Stockholm Syndrome (John Seed x Deputy OC)

14 - Welcome To The Wilds

Over the next few days I continued to tend to John's wounds. I'd spend the days hunting and foraging whilst the evenings were used to care for him. Eventually he was able to stand once more and walk around with little hindrance. It was a late morning when I got up and went outside as part of the usual routine. On this day however, he followed me out.

'What are you doing?' I asked, adjusting the weapons on my back.

'Coming with you.' He replied, folding his arms across his chest.

'Pffft, you come with me into the wilds? I don't think so.' My quick dismissal of his idea made his brow crease in annoyance.

'What's that supposed to mean?' He retorted.

'You're too...' I mulled over the correct word as I retied my shoe laces. 'Pristine. And your leg isn't even fully healed yet, you'll slow me down.'

'Bullshit.' John kicked at the ground aggressively and I let out a sigh.

'Alright fine but you have to keep up or I'll leave you behind.' Starting on my way, he scrambled after me and followed my lead. Cheeseburger bumbled along a few metres away in the shrubbery as usual. He preferred to inspect the perimeter from where I was walking to alert me of incoming Peggies. My plan was to go and liberate the bunker tomorrow but John would need food to tie him over for the day.

'Where are we going?' John asked, staying close behind me. Yanking out the pistol from my belt I dangled it in front of me.

'Hunting. Now if you even dare try to fucking shoot me there's a grizzly bear over there with your name on it. Got it?' I wasn't sure if I could trust him but knew if he didn't have some sort of protection he could get hurt.

'Harlow I'd never kill you-' He turned on the charm but my fiery expression made him stop in his tracks. 'Ugh fine got it.' Taking the gun from me, he wrapped his tattooed fingers around the handle. Continuing on our way, my ears twitched at the sounds of distant chomping. Signalling to Cheeseburger to stop, I dropped to the ground and John copied. Peering over the top of a bush I saw a male white-tailed deer grazing by itself about six feet ahead of us. Soundlessly, I set an arrow into my bow and lined up the shot. My knees sunk into the muddy ground and I had to reposition myself stealthily. Pulling the string back to my cheek, the taut wire dug into the base of my fingers. Satisfied, I let it go with a ping and the arrow sailed through the air; plunging cleanly into the deer's skull. The animal collapsed immediately and grew still. I got up and walked over to the corpse, slinging it over my shoulder. 'Okay Katniss Everdeen we get it, you can use a bow.' Sarcasm dripped from John's words as he caught up with me. Raising an eyebrow I stretched the bow out to him.

'You're more than welcome to try.' I knew he wouldn't be able to back down from the challenge and instinctively snatched the weapon out of my grasp. Stomping proudly ahead he turned his chin up stubbornly and listened for signs of life inside the forest. Carrying the deer over my shoulder, I allowed him to take the lead and sauntered behind. His black jeans hugged his calves and his trench coat hung just below the back of his knees. Flecks of mud painted the trim of the fabric, swallowing up the little grey planes. He paused for a moment, ears pricking as he listened for sounds of life. John glanced at me over his shoulder as though he was trying to confirm a deers presence nearby. 'Don't look at me, that's cheating.' My voice was instinctively soft and he picked up on it. I'd already given away that something worth hunting was nearby. Placing an arrow onto the string, John took two tentative steps forward before crouching down. Peering over his head I could see a young buck with his back to us. With no technique, John let the arrow go and it sailed straight over the animal's head. It raised it's neck and looked around before continuing to graze.

'This is fucking stupid. It doesn't work!' He exclaimed and I rolled my eyes.

'Here, let me help.' As he hooked another arrow into the string, I placed my fingers onto John's shoulders and straightened them. He tensed at my touch. 'You've got to stay calm. Breathe.' My mouth was inches from his ear. Moving my hands from his shoulders, I cupped his elbow and pulled it back so the string was tightly stretched. 'Focus on where you want it to go.' John exhaled through his teeth before letting the arrow go. It pierced into the bucks' side and it kicked outward before running off into the brush. John spun to look at me and realised how close I was to him. His piercing blue eyes gazed into my own and I was momentarily drawn down to look at his lips. I had to shake myself out of the trance I'd fallen into. 'Good job.' I coughed, standing up and heading on to track the deer.

Carrying the two dead mammals over my shoulder, John piled large chunks of wood in his arms. We made our way back to the clearing together. Birds fled from the bank of the lake where they were cleaning their feathers as we approached, Cheeseburger bounding into the cool water. Dropping the carcasses onto the ground, I sat cross legged next to them and produced a sharp knife. The baptist placed his chunks of wood on the floor staring hard at them. He picked one up and turned it in his hands. Rooting around on my belt, I unattached an axe and tossed it in his direction.

'Catch.' The tool landed with a dull thud on the floor. John reached over and gripped the handle, getting to his feet and taking some of the wood over to a flat stone on the bank. Moving my attention back to the deer in front of me, I pressed the blade to the fur and began to skin it away. I only became distracted as I noticed John was peeling off his coat. Then his waistcoat. Then his shirt. The beating sun shone down on his tattooed body, accentuating his biceps and toned torso. Two open palms framed the word 'Yes' just above his navel and I could just see a scarified tattoo of the sin 'Lust' stuck to his hip. He balanced a piece of wood on the stone before stretching back and slicing it in half. My mouth grew dry with longing as I stared at him, desire wrapping around my brain. Why was I so infatuated with him after everything he'd done? He was so controlled, so cold-blooded, so powerful.

'What?' John inquired, axe hanging loosely in his hand.

'Just... make sure you're cutting it right.' I mumbled, fixing my eyes back on the deer skins. Whatever happened to me at the hands of the baptist, it seemed I'd always have a soft spot for him.