A Thief's Shadow (Rafe Adler x OC)

Chapter Eight: King of My Heart

Fuck.

In what felt like an instant the room began to fill with water, leaving her friends helplessly watching through the bulletproof glass. Tasha looked around the room for some clue, but as the water began to rise she became more and more panicked.

Rafe pounded on the glass with all his might, shooting and hitting it with everything he could yet nothing made the glass budge.

"The dynamite!" Nathan exclaimed.

"I'm on it!" Sam said as he ran back through the corridor.

"Hurry!" Rafe yelled, fear flashing in his eyes as he saw how terrified Tasha was becoming.

"I looked everywhere!" She cried through the glass. "There's no way out!"

"We're going to get you out of there, Tash!" Nathan called to her.

Tasha nodded silently, tears falling down her face as the water rose to her chest. "You're going to be alright, Tasha." Rafe reassured, though his own fear showed.

"I think... I think you owe me a proper date after this, Mr.Adler." Tasha panted as she treaded the water.

"Anything you'd like." Rafe agreed. "Just hold on. You're going to be alright."

"You were right. I was being too reckless." She laughed sadly. "This is my fault. I deserve this."

"No, no. Tasha, don't talk like that!" Rafe cried, "You're going to be okay!"

Tasha nodded, trying to believe his words but as the water continued to fill the entirety of the room, she felt her hope slowly dwindling. The water was nearly to the roof, leaving little room for air consumption.

"Tash, we'll get you out! You just need to hold your breathe, okay?" Nathan tried to keep calm as he spoke to her.

"You can do this, Tasha." Rafe reassured her, though on the inside he felt like he would fall apart. She was a light in his world that was usually filled with loneliness and despair. He couldn't lose her.

"Rafe, I—" Before Tasha could finish her sentence the final dam in the room broke, sending the rest of the water into the room, effectively filling it entirely with water.

Tasha held her breath as she tried to keep calm, but as she looked at her friends trying desperately to remove the clear door, she knew she wasn't going to make it. She panicked as she cried out, swallowing water into her lungs as she tried to find air where there was none.

Rafe and Nathan watched helplessly as Tasha began to drown, her eyes closed and her body seized for a few moments before she was still. It was in that moment Sam ran into the corridor, nearly dropping the dynamite when he saw Tasha floating there, lifeless.

"Jesus, no."

"Hurry up!" Rafe screamed at him, lighting the dynamite throwing it towards the door. Nathan and Sam lit the rest, hoping the explosion would do the trick.

Their wishes were granted when the clear door exploded, the water gushing at them through the corridor and out into a dam. Sam quickly grabbed Tasha's body, pulling her to safety.

"C'mon, princess. You gotta breathe." Sam shook her, but ultimately decided he had to try CPR. He pressed his hands to her chest and began to pump them, pushing hard on her ribcage. "C'mon." Sam leaned down, pressing his lips to hers as he breathed deeply.

Rafe stood back, staring hopelessly at Tasha's lifeless body. He felt cold, and empty. He couldn't imagine a world without her in it. He could feel tears in his eyes, but he refused to cry. He refused to look weak.

Tasha is strong... she can't be dead. She just can't be...

"C'mon, darlin', don't give up on us, yet." Sam told her as he continued to press on her chest and give her mouth to mouth.

After what felt like an eternity for the three men, Tasha's blue lips moved as she began to cough up water, the colour slowing returning to her face and lips. She breathed heavily in her daze as she felt air fill her lungs once more. In no time at all she had two pairs of arms holding her up, making her smile slightly.

"I think done trying the puzzles from now on." She laughed before coughing, holding her hand to her mouth but flinching in pain when she looked at it. "What the hell did you do to my hand?!"

"You nearly drown and that's what you're worried about?" Nathan asked with a shake of his head.

"I'll patch you up at the hotel." Rafe said quietly from the doorway.

Tasha gave him a small smile. "Okay." She took a deep breath as she laid against the ground.

"You gonna be okay, princess?" Sam asked as he looked at her.

"Ask me tomorrow."

•••

Sam carried Tasha most of the way back to the car, and once at the hotel Sam and Nate left Tasha alone with Rafe who hadn't spoken a word to her since the incident. Sam and Nate were both reluctant to leave her side, but they both knew that she should have a moment with Rafe since they knew that even if he didn't show it often, Rafe too cared for Tasha.

"Rafe?" Tasha asked softly as he was wrapping her wounded wrist with medical gauze.

"What?" He snapped harshly, not looking at her.

Tasha frowned at his annoyed tone and averted her gaze to the ground. "Never mind..."

Once Rafe patched her up, he looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face. "Why would you be so reckless like that? You nearly got yourself killed!" Rafe huffed angrily as he bandaged her wrist.

"I'm okay, Rafe." She replied, glancing at him.

"You almost weren't."

Tasha slowly reached for his hand, holding it lightly in her grasp. "Rafe, I'm okay... you don't have to worry about me."

Rafe shook his head, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling Tasha into a tight embrace.

"Rafe..."

•••

A/N: Longer, angst chapter for you :) if you have ideas I'm all ears!