//𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 (Lee Christmas x Reader)

sixteen.

Trench watched Lee sleep beside you for almost the entire flight between Africa and Sao Paulo, where Barney touched down to refuel. You didn't stir during the landing, and he noticed that Lee didn't, either. If you moved slightly, or made a noise, he would wake up for a second, inspect you, and fall right back asleep. The landing, as bumpy as it was, didn't wake you, and therefore didn't wake Lee.

Pup climbed out of the cockpit and stretched, yawning as her hands reached up towards the ceiling. Her shirt stretched over her belly button, revealing a little diamond stud, and Trench remembered when you were young and had snuck out to get your own belly button pierced. Belle, who was only a couple years your senior, had instigated the whole ordeal. It was short-lived, and Trench was only angry for a moment before he shrugged it off, though he wouldn't tell you that.

"Still asleep?" She asked gently, looking down at you and Lee bent awkwardly over your side. Trench had long ago tucked your hand over your stomach and sat back, acting instead as a guardian over you.

Trench nodded. Everybody on that plane was exhausted from the events of the previous few days, but anytime he thought about closing his eyes, fear would jab him in the gut and he'd snap back to attention, watching your chest rise and fall in the slow rhythm of sleep.

Pup nudged Lee's shoulder, earning a tired grunt, and rolled her eyes.

"Christmas," she said, nudging him again.

He pulled himself up, rubbing his eyes. "What?"

"Refueling," she said simply, a lopsided smile pressed into her cheeks. She pulled the aviators out of her hair and set them on the bridge of her nose, low enough so that she could peak over the lenses at him. "Should get some fresh air, restock. Maybe it would be good for her, too."

Lee grunted and stretched, joints cracking and popping as he did.

Pup shrugged and made her way to the loading door, plopping herself between Caesar and Gunner, the top of her head reaching their shoulders.

"You meant it," Trench said before Lee could stand, glancing between him and you, still fast asleep.

Lee blinked a few times and then looked around, taking note of the hostages gathering their belongings before they stepped out into the sun. Barney was still in the cockpit.

"Yeah," he said finally, dryly, voice laced with sleep. "I don't pretend to be perfect, 'cause I ain't. But to me? She is. I won't hide it."

Trench nodded, looking down at your resting face. If he looked long enough, he could replace the grown in features of a woman with that of a child; too-big eyes, squishy button nose, wet pink lips.

"She's like her mother," Trench said, leaning back against the metal.

"Don't know much about her," Lee said, but he had figured as much, because while he could recognize Trench within you, he definitely wasn't his first guess for the role of your father.

"In all honesty, neither did I," Trench said. "Beautiful woman, though. I remember that much. Snarky, sweet when she wanted to be. Had a way with words. Silver-tongue."

Lee nodded. "Does sound like her."

"I do know one thing for certain about her, though," he continued, leaning forward, looking up at Lee. "She loved with her whole damn heart. Maybe what we had wasn't special, but it made this. And I know she loved her with every damn fiber of her being, and that's rare. And I could see it in Y/n from day one."

Lee looked down at you from where he stood, eyes softly closed, the sweetness of your sleep contrasting with the harshness of your bruises and bandages.