Band of Brothers Oneshots

The Angel of Easy

Pairings: Lewis Nixon x f!reader
Summary: Y/n has always had to prove herself being one of the few female members of Easy Company but she's never had to prove herself to Lewis.
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Being one of the few female intelligence officers in the 101st was always going to be a slightly different experience. Despite her training as an SOE and working at Bletchley Circle nothing prepared her to be thrown into a company of men who drank, swore and fought like dogs but formed a group far stronger than any family could ever be. One of the men she warmed most to was Lewis Nixon. His endless sarcasm and witty humour had cemented him in Y/n's heart and it didn't take long for them to become firm friends and then something more.
"Do you have to go on that patrol? Can't you just stay here with me?" Lewis whined, his head still buried under the bed covers as his near-naked frame lay sprawled across the bed.
Y/n laughed, lacing up her lump boots as the grown man rolled over to face her, his blurry eyes and sleepy smile tugging on her heartstrings and if she looked at him any longer she would climb right back into bed with him.
"You know I have to go. This is finally my chance to truly prove myself," she retorted, this would be her first time on a patrol without Lewis and she intended to gain the respect of her fellow paratroopers.
"You've already proven yourself to me in many "You've already proven yourself to me in many ways," Lewis wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Y/n sighed, hitting him with the nearest pillow.
"I have to go, I'll see you later. I love you," Y/n called as the door slammed shut behind her.
"Love you too," Lewis mumbled into the pillow, his mind drifting back into his sleepy state when he sat upright. Had she just said what he thought she had? And had he replied with the same answer?
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"You know Lieutenant, you're not that bad after all," Johnny Martin, nodded at her and she smiled in return. Johnny was a hard man to win over so this was the biggest compliment he could have given.
"Yeah, you're alright Little Lady," Bull chimed in, patting her on the back with his large hand.
"Well thanks, guys, I knew you'd like me eventually."
The group continued to laugh as they followed the path back towards their camp when a loud crack from beside them caused them all to hit the deck. "FLASH?" Johnny shouted, his weapon raised. "Flash? Or we fire." Was followed by a burst of machine gun fire. The firing above Y/n head caused her to freeze, she'd been through basic training just like the rest of them, she'd fired her weapon and she carried her M1 with her now, but something inside her would allow her to move. Her limbs lay frozen against the wet, muddy soil, her head pressed to the ground.
"Y/L/N GET UP!" Johnny grabbed her collar and shoved her against the nearest tree. "Y/l/n, you used that goddamn gun of yours. I don't care if you are a Lieutenant or a fucking Major. I'm not losing any of my men because of you." Johnny's voice was harsh, his usual snarl mixed with a desperation for her to follow his instructions.
Y/n nodded quickly, raising her M1 and firing around the edge of the tree. Johnny seemed satisfied with this and continued his way along the line to check in with the rest of his men. Y/n continued to fire, round after round, clip after clip, with only the image of Lewis in her mind to keep her grounded.
"I'm out of ammo," she called down the line but the others were too preoccupied to hear her above the firing. Y/n did something she never thought she would do, she got up and ran. Time stood still as her legs carried her from behind the cover of her tree to the next tree, bullets whizzing past her.
"You alright Luz?" She asked, sliding down next to George who was trying to call through to Winters on his radio. George nodded to her and she grabbed his ammunition, loaded her weapon and started firing again.
The noise was deafening, nothing like practising on the ranges back at Toccoa.
"Y/L/N!" Johnny called, waving at her from the next tree down. "There's a whole goddamn Panzer division coming from the south. We've gotta get outta here."
YIn nodded, motioning for him and the other men to head for cover further back from the line as she continued to fire. Johnny and Bull appeared by her side soon after.
"The others have retreated. I think we've hit their line. What's your orders, Lieutenant? Johnny, Bull and George looked at her expectantly and Y/n felt the weight of the world on her shoulders.
"We hold them off for as long as we can, at least we can give the others a chance to pull back." The men nodded at her, seemingly approving of her reply.
George continued to keep Winters and the battalion in the loop while the others continued to fire upon the inbound Panzer division. Mortar fire from Malarkey's mortar squad littered the tree line in front of them and sporadic machine gun fire came in response.
"Winters says to pull back. The air force is bringing in air cover," George shouted over the firing.
"Cease fire," Y/n called, motioning for Johnny to head back first while supplying covering fire, then Bull and then George.
"What about you Lieutenant?" George asked, hiking his radio onto his back.
"I'll be right behind you George, okay?" George nodded, keeping his head down and sprinting towards the cover of the tree line.
Now that she was alone Y/n wondered how she was meant to get herself out of this situation and without covering fire she was a sitting duck. They would have had her firing zeroed by now and mortars would surely start firing soon.
"Well, it's not or never," Y/n threw herself out from behind the tree, firing towards the German line as she retreated. Once the clip was empty she slung the weapon onto her back and turned tail, running towards George who was waving frantically at her.
"Y/N COME ON!" He screamed, grabbing her hand as she collapsed into him. "Christ Lieutenant, you've got a death wish," he laughed, helping her up. Johnny nodded at her and Bull gave her his signature smile until their faces fell.
"Hey, what's all the long faces for?" She laughed,
"We just got out of there alive didn't we?"
"Umm Y/n you might wanna sit down," George caught her as her knees buckled beneath her.
Johnny and Bull quickly moved in to help. Johnny pulled his aid kit out of his pocket, pressing a bandage firmly to the pool of blood at her side, before helping to lift her into Bull's arms.
"Stay with us Little Lady," Bull whispered as her heavy eyelids slid closed.
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"You know what they say, Dick," Lewis sighed, rubbing his hand over his stubbly chin.
"What do they say, Lew?" Dick stretched his arms above his head, as he sat in the armchair beside him.
"Well sometimes, no matter how much you want it, some stories just don't get a happy ending," Lewis choked, the tears freely rolling down his cheeks adain. He had cried so much in the last twenty-four hours that he wasn't sure how he had any tears left to cry.
"She'll pull through, Nix. She's strong and she knows you are waiting for her. She'll make it." Dick patted Lewis on the back, raising from his chair and leaving Lewis to sit in his uncomfortable silence once more.
"Lewis?" Her voice was weak, her breaths shallow but her bright eyes watched him intently as he raised his weary head.
"Y/n? By God you're awake. Oh thank God," Lewis flung his arms around her neck, burying his head into her neck and crushing the air from her lungs.
"Careful Lew, I'm a little sore," Y/n whined, pushing Lewis gently to which he jumped away.
"I'm so sorry, Sweetheart. Are you alright?" Lewis sat back down in the armchair, his hand clutching desperately at hers.
"I'm a little sore," she admitted, wincing as she tried to move.
Lewis jumped up again, "do you need me to get, Roe? Do you need some morphine?" Lewis' eyes were wild, searching her face for the unspoken answer.
"No. No, I'm alright. Just sore," Y/n reassured him, reaching for his hand which Lewis took instantly.
"I was so worried l'd lost you," Lewis admitted, his eyes full of tears but he couldn't take his eyes off of her, too afraid that he'd blink and she'd be gone.
"I'm sorry I worried you, Lew. It was all going so well. I think I proved myself to them."
Lewis chuckled, leaning forward to brush the hair that had fallen upon her face, "You, my love certainly did prove yourself. You are all the men of Easy can talk about. Hell, you're the 'Angel of Easy Company."
Y/n laughed, "Well that's something I suppose."
"Just next time, maybe don't get yourself killed over it alright? I don't think I could go through that again," Lewis looked at her poignantly and Y/ n just smiled. Her fingers reached up, brushing her fingers over Lew's cheek, cupping it gently.
"I promise, Lew. I won't do it again but if I do at least I know I have you to come back to."
Dick smiled from his spot in the doorway, he'd had a message from Colonel Sink but he couldn't bear to interrupt this precious moment. Just for those few minutes, his friends were happy and that was all Dick could ask for.