SIX

Everything had slowed; all I could see was tear filled hazel eyes and all I could feel was the sharp bite of metal against my neck. A tear trickled down my cheek and I was shakily pulling in my final breath when the loud crack of a gunshot restarted time at a normal pace. Or in fact made it go faster.

Several things happened at once; the boss stumbled back, obviously hit by the bullet, the knife cut into my skin slightly before it fell harmlessly down my front to the floor. Sparrow turned and fired his gun at the woman who had previously helped Warbler and had regained consciousness and found a weapon. Warbler himself grabbed Sparrow’s foot and twisted, making him lose balance and fall to the ground.

I saw the woman slump once more and Warbler and Sparrow grapple for his gun, which eventually ended up sliding across the floor away from them leaving the pair to wrestle unarmed.

Despite his smaller and light build Warbler managed to get on top, straddling Sparrow’s chest and landing some well-aimed hits. Once Sparrow was suitably dazed Warbler grabbed his head a slammed it to the floor with a sicken crunch. I closed my eyes but I could still hear the sounds. I felt sick. I was starting to hyperventilate and my face, neck and shoulder hurt.

“Kurt.” My eye’s sprang open at the sound of his voice so close. Warbler was crouched in front of me untying the bindings. Once I was freed from the chair he grabbed the knife from the floor slicing throw the cable tie freeing my hands. I gasped in pain as my shoulder moved I gingerly reached up to touch the weapon still lodged in me. Warbler grabbed my wrist. “Don’t, you’ll make it worse, let a professional remove it,” he explained. I nodded with a wince. I was still having trouble catching my breath as I stared at the people scattered around on us on the floor. Warbler grabbed my face. “Look at me Kurt, calm down,” he spoke softly. “Breathe, in, out,” he instructed softly and made me follow his breathing pattern until I was pulling in enough air on my own.

I made a rather pathetic whimpering noise and flung my good arm around Warbler, burying my nose in his loose curls. He smelt of blood and sweat and boy but I didn’t care. He wrapped his arms around me and I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably on him as he stroked my back.

As my crying subsided I managed to speak. “Is it over?”

“I think so, let’s get you to a hospital,” Warbler said, pulling away but keeping an arm around my waist. We walked carefully towards the door, Warbler directing me as I kept my eyes firmly on the door.

I whimpered in defeat as he opened the door to reveal a man pointing a gun at us.

“Gee, you scared me, Finch,” Warbler sighed and I relaxed figuring he knew this man. Except the gun wasn’t lowered and Warbler tensed again, shifting slightly in front of me.

“Sorry Warb,” the man said, not sounding sorry again.

“I trusted you,” Warbler replied, his voice cold and hard.

“You can’t trust anyone in this job, you know that Warbler.”

“Give up, it’s over. Even if you kill me now this whole organisation is going down.”

“But you’ll still be dead, you and your little fairy.”

“First mistake, you threatened him,” Warbler replied, he was slowly shifting into a fighting stance in front of me.

“I never make mistakes, you’re mistake was to care too much. You should have left him for dead long ago.”

“This organisation was meant to be about saving people like him.”

“So much more money in killing people.”

“We were friends what happened to that.”

“I got too big for you.” Suddenly Warbler leapt forward, grabbing the gun and forcing it too point upwards, I stepped back and leant heavily on the door frame, unable to look away and too weak to move out of the way.

The struggle was short. Warbler managed to elbow the other man in the face, breaking his nose and causing blood to spurt from it. He dropped his arms, where’d he been trying to get the gun out of Warbler’s reach and Warbler grabbed his arm twisting until it broke with a sicking crack.

 The gun went off and time stood slowed down once more. I gasped and watched the man fall and Warbler turn around his triumphant face crumpling in to despair. Then the pain slammed into me and I looked down to see the redness spreading across the shirt I wore. I flicked my eyes back up as Warbler dived forward to catch me before I crumpled.

I collapsed into his arms and he sank to the floor. Supporting me, he pressed a hand to the wound.

“Kurt,” he gasped out, tears falling from his eyes. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” he choked out.

I lifted a hand weakly to brush his cheek with the pads of my fingers.

“Don’t be, not your fault,” I tried to reassure him.

“I was meant to protect you, I failed.” He spoke, I felt his tears hit my face as he leant down and pressed his lips to mine.

“Warbler,” I breathed out his name, he interrupted before I could carry on.

“Blaine, my names Blaine Anderson.” I smiled weakly at him.

“I’m glad I met you Blaine Anderson,” I told him. “Sorry I won’t make that date,” I said. It just made him sob harder. “Don’t cry,” I said but he just  looked at me incredulously.

“I’m going to cry because I care, because I don’t want you to go. You can’t go. In fact,” his face set in determination and he dashed the tears from his face. “I’m not going to give up, not yet and you better not either Kurt.” With that he slid an arm under my legs and back and hoisted me up. I cried out in pain and tried to grab hold of him but my grip was too weak to stay.

He began to walk and I began to fade. My face was pressed into his neck as the pain, blood loss and exhaustion finally pulled me under.