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[dadication]

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[gr1m]

Felt it was apt if Jack wanted to turn his back on him, act as if he wasn't there; may as well step it up and let him feel as alone if he was going to hold up that attitude. Try and punish Gabriel for not letting him run out on some foolish self appointed mission. How he felt at least with his own anger, and it wasn't dying down even as time passed.

A punishment in turn for another, more or less. More so when he felt it was undeserved; there were times he knew he'd earned it, but this damn well wasn't one of them. One unfairness called for another.

He kept shoulders hunched in his own curl, ignoring the fact Jack was there. Gabriel kept arms wrapped around himself in his curl, eyes closed after that half hour rather than boring a hole in to the wall with a stare. Didn't open them when Jack started moving, and didn't move when he heard the door kicked close and the water turn on.

Anger and stubbornness combined, and he wasn't about to move, let alone let the connection fall back in to place. That remained cut off.

[dadication]

Cooler heads were supposed to prevail, but the water wasn't exactly helping with that, not as it poured over him unevenly, the stream not of best quality but it was warm and washed away the filth that covered him slow but sure. His hair might even be back to some odd silvering blond by the time he bothered to step out of it. Maybe.

He knew it was stupid to run off, but he wanted to, needed to. Gabriel was his everything, especially now. If the road was closed for the man in future, he had no idea what the way back was. His only course seemed to be trying to head it off, but it was reckless. He still thought he could do it, could make it, could trick the snipers.

It didn't matter in the end, did it? Cut off from his bond, life honestly lost most of its meaning. Unprepared for it as he had been, injured and broken, nauseous and worn thin... it weighed on him more than usual. Yet another loss, even if it wasn't permanent.

He reached up, slowly rubbing a hand through his hair and wincing, the broken knuckles lighting fire down his fingers. He punched the tiles in the bathroom hard, undoing all of his previous work resetting them. Just to feel anything at all.

He slowly washed one handed, letting the broken one hang by his side. He didn't end up staying too long in the shower, not about to stand under cold water so when it was heading that way, he finished up and shut off the tap. He stood silent and miserable, letting himself drip dry for a few minutes before deciding on an off-white towel and had dubious stains that had been unsuccessfully removed. He basically threw the towel on his head and another around his waist.

[gr1m]

Gabriel didn't stay in place for the amount of time that it took Jack to shower, the anger still sizzling under his skin, keeping it all to himself. Isolating in keeping the bond disconnected; a punishment and letting it be very clear that Jack had apparently crossed a line, a sort of anger that wasn't to be taken lightly.

He moved off the bed, throwing down the oxygen mask and nearly let the thoughts to just leave himself filter across his mind. Knew better than to act on them, even as he eyed the sniper on the floor, picked it up and just set it out of sight, inside the poor excuse of a closet. Hell, even had the temptation to just go outside the door and pay for another few hours. Anything to get out of the room rather than dwell.

Instead he picked up the MRE that had been knocked to the floor, the packet still warm to the touch and seated himself on the floor, back against the bed and facing the entrance door to the room itself. Tearing open the packet and using a spork that came with the pack to very, very slowly eat the still warm macaroni and cheese.

Fuck going another day without eating more than a few bites of an energy bar.

[dadication]

With the link closed off from Gabe's side, he didn't know the location of his bond mate. He didn't know what he was doing, his state of health beyond 'alive', anger or comfort coming down the link. He stepped out of the shower, but didn't even bother with the mirror which was steam covered at this point.

No, he decided to pick through his damaged clothing to see if any of it was salvageable. He washed what he could one-handed in the sink, removing filth and blood from the dark material. Then he hung it to dry, though there was nothing to be done with all the holes and tears in the material as he had no replacements aside from a jacket they had stolen from the EMTs.

After that, he emerged from the bathroom still dripping water but also curling tendrils of blood from his side. Clean made all the deep purple bruises stand out stark on his pale skin, and his knuckles were heavily discoloured but he was grasping the towel that hung on either side of his head. Anxiously, he picked out where Gabriel was immediately, assuring himself his bond hadn't just left for air and space.

He stood quiet and morose for a long moment by the bathroom then glanced aside. "...I'm sorry..." he murmured, his anger having turned to ash and burnt itself out for the most part.

[gr1m]

If he hadn't been keeping the link closed off Gabriel would have left, even if not going far, for space and air. As it was he wasn't going to be more cruel as to up and leave with it cut off. No matter the fact it had crossed his mind a few times; he wasn't aiming to cause panic or worry in the act that could already be seen as cruel on its own.

Wasn't tasting any of what he ate, it was just warm. Little at a time was already an effort on it's own, more some mindless act that was needed than anything more. Done so very slowly it was like he wasn't even making a dent in the amount in the bag itself, more or less eating one noodle at a time.

He didn't turn his head when the door opened didn't move other than the same slow chewing, but at the very least when Jack spoke the bond re-linked slowly. As if that was all it would have taken in the first place-

"Do you know why." Sounded dead and hollow.

[dadication]

Well, Reyes was eating, so that was something. Better than they had managed otherwise, so he could at least take that as some kind of consolation prize. He still was waiting for the older man to simply rise and leave the room now that he could watch it happen rather than find it out while in the bathroom. He likely wouldn't panic given how long they had been bonded, but it would have made him deeply unhappy.

He lingered where he had come to a stop, and he was ever thankful the holovid was still off. He felt the first prickle of the link reopening and twitched visibly, shutting down his side enough that his emotions wouldn't bleed down it. Stress and negative emotions were things he had learned to hide so as not to worry Gabe and distract the man, particularly on missions.

Did he really have to be treated like a child all over again? He chewed his lower lip, ignoring the pain that brought on to the sutures there. "Because I turned my anger on you unfairly."

[gr1m]

If he wanted to think of communication as being treated like a child- "You feeling better, or did it just burn up while you punched a wall and showered." Same dead tone, because with how long they'd been bonded it wasn't difficult to guess what that noise had been..

There wasn't a trace of much on his end of the bond, open as it was, no feeling of why his voice sounded so dead. Easy to guess it was how tired his own anger burning quietly had left him, or easy enough to guess. Just the feeling of him there was open again.

"Food's still warm if you want a go at trying to eat."

[dadication]

"No, not better," he said softly, but he eased forward to head over to the bed slowly. The shower had eased some stiff muscles, but he still moved gingerly for the sake of not tensing up all over again. "Burnt itself out, I guess." He eyed Reyes with the continual dead tone. That was never a good sign.

He seated himself on the edge of the bed, noting the discarded mask and oxygen tank. It seemed that they tired very easily once they weren't high on their emotions, but he also suspected they were hiding some of their emotions from each other. He reached up and carefully rubbed the towel over his hair, but he ended up stopping when he worried he'd dislodge scabs there.

"...I'll pass. You finish it up."

[gr1m]

"Figures." Never a good sign, but he just didn't feel like putting in the effort to change how he sounded. "Were in there long enough," for it to burn out.

The tank was on empty, hadn't really been a whole lot of it left, but it had lasted well over half an hour at the very least. Been no reason to keep it on when it wasn't helping any, and Gabriel just... hadn't felt like hooking up the last one there. Why bother? If his lung was re-filling with blood it would have been wasting air.

That plastic spork was tapped against the package, "Can't." Finish it up.

[dadication]

He grunted softly at the comment about being in the shower long enough. He probably should have kept it brief for the sake of his wounds, but the water had only run clear at the end. He had to wash slowly with one hand anyway. "Probably a bit of hot water if you want it," he murmured back.

Maybe Reyes should sleep instead, if that dead tone of voice was any indication. He pulled himself up on the bed and made his way over to the opposite side to where he had sat, taking up the spot he had slept in, except sitting there and leaning his toweled head against the wall.

"...still nauseous or just exhausted?"

[gr1m]

"Don't trust me in a shower just yet," at least it was some admittance to how he felt? Even if that wasn't great on it's own, but he knew himself. Worried he'd be out of it if he got too hot even i only in a slightly heated shower. With how exhausted he was all over again.

Gabriel fell silent for a moment, listening to Jack move and partially just thinking over an answer.

He ended up holding the packet of still warm mac and the spork in one hand as if just silently asking it to be taken. "Mix of both."

[dadication]

"You'd probably topple," he agreed. It didn't look like Reyes was about to get up and wander around. Hell, he wasn't certain the older man would make it back to the bed without assistance and he had no idea if he had the ability to actually be useful in helping either. They were such a mess. "We can clean you up tomorrow morning before we leave."

He was exhausted all over again crawling back into bed. He also ached, but that was the new normal too.

It took him a moment to recognize the gesture of holding up the package, and he struggled to lean forward to take it from Gabriel's fingers, setting it on the bedside table next to him instead. Best not to leave such items on the floor. "Come back to bed and rest?"

[gr1m]

There was a slight sound of agreement there,because really, "And I doubt you're in any condition to deal with me if I get another concussion from falling in the shower." Not at the moment anyway. "Yeah, be more rested and you can probably help me keep my footing better," so at the very least he wasn't refusing help. That apology had gone a long way it seemed.

He let his hand fall back down on to his lap, legs stretched out in front of him, still sitting on the floor, back rested against the side of the bed.

"Give me a minute- and we still have to check you over and redo any of your stitches that popped." Of course he was going to be sticking to that. "Did you fuck up your knuckles again?"

[dadication]

"Don't think either of us are in any condition to deal another concussion at this point," he agreed. He wasn't certain he had the strength to hold Gabriel up or pick the older man up if fallen in a shower. "It will feel better when you're clean, I imagine," he added softly, though it would have to wait until tomorrow.

He should apply bandages to some of his injuries again, but that took energy that he didn't have. Already, his head was dipping towards his chest, and he almost regretting choosing to remain seated. They also probably didn't have enough supplies for lengthy bandaging, so it was better to save their supplies.

"It's not bleeding anymore," he grunted. It would heal. He would heal. He glanced at his knuckles which were swollen bruised and obviously broken. "They'll heal like everything else. Might need to hold off driving stick for a few days."

[gr1m]

Definitely agreed with that point, too. They were still in the beginnings where all of it was so fresh, and had to get it through both their thick skulls that they needed to try and take it easy, let themselves heal before running off to do shit. "Probably," but right now he couldn't chance it.

Gabriel let out a slow breath, head falling back to rest against the bed, looking up at Jack. His eyes were... not quite glassy, but somewhere just before it as if to match that dead tone of his voice. Exhausted, tired, hurt in more ways than just physically. Both of them were such a fucking mess and as much as they wanted to do something now... It wouldn't help anything. Wouldn't help either of them like this.

"At last wrap your hand with something, sunshine." Trying, but he just didn't have the energy to pick himself back up. Couldn't hide the sound of his voice like he could keep the feelings going through the bond. "Don't do this to yourself."

[dadication]

Had they even made twenty-four hours yet? He doubted that they had. It wasn't as if they were two guys that sat still much for anything, and there was no one in medical to nag them into bed or lock them down to it. No, they were fully capable to be reckless stressed idiots that still believed there was some mission or another to partake in. He figured the only reason they were still here in one place was because of a combination of exhaustion and a deep need to take care of the other when severely injured.

His eyes were on his knees mostly, half closing as he fought the urge to just shut them completely and nap like this. He would definitely live to regret it if he did. With the bond between them narrowed so his emotional state didn't cross, he was somewhat unaware of Reyes' own suffering. He had felt much of it before Gabe had previously locked down their link, suffered in the same way his bond did.

He shifted and lifted his head a little then shrugged. "No point. You can't cast a broken hand and bandaging it will waste our materials." Apparently they were back to pet names now, or Reyes was too exhausted to notice at this point. "I already did this to myself. I'll live with the consequences."

[gr1m]

"We'll get more- remember the bunker? Well stocked in case of emergencies." Because Gabriel Reyes was a paranoid bastard and always wanted to prepare for the worst. This was not the Worst that he had planned for, however. "We can use this and stock back up there, and your hand will heal or at least feel a bit better if there's some sort of... reinforcement to stabilize it."

It was easier to concentrate on Jack rather than himself, even if he sounded so very detached due to the dead tone. Only stating things instead of... well.

"Consequences will effect the both of us now, not just you and not just me."

[dadication]

"And who knows how long we'll be there with the way we're pulling our stitches," he remarked, even if he finally gave in and shifted on the bed to lay on his back. It was so much easier, even if he curled on one side to take the strain off of some of his incisions. He would have liked to encourage Reyes on the bed with him, but he understood that such a feat required energy. "It's fine as it is. I just need to leave it suspended. It's too swollen for a bandage and I doubt you grabbed splints."

He hadn't looked that deeply into their medical supplies aside from what they had needed in the now of putting each other back together. After all, he'd crawled out with a sprained wrist and so maybe he had added to that with the busted knuckles. Reyes was concerned, he understood, but he just... wanted to lay here and not do anything anymore.

"Bigger consequences if you can't even muster energy to get back into bed. What's a hand compared to that?"

[gr1m]

Eyes closed, Gabriel tired of staring up at Jack and towards the ceiling, seeing more of it than him anyway. "Can make do, done it before with even less at our disposal," Not like they could keep full supplies while moving during the Crisis. Supplies running short, separated and holed up in some blown out building. How were those almost better times than what had been happening around them lately? Things had been circling, hadn't they?

Shoulders slumped and he couldn't even hold the slight block on his end of the bond, the exhaustion and... everything flooding through without him even realizing. Detached and running on practically nothing. The bit of food just enough to all go towards his own healing. Body taking every last thing it could for it.

"Two hands are pretty useful."

[dadication]

Their situation now was a little like the Crisis where they were constantly on the move and had limited supplies to get them through. Unlike the Crisis, they had no idea who to trust or how to deal with injuries. They had been assigned medics here and there thankfully. "I know. We'll make it like we always do."

He was still able to reign in emotion on his side of the bond, but he was aware that Reyes' side was opening again, bleeding through utter defeat and exhaustion to him. Gabe needed sleep, food and limited stress. How the hell were they going to be able to move by the morning hours? He had no idea.

"You should get up into bed or you're going to end up sleeping down there and be even more stiff and uncomfortable when you wake," he murmured, ignoring the comment of two hands. He didn't have that right now, wouldn't even with a bandage on the broken one. "I can help you if you need it."

[gr1m]

At the very least there wasn't the constant patrol of weaponized omnics to worry about. Just had to find a way to slip out of the city and get out to the bunker. Steal a car, maybe? Would have been a bad idea to keep the ambulance, and maybe a bike would be better. Easier to ditch than an entire car. Especially out near any wilderness— "Just have to work together."

And not go running out alone on an emotion fueled one man mission that would be suicide for someone who could die easily. Still incredibly stupid for either of them, but at least he wasn't of the mind or mood to think it.

"The floor's softer than the bed, or so it feels at the moment." Or he was just that tired, snorting a bit. "You should be trying to eat- at least one of us should."

[dadication]

There were great challenges to face, likely one of those being that the world might assume that they were dead. It allowed a different narrative to be written against them, and he felt helpless to stop it. They had faced all manner of terrifying, deadly situations and somehow this one seemed to suck the air right out of his lungs if he thought too much about it. "As you say. Somehow make everything better together."

He would still take that mission someday. His temper ran lower than most, but it smoldered for a long period of time. Morrison's never forget slights against them or theirs. He would let the suicide mission go for now, but he wouldn't forget that it required his attention in future.

"Your ass is lying to you. That floor couldn't be soft if it tried," he replied, as he considered getting up to haul Reyes back into bed. "When I came out, you were eating, so that's one of us." He shifted slowly and painfully, using his elbow to force his way to seated position and then he shuffled off the bed to come to where Reyes was seated, looking down at the older man. "Let's get you back into bed, alright?"

[gr1m]

A narrative that was false and just meant to tie everything up in a bow, but it also meant they would have a large amount of freedom to move if they did things just right. Use it to their advantage, even if they couldn't live anything close to a normal life; Gabriel didn't plan on settling down with all of this anyway. "We're a force to be reckoned with together," two man army.

Gabriel didn't plan on just leaving things like that, but he knew they needed to focus on healing and other things before diving in to combat the story. Couldn't just go in guns blazing, they had to take out as many people involved as possible all at once, and that would take time and planning.

Eyes rolled more at the second statement than the first. "You need to eat as much as I do- didn't we have a deal? I eat only if you eat, or you going back on that." How he remembered that one was something, and he sounded more mildly grumpy than anything, even if it died in that continued hollowed out tone. He glanced up at Jack once noticing he was there looking down at him, a hand placed back against the bed and only the other offered up.

"Fine."

[dadication]

Jack didn't think he was built for an under-the-radar life, the secret shadow creeping one. He honestly didn't think that he would be good at it, least of all after spending so much time in the limelight for the last twenty-five years. He understood he might not have a choice, that results would be more effective if he wasn't in front of a camera, but it was a big change of pace to consider and he was already dealing with everything else. "Always are."

They could, but it wasn't wise. His anger was the only thing he had left that was strong right now, but ruining his hand meant he literally couldn't go out on his own. Not until he had use of it again. It made life hard all around, but he would cope.

"Wasn't that before we had our latest temper tantrum and stormed away from each other to mope in separate rooms?" At least he could be honest about it. After all, eating hadn't been priority when Reyes shut him out of their link like a punishment. He shook his head slightly at the offered arm and leaned down to slip one arm around Gabe's back and the other under the man's knees to simply lift him. It didn't look like Reyes had to energy to get up even with a pull. He struggled and strained to hoist the other, but he got him up enough to sit on the edge of the bed. Might have popped another stitch along the way, but Gabriel was up and in a far more comfortable place.

"There. Lay down and rest."

[gr1m]

"Always will be," even if they had to take it easy for a while, but that wasn't stopping Gabriel's mind from planning ahead. What they could do, but most importantly what they needed to do. How they were going to get out of this city and where they could go after the bunker. Anything to keep them both going and safe until they could plan something more.

There was a slight narrowing of eyes, but the affect was sort of lost with how glassy those normally dark yet warm brown eyes looked. Mixture of exhaustion and pain just making everything a mess. "You mean trying to punish me after your tantrum like I was the one in the wrong, me retaliating because that was damn well crossing a line in your anger, and then you went off to mope and re-break your hand." Could say it was a temper tantrum before that yes, emotions running high and fear a spike through the pit of his stomach of how it could all go wrong if Jack had gone out that door. Didn't fight the help up.

Gabriel figured if he struggled it would just be worse on Jack, catching him by the wrist of the not ruined hand. "You need to let me take care of you, or else this isn't going to work." Any of it.