Sorry for the wait. Was working on a fic for the R76 bigbang. Now back to magica!au kid!fic.
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Jack dresses Jesse in one of Gabe’s shirts, a long sleeved button up in a deep burgundy that’s more than big enough to work as a night shift for the boy. He’s trying to detangle and maybe trim Jesse’s mess of hair when Gabe returns. He approves of the color on Jesse, and then shows the meager options in bolts of cloth he picked up in the general store.
Jesse is good enough to stay still for Jack and is equally as good for Gabe when he takes a measuring tape from his travel sewing kit and sizes up the boy. Gabe gets to work on a rough cut and pins together shapes for a shirt, a pair of slacks, and a pair of underpants. He sits by an open window, where the afternoon light is best, and starts stitching.
As soon as Jack claims he’s done all he can for the boy’s hair to make him presentable, Jesse clambers up onto the back of Gabe’s chair to sit in the sun with him and watch his hands.
He’s a ball of curiosity, now that he seems to have found some comfort with Jack and Gabe, and has taken to asking as many questions as he can about everything.
“Where we goin, again?”
“To Port Gibraltar.”
“How we gettin there?”
“By train.”
“I like trains. How long’s it gonna take?”
“About three days.”
“Is Port Gribbler a big place?”
“Port Gibraltar is a Capital city. It’s a very big city.”
“With lotsa peoples?”
“Thousands of people.”
“You stitch all yer clothes, too?”
“I have a machine at home that makes it faster, but yes, I do sew Jack’s and my own clothes.”
Jack tries to read, but he finds the sight of the small boy practically curled around Gabe’s head as he sits on the back of the comfy chair amusing. Jesse has a difficult time sitting still, being a growing boy full of energy, but Gabe is as patient with him as he is with his sewing.
As the afternoon progresses, so does the sun across the sky, shifting the angle of its light through the window. Jack watches curiously as Jesse abandons his perch on the back of the chair to follow it. First, moving to sit on the armrest beside Gabe, then to the ottoman Gabe rests his feet on, then to patch of evening sunshine at Jack’s feet.
Jack doesn’t think the room to be that chilled, but the boy is used to lounging in the warmth of the sun, if their couple of visits to the barn were anything to go by. Considering how eagerly he got into the hot bath, the child probably absorbs heat. If that is the case, he isn’t a Catalyst class like Gabe, who needed a reagent. Perhaps he is a Dynamo class Mage, needing to charge his conjuration like a battery? A visit to the Conservatory will clear things up, Jack knows.
They have their dinner delivered to their room from the nearby tavern. It’s a hearty stew with crusty bread, something that warms from the inside out. Jesse picks around all the vegetables to eat the meat and sops up the broth. It takes come cajoling before Gabe is able to get Jesse to eat the potatoes and carrots, but the boy still won’t eat the peas or onion. The adults count it as a win and make sure Jesse gets his fill of bread.
By bedtime, Gabe has underpants and pants made for Jesse, but is still working on his shirt. A trundle pulls out from under the foot of the bed, complete with mattress and bedding, to give Jesse his own place to sleep. Yawning and rubbing his eyes, Jesse stubbornly claims he isn’t tired.
“We are,” Jack says, folding and putting away his and Gabe’s clothes from the day. “It’s been a long day for us. We’ll sleep, but maybe you’ll like to enjoy your warm blankets?” It’s enough to convince Jesse to be tucked in for the night.
Gabe and Jack climb into the bed, and before Gabe can draw the lights out from the lamps, Jack cups his face and gives him a goodnight kiss. It’s tender and slow, easily comminucating all his feelings for his friend and partner, leaving Gabe practically melting and Jack feeling breathless.
They aren’t used to the affronted squawk and little eyes peering at them from the foot of the bed. “Yuck, you share cooties?!”
“There’s nothing wrong with sharing cooties,” Gabe says defiantly. “I love Jack’s cooties.”
“I love Gabe’s cooties, too,” Jack says, his arm curling possessively around Gabe. “Just wait until you find someone you’ll want to share your cooties with.”
They could barely see his face, but by the scrunch of his eyes, they can tell he’s making a childishly disgusted face. “I don’t have cooties!”
Gabe curls into Jack’s side, playfully pressing chaste kisses into whatever bare skin he can reach. Jack smiles and kisses Gabe’s forehead. “You will, one day,” Jack says. “You will and won’t even remember why you thought it was so gross.”
Jesse pops up enough over the foot of the bed to give them a raspberry before ducking back down and settling in bed. Gabe takes it as a sign to put the lights out, drawing the fire from the wicks without even leaving the bed. It’s not long after that they can hear Jesse’s soft breaths deepen in sleep.
Jack is used to the heat Gabe puts off in his sleep, loves wrapping him up in his arms on winter nights, but in warmer nights, even Jack overheats. It’s not unusual for him to throw the covers off and roll away, only to wake up chilled and roll back into Gabe’s side
As he rolls back over that night, there’s a warm little lump between him and Gabe.
“We have a little heat parasite,” Gabe chuckles when he realizes Jack is awake.
“So, you’ve noticed it, too. Should we move him back to his bed?” Jack asks, sitting up.
Gabe sighs. “I’ve already tried. He wormed his way back in as soon as I dozed off.”
“Well...” Jack pulls the blankets up and tucks them around Jesse, “lets try not to squish him.”
Leaning over Jesse, Gabe gives Jack a sloppy, misaimed kiss in the dark, getting him on the chin. They settle back down to sleep, with Jesse cradled between them.
A holiday treat for Ashe. A look into the future for Jesse, from the story Shine. A magical!au with now teen!Jesse and his R76 dads, and a side of pre-McHanzo. He’s growing up well in the hands of his adopted family. Warnings for mentions of murder, mentions of a character being held by controlling family members.
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The sun dawns weakly over a horizon covered in white, the faint rose gold of it barely leaving a tinge of color in the cupola where he makes his bed. The small wood stove in his room below is steadily feeding a radiant heat around him, meaning either Jack or Ana are already awake and put more wood on for him. Piled under the softest wool blankets in the whole Coven, Jesse can’t seem to get himself out of bed.
He loves his home at the Watch Tower, where the years have been endlessly good to him. His only grievances are the short rainy seasons of early summer and the long, harsh winters. Though, honestly, Jesse is the only one to find it harsh. The air is sharply cold and snow clouds hover in the skies for days before dumping their load or petering off without so much as a flurry. The days grow shorter, and as the sun lingers less and less, Jesse finds himself chilled and miserably feeble.
Any other day in any other season, Jesse is up with the sun and the first to greet the others of the house. It takes a great gathering of nerve and an insistent hunger to pull him from his nest of wool and flannels in winter. He climbs down the ladder from his cupola and gathers up clothing from his drawers quickly, moving to stand as close to his wood stove as possible as he takes off his pajamas to pull on his longjohns, his denims, and a flannel shirt. He doubles up with wool socks and drapes a small blanket around his shoulders before he steps out of his quarters.
She must have been keeping an eye out for him, because Ana is waiting for Jesse at the bottom of the back staircase with a mug of near scalding coffee for warming his hands and a kiss on his forehead. He has the reflexes to hold his mug up and away as Fareeha barrels into him with a squawk of, “Happy Wintertide, brother Jesse!” It’s early for the child to be up, but it is a holiday she’s been excited over for weeks.
The three of them move into the kitchen for breakfast, and are greeted by Reinhardt singing carols of stars on snowy nights and sleigh bells jingling under lantern light as he mans the stove. He’s produced an impressive pile of honey cakes so far, and in the process of making more. They’ll have more than enough for any visitors that may come by for the holiday, even with the appetites of growning boys like Jesse, Genji, and Winston, who will snack on them all day.
Fareeha joins in with Reinhardt as she scrambles up her chair at the table, singing misheard lyrics as she tucks back into her own buttered and syrup soaked cakes. Torbjörn takes up percussion by tapping his spoon and fork against mugs and plates. Winston and Genji sing with full mouths, laughing as they’re scolded by Angela for being gross. Jack smiles indulgently, humming quietly as he eats, with Gabe, awake hours earlier than he’s used to, leaning against his shoulder and giving a sleepy smile.
There’s an unspoken rule between Jack and Jesse in the winter months, that no matter where they sat, Gabe would sit between them. Gabe was a living furnace that Jack had lived with for so long, so he didn’t handle the cold quite so well. Jesse needed the warmth to make up for the lack of sunshine, and Gabe’s presence was very much welcome. Gabe finds himself sandwiched between them at every turn and takes it in stride.
Jesse joins them at the long kitchen table, and takes his usual seat at the open space on Gabe’s other side. Reinhardt sets a plate before him, stacked with a healthy helping of honey cakes, and Jesse covers them in syrup. They’re fluffy and sweet, but Jesse eats enough for them to sit like cement in his stomach. Between the cakes and the coffee and sitting in range of Gabe’s personal space, he’s warmed from the inside out and finally ready to take on the day.
When everyone is at a point where they’ve had their fill, Fareeha stands on her chair and begins directing the clean up detail. Reinhardt finally sits to eat as the rest of the Coven washes the dishes and packs away leftovers. As they finish each of their duties, everyone migrates into the parlor, where Gabe puts fresh logs in the fireplace and lights them with a lazy flick of his fingers. When they’ve all gathered and made themselves comfortable, Jack takes his place in front of the fireplace to the sound of cheers. He shakes his head in amusement as he shushes them, the boys clamoring louder for it.
Once there is quiet, Jack tells the story of The Longest Night, the appearance of the first Mage. In a time long ago, on the shortest day of the year, a snowstorm blotted out the sun, leaving everything in twilight. A band of travelers were lost in the wilderness with the whiteout conditions and feared they would die if they could not find shelter by nightfall. One traveler begged the heavens, pleaded to the stars hidden beyond the snow filled clouds to give her the answer that would free them from the blizzard. She thought she was not heard, but as she sighed in disappointment, the clouds parted for her. Above, the night sky shined with stars and the travelers used them to find their way to the nearest town, their heroine leading the way to exhale and chase away the storm. It’s morning by the time they arrive, but they are safe and sound, the heavens having given what they needed to survive.
As the tale comes to a close, Jack picks up his gift from the pile that filled the corner. “And so, we give to each other something needed on the shortest day, in hopes that we will be able to make it through the longest night…”
Starting the chain, Jack hands the wrapped box to Winston, who opens it to find notebooks of graph-lined paper. Winston finds his gift and gives it to Genji, in it a polish perfectly suited for dragonscales. Genji passes Gabe a box with a small rainbow in spools of thread. It’s Torbjorn that has the gift for Jesse: wool lined leather gloves, with a stitch so fine, Torbjorn must have talked Gabe into making them. The fit is perfect and Jesse will wear them the rest of winter if he can get away with it. Jesse’s gift to give this year is to Fareeha, and she squeals in glee as she unwraps a small stack of books about birds of prey.
The last present is always for Jack, and in a tradition started by Gabe, the gift is always a gag or prank of some sort. This year, Ana is the one to present a present to Jack, though the box has Gabe’s name listed as the recipient. Both Gabe and Jack nearly laugh themselves sick when Jack pulls out a leash, complete with a collar and tags that hold Gabe’s name.
“Do you think they’ll let you wear this on the Council Floor?” Jack asks with a leer before he peels off into laughter again.
“Maybe if someone else holds the leash,” Gabe snorts. “I’m sure Director Petras would love the illusion that he had some sort of control over me.”
Jack sits with Gabe on the loveseat and gently cups Gabe’s face with his hands. “No one controls a wildfire.”
It’s Gabe that leans in to Jack for a kiss. “No, but I let you contain me freely,” he says.
Jesse joins in the chorus of younger voices calling their display of affection gross, but inside he aches. He knows he growing up now that cooties don’t seem quite so bad anymore, he just hasn’t let anyone know that yet. He dreams of being a strong, confident man much like Gabe and Jack, but he also dreams having a love like theirs, too. A love that is open and beautiful, that stands defiant in the face of all those against them. He dreams of raven hair and dark eyes, of blue and gold dragonscale.
The next few hours are lazy until the Vishkar arrives. Jesse’s in the kitchen for another honey cake and cup of coffee when the knock comes at the door. The Vishkar stays long enough for Reinhardt and Jack to sort out the messages and make sure that no other household has mistakenly slipped in, and leaves with a large bundle of honey cakes for his troubles. The mail is passed out to each recipient, the boys all scrambling to see who’s cared enough to send them good cheer.
Jesse whoops as Jack puts three letters into his hands and he rips his gloves off to tear into the envelopes. He opens a card of Wintertide greetings from the Crusaders, Reinhardt’s birth Clan. The jovial bunch had taken a shine to little Jesse years ago, on his first trip to the Mage Council halls, and they message Jesse often and ask Reinhardt about Jesse regularly. The second letter is well wishes from the Sherrif in Mesa, who Jesse learned was kin to Jack and the reason Jack and Gabe came out to find him all those years ago. He’s been so thankful of her interference in his life, knowing he probably wouldn’t have made it here without her. He hopes she receives the message he sent for the holiday in return.
The third letter is unexpected, a real mystery. At first, Jesse has no idea who it’s from, as there’s no return address and no real signature, just an… -H. Before he even has a chance to read it, Genji is pushing into his personal space to see. It dawns on Jesse in just that moment who -H might be, and yanks the letter away.
“Oh, is that from an admirer?” the Dragon Mage asks slyly.
If it is who he thinks it is, he can’t let Genji see. Jesse shoves him away and tries to leave. He all but crashes into Gabe, who is sturdy and quick enough to keep the boy on his feet. He takes one look at Jesse’s face, probably red as a tomato by the heat Jesse feels in his cheeks, and lets him go. Gabe will probably distract Genji to give Jesse a little time, but Gabe will come looking for him later.
He climbs up into his nest in the cupola, the light of the high noon winter sun shining bright in the clear sky, making a glow as it pours through the windows onto Jesse. Jesse reads the whole thing and rereads it again.
Dearest Sun,
I hope this finds you well, even as the shortest days are here. Think of longer days, when we might meet again, to help make it through. I do.
Yours,
-H
Hanzo. Jesse knows it’s Hanzo.
His heart hammers in his chest and he shoves the letter under his pillows. He wants to see Hanzo, too, but he doesn’t know how to take those words. Are they friendly, or more so? Does Hanzo maybe feel the same way as Jesse? Would they ever have a chance with the Shimada Clan controlling everything Hanzo does? Could it just be that Hanzo wants to know how Genji is doing? Jesse smothers himself with a pillow and yells his frustration into it.
He’s thinking of rereading the letter again when there’s a knock on his door below. After giving a halfhearted call of admittance, Jesse sees Gabe’s head peeking above the ladder. He takes a moment to eye Jesse, probably gauging his mood, before he grumbles.
“Up too early. Nap time.”
Jesse groans. “Aww, no. If you nap here, Jack’ll come looking, and I ain’t got the room for both of ya’ll.”
Frowning, Gabe narrows his eyes at Jesse. “That was never a problem before.”
“I ain’t as small as I ustah be!”
“No, but you’re kind of gangly still…” Gabe disappears for a moment, only to come back up with a thermos of tea and a plate with a bastardized ham sandwich, using honey cakes for bread. Jesse knows a peace offering when he sees one and lets Gabe join him, but he still sighs in exasperation for good measure. He is a teenager, after all, and has an image to cultivate.
Gabe gets comfortable at the foot of Jesse’s makeshift bed and already it’s warmer in there with his presence. He crosses his arms over his chest and leans back against the frame of a window, closing his eyes for just a moment. Jesse waits for either soft snores or the third degree.
“So, Genji thinks you have a secret admirer.”
No snoring, then. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push’em,” Jesse says, fiddling with the edge of a blanket.
“When next you see him, you should tell him that. Why did do it, though?”
Jesse thinks of the letter under the pillow, of the two brothers ripped apart by their own birth Clan. He thinks of Genji’s pain and anger, of Hanzo’s regret and confinement. Uncovering the letter, he smooths out the wrinkled page against his thigh and hands it to Gabe. He watches as Gabe’s eyebrows shoot up to his hairline.
“I think it’s Hanzo. Didn’t want Genji to see, iffin it was…”
Gabe reads it over again before handing it back. “He courting you?” he bluntly asks.
Jesse sputters an indignant, “N-no!” He knows his face is going red, though.
“You thinking of courting him?” Gabe asks with a tilt of his head, reading Jesse like a book.
Jesse folds the message neatly and tucks it back under a pillow, avoiding looking at Gabe all the while. Finally he sighs, sitting back again a window slowing fogging over with the heat of a Fire Mage furnace, and turns his eyes to Gabe. “I like him well enough… but… Genji… his Clan… And I don’t right know if that’s juss… Hanzo needing a friend or him really being sweet on me, y’know?”
Gabe makes a sound of sympathetic agreement. “I’m proud of you for at least trying to keep your head over your heart.”
“But it’s so confusing, Gabe,” Jesse says, running a weary hand over his face. “My head knows what’s right, but my heart don’t wanna listen. No matter how much I try saying it won’t work, my heart… juss wants to see him smile. It’s like sunshine…” And they both know how much Jesse actually needs sunshine.
They sit in silence for a few moments before Gabe sighs, a smoky trail lifting from his lips. “I actually hate that story Jack tells every year,” he says, voice low. “He never tells about how everyone was so terrified of her that they later slaughtered the Mage in her sleep. Or how she wasn’t really the first Mage, there were others before her, but history has erased them.”
Jesse cringes. “I never much liked it before because it was a story about snow. That’s right terrible, Gabe.”
“I understand why he tells it, though,” Gabe says. “It has themes of looking for answers to make things better, rising up when all is lost, and sharing what you can when others are in need. Do what you have to to make it through the longest night, to see what’s on the other side… Jack and I wouldn’t be here without the ideas behind that story. You wouldn’t be here.”
Nodding, Jesse understands that. If Jack’s cousin, the Sherrif out there on The Mesa, hadn’t thought to call Jack to help Jesse, who knows where Jesse would be right now.
“To be honest, love is kinda the same way,” Gabe goes on, patting Jesse’s knee reassuringly. “You’re young, so it’s always going to feel like every person you fall for is the one. But, Jesse, if you’re willing to work the other person’s affections, they’re trying hard the same for yours, they can be the one. You both should talk. If Hanzo wants more than your friendship, and you want more from Hanzo… Then, do what you have to do to see the other side. Just keep in mind, his Clan will not be kind to you. They’ll be even crueler to Hanzo.”
Jesse swallows and nods. The Shimada Clan were cruel enough to try killing Genji for the formation of his magic, rather than just abandoning him. Hanzo was the heir to the Clan’s leader, and was being forced into the mold; anything that could get in the way would definitely be dealt with. There was a lot for Jesse to think about.
His thoughts were quickly broken by a knock at his door.
“He’s too old for sleepovers, Jack!” Gabe whines pathetically.
The door quietly opens and shuts, Jack showing up on the ladder a moment later. “Nonsense. He’s still gangly. We’ll just have to squeeze in a bit tighter.”
The windows of the cupola have fogged up enough that Jesse couldn’t even see the afternoon sun turning the sky to gold. “No, no way! You will not nap up here!” he shouts, laughing as he defends what space he has for himself.
Gabe topples over, tackling Jesse into the bedding and giving Jack enough room to sit at the top of the ladder. “Our boy is growing up, Jack. We’ve got to stop him, before he’s too strong!”
Jack leans onto Gabe, putting more weight onto Jesse, who’s howling with laughter even as he’s being flattened. “Quick, we’ll squish him back down to size.”
They’re all three laughing, and Jesse is sure the sound of it is carrying through the large house. Before long, Fareeha or Genji and Winston will come barging in to see what’s so amusing. Until then, Jesse is going to let himself be hugged and fussed over by these two men, the closest he’s ever had to parents. These two men who found him all alone in an abandoned barn, desperately wishing for a way home when he had no answers of his own. His own longest night brought him here, giving Jesse the chance to see the other side, and he’s never been more grateful. Or more willing to look forward to the end of another long night.
More magical!au kid!fic. This time, we see Gabe be best dad. :)
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The town is small and quaint compared to the big cities, like Port Gibraltar and New Zurich, where Gabe usually found himself. There's three roads in total for the whole town, all intersecting in a Y-shape right in front of the Townhall and Courthouse. Gabe's destination was right next door to the public buildings, at the small jail.
A bell jangles as he steps inside, catching the attention of the Sherrif and her Deputy. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Mister Reyes," the Sherrif smiles as she rises to her feet to shake Gabe's hand.
"The pleasure is mine," he says easily, grinning with the sweet kind of charm that would make Jack roll his eyes. "I'm happy to report that we found the boy and he's willing to come with us. He won't be an issue."
"Thank the heavens, I'm most grateful to you and Cousin Jack," she says on a sigh of relief. "I couldn't let the poor thing suffer out there on his own, but there was just no way of getting him to an Academy. And I'd hate to think of any Academy willing to come out for him, can’t imagine the things they would do..."
Gabe nods solemnly. "He's safe with us now. We're glad you had the mind to contact Jack, that we could keep the kid from harm."
"Well, my only other option was the Morrison Clan, seeing as how they're only ones with reach in this region now that Deadlock is busted. And I know what they did to Cousin Jack. Might as well call an Academy."
Gabe bites his tongue and smiles grimly, fighting off the urge to voice his shared vitriol. Instead, he just breathes a gust of smoke and thinks of Jack's calming hum. "Can I see the father?" he asks.
The Sherrif signals for the Deputy to open the lockup and leads Gabe inside to a little interrogation room. "Paul McCree, you've got a visitor," the Deputy calls as he approaches the cell. He cuffs an older man and brings him in with Gabe and the Sherrif, making him sit and securing his cuffs to the table.
"I should be alright by myself," Gabe says, looking between the Sherrif and Deputy. The Sherrif smirks in understanding and gestures for the Deputy to leave. She leaves a lantern and matches for Gabe before slipping out, closing the door on her way. The room is windowless and they are swallowed by darkness the moment it shuts behind her.
"The hell is this?" the prisoner asks gruffly, pulling at his cuffs.
Gabe doesn't worry about the matches as he touches the wick of the lantern to light it. The older man's face is illuminated in a orange glow, exposing all the wrinkles and lines, but his eyes. Gabe recognizes those dark eyes, seen them on the small face now in his hotel room.
"I'm taking your son," Gabe says firmly.
"And just who died and left him to you?" McCree demanded.
"What, you think he's going to jail with you? That's no place for a growing boy," shrugs Gabe, leaning back in his seat to avoid the lantern's glow over his face. "Jesse will be in good hands."
The man snorts. "What kinda 'cademy did you crawl outta?"
"Oh..." Gabe starts, feeling his skin sizzle, singeing his shirt under his jacket. By the way old man McCree is drawing back, Gabe's eyes must have turned to embers. "... only the worst kind."
"Hellfire and damnation," the prisoner mutters in wide-eye fear.
Gabe just grins, smoke rolling from between his teeth. "You're very close. Exactly the reason I'd never let an Academy take Jesse. He's a good boy and an Academy would just destroy him. The Coven of Overwatch wants to give him a home. He's agreed to come with us."
"Overwatch? Those jumped up hooligans that think they can take on the Mage Council?"
Gabe tilts his head and glares at the insult. "Deadlock scum calling me a hooligan? We are the Mage Council now, have been for a few years, if you'd bother to check the papers. Considering your position in the Deadlock Coven and your son's unusual disposition, following the Mage community should have been your highest priority."
McCree looks shamed, his eyes finding interest in his hands. "Why bother coming all this way? What would you even want with my son?"
"Everybody knows that magic like his will be treated as a curse," Gabe spits. "But it doesn't have to be that way. I've survived the hell that was an Academy, and believe me, it was every bit like hell. Jesse doesn't have to live like that. I won't let him live like that. And if you have any heart for your son, you won't let him live like that, either."
The room falls silent and Gabe watches the older man. He sees how his face slowly crumples and tears form in his dark eyes.
"I'm going away for a long time, iffin I ain't hanged," McCree says, his voice thick and cracking with sorrow. "I ain't got much say on a freeman's life, and I'd... I'd like it best for my boy to be free. Maybe be something better than his old man. Since I've taken him from his momma, I've only done him wrong. For once, I'd like like to... I'd like to know he's been done right. Take care of Jesse for me. Make him a man worth sitting with the Mage Council..."
Gabe sighs and the lantern goes out, blanketing them in darkness again. He rises from his chair and opens the door, letting the light of day flood the room. "I'll make sure of it," he promises.
Shaking hands once more with the Sherrif, Gabe straightened his jacket and hope he doesn't smell too much like smoke. He makes his way across the street to the general store and greets the clerk with a charming smile as he looks into buying a few bolts of fabric. He has a little boy to dress.
More magical AU kid!fic for Ashe. :) Warnings for vaguely alluding to child abuse and prejudice. This is a story that’s meant to be fluffy, but there are dark things roaming in the background. Comments and constructive criticism are welcome.
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They climb into the carriage and Gabe picks up the reins to drive them back to town. He keeps up a little bit of running commentary, having a habit of filling silence if Jack won't break it himself. He tells Jesse of their home in Port Gibraltar, an old, abandoned Clan estate that fell into their hands thanks to a friend. It's taken some time, but they've finally finished most the renovations and made it livable. Their Coven is small at the moment, but very well known already. They hope to make it grow, maybe help keep more children like Jesse out of an Academy.
Jack leaves the basket of food on Jesse's lap, urging him to eat his fill. He takes bites out of everything, less to taste and more to claim it all for his own. Of course, the first thing he settles on finishing is the dessert; a fresh baked apple turnover Jack picked up that morning. He's a little too enthusiastic in eating it, needing Jack to pat him on the back and tell him to slow down.
"No one will take it from you," Gabe says gently, holding the reins with one hand and ruffling Jesse's dirty, shaggy hair with the other.
The filling leaves a sticky mess on Jesse's hands and face. Jack wets his handkerchief from the waterskin to wipe at him, but Jesse squirms and bats at his hands. Instead of getting angry, Jack only smiles and hums until Jesse settles, grumbling quietly as he lets Jack clean him up. He goes back to rummaging around in the basket, eating a few bites more of the dried meat, the rest of a wedge of cheese.
As they come closer to town, Jesse grows quiet. If he could shrink down anymore behind the basket in his lap, he would.
"You're safe," Gabe reassures him. "As long as you're with one of us, the Sheriff won't come after you."
"You promise?"
"Oh, I most definitely promise you they won't. They know better than to try," Gabe grins, his eyes lighting from within in a way that makes him look devilish. Jesse gasps in awe.
"Gabriel, don't give him the wrong idea," Jack chastises with a quiet chuckle.
Gabe shrugs and sheds the demonic aura with a smoky sigh. "They know we are here to try finding a safe place for you. As long as you're with us, they know you're not going to harm anyone."
"But what if I do?"
"Accidents happen," Gabe says, with Jack nodding along. "As long as you didn't mean for it to happen, we'll help you. That's what Jack and I are here for."
When Jesse doesn't look convinced, Gabe gathers the reins into one hand so he can put his arm around the boy. "Jack and I have done bad things when we were young, too. We didn't know better. We had to learn the long, hard way that it wasn't our fault. And now that we know, we want to spare as many people as we can from suffering as we did."
"What did you do?" Jesse asks, his eyes wide and curious.
Jack hums for him, something gentle and calming, the sound grounding Gabe to the present. "I... I was very little, the first time I sparked. I was afraid... of the water below us. Wooden boats catch fire, unfortunately..." Gabe swallows, and sighs. "Fire is seen as destructive. It takes an understanding that many people don't have to know that's not always true."
Jesse looks to Jack, who nods. "People fear what they don't understand. And Fire Mages are the rarest of all Mages. Not only are you all few and far between, but the source of your gift--"
"Curse," Gabe corrects him with a wry smile.
"The source of your gift," Jack repeats emphatically, "differs from Mage to Mage. The only similarity is how strongly attuned these Mages are to their Leylines."
"We're always strong, Jesse," Gabe says with conviction. "And stronger still the more we understand our capabilities. But our power is a hindrance, especially when we want to be respected, not feared."
Jack's eyes are sad as he looks to Gabe. He's seen him broken and lost under the hysteria of others, seen him weary and mistrusting of their esteem. Jack deeply admires him for his control, for his bravado, for his determination to stand under the heavy weight of hate and ignorance. It doesn't leave Gabe without scars, without bone-deep anger and sorrow. That Gabe can still be gentle and kind and love so deeply brings Jack to tears some days.
Their greatest hope is that children like Jesse could be saved from the pain and still grow up to be good-hearted. "Respect will come," Jack says slowly, "but hopefully the price won't be so high for you, Jesse."
There's a bustling crowd of people on the roads, going about their daily business as the three of them ride into the town proper. If the locals watch them as they pass, it's because they're strangers; tall, handsome men dressed in city fashions seem to turn heads here, even without their Overwatch reputation being known. Jesse is so small between them that he's not really noticed.
They ride to the inn and around behind it to the carriage stable, dropping the carriage off with the stable hand and thanking him for the rental. The handler glances oddly at Jesse, probably surprised by the sudden appearance of a filthy little boy with these two well dressed city slickers. Jack starts humming a pleasing tune as he tips him. "Don't worry about him," he says, his voice clear and firm. The handler blinks and accepts the money without question before going about his business.
Gabe greets the lady at the front desk, with Jack still humming, as they pass through to the stairs, but she doesn't bother to look up she's suddenly so absorbed in her book. Gabe's hand stays on Jesse's shoulder to guide him gently, seeing as how the basket of food is rather large and difficult for Jesse to see around as he carries it. They make it up the flight with no issues and enter their rented room, both men sighing as they shut and lock the door.
They only have to stay the night. Tomorrow, they can buy the tickets they need for the evening's train and get Jesse away from this town before they even know he's been in it.
Continuing the magical kid!fic AU. This time, we’ll learn a little about how magic works. :)
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The room is nicer than Jesse is used to, his eyes wide as he puts the basket down. He stands as far from the furniture as he can and keeps his hands to himself.
“You can sit,” Gabe says. “If you want something else to eat, we can have room service bring it.”
“Everything’s real fancy here,” Jesse says cautiously, like he’s not sure he should be allowed to touch.
Jack blinks and looks Jesse over. “You could use a bath.”
“No!” Jesse says a little too fast. “I can clean up juss fine. Dun need a bath.”
Jack’s eyes narrow. “When was the last time you washed your hair?”
“Yesserday?” Jesse says sheepishly, knowing they see through his lie.
Gabe sighs and kneels down to Jesse’s eye level, his eyes soft and understanding. “Are you… afraid of water? It’s okay if you are.”
“No!” Jesse says defiantly, then rubs at his arms and peeks up at Gabe through his dirty fringe. “I juss… don’t like cold.”
Gabe sighs, relief coming over his face, and he smiles. “Pssh, we can fix that.”
“He’s going to need new clothes,” Jack says, thinking out loud as he shrugs out of his long coat.
Jesse’s face scrunches up with a sour expression. “I dun want no fancy stuff,” he waves at Jack’s vest and Gabe still in his suit jacket. “It’s all too stiff.”
“You’ll get a suit,” Gabe says, taking off his own jacket and laying it over the back of a chair with Jack’s. “It’ll only be for special occasions, when you need to look respectable. We’re not going to starch you and prop you up in a corner.” He grumbles to himself, spits the phrase ‘children being seen and not heard’ rudely as he rolls up his shirtsleeves.
Jack smiles fondly at Gabe’s muttering, saying nothing as Gabe looks to him with his mouth pinched in a frown, his eyes barely hiding an old, impotent sorrow. Jack hasn’t been hurt by those words in years, and he adores Gabe for still thinking he needs to protect him from them.
Huffing, Gabe makes himself busy by heading into the in suite bathroom. Jesse trails cautiously along behind him and watches as Gabe puts the plug in the bottom of the porcelain bathtub. His little face holds a dubious expression as Gabe works at the water pump to start filling the bath.
“Ain’t you gonna put a kettle on?” Jesse asks, looking over at the small, unlit woodstove in the main room of the suite.
“Now, why on earth would I do that?” Gabe chuckled, still cranking at the water pump.
“‘Cause it’s cold!” Jesse cried indignantly, leaning down to splash a hand in the water.
Gabe just grins, crooked and mischievous, and works until the tub is half way full. “Jack, have you finished reading the paper?”
Crossing the main room with a few strides of his long legs, Jack appears in the doorway and tosses Gabe the local newspaper before casually leaning against the frame. Jack knows this trick well, but sticks around to watch Jesse’s face. The boy just looks confused as Gabe rips off the front page, balls it up in his hand, and then sinks his hand into the water. Gabe watches Jesse, too, waiting for the moment that steam starts to rise from the water’s surface.
Jesse’s eyes become huge the moment he catches on. "You made it hot!” he whoops, splashing at the water again. This time he lets his hand linger in it.
“Think you can take a bath in that?” Gabe asks, laughing at the kid’s obvious excitement.
“Yes, sir!” Jesse says, striping down right there. The filthy little boy climbs into the tub with all the grace of a bull in a China shop, splashing water over the edge and almost on Gabe if he hadn’t the mind to move out of harms way. Jesse sighs in pleasure, almost sinking below the surface.
Jack laughs as he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt, moving to take Gabe’s spot at the side of the tub. “I’ll scrub him up, if you’ll get something to dress him in,” Jack directs, and Gabe winks and grins at him before grabbing up his jacket and taking his leave.
“He’s gonna show me to do this, yeah?” Jesse asks Jack with big eyes. “I’m gonna learn hot water?”
“You’ll learn much more than hot water, I’m sure,” Jack smiles as he lathers up his hands and gently starts in on the birds nest on Jesse’s head. “Gabe will teach you everything he can. We just have to see how different your gift is from his.”
“There’s a difference?” Jesse squeaks, trying to turn around to look at Jack.
Jack has to keep guiding him to sit and keep his head tilted back. “You don’t want soap in your eyes, Jesse. You’re both Fire Mages, but so far Gabe and I don’t think you use your magic quite the same way. Do you know what your conjuration is?”
“Con-ger-whatist? What’s that?”
“It’s something you need for your magic to work. Gabe needs a reagent, a consumable. He needs a fuel source to for his fire to work.”
“Oh, like the newspaper in the tub?”
“You’re a very smart boy,” Jack says proudly. “Do you need something to make your magic work?”
Jesse just shrugs and looks at his hands, already starting to prune. “I dunno. I juss feel warm. The more mad or scared or sumthing, the more warm it gets. Then the warm’s outside-a me and burnin’ stuff down.”
Jack falters a bit, not exactly sure what to say to that. “Well,” he finally says, “maybe finding out your Leyline will help. Have you ever seen that?”
“You said it afore, but I dunno whatsit,” Jesse says.
“Have you been to an Observatory?”
“Nah, Pa said he knew I’s a firebug, didn’t need no smarty pants tellin’ him so.”
Jack scooped some water up and poured it carefully over Jesse’s hair, keeping the soap from his eyes. “The Observatory can tell you where your magic comes from. They show you your Leyline, the connection between you and your magic. The more you know about the source, the better you can control it.”
“So, Gabe’s been there?”
“Yes.”
“You been there?” Jesse asks, leaning his head back farther so he can actually look at Jack.
“Yes, me too.”
“You got magic?”
Jack smiles. “I do.”
“Show me?”
“That’s not…,” feeling uncomfortable, Jack’s easy smile fades. “It’s not something… to be taken lightly. But it will be easier to explain at the Observatory.”
Jesse blinks and shuffles around to look at Jack properly. “Is it dangerous… like fire?”
Jack swallows, takes a deep breath, and goes for honesty. “It’s not like fire, no… But yes, it can be dangerous.”
There’s silence between them for a few moments, with Jesse’s dark eyes searching Jack’s, as if looking for a crack in his armor or a lie in his words. Finally, the boy shrugs and goes back making the water ripple with his hands. “I guess you gotta be pretty darn strong, too, to be level with a firebug.”
Jack snorts in bemused offense, shocked into huffing laugh by the backhanded compliment. “You’re not so bad yourself, little man.”
Magical AU started for Ashe’s birthday. Reaper76 with a child McCree. Work in progress.
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"His magic's gone feral," the Sheriff told them. "Burned a house down. Burned the carriage they tried to take him in. Local Academy won't even bother to come and get'em."
"I worry if this is wise," Jack says, guiding their carriage to the fields along the outskirts of town.
"Can't burn fire," Gabe says confidently.
The Sheriff said they'd know it when they found him. When they reach a field turned brown from heat and see a half-burned old barn out in the distance, the red of its paint baked to a faded clay color, they know they've found the place.
They pull the carriage off on the side of the dirt road and take to field on foot, Gabe taking the lead with a basket of food. The dry grass crunched under their feet, the packed earth kicking up dust with every step.
The make it all the way to the wooden fence of an animal pen before they hear a shrill cry of, "GO 'WAY!"
"We aren't here to hurt you," Jack says loud enough to be heard, stopping where they are and keeping their hands visible. Gabe holds up the basket like an offering. "We've brought you food. We just want to make sure you're alright."
"DUN WANT YER FOOD. GO 'WAY."
"If he's going to be a stubborn cuss..." Gabe mutters, making to drop the basket there. Jack hushes him, though he smiles.
"Can we leave the food for you?"
"NO FOOD. JUSS GO!"
"I'm leaving it anyway!" Gabe shouts, hanging the basket on the fence by way of a rusty nail.
"We'll come back tomorrow," Jack adds.
"DUN COME BACK!"
"Yes, we're coming back!" Gabe shouts again, snickering.
"NO!"
"Gabriel, stop arguing with him. He's just a child," Jack scolds, though he's trying not to laugh himself.
They leave, following the same path through dead grass, and climb into their carriage. They have supper in the tavern and stay the night at a quaint little inn.
The next day, they go back again with another basket of food. They see that the basket left yesterday has gone missing.
"I have more food!" Gabe yells before Jack can stop him.
"LEAVE IT AN' GO!"
"Show us that you're okay, first," Jack says.
"JUSS GO, THEN."
Gabe starts matching toward the barn. "I'm bringing you food! Come out here, or I'm coming in!"
A small figure runs at the open barn doors with a savage little scream, glowing against the semi-darkness inside. His hands light up and he hurls little flares of radiant fire toward them. They hit the ground at Gabe's feet and set the dying grass ablaze.
Still, Gabe marches forward, right into the fire. It extinguishes under his steps, the smoke curling up from the ashes to wrap around him like a shadow.
The boy howls and flings his fire again, desperate to stop Gabe from coming any closer. They hit true this time, striking Gabe over the chest and along his arm, but instead of bursting into flames, they only leave scorch marks on his clothes. His flinch is minuscule, noticed only by Jack, as he keeps coming for the boy. Gabe's eyes glow red, like embers glowing within him, and he smirks at the child's growing awe.
"You... you made my fire go out," says the child, looking up with wide eyes as Gabe comes to loom over him.
The fire fades from Gabe's eyes and the smoke whips away on the breeze. "Can't burn fire, little man," he says confidently. He tosses the basket down at the boy's feet. "You hungry?"
By the telltale grumble of his belly, he definitely is, but it seems he'd much rather look up at the man before him. "How did you put it out? Water doesn't always put it out. But... how did you?"
Gabe kneels down to eye-level with the kid and pulls up some of the dried grass. It goes up in flames in a split second, leaving ash and smoke to carry on the wind. "I'm a Fire Mage, too."
If the boy's eyes could get any bigger, they would.
Jack, knowing that he's much more susceptible to fire than they are, is cautious as he moves forward to join them. He takes in the boy's thin frame and matted hair, his sun-faded and scorched clothing. The deplorable outlaws that call themselves the Deadlock Coven haven't been in custody for more than a week, but the boy looks like he's been neglected for far longer.
"Would you like to learn?" Jack asks, keeping his tone soft and easy.
The boy startles at finding Jack closer than before, but doesn't light up. He shakes his head and backs away instead. "No," he says defiantly, "Because I'd say yes, an' you'd juss dump me inna 'cademy!"
Gabe growls and Jack finds himself humming softly to calm the vitriol in his partner before it surfaces. "Academies are prisons and no place for children," Gabe grits through clenched teeth.
"Trust us, we've been there." Jack's tone is solemn as he kneels down beside Gabe, putting himself at the boy's height. "If you want to learn, we'll bring you home with us to our Coven."
"Academy is never an option," Gabe adds.
The boy eyes the two of them warily. "An' you'd teach me?" he jabs a finger at Gabe.
Gabe's nod is firm. "Everything I can."
"An' no 'cademy, not ever?" he asks of Jack.
"No academy, ever," Jack promises.
Squaring up his shoulders, the boy huffs and picks up the basket. "I'll think 'bout it. Come back t'morrow," he says, casual as could be, as he turns and heads back for the barn.
Jack is left speechless. Gabe, however, laughs hard, until tears spring to his eyes.
"I like you, kid! What's your name?" Gabe shouts to his retreating back.
The smile the kid throws over his shoulder is brighter than sunshine and full of pride. "Jesse McCree!"
"Then we will see you tomorrow, Jesse McCree!"
When they ready for bed that night, Gabe feels ichy and sore where Jesse's little flares had hit him. Removing his shirt, they find Gabe's skin has blistered and cracked, left dry as earth baked in the desert sun.
"Can't burn fire, hm?" Jack levels him with a glare.
"Well, we know he's definitely not Earthen fire," Gabe says, looking over his arm. "But what other fire is there?"
"That's the question now, isn't it?" Jack sighs, rummaging for in their luggage for a salve. As he rubs it into Gabe's skin, Jack nuzzles gently at his temple. "Does it feel strange, not being so unusual?"
Gabe laughs and pulls Jack in for a kiss. "Oh, I'm still unusual. I'm just not the only Fire Mage we've ever seen anymore."
Magical AU, Reaper76 with child McCree. Work in progress. Warning for discussion of child abuse, gaslighting, lack of agency. It got sad. :(
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The next morning, they find the barn before they even leave the town limits, sighting a rise of smoke coming from just over the hill. As they pull the carriage over in the usual spot, they see the smoldering remains of the barn's frame.
The boy, Jesse, is laying out in the field, sprawled in the sun on a barren patch of dirt. His hand and feet look as if they've got a touch of sunburn, but otherwise, he looks unharmed.
"You tried putting a fire out yourself, didn't you?" Gabe asks, dropping another basket of food by the boy's head.
"Nah," Jesse says, casual as he pleases, as if he wasn't at all lying to Gabe's face. As if on cue, what's left of the barn collapses in a heap, Jesse cringing guiltily at the sound.
"So, what will you do now?" Gabe asks.
Jesse rolls to his side on his dirt pile, putting his back to them. They wait out his silence for a few moments before Jack chooses to break it.
"My name is Jack Morrison, and this is Gabriel Reyes. If you'd like, the Coven of Overwatch would like to give you a home," he promises. "You'll have your own room. The pantry is always full and you'd be welcome to it. We'll provide you with clothes, an education, an allowance if you do well. And a safe place to learn your limits."
The quiet stretches again before Jesse sits up. "What's the catch?"
This boy is eight or nine years old, and already knows that people have hidden and taken things from him. Jack's heart aches at thought, that another child has suffered and lost their innocence so young, all thanks to selfish, thoughtless adults. Jack hums, a low and quiet tune, for comfort.
Despite the finely tailored pants and jacket he wears, Gabe joins Jesse on the dusty ground. "The catch? Why does there have to be a catch?"
"You gotta do something to get anything," Jesse says, like Gabe is a fool. "If you wanna eat, you gotta get money. If you want money, you gotta make it or steal it."
"Alright, fine," Gabe nods, his tone not much different than when he's making a deal with an adult. "Then, here's the catch: Grow up to be a good man."
For just a moment, Jesse looks crestfallen. He covers it up quickly enough with a shrug and nonchalance, but not before Jack and Gabe see it. "Well, I guess yer juss too late," Jesse sighs. "I know right from wrong, and I've done some wrong things. I'm juss no good."
Gabe huffs out a stream of smoke, making Jesse's eyes go wide in awe. "Did you want to do these thing?" Gabe asks, his voice a little strained.
"I had to," Jesse gets defensive, scowling at Gabe.
"But did you want to?"
"No, I didn't. But I had to!" Jesse insisted. "I didn't wanna hurt anybody! I didn't wanna burn them places down, but they tol' me to! If I wanna eat, if I wanna make my Pa happy, so I wouldn't have'ta go to a 'cademy... I had to!" His breath hitches a little at hiding a sob and he scrubs at his eyes before the shine in them could become tears.
Jack takes a deep breath and puts a little more effort into his humming. It seems to settle Jesse down from brink of crying.
Gabe, however, still fumes, sighs a frustrated breath of smoke. "What happened was wrong, but you didn't want to do it. And that doesn't make you bad, because it wasn't your fault." Shaking his head, Gabe tries his best to stay calm and gentle with the boy. "Those people lied to you. They used you. You didn't have to do any of it. But you didn't know that... Do you understand?"
"But I had to," Jesse says again, a his face crumpling, "there was nuttin' else I could do."
"We know." Jack sits down beside Jesse, his long coattail trailing in the dirt, and cautiously puts an arm around the child's shoulder. When Jesse turns into Jack's side to cry, he pulls the kid into his lap. "We know. We've seen how terrible people can be. We're sorry you had to see it, too."
"We want to give you a home," Gabe says, putting a warm hand on Jesse's back. "We want you to be happy and safe."
"Will you come with us?" asks Jack, leaning back to get Jesse to look up, but Jesse only burrows further against his shirtfront. "Or you can just stay with us at the inn in town for a few days, if you want to think about it. Get cleaned up and fed--"
"I got... I got nuttin'..." Jesse sobs against Jack. "I got nobody... Pa's in jail forever now... and I got nowhere's for a home... I burnt the barn up..."
"You can have us," Gabe says kindly, kneeling in the dirt to embrace Jack, sheltering Jesse between them.
"Why do ya even care?" Jesse asks, muffled and sad, slumped against Jack's front.
"Because people were cruel to us when we were small," Gabe says, putting his cheek against Jesse's filthy head. "And we don't want it happening to anyone else, if we can help it. We don't want it to happen anymore to you."
Jesse is quiet, save for a little shuddering breath. "... I can come home with you?" he whispers, so quiet they wouldn't hear him if he wasn't sandwiched in a hug between them.
"Of course you can," Jack smiled, giving him a tiny squeeze. "That's why we came all the way out here. Just to find you."
With a whimper, Jesse starts crying again, quiet little sobs, and Jack and Gabe look to each other helplessly over his head.
"Hey, it's okay," Gabe soothes as Jack starts humming again.
"I'll be good," Jesse forces out on hitched little breaths, tears streaming down his face and soaking Jack's shirt. "I promise, I'll be a good boy. Please dun leave me."
"We wouldn't dream of it," Gabe says, leaning his forehead against Jack's as they hold the child through his tears.
