AH collections

The Apology Series

Jeremwood
Word count: 26276
Chapters: 3

One hell of an apology

 Jeremy stood outside Vagabond's door chewing his fingernails down to the bone. Each time the metallic taste of blood hit his tongue he would move on to a new finger. Eight fingers and several hours later and he still hadn't made any forward progress. As he chewed he was silently willing the floor to open and swallow in him whole. Or in pieces... it was what he deserved anyway. How could he have been so reckless?! He should have been watching his six. But it's not like he asked the Vagabond to jump in front of that bullet for him! It all happened so fast. By the time he even realized there was someone behind him, the man was already dead and Vagabond was on the ground with blood seeping through his fingers from a fresh bullet wound. Now he was standing outside his teammate's door trying to muster the courage to knock and apologize for being a worthless twit who got his teammate shot on a routine heist.

Trevor, the crew's medic, had left the room an hour ago saying Vagabond would be fine. 'It was just a deep graze. No severe damage. No need to get all worked up.' Jeremy had been running over the words in his head like a mantra ever since they came out of the lanky man's mouth. He had been so relieved that Vagabond was okay, he almost didn't catch the rest of Trevor's conversation with Geoff. Trevor had given him some medication for the pain, which Vagabond being Vagabond tried to refuse; but Trevor had put his foot down saying the man needed a good night's rest. He mentioned to Geoff something about the pills making him "loopy" for a bit. Whatever that means. Was a loopy Vagabond better than a fully conscious and aware one in pain? Either way Jeremy had to bite the bullet and attempt to apologize. Even if it got him punched in the face. He just hoped it wouldn't get him stabbed... or shot... or dismembered... Come on, floor! Any time now!

"Oh, just knock would you!" Jeremy jumped and snapped his head around to stare at Geoff, casually leaning against his own door frame. How long had he been there?

"But what if-"

"He's all looped out on pain pills. Now is the best time to apologize. Assuming that's why you've been staring at his door for the past hour like a jackass." Jeremy hated and loved how Geoff could read them all like the piles of open books in his room.

"Yeah..." Jeremy's cheeks tinted pink in embarrassment of how weak and transparent he was.

"Just knock, apologize, and let the man get some sleep."

"He's going to hate me." Jeremy cringed as he heard the whine in his own voice. My god, how childish was he? Geoff pushed off the door frame to come stand next to him.

"Yup. But he hates everyone, so suck it up." Before Jeremy could come up with a better excuse, Geoff confidently strode up to the door and knocked loudly. Jeremy immediately paled and tried to back away, but Geoff already had a hand on his upper arm.

"Geoff!" he whisper shouted. "What are you doing?!"

"Helping. In ya go!" Before Jeremy could form a decent thought besides 'oh god no', he was being shoved though Vagabond's door, where he landed flat on his stomach on the surprisingly plush carpet.

Jeremy slowly raised his head. The room was dark with only the evening's setting sun behind gauzy closed curtains as its light source. Jeremy had never been in Vagabond's room. To his knowledge, only Geoff and Trevor had. It was a lot less bloody than he had pictured it. He had always assumed the man would decorate the place with the severed body parts of his enemies. Really there was nothing of note. There was a small bookshelf, a chest of drawers with a small potted plant on top, a bed, and a bedside table. He had an en-suite bathroom, like they all did, plain blank walls, and plain carpets, not even any weapons in sight. In fact, the only blood in the room appeared to have been from Vagabond himself, if the many drips leading up to the bed were any indication.