#uncharted film | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

memphisnovels · 2 years

Text

Small beginnings

Chapter 1. Hey, bug.

A Nathan Drake x ofc fic

This is based off of the uncharted movie not the games

I hope everyone likes this, it’s something I’ve been working on for a while! :)

Chapter 2 here, chapter 3 here

“Hey, it’s me. I’m so sorry, bug. Call me back when you get this. Love you.”

I pulled the phone away from my ear, pressing the play button again. Her voice resonated through the speaker once more, the voicemail I’d listened to over and over. I really didn’t even need to listen to it anymore, I knew it backwards and forwards, the way her voice sounded as she enunciated each word, the small breath she took before those last two words. She’d said it a million times before, I knew she did, just like I knew she was sorry; I guess it doesn’t really matter what I knew though.

I closed my eyes tightly, tucking my head in between my knees.

“Why do you lock yourself up in these chainsss.” Her voice echoed through our apartment, and she dragged her finger over the clothes hanging in my closet. I pressed my arm over my eyes, breathing out a laugh as she picked out a dress to examine.

“You’re wasting your time, Kate, I’m not going with you tonight.”

“Someday somebody's gonna make you want to turn around and say goodbye.” She sent me a sharp glare over her shoulder, turning the dial on the stereo causing the music to play louder. “Until then, baby, are you going to let 'em hold you down and make you cry?”

“God, you are so annoying!” I laughed as she threw a dress at my head.

The laughter echoed in my mind as my surroundings returned, the cold tiles of that bathroom pressed against my bare legs. I ran a hand through my messy curls before pressing the heels of my palms into my closed eyes. My flight to Barcelona leaves in a couple of hours and I had yet to shower or change out of the pajamas that hung from me, a combination of perfumes engrained in the fibers.

I was beginning to regret allowing Sully to recruit me once again. He’d never struggled to get me on board with any of his plans, despite my unyielding stubbornness. He had this way of getting me interested; then I’d ask questions and inevitably my curiosity would get the better of me and I’d find myself negotiating my cut with him. Magellan’s ships were a fable, or at least that’s what I’d believed, my parents had dedicated their lives to finding them, with no such luck. I had said as much to Sully when he’d first approached me with his plans. It wasn’t just my parents who’d spent years searching, he’d been hyper-fixated on the legend since I’d known him. That’s what had prompted our introduction in the first place; his association with my parents during their searches. I was so much younger then, never paying much mind to my parents’ ramblings about the riches they believed to be onboard.

“JFK please,” I spoke to the cab driver as I slipped into the back with my duffel bags. “Oh, one-stop first please, Safeguard storage down on Liberty Avenue.” The cabby nodded in response to my words. Inside my storage locker, I placed a single six-by-four cardboard box, within the box lay a piece of paper folded into thirds, inscribed on the paper was the location at which I’d find my cut from the sale of the Sancy diamond. A beloved member of the Louvres ancient collection, believed to have belonged to the Mughals of antiquity. I’d managed to swipe the cursed diamond from the museum. Perhaps swiped was an inaccurate representation, what I’d done had taken years of preparation, meticulous research, and unmatched skill. It was certainly not my first time, perhaps not even the most valuable thing I’d stolen, though, it was certainly high on the list. There were warrants for my arrest in several countries the world over, well, not for my arrest specifically but for the arrest of The Rook. Gender unknown, appearance unknown, really nothing was known about The Rook. About me, I suppose. I’d laid low for a while, cooling off from my general business, but then everything went to shit. And hey, maybe stealing the Sancy came from an angry place, but God did it feel good.

I pressed my phone to my ear, letting the voicemail play once again. The one-way flight to Barcelona was about consecutive eight hours, most of which I dozed off for content that I’d arrive at least an hour before Sully. I’d known the man since I was a kid, perhaps that is why I was extra weary of him. Or perhaps that was merely a symptom of my severe trust issues, but c’est la vie, I suppose. My connections had informed me of the company Victor Sullivan had been keeping, the company that he was now planning to cut into our deal; a fact he’d yet to tell me directly.

Nathan Drake, brother of Sam Drake, our very much deceased associate. I was willing to bet Sully had left that tid-bit out. The last I’d heard from Sully he’d acquired the cross and would meet me in Barcelona.

I camped out beside the baggage claim at customs, awaiting the intel from my connection. My phone buzzed a moment later. ‘Black utility backpack, Drake.’ The text brought a smirk to my lips. It truly was too easy, I scanned the conveyor belt, finding the bag swiftly. Sure enough, inscribed on the tag was the tell-tale surname. I glanced around for any onlookers before unzipping the bag just enough to reach within and feel around. It wasn’t long before my palm wrapped around the cool metal. In a single maneuver, I pulled the cross from the backpack and slipped it into the waistband of my shorts. Re-zipping the bag I dropped it onto the conveyor belt. I waited for Sully and his new friend to emerge from the airport before hailing a taxi and instructing it to follow their car.

My phone buzzed again, Sully this time, a text asking for the location to meet at followed by another asking if I was in Barcelona yet. I responded with a thumb-up emoji and the address I’d given the driver. Leaning my head back against the worn seat beneath me, my eyes fluttered closed. For a while, there was nothing, save for the low hum of the radio playing flamenco melodies. It was not long, however, before the memories started to flood in.

“I feel like we should go to Europe.”

I snorted as I set the table before me, adjusting the silverware that glittered under the overhead lights. “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

“I just feel like everything would be better there, I mean it’s Europe, how could it not be better.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, placing the entrée plates down. “We can’t go to Europe. Dinner service starts in half an hour.”

She rolled her eyes in response. “I know I’m right, Xan, nothing would feel so bad, or hurt as much.” My heart ached at her words. I glanced at her sympathetically. Exactly five hours ago Kate had met her birth parents. They’d hugged and cried and then told her never to contact them again.

“How can you be so sure?”

She plopped down into a seat, fiddling with the edge of her black vest. “I have to be, I just have to be. Because if I’m not then I just have to accept that things might never feel any better and I’m not sure I can be okay with that.”

I studied her for a long moment. The furrow of her brows, her downturned gaze, the way her left cheek pulled in as she bit into the flesh. It was as if she was a balloon and someone had just untucked the knot, freeing all the helium within. I’d never seen her so… Deflated. “I do like sangria.” Her eyes met mine then, a little flicker of the Kate I’d known my entire life present.

“I like the idea of Barcelona.” She responded quietly.

I shrugged. “I guess that’s where we’ll go then. We’ll spend our days lying by a beach, cooking in the sun like lizards and drinking ourselves silly on sangria and not caring what anyone has to say because all we need is each other.” I squatted down in front of her, taking ahold of her hands. “That’s all we ever need.”

“Estamos aquí, señorita.” My eyes shot open as the driver addressed me for the second time. I sat up in my seat, glancing ahead to see the bridge Sully had told me to meet him at.

“Gracias.” I responded, slipping money into his hand before exiting the car.

Sully and Sam’s brother were facing away from me, speaking in hushed tones. “There she is!” Came Sully’s familiar voice as I approached the pair.

I shook my head at him immediately before nodding toward Nathan. “Absolutely not.”

“Xanthe, this is Nate,” Sully informed, ignoring my words.

With a roll of my eyes, I disregarded Nate’s outstretched hand. “When exactly were you going to tell me about the new addition, Sullivan?”

“Right now.” He responded with a shrug accompanying a sheepish look, my irritation only grew at his words. “And by the way, what’s with the spy games why’d we have to meet here?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, holding Sully’s gaze with unwavering determination before turning it to Nate. I couldn’t put my finger on what it was but there was something vaguely familiar about him. “Just had to make sure you weren’t followed.”

“Okay, I’m pretty sure I can spot a tail, kid.” He scoffed.

A scoff left me as I scanned the bridge. “That’s funny, especially considering I’ve been on you since the airport.” My eyes returned to Sully’s as he glared at me in disbelief. “If he’s in I’m out,” I added.

“Come on, Xan, don’t be like that, he could be an asset. Just give him a chance.”

Before I could stop myself, a laugh fell from my lips. “Oh sure, you know me, always the optimist. Hey, you know what? Why don’t we all head to a cocktail bar, we can drink cosmos and braid each other’s hair.” Sully sighed exasperatedly, shaking his head in my direction. Nate glanced between the two of us, the corner of his mouth upturned. “Best of luck getting that treasure with one cross, Sully.” I turned sharply on my heel, walking away from the pair, ignoring Sully’s calls of my name. I pressed a hand to my satchel, reassurance that both crosses were safely stowed away. The corners of my lips upturned as I felt the hard metal beneath the fabric.

I chanced a glance over my shoulder as I reached the edge of the bridge. Nate’s eyes met mine as he realized the cross was missing. I missed Sully scolding him as I propelled myself over the side of the bridge, landing on a rooftop adorned by a number of constructed skylights that split the roof into pathways. I sprinted down the main clearing, one hand wrapped tightly around the strap of my back. Curls whipped around my face as I swerved between courses. Nate was hot on my tail and clearly unyielding in his efforts to catch me. I turned abruptly running down a different pathway that led to a steeple atop the building. My body crashed to the ground as another tackled me. I swore at him as he pressed my front to the cement.

“This could’ve been easy.” He chuckled, evidently feeling pretty good about himself. “Xanthe was it? Here’s how this is gonna go, Xan, I’m going hold onto these crosses and you’re gonna play nice. If you can do that then I might consider letting you back in on the plan.” He spoke after snatching my bag. I gritted my teeth, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment. I could almost hear the smirk in his voice. “Do you think you can do that?” My eyes opened as he spoke, nodding my head twice in response I clenched my hands into fists. “Good, ‘cause I really didn’t wanna have to hurt you.” He stood, freeing my limbs from his weight. I moved to my feet at once, turning to face him swiftly. Our eyes met once again as he studied me. I took a solitary step toward him, slow and non-threatening. With an outstretched hand, I offered him a pleasant smile. His eyebrows rose ever so slightly as his lips upturned, one of his cheeks had the impression of a dimple as he filled my hand with the warmth of his.

In a move that demonstrated nothing if not practiced precision, I yanked his body toward mine letting go of his hand only to reach over his shoulder and grab the strap of the satchel. I kneed him in the groin as hard as I could, a pained gasp leaving him along with the air in his lungs. In mere seconds I hooked my right leg around the back of his knee and swept his leg from under him, as he fell, I slipped the satchel from him. “Awe, I wouldn’t worry about that,” I spoke as I slung it over my body, grinning at him as he clutched his groin, face contorted in pain. With that I whipped around, leaping into the steeple, and finally putting some distance in between Nate and myself. I reached the outer edge of the roof when I heard footfalls on my tail once more. “Crap.” I breathed, glancing behind me to see Nate once again chasing after me. I dropped down onto the leaf-covered ground, bracing before standing up straight once more and taking off toward the street before me. Nate’s shouts echoed from behind me. I glanced around spotting a manmade waterfall-like feature. This could either be a really good idea or my worst yet. Leaping into the water, I ran as fast as I could, lifting my knees high with each step to move swiftly through the rushing water.

“OH SHIT!” I heard Nate shout as he leaped for me but managed to slip and fall into the pool below. I stopped for a split second to witness his fall before jumping onto the roof of a car and sliding down the window. He met my eyes as my feet hit the ground and I picked up my pace, maneuvering around the crowded courtyard to reach the car I’d hired. I accelerated immediately when the car roared to life, before slamming my foot against the break when Nate threw at the car, slapping his hand against the hood. “Listen, you don’t know where you’re going with the keys! You’re looking for a tree, right?!” He yelled in between deep breaths.

I pressed my finger to the window button, rolling it down just slightly. “Fuck off!” I responded, accelerating slightly, he remained before me, unwavering in his efforts.

“Listen to me! The eighteen were willing to wait years to go back for the gold, they wouldn’t have picked a tree as a marker.” He explained, far more calmly than before. There was a certain quality to his eyes now, something I hadn’t seen before, something almost pleading. “They would’ve picked something more permanent.”

I raised my eyebrows at him. “You’re full of shit.”

“Hey, let her go, she knows how to use the keys, so she doesn’t need us right? I guess she doesn’t need this either.” Sully called, appearing from the crowd, and pulling a worn, leather-bound notebook from the backpack.

Nate nodded, finally stepping away from the car. “Okay be my guest, get out of here.”

I shrugged, foot hovering over the accelerator as I stared at the notebook in Sully’s hand. They were right, as incredibly unlikely as it had seemed, I would need their help to find the gold. Bile rose in my throat at the thought. I sighed heavily, removing my foot from the accelerator. A knowing smirk took over Nate’s features; it suited him. He approached the car, leaning against my door, now far closer to me than I was comfortable with. The fact that he was cute made him so much more annoying. “If it’s not a tree, what is it?”

“At the auction house, Moncada called it an ‘altar crucifix.’ I didn’t think about it then, but it means that the cross was originally made to stand on an altar.”

I nodded at his words. “In a church?” It was Nate’s turn to nod now, I held his gaze for a moment, you could tell a lot about a person from their eyes. He told me this was about far more than finding some ancient treasure. “Which church?” I added, Sully’s voice echoing mine.

“God, you guys never stop, do you?” I rolled my eyes at Nate’s words. “Look, if we want to get the gold, we’re gonna have to figure out a way to trust each other.” He reached his hand out towards me. “So, give me the key.”

With gritted teeth, I held the bag toward him. “Which church?” As it transpired the church in question was Santa Maria del Pi. “Saint Mary of the Pine,” I murmured running my fingertips over the engraved tree plaque.

“You might just be a genius.” Sully praised causing me to roll my eyes, an action that seemed to be my natural state in the presence of the two men beside me. “Now you know why I brought him.”

I glanced around in search of the entrance, muttering under my breath. “’Genius' is a bit of a stretch.” Nate scoffed at my words, raising a solitary eyebrow at me. “Fine. Good work, superstar.” With that, I began to approach the nuns who were gathered by the doorway. In the reflection of the windows, I could see Nate’s eye following my profile, I wondered if it was out of distrust or if it was a side effect of an entirely different feeling, whichever it was it brought an extra pep to my step. I asked the nuns about attending the church in Spanish. The years of travel I’d undergone in my formative years had evidently allowed me to pick up many languages, however, Spanish was always the one I gravitated toward the most. When I returned to Nate and Sully they were arguing in hushed tones. I cleared my throat to gain their attention. “There’s a midnight mass tonight, so tomorrow’s the earliest we can take a look around.” The pair nodded glancing back at the church as Sully spoke up.

“You’ve got the gear at the house, right?”

With a nod of my head, I turned back toward the hire car, not bothering to ensure they were following. The drive was mostly silent, the words exchanged by the three of us few and far between. I was unsure how trustworthy Nate was, he seemed so… Soft, alarmingly so. At this point I wasn’t sure if I believed him or pitied him, this wasn’t the business to be gentle in. His brother had that quality as well, I suppose you might call it kindness, perhaps compassion. It was this deep-seated warmth that they seemed unable to shake, regardless of the cocky repartee they both put forth. Sam was the perfect example of why it pays to be dubious, why you shouldn’t let emotions guide your actions; just look at what happened to him. There was something different about Nate though, something I didn’t see in Sam, though I guess I didn’t really know a great deal about either of the Drake brothers, particularly not when I’d only just met Nathan today. I shook off the thought of wanting to know him.

From a young age, it became apparent to me that I was on my own. That might seem dramatic, but it was true, nonetheless. I was certain my parents were unaware of my existence most of the time. When they would enter a room, I was in, if they took note of my presence their only reaction was a startled one. It was as if I was a stranger, an unwelcome visitor in their home. They would gaze at me and behind their eyes, I saw nothing, no recollection, no warmth, only expectance, and something I assumed was their search for the correct words to speak to me. It was a jarring culmination of moments, my childhood. There were certain memories that were what I’d expect to see in a film depicting a family who felt nothing if not unyielding love for one another. I recalled sitting on my father’s knee as he read to me from a historical textbook or novel. The memory that followed shortly after this was sitting on the cold hard ground of an airport somewhere near Tunisia awaiting my parents. Our flight back to New York was supposed to leave at eleven AM, my parents had planned to come to the airport separately. I sat with my back to the wall, flicking through the pages of a book of art, repeatedly. The sun set and I could just about recite the bibliography by heart. They had decided they weren’t ready to give up their treasure hunt so soon, at least that’s what my nanny, Marie, told me. I didn’t see my parents until we arrived back home. My father had offered me a pat on the head as he retreated to the study with my mother, though no words were exchanged between us. I was on my own. Until I met Kate Vincent. We were twelve and she was the only person I invited to my birthday party; we’d never spoken but she never really spoke to anyone then. She would sit by herself every day at school, a book in her hands as she ignored everyone around her. Marie insisted I have at least one person over for my birthday, but I didn’t like anyone enough to invite them, or perhaps I just didn’t want to have to explain why my parents weren’t there. Kate didn’t ask, she didn’t say much at first, I was honestly surprised she even showed up. We sat at the table picking at slices of cake backed by Marie, it was just the two of us at the table when I finally cracked, finding the silence almost unbearable. “My parents aren’t here, I’m pretty sure they don’t know it’s my birthday.” It hadn’t been a complaint, merely information.

She nodded gently, picking at her fingernails. “I’ve never met my parents.” She spoke finally. From that day forward she was the only person in the entire world who I let in. My best friend, my sister. The person I knew everything about and the only one who knew everything about me in return.

Sully tilted the bottle of Rioja toward my glass but as the red liquid poured in, I was long gone, sitting in a different room years before.

The living room of our apartment was mostly bare, the only décor, a few magnets on the fridge, and Kate at my side. We had seated ourselves on the hardwood floor, a bottle of wine between us and a single slice of pizza remaining in the grease-stained box. “We did it, we really did it, bug.” She murmured, glancing around.

“Fuck yeah we did!” I clinked my glass with hers before sipping deeply. “It’s a little shitty but it's ours, so who cares.”

Joyful tears brimmed her eyes as she glanced at me. “I love it so much!” I beamed at her, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward me to embrace her. She laid her head in my lap as I stretched my legs out. “It really is so shit.” She laughed through her tears, scanning the tiny apartment. I laughed along with her, moving to lay on my back beside her. “You’re right though, it’s ours.” I sent her a sidelong smile. “Our shitty apartment.” She gripped my hand tightly as we stared at the roof. “I’m so glad I met you.” I agreed wholeheartedly with her sentiment.

I gripped the wine glass so tightly I was surprised it didn’t shatter in my hand. “I found my cross in a crypt in Genoa, I wasn’t even looking for it, so I certainly didn’t realize it was key to a much bigger fortune,” I spoke, needing anything to focus on instead of the white-hot ache in my chest. “Sully knew though.”

We continued to discuss the use of the keys; Sully added. “Well, it’s a good thing the eighteen didn’t trust each other, or we wouldn’t be here, right? Like one big happy family.”

“Toast?” Nate spoke up.

Sully and I agreed, lifting our glasses.

“Arriba, abajo, al centro y pa’ dentro."

Nate began to take large gulps from his glass, I narrowed my eyes, making a face of disgust at the obscene noises he emitted. “Hey, kid, slow down. That’s a vintage rioja, all right? You might want to just taste it, savor it.” Sully scolded.

“Or chug it down like you’re on spring break,” I muttered, shaking my head and laughing gently as Nate left the room. “I’m onto you, you know,” I spoke, turning to face Sully. “He’s Sam’s brother, isn’t he?”

He shrugged in response. “Oh, wow, you cracked the case. Great job, Xan.”

“Does he know what happened?”

“Not yet. I-I’m gonna tell him.”

I pursed my lips, Victor Sullivan had been in my life a very long time, I knew better than to take him at his word. “When?”

“Why do you care so much? A few hours ago, you were ready to ditch me over bringing him onto the team.”

Nate returned before I had the chance to answer. “Who’s still thirsty? I found another bottle of red.”

“Hey, kid, you think she’s okay? My cat.”

“You have a cat?” I questioned incredulously as Nate plonked down onto the couch beside me.

Sully nodded, staring intently at his phone. “The man from the app said he was gonna feed her, but he hasn’t texted me back yet.”

“I don’t know what’s cuter, your concern or the fact that you just said ‘the man from the app.’” Nate teased, handing the bottle to me. Our fingers grazed as I took it, his hand was warm against mine and the lingering touch sent a shiver down my spine. I blamed the reaction on a lack of human contact over the last couple of months, turning quickly to face Sully once more as he tapped aggressively at the glowing screen.

As the night progressed, Sully retired to his room, and it was only Nate and I left talking. I stood abruptly, walking out onto the balcony. The cool breeze was a welcome relief. “Are you coming?” I called over my shoulder. A beat later he was at my side, bottle of wine in hand. I breathed a laugh, taking it from him and sipping deeply from it. A drop of wine slipped from my mouth, streaming down the curve of my chin. Nate took a step toward me, hand moving to rest on my cheek as he swiped the stray liquid with his thumb. I could feel the heat radiating from him, the fabric of his shirt brushing against my chest ever so slightly as I inhaled. He smelt faintly of whatever cologne he’d used last, red wine, and the earth.

“So, when did you decide to become Indiana Jones?” He breathed out, and his hand fell from my cheek, though he didn’t step back.

The air felt thick, hard to force into my lungs. “I’ve always liked finding things, I used to dig up all sorts of stuff and bring it to my nanny to see what she thought the history might be. This-”, I twirled my finger around the air, gesturing to the house and us. “Isn’t my usual gig, but I’m what I like to call a freelancer.” He nodded at me as I brought my hand up to catch the ring fastened to his neck, moving the metal between my fingertips to read the inscription. “Sic Parvis Magna.” I managed to read. “Greatness from small things?”

“Beginnings, close, greatness from small beginnings.” I nodded at his words, daring a glance up into his eyes, hand resting against his chest as I continued to grasp the ring. He was so close; the worst part was that I didn’t want to push him away. I told myself I was only entertaining the thought because it distracted me from reminiscing. “Hey, why did you show the stuff you dug up to your nanny? Weren’t your parents around?” There was no malice behind the question, only gentle curiosity. I shrugged, offering a small shake of my head in response. His hand fell upon my upper arm. “Who needs ‘em anyway.” He murmured.

I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. I’d had a similar philosophy most of my adult life. I remember Sam telling me about his and Nate’s upbringing with the nuns. “Where’d you get it?” I nodded toward the ring still in my grasp

“It was my brother, Sam’s, he gave it to me before he left.” The sentiment brought a very small, bittersweet smile to my lips. I dropped the ring back against his chest before placing my hand over it softly. His own coming to envelope mine a beat later. This was dangerous, temptingly so. My other hand traced up from his elbow to his shoulder. Our eyes were locked in a silent battle, intent on finding who would break first. I was almost certain he’d leaned toward me, perhaps I’d leaned toward him, whatever the case there was an intangible magnetism between us in that moment that seemed set on drawing us in. He tucked a stray curl behind my ear, his fingers dancing down my cheek to the curve of my jaw. Just as I decided this was the perfect distraction from my unbearable thoughts, he opened his mouth once more. “I’ve got it.” I furrowed my eyebrows at his sudden words. “I’ve figured out why you’re so familiar. You’re from New York, right? You came into the bar I work at.” The familiarity suddenly dawned on me as he continued. “I remember because you gave me a fake name and I called you out on it.” He grinned at me.

The memory made me snort. “You were the weird bartender who kept flirting with me.” I teased.

He gasped. “That’s not exactly how I remember it, sweetheart.”

“Oh really, well how do you remember it, Drake?”

With a smirk, he began to recount the night in question. “I remember you hanging off every word I spoke when I told you about the history of the Moscow mule. Then you did that little move of yours where you tilt your head back to shake your hair and make sure every person in the room is incapable of looking away.” I rose an eyebrow at his words. He was right, I was flirting back that night.

“Seems like you have a pretty vivid memory there. Only you’re missing one part, I wasn’t doing it for every person in the room.” I wrapped my hand around the back of his neck as I leaned up to murmur in his ear. “Just you.” His breath fanned over my lips as I returned to face him.

His lips were merely a head tilt away. I was more than happy to oblige, however, before our lips could meet, he spoke once more. “Even your friend thought you should give me your number.” He’d meant it as a teasing remark, I knew that. “You know, the red-head you were with.” He explained as my body tensed. I pulled away from him then, putting some much-needed space between us. He furrowed his eyebrows questioningly. “Did I say something wrong?”

“No, of course not, it’s just a big day tomorrow we should really get some sleep.” I cleared my throat, picking at my nails as I awaited his response.

“Yeah, o-okay, sure.” With that I left him on the balcony, walking swiftly to my room. It wasn’t until the door was shut, my back pressed against it, that I could breathe properly again. I slid down the cool wood, pressing my cheek to my knee. What was I thinking, he’s an associate, sleeping with him when I knew about his brother was completely wrong, I was an idiot for thinking that it was a good idea to mix business and pleasure. We would find this gold, split the cash, and go our separate ways.

That is how it would be.

That is how I wanted it to be.

#nathan drake #tom holland #uncharted film #tom holland x oc #nate drake #uncharted 2022 #nathan drake x oc #nathan drake fanfiction #nathan drake imagine #slow burn #tom holland uncharted #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland smut #nathan drake smut

77 notes · View notes

memphisnovels · 2 years

Text

Small beginnings

Chapter 3. Dangerous liasions

This is a lot of fun to write, thanks so much for interacting <3

Warnings: mature content, slight smutty themes, minor character death, violence.

Chapter 1, 2

“I really do not get why you’re so against taking his number.” Kate pressed as we entered our apartment.

I scoffed throwing my coat aside as I dropped down onto our sofa. “He’s a total dickhead.”

She shook her head, walking into the tiny open-plan kitchen to grab a water bottle. “You don’t even know him.” She sent me a look as I groaned.

“Neither do you, why are you so pro-bartender guy.”

A bottle of water landed on the sofa, just shy of my head. “Why are you so anti-bartender guy? I just want you to be happy, I think he’d be good for you.” I rolled my eyes at her words. “What even makes you so certain he’s a dick.”

I shrugged, searching for a response. “He’s too self-assured,” I muttered pettily.

“So are you!” She laughed heartily in response. I gasped in feigned offense. “You know I love you bug, being self-assured isn’t a bad thing because you pair it with being loving.”

I breathed a laugh, shaking my head. “New topic please.”

“So, no hope there then?”

I remained silent for a long moment, staring at the ceiling as I recalled the easy smiles that had passed between the bartender and I. “None.”

The map felt heavy at my side as I wandered down the streets of Barcelona, I wasn’t sure how to define the emotions that swirled within me. I struggled to dismiss the soft, pleading tone of voice Nate had spoken to me in. The way he’d begged me for answers, the look in his eyes when he did it. I resented that amongst the swarm of emotions there was remorse and a twinge of guilt. He would have done the same to me I reminded myself as I entered the building, walking toward the area the message had indicated.

“We know who has it, a Miss Xanthe Hayes.” I heard Jo Braddock’s voice as I approached Mr. Moncada. “My people are out looking for her now-”

I laughed teasingly. “Oh, you mean the big guy who doesn’t talk and his sidekick, the Highlander?” She turned to me; eyes narrowed sharply. Something about her feline-like. “Yeah, they didn’t find me,” I added.

“Diversified investment.” Moncada clarified to Braddock. “I hired Miss Hayes the same day I hired you.” I handed the map to him as he spoke. He nodded toward me, offering a grateful smile in my direction. “Of course, she will lead the operation from here on out.” He added. The look on Braddock’s face was pure, unadulterated fury as she set her cold eyes on me. I flicked an eyebrow up challengingly.

I knew double-crossing Nate and Sully with Moncada, and Braddock was harsh, particularly after what had happened to Sam, he had been my friend, but I knew in this line of work there was no room for attachment, I could never allow my emotions to guide me. I considered Moncada and even Braddock, though she really hadn’t been a part of my agreement with Mr. Moncada, to be a more advantageous bet, or at least a more upfront one. There were no illusions with them, I was in no way under the impression I could trust Moncada, and I certainly knew better than to trust Braddock, but at least they were upfront with their dubious loyalties. Nathan and Sully would betray me just the same, the difference was they played games, they attempted to break down walls and gain my trust. It was far less confusing to align with someone who was upfront in their untrustworthiness.

“My father gave me this car when I turned 18. It’s been my good-luck charm ever since.” Moncada informed, coming to stand at my side as I studied the bright red car that was being loaded into the plane. I nodded, remaining silent at I glanced around the landing strip. “You know… it’s natural to feel some conflict. You made a difficult decision but the right one.” He assured, resting a hand on my shoulder, and squeezing gently.

“Regret isn’t really something I believe in,” I spoke, crossing my arms in front of me.

“I feel the same, Miss Hayes.” He smiled warmly at me.

Sam wasn’t someone who crossed my mind often since his death, yet now I felt very much unable to rid him of my thoughts, as much as I hated to admit it, a part of me cared for him, a part of me considered him a close friend. Kate even liked him. Not that that was a feat, she liked most people. She somehow found this innate ability to love, to find the best in every person. I often wondered what it was like to be so wholly trusting, so wholly open. It struck me as ironic and slightly ridiculous that someone like Kate, who had lost so much, never closed herself off from the world. Yet I, who had, scarcely if ever, faced that same kind of loss found myself shelled up and entirely unwilling to crack.

I had never intended for the two separate sides of my life to collide, though for some peculiar reason when it came to Sam, I wasn’t completely unhappy about it. There was something I saw in him, something inherently good. I hated to say the same of Nate, though I’d be lying if I said differently.

We sat in the interior of the plane, Moncada, Braddock, and I in front of the crew as Mr. Moncada recounted his family’s heritage.

“500 years ago, my family was betrayed. Yes, a small band of explorers, they found the world's biggest fortune. And you know what? They hid it. Uh, for centuries, people search for it, all in vain. It was left to me to recover my family’s gold. Nobody thought I could do it. And certainly not my… my father. Now, today…is the day I restore the Moncada’s’ fortune. And I bring honor back to my house. And I earn my place In-” He didn’t get the chance to finish his story as Braddock brought her blade across the flesh of his throat. I stumbled backward, sick to my stomach as his blood spilled out, drenching his shirt and pooling on the floor.

Braddock smiled viciously. “Daddy was right… you don’t have what it takes. The House of Moncada dies with you.” In a single movement, I swept the replica map from the table and slipped from the room.

“Where’s Hayes? No loose ends.” I heard as I rushed into the cargo hold at the back of the plane, there was nowhere to go. I pulled the gun from the holster at the hip of my shorts. Pressing my back to a stack of storage containers as Braddock and her men spread out throughout the area.

A hand wrapped around my arm slamming me back into the wall. “Hey, Braddock! We found your loose end.” The man called, grinning victoriously down at me. I straightened my back before lifting my leg and kneeing him between his. He groaned in pain, swinging his fist toward me but I ducked before it met my flesh. We continued to struggle until I slipped from his hold, grasping his arm, and twisting it behind his back before slamming his head into the side of the plane, knocking him out cold. I returned to my spot

“We can patch this up, Hayes.” I heard Braddock call as she continued to search for me. A momentary glance past the cargo was all it took for me to clock her location. I fired a few shots in her direction, but she dropped back behind some containers. “Drop the gun.”

“Oh, sure! I bet you’d love nothing more than to talk this all out.” I spoke sarcastically, firing more shots past the cargo containers concealing me.

I waited for a moment hoping she’d make a move into the open. “I don’t think you’ve been counting, honey. You’ve only got one shot left.” She informed. I glanced down at the gun in my hands, she was right, goddamn it. I knew I could fight but not when she and all her guys are armed. Glancing around, I sought an escape, I didn’t have a parachute and even if I did Braddock stood between me and the exit. “I got to give it to you, Frazer. A fighter to the bitter end.” She taunted.

My eyes fell on Moncada’s prized red car. “This is a very bad idea,” I murmured, aiming the gun toward the car.

“But this is the end.”

I shot the window, glass shattering as I launched my body through it. Turning it on and moving the gear stick in unison before pressing the palm of my hand against the accelerator. The car revved as it roared to life and the car began to roll forward. I remained laying down until I was sure I’d passed Braddock, at which point I pulled myself up, shuffling into a sitting position just in time to see a familiar face emerge at the exit ramp of the plane.

I narrowed my eyes. “Nate?”

“Oh, come on!”

The car slammed into him, knocking him onto the bonnet as the car fell from the plane. “What the hell are you doing?!” I yelled as I opened the door, the force of the wind ripping the metal from the car.

“You just hit me with a car!” He responded angrily.

I scoffed, gripping the metal around the windscreen as I spoke again. “You don’t have a parachute?!”

“Neither do you!”

With a roll of my eyes, I stabilized myself on the leather seat. “Follow me!” With that I let go of the metal and pressed my arms to my side, diving from the car and freefalling toward the expanse of ocean below. I reached out when I was close enough to a falling cargo containing, gripping tightly onto the net wrapped around it.

“Whoa! Oh, shit!” I heard as Nate hit the container but couldn’t get a good grip on the net, his eyes met mine when I grasped his forearm, stopping his freefall and tethering him to the cargo container. My heart was racing as our eyes met, his wide and frantic. A hint of what I could only describe as shock dwindling in them. I helped him grab onto the container.

“Pull the cord!” I shouted over the wind that caused my dark curls to whip around my face. “Nate, come on!” I spoke as we continued to fall at an alarming pace

“I’m trying!” He responded. Finally, a parachute shot up from the cargo, billowing out into a cloud of white fabric. “Hold on. Hold on!” Nate spoke as he gripped my arm, helping me swing around onto the top of the container. We both gripped the net tightly, pressing our backs to the cold metal crate beneath us. I shut my eyes awaiting the impending impact. Nate’s hand was no longer gripping mine, but his forearm was right beside mine, flesh pressed against flesh. There was something oddly grounding about it, I assured myself it was merely the feeling of being in this with another human. Finally, the impact came. The container crashed into the water, submerging itself with the force, sending us flying from its surface into the great expanse of blue. I kicked my legs hard, as I swam back to the surface, muscles aching regardless of the adrenaline that surged through my system. I pushed the hair from my face as my head broke the surface, gasping for air as I swam toward the cargo crate. Nate’s head appeared a moment later. I wasn’t exactly thrilled by how many times I’d faced certain death on this trip so far. Stealing crown jewels was child’s play compared to this.

I wrung my hair out as we sat atop the container. “I’m not gonna apologize, if that’s what you’re waiting for.”

“I could probably forgive you for what you did in Barcelona. Maybe even for knocking me out of a plane with a car. But Braddock? Really?” Nate turned to face me; I could feel the anger radiating from

With a roll of my shoulders, I sighed. “You really think there’s any difference between them and you? You and Sully were just as eager to screw me over as they were.” I spat, rubbing my temples.

“Look, I’m not Sully, okay?” He spoke.

I glanced over my shoulder at him. “Well Hallelujah. One’s more than enough. I am aware that choosing Moncada and Braddock wasn’t exactly my finest hour, believe it or not, I cared about Sam too.”

“So, why’d you do it?!”

“Because it’d hurt less getting betrayed by them!” I shouted before I even realized what I was admitting. The both of us were silent at that. He furrowed his brows, eyes softening as they met mine again. He opened his mouth to say something to me but I turned my back, facing away once more and he remained silent. When I looked up my eyes widened. “Nate? Do you see what I’m seeing?”

He sighed. “Well, if what you’re seeing is an endless open ocean, then yeah.” I ignored him, exhaling a breath of relief as I studied the land that was coming into view. No words were exchanged between us for a long while as we floated toward the island, eventually dismounting the contained and diving into the water to swim the rest of the way.

“Whoa. What the hell happened to you two?” A man lounging on a sun chair asked, glancing at us over his sunglasses as we emerged from the ocean. God, I wish I was him. I was beginning to wonder why exactly I’d agreed to search for this treasure in the first place. It wasn’t like my cut from the Sancy diamond wasn’t enough to live lavishly off for the next ten years.

Nate stopped at the foot of the man. “Fell out of a car that fell out of a plane.”

“Huh. Hey, you know, something like that happened to me once.”

We glanced at each other in bewilderment for a moment before continuing toward the concierge desk. I wanted nothing more than to take a piping hot shower before collapsing into a large comfortable bed. Nate did the talking to the resort worker.

“And here is your card back, Mr. Sullivan.” She spoke handing him back the black credit card.

The corners of his lips upturned. “Please, call me Victor.” I raised a solitary eyebrow at him. “Come on, I spent ten hours in a trunk with him. I couldn’t help myself.”

When we were within the huge, breath-taking suite I immediately headed for the bathroom. The hot streams of water brought much-needed relief to my aching muscles. I washed my hair with the complimentary shampoo and conditioning, shuddering in relief at the cleanliness of my skin finally.

“Hey there,” I mumbled as I approached Nate, wrapped in a hotel robe. He was seated on the sofa, hunched over the table where he'd strewn the replica map and the crosses as well as numerous worn postcards. He greeted me back, offering a small smile in my direction. “What are you doing?”

He tapped the map with his index finger. “Are you sure these dimensions are the same as the actual map?”

“To the exact millimeter. Why’s that?” I nodded.

The smile on his lips grew. “Braddock isn’t gonna find the gold. Well, not where she’s looking, anyway.”

“You mean we still have a chance?” I furrowed my brows, dropping down onto the seat beside him.

He nodded in response moving the map over to sit between us on the table. “The captain left one final clue, and Sully seems to think that Sam knew what that clue was, and he might have tried to tell me what it was. These postcards are the only thing I’ve got from Sam in the last ten years, so if he did try to tell me something, it must be in these cards.”

“Do you think it's something in the images? Or something in the writing?” I asked, studying his face, there was a line etched on his forehead from his concentration, his eyes were warm again as they met mine. I was surprised he was still willing to offer me a place in this after I’d betrayed him. His melted chocolate eyes danced across my cheeks, almost as if he was mapping a path between the freckles dotted across my flesh. “Like an anagram or a cipher or something?”

He exhaled deeply, pulling his gaze from me. “We used to do that all the time as kids.”

“Well, let’s start with the images,” I murmured. We spread the cards across the table, selecting them one by one and studying the images. I kept a hotel notepad beside me, inscribing notes I could decipher from each picture. Neither of us were finding anything of use in the images. They seemed random, unrelated. I decided to begin working on the words, searching for any kind of clue as to where the treasure lay.

I was beginning to lose hope as I read card after card inscribed with Sam’s life experiences, recounting each moment he wanted to share with Nate. It was sweet that they were so close that they shared these often-times mundane moments. Though it was vastly unhelpful in this context. I rubbed at my temples as I read one card over and over, struggling to make out its meaning as many of the words were incorrect. “Um… There’s one card where he spells everything wrong.”

“Weird. Where is that?”

I slid the card toward him dragging my finger over the words as I spelled them aloud. “T-H-A-R…”

“Um… Hills.”

That didn’t make any sense. “H-Hills?”

“Hills.” He repeated. “So, try writing this out, and then for every letter you write down, find the corresponding letter.” He explained, sliding the notepad to me once more. We must have sat there for hours reading and inscribing trying tirelessly to find meaning in the words. None of it made sense and my eyes were beginning to become bleary from staring at the writing. Nate leaned back on the couch, sighing heavily as he shut his eyes, tilting his head back. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed.

I leaned beside him on the soft cushions, gazing at him for a long while in silence. “I really am sorry about Sam.” His eyes opened then, he offered me a sidelong glance, a tight smile appearing on his lips. I sighed deeply. “And I am sorry about betraying you, you didn’t deserve that.”

His eyebrows rose at my words. “Is that right?” He asked, a smirk forming on his lips. I rolled my eyes immediately at his sudden shift in disposition. However, despite that, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. “I guess we can kind of call it even, you know since you saved my ass back there on the container.” Silence fell between us once more as we lounged side-by-side, gazing at each other. I hated that he was in my head. Hated that I was being honest when I said I was sorry he was hurting and that as much as I fought it, I felt remorseful for double-crossing him. It terrified me, not knowing if he was playing with me or if he actually cared; I wasn’t sure what scared me more the thought that this was all a means to an end or that he actually enjoyed my company. “Tell me about your family, you said your parents weren’t really around.” I blinked, nodding gently at his words.

“Yeah, they weren’t especially doting.” I laughed. “I’m pretty sure half the time they forgot I was there, and the other half they just didn’t really care. They didn’t really wanna hear about what I was up to until I got into this stuff.” I gestured at the map. “I think that’s why I got into it, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, needed to know what was so important my parents couldn’t even be bothered to make sure I wasn’t dead somewhere.” My gaze dropped from his as I spoke, falling to my hands. I wasn’t exactly familiar with having deep and meaningful conversations with people, the only person I ever talked to about my life or how I was feeling was Kate. The thought made my heart twinge slightly, betrayal wrapping itself tightly around my heart. Nate’s hand fell upon the flesh of my knee that was exposed by the slit where the robe had opened slightly. I shook my head then. “Such is life I guess,” I spoke quickly, pushing down the feelings rising in my chest.

“You don’t have to pretend, Xanthe.” His thumb caressed my flesh in a way that left a warm prickling sensation in its wake. I bit down on my bottom lip. “Not with me.”

I shook my head. “It’s nothing. Not compared to you, you lost your parents and your brother. My tales of mommy and daddy not loving me don’t exactly.” I watched the movements of his hand rather than meeting his gaze that burned into the side of my head.

“It’s not a competition. You don’t have to minimize it.” God, why did he have to be so understanding? I pushed his leg with my foot, attempting to lighten the mood, the movement caused his hand to slip from my knee to my upper thigh which had also slipped from the white robe. His movements halted, as did mine. I met his gaze finally, his dark eyes were focused entirely on me, his heated gaze almost suffocating me with its intensity. For a moment I felt sure he’d never look away, I wasn’t sure I wanted him to. “Did you mean it?” He asked suddenly. When had he gotten so close, one of my bent legs overlapped his thigh the other pressed against his side as our gazes remained intertwined. “What you said about the night we met, your little move. Was it for me?” My breath hitched when the words were hanging in the air between us. My heart was racing so fast I’d be surprised if he didn’t hear it. I held his gaze as it searched my own.

Finally, I released my bottom lip from between my teeth. I nodded gently at him, eyes closing as his forehead pressed to mine, our noses brushed, lips so dangerously close to one another’s. Each intake of breath filled my senses with him, neither of us spoke, though, the tightening of his grip on my thigh was communication enough. I brought my hand to his shoulder, the decision well and truly made now. Consequences be damned, I finally tilted my head, crashing my lips to his. The warmth of his flesh against mine was quickly clouding my mind, making it nearly impossible to think of anything other than him. His hand moved to the outside of my thigh spreading it apart from the other to situate his torso between my legs. His lips continued to move against mine, his tongue flickered across the plumb expanse of my bottom lip, a plea for entry. I kept my lips shut tightly, stubbornness clinging to my very essence. Nate lifted me from the couch swiftly, one hand moving to sit on my backside as I wrapped my arms around his neck, lips never leaving his. His other hand moved to tug on the tie of my robe, allowing it to fall open, revealing my tank top and black panties. His eyes scanned me briefly before he reconnected our lips, hand moving to grasp at my ass roughly, pulling my hips further against his. I remained steadfast in my determination to keep my mouth shut until he pressed me to the plush bed with his pelvis, a moan fell from my lips, causing my lips to part. He swallowed the sound greedily, tongue engaging in a battle for dominance with my own. I followed his mouth as he began to sit up, his lips curving into a smile at my eagerness, in a swift move movement his shirt was over his head and discarded on the floor. The leather chain with the ring hanging in its center falling back against his chest. He looked over me, eyes dragging over every inch of skin he could see. His tongue danced across his lower lip as his eyes trailed their way from my hip back to my heavy gaze. I pressed the palm of my hand to his warm, solid stomach, fingertips grazing across the muscles that rippled beneath my touch. He bent down to kiss me again a single hand grasping my jaw as I sat up more fully. When our lips parted one more he paused, taking a deep breath, eyes still closed and face so close to mine I could feel his breath fanning across my cheeks.

“We really shouldn’t be doing this,” I murmured against his lips.

His eyes cracked open, hand still on my jaw. “Do you what me to stop?” I knew what my answer to that question should be; a resounding yes. Yet, for some reason all I could do was shake my head, eyes never leaving his. The pad of his thumb traced across my lower lip, causing my mouth to open slightly. I tilted my head back ever so slightly. It felt like eons before his soft lips pressed to mine once more, pushing my lips apart with his. Heat spread through my chest and down my arms, bringing a tingle to my senses as Nate curved the line of my jaw, trailing his lips down the delicate flesh on my neck in a haphazard line. I brought a hand to his shoulder, slowly sliding it up into his chocolate-colored curls as I move to lay down once more, bringing him with me. His fingers teased the hem of my shirt, sitting just below the fabric at my waist. I bit my lip as he moved the tank up my body, pulling it from me painfully slowly, leaving me in a bra and underwear, the flimsy fabric feeling much less adequate as coverage under his heated gaze. He hovered above me, meeting my eyes once more. I brought my hand to his smooth cheek; he turned his head lips pressing tenderly against the flesh of my palm. The break in eye contact only lasted a mere moment before I was once again captured by his beautiful eyes. He’s so attractive it’s almost unfair, I wished to feel wholly unaffected by him. Wished that his touch didn’t leave a fire in its wake, that his voice didn’t reel me in like a moth to a flame. “Tell me what you want.” He murmured, voice raspy and scratching an invisible itch deep within my soul; doing nothing short of fueling my fire. I didn’t respond, wrapping a leg around his hip to leverage myself as I flipped him onto his back, grabbing his wrists and pinning them above his head as I pressed my lips to his once more. I could feel his curving into a smirk at my actions.

“Nate,” I murmured letting him break free of my hold and bring his calloused hands down to my hips pulling them down against his growing bulge. I moaned into his mouth at the sensation that rippled through my body.

It was as though one moment I was approaching bliss in Nate’s arms and the next my brain switched back on. I pulled away abruptly, suddenly feeling as though a bucket of cold water had been dumped over me. What the hell was I thinking? I pressed a hand to his chest, stopping him from following me as I moved off of him speedily. “We can’t.” I breathed moving quickly to grab my top and shorts. “This is completely insane, we don’t have time to be getting distracted, this cannot happen again,” I spoke firmly, slipping my clothes onto my body. He stood from the bed, taking a step forward, hand reaching out toward me. I shook my head, turning and walking back to the lounge. “Let’s get back to work, Magellan’s ships aren’t going to find themselves,” I muttered.

He watched me with an unreadable expression, shoulders tense. There was no longer any sign of the person he was a few moments ago. The furrow between his brows reappeared then. “You’re right, Xanthe.” His tone was cold, and his eyes wouldn’t meet mine. He walked past me, sitting down once more and picking up a postcard. “Let’s just get this done and find the treasure so we can go our separate ways, finally.”

I wasn’t sure why the words stung, why they wounded me. Ire bubbled within me, this is what I’d urged for, what I’d pushed for all along. I ditched Sully and Nate to work with Moncada and Braddock because I knew their partnership came with no strings attached. Yet now that Nate was on the same page, I felt slighted. I swallowed heavily, grabbing a postcard, and situating myself on the floor across the table from him. Deciphering Sam’s letters was an apt distraction, throwing myself into the problem and working through it, pushing myself to analyze each word inscribed on the cards left no room to dwell on the boy sitting across from me. I made it through every postcard several times, filling pages upon pages of the notepad with decoded phrases and words yet it all remained nonsensical, there was no rhyme or reason for the patterns I found, and the longer I stared at them the more exhausted and utterly frustrated I felt.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of reading and re-reading the words, I decided that my mind wasn’t of much use at this point of exhaustion. Standing from my perch on the hardwood floor I walked wordlessly toward the bed. Moving cushions around to situate myself under the sheets. Luckily enough for me, my body was so utterly over-exerted that there was no time for my mind to return to unpleasant thoughts as slumber took me over swiftly, darkness engulfing me.

Sunlight filtered around the blinds, a balmy breeze fluttering into the suite and bathing my warm flesh. I forced my eyes to open, despite my wishes to return to the sweet embrace of sleep. Sitting up against the plush pillows I noticed Nathan’s still sleeping frame tucked in beside me. I slipped from the comfortable bed, rubbing my palm over my face as I trailed into the lounge, finding the small table in far less disarray than it had been the night previous. The postcards were now packed away neatly in their Ziplock bag, all that remained was the replica map, the crosses, and a slip of paper with a set of coordinates. My eyes widened as they traced over the numbers on the paper. I glanced back at Nathan who hadn’t so much as stirred since I left. He’d done it. My gaze returned to the paper then, I pushed myself into the small kitchenette grabbing a bottle of water from the mini-fridge. As I chugged the water, I considered my next move. The feeling of Nate’s lips against mine was heavy on my mind, alongside the words he’d to me spoken last night.

“Let’s just get this done and find the treasure so we can go our separate ways, finally.”

That sentence echoed through my head as I folded the slip of paper, shoved it into my pocket, and slipped on my button-up over the dirty tank I wore. My shoes were on, and I was out the door in a matter of moments. I’d meant what I’d said to him when I took the map, I wasn’t getting screwed on this one.

I moseyed down to the café by the resort, running my fingers through my curls, tugging any tangles out as I went. There was a nagging feeling at the back of my head as I walked as if my mind was separate from my body. As if it were arguing with me, begging me to re-evaluate. I ignored it as I smiled at the young barista. “Large black coffee, please.” I leaned against the wall as I awaited my order. Drumming my fingers against the flesh of my thigh I glanced over the vividly beautiful landscape that surrounded me, endless greenery sidled up to coastal bliss. I stared out at the ocean, waves crashing against one another in a powerful dance. Suddenly I was back in the tunnel, pulling on the grate with all my might. That song I’d heard echoing around me, femme fatale by the Velvet underground. I shut my eyes tightly attempting to dismiss the thoughts. The feeling of utter relief that had filled me as the air reached my lungs once more reminded me of that night. The concern that was so evident on Nate’s features as he anchored me above the water below, he had my cross, I’d already led him to the location where he’d find the map, he could have left me; could have allowed the water to swallow me whole. I gritted my teeth, God what was taking this coffee so long? The sound of his voice when he’d told me everything was going to be okay forced itself to the forefront of my mind; he’d saved my life. My hands were balled into fists as I approached the counter, accepting my coffee and thanking the barista. I took a deep sip of the piping hot beverage. My eyes closed as a sigh fell from my lips. When I reopened my eyes, the person behind the bench was staring at me expectantly, I turned to leave but my feet seemed planted in place, muscles refusing to carry me away. I clutched my cup so tightly I was thoroughly surprised the cup didn’t explode, spraying me in the scolding liquid. After one final exasperated exhale I turned back to the Barista. “Sorry about this, but could I actually get another of the same, please.”

A scowl of pure annoyance was etched into my features as I entered the suite. My eyes fell on him right away, he was dressed and standing by the sofa with an empty glass bottle in his hands. His eyebrows rose immediately as he saw me, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. I pushed the second coffee into his hands. “You-You’re here?”

“We need to get a move on, Braddock has probably been out searching since dawn.” I ignored his words, pulling the folded sheet of paper from my pocket and putting the coordinates into my phone. He didn’t make any move toward the door, remaining planted in place gazing at me, bemusement evident on his face. I narrowed my eyes at him. “What are you waiting for, boy wonder, lets's go!”

It was then that realization sparked in his eyes, his lips pressed together before curving upwards. “You were gonna leave, weren’t you?” I scoffed shaking my head defensively.

“I literally just bought you a coffee, why would I do that if I was going to leave, idiot?”

His smile only grew, now a beaming grin as he stepped toward me. “You were gonna leave but you came back, you changed your mind.” I rolled my eyes groaning as I turned toward the door. “Deny it all you want, sweetheart, you’ve totally got it bad for me.” He teased.

“Leaving now!” I called walking out of the suite.

“Hey, it’s okay, Xan, you don’t have to pretend. I get it, we’re best friends.”

I couldn’t believe it, there were no words that came to mind as I stood, feet planted in the sand before the breathtaking view of Magellan’s ships. I scrunched the bottom of my shirt into my palms, wringing out the water from the quick swim from the dingy.

“I can’t believe it.” I walked toward one of the ships, pressing my palm to the mossy, rotting wood.

Nate’s voice caught my attention then. “We did it, Sam.” He murmured, eyes traveling over the majesty of the ships before us. He took a step forward, glancing at me as he spoke again. “We did it.” I beamed at him, shaking my head in disbelief.

“We certainly might’ve.” Moss continued on the interior of the ship, green sprouting from the worn floorboards, barrels, and barrels lining the cargo hold. I grabbed a handful of the dark dried buds that filled one of them, bringing the fragrant substance closer to inhale their scent. “Cloves,” I noted dropping the pile back into the barrel.

“You know, back then, spices were worth nearly as much as gold.” My head shot up as the familiar voice emerged. I rolled my eyes as Sully came into view.

Nate sighed. “Why am I not surprised?”

“I keep too many apps open, remember? I knew you two would figure it out.” Sully responded, a small smile playing on his lips.

“Figure what out?” I asked.

He walked over to me, shrugging, and stuffing his hands into his pockets. “The puzzle in Sam’s postcards. Great work, Xan.”

“Screw you,” I muttered.

“So, what is it?”

Nate appeared at my side. “Does it matter? We already found the gold.”

Sully narrowed his eyes at us, glancing around the ship. “I don’t see any gold.”

“Oh, it’s here. It’s a false top.” Nate informed as I stuffed my hand into the barrel, cloves spilling out as I pulled out the wooden board concealing the gold. “Old pirate trick. Here’s your gold you’ve been looking for. You happy now?”

Sully’s eyes widened. “Holy shit. You got to be kidding me.” He ran his fingers over the mass of gold within the barrel. He moved to the others pulling the tops off of them as well. “It’s almost more than we thought. Plus, the other ship. Plus, the value of the ships themselves, which you can’t even put a price on. We did it! We actually did it!”

“Sully, we didn’t do anything. Okay? There is no “we.” There’s only you. Because there’s not a person in your life that you wouldn’t betray for a piece of this. You made that real clear.”

I ignored the two men as they continued to bicker, pocketing a few of the smaller pieces of gold and filling my backpack with others. It was almost surreal to me that we’d managed to do find the gold. I grabbed my fill, as though I were afraid that at any moment it’d all disappear before my very eyes. It seemed perhaps that my fears were warranted as the sound of motors filled the air, followed by the whipping of helicopter blades. “Braddock.” I groaned.

“Shit.”

Sully glanced around. “We’d better get small. Or, in your cases, smaller.” He taunted gesturing between Nathan and me.

“Hey. You’re only like one inch taller than me, max.” Nate argued.

I rolled my eyes at them both, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. “I think it’s a little more than that, kid.” Sully responded. “Come on. I know where to go.”

He guided us to the other side of the cargo hold where he opened a small hatch that appeared to be some kind of storage space beneath the floorboards. Nate crossed his arms. “I’m not going in there.”

“Hey, look. You could stay up here and get shot in the head or come down here for a quick cuddle… up to you. I’m going down.” Sully said, climbing into the crawl space.

I threw my head back, allowing a sigh to fall from my lips that was nothing if not exasperated. “Jesus Christ.” With that I followed Sully into the hatch, Nate slipping in after me, leaving the three of us knee to knee and hunched over as he pulled the boards back into place over our heads.

Multiple pairs of heavy footsteps creaked against the floor above us, dust flickering down with each movement. “Braddock. We cannae find them. They’re nae on board. They must have filled their pockets and fled.” A familiar Scottish accented voice spoke.

The whirring of the helicopter overhead continued as the footsteps seemed to become quieter and more distant. Nate had barely stopped wriggling since we’d entered the crawl space and it was beginning to fray my nerves.

“What is it with you and small spaces?” Sully finally grunted.

Nate dug around beneath his body. “Got this thing jamming up my ass.” His hand re-emerged now holding an extremely old bottle of what I was assuming was liquor though the label was completely faded.

“Don’t even think about it.”

Nate pulled the cork from the bottle. “Oh, I’m thinking about it.” With that, he took a large gulp from the bottle almost immediately coughing and gagging.

“Oh, my God, gross.” I berated, pushing myself as far away from him as possible.

Sully shook his head, pushing the false floor up slightly to peek out into the cargo hold. “All right, come on.” He said, climbing out. “Oh, Jesus. She’s flying the ships out? And us with them.”

“What the hell do you mean?” I asked, accepting Nate’s hand to climb out of the crawl space. I nearly fell as the ship swung, being lifted out of the cave through the clearing at the top.

Sully unzipped his backpack, shoving gold within.

“Geez, Sully, come on. The boat’s full of that stuff.” Nate spoke, walking over to the net of weapons hanging from the wall.

I grabbed a small dagger, with a sheath, shoving it into the back of my pants swiftly.

“Hey. You want to go show ’em what’s what?” Nate asked, a large Cutlass sword in his hands. I’d seen a few of them in museums before, weapons weren’t really my style so I’d yet to steal anything like that from a display, but I had to admit they were crafted with breathtaking intricacy.

Sully turned around, studying the weapon in Nate’s hands. “That’s nice. Let me see it for a second.”

“Yeah, nice, huh?”

“Yeah, real nice,” Sully responded, walking away with the Cutlass still in hand.

Nate groaned, calling out after Sully who ignored him entirely. He eventually turned and grabbed the smaller dagger he’d discarded earlier. We snuck up to the quarterdeck of the ship, looking out over Braddock’s men that stood guard on the main deck.

“You ready for a mutiny?” Nate asked, glancing over at me.

I raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”

Sully grabbed the rope handing beside the quarterdeck, swinging around to kick one of the guards down as Nate leaped over the rails, dagger catching on the already torn bottom of the mast to slow his descent. I turned to see one of Braddock’s men launching at me. I ducked under his arm, dodging his punch, and unsheathing my dagger in one fell swoop. He turned swiftly grabbing me around the neck and pulling me into a chokehold. I clawed at his large arm, gasping in an attempt to bring airflow back. Fighting these goons was getting really old, I preferred sneaking into the louvre, a far more peaceful pastime than hand-to-hand combat. I kicked my feet up against the cabin in front of me using the leverage of the wall to throw myself back into the man behind me. He stumbled backward, crashing through the railing and landing on his back on the main deck, his grip loosening as he groaned in pain. I jabbed the tip of my elbow into his side until his arm was loose enough for me to slip out of. The moment I was back on my feet another guy was on me, spear tacking me backward, nearly sending me tumbling over the side of the ship, I grabbed onto the rope that Sully had swung on earlier, suspending myself as the man who’d jumped me free-fell toward the water below. “Xan!” I heard a voice shout catching my attention. Nate was in the midst of fighting another of the men but he’d paused to call out to me, almost getting knocked on his ass.

“Watch out!” I shouted, nodding toward the guy running toward Nate, he turned just in time to fend him off. I kicked my feet, attempting to gain enough traction to swing back aboard. A ripping sound filled my ears as my feet approached the ship, glancing up there was barely a split second left for me to react as I saw the ancient rope split. My stomach fell as my body began to fall, the backpack filled with gold slipping from my shoulder. Though the fear only lasted a moment before my body jerked, a hand grasping tightly onto my forearm. I glanced up, utter shock pulsing through my body as I saw who’d saved me. “S-Sully.” I stuttered, gripping his arm just as tightly as he held mine, he gritted his teeth with exertion as he pulled me back into the ship. My heart was racing as my back hit the hardwood of the deck. My eyes never left Sully; I didn’t really think he’d even notice if I were gone.

He pulled me to my feet. “Okay, you go to go hijack that helicopter.” I blinked a few times, glancing up at the huge vehicle carrying the ship.

“Right okay, yeah, I can do that.” I swallowed, cracking my knuckles.

“You know how to fly a helicopter?” Nate spoke, a puzzled expression gracing his features.

I nodded. “Yeah, I’ve done it like twice.” I shrugged, ignoring the look of terror and disbelief combined that crossed Nate’s face. Sully pulled an earpiece from his pocket, pressing it into my palm as I approached the ratlines at the side of the ship. I situated the bud into my ear, pulling my hair back into a ponytail before swinging myself up onto the ropes.

“Hey, Xan. Don’t crash.” Nate teased with a grin on his lips.

“Great, yeah, just what I needed. Positive reinforcement. Thanks so much for that.” I responded sarcastically, beginning to climb the ratlines.

Nate’s shouts filled my ears as I pulled myself onto the chain connecting the boat to the helicopter. “Hey! All hands-on deck! Raise the anchor! Hoist the mainsail!”

I rolled my eyes as Sully berated him. A smile formed on my lips. “Hey, Jack Sparrow, stay sharp.”

“Oh, come on, man, I’ve been waiting to do this my entire life.”

The wind flitted through my hair as I climbed, the rope burning the flesh of my palms, but I ignored the painful sensation. I was so close, my gaze locked on the helicopter above. For some peculiar reason as I hauled my body up the chains, my parents were on my mind. I felt the urge to speak with them as my body dangled at a death-defying height, perhaps it was something to do with the myriad of near-death experiences I’d endured on this hunt. Though danger had not often sparked thoughts of them in the past. They’d spent their lives searching for Magellan’s ships, they’d begun to think they were a myth after years of no results, they’d all but decided they weren’t worth believing in anymore. Sully had attempted to gain their help early on in his search for them, they’d become far more interested in more promising enterprises, too caught up in their own hunts to help their old friend on his search. That’s how I’d become embroiled, it certainly wasn’t my first-time helping Sully, though it was the first time my parents weren’t involved. I wondered it perhaps my dedication to the cause had been in part due to the lack of faith my parents had in the search or rather due to my unyielding need to piss them off.

Finally, I made it to the helicopter, I swung into the cockpit, seeing two men flying it. “Hey, guys.” I greeted cheerily. One launched from his seat, running toward me, I dodged swiping my leg out to sweep his legs causing his to tumble from the open pit. I grabbed the back of the pilot’s seat, pulling it backward hard, as I dragged the man out of the helicopter by his collar. “All right, Xanthe, you got this,” I murmured to myself pulling the seat back upright before slipping into it. Taking a deep breath, my eyes traveled over the controls doing my best to recall how to fly. I pulled on the headset, wrapping a hand around the cyclic pitch lever, moving it to stabilize the air vehicle while pressing my foot against the pedal, effectively stopping its decline. When the helicopter was flying ahead once more, I steered it out to bring my ship next to the one in front. “Hey there, Jo.” I blew her a kiss out the window, glancing back at her as she watched me through a spyglass. The other helicopter swung around to follow me as I flew ahead.

“Hey, guys, I think Sully’s girlfriend wants her boat back.” Nate’s voice came from across the earpiece.

“Gee ya think, Drake?” I pushed the cyclic lever further forward to put some space between myself and the other helicopter. I glanced down at the ship seeing grappling hooks attached to the wood, lines connecting the two as men swung aboard. “All right, let’s see what this baby can do.” I swung the lever to the left maneuvering the ship around a colossal wall of rock. The other pilot having to divert course away from me to avoid crashing. The second ship swung toward me, slamming into the side of the one I was carrying. “Hang on, guys. I’m gonna get us out of here.” I spoke through the earpiece. “Okay, okay.” I breathed spotting a narrow clearing between two cliffs. “Come on, old girl.” A beaming smile formed on my lips as I brought the ship between the rock walls, nearing the exit unscathed. “I think that did it. Damn, I still got it.”

“Hate to admit it but you’re kind of killing it up there, Xan.” Nate praised.

I laughed at his words, opening my mouth to offer a boastful remark in response when the second helicopter appeared at the opening of the clearing, ship hand in the way of my exit. “Oh, shit!” I shouted, pulling the lever back hard to miss the helicopter and its rotors. My heart was thrumming against my sternum as I leaned back in my seat, eyes wide as I prayed for no collision. When the hull of the ship was clear of the helicopter, I pushed the lever back forward to even out, but the descent was far more uncontrollable than I’d anticipated, my body lurched forward with the lever, the ship crashing against the ocean’s surface heavily. My body left the seat momentarily as I was thrown upward with the force. I struggled to right the course, bringing the boat from the water as I stabilized the helicopter. When the immediate problem subsided, I stuck my head out the window glancing down to check on Nate and Sully. “Hey, you two dickheads still with me?” I questioned, noticing Nate hanging from the side of the ship.

“Barely.”

“Sully you good?”

A beat passed before he appeared at the side of the ship, holding an arm out to help Nate back in. “Yeah kid, still here.”

“You guys need to do something. They’re coming right for us.” I spoke, glancing over to see the other helicopter flying directly at us at an alarming speed.

Nate responded. “I think I have an idea.”

“Which is?” Sully questioned

“Sully, will you please just shut up? I’m working on it. Okay.” Nate argued back. I glanced down to see him loading up one of the old canons on board. With a gulp, I looked back at the helicopter that was still approaching. “No. No, no, no.” I heard over the earpiece. Another glance down told me that the canon wasn’t going to blow, likely far too old to function properly anymore. I shook my head, biting my lip as I continued steering the helicopter forward.

“Nate, please tell me this is all part of the plan!” I shouted. I did my best not to close my eyes though it felt instinctual as the helicopter continued to gain on us, gripping the lever tighter as I awaited the collision. Then a loud bang echoed around us, I glanced over once again to see the canon ball fire directly into the base of the second helicopter's rotors, causing a huge explosion to follow. “Oh my god, great shot!” I spoke laughing as the helicopter began to spin in vicious circles the second of Magellan’s ships colliding with a cliff and shattering into a mass of wood, masts, and gold. I winced at the sight, eyes widening as the helicopter followed the ship's path, exploding fully against the side of the rock. “Okay that was super brutal, but we’re in the home stretch. We did it, you guys! We did it!”

Sully and Nate’s cheers filled the earpiece, causing my smile to brighten as I straightened the path of the helicopter once more. “Hey, Xan, this isn’t over.” Nate’s words abruptly stopped the relief that had rippled through me.

The helicopter was jerked backward as something stopped our path. I attempted to push the lever, but it was futile as alarms began blaring around me. “Shit! What the hell is going on down there?!” The ship was dangling, stuck on a diagonal, the stem of the bow pointing at the belly of the helicopter. “Come on, we’re so close!” I glanced down to see Sully climbing the chain to grab his bag of gold which had somehow been flung during the commotion, beneath him, still on the deck were Nate and Braddock, as my eyes fell on them, he kicked her in the chest sending her flying back through the railing. Nate scaled the stem as Sully made it aboard the helicopter, backpack in hand. “Sully, you need to help Nate!” I called over my shoulder, attempting to keep the helicopter upright, the clanking of metal sheets being ripped from the belly of the vehicle loud in my ears. Nate’s shouts and pleas for help filled my ears. “Sully come on! Do something!” A look over my shoulder allowed me to see Sully’s contemplative look, Braddock was gaining on Nate and Sully couldn’t decide what was more important. I groaned hitting the autopilot button and pulling myself from the seat, just in time to see sully throw the bag of gold toward Jo, effectively knocking her off the stem and sending her freefalling into the water below.

“Nate! Come on! Trust me.” Sully shouted, reaching an arm out for Nate to grab. I wrapped one hand around Sully’s other arm, anchoring myself to the pilot’s seat with my free one. Nate launched himself from the stem grabbing Sully’s arm just in time as the last of Magellan’s ships detached and fell toward the ocean. “I got you, kid. I got you. Come on.” I locked my arm tighter around the seat as Sully pulled Nate aboard, when his feet were planted on the helicopter I let go of the seat, pulling both men by their arms so they were fully within the interior. I let out a deep exhale of air, sliding back into the pilot’s seat.

“Look at her. You can’t put a price on that.” Nate murmured, watching the ship's sails billow in the wind as it glided across the waves.

Sully sighed. “Yeah, you can, actually.”

“Like four to six billion,” I added, breathing out a very small laugh.

Sully and I slipped headsets on as Nate continued to speak. “Hey. I just wanted to say thank you for what you guys did for me back there. You know, ever since my brother Sam left…” His words were almost inaudible over the sound of the winds being sliced by the rotors, I barely managed to make out every second word of his sentence. Sully and I shared a glance before looking back toward Nate. I furrowed my brows shrugging my shoulders at him as I shoved the last headset into his hands.

His face dropped as his mouth formed an ‘O’ shape. “Can you hear me?” He asked far more clearly now over the headset.

“Yeah, we can now.” I taunted, shooting him a sidelong glance.

He nodded, looking away. “I was… I was just saying we should get out of here.” He lied, scratching the back of his neck. I nodded with a sly smile, pushing the lever forward and moving the helicopter forward on its path. “You know what you’ve both got a heart of gold,” Nate added a moment later. I rolled my eyes, the smile falling from my lips in an instant, replaced by a scowl.

“Real funny, wiseass.” Sully retorted.

“What, too soon?”

I sent him a sharp glare. “Forever is too soon, Drake.”

“Here, maybe this will help. I got you guys something.” He spoke, pulling a bar of gold from his pocket.

Sully’s eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. “Are you kidding me, kid? For real?”

“Yeah, look. I got this…” He pulled another chunk of gold from his pocket dropping it into my palm, I examined it closely, a twinge of excitement spreading within me. Nate continued to pull more and more from his pockets. “I got loads of it. Look.” It seemed his cargo pants had become a bottomless pit for the stuff.

“Good god, Mary Poppins, when did you have time to swipe all of this,” I questioned. “This almost makes up for you guys squandering the millions we could have made from those ships.”

“Oh wait, you guys’ll like this one.” He murmured digging around for something else in his pocket. I glanced over my shoulder at him to see him snapping a piece of bright pink bubble gum in half, he handed one half to me and one to Sully.

He dropped the gum into my palm, smiling sweetly at me as if this was the most meaningful gift he’d ever bestowed. “Aw. That’s really sweet of you, Nate.” I murmured, sharing a single look with Sully before we both tossed our halves of gum out the window in unison.

“That was my last piece,” Nate mumbled, moving to strap himself in more securely.

The cool ocean breeze was a welcome relief against my sweat-coated flesh. My muscles were aching and pleading for proper rest, part of me was more than excited to get back to New York, back to my apartment. Yet part of me was far from ready to step foot within its cold and lonely embrace once more. Going home meant rest, yet it also meant facing everything that this hunt had allowed me to avoid.

#nathan drake #tom holland #tom holland x oc #tom holland smut #nathan drake smut #nathan drake x oc #uncharted 2022 #nathan drake imagine #slow burn #tom holland imagine #nate drake #tom holland uncharted #uncharted film #uncharted fanfiction

21 notes · View notes