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Jack sits up at the noise he hears outside the cabin. In the corner of the room a small wood burning stove crackles as the fire burns brightly within. That and the noises of outside animals were the only thing Jack’s heard all evening.
The last rustling sound though grabbed his attention. He fought to focus as he moved quietly from laying down to the edge of the bed. Nothing could be done about the light on in the cabin with the fire going at this point. If he was found he’d just have to sober up and make due.
He slips off the edge of the bed and stands to grab the rifle from where it leans against the wall. Listening intently, he moves silently to stand by the door.
Steps coming up the porch stairs. They sound solid, as if someone were intentionally trying to make themselves heard. They stop in front of the door and Jack wonders if this is a decent position. He watches the knob turn slowly and the door creaks open. The intruder hesitates on the other side before a shadow leans in the door frame.
Jack reacts quickly bringing the but of the rifle around to smash into his intruders face. The blow never connects and weight distribution throws Jack forward into the cracked door. He recovers, snatching the door open and bringing the rifle to bare. His eyes scan the small clearing outside the cabin and down the length of the porch. Nothing in sight.
He’s just considering running inside to grab his visor when a body appears to his right, a black shadowy hand closes around the rifle and pushes down. Jack resists against the motion, adjusting his stance to help overpower his attacker though it only manages to knock him more off balance. They both fall together.
This close the rifle gets abandoned for bare hands. Jack tries to swing a punch towards the head of the shadowy figure but it just passes through. He feels weight solidifying on his legs though, keeping them pinned.
It takes Jack a moment to process that his hand just passed through the shape of a person before the fight bleeds out of him and he relaxes. He brings the arm he swung with up to fan at the figure, watching the way the smoke gracefully spirals in the flickering firelight of the cabin.
Suddenly, the smoke snaps back into place and the deadpan expression of Jack’s estranged husband greets him.
“Stop that.” Gabriel says
“Well get offa me then” Jack manages.
“Make me”
Jack rolls his eyes and then quickly takes advantage of Gabriel’s relaxed guard. He shifts and brings his knee up as if he’s going to hit Gabriel in his side but stops just shy of letting it connect. He gets the desired effect though, as Gabriel squawks and rolls off of him.
Jack attempts to turn over in the opposite direction of where Gabriel landed on the porch but only manages to tumble down the stairs before recovering. When he gets a fraction of his bearings back he’s on his ass on the ground. The world is spinning as he closes his eyes to stem the nausea that turns with it. The adrenaline of the last five minutes is wearing off and he’s back to being a little too tipsy to be falling down as often as he has already. In the background Gabriel is laughing.
“What do you want” Jack manages.
“I came to fucking check on you,” Gabriel says between peals of laughter.
Jack places his hands down on the cool ground, hoping the force behind it will keep him from puking. The nightly chill of mid spring gets to him first. He can feel his fingers starting to get numb. When he’s able move without feeling like he might get sick, he’s up and headed back to where Gabriel is still laid out on the porch floor.
Jack stops and offers his hand to help Gabriel up. He doesn’t have time to wonder if Gabriel will accept it before he’s helping him to his feet. Jack motions towards the cabin, “Come on. Your knees going to be fucked up tomorrow.” Gabriel scoffs at that.
Inside, Gabriel lingers in the kitchen space while Jack picks up his rifle and closes the door. The temperature in the cabin had dropped so he checks the fire, stoking and adding a log to it. After he turns to Gabriel, “Well, I’m fine.”
Gabriel rolls his eyes. He leans against the counter and crosses his arms. “No fucking sorry for trying to take my face off?”
“No fucking sorry for stringing me along all last year?” It’s the first thing that came to mind and Jack couldn’t stop himself before it spilled out.
Gabriel shifts, breaking eye contact and Jack feels the anxiety well in his chest. The tone of this visit has changed again already. He searches the cabin for his whiskey bottle, discarded in his home defense objective.
“Your practically trespassing, what do you want from me. There are other people out there trying to kill me how was I supposed to know for sure”
“I made myself as loud as possible” Gabriel says, as if it’s the most obvious thing.
Jack shrugs, pretends not to see the frown Gabriel gives him.
“No one has seen or heard from you in months. Despite all the bullshit,” Gabriel says motioning with his hands, “I’d like to know if you were okay.”
Jack looks up to face Gabriel. He looks at home, relaxed and casual, as if this is his space and not Jack’s. Except the physical distance between them distorts that image. If things were better there wouldn’t be any.
“Pass as been snowed over. I needed a break so I’ve been waiting it out. I’m fine.”
And it’s not a lie. He probably shouldn’t drink every night. But he’s not neglectful. Wood for fire is kept topped off, plenty of rations stored and all his gear is in good condition. It’s the most peace he’s felt in a long time. Hell of a lot better than the last time he stayed here six years ago.
“That’s good.” Gabriel says but it sounds too small. Like he isn’t quite convinced.
Nothing but the fire crackling for a moment, then Gabriel speaks again.
“I owe you an apology.”
There’s a pause as if Gabriel were waiting for Jack to acknowledge that statement but it never comes. He just stares back at him somewhat wide eyed.
“I really thought you were dead. That’s the truth. When I found out you were alive, really alive, it fucked my whole plan up.” Gabriel says quickly. “I’d sunk in so far under cover I didn’t give a fuck if I came out. It was a mission, a single minded goal.” He finishes, letting his arms drop to his sides. “When I found out you were still here I wanted out so fucking bad. But I had so much pull. So much evidence. I didn’t want to give that up either. I was so much closer than before Zurich. I thought I could play both sides. I thought I could balance it.” He rubs the back of his neck, “I guess I was wrong.”
“I don’t need an apology from you Gabriel.” Jack says, “I just.” He stops trying to think of what he does need.
He walks closer to the kitchen area, closing that impeding physical distance just a little bit.
“I want you to understand that I never gave up on you. That I always supported you.” Jack tells him. “We’ve been through this.”
“I know.”
Jack sighs, “I don’t know how much plainer I can make it. I thought we had it figured out but when the rumors surfaced about Akande getting out.” Jack shakes his head, “Everyone felt pretty betrayed.”
Jack turns to the bed sitting in the middle of the tiny cabin and sits down on the edge of it.
“I thought we were on the same page again,” Jacks adds, turning over the bottle of whiskey in his hands. “I might’ve come up here to sulk a bit when I found out we weren’t”
Gabriel sighs, brings his hand up to his beanie to adjust it. He shifts his weight against the counter while watching Jack.
“I turned myself in- ”
“And they just let you go?” Jack interrupts, he shakes his head and twists the cap on the bottle.
“I gave them everything I had. Contacts, moles, suppliers. Every lead, every piece of fucking information I had of six years worth of cover.”
Jack seems unfazed by that knowledge, brings the whiskey bottle up to eye level, squinting at it as if to gauge how much is left before taking a shot from it.
Gabriel stands up from leaning against the counter, “I gave them council member names and last known whereabouts. I gave them home, wearhouse and lab addresses.”
Gabriel balls his fist, can feel the frustration and anger rising.
“I gave them my fucking team Jack. They have Sombra working Overwatch ops and Ameile in therapy. Which I’m not sure if that’s helping her or not. Honestly, I’m concerned about it.”
Gabriel starts pacing in the tiny kitchen space. He isn’t looking at Jack directly but he knows the floodgates are opening for him. He’s being let in.
“In the 5 months that you’ve been moping in the middle of the fucking woods, 4 council members have been arrested by various governments. Akande has disappeared entirely.” He throws his hands up for emphasis. “That’s fucking terrifying but I guess he’ll show up eventually. We presented enough evidence to the Mexican government for them to get interested in the omnium sitting in Dorado’s back yard. That one was next on Talon’s list.” He’s listing the points off on his fingers to make his case.
Jack lets his eyes close as he listens to Gabriel pace and spill everything he’s missed. When the pacing stops suddenly he cracks his eyes open in Gabriel’s direction.
“You heard everything I said right?”
“Yeah,” Jack says
Gabriel narrows his eyes, “What’d I say then?”
“I heard you! I wasn’t asleep!”
“I swear if you fell asleep during that I am leaving your ass here.”
“You negotiated immunity?”
“Of course I did I’m not a fucking amatuer.” Gabriel stops his pacing, “Besides I’m dead. What’re they going to do?”
Jack smiles at that. “Sorry for trying to take your face off,” he says.
Gabriel shrugs, “Next time I’ll knock.” Jack looks up to him, feels the smirk pulling at the side of his lips, “Knock knock, it’s your husband you’re pissed off at. Can I come in?” A smile breaks out across Gabriel’s face as the joke comes out easily. The cabin has finally recovered it’s warmth.
Jack shakes his head, laughing lightly. Gabriel takes the opportunity to move closer, choosing to plop down next to Jack on the edge of the bed. He leans back to lay across it, “I gave them everything.” He makes a motion with his hands, “Poof. Gone. Just like that. A man without a mission”
Jack sighs before laying down across the bed next to Gabriel. “What are we without a mission.” Tone suggesting that it’s not a question.
“Old.” Gabriel says, getting a laugh from Jack
“Let them fuckin do it.” Jack makes a dismissive motion with his hands. “We always do shit. Let them if they want to so bad.”
“It’s what we signed up for Jack. We can’t just check out”
“Bullshit if we can’t”
“Your drunk”
“No, I’m fuckin retired” Jack shifts to rest an arm over his eyes, “When’s my check hit the bank”
Gabriel laughs at that, “Government doesn’t pay dead people. Besides I’m pretty sure you stole a bunch of money already.”
Gabriel looks over at Jack and catches him grinning. “ I fuckin did steal a lot of money. It was stupid easy.” He says, “fuckin idiots” he tacks on after a pause.
Silence falls but it’s comfortable. Everything has always been comfortable between them eventually.
The bed shifts suddenly as Jack turns over on his side to face Gabriel. “Remember when we use to actually talk about retiring. Like, fuckin bloody sitting in a med tent clinging to the idea that one day it’d be quiet.”
“And we’d have 5 dogs. Yeah. I remember” Gabriel responds. He doesn’t meet Jack’s eyes though, just stares at the ceiling.
Gabriel only breaks that cold concentration when Jack grabs a fistful of his hoodie. “Why can’t we fucking quit? Why can’t I quit?” Jack asks him.
Gabriel doesn’t answer right away. His expression changes though, eyebrows drawn together in concentration. “I guess the reason we signed up in the first place is why we can’t quit.” He says.
“20 plus years and no difference. Same shit just in a new uniform.”
“I like to think we made something of a difference.” Gabriel says turning his head to face Jack.
“I’m staying here.” Jack says, turning over on his back.
Gabriel sighs, “That’s a lie and you damn well know it. The moment we head back into some form of civilization and you confirm I haven’t been bullshitting you all night you’ll be right back up Overwatch’s ass.”
“Fuck off. I’ll just be partially retired then.”
Silence and then, “Can I be partially retired with you?” Gabriel says.
Jack turns to see Gabriel watching him, “Of course. We’ve slept in smaller beds together.” He opens his arms in bid to get Gabriel closer to him. It works instantly as Gabriel turns and scoots over to embrace Jack, laying his head on Jack’s shoulder.
Jack closes his eyes and squeezes Gabriel’s form.
“I’m glad your not mad at me.”
Jack sighs, “I wasn’t mad at you. Just confused and a little hurt.” He considers his emotions for a second longer before saying, “Okay maybe I was a kinda mad at you for a bit.”
Gabriel laughs.
“But I’m over that. I’ve been over it. I can’t stay mad at you pumpkin.”
He feels Gabriel tense and a grin breaks out across his face. Gabriel turns and buries his face in Jack’s shoulder.
“What?”
“I can’t believe you.” Gabriel manages.
“I thought you liked when I called you pumpkin.”
“I do.” Gabriel mumbles.
Jack laughs and squeezes Gabriel again, “Fair warning I’m going to pass out soon.”
Gabriel lifts his head up, face still slightly red, and gives Jack a quick kiss.
“We should at least move so that we’re mostly on the bed.”
“UGH.”