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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Shoulders shrugged, selling just a little bit of the tone he'd fallen into especially for this subject, no matter how much he'd rather leave it behind. They were amusing memories of the hell behind a desk he'd been leashed to- "To the point without all of the bullshit they liked to slog everything down with," and slow down every mission with as well. "Could always find the moment they saw red," and knew they were wrong, backed into a corner, and losing the amount of little power they had.

No wonder some places broke off with them so... messily, left an ugly mark.

"Took a moment, but yeah." For the moment? He was keeping to only once slice down, as if debating something quietly to himself. Still was sipping at the 'soda' at least, even as eyes rolled a little, head tipped as he gave Gabriel just a bit of a look; nothing harsh to it, just... curious, perhaps- "Betting your plan didn't start until sometime after that started."

An eyebrow arched, just briefly, "Probably don't have to worry about them popping up against until Winter."

It wasn't an easy subject to talk about, even years after it had all stopped being important. He knew it was harder on Jack than it was on him as his days in the sun had ended to allow Jack to take his place, and he avoided comparisons as much as possible. "They had many tactics to use against you and eventually found a few that stuck," he remarked with a shrug of his shoulders. "But we will show them now. Their tactics are meaningless these days against us."

He returned to eating his second slice of pizza, noting that 76 had gone quiet and was clearly contemplating something. There was no hurry from him to encourage it, letting 76 come around to it on his own. He swallowed his mouthful and shrugged. "It didn't start until the dream in your office." Where he had lost control of himself and 76 brought him back. "Before then, it was... nice, but we kept one another at a distance in ways. Not there."

For the best. He wanted to enjoy this 'date' as it was without the interference of tiny chanting worms. "Then I suppose we'll be able to keep this rooftop relatively clean this adventure."

"They found my weak points, and exploited that." Funny how it took until the last five or six years of Overwatch for them to find it. Before then he'd been able to get up and out at times, or he remained behind the desk to allow new recruits a chance to shine- until there were far too many coffins when there shouldn't have been a chance of that happening. So many he had gone over, funerals he could and couldn't attend. Letters looked over, drafted— "Absolutely meaningless and hold no power," ungovernable and all that. Vigilante life saw to that.

He remembered that dream well. "Pulled each other open just about, and held close," in more than just the physical way. There'd been raw vulnerability in a way they'd both withheld and kept distance. "After that... things did change, yeah." Something had shifted between them that couldn't be denied- "There was a lot of something more than usual there. No distance being kept," emotionally.

"No forced dancing to proceed whatever happens when we do head back to the safehouse," even if they both knew what was going to be happening when they did head back.

"And they had been wearing you down slowly over the years as well," he pointed out softly. But it was true that they had finally found tactics that worked, and it had been successful because Overwatch's base had began to erode so there was as much danger from within as without. It was a lot of stress to try to manage. "They should be scared, and I hope they are."

He reached out to catch Jack's wrist, thumb stroking the inside of that wrist in a comforting manner. It didn't last too long, wanting them to get with their date.

"Before then, there had been questions on if we could trust each other fully, and I expect both of us experienced something close to what we had a long time ago," he murmured, his voice soft with the admittance. He did not like to admit some things like that, but also understood he had to in order to keep things on the up and up between them. "Things changed," he agreed. "You pulled me out of my own head. There are only two or three people who have ever done that."

He hummed in agreement. This was all them and the dewdrops had no hold over them right now. "We already know what we are going to be doing at the safehouse," he remarked with a smirk.

They had been, and gathering people behind them with fear mongering time and time again whenever some incident hit the news- or rumors flowed when they hadn't. Again and again he'd done his best with shows of goodwill, trying to calm and mitigate; keeping himself as public a face as possible. Bigger target. Easier target. No one needed to hammer his mistakes home, or could hate him for every single one more than he did for himself. As much to blame as anyone else for... a lot. Anyone who thought him blameless was a fool.

"Reason I keep that 76 bold as it is," because those that knew what it meant? Should be scared, they were on the list and couldn't hide their trail.

Fingers curled and caught Gabriel's hand when the comforting stroke of his thumb stopped, and it was Jack's turn in a way- his own thumb moved firmly along the back of the older man's hand. Across knuckles at times.

He hummed, "Close to it," but different; not in a bad way of course. Some spark that had been smoldering for years perhaps, uncovered enough to get oxygen and create some new burning fire. "I couldn't let your head go under," not when he'd realized Reyes had been trying to redirect his attentions from everything there meant to send Morrison sinking down. "Wanted to keep you there with me, whatever way I could get you focused in," which had meant physically grabbing hold and reminding Gabriel he was there with him.

Jack snorted, the sound more amused with just a touch of something else- "Yeah, we do." Not that hard to grasp, considering.

Even now, he could see how the topic wore on Jack, how the younger man seemed smaller and much more exhausted. It was a heavy topic, one that came up now and again with similar effect, though previously neither of them had verbally deep dived into it even as close as this one. That kind of PTSD ran deep, shaped a man from the inside out.

"You shake a lot of bushes, and I've told you that it's dangerous to bring about that much attention to you," he reminded. It was a losing battle, he knew. Some pressure points were worth nudging 76 on.

He paused in withdrawing his hand as he felt 76's hand move against it, and he stretched his fingers out to receive the stroking. He sighed, accepting the affection as easily as he gave it previously.

Yet, his eyes drifted away from the physical affection to stare at nothing in particular. That dream had been unexpectedly terrible for them both, which had surprised him given how 'in-control' he liked to think of himself. "I was there to protect you from that nightmare, but instead, it seemed you saved us both. Always stealing the glory even now," he remark in his back-handed way of giving a compliment. Jack had saved him.

It would be good for them to look forward to that. There was no point denying that with the raw emotions of getting closer and actually going on a date, they'd want to be close all night too.

So, so much ran the entirety of Morrison's trauma; so many things compounded to all tie together to a point he couldn't let himself think about it. He'd taken a year or so once he'd dragged himself out of the rubble, healed in whatever holes he could get to. All of the failure and fault picked apart until he could get his feet under him and set out, mission the only thing keeping him going.

A shoulder shrugged, and he kept hold of Gabriel's hand; something gentle in how his thumb brushed. "That's the point," the attention and whatever danger was brought with it. Bounty on his head drew in some irritants, of course.

"If you weren't there I probably would have fallen again," Again, meaning the thing lurking in the shadows of that dream might've gotten what it had intended. "I could focus on you, not wanting to lose you- brought up a lot of things that never really went away," admitting that much at the very least. Out loud for the first time as fingers tightened around Gabriel's hand briefly.

The man was wanted, Jack wanted him. Good and bad, all of it.

Would be good, a way to run out the raw emotions and feel like something sealing the deal, to put it one way. They were dating, and they both wanted it.

Everyone affected by the fall of Overwatch dealt with it in their own way, but the traumas remained. No one got away unscathed as far as he was concerned. Some of them bore far more trauma than others, but they somehow remained functional in their own way. He doubted this change to their dynamic would heal trauma, but it might make it easier to shoulder as there were two of them to do it now and again.

His hand turned to lightly clasp Jack's in return, letting them have that contact under the weight of the heavy subject. Certainly not light-hearted dating content, yet it was so them somehow. "Someday you'll bring about more unwanted attention than you can handle, Jack. There are many that see you as a threat and intend to deal with you if you continue as you are." And if he wanted to keep his position, he couldn't protect Jack all the time.

He sighed from his nose at the admittance, knowing it was true but hearing it made it all the more real. He had seen the beast Jack had become, and he wasn't certain he'd be as successful getting the younger man out a second time. His red eyes shifted to watch Jack for a long quiet moment, processing the full weight of the words. "You've been chasing me for years, but I put it in my head it was to try to kill me. We had a bitter run at the end, but... I also never stopped caring about you." He sighed again, his hand squeezing back. "I've done what I can to protect you."

He never stopped caring for Jack. He might not show it, but he worked as he always did: in the shadows. A tip here, passing information through other means, finding ways to avoid missions where he might come in direct contact with Jack.

Two could carry a heavy weight a bit easier than one—

"I've been prepared for that since I started kicking nests and stomping on anthills," the attention he was after? It would only ever be a matter of time before they got tired of wasting any sort of resources in attempting to deal with him. Some punks on the lower rungs couldn't do much to him, no matter the type of equipment that had on hand and were smuggling. The bounty was attracting all sorts, but none had been able to claim that yet; was only a matter of time before someone willing to take his head was sent. "It's something I need to see through, one last mission-" and the possibility of it being The Last Mission had passed through his mind at times.

His fingers curled around Gabriel's hand, even as he spoke, a tight squeeze before Jack was simply holding it as his own hand was lightly grasped. It was a wanted gesture, welcomed with how easily he kept his hand right where it was; the weight welcomed. his own hand warm despite how fingers were blackened just as clawed nails were.

Blue eyes met red easily after a moment, "I never stopped, it was easier to withdraw and be angry while fielding everything else," make himself harder to contact and almost act indifferent despite trying to hold things together. He had trusted Sojourn and everyone still there to hold those who remained together, as he had to deal with red tape and the rising anger of the public. "It was bitter, frustrating, and it was so much easier to be lost in anger," and he was still about some things. Who wouldn't be? "I'm always looking for you, following where I can."

Jack was an angry and bitter old man, jaded and carrying so much weight that he couldn't let go of- yet he didn't stop. He never stopped.

"You're a good soldier, and you're hard to take out but you're going to push too hard," he reminded as a warning. He knew that Talon was focused on expansion and solidifying its hold while making inroads with other organizations. Eventually, they would be secure enough to turn their attention back to squishing resistance more aggressively. "You're not allowed to die like that, under the boot of someone from Talon. You're last mission will be retirement, and you're going to like it."

He squeezed his hand back, a tad on the rough side because he knew that Jack was going to be stubborn about it. He knew nothing he would say would dissuade the younger man, but their stubborn battles were legendary. Eventually, Reaper got his way even if he burned everyone around him. He dragged Jack's hand to his mouth and kissed those knuckles, staring at the younger man with determined eyes. "You'll live. I promise."

He sighed, and he had to busy himself with his soda to stop the parade of thoughts that came with this turn of a serious talk. He would have thought they'd wait until the cover of darkness one night once reality really set in. "I know," he agreed softly, nursing his fizzy juice. "Keeping a distance from you was more likely to keep you safe, but you never bothered to make that easy." He finally turned to look at Jack. "I'm hoping we'll make this most of this, since... it's likely we won't remember any of it when we go back."

He did what he could to care for Jack in his own way.

There was something almost funny about this- how long had they been going, thinking the other was determined to kill them because of how ugly and bitter the last few years of Overwatch had been between them? Neither of them pulled punched when they did encounter on the battlefield of course, but there had always been something that stopped anything close to some final blow. An interruption, or a sudden retreat for one reason or another. 76 always left injured enough he had to retreat for a while, lay low and heal up just enough before tracking down his next lead.

Even if he had fallen silent, listening to Gabriel, there was some of that old determination he was familiar with living well on. Jack would keep going- "Careful with those, Gabe," promises. But it was spoken softly, gaze never breaking from Gabriel's as lips brushed his knuckles like that. How the hell did Reyes manage to make something like this so damn sweet?

Wasn't up to even lightly arguing over what he would or wouldn't do when it came to pulling Talon on his ass back home. That eventually they would send someone after him, because he wasn't going to stop.

Couldn't blame the want for distraction either; the thoughts that came after that particular dream were hard to deny. More so now. "No, I didn't. Don't think it actually kept me safe, either- might've been the last thing I needed," but what was don was done. Jack leaned closer, letting out a soft breath as his own bottle was down and allowed hat other hand to cup the side of Gabriel's face, thumb stroking over that well trimmed beard. "Like you said, nothing here is stopping us so... I'm up for making the most of this, with you."

Give them a chance.

Reaper knew that he couldn't die - so far - but that wasn't the same with Jack who had come close to it on numerous occasions. He now had the ability to track the old bastard, knowing that Jack wasn't going to give up his trail. It meant he was better prepared to avoid direct confrontation in front of Talon operatives or the many spying eyes on every mission.

"I'm always careful, old man. When I make a promise, I fully intend to keep it," he growled back, pushing at the idea that there would be consequences to his choices. No, Jack was going to live, and so with Ana now that his suspicions about her were confirmed. Those two could survive most things, and he intended to keep it that way.

Even if it was clear Jack was not going to make it easy by cooperating. Despite that knowledge, he still leaned into the hand cupping his face. "Jack, you don't have the same intelligence network behind you, so you don't have all the facts." But he knew that Sombra would help; she played all the sides in her own way. That was fact. "No war to fight, and if this gives you a taste of a life beyond the personal war, I think we can accomplish it together."

He wanted this more than he wanted to go back for the moment. That would likely change as opportunities arose. For now, it was this.

"I know you don't make them often either," and didn't take them lightly whenever Reyes did make any sort of promise. No matter what it took, the amount of fires started and things burning down. Stubbornly focused on what he decided needed to be done getting done. "Not sure about careful, though," said just a little wryly.

He'd worked with even less before, running on nearly nothing when he'd started up and only hit the places where he could get what was needed. Some early crack of a trail- and then some bit of a shadow showing interest. "There's a lot that I don't have working behind me, but it hasn't stopped me so far," and he wouldn't ever let it. Stubborn in his own ways, whether liked or not by either of them. He kept his hand where it was, thumb moving over facial hair as that blackened claw kept it smooth and neat. "Giving you a taste of something, and I think you're right on that. Think we can accomplish something here," and make it damn clear Gabriel was wanted.

If he could do that much here? Well, that was worth something wasn't it.

"No, I don't," he agreed, giving Jack his most intense stare. He knew the younger man could take it, but that too only served to reinforce the promise that he had made. It was the promise he had made when he discovered Jack had survived the fall of Watchpoint. "War comes with uncertainty, but I am careful. I play my hand well, and it's not like I can die so far." It was his curse, but he used it as another tool.

He sighed from his nose, even going so far as to reach up and pinch the bridge of it before setting aside his juice and pizza on the small table between them. He rose from his seat and moved in front of Jack's, setting his hands on the arm of the chair as he leaned over and down. "You're off the leash, I get it, but be careful. There's more at play than either of us have discovered," he said gravely, leaning their foreheads together. "It's not just Talon. It's Null Sector, the criminal underworld, and so many other countries. Be careful which bushes you're kicking into."

Then he placed a gentle and unusually earnest kiss on Jack's lips to pause any response for just a moment. Give them time to think, to breathe, to linger in such an simple embrace they were allowed to have now.

"Despite being a pain in each other's asses, we always worked well together. I don't expect here to be any different."

There was a slow exhale, a bit too long to quite qualify as a sigh, but it was still there— "So far. I'd rather you not find out what can end up killing you first hand. Talon doesn't let go of people except for one way," and it'd be stupid to think that someone wasn't working towards having some way to do so could easily be implied there with those words. Jack's own worry, concern for Gabriel and working for people that had no issue wiping out anyone, even amongst their own, if they were in the way at all.

Jack turned in his seat as Gabriel moved, eyes still on him, and he ended up sitting back in his chair as the older man leaned over him and down. Hands still somehow found their way over Reyes's own as they rested on the arms of the chair, never breaking eye-contact if he could help it- until that forehead rested against his. Okay- Oh.

That kiss certainly silenced Jack for a moment, leaning up into it as a hand caught Gabriel's shoulder after sliding up along his arm. A firm press of lips in turn, to linger that much easier. Sure, some feelings were bleeding in, how gentle it remained and how Jack nearly couldn't bring himself to break it- lips still brushed against Gabriel's when he did finally speak-

"There's something bigger at play, a lot bigger," bigger than just their issues. He'd gotten a feeling, a reason Ana was planning on getting in touch with Cassidy; some who couldn't give up on Overwatch were moving, and needed someone to keep them from going in over their heads. "Be as careful as I can afford to be," more than some could manage.

"Something we can both agree on there, Gabe. More so when we're wanting to make it work."

"Oh don't worry, there's a complete private hard drive on all the things that can't kill me, and no doubt what hasn't been tested yet," he remarked bitterly, shaking his head. He knew first hand how Talon allowed people to slip away, and that was only in body bags or a deep hole. Thankfully buried alive was not a method that worked on him. "No doubt Talon is trying to find some kind of contingency plan. I expect vacuum system to a sealed container."

The kiss was good but also necessary. It was the first real kiss they had shared now as a dating partnership, and it shouldn't feel different but definitely did. He savored to closeness and the way that Jack seemed to melt into the contact, how gentle they kept it, almost with a bit of tentativeness like neither of them believed this was real.

"I know," he murmured even as he kept their foreheads pressed together lightly. "It's going to get ugly with the Recall, but it hopefully will be useful to draw some of the unseen elements closer to the surface." Where he could find them and interrogate them for information that would lead him to others. "Be careful like Ana, you idiot. Maybe drink more tea to keep you in some state of grandma zen."

He nodded his head, rubbing their foreheads together as he lingered in that spot leaned over Jack and feeling those hands on him. "And it seems like this might be the place to work together." Like they had and would be doing more and more.

"That's what I am worried about, jackass," but his own tone was a little lighter, because it was honestly something he figured they would do. Made sense, but it didn't mean that he liked the fact of it. Power hungry thugs amongst people that had a lot of weight behind them- and those that were smarter than some would ever give them credit for. They would want to be able to eliminate anyone that could potentially cause trouble in the future. Any trouble amongst the ranks taken out.

At least, before it could get started well enough, his temper was basically thrown back down by that kiss. Softened some things up a bit and re-directed Jack's mindset to, essentially, This is a DATE. You are on a Date. This is Real amongst other realizations. Had him relax and melt into it, keeping one hand on Gabriel, taking the warm gentleness for what it was. That bit of intimacy that wasn't just from the momentum of a hook-up.

Tips of claws brushed along the back of Gabriel's neck once fingers curled over it, hand resting there. "There's going to be a storm coming that they might not think to expect," and Jack wanted no part of the group. Fingertips idly pressed and rubbed along what skin they could find at Gabe's neck- "She drugged the last cup of tea she gave me," and it was that dry drawl; truth, but he couldn't blame her for it.

His forehead pressed back a bit, returning the little gestures of movement. "Pulled it off when we ended up working together so far- think we can do better on the same page. And then some," the and then some probably obvious. Dating, everything that came with it.

Edited 2022-10-18 20:18 (UTC)

They had had enough brushes with Talon even before the fall of Overwatch that made it clear that it was a brutal organization that didn't take desertion well. Loose strings made for potential leaks, and Talon hated leaks, now more than ever. "You shouldn't worry. I'm Moira's prize experiment and any plans to eliminate me would damper her research, and she won't stand for that." His tone was both bitter and bemused.

He had already convinced himself of their date, but it hadn't quite hit him that Jack had agreed and wasn't just too shocked to resist. He figured that might come full scale tomorrow morning, assuming the younger man was even there come first light. He'd know, of course, since he always woke first thanks to the chronic pain he lived with.

His hands flexed under Jack's where they remained on the arms of the chair and his red eyes watched the younger man's face. "Oh, they might expect it, but they will underestimate the sheer force of it and that will bring them ruin." He practically purred that, wanting so badly to be in the thick of things when it began to fall apart. "That doesn't surprise me. You're a stubborn old asshole, and she'd have to drug you to give herself some peace and quiet for a few hours."

He rumbled a hum of agreement. "It seems like a very real possibility. A long long time ago, we SEP called ourselves the Wolf Pack, and you always have wolves around you so maybe we're becoming that again."

It had only gotten worse, far more cut-throat over time as they gained more power and more people willing to at the very least kill for them. Fingers curled into hair just at the back of Gabriel's head- "You have to know how stupid and risky it is to count on that as some shield. How damn easily they get rid of anyone if they stand in the way of something, even amongst their own, if someone thinks it'll give them a leg up," it was how Talon worked since the start. None of them were above taking out their own for whatever reason, more so if they see a setback for someone else to their advantage, "Not going to worry any less."

He cared about Gabriel, and that had never stopped no matter how much it had started to hurt. Couldn't come up with excuses or get in the way. All of it had just about flared back to life while in the office of his dream, and couldn't be stuffed back down so easily despite... well.

"Probably," and how it went. Over confidence and just... That and at the back of Gabriel's neck moved so that fingers curled more into hair, forehead pressed a little more firmly against his for a moment; nose brushed with a nudge. "Wanted me to sleep, rather than chance popping any of the stitching she managed to do on me," and it wasn't hard to guess that Ana had known he'd be up and about if she hadn't.

That was a blast from the past of a memory. "Maybe we are. I want to make this work, Gabe." Despite a lot of things, and a lot more in that history tangled between them that had him wanting it all the same. Fingers squeezed on that hand with his other at the chair arm, "You got me."

His head remained where it was, even as he was keenly aware of the fingers in his hair and knew it was a supportive gesture rather than one to move his head away. "I consider myself far from stupid. I have contingencies," he remarked. He always had contingencies, but it was a nice gesture that Jack was calling him out like he might not have considered the full weight of Talon's vengefulness. "You shouldn't worry about me, Jack. I've been straddling the line for decades. We're all just playing that poker game where everyone is cheating still."

He knew that 76 would worry no matter what assurances he gave, and that was touching in its own way. After all they had done, all the history, all the bitterness, both of them still remained steadfast in caring for the other. It might not be conventional, might not even be understood by others but they knew.

He had to chuckle because it was far too true that 76 would do something dumb and pop a stitch. Ana would and always had kept Jack well in hand. Probably better than he ever could. "Not that those stitches would do much for you, what with the source of the injury." It had 'healed' now, but there were lingering cells for him to keep track of Jack with. He'd have to admit to that someday... but not on their first date night.

His red eyes watched Jack for a long quiet moment before the corner of his lips twitched. This was real, not a dream. He dipped his mouth for a quick but soft kiss. "I want to make this work too, Jack." He sighed and lifted one hand to cup the side of the younger man's face. "I'm confident if we can somehow not die in a building explosion, we can hold this relationship together."

His hands shifted to lightly grasp Jack's upper arms. "Now, you can finish eating after we have a little dance, shall we? This song sounds like a nice one." He moved to pull Jack up from the chair and against him so they could move around the roof to the nice little jazzy number filtering up from the establishment below.

"With the added bonus of suits that aren't afraid to show what snakes they are." Hard not to worry with the over-confidence that Gabriel carried with him far too often- even if Jack also knew that tended to get shoved aside once things got started. Reyes had always taken every mission seriously, doing what he felt necessary no matter how difficult the choices he had to make were. There was a reason he'd trusted this man so much, and fought tooth and nail to defend him for those calls made.

They'd taken that care for each other to the extreme a few times, but even more so now it would seem. Despite it all, they held on. Jack would continue to worry, even here. Couldn't really stop, even if he might want to. Too much there.

He let out a huff, "Said it before, not even anything Zeigler could do. Stitches only lasted so long." The skin had gone necrotic, and it was a constant pain with it both healing and basically rotting the flesh and muscle at the same time. Reason it was one scar that stood out on his back and side, spread out in that broken-glass-like pattern. Neither of them would ever be able to forget the source of that one, the feel of it even stood out without having to see it.

That soft kiss was returned, even as his head tipped in against that cupping hand just after. This was real. "We've managed to do a lot of things together most think unlikely or impossible to pull, after all," and managing a relationship was probably in there somewhere— did pause briefly as he was then grabbed and then pulled up and in close, hands falling to rest on Gabriel to press a bit closer once he had his feet under himself.

"Yeah, might as well." Why the fuck not? They were on a date and the last time they danced here it was by force. Change that up and just have some fun with it- "Even let you lead, Gabe." It was just a dry tease, but an actual offer wrapped into it easily.

"They do what they have to in order to push an agenda, and that's the way it's always been. Some are just better at it than others." That was why this whole conspiracy was so maddening, why the rabbit hole was so deep and twisting. He would get to the bottom of it eventually for as long as he was alive, and he knew he wasn't the only one.

Wasn't that worth whatever personal sacrifice necessary? He had failed to detect all the pieces back in Overwatch and so many people had paid the ultimate price. Their blood was on his hands, and he had to make it right.

"I know," he remarked, because he did. He tugged Jack along as they danced on the rooftop like that, swaying in time with the beat of the music below. "There was never going to be anything you could do about it. One of the many reasons I'm not good for anyone," he said with a smirk. "Yet, you're still a glutton for punishment and willing to give it a try, huh?"

What he didn't tell Jack even now was that wound gave him certain advantages. His cells wanted to be together, and even over distance, he knew where they were. Jack might be wounded but still safer for it.

"If only all of them were truthfully on the same one," because it seemed to shift with whoever was n charge- and even then? Some of them splintered off, carried out their own wants. He'd come across enough evidence of that in his own search for the truth that even he knew there was.. so damn much there, twisted.

It really was no wonder some things were hard to track, scattered despite the group trying to come off as unified. Really was doing whatever had to be done to push an agenda- just had to find the right agenda being pushed.

He followed with that tugging along, hands sliding to rest on Gabriel as they swayed and moved with the music- jazzy number made it a little more fun, or helped at least compared to the boring paired dancing he had grown unfortunately used to for appearance sake at galas an the like over the years. "It doesn't hurt that I'm capable of taking whatever pounding or more you can dish out," and Gabriel had basically asked for that one.

There was nothing apologetic about it, either.

"That would be boring. No one likes everything the same," he remarked with a small shake of his head as he swung them away from the chairs where there was more space for them to dance freely. This might be his mission, but he would hate for it to be boring. He wanted to enjoy every second of his revenge.

There were people involved that were extremely smart. He'd find them though, and he would make them pay for all their mastermind plans, all the suffering they had caused Overwatch and beyond.

He could dance but wasn't generally big on it. When he did decide to dance, he made it fun where he could and he and Jack had plenty to enjoy tonight. He twirled them around and pulled the younger man close against him now and again. Yet, he smirked at the comment, leaning in so their lips brushed together before another twirl. "As you've proven time and time again. You like it rough anyway."

"Yet it would make things easier," commented a bit dryly in turn, but he rolled his eyes because Gabriel Reyes would always just... be like this, some way or another. He both loved and hated it about him, which tended to depend on the context behind it as well. Still, he was moving without resistance wherever Reyes was pulling him along.

Jack wanted to knock out some teeth, maybe more, and the more he managed to find out just made that want burn all the hotter. He wanted satisfaction that just finding the truth wouldn't give. Revenge was the mission, for so much.

Could match the steps and moves, despite how stupidly he could dance outside of something like this- he could dance well. Even returned that brush of lips with a little parting nip simply because Jack knew that he could at this point. "If it isn't rough it isn't fun. Think you'd agree at least a bit there."

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