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"Fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuck-fuuuuuckkk...!!!" Junkrat wheezed as he hopped into one of the red dirt filled side-tunnels of Route 66 and shuddered against the craggy wall. His damn leg had been cleanly whacked to bits, right off of him and had taken a good portion of his stump too-- thankfully not much more past the scarred chunks but it would be necessary to wrap this up before he bled out.
Which was looking frustratingly likely.
Reinhardt had wasted no time targeting him after busting up one of his mines, swinging his bastard of a hammer and BOOM, so long leg! It would have been funny if he hadn't been so damn dizzy from it.
He'd whirled to Mercy, only to watch her get taken down with expedition by Reaper and that was when the 'fuck' mantra had started and his desperate hobble for some kind of cover.
Ah well, at least he'd die handsome and his secret payload would be safe with Hoggie...
The thought of the other man made Jamison bark out a wet sounding laugh and he struggled back to his one good foot, wishing that there was some kind of Health Pack knocking around but this was his luck! So be it!
He'd already set off his rip tire, thankful to not be dragging that mess with him and reloaded his gun with a little cackle, hopping back out into the open. There was no time to wrap his leg, no time to do anything but follow after the payload, endeavor to get some health before he wasted away.
At least, if he could get to Roadhog, he could tell the guy what it was he'd found.
The junker was behind the pack now, struggling through the next curve of tunnels into the blue-lit illuminated garage and let out a noise of relief... There had to be something in here... But if the trail of blood behind him was any indication of how close he was to death, Jamie best not turn around--- It would be best to find some place to slump down before he gave himself away.
He fell to his hands and one remaining knee with a hissed out giggle, head hanging at how stupid this was. What a way to go? No fan-fare? No big bounty cashed in? Dead from being hammered by a German?
Kinda fitting and Jamie set down his gun, lying his head against the cool metal, eyes shutting as a smile crept across his lips. How dumb....
"HRRFFGH... GET UP!"
The booming voice made the smile grow wider on Junkrat's filthy face and he shuddered against the floor.
"Ehhh, five more minutes, Ma!"
Mako grimaced, grateful for his massive frame blocking this doorway as he knelt down and disengaged his mask, moving now out of determination than anything else. The tank grasped at the bleeding man's face, held his jaw as he pushed the respirator over his maw and crushed one of the cans into Jamie's lungs. Next was the sound of his overalls being shredded as he wound the denim around the younger man's seething stump and tied the strap into a knot.
"Get up, Fawkes." Was the tart command and the younger man stirred, blindly holding the mask to his face as he scrabbled for his gun, dazed and very obviously confused.
"The hell are y'doin' in Heaven?!" Jamie screeched into the mask, still too weak to gather his bearings, then grunted out his breath as he was hoisted up with one hand and held across massive shoulders.
"Shut up n' duck."
All Roadhog got in response was a shuddery exhale, muffled through his gas mask and he trudged through the garage and away from the payload. There would be others. It was well secure enough and sure, to lose out on the loot would make them both a little salty, but to lose out on his partner...
The behemoth stomped harder, chains jangling as he wove past their discarded teammates. He wished for his mask, for the boost of energy to keep how hard his heart was pounding in check.
He had become quite used to hearing the musical cackle of his cohort, the squeals of joy when things exploded or one of his traps were sprung--- and it was also quite evident when that noise was absent from the fight. THAT was when the tank had shifted gears, no longer desiring to draw the fire and hammer back gunfire, but now on a mission to find Junkrat. His eyes had narrowed beneath his mask at the familiar orange shrapnel scattered along the route but it wasn't until he'd picked up the gut-clenching trail of blood with the obvious stutters in movement that he was positive that he was on the right path.
Dammit though. This was not good. It was NEVER good when one or the other were close to mortally wounded. Jamie's prosthetic leg could be re-assembled.. but the issue was with the stump wound healing back up to the point where it could be re-attached without too much damage.
The tanker didn't realize how hard he was panting until he slammed into their present motel room, letting the door clatter shut behind him as he set the skinny man down on the narrow bed and began to shoulder off his gear.
"Talk." The bigger man boomed out, glancing over at Junkrat before he disappeared into the lavatory.
"Ehhh, ya WANT me t'talk? Usually want me t'shut up..." Jamie croaked into the mask, then set it atop his head. "Did we get the payload?"
"No." Mako murmured as he returned, holding several wet towels and whatever medical supplies he'd been able to accumulate over the last few months.
"Aww shit! Then this was all f'r naught!"
"Hnn... what happened." The behemoth pulled his mask back down over his partner's face before looming over the edge of the bed, quick with unwinding the denim from the bleeding stump.
"EHHHhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Junkrat wheezed into the respirator, wincing at the raw feeling of the fabric scraping his wound and went to speak but failed, sucking in another ragged breath instead.
"Shoulda stayed near'r t'me." Came the hoarse growl from the older man's mouth as he began to blot the wound with the damp towels, curling his palm around the stump and squeezing. "This wouldn'ta happened and y'know it.."
"Ohhh, what d'you care, mate?"
"I Don't." Mako rumbled in response, holding the stump with one hand as he rummaged in his first aid kid for some analgesic.
"I know..." Jamison murmured, meeting the other's eye for a half of a second through the mask before rolling his head back into the pillows with a stifled groan of pain.
"Easy, gimme a minute."
"Hnffff..." The sound of the compressed health hissing into the gas mask went off again and Roadhog resisted wincing at the sound--- Kid had to be in a lot of pain, stupid bastard Stupid, foolish, arrogant bastard. "Shoulda left me..."
The tanker pointedly ignored that, eyes still fixed on the wound.
"Still need to stay by me."
"Hhnn..."
"You listenin' to me?"
"Yessss..." Jamie tensed as his thigh was grasped and the bigger man began to plaster the wound with antibiotic pads then wrapped nearly an entire roll of gauze around the stump.
"Wha'd I say?"
"That'cha never want me t'leave yer side..."
An almost irritated sound left the older man but he moved his hands over his still wheezing cohort and lifted the mask from his head, palming his forehead.
"How y'feelin'..."
"Thirsty..." The junker breathed out and draped his arm across his face, eyes shutting. "Fuckin' annoyed mate, at that big dumb shite for brains, whackin' at m'leg like that..."
A growl left the behemoth and he picked up his mask, setting it atop his own dome before leaning over the other man and sighing, flicking the arm from his forehead and touching his face. As he stood and straightened, he grazed a knuckle against the light stubble that had returned to the other's cheek.
"...Coulda died." Mako rumbled out, pulling his mask over his face and crushing one of his compressed cans of health. GOD, he needed that, he needed the shield right now just as much as the recoup of health.
"Almost got rid of me this time, big'un." The smaller man croaked out, a chuckle leaving his cracked lips.
"...Coulda left'cha there." He stomped off to the little kitchenette, rifling through the half-fridge for some water and cold milk tea-- both of which he knew were there.
"Shoulda." Jamie murmured, lucky that Hog hadn't quite heard his sorry retort and fixed a pout on his face. "Why didnt'cha?!" Came his sudden bark and Mako's eyebrows rose beneath his mask.
"Next time... have Reinhardt aim fer yer mouth." The bigger man growled as he trudged back to the bed and held out the canteen of water. "Drink. Now."
The cold container was snatched from Hog's massive hand with a huff and the narrow Junker guzzled as much as he could in one shot before blindly handing it back.
"Y'don't need me, mate... Not'smuch as I need you..." Junkrat murmured as he dropped his shoulders back to the mattress and turned on his side-- only to have a big hand planted on his belly, returning him to his original position on his back.
"Gotta prop this leg up." Mako snorted out from beneath his mask, taking a seat at the foot of the bed, pulling both of Jamie's legs across his lap. He cupped the newly wounded stump in his left hand and let out a soft sigh that muffled out a bit louder through his ventilator. The tank leaned back on his right hand, glancing at the prone man lying half across him and shook his head a little "S'gotta kill ya, bein' wrong all the goddamn time..."
Jamie let out a pained noise along with his breath, both hands reaching up to palm at his hair.
"Almost killed me t'day."
"Enough."
"Eh?" He sat up a little, curling towards the behemoth at the end of the bed and eyeing him.
"Enough of this, Jamie. Cut the shit, then."
"What shit?"
It was incidental that the behemoth squeezed his hand around that wound as he sucked in a sharp breath before guiltily loosening his grip, bringing both hands to the injured leg. Mako's right hand dropped heavily down on the top of the younger man's thigh, tending wholly to that right leg.
"M'here.. aren't I?"
"Huh?"
"Didn't leave yeh... took the job, watch yer back, pick yer ass up offa the ground... Make yer tea--"
"I pay you--." The injured cretin tried to interrupt, his eyes going wider as his companion continued.
"--sew yer shit, mend yer limbs, pack yer bags, shaved yer goddamned face..." That last part was hissed out and Jamison visibly swallowed, his face coloring despite the earlier loss of blood.
"I don't pay y'enough t'do all'a that, mate..." The usually on-fire man finally mumbled out after few moments of tense silence, his brows furrowing as he tried to calculate just how much of a share he'd have to offer the other guy; that and the slow dawning that it was true, wasn't it-- Hoggie'd been taking care of him for quite a while... He'd never BEEN partners in, well, anything with someone before, things just... didn't just HAPPEN as they had been, they had to be done.
"S'right. Drink y'tea." The gargantuan rumbled, tipping his head back as he sucked in another canister of that blessed air, then lifted his right hand and gestured to the smaller canteen on the bedside table.
"...R..right-o..." There was a long guzzle, a pleased noise at how sweet the tea was, all the while Junkrat staring over the curve of his container at the other man. "Y'know... I mean... I knew 'bout the bags n'stuff.. Not s'much the arm and leggie bit..." He tried to lift his right leg and was stifled by Mako's hand dropping back down heavily to his thigh.
"Nnh..."
"...still dunno why." Jamison murmured sheepishly, offering the canteen to the tanker, who declined with a shake of his head and oddly a chuckle.
"Don't need t'know if'm here." The bigger man shrugged at that and pat the other's thigh, hoping that it would suffice for now. No need to go delve any deeper than this presently.
"Eh, can't argue with that'n-- I mean, prolly could..." For what it was worth, at least Jamison was grinning now, distracted from his discomfort and whatever mortal reasons he'd been feeling sorry for himself.
Mako snorted in question at that, head cocking to the side as he stared at the other through his mask.
"Not tryin' t'make any new friends, Rat-- S'hard enough with you..." He admitted, sucking in another ragged breath and then sighed with his admission. That was good enough, wasn't it?
"Ooooooooohhhhhhhooohohoooh.." The skinny man sat up, like the sugar had just bolted through him and kicked in, his hands clasping loudly together. "We're friend's 'en?"
The behemoth shrugged a bit, still staring down at his companion, his partner in crime. His, yes, his friend. At the person he had silently tasked himself with caring for and even loving in his own way. An absence of Jamison Fawkes in his life, at this stage in the game would be devastating.
"Mmh... somethin' like that. Gonna need t'shave yer stupid face again soon, once y'cn get yer dirty ass into the shower n'get cleaned up."
That grin went bigger and Mako finally had to look away, not wanting to indulge himself any longer. Bad enough he had his injured cohort propped up on his lap, no need to get sucked back into the vortex of his foolish smile.
"Oh, I'll be good as new in no time! You just wait! Ehehe!!" Jamison sat up again, propping his arms up and unwound his unencumbered leg from around his friend, spreading his legs wide enough so that his right was still propped up on Mako's lap, the other behind him on the bed. It was a wide spread but it felt better than being folded together, it felt kind of natural in a way, exhilarating to feel the girth of the other man against him.
"I'll hold m'breath on that one..." The tank rumbled out, releasing his grasp on the stump and finding that it hadn't bled through. "C'mon..let's getcha clean, gonna have t'change this bandage a few more times t'night..." The bigger man was too careful as he moved out from under Fawkes' thigh, eyes on his wound as he moved to the bedside and held out his other arm.
"Gonna sweep me off me... eh... foot?"
Mako nodded once, his breath leaving him in a low sort of growl, followed by a grunt as he hoisted Jamison up into his arms, the man holding onto his shoulders without needing direction.
"Gonna clean up m'dirty bits too?"
"..Huh."
"That... didn't come out right, did it? Heheh?"
"...Yer whole body is a dirty bit, Rat."
"Oooohhh, touché! Got me speakin' French!"
"I think you can handle yerself." Roadhog rumbled out, smirking beneath the safety of his mask.
"And I do! Regularly!"
"I know."
Another giggle eeked out of Jamison and the big brute felt himself relax just a little. Yes, it was a horribly annoying sound... but it was comforting at this point of what they were. It was 'normal'.
"Prolly more than regularly."
And Jamie continued to cackle, embracing the rare humor coming from his partner in crime, the even more rare closeness. He felt flushed and foolish at the thought of his earlier sulking, tilting his head against the tank's mask as he was carried across the meager motel room.
"Yer 'avin' a bath an' THEN a shower, understood?"
"Ughhh... can I not just sit in m'dirty filth water an' leave it at that?" Junkrat moved down out of that grasp as soon as Mako had stopped before the bathtub, holding onto his arm as he loomed by the edge and was rewarded with a head-shake. "Fiiiiine..."
There were a few moments of silence as Jamie hopped back to sit on the toilet seat and his bodyguard moved to draw the bath. Only the sounds of breath being sucked in sharply as the smaller junker endeavored to unbandage his leg, only to be interrupted by the deceptively gentle hands of his ...friend.
"Givin' yeh twenty before I'm hauling yer ass outta there and bandaging y'back up." Mako murmured from where he was crouched at the other's knees, gathering the soiled bandages in one hand before offering the other. He'd been too consumed with taking care of this incident expeditiously to notice that his partner had been gazing down at him. That Jamison had been watching instead of getting distracted by some other nonsense, he was observing.
"...Yeh really do care about me, dont'cha?"
Mako shrugged at that, not lifting his head to meet the other's look but was grateful when his hand was grasped and Jamie pushed himself up to stand.
"...heh. twenty, 'en?"
The brute nodded at that, finally catching a glimpse of that foolishly radiant smile before he shook his head.
"Don't just sit there either, get clean, 'least around that..." He gestured to the still tender wound and let out a sigh, still clearly unhappy that it had happened, then took a step back. "Twenty."
"Gotcha."
- - -
It was almost an hour after Junkrat had sat in the almost-too-hot water of the bath that he'd found himself back on the bed, leg propped up with one of their knapsacks, Roadhog at the small desk, hunched over an open bag of tools and parts. It was something that he'd glimpsed at before, Mako mask-off, hard at work a jeweler's loop scrunched at his left eye as he tinkered.
"Fell asleep, eh?"
"Lucky y'didn't drown..."
"Lucky I got you, mate." Jamison sighed as he lay back down, arms folded behind his head. He'd been somewhat clothed and his leg, despite throbbing, was on the mend.
That had earned a tense hunch from Mako, his eyebrows raising though from where he was sitting, unseen by his companion and he allowed himself a little smirk at that as well, carrying on with the ring adjustments at the top of his prosthetic.
"Understatement."
Truth was, both of them were.