songerein | It's Like I'm Powerful With A Little Bit of Tender

Entry tags:

reaper,
soldier: 76

It's Like I'm Powerful With A Little Bit of Tender

Who: Reaper & Soldier: 76
Which: Closed Log
Where: Shared safehouse hidden out in the Wildlands
What: Two old men talk- Reaper definitely has something to say after all.
Warnings: Adult language, unhealthy coping mechanisms mentioned here and there, old men with long history, and things that may come up with old soldiers. Anything else will get added.

76 had pulled together a bench, chair pulled up to it, and had a few parts scattered out over the cloth covered surface. A quiet moment with a bit of natural lighting filtering in through boarded windows and some of the holes left intentionally in the ceiling, an ankle hooked behind a leg of the chair. Mostly he was cleaning gun parts, the side-arm already laid out in its various sections to the side all organized and simply waiting to be put back together.

Routine maintenance, something he found a bit soothing.

Pulse rifle was propped to the side, already taken care of; what was currently being taken apart for servicing was the hunting rifle he'd picked up. Making sure it was cleaned, no worry of it backfiring on him or anything. Almost done by the time he looked up, judging by the light to gauged how much time had passed already.

He glanced to the side then, setting the rifle part down as he pushed up to his feet to check on the cooking pot on the stove. Lifting up the lid and- okay, the stew was just about done. Could lower the temperature and let it just simmer without worry of anything sticking to the bottom and burning.

Ridiculously domestic. A passing thought as he put the lid back down, stretching a bit as he realized how long he must have been sitting there.

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Since that experience in Oz, Reaper had been more moody and isolating himself. There had been something about the old trauma that stuck with him, probably because he had been a dog at the time where the sights, smells, sounds, and taste had warped him back to a time where he had been buried and dying. He had convinced himself he had taken those memories and feelings and put them away in a box to ignore. How wrong he had been.

Yet, once the initial relived traumas had came back into sharp focus again, he had been forced to acknowledge that 76 was doing the exact same bullshit he was. So they had met as they always seemed to in that safe house, saying nothing and just sliding into that hammock where they often slept and offering a lame comfort.

Except it was comfort. It took the edge off of the memories, let him sift through them and put them piece-by-piece back in that box again.

Reaper knew that 76 was the only one that he trusted enough these days with that kind of vulnerability. 76 was also the only one who brought about any sense of strength and comfort for the situation that they found themselves in. It was why they came together again over and over, something that he realized when he had been at the safe house and it was 76 to come to him. What the hell were they doing?

He knew. It took him a few days to think about it, to reflect on everything and some of the nonsense they had been doing for weeks now. The unspoken back and forth that had driven a wedge between them in Overwatch. Was he willing to let that happen again? He couldn't have his revenge right now, so was there any point of not exploring other possibilities? It was just a dream after all. They'd wake up and be none the wiser, right?

Fine. He'd do it. Jack was too much of a self-loathing idiot to make the jump, and Reaper had always been the more calculated where Jack was the risk taker.

He teleported up to their safe house, leaving the now resident peacock gryphon with Blue the dragon. He shoved open the door to the safe house and stomped his way in like a moody overgrown teenager and spied 76 doing the act that screamed 'self-soothing' to him. He marched over to stand in front of the younger man, set his hands on his hips, hooking thumbs at the tops of his gun belts and stared down the distance between them.

Then he suddenly reached out to shove 76 right off that seat to the floor. Yes, just like a schoolyard boy pulling his crush's hair or something. "Fine," he announced sharply with no other lead up. "We're dating, you old asshole. Get over it."

There was no missing that entrance, eyes rolling a little as 76 turned to get a look and sort of attempt to assess the reason behind the stomping. Usually there could be any number of reasons, one of them being Reaper simply being in the mood to be something of an asshole just because he could. Which had been lacking a bit of heart here and there lately.

Wasn't much time to reflect between suddenly finding himself hitting the floor, over why he'd been trying to keep some eye on the other man's moods and movements once they finally started moving back out into routines they'd established separately. No.

One second 76 had been attempting to place where Reaper may have been if he were stomping around like an overgrown moody teen or—

He was on the floor, and in seconds he was already on his feet with a bit of a snarl, fingers seizing the front of Reaper's coat with a jerk, "The hell is your problem—"

Wait. What?

It took a second for the rest of that to register, and 76 still held tight to Reaper's coat. The words right there as whatever else he'd been about to say had died nearly as soon as that brief bit of flaring had sparked.

What?

Likely would see the exact second it hit him, grip tightening and jerking Reaper closer as brows furrowed briefly.

"We're—" Really? Really? 76's other hand raised up and was knocking back hood to take a firmer hold of Reaper with that hand, fingers catching hold of a braid he'd done up himself there. Eyes focused on the sockets of that mask as if debating letting the other dismiss it or removing it himself.

"We're dating? Get over it?"

Reaper could have just ghosted away when 76 reacted as completely expected, but he wanted an up close and personal moment of watching the younger man process what he had actually said. Jack did not disappoint as he watched anger fade to surprise to dumbfounded back to surprise to disbelief with a taint of hope. It was like watching a two hour movie in a matter of ten seconds.

He didn't even try to resist the hold that 76 had on him, remaining stoic even as he was pulled in. He took a small step forward with the pull, and his red eyes remained poised and watchful even as his black leather hood was knocked back. Jack, he acknowledged, was the only one he allowed to get away with that sort of shit.

He finally lifted a hand when his white-haired braid was seized, and he drew a clawed finger down the long jagged scar that crossed the younger man's face.

"You heard me," he remarked with a growl. "Accept what is, and we can stop wasting one another's time with this pussyfooting we have been doing for decades. There is no career to advance anymore, no revenge here. This is what is left."

The braid wasn't yanked or anything once fingers had curled around it; if anything it was held like some anchor meant to aid in keeping this entire scene in place. 76's hand rested near the back of Reaper's neck at the base of his skull, fingers wrapped firmly in place no matter how easily the asshole could simply ghost away from him.

Remained there, solid, all the same.

"—you fucking with me?"

He didn't lean away from that claw even as he spoke, eyes still searching for something. Anything. There was no denial to his tone, something shaken sure, that disbelief and surprise that rattled through him. Hope was a nasty little thing after all, nothing that he could let himself hold on to, couldn't even entertain the thought of—

There was a hand on Reaper's face, fingers pressed against the man's cheek as 76's thumb rested against his jaw. Mask knocked aside as easily as he brushed that hood away, because it was the last important thing in that moment, "Are you?"

This was the gift that just kept on giving the way that 76 reacted. He probably should have laughed nastily, giving the younger man a shove for being such an idiot sometimes. He could walk it back, as he was known to do when he had acquired the information that he wanted or to play a certain angle for his own - or his ally's benefit.

When his mask was knocked aside, it unhinged the locking mechanism, and he simply had the material dissolve back to himself in response. No point letting his things hit the floor after all, and it seemed that it was inevitable that he'd lose the mask anyway.

His expression remained stoic and calm, not hinting at the turmoil that would come with a rejection based on a personal miscalculation of his own. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at the question, giving only a slightly hard dubious look that bridged on being offended. After all, hope had died for them a long, long time ago.

"No," he finally said. "I'm not. You oppose my declaration?"

This... formality, the carefulness that was there in holding expression and everything in place. Hell, the tone alone—

Fingers finally slipped from around that braid, and Reaper's face was cupped between two hands and held there. Thumb brushing across one of those scars that 76- well, that Jack was still very familiar with when it came to this complete jackass standing there before him. All hardass, doom, gloom, and something else that he just didn't want to show wrapped up in smoke and leather.

"You are a real piece of work, Reyes." On a variety of levels, in so many different ways. Good and bad.

Still, even as Jack spoke he pulled Gabriel closer to the point he could easily press their foreheads together, letting out a breath. Fucking Christ.

"Gabe."

He was waiting for the shock to wear off so that 76 could fully consider the declaration and violently reject it. That sounded about right, given their long tangled and often messy history with each other. He was good at reading people, but he was still in his own version of denial that he was allowed to have anything personal outside of revenge these days.

His red eyes remained fixed on 76's face, both of his hands falling to his sides loosely. The patchwork of old burn scars muddled the sensation of thumb across his cheek and of course he couldn't feel some of the deeper and older scars either. It was a sensation that he had grown used to over the years.

"Tell me something I haven't heard before, Morrison." He'd been called worse. Jack had definitely called him much worse even recently. "You wouldn't have clued in to any kind of subtlety anyway."

He made a noise in his throat when their foreheads came together, and he was still watching the younger man in front of him. What a mopey angry old bastard.

"Are you accepting or declining the declaration, Jack?"

"Listen to you, asshole." Wasn't stopping him from holding Gabriel's face in his hands, how black claws rested against that patchwork skin, and all he could really offer to their roughness was the warmth his flesh carried in it; felt or not. "Sound like you're facing a firing squad."

Perhaps that was the only bit of a clue that Jack was going to offer, that little hint that he could tell some of this was a front that maybe Reyes wasn't quite ready to let go of. Already there and ready to take whatever was coming out of this, for better or worse- prepared for the worse.

"We're dating."

Repeating those words from earlier, his own eyes closed simply because as close as they were he was relying more on what he could hear- and feel from whatever shifting. A hand moving to rest against the side of Gabriel's neck, brushing that braid back over his shoulder a bit. That weight of Jack keeping his forehead rested against Reyes' own, stepped in a bit closer- and maybe finally feeling how tired he was.

"You're really not fucking with me," a statement, at least making it clear he believed that much even if he wasn't completely over- well. Was it still shock?

"Why? You haven't listened to me in years," he remarked dryly, rolling his eyes a bit even if he wasn't moving his head from where it remained in 76's hands. His hands twitched at his sides. "Considering your cleaning firearms..."

He waited still, letting 76 sort through the declaration that he had made. They hadn't started fighting, which was indication enough of which way this was probably going to go. He knew from various conversations that 76 was avoiding putting down roots despite all the obvious signs that the younger man actually was. He supposed they might just be adding to said roots, assuming that 76 didn't have a sudden meltdown and toss him out the window.

Finally, he took a risk and extended an arm to lightly rest his hand on 76's hip now that the younger man was just listening to the world around them. He knew from body language that the younger man was tired, suffered from the usual weight of the world - personal or otherwise - and hardly let too many people in to the deepest parts of that exhaustion.

"Jack," he said simply, in that Reyes tone of 'why are you questioning my debrief accuracy?' that he had used against so many in the past. "Given our recent history, I expect I'll be fucking you soon enough but purely on a physical level."

"Pot and kettle," because it wasn't as if Reyes had listened to him in years either if he were going to go that way. "Have to keep them in working order," unlike some people present he didn't just pull them out of his ass.

Hands moved enough to sort of squish Gabriel's face between his hands briefly at the tone; not an awful lot, or for long, but just to- do it, he supposed. Try to take some mental steps back and the bit of-.... Was it ridiculous? The odd sort of way words were hitting, some of them not quite landing and slipping aside as eyes opened and his head tipped back to actually look Gabriel in the eyes again.

"At least you're expecting something," brushing right past the comment there, yes. Really, says that and shouldn't be surprised Jack was suspicious over being fucked with. Still was, a bit. Allowing that weight of a hand to remain there on hi hip all the same. "You want to." What? Fuck? Date.

"Don't call yourself names, Jack. Household items are hardly insulting anyway." He was going to play his hand right into that because he was not being calling out when he had picked this moment in the first place. "So you are the firing squad is what you're saying now."

He made a noise at the squish, narrowing his eyes as being treated so childishly yet still allowing it. His hand tightened on 76's hip as if giving a warning about continuing to just act like they were both forty years younger again. He also rolled his eyes again when he saw 76's blue eyes back open.

"I'm expecting a yes or no at some point, but since you're just avoiding answering in the first place, I just assume it's yes." 76 hadn't reacted as someone that didn't want to date after all. Maybe it was the shock, but Jack wasn't that shockable usually. "I already said what I want."

"They wouldn't be disassembled still," let along Morrison taking the time in a place he knew Reaper could return to at any moment. That was- well, trust in a way. Showing he would go through the comforting motion of taking apart his weapons to keep up with their care. Little things like that.

His brow furrowed briefly, still not completely allowing himself to let go of the idea that this wasn't just some elaborate joke on Reaper's part. Part of him wouldn't put it past him, but there were still so many little signs and reasons that it wasn't that. Something was being put on the line and it was a risk that Gabriel had been willing to take- even if started like some moody playground bully with a crush.

"You said that we're dating, and I need to get over it. That I should accept it." Yes, he heard. Even if it had taken a bit to actually hit him that those words had meaning after the shove. "Doesn't really sound like an answer was expected since it was such a declaration," stepping in closer intentionally then, hand sliding to rest against Gabriel's shoulder.

"But you're right- just sounds like you want me," and that couldn't be right. "Got that right so far?"

"We both know you're just as dangerous with your firearms in any state," he remarked with a shake of his head. It did prove to him how trusting and comfortable that they had come to be in this safe house that they had decided upon some months back. Stuff was stored here and they always seem to make their way back to this place at some point.

His sense of humor definitely could have a cruel edge to it, but even with this, he wouldn't be putting himself out there this much. If he was going to put on an elaborate joke, he was more likely to try to set 76 up on a date and watch the whole thing fall apart from the shadows for his own amusement. His sense of humor didn't allow him to put himself out there when there was something important to lose.

"You need to take the time because you've spent years putting yourself down that you aren't worth some measure of happiness. You losing Overwatch and giving up everything in your life for it doesn't mean you have to live in isolated punishment." He sighed from his nose as his arm slipped around Jack's waist more, pulling the younger man against him now that both of them were getting cozy with each other. "Though, I expect some might argue you dating me would be some sort of self-punishment on your part."

He sighed through his nose, pushing for patience. "Can we not have a blond moment here? I do like you. Would you like me to tattoo it on your slopped forehead next?"

"Doesn't make for a firing squad," but there was still a few different points made and unspoken. They'd both gotten comfortable and relaxed there, especially around each other, to the point it was... habit. Meeting here, and at the rare time even called when not simply passing through it for one reason or another. Had become more than just some place to stop for a little while.

Would be easy to simply turn and react to all of that, wouldn't it? Some snide comment here, a snarl, pick up where he'd started if he wanted to just shove all of this away. Couldn't really argue against Reyes here about any of that, would all ring shallow and untrue with some weak defense and no ground to stand on. Didn't mean the mean had to say it either.

Just because it felt true to Morrison didn't make it so—

"I've done worse," in regards to self-punishment, really. It was spoken with a sigh, and maybe a roll of eyes for the comment afterwards. No pulling away, rather sinking against Gabriel as Jack let his forehead rest back against the other's once again, some pinch to the side of his neck.

"Careful or that could twist in you just wanting to leave a lasting mark on me."

"If we want to nitpick, a firing squad would be rather ineffective against me anyway," he remarked dryly. This was just like them. Pick a subject and run it into the ground by nitpicking one another comments until one or the other changed the subject or walked away. It had gotten worse as they had aged, he expected.

He was going on the track that he needed to brow-beat 76 into some form of personal submission, given that the younger man still seemed to be clinging to certain denials. He growled at the idea that 76 had done worse, but he also knew that was wholly true. The younger man was a glutton for self-punishment, hence all the risk taking and the idiocy of not caring about bodily harm.

His other arm joined the first around 76's waist, pulling the younger man to fully rest against his chest. He shifted his head enough that the tips of their noses would brush against each other. This had to be the worst idiotic courtship ever, and yet, it was so them.

"Don't make it sound like you're excited about me leaving a forever mark on you then."

There came the proper sort of eyeroll- "Doesn't change the tone and formality you assumed after making such a declaration." Finally came the point of the comment being made at all, but it certainly didn't change their nitpicking habit as a way or just- well. It was some strange sort of game at this point, wasn't it.

Even still, there were certain little things that clung to 76 as bits and pieces of just what he wound up doing to himself at times. He looked better than he had for months now, but dark circles still lingered under eyes; little things like that. It was fine, really. Wasn't out to win any rewards, was expecting anything really.

An arm settled then around Gabriel's shoulder as he was pulled close and settled, head tipped so noses did brush. Was this ridiculous? Probably. Should he have simply kept going and gone through with aiming a punch and flinging Reaper out a window rather than... this? Maybe, but he wasn't.

"Says the one who sounds excited about it now." Jack let his weight sink fully against Gabriel for the most part, lips nearly brushing, "Either something making it unmistakable- or only you would ever see."

Tone was dry, but there was an edge as if he was picking at a tease.

"And you're still in denial about the original declaration, and you're the one who made it seem like I'd be put in front of a Firing Squad. So this still sounds like a you problem." This was all about Jack at this point, and he considered the ball in the younger man's court on how to take everything that had happened.

He remained still and stoic even as they settled into the position of leaning on each other. His arms circled a little tighter to welcome the younger man, and he allowed his gloves to dissolve into his skin so he can grip 76 lightly.

"Does that mean that we're exciting over something so trivial?" He could feel 76's breath on his lips and chin, and it drew his eyes down to watch the younger man in front of him. Real close and personal. "And you don't think I already have a mark such as that."

"You're still the one that sounded like you stepped up to one- so," that was a Reyes problem. "Both of us have a problem of our own, nothing new." Par for the course, and keeping some subject as more a consequential backburner thing than at the forefront. Which was, probably, not the best way to deal with this dumped on to him.

Still those little things giving it away, even if part of him was pointedly not paying that as much mind as he should. Aware of their surroundings, the quietness that came with being as far out as they were; Blue was splashing in the river, probably after some fish or grooming feathers like some strange flowing birdbath.

Bare hands were gripping on to him tighter, as were the arms that wrapped around him. This was real? "Guess we're both at that age for it," dully spoken- more distracted than anything, but he could let himself think it. Bench seat was close, wasn't it- "On me? Maybe a memory or two, but that's about it."

"And you're the one that would shoot me if I was in front of one," he added with a small shake of his head because Jack was just being Jack still. Always pressing a point. "We're so old, we make a problem out of everything." A lot of the old optimism was long dead after all, so what was the point of doing anything but have problems.

He noticed that 76 wasn't verbally confirming or denying his old declaration at this point, but the physical actions made it clear that there was at least something between them. It didn't seem like it had changed much, just managed to receive a name for what they were doing at this point. If there was going to be a rejection, he expected that it would have come and gone by now.

"How about you and I go out for dinner tonight?" A real date, Jack. "We don't have to go anywhere public." At least he felt he should push for them to at least attempt something like that, see if the domestic portion they had going could translate to attempts at romance. "Oh Jack, sometimes I do think you play stupid on purpose. Remember that gunshot wound that wouldn't heal?" The one where he still had a smattering of cells there to keep track of the blond. Was that considered stalking? Oh well.

"Of course- why would I let anyone else shoot you?" Dryly stated, but there was some other meaning behind those words that Jack just wasn't going to say outright, "Haven't shot you down though, have I," and rather twist it around to something else instead. "Could say it's a talent we grew into." So many problems.

Did make a small noise in his throat at the question, head tipped enough that he was looking Reaper in the face- "You're asking me out on a date now?" That was far more of a surprise than it should have been, but it was another knock to how serious Gabriel was being about this. He wouldn't put himself out like this, so far out like this, for a joke. Arm tightened around the man's shoulders briefly, fingers grasping, and Jack still remained there where he was.

"...Yeah, dinner." The first actual yes or no answer he'd outright given at least. Even if questioned, Jack was still accepting it. "Could pick it up and take it somewhere private." May as well, given this was not a joke. Right? His nose wrinkled, just briefly. "How could I forget?" He did play dumb sometimes, yes- "I carried it around for a couple or years like that, at least."

"You don't exactly get a choice some days," he replied with a low rough chuckle. "But in a one-on-one, you definitely are one of the only ones that would dare to shoot me." He nudged their foreheads together and rolled his eyes at that little added comment. "You haven't shot me down, no."

His claws lightly dug into the younger man's back, and he raised his brows in response. "I told you we were dating, so obviously that comes with the idea that we are going to have an actual date." It seemed that some of the shock was still clinging to Jack here, and it was amusing to him as much as it made him exasperated.

"That sounds nice. Find one of those high rooftop with a nice view to eat." Like one of those places where they had first had sex again. With just a touch of concentration, he made that old wound twinge despite it having been healed by him. "I've been inside you for a loooooong time," he teased.

There was the faintest of twitches at the corner of his mouth, like some brief flickering of barely living amusement. Despite the subject the dark humor was clinging with strength to every word of it. Forehead nudged back in turn, "At ease then, jackass." Could relax a bit.

... Was just the two of them here, after all.

Would take a bit for the shock to completely shake off, to no longer grasp and hang on to the pieces that thought this all had to still be some joke. No, Gabriel Reyes was completely serious; they were dating and he was pushing for an actual date— "Yeah, makes sense." —and in no way would he push this far for a joke. That fact kept coming back as often as the other thoughts.

"There are a few to choose from, especially blocked from ground view and give side cover," to keep it a private affair. Let them both eat, take off masks, without taking away their own view of the area. Claws dug a bit into the backs of Gabriel's shoulders from the twinge, huffing out a puff of breath. "Romantic," so very dry, but there was that twitch just at the corner of Jack's lips again.

Terrible.

Slowly, as if responding to the order, he relaxed into the hold that he was in and had on 76. It seemed like a fitting gesture given how many times he had been given orders and sometimes even followed them. He was definitely worse about it now, but he could show that he would listen to Jack on occasion.

Besides, aside from Blue and the annoying peacock - who he had yet to name - they were very much alone. The safehouse always seemed to bring about a comforting isolation for them both.

It seemed to him that 76 was finally coming out of the shock of his demands. "With all the Sleepers here, I think I saw a place that makes pizza. They might even have ham and pineapple if you were interested in that and finding a rooftop." Because, in a lot of ways, that rooftop meet up with the dewdrops had kickstarted this in the first place.

"I can be romantic. I'm rusty though." So don't expect much. Limit the expectations now, though he was better than he gave himself credit for. He definitely had more experience than 76 these last few years.

Funny how a place where it was just the two of them, larger winged animals not included, away from so much noise and in such isolation had become a comfort for them both. A place they both could show up at and let masks drop in a very literal sense. An odd sort of unspoken trust that had just grown into something more solid as they kept using it, and meeting up.

... Had been grounding once they'd gotten back from Oz, too.

Couldn't help the faint snort, nose brushing against Gabriel's with just the lightest of nudges. "That honestly sounds almost perfect, more so if we can get them to add ham and pineapple to it," the red onions he could give or take, but the rest was the important parts. "I know that this place has carbonated juices now, so we can pick some of those up to bring with us to a rooftop." Sparkling/fizzy juice and pizza could go damn well together.

"Makes two of us." Last time that Jack was 'romantic'? He managed to change part of a fairytale to involve a deeply polyromantic fae relationship- while wearing a dress. Not that it counted much, but it was odd that it happened.

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