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Just buried it. [Repeated just as softly.

Before he was taking a long drink from that freshly opened bottle in his own hand. Hadn't been room for it, so he felt, with how things had been falling apart for the both of them. Even if it was still so very much there even when the building fell. Couldn't keep hold of it with what it all meant for him. Buried it along with who he was when he decided his path.

Sinking deep in to Talon, knowing he had an in. Carefully giving only so much to be that painted picture of himself most of the world had wanted of him. Twisted with anger and bitterness. An easy role to fall in to, was all there even if the reasons were kept far more close to his chest.

Jack fucking Morrison was a part of him, always had been since they met and always would be no matter what he felt he needed to do and be. His own anger burned deep, his own hurt. It felt right to rely on him. Fell in to place as if it had just been waiting.]

A lot harder. It's needed, though.

[It was caught, some huff of a noise escaping him.] I need you here with me.

[It was amazing they could rehash this again, the help of alcohol keeping things fresh at least. He was trying to imagine what this hellscape would have done with such emotions and their natural inclination to put off personal feelings for years and years. It no doubt would have had a field-day and it was all the better no one had been there to experience it like that.

Back home, he wouldn't say there was any room for it any longer. They were on different - but the same - mission. It wasn't as if they met again after their little scene in Cairo. Who knew what the end result of that mission would be either.

He was still getting used to the idea that Reyes might call on him. So many years struggling on his own, wandering alone, performing old tasks by himself with only the company of old pictures, and he was a gruff old bastard who hadn't considered the possibility anyone would rely on him anymore.

That it was Reyes wasn't nearly as puzzling; they had always been thick as thieves together. It wasn't even the romantic aspect either. From the moment they met in the SEP barracks to the point where everything fell down around them, he had always liked Reyes. Sure, the guy drove him crazy, but who wouldn't after thirty years working around each other?

This... almost felt natural.

He nodded his head, expecting no other explanation than that. He understood.] Well, I'm here. Let's drink to that, shall we? [He held out his bottle like they should toast together.]

[It was almost a novel concept to trust someone from home like this again; someone that knew his name, his face, his history with every single context clue that was actually available to them. Most of those he couldn't trust anymore; was either dead, a traitor, or a colleague in a terrorist organization that he knew better than to trust at all for the most part.

There was some necessary trust, knowing the personalities of them. Watching quietly, observing, everything he'd always done even while working with people he didn't like. Fully capable of it.

Of course it would be Jack being the familiar face he fell back in to feeling like he could trust in such a way as this. No one knew ho to deal with him an his shit better. No matter how frustrating the man could be, with how much history they had together it was just... there.

He lifted his own bottle, knocking it against the one Jack had held out. A clink of glass-] You're here.

[Taking a long swig after that. Cheers enough.]

[76 knew that, aside from Jesse McCree and himself, there was no one left who knew Gabriel Reyes so well. He knew the tells, knew when something as simple as a quiet presence was necessary to keep the brain worms at bay for a little bit. He knew the Reyes who smiled, who snarled, who made brilliant and terrible decisions, who had found somewhat of a life here and knew at any moment it could be stripped away.

He knew what it cost Reyes to lose everyone. He knew what it cost Reyes to call him in. He knew that the night would be long for them both. Nights like these always were.

Still, he could appreciate the quiet 'clink' of their bottles together, and it might very well the closest they managed to a real call back to the old days. Once the toast was sealed, he lifted the bottle to his lips and drank for him, limiting himself.

He hummed low in his throat and let them get on with the real drinking then.]

[And McCree was already dealing with his own shit, even if pulling up out of his own misery enough to go out rather than spending all of his time in the farmhouse as he had early on. Wasn't going to drag him in to this mess, even as he too had every reason to miss Ana. There as enough of a difference to let him have his own rather than some battle of misery.

Even if it wouldn't really be that.

At the very least Gabriel didn't kill the bottle. Just drained a quarter of it before sinking back. Eating a little more, but drinking far more.

At least he might not get himself sick, but there was a lot more drinking to come.]

Edited (sshhhhhhhh) 2019-09-10 06:50 (UTC)

[They were all dealing with their own shit, some more than others. There was no problem with that in his mind. Everyone had something on the mind. He also knew that Reyes was the type to hide his own issues by convincing himself that everyone else's required more attention and care. Just the way the guy was.

So, they drank. And they nibbled on food. There was no hurry. The night deepened and they became blessedly drunker.]

[Why add his own problems on top of someone else's? Already dealing with something and it simply felt... Well, always felt like it was better to keep his troubles to himself rather than drag someone through his shit on top of their own. Suffering as it was, always took prodding to get him to say anything about his shit, probably always would.

Reason he suffered his own shit alone. Always, until someone pried it out of him.

At least everything was taken care of already, and at most dogs wandered or laid down nearby as they drank and ate. Some quiet company during it all.]

[So they drank and they ate. There were points of chatting, but they were equally comfortable in the silence between them as well, an age old thing that he hadn't particularly experienced with someone who knew him so well in a very long time.

He drank slower, and he was warm and pliable with the drink by the time Reyes had hit that stage of black-out drunk, sagging in the couch and head lulling forward. When he could push the older man over without any complaint, he knew it was time. With a mutter to himself, he hauled himself off of the couch and pulled Reyes up with him.

He slipped Gabe's across his shoulders and slowly dragged them both to the stairs that led to the basement. It was only on the stairs that he realized with a snort of unexplained amusement how drunk he was. He stumbled, nearly tumbled them both, but he managed to walk them safely to the bottom to the nice cool spot.

Gabriel went down to the bed on the floor, and he had enough good sense to make certain that the older man was laid on his side on the off-chance there would be vomit. In his attempt to stand up, he just tangled in the blankets and fell forwards. He issued a low grunting laugh, trying to find his way out of the new predicament and sort of half gave up after untangling his legs.

A little rest. Nothing more than a minute or two. God Gabriel was warm. And safe.

Gotta get up. Gotta get outside. Gotta do a lot of things.]

[Gabriel wasn't much help getting down those stairs at that point, and enough luck was on their side there were no dogs or cats getting underfoot all the while. No, most of them were asleep at that point, and the house was quiet itself other than- well. Normal night noises that came from living out in the country, nothing to pollute that for miles around.

Did sink down like a sack of rocks on that bed, easy enough to get comfortable and sink in to the softness that was the mattress on the floor. All of those pillows and blankets spread out to make it look so much better than it was. Didn't matter there was no bed frame or any of that.

The hundreds of jewel like raindrop 'beads' that hung along the basement's ceiling swayed, creating a sound like soft rain. A white noise despite how sound proofed the room was, made it all feel so damn cozy.

Couldn't help the way he tucked up against Jack, still on his side, but he sought him out even in that drunken state. Some incoherent mumble of something, but Reyes was comfortable. Didn't want to move, and naturally went for the warmth of another body so close to him. One he was familiar with.

Knew was safe around, no matter anything else. Nothing in the way of it.]

[Laying there on the blankets and mattress, warm alcohol filtering through his blood and brain, and Jack thought he could actually sleep. There was the little tinkle of rain overhead, a common white noise sound that brought a sensation of familiar comfort to him.

Gabriel was quick to ease into the limited space that had been between them, covering the distance easily. It had been a very, very long time since he had rested next to another person (well, one that as alive anyway), and Reyes came with such a warm press of familiar that he relaxed as his mental urging of 'get up' slowly faded away.

He instead reached back for an arm to wrap it around his belly and clasp it with a hand. He was in a drunken haze of sleep within seconds, a low sigh leaving him. He was out like a light, warmth at his back, white noise of rain above him. This was safe. This was natural.

Jack woke with a start in the early hours of the morning, crushed in against Gabe's chest behind him, a sour taste in his mouth and a very unfamiliar sleeping spot. He looked around, confused at first until he realized he had collapsed and fallen asleep in Gabe's bed. Shit!

Reyes was still sleeping off the alcohol. The warm comfort was still there, the opportunity to go back to sleep. The growing prickle of paranoia walked its way up his neck, and that was motivation enough to drag himself from the mattress to his feet and stumble away. He stopped at the stairs leading to the main body of the house and looked back then looked up then around. Familiarizing himself.

Then he walked up the stairs, gathered his things and fled from the house.]

[Even if Gabriel didn't usually sleep, the white noise was soothing; even while he worked at the bench on the other side of the room. A good place to be when peace was needed, reason why he had claimed the basement as his and his alone. It and his attic work room were his sanctuaries in all of this, the attic for creativity and... the basement for what he passed off as 'rest' for himself.

It was a black and dreamless sleep once he let himself sink in to it, that arm kept wrapped around Jack without a fuss. No desire to move even before he was out like a drunken light, warm and... safe.

He remained asleep after Jack departed, unaware of anything that had happened. The dogs had come down to take up the spot the other man had occupied, no way of knowing that he'd slept through the night with that warmth replaced.

First time in years he sleeps in, only rising some hours later to... go about his business without knowing. Get ready to go back to the warehouse base and finish the needed cleaning after finishing all other morning tasks.]

[ Is Soldier 76 one to be suspicious when he gets a hum through the amulet from somebody he doesn't know? It's difficult to say if he will know who it is reaching out to him when the thrum this early afternoon comes, only that there is someone trying to get in contact with him, and they don't mind waiting a while for him to 'pick up'.

Because even Tidus isn't sure if he'll get through to the man. Is it possible to just think and want and bam, it happens?

But, when it turns out it is: ]

Hey, guy with all the great adult advice! [ That would be a lot more sarcastic if Tidus wasn't just relieved to get the connection going. It still is a little anyway. ] What's up? You still interested in magic and doing anything?

[What the...? If 76 was expecting anyone to contact him who wasn't Reyes, he was surprised when elevator music began to be hummed along in his head, and he froze as he waited as if this was a trick of this place.

He was deathly quiet on his end of the connection until Tidus' voice sounded, and it identified the kid to him. He issued a low grunting growl of acknowledgement. Right, this guy.]

Don't tell me you've come for adult advice. [He doubted it was that at all.] Are you actually contacting me to 'hang out'? [Please ignore the fact that he sounds both incredulous and suspicious.]

[ Of course this guy would ask that, and despite the vaguest sense of discomfort over the line in general (look, amulet calling is weird, okay), a brief feeling of amusement comes over. ]

No. [ Well. ] Not like that. There's a job going for some weird creatures that've suddenly been attacking people around the warehouses at the port. They know how to drag them out, but sometimes they start flying and they get too fast.

I remembered that weapon you've got. Why don't we work it together? You can see what it's like to speed up!

[This conversation was already a bit baffling, but he supposed he was more comfortable knowing that the invitation was for a mission rather than for developing closer interpersonal relationships.

Missions he could do without issue. They had done one before, and no one had been badly hurt.]

I saw that job, yeah. Are you going to flip around cheerleading or something?

[He suspected Tidus knew a thing or two about that sword he carried around, so he was mostly just checking.]

You're going to cast magic on me. What does it feel like?

[ Well hey, the guy knew. Good, that meant less work in explaining! There's an unimpressed sensation for the cheerleading comment, but at least the guy got there in the end. ]

It's like...feeling loose? You're faster, your body feels faster, but it's not like you can't focus. You're just speedier!

[ Wow don't you miss this guy's explanations of magic. Tidus knows it's not the most helpful, so he quickly goes on: ]

Lemme try it on you and you can see for yourself. If you don't like it... ...it'll wear off eventually! Or I can try slowing you down with more magic? Uh...

[Loose was an interesting way to describe speed magic. He couldn't say he had a problem with that when he stretched before heading out, but if he didn't make him feel like garbage, he would take it. Or at least try it.]

Speed generally isn't a problem, but we can try it.

[He was feeling more confident with this mission, and at worst, at least he would be momentarily entertained. Kid could keep up a good line anyway.]

Let's stick with one spell and leave the rest to time itself. I'm old, so let's not push me too far towards a shallow grave with experimentation. [He's done enough of that in his time.]

What kind of confidence is that in your team mate? Don't worry, you'll feel twenty years younger!

[ It's like you can feel the cocky grin. ]

Meet me outside the Task Centre and we'll go from there! Don't keep me waiting!

[ Tidus won't keep the man waiting anyway!! He won't be as obvious to find as his uniform--with its bright yellow jacket--had made him in the desert, wearing fashion more suited to Verens. He's got a blade with him too, but this time more blue than the Shaarnathian blade he'd rented down below.

But he's still got the same tuft of blond hair and he's still waiting where he promised, hands thrown behind head and not really looking out for Soldier 76; just idly pacing, his eyes up on what's visible of the sky (with branches and the always in-bloom petals of the Tree of Memories in the way. ]

You around the house?

[It was easier to use the crystal than just call out, more so when he was milling about in the backyard, having cleared out snow and was checking on the lantern that was helping keep the property safe. Those little butterflies made of hope fluttering about it and sort of flitting about the entire property here and there.

Really, it kept the dread away but still allowed snow around the farm- Gabriel had been checking on Roxy, making sure that her stable was still keeping in warmth for her. His own paw prints visible in the snow from where he'd been pacing about a little after.]

[Jack hadn't thought that he could contract any illness these days, but of course he was wrong and of course this place turned it all on its head. He had seen the odd wolf-flu going around when he was in town, but he hadn't thought much of it. It wasn't until he had contracted it himself that everything shifted priorities.

By that point, the full measure of winter had set in, and he found a particular advantage to his new form. He was so white that he blended into the snow, which meant he accidentally started some of the animals. Others seemed to take his pacing rounds in stride. He had learned a little on changing, but it was as fickle as the rest of this place, so he ended up wandering as a large hulking wolf until he could convince his body to change back.

Today he had used the advantage of being human to shovel snow off the roof. Better to be safe than sorry. He was finishing up when he received the message, rubbing a gloved hand over his head.]

On the roof. Just finishing up. You need me?

[Soldier: 76 was one who came into situations after surveying the surroundings, making a plan and determining that it was safe for him to slip through and then out of the shadows of pretty much anything. He also happened to be coming up behind Tidus, aware that he could get the drop on the kid if he wanted to.]

Twenty years younger is still double your age, kid.

[How was that as an announcement of his presence being there? Yes, he had arrived, and he was ready to make good on this mission where they would be removing a threat to the docks. His pulse rifle was locked and loaded, slung across his back within easy reach, and like Tidus, he wore the same biker-style jacket and combat gear.]

You weren't waiting long either. [He had arrived first, but he had hidden until the time was right.]

[On the roof. Of course he looked up and could see some of Jack's figure up there, just mentally confirming that, tail wagging a bit under the long coattail. Okay. Good.]

Yeah. You can finish that up, but I'm down in the backyard right now.

[So in other words Reyes was going to be waiting outside for Jack to get down from the roof. Cold wasn't bothering him and he figured that was due to the black fur that for the moment went along his spine and shoulders, down his arms a bit almost like accents. He wasn't fully changed in to a wolf, but enough to know he'd also caught the illness.

It was fine with him, ears carefully tucked under his hood to help keep them a bit protected from the cold.]

[Backyard. Jack turned where he was standing and could see the outline of Gabe's form in the snow, nodding his head. He returned to work, shoving off the last big patches of snow. It was better this way, aware another snow fall was likely to come and he wasn't about to risk the roof cracking under the weight. A safety precaution he had always done at home and for the barn.

Once done, he skidded and slid down to the edge of the roof and simply jumped off to land on the ground. The impact was nothing to him physically, but apparently his whole flu affliction took it to mean he needed to suddenly buckle over as he dropped the shovel and twisted himself up, retaking the form of a large grizzled old wolf who had once been gold but now was almost completely white.

He rose from the pile of snow that he had fallen into, shook himself off and sighed, trotting over to where Reyes was still waiting. At least he could still talk.]

I can't tell who gave whom this stupid hairball disease.

[Gabriel snorted a bit, and of course a hand moved and ruffled up fur between ears before going to rubbing and scritching at those almost affectionately. Like he couldn't resist and damn well wasn't about to. Why should he? Was just the two of them around and no one lived close enough, all of his neighbors were a few miles apart as was.

This was fine.]

Doesn't really matter since we've both got it, right? Hell, pretty mild considering what else there could be.

[Less sick and more... furry.]

[Jack was not living his best life. His changes were erratic, sometimes painful, and they weren't always leaving him in the same condition. Sometimes it was a partial change, sometimes mostly a change and other times a whole change. He missed functional thumbs whenever he was in this form, but he had figured out doors, some tools and didn't mind being able to run about as quickly as a wolf.

He grunted as Gabe decided to pet him, ramming his head against the older man's hip and then side, using that as a way to scratch his white muzzle. Gabe was pack, and thus, the older man was the most comfortable to be around.]

You call this mild? I can't use a can opener or a shovel. [Well, he could if he could grab it in his mouth, but that wasn't the same!]

Did you need help with something?

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