Shadows Within The Crowd (Jesse McCree x Reader)

~Chapter 33~

Before we start this, I'm finna let y'all know that I'm taking a different approach. This chapters gonna have a hint of sadness and emptiness. Or at least that's what I'm aiming for. Enjoy!

Your POV

      I didn't know how long I stayed in that state. I didn't realize how much colder it had gotten. I didn't see the sun start to rise over the horizon... I was just lying there on the cold ground, eyes dimmed from the light they once had. I didn't move- not even to send out a destress signal or tell anyone that I needed evac. I felt angry- I was sad- I felt surprised and I felt happy.... I felt betrayed. With each emotion canceling the other out I began to drift back and forth between my conscious. I was cold mentally- and physically at the moment. I had gone numb in every way.
In that time, I think I might have passed out from the low temperatures- or maybe from the pure shock of it all... I knew that's why I couldn't really move. That and I didn't want to. Left alone to my thoughts- I wondered why Eclipse or midnight never showed. I was curious... did they know it was him? Did they know in that moment he came and decide to stay back? I needed answers. After what felt like a few hours, I heard a voice. And the shine in my eyes began to come back ever so slightly.
"(Y/n)? (Y/n)!"I heard a quiet echo in the back of my head, the voice muffled, distant and quiet. I tried to force my eyes to open but darkness consumed me in a way I had never felt. a gloved hand softly cupped my face, making me realize how cold my cheek was. The voice got louder, and louder- pleading in a desperate and torn voice. Finally- my eyes obeyed my commands
I slowly opened them to be met with a pair of chocolate brown eyes, a loud sigh of relief washing over the person above me. My eyesight was foggy as I looked at the person who I slowly began to recognize as my hearing and eyesight came back.
"(Y/n)! Thank god-" I felt large and strong arms wrap around my limp body, my eyes squinting as I tried to hold onto myself, my mind hazy. I felt a face rest in the crook of my neck, a shaky breath followed after it.
"Jesse?..." I whispered at the scent of vanilla. One of my arms lifted up and grabbed ahold of his poncho, tightly grabbing it. The other arm refused to move, staying firmly on the ground
He leaned back, a happy and relieved smile on his face as he took his hat off and set it to the side. I looked at him, trying to keep my head lifted up, before I took in a breath. My voice was low and ragged.
"He's- he's Alive Jess." I rasped out, tears brimming at the edge of my eyelids once more- even when I thought I had emptied my tear ducts. He seemed confused- and worried. I felt darkness start consume my vision once more, my hand going limp from its grip on his poncho as my head began to fall back.
"Gabriel Reyes is alive"

~time slip~

     It was dark... or at least it was In my mind. No thoughts, no dreams and no nightmares. Just... dark. I expected eclipse- or even Midnight to visit me but I was alone. Eventually, I started to drift off into random memories of my life. Some large and some small... but all of them had... him.

     "Ouch!" I childishly cried out as I got punched across the face by a metallic fist. I felt the metal taste in my mouth- but I couldn't tell if it was blood... or I actually got a taste of the omnic I was fighting. Either way it hurt and would leave a bruise.
I returned the favor by grabbing a hunting knife I had and jabbing it into the omnics neck. Oil spewing out as its core drained. though it got the last laugh as it yanked out said knife and threw it back at me, slicing my side open. I let out a yelp as I immediately grabbed ahold of the wound, wincing as anger coursed through me. Not at myself or anything, at the omnic... I had forgotten how hostile I used to be.
      "Mother Fu-"
      "Woah calm down there kid." I heard a familiar voice call out. I whipped my head around, meeting a pair of deep dark brown eyes. He looked bored, but behind that mask of emotions I saw concern. He took One look at the blood coming out of my side and rushed over to me, a loud sigh coming from his mouth. I remember the few scars that were on his face back then... now his face was so... damaged.
     I let out a low and loud grumble as he lifted part of my shirt up to get a look at the large cut.
     "Dammit (Y/n) this isn't even a gun shot wound- how the hell did you get stabbed? The omnics were fighting dont have weapons able to cut like this." He questioned while applying pressure to the wound, but not before pressing a button on his com... probably to send a healer over.
     "I don't wanna talk about it." I remember always getting so annoyed at his babying. Knowing there were others that needed more help than I did. Back then, it was easy for me to withstand mass amounts of pain. Others could not.
     "You don't get a choice. This is your second mission and Jack is already going to have my ass for letting you out of my sight along with that gun slinging idiot." He sighed out, finally taking his hands away and letting me apply pressure. The bleeding had stopped a little bit, but I was still losing a lot of blood. I didn't care.
     "Where is McCree?" I questioned out as I sat and leaned against the deactivated omnic that I killed, a huff coming from my mouth. Uncle let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his headS
     "Do I look like I know? Probably fucking around with one of the lesser omnics." He grumbled out. He then sat next to me, I loud sigh coming from his mouth. I knew what he meant... the little Dino looking omnics Jesse loved to mess with. Mainly because he could punt them across the battlefield like a football.
We sat there for a few minutes, enjoying each other's company.... though Neither one of us would admit it... but it was nice. It was peaceful.
Eventually a medic team arrive and began patching me up, Gabe looking down at me with a smirk as he made fun of me for being so careless, to which I'd always argue back with him.
    He then ruffled my hair, causing me to start yelling in protest. I missed being treated like a kid in that way. I missed being treated like family.