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Helmeppo stared over his shoulder. The remains of the building were burning, and he was trapped, half buried from the waist down in rubble from the collapsed stone and metal building. The metal was scalding hot against his leg, and try as he might, the stone was too heavy to move off his legs. The fire was spreading quickly too. Helmeppo's heart pounded against his breast, he swore it would try to leap right out of his chest.
Coby was nowhere to be seen. He’d regrouped with Tashigi's squad to form an evacuation plan for civilians. Who knew when— or if— he would be back? Flames licked the wood and metal. Desperately, Helmeppo pulled, crying out as the effort of trying to pull his leg free ripped skin under ragged stone. He could feel warm, sticky blood running down his leg, and it left a shudder coursing through his entire body. Then the tearing, searing pain. The flames crawled closer, smoke rose through the air, choking him. Helmeppo covered his mouth and nose with his hand to try and not breathe in more than he had to, but he still couldn’t help with his lightheadedness.
"C-Coby, help me!"
Even his voice was strained. Helmeppo desperately shoved at the stone, but he couldn’t feel one of his legs at all, and he couldn’t get past the pain in the other. Tears rolled down his face. This is it. I’m going to die. I’ll never go home, never hear Coby's annoying ramblings about Luffy again, never read the new book I picked up. I’ll be burned to ashes right along with the remains of this building. He realized, heart sinking. What could he do though? He was trapped, no matter how he looked at it.
Fire crawled the wood and metal that surrounded him, licking at his skin. It was all he could do to not scream as skin was seared and blackened in places. Smoke had pooled in the area, leaving him coughing, and the motion from the coughing made his body move forward, tearing further at his injured leg. In the smoky haze, he saw Tashigi, rushing towards him. She won’t make it in time. So close, and yet, so far. His vision blurred and faded. He could hear her calling his name, but could only respond with a coughing fit. Sorry, guys…
______________
"Wh-What?" Coby's eyes flew wide open and his heart nearly stopped. "Why didn’t anyone call for me sooner, dammit?"
Tashigi shook her head. "The doctors had to see him right away."
"Well is he okay? Is he…" his hands trembled. "He’s alive, isn’t he?"
"He was when I last saw him. Not in the greatest shape, but alive. The doctor said there was skin, muscle, and tendon damage, and damage to the kneecap. Said they would need to do surgery. He’s gonna be really out of it when he comes to."
"You should’ve told me sooner!"
"Calm down, when he wakes up, we don’t want to be all worked up, he doesn’t need the added stress."
"But-"
"Guys?" Helmeppo limped around the corner on crutches.
Coby whirled around and raced towards him. "Meppo, crutches or not, you shouldn’t be on your feet yet!"
Tashigi couldn’t help but agree. Especially so soon after a leg surgery. Hadn’t the doctors tried to keep him down for a while afterwards, at least? Coby and Tashigi ushered Helmeppo to the common room and the three sat down together on the couch, Helmeppo comfortably nestled between his partners. Coby buried his face against Helmeppo's shoulder while Tashigi wrapped her arm around the blond's waist to hug him close.
"God dammit, Meppo…I thought you were dead!" Coby choked.
"So did I. I-I almost died, guys." Helmeppo fought back tears, voice wavering.
"What happened?"
"Burning building collapsed on top of me and I-I damaged my leg trying to pull myself out before the fire could get to me. I didn’t succeed." He rolled up his sleeve to reveal blackened and reddened patches of skin. "Tore some tendons and damaged the kneecap. They had to do surgery. I’m off work until I’ve recovered. Guys, I was scared."
Coby took his hand, raising it to kiss his knuckles, then lacing their fingers together. "I can't even imagine."
"What can we do?" Tashigi asked softly. "Talk to us."
"Hold me. Hold me and…and never let go!"
"Are you…crying?" Coby asked.
"N-No!" Helmeppo lied.
Tashigi and Coby leaned in to cuddle close. Tashigi closed her eyes. "It’s okay. I promise. We're here. There’s no more hurt. Just us."
Helmeppo hugged them both against him, breathing in the comfort of his partners, and finally let the tears flow. Tashigi gently kissed his cheek, rubbing his back. slow, soothing circles, in hopes that the gentle touch might help calm the shaking Marine. It must have been traumatizing, thinking he was about to die, being injured, waking up in the infirmary either about to undergo surgery, or just after it, realizing how close he’d come.
"I’m so sorry, Helmeppo. I shouldn’t have walked away." Coby looked up at him. "You got hurt because I couldn’t help you. I’m here for you now though." He held him close. "I’m never going to let you go."
Tashigi smiled from the corner of her lip. "Take all the recovery time you need. We'll vouch for you if you need more time."
"Promise?"
Tashigi gently pulled his head to rest on her shoulder. "I promise."
Helmeppo didn’t want to cry, but the tears fell freely. Tashigi and Coby also looked about to cry, so surely they wouldn’t judge. He finally allowed himself to relax, wrapped safely in the warm arms of the two people he loved most in the entire world. As long as they were together, everything would be okay.