Work Text:
Absolutely nothing was happening today. Nothing at all. No new leads or wild goose chases for John to go on. They had eventually pulled over once it became clear there wasn't much to see. The town seemed unusually stagnant as they drove on patrol. Stagnation leads to boredom. And boredom leaves an open door for worrying.
Jack was almost postitive he was doing something wrong. He didn't exactly have a list of what he was meant to do, but he was fairly certain that getting attached to his work partner wouldn't be on it.
His assignment was simple. Keep John from figuring out the truth, and don't get caught. Lying is easy if you don't really care about who you're lying to.
But as time went on, and he was around John more, he enjoyed it more. He looked forward to seeing him every day, trying to make him laugh. Even a small smile was considered a win in his book.
He... Liked John.
So he had to tell him.
Here goes nothing. Go ahead and say something, no big deal. "John?" Jack asked, awkwardly leaning against the car.
"What is it?" John turned around to face him, putting his cigarette back in his mouth.
It's not like this is gonna be easy, Jack thought. Rip the band-aid off. "I'm part of the cult," He blurted. "I'm not supposed to tell you, but it's been so long, and I can't-"
"Whoa, whoa, slow down there," His partner raised an eyebrow. "I didn't catch a single thing you said."
"The cult. I'm... I'm part of it."
A heavy silence weighed over them. Neither of them moved or spoke a single word for a moment. Right before John pulled out his gun and pointed it right into Jack's chest.
"Whoa! Hey, let's take it easy-"
"Shut up!" John snapped. "So you've been lying to me this whole time? To the mayor?"
"The mayor's in on it too."
He seemed as if he wanted to be angry about that as well, but he just shook his head. "God, I should've seen that coming."
"I know this is a lot to take in, but-"
John cut him off once again. "My house. Were you responsible for that?" He spat, pressing the gun harder against Jack's chest.
Jack hesitated, then finally answered, "No. Well, yes, but I didn't think he was going to burn down your entire house! He was only supposed to get rid of the evidence."
"'He'? Who's he?"
"...Nobody."
More tense silence.
"My daughter. Where is she?" John demanded, his voice going gravelly.
"Your daughter?"
"Yes! They took her. They must have. Where is she?"
"I don't- I don't know anything about her, I've never seen her before!"
"You're still lying to me!" John shouted, his finger tightening dangerously on the trigger.
"I'm not! I swear! I have no idea where she is," Jack insisted. "We can talk this out, okay?"
"How many people have you taken? How many people have been KILLED because of you and your- your idiocy?!" His hands shook as he was overcome with emotion. He gritted his teeth, looking Jack dead in the eyes as his face contorted with fury.
"John, please calm down!"
"Don't you fucking tell me to calm down! You people have turned my life inside out! I haven't known a moment of peace since your stupid cult started ruining my life! I'll calm down when you and every single one of your red-cloaked fucks are behind bars for the rest of your lives!"
His breathing was ragged, his hands were shaking, and overall he looked like an exhausted mess. Jack gently grabbed the gun and pushed it away from himself, and John surprisingly didn't put up a fight.
"I'm sorry, John. I never meant for it to go this far. I never, ever wanted you to get hurt."
"You think I'm gonna believe you? After... All of this?" His voice had shifted to a low growl, not packing nearly the punch it had previously.
Jack couldn't argue, because really, he had a point. He DID lie. He DID let John's house be burnt to the ground. He didn't deserve his trust. He had no idea what to say to fix this, so he did the only thing he could think of. He embraced John, whispering another shaky "I'm sorry".
John's breath hitched, but he made no move to exit the hug. His gun clattered to the ground as his grip went slack.
"I'm so sorry. For everything. I don't expect you to forgive me, and I don't deserve to forgiven," Jack continued. "But I meant it when I said I didn't mean to hurt you."
John opened his mouth, then closed it again. Jack could practically see all of the thoughts swarming around in his mind.
Eventually, John broke away from him, letting out a huff. He avoided eye contact as best he could as he spoke. "I need to clear my head." He grumbled as he climbed into the car.
"Where are you going?" Jack immediately took to the door beside him.
"I don't know."
"When will you be back?"
"I don't know." He turned the key in the lock, and the engine roared to life.
"...Are you coming back?"
John didn't answer. He just sighed and drove off.
"Hey, wait! You forgot your..." Jack scrambled to pick up the gun from the ground, but faltered as the car drove out of sight.
What if John didn't want to see him again? What if this was a big mistake, and he just permanently ruined their relationship? What if he doesn't return for him?
He needs this, Jack told himself. Give him time.
There was no way to be sure of John's next move. He'd have to wait.