Chapter Text
Axel was cold. Oh so terribly cold. The wind whistled around him, the promise of a storm soon approaching. Black coated the sky as he walked through the tall grass in pitch. Not even the little freckles of stars visible beneath the thick clouds, nor a sliver of the moons light. Must be a new moon, Axel thought to himself, the rain won't be too bad, he believed. Until it began coming down.
It started with a light dust, mist landing on Axels cheek as it fell.
The wind howled, and it began pouring. Pouring hundreds of pounds of water onto the grass below. Axel cursed as he fought the wind. It was too sudden, he thought.
He thought, and whispered, and screamed.
"I HATE RAIN!!!" He shouted, to nobody. He could barely hear it himself over the sound of the wind. And a creaking in the air. He turned to it and started walking. Waves of rain pushing him back as he tumbled toward the faint noise. A little shed, right behind an abandoned house that he knew was locked.
The door to the house was open, but that became an afterthought to wanting to get to the closer building. He hit the door to it, once, twice, and it swung open, tossing him to the floor. At least he was inside.
The floor was concrete, he was surpised it even had a floor. It was soaked in the rain, as was he. He shut the door against the wind and walked to the opposite end of the little shed, resting his back against it. His mask was choking. He pulled it up to his nose and looked through his pockets for his little flask.
"Thank god.. still shut. haah..."
His eyes shut as he flicked off the cap and took a sip of slightly watered down jack daniels. It felt like heaven. He stuck the flask down and leaned back. Thats when he heard the door swing open again, as his flask wobbled and fell with a little clank. It would seem natural, and maybe he could hide in the corner if the wind was blowing. But it managed to slow long enough to make the noise obvious.
"Who's there. I heard you."
Fuuuuck... no.. No. No. His- his rifle isn't loaded. He's gonna die in the most lame way possible..
"I said, WHO'S THERE."
Axel flinched. And then a knife came flying next to his head, just beside. That made him flinch a little harder.
"i.. I'm not lookin' for any trouble...?" Axel tried as he reached for one of the knives strapped to his waist as silently as he could.
"Don't move." Axel kept reaching, just even slower.
"DON'T."
Well. Somehow, the man can see him. And as he went to move his hand back up he heard a gun cock, right in front of his face.
"GH-! Hah.. I'm not gonna just.. let me-"
Axel slowly covered his face and tugged his mask back down, before that he had it tilted away from the man. At least, his scar tilted away. The man didn't seem like he was going to shoot.
"Who are you. Why are you here." The brit snapped at him, lowering his gun.
Axel thought for a moment, before relaxing a bit. "Garrison. Sam Garrison. You?"
"That's none of your buisiness, Sam."
Axel chuckled at that. The man before him twitched slightly, Making a quiet little hiss the sounded like annoyance. Before wincing. He's hurt? If he played this right he's sure he could overpower him if he's wincing at a single movement. But the man walked closer, into his view, and sat.
His gun pointed at Axels head, flicking it. "Give me your weapons. If I think you're going to try something, I wont hesitate."
Axel obliged, handing him one knife and the rifle on his back, empty. He examined the man now that he could see him better. There was a crimson stain on the front of his pants dripping from his shirt. A stab wound? One thats bleeding quickly too.
"Happy?"
Axel asked, eyes focused to his stomach, and then his chest, dragging up to his eyes. They were gorgeous. He could tell even in the darkness. Pale blue and clouded gray. The bridge of his nose that was visible was lightly dusted with pink. A thick, jagged scar tore through his eye, the gray one. He noticed the dulled iris to it was uncentered, pushed a little to the side from the trauma. Those eyes made his heart squeeze. They were a little too familliar, painfully familliar.
"You gonna give me something to call you or no?" Axel asked as the wind hit the shed particularly hard, the walls rocking with it but standing strong. The man just stared at him with those eyes until he looked away.
"Fine." The man snapped, a little weaker than last time. He's getting weak. Axel chuckled.
"W-wasp." The mans hand gripped the front of his shirt, wincing as he dropped his gun as well.
"That hurt, Wasp?" Axel nodded toward his little blood stain he was gripping. He could see the cloth dripping with it.
The man grunted at the end of his sentence, slipping backward as Axel almost lunged. Passing out? So soon?
He shuffled as far away from Axel as he could, panting. Axel scooted slightly forward, testing the waters. Wasp didn't move, just shouted painfully.
"STAY BACK. Get- fuck.. get back. stay back. GET- GH!" He gripped at his side, closing his eyes. He pushed himself back as far as he could, eyes still glued shut. Axel shuffled forward until he was nearly in his face.
"..what's it? .... Show me."
Wasp shivered, wincing at the pain. It had started bleeding worse, the stain spreading down to near his knee. The light pink at his nose was gone. Axel put his hand on the mans, gently. What was he doing this was his chance.. He has a knife in his back pocket all he has to do is kill him. Watch him die. Again....
"Please... please. please don't. Sam. Sam, go. go away..."
Axel took the mans vest off, slowly, gently peeling it off of him and letting him get it off the rest of the way. The hand on Wasps slowly raised, taking the mans with it.
"It's fine. It's gonna be fine.."
He raised his shirt, the mans skin was beautiful, pale and damp, his sopping wet shirt had been keeping the wound open. He lifted the fabric over his head. Wasp was panting. Hard. The wound was weeping through a few broken stitches, dirty too.
"Damn.. That's bad.."
Axel ran his hand along the mans stomach, feeling the skin twitch at his touch. He backed up, reaching in one of his pockets for a little baggy. Gauze, tape, little alcohol wipes and a few cigarettes he saved for later.
"How long has it been open?"
"Not long it- they just busted I don't know- gh.."
Axel didn't believe that really, the stitching job was terrible and this was fresh. He took the corner of the gauze pad and ripped it off, using it to dry the edges of the wound, still bleeding. The edges of the gash were covered in dirt, a little in the gash too. It was filthy. He needed to clean it. Why is he doing this? Why does he care? Why does he care.. He opened the little alcohol wipe thing.
"You're gonna hate me for this. It's dirty though, I gotta. Breathe slowly."
He watched the mans eyes go wide before he gently rubbed it along the edge of the wound, his face going paler as he whined. He did as he was asked though, shakily breathing through his nose as Axel cleaned it. When Axel decided it was clean enough he grabbed the gauze again, stacking it over itsself and pressing it down. Wasp crying out in pain as he did so.
"Hold that down. Not too hard but not soft. Enough to where the pain doesn't make you dizzy." Axel spoke, moving the mans hand up to the gauze and watching him press on it and grimace.
"I know it hurts, tell me when it stops bleeding okay? You're fine.. just keep your eyes open for me."
Axel watched a tear soak into Wasp mask and he pretended he didn't see it. The wound wasn't too bad, the shitty stitches keeping the gash closed did their job for a while. He must have been hurting for a while though, because it was really taking its toll. His eyes fluttered open though, Axel muttering a little 'good' under his breath as that beautiful blue locked onto his own. Then to the little baggy he had, only the cigarettes and a lighter left.
"Quite a first aid kit. Gauze and fags."
Axel chuckled, rolling the bag in his fingers.
"Want one?" He asked. Not the best thing for healing a wound but once would be fine. And the mans eyes looked so pleading.. Cute. Axel went ahead and took one out for the man, holding it out in front of his mask.
"Gonna have to take that off, your choice."
Wasp chose the cigarette, lowering his mask and wrapping his lips around it, letting Axel light it before taking a long puff and taking it out.
"..thank you, sam." The man muttered, looking at Axel as he moved to sit next to him.
"Axel. I was lyin' earlier but now it's just annoying."
Wasp looked at him confused, taking another puff before asking through the smoke.
"Axel Garrison??" Axel chuckled at that. That sounded so stupid but also so close.
"Yeah, lets go with that."
Axel turned his head and pulled another cigarette out, lighting it. Wasp could only see the smoke envelop his head, not the cigarette, not his hand, not even a sliver of skin on his head. Axel leaned his head on the wall, sighing. Rain was still leaking through the walls, the floor soaked in pinkish water from Wasps shirt.
Wasp looked at him after a while of smoking together. Axel saw it out of the corner of his eye. Wasp had started gaining back a little color, the red on the gauze was filling it slower. Good.
"Feelin' better?"
"Mhh."
He shoved the butt of what formerly was a cigarette onto the ground with a hiss, shoving the lighter back in his bag and pulling his mask down. His eyes trailed to Wasps, Wasps eyes looked.. disappointed. At what? His cigarette was nearly out, Axel thought. Maybe thats it.
"You aren't gonna let me see your face?"
Oh. So thats what the brit was so upset about. Joy.
"Absolutely not."
"You can see my face."
Axel scoffed, almost choking on the smoke. It doesn't matter that he can see a strangers face. Or that it isn't fair. Axel is... recognizable. He's also just plain tired of staring and pity. Wasp was beautiful. Axel didn't want to see that face contort in disgust.
"And you know my name, we're even."
Wasp made a little humming noise at that, shifting a bit. And laying a hand on Axels knee.
"James. My name is James. Now you know my name and my face. Come on." Axel chuckled. Not amused, something mean. Annoyed. That wasn't what he wanted. James was stupid. Axel took a long, deep drag off his cigarette.
"Well, James. Life isn't always fair."
Axel snapped, turning to face James again. James pursed his lips.
"What do you have to lose showing a stranger your face, Axel..? Your mug that ugly?"
... Axels eyes widened. He was pissed now. He has EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING TO LOSE. It isn't just about his face, or that he's ugly, or even about the greying pink scar tissue on half his head. HE'S RECOGNIZABLE. This fucking.. It's not about him being ugly.
"Why do you want to know so bad."
He glared into James eyes, and James stared back, almost unfazed. Just stared, still gripping his knee. James used the grip on his knee to flip himself over, lying on his side facing Axel. A little laugh came out of Adams mouth before he spoke.
"Why are you so defensive? Just show me and i'll-"
"You want to see? THAT FUCKIN' BAD!?.. Then fine." Axel cut James off and ripped the mask off his head. His hair stuck to his face a little but most of it peeled off with the movement. James locked his eyes on Axels, and then his hair, then the scar. Axel could tell he saw the scar because his eyes widened.
"Oh.. my god."
James whispered to himself, turning his gaze back to Axels eyes. Figured. Axel chuckled, looking James in the eyes. This is what he wanted right? To see his face?? Does he get it? Axel glared. James eyes snapped from part to part of Axel, like he was some fucked up exhibit at a zoo.
That look in his eyes wasn't unfamilliar, he'd gotten it since he was a kid. From somebody who wanted to see so bad though it was a little funny, the way his eyes narrowed into the scar for a split second before looking away. Axel looked at James hand, his cigarette had burned out.
"Happy? This what you wanted right?"
Axel pulled the mask back over his head, the rain was still fucking pouring. So he waited.
He watched James' eyes flutter shut, waiting the rest of the storm out.
He listened to the wind calm, the rain slowing to a stop.
He slowly slid his rifle and knife away from James, realizing he's passed out. He grabbed the rest of James' weapons too.
In the breast pocket of his vest, tossed away on the floor he found a little round piece of metal on a chain. Axel pocketed it and left, silently, leaving nothing but his flask and a puddle of wasted whiskey.