Reliant ~ [John Soap MacTavish]

XXXIX. Wounded and Bruised

He stays silent for a moment, his fingers working to pull a bandage off of my shoulder. I clench my teeth as he rips it off. "Were you really going to?" He asks, meaning the betrayal but refusing to say the word.

"—No," I say quicker than intended, my eyes darting back to his face again. "I wasn't."

He sprays the wound with saline solution, carefully drying off the parts where my skin is still intact. "Johnny didn't tell anyone, you know?"

"He didn't?" My brows furrow, confused as to why he would keep it to himself. "How did you know then?"

"I was in the gym when I heard you. I saw Soap storm off, and I knew something was wrong. When I asked him, he didn't want to tell me," Keegan says, his eyes on my skin as he continues. "I tried going after you, but you were already gone. So I went to your base in hopes of finding you."

And that's when he found me, lying on the floor with Carter's hands wrapped around my throat, my vision slowly fading to black.

"I'm sorry for ruining everything," I whisper, my voice barely audible.

"You didn't," Keegan reassures, his thumb gently brushing away a tear that escapes my eye. "Carter did."

His hand returns to its task, skillfully navigating the injuries on my chest. "I saw the way Soap was looking at you the other day," He says, his voice thoughtful. "And the way you looked at him when he wasn't looking."

My gaze falters, and I shift uncomfortably. I'm not prepared to delve into the complexities of my feelings for Soap, especially not now.

"I knew then that you wouldn't run. Not the way Carter had framed you to," Keegan continues, a hint of assurance in his voice.

"Too bad," I mumble, averting my eyes to the ceiling. "It's too late now. He wouldn't trust me again."

"Maybe with time," Keegan suggests optimistically.

"—No," I cut him off, wincing as the sting of alcohol disinfects another wound. "I'm not even trying."

Keegan snickers, his smirk evident even in the dim light of the room. "Nothing... Just that I never saw you as a person to give up this easily."

"It's not giving up," I protest, laying my head back on the pillow. "It's realizing when something's beyond repair."

He sighs, "Fine. Now look at me so I can fix your face."

I turn a little, giving him the access he needs. I watch him work, my eyes inspecting his face as he does so. His blue eyes, ones I know all too well, are focused on my brows. His own brows are furrowed slightly in a state of concentration.

"I would've recognized you if I had seen you without your mask, I think," I can't help but smile, thinking back to the boy I used to be so close with. He really hasn't changed much.

"Yeah?" his eyes drop down to mine for a moment before he continues.

"Mhm," I mumble.

A comfortable silence follows, and I can't help but think back to the way things were when he was still at the old base too. Things weren't always perfect, but I had him and I had Carter.

"Did—" I begin tentatively, almost afraid of the answer, "Did you know my mother?

Keegan's movement slows, and I can tell he hesitates on what to say. So instead of saying anything, his lips form a thin line, and he offers me a barely visible nod. "I told you not to go after it, Lexi."

"Why didn't you tell me the reason? Why did no one tell me the truth, then?"

He drops his hand after finishing the wound on my face. "Would you have believed me?"

I look at him for a moment, genuinely thinking about the question.

I don't think I would have.

"It's not that I didn't want to tell you, but things in your life have been messed up. I did not want to be the person stirring everything up above all that happened," he sits back, cleaning up some of the old bandages. "And you know you would've never believed me."

I swallow, knowing he's being genuine. "You're right. I'm sorry, I shouldn't be blaming you."

"It's fine," he says before standing up. He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a crumbled paper. "Here," he says, grabbing my wrist to place it in the palm of my hand.

I find the picture of me with my parents, crumbled up but still intact, in the palm of my hands. I don't know what to say for a moment, as I thought it had been lost during the fight.

"I grabbed it before getting you out of there. I'm not sure if you wanted it, but I thought it'd be better to give it to you. Just in case."

Lifting the thick paper before me, I study the image for a brief moment. An impulse guides my hand, tearing off the half that features my father, leaving behind a portrait of just my mother and myself. Somehow, the image immediately feels much lighter.

"I did. Thank you," I say, lifting myself from the bed and wrapping my arms around him before he can stop me. "For everything."

His muscles tense for a moment, but after a second he relaxes, reciprocating with a gentle squeeze. He simply holds me for a moment, allowing me to hug him for however long I need to. "I'll get you back there with the others. I promise."

A/N

Sorry this ones a bit shorter, but I still love it very much. Hope you do too <3 

Also, I love Keegan.

Hope you have a lovely day. Bye :)