Work Text:
“So this is how it ends.” He mused, his smirk evident in his voice, even though it was hidden behind the bone white mask. Reaper took his time to take in the sight in front of him, the sight of his nemesis, sitting with his back to a wall, his chest pretty much shredded from two shotgun blasts. It was hard to tell where the ripped fabric of that stupid jacket ended and where the open flesh began as blood colored everything into the darkest shades of scarlet. The usually red visor was dim, multiple cracks rendering it useless - he had made sure to crush it at the very start of their fight. 76 wasn't dumb enough to think that he would last much longer, yet the old soldier refused to just give up, to simply lay down like a dog waiting to be put down. His hands tightly held onto his pulse rifle resting in his lap, though Reaper doubted that he even had the strength to point it at him. For a moment he simply stood there, listening to the ragged breathing of the other, then he stepped closer, kicking the pulse rifle out of his trembling hands.
Pressing the muzzle of one of his shot guns against the soldiers forehead he forced 76 to look at him. “Nothing to say 76? After all this time we spend together you give me the cold shoulder?” Reaper cooed, slowly reaching down, his clawed hand grabbing the other's mask. A grin spread across his face as he unhinged it, tossing it away carelessly, but what should have felt like a moment of victory suddenly made him freeze.
Gasping, staring at the face of a ghost – the face of a ghost of a man he had long thought lost, a man he had once loved – he felt the tides swap. His legs giving out under him, he fell on his knees and the coldness that clenched his heart made his hands tremble so much that he let go of his gun. Not able to understand he slowly reached out and for a moment he wished that this wasn't real, that this wasn't happening, but as soon as his gloved fingers touched the marred skin of the other's cheek he knew that he had once again made a terrible mistake.
“Jack.” He managed to croak, hot tears already trailing down his cheeks as he stared at him. The face, albeit scarred and pale was still the same, still so familiar even after all those years. His nose was crooked though and the once vivid, blue eyes seemed dull and hazed. It took him a moment to realize what the unfocused look in them meant. He tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his throat as he studied the soft curve of chapped lips that smirked at him.
“It finally clicked, huh?” Jack all but chuckled, though it didn't last long as a number of harsh coughs racked through his body, blood bubbling out of between his lips when he stilled again. His eyes fluttered shut and the sudden realization that he was about to lose his lover all over again filled the older man with panic. He quickly cupped the other's face, carefully patting his hands against his cheeks to keep him awake.
By the time Jack managed to pry his eyes open again, Gabriel had already removed his mask, allowing his tears to fall freely as he pressed his forehead against Jack's. The bastard knew. He thought. He knew it was me.
“How long?”
“All along.”
“You should have told me!” Gabriel cried out, one of his hand grabbing the other's shoulder as if to steady himself. Why was this happening?
“What for?..” The words made him gasp like a punch to the guts. What for? Of course Jack thought that he hated him, that he had hated Overwatch - enough to blow up the swiss Headquarters, though that was far from true. He hadn't hated Jack, he never did. Yes, he had been angry. Stupid and angry, but he had never hated Jack.
“I didn't-” Gabriel choked on his own words. “I would have never-” What? Hurt Jack? Kill him? Wasn't that exactly what he was about to do just mere minutes ago. What could he possibly say that would explain anything? He allowed himself to sob, slowly moving his head to rest on Jack's shoulder, crying and holding onto him.
Ever since that fateful day Gabriel had thought what he would have said to Jack if he just would have the opportunity to see him one more time. He had held countless of speeches in front of his grave, muttering words under his breath, pleading for forgiveness but now that he had the chance to say them out loud, the chance to be heard his mind was blank.
Something moved and Gabriel could feel a gentle weight against the top of his head and he realized that Jack nuzzled against his hair. He could feel his breath, weak and irregular, accompanied by the sticky wetness of blood and Gabriel braced himself for whatever accusation or hateful words would come next.
“I know, Gabe.. I know.”
Another sob racked through his body and he pressed his face into the crook of Jack's neck, crying out in agony and he stayed like that, screaming in pain even as Jack wrapped his arms around him in an embrace so loving that it hurt like nothing Gabriel had ever had to endure before.
“Why do you have to be so damn fucking perfect?” He managed to sob, his voice hoarse, but when the only reaction that came was the arms around him going limp and slipping of his broad shoulders his head snapped up in a sudden rush of panic only to see the other's head hanging low, eyes closed again, his breathing reduced to a faint rattle.
“No! Jack!-” He firmly grabbed his shoulders, shaking him in an attempt to wake him up, but nothing changed. Gabriel quickly laid him down on his back, starting to rip off the remnants of Jack's jacket, trying to get a better view at the damaged he had done, but the more he unveiled the closer he came to realizing that he wouldn't be able to do much. He swiftly put off his own coat, pressing the fabric down onto the wounds in an attempt to stop the bleeding, though he could clearly see that there wasn't much blood left to begin with.
A strangled moan made his eyes snap back to Jack's face, who opened his eyes as he desperately gasped for air. Gabriel immediately reached out, putting one hand under Jack's neck, holding him into a position that would make it at least a little bit easier for him to breath, his other hand cupped his face once more and when Gabriel leaned down so their foreheads would touch again his tears dropped onto Jack's cheeks.
“That's good.. keep breathing, keep breathing..” He muttered frantically, his hand moving to gently stroke through the other's gray hair. Blind eyes seemed to search for his and the tired look in them shattered whatever hope had been left at this point.
Leaning in closer, Gabriel pressed a chaste kiss onto Jack's cheekbone. “Te amo.” He sobbed, before planting another kiss onto Jack's temple. “I love you, cariño.”
He kept telling him over and over again, the same words, a gentle kiss accompanying them every time, though he would never kiss Jack's lips, too afraid that he might suffocate and even after the pained wheezing had stopped he couldn't bring himself to do it, because that would have meant that he had accepted that Jack was gone.
It was only after his lips started to feel numb and his tears had stopped falling, because there weren't any left that he pulled back to look at Jack. With his eyes closed and his features so peaceful he almost looked as if he was asleep, but it was the faint smile on his pale lips that caused Gabriel to cry out once more.