Fic: Third Time Around
Title: Third Time Around
Prompt: Kiss prompt - other: near-death
Medium: Fic
Rating: PG
Warnings: Kinda fluffish.
Summary: Ben's taking his last breaths to think things through with Max. (Ben/Max.)
Bad luck followed him around. That had to be it. Ben couldn't think of another possible explanation to why he was hurt and had the chance of dying...for the third time. The first time was in the forest with Max when he really did die, but Manticore got to his body and brought him back to life.
The second time was when the fire broke out at the Gillette facility. He remembered flames surrounding him, close enough to touch. That time, the doors all just opened on their own and he was free with only a burn or two.
And now. Now he had a bullet in his gut with pain shooting through his body no matter which way he moved. Ben was positive it was bad luck. That or he was just destined to go to the Good Place.
The two other X5s helped him into the building designated for medical purposes in Terminal City and laid him on a makeshift bed carefully. Ben winced as they put him down. One of them shouted about getting Max before darting off, the other hurried to lift his shirt and try to stop the bleeding.
“This is really gonna hurt,” they warned him.
Ben swallowed hard, feeling the pressure on the wound and wincing all the while. He bit down on his lip and shut his eyes, hoping it would all just stop. Everything. The pain, the bleeding, the slight dizziness.
“What happened?” a voice called out. He opened his eyes and saw Max through a slight blur. “Oh no... Ben? Hey, stay with us.” She knelt down beside him and switched places with the one keeping pressure on his wound. “You're gonna be alright.”
His lip quivered a little as he looked at her. “Max...”
She shushed him and looked back at the two. “Find some more gauze or something. Go!” Max ordered.
“I'm sorry...” Ben told her in a quiet voice. “I shouldn't have gone outside.”
“It's not your fault. Now shut up,” she smiled. Shivering a little, he tried pushing away Max's hands. She looked at him, shocked. “Ben, what the hell're you doing? We need to get this bleeding stopped.”
“I don't want you to.” After all his “bad luck”, he was tired. If he was supposed to die, then that's what he'd do.
Max went silent, watching him with concern. “If...that's what you really want...” He nodded and she asked, “Why?”
Ben let out a light chuckle. “Max, I died once before and almost again at Manticore. This is the last straw for me.” He gave a half smile. “I'll go to the Good Place.”
The two she sent away came back with more supplies and Max waved them away. “Give us a few minutes.” They went away again and Max sighed. “Ben, I'm sorry. For what happened.”
“This? It wasn't your fault.”
“No. Back when I first found you.”
He shrugged, eyes beginning to feel heavier and like everything was slowing down. Giving a nod, he motioned for her to come closer. Max leaned down and he gave a weak smile, kissing her lightly on the lips. She looked at him in confusion as he lowered his head back to the flat pillow. With a peaceful look, Ben said in a whisper, “Tell Alec I won.” Everything began going dark and his eyes fell shut as he heard Max shouting again.
Prompt: Kiss prompt - other: near-death
Medium: Fic
Rating: PG
Warnings: Kinda fluffish.
Summary: Ben's taking his last breaths to think things through with Max. (Ben/Max.)
Bad luck followed him around. That had to be it. Ben couldn't think of another possible explanation to why he was hurt and had the chance of dying...for the third time. The first time was in the forest with Max when he really did die, but Manticore got to his body and brought him back to life.
The second time was when the fire broke out at the Gillette facility. He remembered flames surrounding him, close enough to touch. That time, the doors all just opened on their own and he was free with only a burn or two.
And now. Now he had a bullet in his gut with pain shooting through his body no matter which way he moved. Ben was positive it was bad luck. That or he was just destined to go to the Good Place.
The two other X5s helped him into the building designated for medical purposes in Terminal City and laid him on a makeshift bed carefully. Ben winced as they put him down. One of them shouted about getting Max before darting off, the other hurried to lift his shirt and try to stop the bleeding.
“This is really gonna hurt,” they warned him.
Ben swallowed hard, feeling the pressure on the wound and wincing all the while. He bit down on his lip and shut his eyes, hoping it would all just stop. Everything. The pain, the bleeding, the slight dizziness.
“What happened?” a voice called out. He opened his eyes and saw Max through a slight blur. “Oh no... Ben? Hey, stay with us.” She knelt down beside him and switched places with the one keeping pressure on his wound. “You're gonna be alright.”
His lip quivered a little as he looked at her. “Max...”
She shushed him and looked back at the two. “Find some more gauze or something. Go!” Max ordered.
“I'm sorry...” Ben told her in a quiet voice. “I shouldn't have gone outside.”
“It's not your fault. Now shut up,” she smiled. Shivering a little, he tried pushing away Max's hands. She looked at him, shocked. “Ben, what the hell're you doing? We need to get this bleeding stopped.”
“I don't want you to.” After all his “bad luck”, he was tired. If he was supposed to die, then that's what he'd do.
Max went silent, watching him with concern. “If...that's what you really want...” He nodded and she asked, “Why?”
Ben let out a light chuckle. “Max, I died once before and almost again at Manticore. This is the last straw for me.” He gave a half smile. “I'll go to the Good Place.”
The two she sent away came back with more supplies and Max waved them away. “Give us a few minutes.” They went away again and Max sighed. “Ben, I'm sorry. For what happened.”
“This? It wasn't your fault.”
“No. Back when I first found you.”
He shrugged, eyes beginning to feel heavier and like everything was slowing down. Giving a nod, he motioned for her to come closer. Max leaned down and he gave a weak smile, kissing her lightly on the lips. She looked at him in confusion as he lowered his head back to the flat pillow. With a peaceful look, Ben said in a whisper, “Tell Alec I won.” Everything began going dark and his eyes fell shut as he heard Max shouting again.