Archive of Our Own ^beta

The bunker shook once more, beads of dust falling from the roof with each impact. Jack fidgeted with the gun on his hand, wondering if the next shell fired by the turian ships would finally be the one that brought the roof down on his head. Eva and Ben had gone out to another outpost to repair comms, and Harper couldn't help but fear the worst with each minute that passed with no news from his friends.

"Hey, merc boy. Catch"

Jack looked up just in time to catch the assault rifle before it smacked him on the head, seeing the man who had thrown it smirking.

"What is it, Massani? Couldn't go 2 minutes before busting my balls?"

"We're hitting a patrol of those goddamn aliens near the suburbs"

"The tunnel is still there?"

"Most of it. Bastards didn't take it down fully this morning"

"Right. Let's go"

Jack had become close to the man over their shared time in Shanxi, especially after the invasion by these unknown aliens had started. The man was brash, always said what was on his mind, and never shied away from the danger. If he wasn't so clearly interested in making money by smuggling and constantly butting heads with his superiors, he could have been the poster boy for the Alliance. The frontier spirit, and the warriors ensuring mankind's future in space Jack couldn't be help to be lured by that. 

The raid went badly, as it almost always did. The shells kept falling, burying everything in their path. Massani dragged him all the way back to the compound, just like Jack had so many times before. A comradeship born under the weight of turian bombs. Sharing cigars and old stories, they both tried to get the satisfaction in having done something, tried anything against what seemed like the unsurmountable odds they faced.

"If I keep having to drag your sorry arse around, the least you could do is buy me a goddamn drink. And a real drink, I mean. Not that bourbon you keep babbling about"

Jack chuckled "How about when the war is over?"

"The wars never end, pretty boy" the soldier said as he reached out his hand, wiping some of the dirt from Harper's face, the thumb lingering on the man's cheek for a moment. A moment that wasn't long enough for Jack.

Then Massani's omnitool pinged, and he was gone. Shortly after Eva and Ben returned, and the lives of the 2 men went on very distinct ways.

"Bloody rich twats" Zaeed grumbled under his breath as the beams of light moved upwards, scanning most of his body.

"Mr Massani"

"You're the big chief?"

"Bluntly put, yes" The Illusive Man replied as he took another drag from his cigar.

"Only ones I've seen with this kind of quantum tech are rich asari. Got a matriarch friend lending you tech?"

Zaaed felt the unnatural blue of the man's eyes burrowing into him.

"I saw on your dossier you fought at Shanxi"

"Not that hard to find mercs out here who were there. Not a lot of work once we get too goddamn old for the Alliance"

"Indeed. One of the many failures of the so called defenders of humanity" Jack replied as he let out a puff of smoke from his cigar "Did you receive the briefing?"

"Wouldn't be talking if we hadn't. I agree, so long as your Shepard helps me with my business with Vido"

"Same brash bastard as always" Jack thought to himself. "That shouldn't be a problem"

He never usually did personal calls like this, but having seen Massanin's man in the dossiers had compelled him to reach out personally. And from the look the merc gave him, and that subtle smirk set on his lip, he knew that the merc recognized him too.

A lone Reaper flew across the sky, almost out of sight, no longer a threat after Shepard had worked something resembling magic with the Crucible. No one knew for certain what had transpired, but there had been a flash of blue energy, then the killer machines had become docile, and had started to help rebuild. Seeing them fly across every once in a while in the skies in this private place in a remote part of Earth was the only reminder of the world that existed outside of this little haven 2 men had created for each other. 

The sound of the waves joined the rustling of the palm trees as they swung back and forth with the wind. The wooden cabins in the beach contrasted against the white sand. 

Sunlight was barely making its way into the sky, but Zaeed was already hard at work, dozens of small pieces resting on the table near the pool, all that he needed to get Jessie back in working order, and a cold beer that was already half empty.

"Catching the morning sun?" a voice camed from behind him.

"Need to keep my delicate skin fed with that D vitamin"

Zaeed looked at the man who had walked chuckled beside him. Blackened scars that had once glown with Reaper tech marked his skin, though slowly healing as time passed. The ethereal blue of his eyes had now completely dimmed, being replaced by a grey that made him look more… human.

"Hard to get used to it, isn't it?"

"To what?"

"Peace. Guess our wars did end after all" Jack replied as he sat besides him in the pool chair, his eyes fixated on the Reaper now fading from view, and Zaeed could almost feel  the man being proud of what he saw, and the old mercenary couldn't help but wonder...

"Why you always look so goddamn smug when you see those things fly by?""

Jack turned to him, and placing his hand behind Zaeed's head, he spoke "Secrets from a different time, from a different life" and locked his lips with his in a powerful kiss. Massani couldn't help but let out a soft moan as his tongue moved inside Harper's mouth, a mouth that tasted of nicotine, eased burdens… And freedom.

They lay down together on the pool chair, hands in each other's hairs as they held each other close, losing themselves in passionate kisses that sparked a fire between them. Suddenly, Zaeed couldn't care less about what Jack knew about the Reapers. They both had fought all their lives, one for money, the other for humanity. But the time had come to put the guns down and let the universe carry on without them. They had earned a little rest.