze of cocoons.

That is, until a distant yell caught your attention.

“That’s Jason!” you called, sprinting around the cocoons, towards the sound of Jason’s voice. Your heart was racing as you turned a corner, just catching two figures, running from one of the vampires. “Shit!”

You aimed your pistol, shooting a few meager bullets at the creature. Your shots did nothing to deter it, as it continued forward, taking a swipe at Jason and Salim. Suddenly, a hand rested on your shoulder, pulling you backwards. You stumbled back a few steps, just enough to see Nick pull ahead of you, his rifle raised.

“Hey, fuck-face!” he screamed out, before he shot an explosive directly at the monster. It fell back in a fiery explosion, screaming out. Jason whipped around, his gaze taking the group in before landing directly on you. He froze, his mouth forming an “O” shape.

“Run! Get the fuck out of there” you screamed, pleading him to snap out of whatever daze he was in. Jason shook his head, glancing back at you one more time before following after Salim.

“Let’s go.” Nick tugged at your shoulder, before taking off in the same direction. You made it to a large rock, almost crashing into Jason. Before you could think, he was gripping your arm, all but throwing you beneath the rock and into a tunnel.

“Crawl through!” he ordered, and you did just that. You shimmied through the tunnel, accepting Salim’s hand as he helped you up to your feet on the other side. You stepped out of the way just in time for Jason’s head to pop out from the tunnel.

Your heart swelled, watching as he got to his feet, standing in front of you, alive and unharmed. A much different image than the one cycling through your head since he’d been dragged away from you. You watched a million different expressions cross his face, his eyes glimmering, before his hand was on your back, and his lips were crashing onto yours.

You stumbled back a few steps, your hands instinctively falling to his chest, where you gripped the sides of his vest. His kiss took your breath away, his grip tightening around you and pulling you impossibly close.

He broke away from the kiss, his hand coming to the back of your head, pulling you into a tight embrace. Your hands twisted themselves into his shirt, as you felt his chest rising and falling under your head.

“You have no idea how glad I am to see you alive,” he muttered into your hair, his hands trembling just slightly.

“Oh, I think I have some idea,” you muttered back, a dazed grin making its way onto your face. “If that kiss is anything to go by. In all seriousness though, I’m so glad you’re okay, too.”

“Fuck, I’ve lost sight of you enough times tonight. I’m not waitin’ to kiss you anymore.” His voice was breaking with his words, a strange mix of hope and defeat in his tone. “I keep failing at protectin’ you, I’m sorry.”

You pulled back to look at him. His gaze fell to yours, and you leaned up to capture his lips in yours one more time. As you pulled away, you reached up to cup his face.

“I managed, I’ve still got that gun you gave me, remember?” You watched as a little smile tugged at his lips, his expression suddenly turning bashful. “Don’t say you haven’t been protecting me.”

“I guess that’s true. Still, I’m keeping a hand on you until we’re out of here, you got that?” he ordered, and you snickered.

“Well I certainly don’t see a problem with that,” you teased with a grin, and Jason gave you a warm smile as you wrinkled your nose. “Cute,” he muttered, taking your hand in his and stepping up to the rest of the group, who had all made it through the tunnel and were gathered together. You didn’t miss the teasing look Rachel sent your way, and you grinned, sticking your tongue out and winking as you pointed to the Lieutenant.

—

Somehow, Jason stayed true to his word. If the man didn’t have his hand on you, he was guiding your own to grasp some part of him - his bag, his vest, even the edge of his sleeve at one point. He kept you close as the two of you ran back for Salim, fighting tooth and nail to save the Iraqi who had put his own life on the line for you all multiple times.

Jason kept you next to him as you fought in the shepherds’ hut, a last ditch effort to escape the vampires’ clutches once and for all. The two of you managed to find a rhythm, working together to take down the creatures with knives and flares in hand.

As the first rays of sunlight streamed into the house, and the vampires ran off screeching, you hit the floor, rolling onto your back and letting out a massive sigh. You’d made it.

Jason fell to the ground next to you, his hand finding yours, and you turned your head to face him. He had a grin on his face, as he squeezed your hand, panting as the adrenaline from the past twelve hours trickled away. You grinned back up at him, euphoria washing over your senses.

“I must go see my boy,” Salim’s voice broke into the new silence. He stood, picking up his pipe and gazing at it with a soft expression. “A souvenir,” he stated, his gaze dancing around the room before falling on Jason for a moment. He nodded to the Lieutenant before turning and stepping through the doorway.

Jason heaved himself off the floor, dragging you up with him, to which you groaned in protest.

“Salim, wait!” he called, following the man out the doorway, you stepped in beside him, watching as Jason extended his hand. “Good luck out there. You wish Zain a happy birthday for me.” Salim’s gaze fell to Jason’s hand, a grin forming on his face as he shook his hand.

“Thank you, my friend.” He met your eyes, offering you a nod. “Good luck, to the both of you.”

You stepped forward, reaching to give Salim a hug. His free arm wrapped around your torso, as you whispered in his ear, “Thank you Salim, we owe you our lives.”

As you stepped back to Jason, he nodded, smiling at the two of you before leaving the hut, making the long trek back to his son. Jason’s hands found yours, pulling you close as he let out a sigh of relief. He leaned back against the wall, looking you up and down, before one of his eyebrows raised.

“Does that camera even work anymore?” You looked down to the device, clicking the power button and chuckling to yourself.

“I have no idea how, but yes, it does.” You looked back up to Jason, taking in his soft smile, the relief glimmering in his eyes, and a mischievous smirk grew on your face. “Want a picture?”

Jason’s head fell back as he laughed, recalling your reference to the day before. It was crazy how that felt like so long ago.

“Only if you’re in it with me.”

—

The wooden mantle was full of photos, ranging from years prior to present day.

On one end, a picture of you and Rachel rested, an awkward smile on the former’s face, with the two of you dressed up in your military gear. Next to that photo, another sat, the two of you in casual clothing, sat in a bar with drinks in hand, holding your wrists up to show off your matching bracelets.

In a small frame, just to the side, was a photo of Jason’s back, clothed in camouflage as your hand cut in, forming a thumbs up.

On the other end, a framed photo of you and Jason was placed, your faces fresh as he looked sideways to you, a soft expression on his face. Next to that stood a similar photo, only the two of you were coated in dust and grime. You looked beyond exhausted, but it didn’t seem to didn’t matter, as his lips pressed against your cheek.

Finally, just in the middle of the mantle, a photo was placed. You and Jason were pictured in a close embrace, your eyes glinting with tears as you held up your hand, an glittering diamond decorating your ring finger.

Even though the mantle was full of photos, there were still spaces open, ready to be filled with even more memories of a life together.

#house of ashes #house of ashes x reader #jason kolchek #jason kolchek x reader

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