Chapter Text
Sam's grip had slipped, blood trickling down his chin, eyes glazed over. "Just hold on" Nathan had grimaced, trying desperately to haul his older brother onto the roof only to watch him plummet onto the prison grounds.
Now Nathan sat on Rafe's rescue boat watching Panama's prison disappear, swallowed up by fog. The man jumped when a hand met his shoulder, "Jesus, Rafe" he muttered, trying not to shudder at the touch, "Scared me."
"I'm sorry about your brother" Rafe sat next to the distraught man, their shoulders bumping as the boat hit a wave. A sob caught in Nathan's throat his hands beginning to tremble. He should have stayed behind, should have tried to help- maybe his brother would still be alive if he would have waited for him to catch up.
Hand sliding off Nathan's shoulder Rafe seemed to read his thoughts, "It's not your fault. Sam wouldn't want you to blame yourself. The important thing is we have a lead-"
"A lead?" Nathan scoffed, "My brother is dead, Rafe" he spat his name as if it were poison, "I could care less about Avery's treasure! Sam was all I had" his voice cracked pitifully sending a jolt of guilt through Rafe's cold blood. "I didn't mean it like that-" Rafe tried to defend himself sounding more desperate than he would have liked.
Nathan's shoulders slumped, "I know- s'just..." he trailed off as steady tears began to trickle down his flushed cheeks. Lowering his gaze he turned his back on the other man. Taking the hint, Rafe stood up and head over to the cabins to get some well deserved sleep.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The boat hit another wave causing Rafe to fall out of bed onto the floor with a thud
"Goddammit"
"You alright?" rasped Nathan, sitting up in his bunk looking down upon the man currently sprawled on the floor like a rag doll. Nathan's hair was disheveled, brown doe eyes swollen.
"Oh sure, never been better. May have broke my hip" Rafe grumbled, rubbing his hip to emphasize the pain.
Nathan rolled his eyes, "Whatever drama queen- hey, hand me an extra pillow while you're down there will you?"
He was answered with a pillow to the face.
"Thanks"
Rafe huffed ambling back over to his bed, flopping onto the thin mattress with an exhausted sigh. His bones ached from all the running and climbing the trio- well- duo, had endured and he couldn't wait to get home and take a nice warm shower. He could imagine the spray soothing his joints, muscles rolling under the warm water beating down upon his back.
His thoughts of his plush, warm, life were cut off when he heard what sounded like a sob. Nathan coughed dramatically to cover it up, the mattress squeaking as he curled into the fetal position. Sighing heavily, Rafe swung his legs over the edge of the bed and sat up, glancing up at the bunk above him catching sight of a tuft of Nathan's hair, "Hey!"
A muffled, "Phwat" was his answer.
"You going to be okay or do you need me to grab you a glass of milk?" Rafe sneered, flashing his teeth. Nathan flung his shoe at the man hitting him on the shoulder, "Shut up"
To say Rafe was never close with his family was an understatement. They only exchanged some words once every few years. After all, the Adler family wanted nothing to do with a failure. Rafe could never grasp the whole- history aspect of things. He was better with his own wit and cunning than simple studies, its what got the trio into the jail, receiving a vital clue to Avery's treasure.
It's what got Sam killed.
Gritting his teeth the man rolled on his side with a wicked sneer. Sam. Pathetic. He didn't trust him to get the two out of prison safely- perhaps if he kept up with Nathan he would have made it out alive. Perhaps if he didn't doubt him for a second he would be safe beside his brother.
Rafe's eye twitched. How he despised Sam, he was just another partner, nothing else. Sketchy and sly, known to run off with treasure and hide behind his younger brother. Blood simmering, the red hue seemed to clear from Rafe's vision as Nathan came to mind.
Nathan Drake
Rafe damn well knew he needed Nathan as much as Nathan needed him. They were the perfect power thieves. Without thinking Rafe spoke once more, "Nathan?"
"Mmff" the mattress above him squeaked.
"You sure you're going to give up looking for Avery's treasure?"
"Positive. There's no use without Sam- that was the whole reason why I was here. For my brother"
Biting back a groan of annoyance at Nathan's undying loyalty towards his older brother, which Rafe could never grasp, he tried to remain calm; "Nathan, you and I have a great partnership. You got the brains, I got the brawn, it all works out easily. It's well balanced. Not to mention we're the same age, in shape. Sam couldn't keep up-"
"Just drop it okay!" Nathan snapped, leaping from his bunk, looming over Rafe with a fierce flash of the eyes, "Don't talk about my brother anymore or so help me-"
Rafe stood at full height, the two glaring at one another with equal ferocity gleaming in their stone cold eyes, "Or what, Nate?" he gave the other man a light push.
Before Nathan could answer the boat hit yet another wave sending the two flying backwards, Nathan's back colliding with the ladder leading to the deck with a sickening crack.
Freezing water began to fill up the boat, nipping their heels and numbing their legs.
"Shit"