Here's my first Slugterra fic.

[1/9/2018]: I reworded some parts and fixed some errors a while ago and just now am getting it up. x.x

Trixie awoke slowly, confusion filling her senses as she observed the unfamiliar room. Her whole being ached. Her limbs were slow in responding as she began to come completely out of the realm of sleep. Sitting up was a chore and just made her feel more exhausted and weak.

Looking around from this angle did nothing to help her understand. But, it made her notice other details.

She was injured, that much she gathered from the weariness of her body; the pulling and tugging of bandages and gauzes on her person as she sat up enforced the fact.

Her clothes were not her own, as they felt heavy and too large on her tiny frame. Trixie had to pause for a moment as she recognized the shirt to be one of Eli's and wasn't sure how to take that. She also couldn't ignore the weight of her hair as it hung loosely around her shoulders.

And lastly, the presence of her slugs. They all seemed worn and lethargic, sleeping in a woven basket filled with scraps of various cloths. She was glad to see they weren't in as serious of a state as she seemed to be.

Vague images rushed through her head as she tried to piece the circumstances together. She clenched a handful of the loose shirt, gut twisting painfully.

The unexpected click of the door opening had Trixie whipping her head around, Eli standing in the doorway with a surprised and fatigued expression on his face.

"You're awake."

Trixie was stunned at how odd his voice sounded, tired and rough, like he had screamed his vocal cords raw.

A quick flash of him yelling her name with all his worth made her really take in his appearance.

"You look terrible." She said bluntly.

Eli blinked a few times, before laughing in a manner that made her feel hollowed out. It sounded bitter and unlike him. She noticed Burpy wasn't with him and that was unsettling.

"Yeah," he said as he came to sit on the edge of the bed. "It's been a rough few days."

Days? It's been days?

Trixie felt her throat thicken. More and more streaks of memories trying to surface behind her eyelids whenever she blinked, but ignored it for the time.

"Where's the guys?" She asked casually, distractingly so. She was trying to avoid whatever the current situation is. She could tell he wasn't buying it.

"Resting," Eli stated plainly. "They're better off than you, but still pretty beat up."

He had a knack for bringing up the topic she was avoiding without bringing up the topic.

"Where are we, exactly?" Trixie tried again, considering the room once more. It was cozy. Homey. It reeked strongly of soap and cleansers and disinfectant and she almost didn't want to know why.

"A medical ward in a cavern about an hour away from where the battle took place."

Eli wasn't going to let her avoid it. Even as she could finally recall most of the said battle with those words, this outcome eluded her recollection. Trixie peeked at him out of the corner of her eye, seeing that he was staring back at her sternly, she realized she wasn't going to be able to hide behind light conversation anymore.

"Trixie…" he spoke her name softly, but with a command evident in his tone. She turned to face him, just barely making eye contact, focusing more on his cheekbone instead.

"You took a bullet for me." He practically choked out.

She saw the events replay in her brain with that. Fuzzy, but completely intact now. The heat of battle coursing through her veins, the smell of sweat, dirt, and fire assaulting her nose.

The sight of Eli being shot at, the adrenaline taking over as she raced for him.

The searing pain in her sides and back as she was hit by the Dirt Urchin's spikes, but not loosening her grip on him for as long as she could. The piercing sound of a blaster being fired by her ear. The ringing fading while her fingers lost their hold.

The blackness gobbling away at the light, the sounds, the smells, his voice. Everything.

The void sucking her in, not truly aware of anything, only remembering she even exists when awake again.

She swallowed dryly in the quiet, trying to gather her cool, before grinning cockily and shrugging it off.

"It's no big deal, you would have done the same thing."

Trixie realized too late those were the wrong words to say as Eli's expression turned firmer, teeth gritted together behind his lips.

"It's not-" He began, his words cut short by her quick, snarky retort.

"The same?" She looked at him in bold stubbornness, ready to pick a fight, lighten the mood. Get rid of the feelings swirling in the air around them. "Oh, why? Because you're the leader?"

"Trix-" He fought against the urge to shout, voice striving to stay even.

"Or maybe because I'm a weak, little girl? Is that it?" She forced her temper out, it for once staying dormant. She was trying to butt heads in an easy manner, start a friendly clash of quips and meaningless remarks.

She could tell he was controlling his own persistent will to not take the bait at her jab.

"Don't you dare start that bull-" Eli wasn't the type to let his temper flare easily; he was reckless, but not prone to true anger.

Trixie didn't want to play nice, she wanted to change the subject. Talk about something else, something less serious and deep. Something stupid or silly.

Even if she had to hit below the belt to do it.

"Or is it because you're the Sha-" his abrupt clutch on her shoulders stopped her harsh tongue. Eli staring straight into her eyes - fury, regret, and distress - all pooling together in his bright blues.

"You were dying in my arms!" He practically roared in Trixie's face, slightly shaking her as if to shake sense into her.

And it worked.

As she felt his fingers quiver against the sleeves of his shirt she was in, as she felt her muscles jump in protest at his solid clasp on her.

As Eli breathed harshly as if he had stopped for those few minutes.

As he now looked at her in guilt and sadness and so much pain that it seemed like his negative feelings physically wounded him.

The feelings and the reality hit her hard and she soaked them in, emotions foolish and childish and scared of the 'what ifs' that were there, but she also felt strangely tranquil.

His breath had begun to slow and he just looked drained, like he hadn't been living for a while. A rough few days. His grip loosened gradually before he was only just lightly grasping her forearms.

Eli seemed to have used up all his fire and let his forehead fall gently into the crook of her neck, hair tickling her cheek.

"There was so much blood…" He started unsteadily, voice sounding small and vulnerable to her. "You almost didn't make it and Doc was only able to heal you enough that we could make it here."

Trixie wanted to pull away, frightened at the actuality of what happened.

"I almost lost you; we all almost lost you," he was just above a whisper now, hands shifting to hang limply onto hers, "because you decided to take a hit meant for me."

She was scared and scarred and just wanted to not think about it.

"…You still would have done the same…"Trixie muttered quietly, wanting to argue her point even though she really felt like curling in on herself and hiding from the world.

Eli firmly took her hands in his and pressed both set of fists, hers enclosed in his, to his crumpled brow.

"It doesn't matter if I would or not." His voice picked up again, his flame reigniting in a way. "It doesn't matter that I do stupid stuff like that all the time and that I run head long into death."

"Eli-" this time, she was cut off by his words.

"It doesn't matter who does it or why…," He pulled away their joined hands, just looking at them, his expression unseen to her.

"I just-" She could hear his voice waver, like he was fighting against tears.

"I just wish we didn't have to do things this way."

'Do what?' Trixie wanted to ask. 'Fight? Survive? Live?'

The two beaten down teenagers sat mutely, Eli idly playing with her fingers, not prepared to face her, as Trixie scrutinized him with a deep concern and annoyance.

She finally pulled her hands from his loose hold, before cupping his face and titling it up towards her own.

"Your job is to protect Slugterra." Emerald green overpowered his crystal blue with her intense gaze.

"That is what you are meant to do," Trixie spoke solemnly, not caring for his almost empty stare, but needing to get her argument across to him.

"My job is to protect you." She could see and feel his objection forming in the way his shoulders began to hunch up defensively.

"I'm scared to die, Eli." He gaped at her in mild shock, so many things swirling in his irises at this matter of fact statement.

"But, I will still take a shot meant for you." Here she lightly pulled him into a hug. "Because you need someone to keep you safe just as much as everyone else does."

The tension left his body like a tidal wave, washing over her in triplicate. She could still identify the displeasure in his posture at the thought of someone dying for his sake. She felt the same way when he tried to do it for them.

Nevertheless, the tentative arms hugging her back told her that he would accept that they were both foolishly determined to keep the other safe and sound.

I apparently like to write sad/dramatic fics for kid's shows... Anyway, I did have a happier/sappier one planned before this, but then it got shoved out of the way when this sprung to life in my head. I know that the EliTrixie pairing is considered cliched, but I honestly love it because it just like how the AerrowPiper pairing is. Friends first, romantic interests second. I hope you all enjoyed, I have another Slugterra fic planned, not the sappy one, but something else. I also have some other fics for different series I'm trying to write out/finish up, so I hope I do so soon! Thanks for reading!