#01army

[ ♫ him & i. routines in the night. guess. open hearts. ] edit of emma & bucky. liked from here. @01army ♡

⸻ 𐙚 RILEY'S BEDROOM - @01army .

There's two rows of teeth-marks. It's been two days since she's been bit. And it was two hours after when he found her. And it's the two of them now, in a corner bedroom.

❛ I... I just didn't want to be alone when I... I would have left, I will leave when I feel— I didn't want to be alone! ❜

The wound area is infected. She's half her color and running twice as hot as usual.

juliana moved closer,   the sound of her footsteps barely noticeable over the rain.  she didn’t need to rush,   didn’t need to push him.  dex was teetering on the precipice,   but she knew exactly how to navigate this kind of moment — how to manipulate it in her favor,   even if it meant bending the truth or forcing him to face something he wasn’t ready for. 

❝you think this is it,   don’t you?❞ she said,   her voice calm,   steady,   but laced with an undertone that spoke to the depth of her understanding.  ❝you think this place has drained every bit of you,   every last ounce of hope.  but i know better. ❞

dex didn’t move.  he didn’t answer.  but she saw his grip tighten again around the gun,   a subtle sign that her words were hitting their mark. 

❝you think there’s nothing left for you here, ❞ she continued,   stepping even closer,   until the edge of the building seemed to disappear between them.  ❝but you’re wrong.  there’s more,   dex.  more than this — more than the blood  &  the darkness that always seems to swallow you whole. ❞

she kept her eyes on him,   watching every minute movement,   feeling the weight of his silence as it threatened to break him further.  but juliana had never been afraid of silence,   especially when she was in control. 

❝you think you're a monster, ❞  she said,   her voice soft but heavy with purpose.  ❝that you’re nothing but a tool,   a weapon to be discarded once you’re no longer useful.  but i’ve seen people far worse than you.  i’ve dealt with them,   taken them down,    &  they’re long gone.  you,   dex? you’re still here. ❞

juliana paused,   her gaze unwavering,   her lips curling into something almost like a smile,   but colder.  " &  that,   right there,   means you're more than just a weapon.  you're not expendable.  you matter. ❞

the sound of the rain pounding against the rooftop seemed to grow louder in the silence that followed.  she knew this would take time,   but juliana was never one to waste opportunities.  she could already see the cracks in his resolve,   the wavering determination in his posture.  he was listening. 

❝you want to know why you’re still here,   dex?❞ juliana said,   her voice hardening slightly,   as if preparing him for something he might not want to hear.  ❝because this city,   this broken,   filthy place — gotham —needs you. I need you. more than you realize. ❞

she stepped closer,   almost close enough for him to feel her presence pressing against the edge of his isolation.  ❝you think you're nothing but a pawn,   a victim of your past,   but i see you.  i see everything you’ve done,   everything you’ve sacrificed,    &  it matters.  you’ve done things for me,   for my empire,   for this city & for new york.  it’s not a mistake,   dex.  you’re not disposable.  you're valuable.   &  i’m not going to let you throw that away. ❞

her tone dropped a bit,   her manipulation taking root as she leaned into the carefully crafted words,   shaping them just right.  ❝you’re not just some broken man.  you’re a weapon,   a survivor — &  more importantly,   you’re someone i’ve invested in.  you think i’m going to just watch you walk away from everything,   from everything we’ve built? from everything you’ve built? no. ❞

she leaned in,   her words quieter,   yet so much more forceful now.  ❝you matter to me.  i won’t let you fade into the nothingness you think you deserve.  because i know the truth,   dex.  you’re not done.   &  if you step back from that edge now,   i’ll help you find something worth living for.  i’ll make sure of it.  there’s more for you here.  with me.  with us. ❞

juliana reached out then,   not for the gun,   not yet,   but for him,   a subtle,   calculated gesture meant to show him that she was in control — she would be the anchor he needed.  she would drag him from the edge,   even if it meant pulling him through the darkest parts of himself. 

❝come back inside,   dex,  ❞ she said quietly,   her eyes never leaving his.  ❝let me show you what’s still waiting for you.  gotham has a way of swallowing people whole — but you? you’re strong enough to claw your way out.   &  i’ll be right there,   beside you. ❞

her gaze hardened then,   an almost imperceptible shift in her demeanor,   a reminder of just how much control she truly held.  ❝ but if you pull that trigger,   if you do this,   you’ll be giving them exactly what they want.  you’ll be nothing more than a forgotten weapon.   &  you’re too valuable for that.  don’t make me prove it to you. ❞

for a long moment,   the rain fell between them in a heavy silence.  but juliana could see it now.  the gun was still in his hand,   but the tension in his body had shifted.  she’d pushed him,   yes — but it was exactly what he needed.  she was the anchor,   the force keeping him tethered to something more. 

her voice softened,   but her words still carried weight.  ❝ you’re not alone,   dex.  not if you don’t want to be.  let me help you.  we’ve got more to do. ❞