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[dadication]

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[dadication]

Their families had been some of the very few people who had known about the full measure of their association with each other. Bond-mates, friends, lovers, family and comrades. His parents had been more than pleased to hide them out on the farm or use vast networks of farming ties to settle them into a place where they could have time together. He and Gabe had grown very creative about making time, and he was ever so glad for that now as he lay in the comfort of Reyes' arms shivering himself back to a normal body temperature. As terrible as the situation was, he was as comfortable as he could manage.

He nodded slightly, turning his head a bit more to peer back at Gabe behind him. "Did I ever tell you she asked me when we were getting married and that she offered the family farm to house any horde of Reyes clan that came?" He shook his head, bittersweet memories of his family. "I did have enough and they were ever thankful of your pa's roasting skills and what sauce he used on the meat." He had ate so much, all he could do was lay down somewhere and let it digest. Sort of like now, except they were just struggling to heal instead. "Good times."

He hummed, trying and mostly failing to nuzzle back with the angle his head was at. "Pinky promise we'll both eat when we wake up, yeah?" He held up his pinky like it was a manly thing to do.

[gr1m]

Hell, Gabriel's own parents had gotten in touch with a grandparent of his in Dorado and had them set up a place there on occasion. Was nice and peaceful and managed a place with a hell of a view. Their parents were supportive as hell of them and, well, he'd always been grateful for his own and the Morrisons for that and more.

"No, I don't think you did," and yet it didn't surprise him. Head lifted and supported enough by a pillow to at least help make it a little easier for them to look at each other. Especially while still keeping hold of Jack. "Would have been a hell of an event for both our families, I think." They'd just never had the time to think much about marriage, did they? Felt like they already were most of the time. "Very good times." All of it.

Gabriel lifted his hand and curled his pinky with Jack's, some soft sound of amusement just under his breath. "Pinky promise."

only these idiots would pinky promise to eat

[dadication]

"She was big on weddings, but I honestly think she wanted an excuse to put top hats on all the farm animals," he murmured, smile tugging at his lips. "She probably would have made you ride a horse to the alter." His mom was big on seeing what she could convince Gabe to do that was absolutely ridiculous and then cheer for him when and if he did it.

He hummed, having never thought much on marriage himself. There had never seemed to be time or inclination, not when it came to running Overwatch together. Honestly, he was happier keeping the depth of their relationship private, and he didn't need a ring on his finger to show his life-long dedication to Reyes. Their bond was so strong, well-developed despite finding each other into adulthood. "Your dad cooking for hundreds of people would have put him in his glory though."

He cuddled back into Gabe's chest carefully as their fingers curled around each other. "Done deal," he murmured and then shifted his hand under Reyes' and slipped his fingers between Gabe's so they could hold hands and he could wrap their combined arms around his waist. He was still shivering, but he was settling down again, easing into sleep after a few minutes.

even they cannot break a pinky promise despite stubbornness, stupidly cute tho

[gr1m]

There were multiple reasons he loved Jack's mom, and that later bit was one of the big reasons. "Would have been a heck of a shindig," even if it was kept just between family and very close friends, large enough even for being something private. An oddly nice thought for the moment, honestly.

"Would have loved every second of it, even put on what he'd call a show during the cooking and all that," because it was not his mother that Gabriel got his dramatics from. As far as Gabriel was concerned they didn't need anything official, nice as it could be to carry a ring, that little bit of extra physical weight, they had a different bond with the same weight to it. In a way their strength was their bond, and so long as one of them was there it would remain true with the other.

"Good," letting Jack shift their hand and arms, fingers curled in that lacing as he let himself relax that much more. Eyes closed and something soothed at that promise for them to both eat, silly as it might have seemed to anyone else. They needed the rest as much as they needed to eat and drink. Wrapped up in that blanket on the bed they'd rest better and would wake up warm at the very least.

[dadication]

It would have been a wild and wonderful shindig, but it was never to be. He would never risk Reyes that way, not with all the Blackwatch missions where knowing Gabriel had a significant other could be used against the man if there had been any capturing. They were secretive and private, so what they had was good enough for him. He didn't need to a ring to know how much he loved Reyes, even when the older man was being a complete obtuse stubborn idiot (or maybe even more when he was driving Jack crazy).

He fell asleep shivering in the comforting weight and grasp of Gabe's arms, all of his aches and pains mostly muted as he fell back into that state of unconsciousness. He relaxed and did eventually stop shivering as his body temperature rose back to normal with their combined efforts, allowing him to sleep deeper and more comfortably in the process. It would have upset him to think how much they were sleeping, even if he knew they reasonably needed it.

It wasn't until darkness was setting in that he woke again, this time naturally rather than because of some noise. He blinked his eyes open, recalled where he was and why and shifted into a careful stretch and flexed his fingers in Reyes'. He was warm and that was a good way to wake up.

He also realized as he lay there that he was hungry. Very hungry. And thirsty. He lifted his head, wondering where Reyes had left that half of a protein energy bar, but he was on the wrong side of the bed to locate it. Instead, he craned his neck to look back at the partner of his life to check his status.

[gr1m]

It was nice, not being startled awake or jerked out of sleep by some noise or pressing matter that had Danger screaming in the back of his mind. Arm still wrapped around Jack even in his sleep, cuddled up against his back and still curled, chin having tucked against his shoulder at some point during the night. Hadn't moved much other than that, not really one to toss or turn unless it was some fitful sleep.

Dreams pleasantly black, and maybe that was a blessing considering everything, likely due to the mix of pain meds flowing through his system.

That arm tightened around Jack for a moment, even if all he was doing was moving his head, Gabriel stirring just enough as his brow furrowed with some low noise. Surprising tat the stretch earlier hadn't woken him, but perhaps he was just being slow to wake with how tired he'd been. Both of them had been-

An eye did crack open slightly, squeezing Jack's hand- "Time isit?"

[dadication]

Maybe he shouldn't have moved, since it had woken Gabe up. He didn't have many regrets about that, given how quickly they seemed to be finding sleep in the last twenty-four hours when it came to each other. They had been exhausted after all, barely even able to make it up on the bed the first time they had laid down, so this was a comfortable shift from before. Waking up without alarm. Feeling marginally better.

He hummed and turned his head again to look around, but the shitty alarm clock was set behind them on the bedside table, probably with half a protein bar nearby. The lack of light had clearly helped in keeping them asleep, and he sighed and rested his head back down upon the pillow.

"Dunno," he murmured back. "Dusk I would guess. How's the lung?" This would be the first time Gabe had slept without the oxygen mask to help after all.

[gr1m]

Didn't mind being woken up, not when it was just from Jack shifting about in the bed; that was pleasant compared to all the other ways he could be woken up. All the better -maybe- that there was no real urgency to get out of bed or let go of Jack if he didn't want to.

Still, it was with a grunt that Gabriel started to do more than shift himself, stretching and pulling an arm free slowly to sort of push himself up a bit. "Dusk." Not as bad as it could have been, could be the next morning with the manager pounding on the door of the room again—

A hand rested over his chest, as if that was going to help gauge it, "Better? I think at least. Can breathe well enough." Not the best, but better than it was.

[dadication]

Jack was not about to be woken up by the manager again, figuring they would be up and out before that could happen. He had no idea what path they would take to get out of the city, but he knew that they would, that their time for actual rest would make itself present when they had made it to one of Gabe's safe houses. It would be secret and stocked and they could regroup there.

He only decided that he could move more once Reyes did, easing from his side to laying on his back so he could look over at the older man and even reached out with his free hand to stroke his scabbed, blooded knuckles across the bruised expanse of Reyes' chest. He looked a bit better, more colour, less like a massive building fell on him. Who was he kidding? Reyes still looked like a building fell on him.

"Better is something," he agreed, casting his eyes around the darkened room. "Turn on a light?"

[gr1m]

The both looked like a building had fallen on them, and while he could breathe a bit easier without the oxygen mask he could still fear the soreness every time he took a breath. Not just in his chest at least, so a lot easier to toss up to general soreness with aches and pain from said building and... everything else between then and now.

He caught Jack's hand, just holding it against his chest for a little bit and, well. Still needed contact, that wouldn't stop being a need for a long while, more than likely. Be fine.

"Mm," hummed as Gabriel leaned over enough to turn on the lamp, wincing just a little and closing his eyes. Needed to adjust to the light. "That better?"

[dadication]

Maybe before they left they could consider a wipe down, remove some of the dirt, blood and bits of material that covered their bodies. He knew that looking like a building had fallen on them both would arouse suspicion when they finally left this place, and he wanted to be able to keep his head down. Maybe they could both find some hoodies and make the most of it.

His fingers stroked back and forth, offering what comfort he could from the physical contact. He didn't make any effort to remove his hand right now, even if he had to turn his face away when the light came on. Ah, that hurt.

It wasn't a great light, bathing the room in a low sickly yellow colour, but it allowed him to turn his head and look at Gabe again, trying to see how healing was progressing. The bruising was still deep and purple, but there didn't seem to be a complete rip roaring infection sighted. That was probably coming.

"Better," he agreed, fingers stroking up to cup the side of Gabe's face. "You have a bit better colour. How's the energy level?" Still exhausted like him?

[gr1m]

Gabriel didn't try to keep sat straight, instead slouching to the point his back rested against the wall and a few pillows. Gave Jack's hand another something of a squeeze, eyes still closed as his head fell back against the wall, too. Taking a moment, he was still up and not laying back down so he was going to give himself that much credit.

"Tired as hell, still." Likely because he hadn't eaten, there was nothing to give him energy while healing took up whatever sort of reserves there might have been in his body. Shit sucked, more of less.

Head tilted to the side, cracking an eye open just enough to look at Jack. "Yours?"

[dadication]

Reyes was doing far better than he was when it came to sitting up; he hadn't even bothered to try just yet, still laying in bed but reaching out to touch and examine the older man. He almost suggested that Gabe lay back down, but out of the two of them, Reyes might be the one to get them some MREs at this point. Thankfully he was no longer cold, even considered himself nice and toasty.

"You look like hell," he remarked, some of his old humour creeping in. That had to be a good sign, right? He knew shit was going to suck for the next week or so while they healed, assuming they could do so in peace and quiet. "I don't feel like I need to sleep immediately, so that's something, right? Still tired."

He rolled onto his side, which also felt like an accomplishment and proceeded to cuddle on Gabe's hip, sliding an arm around the older man's waist. "We should eat. Can your stomach handle that?"

[gr1m]

Would gladly grab some MREs and even the rest of that energy bar, but just in a moment or two. Wasn't going to let either of them break that pinky promise made before this last bout of sleep. Figured that the both of them would be going in and out of it for a while, but hopefully soon it would be in the comfort of a place he actually felt that the both of them would be safe.

He snorted, "Well, good. Means we match for once." Tossing it right back at him, eye closed against as he took slow and deep-ish breaths. Testing the limits of his lung a bit, maybe. "It's something, yeah."

A hand slipped down to sort of ruffle carefully through Jack's hair before resting against the back of his head. Pretty happy with having him close. "Think so, long as I take slow small bites at a time. Water, too."

[dadication]

"Why do I like you again," he remarked dryly, but he didn't mean it in the least. Of course they both looked like hell. Maybe, just maybe they were slowly gathering the energy to do something about it for once. God knew they needed to. "You're breathing a bit better. Doesn't sound like you're lung is about to deflate like a party balloon anymore at least."

He made a sound between pleasure and pain at the ruffling. His hair hurt. How in the hell did even his hair manage to hurt? It was definitely his scalp, but he was going to think of it as his hair. He hugged Reyes' hip for comfort, nodding as he rested a cheek on Gabe's belly, still trying to find comfortable ways to shift his head where the sutures didn't press.

"When the time comes, you get food and I'll get water. I can handle that simple job, I think." He might even be successful at not spilling it again too.

[gr1m]

"My thighs, that thing I can do with my tongue, and a certain way I can move my hips?" A tease with a soft noise in his throat. May as well play along while he could manage it, even if it would only be for a little while. "That I'm grateful for, was worried we'd run out of oxygen soon in the tank."

All Gabriel did was try to help Jack find a comfortable spot, hand slipping down along the back of his neck to rest against his back instead. Could take the bit of extra weight there, and really he just enjoyed the feeling of Jack there against him. Was nice, even if there were still bruises that hurt like hell.

"Deal- think we can both handle that." At least that much, maybe.

[dadication]

He dug his fingers into Gabe's side for that sass. "Stop it. I don't have the blood volume to risk getting aroused right now," he retorted with, not that he thought he could at this point. He was too sore, but he knew that Gabe was being a sass-master over a rhetorical question. It was in that moment he knew that both of them would survive their current injuries. "Think you were running low before you whisked me out of the bathroom. Just need more time to heal."

He hummed, his eyes closing because it was far easier than convincing himself to keep them open. He waited, letting himself be comfortable for a few more minutes and then mentally began to prod himself that it was time to get up and shuffle off to the bathroom for water. He could manage that. If Gabe could do it, so could he.

Still, a few more minutes passed before he finally forced his eyes open and lifted his head and then looked the way of the end of the bed. Ugh, so far. Jack levered himself up after a few seconds, grumbling in pain even as he crawled down the bed and even managed to stand up from it without making a complete ass of himself in the process.

"Okay... water. Two glasses coming up," he said to motivate himself away from the bed. He moved around to the bedside table where their two empty glasses had been abandoned and then shuffled to the bathroom where he filled them up with water. He risked looking in the mirror and instantly regretted it. What a mess.

"Your stitches are neat and tidy, but not sure there's hope for my face," he remarked. Honestly it was the dried blood and dirt that made it look worse. He'd scar, but it wouldn't be horrible. He headed back with the water, setting them both on the bedside table.

[gr1m]

He laughed despite the small sound of pain that came from the digging fingers, "You know that just means I'm right." They would be okay, and they would recover, just had hit several dozen bumps on the way to that point already. "Mm, yeah, but we both needed to get out of tat bathroom," so he willingly sacrificed what he was barely running on to do that. He'd do practically anything for Jack after all.

Gabriel nodded slowly, forcing himself to stand, but at the very least using the wall as something of a support to do so. "Two glasses of water, and two MREs to go with that," along with the other half of that energy bar since he knew right where it was.

Already he was going through where they had tossed the MREs and picked them up, walking back to the bed so he could sit down, dropping them on the bedspread as he had the energy bar picked up in a hand. Looking back up when Jack spoke, watching his back in the bathroom from where he sat.

"Didn't fall in love with you for your face anyway, but scars look good." The man would always look good to Gabriel, no matter the state of him.

[dadication]

How they managed to function was anyone's guess, but they managed to return to the bed with their respective prizes to push their recovery that next step. While MREs weren't going to replace actual cooking, they would be better than just eating protein bars and would offer more nutrients and energy for them in the long run. It was a meal they both needed even if they might not appreciate that right away.

With the water delivered, he eased to pull himself back up on the bed, seating himself against the headboard and reached up to run his fingers along the sutures on his face. They were most uncomfortable close to his lip, but there was nothing that he could do about them. They were neat and tidy, but more than that, they were holding his face together at present. "Some would argue that you don't have a choice when it come to loving me."

Soul bond and all that.

He reached out to run his palm carefully across the wide spread of Gabe's shoulders. He leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes as he stroked battered and damaged skin. "Why do I get the impression you'll be kissing and licking these scars when they finally set in?"

[gr1m]

They had better days, honestly, but sometimes it was hard to understand how they managed to function at all. Likely stubbornness to be completely honest. Stubbornness and whatever the hell SEP had pumped them full of.

The corner of Gabriel's mouth twitched a bit, "Some don't get that it doesn't exactly work like that, since people can fall in love with anyone other than their soul mate." Considering the people who never met their other half and still had relationships, even got married. "Still love you, and wouldn't want anyone else," were just perfect for each other, arguments or no. Just how being human was.

Gabriel was careful as he ran a few fingertips along the sutures that ran along Jack's forehead, just checking on them a little. "Because I'll likely be kissing them? And licking the one that goes through your lips." Kissing that one regardless as well.

[dadication]

If anything the SEP had only enhanced their stubborn natures and willingness to carry on despite injury. Sometimes he wondered if the SEP had strengthened the bond that also existed between them, what with how they knew if the other was hurt even from countries apart. Could nag better that way.

"And some soul mates leave their significant others at the time to be with their bonds," he also reminded, maybe arguing for the sake of arguing. He had enough energy for it anyway. "You'd be a mess without me anyway," he said airily. "I both complicate and streamline your life at all times, and you do the same for me. I think this is the first time you've had to stitch my face up... always done that for you." Oh how the tables had turned.

He bowed his head towards Gabe's touch, humming lightly despite a prickle of pain from the healing injury. "Huh, knew I would be guessing right," he remarked cheekily, fingers stroking over Gabe's skin affectionately in return. "Come on, let's see about getting some food down and fighting to keep it down. We need it."

[gr1m]

Hell, the doctors and scientists would have likely run so many other tests on the two of them if they knew. Been more difficult to keep shit private and secret in SEP, but they had tried. Honestly everything that could have happened back then, shit they could have especially been pulled in to, was better left not even thought about or imagined.

"If they find them at all- they're still capable of falling in love with other people, is all I'm saying." A silly little argument with nothing really behind it. Gabriel was glad to have his and couldn't imagine loving anyone else, but they'd been lucky. "Just as you'd be a mess without me. Think I did an aright job in what you usually do for me," the face stitch-work. Could have done a lot worse, but thankfully he'd been able to steady his hand.

Pressed a light kiss against the corner of Jack's mouth before tilting his head away from that. "Yeah, might start with a bit of water for me first, take it slow- let the MRE's heat up with their warming packs or you just want to eat whatever that shit is cold?

[dadication]

While the bond wasn't common, it wasn't an extreme rarity either. It was often celebrated quietly given how difficult it was for partners to find each other in the vastness of the world. For them, hiding their bond had been a matter of long-term survival. Omnic forces were smart, could learn and they certainly knew the kinds of people to target. After that, the political ring was no place for a tightly bonded pair, not when his position allowed him to cover Reyes, who could do the best work if out of the limelight. Sometimes he wished their friends knew. Other times, it was still best to keep it all so very private.

"I know. We just got lucky," he murmured, hand still stroking Gabe's skin. "I never thought I'd get over Vincent and then I met you," he added with a low hum that turned to a light cough. Damn cement dust. "I could make do without you, but I'd be terrible and horrible to be around." If Gabe was gone too long on missions, he was known to get taciturn and best to be avoided. "Fine craftmanship holding my face together according to the mirror I looked into."

He closed his eyes briefly, looking over at the water glasses. He nodded slowly, more tempted by a warm meal than water at this point. "Take it slow so you don't puke everywhere," he agreed, hand stroking up and down Gabe's arm. "I want a warm meal. I may as well get something pleasant out of having to eat them in a grungy hotel like this." He couldn't shake the idea he felt cold even if he was perfectly warm right now. "I hope that assassin at least had good flavours of MREs. Just our luck he can't even manage something tasty." Though no one ate MREs for their taste.

[gr1m]

Was what it was, and they'd made the best out of having to keep it a secret, stealing time even while working. They made it work, best and worst of times they always came back together and pulled comfort from each other. Just as they fell back in to now, even if now it was something far more dire in a way than just one of them being away or getting injured during a mission.

Corner of his mouth twitched, "And to think I was going to get married once the war was over if things kept going like they were." That had worked out on both ends, honestly, even they had stumbled across their own while he was gone and didn't know how to break the news to him. Still kept that friendship, and he'd even told Jack about it of course. "Should heal well enough, we'll clean around the stitching after we eat, okay?" Just to maybe help reduce any itching.

Gabriel nodded, even if it was more a tilt of his head. "Start with water and nibble at things." All the better to lessen the risk of something coming back up. "Then we can take more meds while the MRE's heat up- and I pulled some choices." Leaning just enough, so he wasn't pulling away from that stroking hand, to present at least six different choices, letting Jack pick from them.

[dadication]

When he was angry, he wanted to shout at the world that Reyes was his bond, and he'd tear the entire place down for the man. It had never come to fruition, but he had dreamed about it as the political roller coaster seemed to pull him in so many directions all at once. The family life had never been in the cards for him, even if he had had a pipe dream about it awhile back. Duty came first, and his position made even the idea of adoption impossible. He had his bond, and he was satisfied.

He hummed, aware of Gabe's plans after the war, of settling down, probably starting a real family, not living the circus he and Reyes did. She had bonded though, and Gabe had become his fully after that. Still, sometimes he thought of missed opportunities when he was in particularly quiet moods. "If she hadn't bonded off, I would have encouraged you to. A real family is not something to be taken for granted. Instead we have this secretive song and dance we do. Sometimes I think it would have been happier for you." It had never been anything they had pushed though, and each of them had been happy for the other. "You're assuming I make it ten days without popping a stitch. What kind of man do you take me for?" He would like it cleaned. Hell, he really wanted to be clean all over.

Agreeably, he hummed acknowledgement, looking over at the choices that he could pick through. He decided on a mac and cheese one, thinking it would be the easiest on his stomach. Go figure he would be the one to puke in all of this despite Gabe's nausea. "Let's hope these don't taste like boiled cardboard."