[Fic] Before the Dawn
Title: Before the Dawn
Fandom: Young Avengers
Characters: Speed, Hawkeye II
Prompt: 003. Ends
Word Count: 478
Rating: PG
Summary: Tommy thinks the world is over. Kate refuses to believe him.
Getting hit by falling rubble didn't hurt nearly as much as he'd thought it would have.
That was the only thing Tommy could focus on as he lay on the ground and, strangely, it didn't worry him too much. He couldn't muster the concentration or the energy to worry about going into shock. Instead, a listless seeping cold was creeping into his body and he was feeling strangely detached from the world.
"Damnit Speed! Why do you always get into this kind of situation?"
Kate was tearing at the rubble on top of him, clawing at it as if pulling it away would somehow fix things. Tommy squinted up at her, then called out.
"Hawkeye, stop wasting your energy. It's not gonna do anything."
Kate paused for the barest of moments in order to glare at Tommy with a ferocity that even her opaque glasses couldn't mask.
"Oh no, don't you dare! You stupid idiot! Don't you dare give up on me!"
Tommy coughed and looked away.
"I'm not giving up here, oh fearless leader. I'm just pretty sure I'm not walking away from this one...."
He trailed off, then managed a weak smile.
"Kate, I can't feel my legs. "
Kate let out a strangled cry and dropped to her knees, kneeling by Tommy's head.
"No. No that can't be true. That wasn't a funny joke, Tommy. It- This isn't funny at all."
Her voice was hoarse and angry as she hissed at him, but Tommy could see a glint in her eyes. She knew he was telling the truth, even though she denied it. He shrugged and patted her knee, making light of the situation as he was wont to do when things went bad.
"Hey, don't get all worked up! It'll be okay! I mean, Patriot's off getting the others and he'll be back to save the day because he doesn't know how to do anything else. And anyway, you're here with me. Right?"
Kate ran her fingers through Tommy's hair, brushing his bangs off of his face.
"Not that my being here did you any good, Tommy. God, I'm so sorry."
They both pretended to ignore the quaver in her voice. Tommy reached up to cup Kate's hand in his own.
"Heh. You know... I've heard that the best way to go is while being kissed by a beautiful woman."
Kate's laugh was more hysterical than mirthful, but it was a laugh. Carefully, she leaned over and brought her face closer to Tommy's. Her breath was warm on his skin.
"Then you'll get the best send off I can manage."
Her lips brushed his forehead.
"But you're not leaving yet, moron."
Tommy squawked.
"Hey!"
"What, you thought I was just going to give up on you?"
Kate rolled her eyes.
"Fat chance. Now stop distracting me! These rocks are coming off even if it takes me forever!"
Tommy held his hands up in defeat, smiling in spite of himself as Kate pushed off from the ground.
"You win, Hawkeye!"
"I always do."
Fandom: Young Avengers
Characters: Speed, Hawkeye II
Prompt: 003. Ends
Word Count: 478
Rating: PG
Summary: Tommy thinks the world is over. Kate refuses to believe him.
Getting hit by falling rubble didn't hurt nearly as much as he'd thought it would have.
That was the only thing Tommy could focus on as he lay on the ground and, strangely, it didn't worry him too much. He couldn't muster the concentration or the energy to worry about going into shock. Instead, a listless seeping cold was creeping into his body and he was feeling strangely detached from the world.
"Damnit Speed! Why do you always get into this kind of situation?"
Kate was tearing at the rubble on top of him, clawing at it as if pulling it away would somehow fix things. Tommy squinted up at her, then called out.
"Hawkeye, stop wasting your energy. It's not gonna do anything."
Kate paused for the barest of moments in order to glare at Tommy with a ferocity that even her opaque glasses couldn't mask.
"Oh no, don't you dare! You stupid idiot! Don't you dare give up on me!"
Tommy coughed and looked away.
"I'm not giving up here, oh fearless leader. I'm just pretty sure I'm not walking away from this one...."
He trailed off, then managed a weak smile.
"Kate, I can't feel my legs. "
Kate let out a strangled cry and dropped to her knees, kneeling by Tommy's head.
"No. No that can't be true. That wasn't a funny joke, Tommy. It- This isn't funny at all."
Her voice was hoarse and angry as she hissed at him, but Tommy could see a glint in her eyes. She knew he was telling the truth, even though she denied it. He shrugged and patted her knee, making light of the situation as he was wont to do when things went bad.
"Hey, don't get all worked up! It'll be okay! I mean, Patriot's off getting the others and he'll be back to save the day because he doesn't know how to do anything else. And anyway, you're here with me. Right?"
Kate ran her fingers through Tommy's hair, brushing his bangs off of his face.
"Not that my being here did you any good, Tommy. God, I'm so sorry."
They both pretended to ignore the quaver in her voice. Tommy reached up to cup Kate's hand in his own.
"Heh. You know... I've heard that the best way to go is while being kissed by a beautiful woman."
Kate's laugh was more hysterical than mirthful, but it was a laugh. Carefully, she leaned over and brought her face closer to Tommy's. Her breath was warm on his skin.
"Then you'll get the best send off I can manage."
Her lips brushed his forehead.
"But you're not leaving yet, moron."
Tommy squawked.
"Hey!"
"What, you thought I was just going to give up on you?"
Kate rolled her eyes.
"Fat chance. Now stop distracting me! These rocks are coming off even if it takes me forever!"
Tommy held his hands up in defeat, smiling in spite of himself as Kate pushed off from the ground.
"You win, Hawkeye!"
"I always do."