Work Text:
Jeremiah was dying .
Bubba could see the deep red spreading across his husband's shirt. He knew what happened. He knew he would die. He had to get to him.
Bubba went to leap off his horse to catch Jeremiah as he slipped off his saddle to the ground, but it was as if his limbs were made of lead.
He couldn't move, he was frozen to the spot.
Tears pricked in Bubba's eyes as he watched Jeremiah's shirt slowly change colour, watched the life drain from his husband's eyes.
Bubba screamed as tears poured down his cheeks, his body still refusing to move.
Jeremiah was dying .
And there was nothing he could do.
Bubba screamed his husband's name, over and over and over again. It was too late.
His body finally listened to him and he practically fell off his horse, dropping to his knees by his husband's side.
Jeremiah was dead.
“Jeremiah.” He sobbed.
“ Bubba?” It wasn't his husband he could hear, it couldn't be.
How could Jeremiah be speaking to him when he was lying dead in front of him?
“ Bubs, wake up, darlin, come on.”
Bubba screamed again as tears streamed down his face.
“ Bubba, wake up. ”
Bubba woke with a start, sitting bolt upright.
His breath came in short pants, his chest heaving, and his face wet with tears.
“Bubs, shhhh.”
Bubba turned his head and saw Jeremiah next to him.
“ ‘Miah?” Bubba's voice sounded broken as he looked at the other man.
“Come here, darlin.” Jeremiah said, softly, arms open.
Bubba shifted into his husband's arms. He grabbed the back of Jeremiah's shirt in a tight fisted grip and buried his face into the other man's shoulder, going completely limp.
“Shhh, you're okay, you're alright.” Jeremiah ran his fingers through his husband's hair, his other arm tightly wrapped around his back.
“We were back on that battlefield.” Bubba's voice was slightly muffled, but Jeremiah understood.
“I died again, didn't I?” He asked softly and felt Bubba nod against him.
“I'm not dead though, I'm right here, I ain't going nowhere, Bubs.” He responded and pressed a kiss into his husband's hair, gently guiding the pair of them to lie down on their sides, facing one another.
He gently pressed another kiss to Bubba's hair.
“Try to sleep, love, yeah? I’ve got you.” He murmured and Bubba nodded again.
Jeremiah held him as he drifted off and only relaxed when he felt the grip on the back of his shirt loosen slightly.
Only then did he fall asleep himself, his husband secure in his arms.