USA
"I think I could get used to the views over here," Jesse said as he gazed out the window of his hotel room at the beautiful, snow-capped mountain range.
"It is nice, but I would rather go back to our home in Pagosa Springs." Hanzo was incredibly uneasy. About two weeks ago, Jesse was forced to agree to assist that woman on a particularly dangerous job, and he refused to let him go alone. So, they picked a date and packed up their necessities for a short flight to Bozeman, and he couldn't have felt any more homesick.
"We only been here for three days," Jesse said, sipping on his nasty hotel coffee. The coffee Han made at home was far better than this slop.
"Three days too long," Hanzo stood next to him in the window, being warmly wrapped in a familiar orange fabric. He relished in this feeling, as it would be the last time he felt an ounce of comfort for a while. He hated this. The woman, Ashe, she was adamant that he also participate, even if to just help narrow down their location, saying something along the lines of needing his expertise with the added bonus of him being a vamp. While it was true he could pinpoint a vampire with just a glance, he never once used it in that way.
They spent the first two days watching their targets and learning their typical day-to-day schedules since Ashe had already spent some time there watching them. They just needed to make sure nothing changed significantly before ambushing them. It would be broad daylight when they did this, so as long as they had their licenses handy to prove their occupation if they raised any suspicion, there shouldn't be any issues.
Apparently, they'd adapted to normal lives, doing their best to blend in with the rest of the population. They'd gotten an apartment, jobs, and apparently even had normal human friends. One of them worked at an ice cream parlor while the other worked as a trainer in a gym, and today, they were going after the former. Ashe learned her schedule, and planned for them to go scope out the area and follow her back to her apartment since they knew the path she took and that she traveled alone.
"I'm sorry you gotta do this, darlin'," Jesse rubbed his shoulder comfortingly as he leaned against him. "I shoulda never answered the first call. It's my fault yer getting' dragged into this mess."
"You did not know," Hanzo knew Jesse was feeling some guilt from this, but it was not as if he could predict the future. "If anything, it is my fault. I should not have followed you. We would not be here if I thought my actions through before behaving recklessly."
"Shucks honeybun," Jesse put his cup down and faced him, pulling him in for a bear hug. "That was just yer fancy way of tellin' me ya love me. I could never get mad at that."
Hanzo loved Jesse more than the air he breathed, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never convey it properly. For him to go after two S-class vampires like this with just a revolver and some sticky grenades only raised red flags in Hanzo's head. He couldn't bear the thought of life without him! It was bad enough Jesse was going to eventually leave him behind, why would he want him to do something to hasten it?
The thought of turning him crossed his mind several times throughout the past six years—usually on Jesse's birthday—but it was never an option. Neither of them talked about it. He wouldn't bring it up, even in passing or jokingly. While being turned was the best thing that happened to him, he knew that was not the case for everyone. He couldn't ask Jesse to give up his humanity, to change his life, to agree to live for hundreds of years just to stay by his side. How selfish would that be? Instead, he enjoyed the time they did have together, as short as it may be. It was just irritating being thrown into a situation that could potentially shorten that time with him!
"I just worry about you," Hanzo said in between loving kisses. "I know how you get when you start slinging bullets."
"C'mon, darlin'," Jesse chuckled. "You know I don't miss."
"Just because you do not miss, does not mean they will," Hanzo reminded him. He was proud of his skills, but he should not disregard the skills of his opponents. "We are still uncertain of their exact abilities and what this battle will bring. Please do not do anything that will get you seriously injured."
"I would never do anything that would jeopardize my life with you, pumpkin," Jesse understood his worries, even his silent ones. He was well aware of the difference in their life spans, and he knew Han didn't want to talk about it, so he never brought it up. But he had a long time to think about it and knew deep in his heart that he couldn't leave him in this world alone. He just never had the heart to tell him. He hated being a vamp, so it was unlikely he'd turn him. Why even ask?
"I know. I just have to remind you. Do not leave me here alone," Hanzo felt pathetic for saying something like that, but Jesse was the only one he could be weak with.
"Don't plan on it, sweetie pie," Jesse knew what he meant was deeper than what he said, and he wanted to put his mind at ease. "Ever."
"Ever, you say," Hanzo turned, unable to face those depressing thoughts. As much as he hated himself for thinking it, if Jesse got himself seriously hurt, he'd turn him to save him. How would he react if he knew that? Surely, he would be repulsed. Who wouldn't?
"Ever, Han," Jesse turned him around and held his face. "I know what I'm sayin', an' I mean it. Just trust yer man."
"Jesse…" Hanzo's vision grew blurry upon hearing such a bold declaration of love. Did he understand the implications of his words? Did he realize just how much that meant to him? A knock sounded on the door to their room before he could say anything else, and his shoulders dropped. What wretched timing.
"We'll finish this conversation later," Jesse took a few seconds to shove his tongue down Han's throat before he walked over to the door and answered it.
"Y'all ready?" Ashe stood at the door in her gear, checking out the two of them. "Hope I ain't interrupt nothin'."
"Let's just get this over with," Jesse made sure he was fully stocked before reaching for Han and taking his hand. He'd told them he wasn't participating, but he had his bow and arrow on standby and offered to keep watch from a distance just in case. It sounded to Jesse like he was secretly itching to kill! How cute. Depending on how things went, he may just get his wish.
"One scoop of mint chocolate chip, coming right up!" Mei grabbed her favorite scoop and dug into one of the many containers of ice cream, pulling out a healthy scoop of one of their most popular flavors. Plopping it on a waffle cone, she handed it to the small child on the other side of the counter with a smile. "Come again!"
"Thank you, nice lady!"
Mei loved her job. Even though she was making minimum wage at an ice cream shop, she saw all walks of life, all ages, and all beings. And it wasn't about the money. She'd been cooped up in that castle for years and saw the raid as an opportunity to start fresh. She told Aleks she wanted to try living normal lives to try to fit in with society, and surprisingly, she was on board! She'd easily gotten a job at a gym and quickly proved her worth and was offered a huge wage. With that, they were able to afford a nice apartment and were working toward getting a car soon. For now, they walked to and from since neither of their jobs were too far from home, and that was okay. They were used to walking anyway.
She'd been to the States before and always knew she'd call it home eventually, but Montana? How random was that? She couldn't complain, the views were nice, and the weather was even better. Although… if she had to be honest, they'd been there for almost six months and they only met up with the doctor twice, and it was difficult rationing the blood she brought them!
But she couldn't ignore the fact that she never went without in between.
It was strange. She'd wake up to fresh blood on the nightstand every once in a while, and Aleks would only say something along the lines of "drink up", and nothing more. It made her feel bad. She knew Aleks didn't like hurting the innocent, but she did what she had to do to keep them alive. So, she never asked any questions and showed her appreciation in other ways.
Speaking of, she knew Aleks was looking for a specific car and took the liberty of asking a few customers if they could point her in the right direction, and as luck would have it, she found one! She was told it needed work, but she knew Aleks wouldn't mind the labor. She couldn't wait to clock out and head home with the good news!
"One scoop of salted caramel, milashka," a warm and familiar voice sounded.
"Aleks!" Mei turned around to see her girlfriend in her workout attire, her work bag slung across her back. "You're off early!"
"My client did not show, so I decided to get early start on weekend," Zarya sat in one of the booths close to the counter, waiting the twenty or so minutes until her shift ended.
"I'm glad you're here," Mei said, digging out Aleks' version of a scoop and dumping it into a small cup. It was more like a third of a scoop! "I found what you're looking for!"
"That is good news! Have you been asking customers?" Zarya asked knowingly, taking nibbles of the sweet treat that was just brought to her. She enjoyed sugary things from time to time, but she couldn't stray too far from her diet and exercise regimen.
"Yes, and it worked!" Mei sat in the booth across from her for a few seconds to give her the guy's contact information. "He said it's a little beat up, but I told him it was nothing you can't handle."
"I will make quick work of it," Zarya said, plugging the number into her phone. "It will take nothing to get it up and running, no matter the issue."
"It's exciting, isn't it?" Mei bubbled over with joy as she always did. "We haven't driven in so long!"
"Yes, it will be nice to get familiarized again with traffic and travel much easier," Zarya said as a patron walked in. "You've got customer. Get to work, snezhinka."
Mei hopped up and greeted the customer, getting their order together and sending them on their way before prepping her area for the next shift. She was happy to be getting an early Friday; those were rare in the food industry! And she was even happier that Aleks wasn't working late into the evening like some of her clients liked to do.
"I was thinking," Zarya approached the counter as Mei removed her apron and passed the keys to her coworker. "How about we go on date tonight? It has been long time since we had most of Friday to spend together."
"Sounds like a good time!" Mei said her goodbyes to her coworkers before leaving with Aleks, taking the normal route home. It was nice that she wouldn't be walking alone this time. "Let's go to a movie!"
"I had feeling you would say that," Zarya trailed off a bit, a sudden gut feeling that they were being followed. "Blyat'," she cursed under her breath. Why now when they were finally settled? Why now when their weapons were at home? Had she done something to give them away? She made sure she was careful when she collected blood for snezhinka, but clearly, she wasn't careful enough.
"Aleks? What's going on?" Mei asked, now being dragged down a path far from the one they'd usually take. She heard her muttering something in Russian and looked around, not seeing anything out of the ordinary. "Why are we going this way?"
"We're being followed. Stay close to me." Zarya didn't need her particle cannon to protect them but being able to protect them both from silver bullets with a bubble definitely made things easier. Mei, however, wasn't much of a fighter and relied on her endothermic blaster to get out of sticky situations. She had an interesting ability that temporarily surrounded her in a block of ice and healed her life-threatening injuries, but that was all she could do without her gun. Although… "Do you have blizzard with you?"
"Yes, I take it with me wherever I go," Mei's blizzard was something she came up with centuries ago, and it was a useful tool. It was essentially a never-melting snowball that froze everything in a ten-meter radius for about five seconds, but the downside was that it siphoned her energy quite a bit when she used it. Luckily, she could count on one hand how many times she was put in a situation where she needed to use it. Even so, Aleks wanted her to keep it with her at all times and she was starting to understand why.
"Good. Keep it handy. I have feeling we will need it."
"Aw, hell! She ain't alone!" Jesse complained, watching the shop through his binoculars. "I thought you said you knew both their schedules."
"I do," Ashe groused. "Well, I did. She must have left early." They'd been waiting and watching from their vantage point and realized their plans had changed a bit when the other one showed up unexpectedly. But the good thing was that they were unarmed. Ashe had seen the giant cannon the big one had, which was why she planned to catch them right after work when they were vulnerable.
"Well, what're you thinkin'?" Jesse was hoping she'd call it quits or take a rain check so he could go back to the hotel with Han, but knowing Ashe…
"We can take 'em," Ashe checked the time. The little one should be getting off soon, so they were going to have to make their move quickly. "She ain't got her cannon, and I don't think the smaller one is much of a fighter; I can tell by the way she looks."
"Nothin' a few guns can't take care of," Jesse said, sitting on the grass next to Han, passing the time. "Ready, darlin'?"
"There is no other option than to be prepared," Hanzo said, closing his eyes and leaning against Jesse. The sun wasn't his or any other vampire's friend, and it was really bright. He just wanted to go back to their home where he was surrounded by shade.
"Tired?" Jesse reached up and held his face, noting that he was a bit warm.
"And hot," Hanzo sighed, swatting his hand away. Usually, he'd welcome the coolness of his prosthetic, but since they'd been out in the sun all day, it radiated heat.
"That may work in our favor," Ashe deduced. "Sun's out, so they can't be operating at full power. If this one's tired, they're probably tired, too."
"Do not make light of what they are capable of," Hanzo clarified. These humans and their damn pride. "Just because we are not at our strongest, does not mean we are not strong."
"Oh, I don't doubt that one bit," Ashe drawled. "But if you got a look at that gun," she whistled. "You'd be grateful she left it behind."
"She's a big'un," Jesse dug a cigar out of his jacket pocket and struck a match, lighting it in one fluid movement. "Don't wanna get too close to that one."
"My arrows do not care about what size the target is." Hanzo declared confidently, the familiar scent of smoke oddly soothing him. Before they left home, Jesse made sure to help him swap out the heads of his arrows with silver to make sure he finished the job. If he hadn't retired his swords, he'd offer to just decapitate them to end this quickly and go home. But… was that what he truly wanted to do?
"With talent like you on our team, we can't lose," Ashe fanned the air around her face, frowning at Jesse. "Can't you blow that stink somewhere else?"
What Ashe didn't know was that Hanzo was beginning to feel a bit reluctant. He was really only there to provide backup from afar for Jesse if he needed it. He hadn't killed anything other than an animal in years, and he wasn't actively trying to get back into that lifestyle. Besides, they weren't hurting anyone from what he knew. They were just two vamps trying to blend in and survive in this harsh world, just like he was.
"Alright, it's time to head on down," Jesse stood, helping Han stand with him.
"Please do not be reckless, Jesse," Hanzo fixed his collar, blushing when he smirked down at him. He cleared his throat, nerves he tried to repress bubbling to the surface. He'd never seen him off on a job like this before, and actually seeing him head into action worried him to death. "I do not need you getting hurt down there."
"Yer not gonna come to my rescue if I need ya?" Jesse fake pouted, holding a hand to his chest. "Gotta say, that hurts, darlin'."
"Of course, I will come to your rescue. But do not expect me to be silent about it if I must." The blush on his face deepened when Jesse took his hat off and covered their faces, kissing him passionately. "Jesse—"
"Don't worry your pretty little head, honeybun," Jesse put his hat back on, flashing him a grin. "I got somethin' worth livin' for. I ain't jeopardizin' that. Just keep your eyes on me."
"I will hold you to that, cowboy," Hanzo offered a small smile, knowing that would be enough to keep Jesse going. "Do not keep me waiting."
"Excuse me," Ashe spoke up, annoyed. She hated how lovey-dovey they were! "I hate to be the one to break up this little love fest, but time's a'tickin' and we don't have a minute to waste."
"Ashe is right," Jesse said, taking a drag of his cigar. "Let's get a move on." Before he followed her down the path, he put an arm around Han and pulled him in. "I love you to death, don't you forget it."
"Stop saying foolish things and hurry up," Hanzo didn't like the thought of Jesse saying that in case of the worst. He would come back to him unharmed, and everything was going to be fine. No need for silly last words.
As much as he wished Han would just say it back to him, Jesse knew the truth. He wouldn't be there, watching over him with a bow and arrow if he didn't reciprocate those feelings. He had high hopes for this job, and if things went awry like they tended to do, he'd just back off and call it a day. He'd said it once and he'd say it again. There was nothing that could rip him away from his life with Han, not even the threat of having his license revoked.
Hanzo prepped his bow, keeping his eyes on him as promised. To be honest, he couldn't care less about what happened to Ashe; his main goal was keeping Jesse safe. He watched over them, watching them follow the two vamps at a safe distance. However, they seemed to notice they were being followed, as they turned down an alley that was outside of the path they'd memorized. He deemed it wise, as it was best to not draw attention if they were going to fight. Who would make the first move?
He kept his sights on them, seeing the bigger vamp give some direction to the small one. Just as Jesse said, he hoped he didn't get close to the large one, as she looked like she could crush all three of them with little force. He pulled an arrow back and aimed down, keeping it locked and loaded as Ashe kicked it off by throwing what looked like dynamite at them and shooting it, burning them a bit.
"I see they have begun," he said to himself as he looked at Jesse, who'd tossed his grenade at the big one while she was distracted by Ashe's dynamite. Unfortunately, that didn't seem to do much but anger her, as she presumably told the small one to stand aside as she stomped over to him. He didn't like the looks of that, but he knew Jesse was skilled, so he just watched and waited.
Was the little one not going to fight? Ashe and Jesse were completely preoccupied with the pink-haired one, who'd been eating their bullets like they were nothing. Could they not aim for the head? They were doing well staying far away from her, but they weren't making much progress, and they had a finite amount of ammo!
Zarya had her hands full with these two, but they were nothing she couldn't handle. To her distaste, they were wise enough to stay out of arms reach of her, making things a bit hard. She could only dodge so many bullets, and the ones she was taking were beginning to become unbearable. It was a good thing she told Mei to stay back; there was no way she'd survive this alone.
Mei felt powerless as she clumsily hid behind some trash cans while Aleks fought off the hunters who ambushed them. They were caught off guard by the dynamite that exploded near them, but thankfully her endothermic energy counteracted it and didn't do anything but char her clothes a bit. Aleks got the brunt of it, and she felt so bad! It must have been so painful!
She peeked around the cans, eyes growing wide when she saw the man toss what looked like a sticky grenade at her that slowed her down quite a bit. She wished she could go and help, be she knew the only thing she would do was hold her back. The man seemed to be a little confident, reloading his gun and aiming it at her, not realizing she was getting closer by the second.
Jesse took a few seconds to look down and reload his revolver, but it was a few seconds too many, as he was met with a buff and angry vamp. "Shit," he muttered, rolling out of the way of certain death while Ashe shot her coach gun to send her back a few feet. "Thanks for that," he said.
"Don't mention it," Ashe aimed her sights at the head of pink hair and fired, but she dodged and nicked her shoulder instead. "Damnit!"
Jesse followed up, firing all six bullets into the target and knocking her down a notch. "Gotcha." With the recoil, he didn't land them in her head, but they all connected with her body, and those bullets were made of top-quality silver. No way she was recovering easily from that.
Zarya fell to a knee, trying to ignore the pain, but it was getting difficult. The adrenaline was no longer overpowering it, and she was in a bad position. Her body was filled with bullets that were slowly killing her, but these puny humans failed to hit her where it was critical.
"Ah! Aleks!"
Zarya heard Mei cry out in pain and whipped her head around, rage taking over when she saw an arrow through her shoulder.
Hanzo was tired of these fools ignoring the obvious. It was clear to him that the small one was her weakness, so why not go after her instead? He wanted this to be over. He aimed at the one cowering behind trash, only able to see her shoulder. He figured that would be good enough of a distraction for them to take the big one out for good and make quick work of the other one. He took a breath and exhaled, uncurling his fingers and letting his bow fly through the air with precision, hitting his target.
Jesse saw the arrow fly through the air and land on the one that was hiding, silently thanking Han for the smart distraction, tossing another grenade at the big one when she shouted something in what sounded like Russian.
"Metel'! Sdelay eto seychas!" Zarya commanded, hoping Mei remembered what they talked about.
Mei knew the word "metel'" was Russian for blizzard, and understood that she was telling her to use it. But she was in so much pain, she wasn't sure she could throw it far enough from behind cover!
"Nemedlenno!" Zarya saw her hesitation, but this was not a situation where she could falter. She must push through the pain or suffer the consequences!
"Ah…!" Mei powered through the searing pain in her shoulder, opening the container her snowball was in and chucking it with all her might.
Jesse wasn't sure what the other one just tossed down, but it landed next to Ashe, and he didn't want to be anywhere near it. He rolled out of its radius, watching it freeze everything nearby. "Well, I'll be damned," he panted, mere inches outside of its range. This was unexpected!
Ashe was also thankful for the distraction and was about to light them both up after Jesse dumped his revolver into her, but the big one said something and the little one threw what looked like a snowball at the ground that landed a few feet away from her. "What in the…" she shot her coach gun at the ground, sending her back a bit, but she didn't think she made it far enough! In an instant, everything around her froze over completely, and she watched in horror as ice quickly encased her body.
She always knew she'd die from something involving Jesse McCree.
"You hurt snezhinka, I break face," Zarya was enraged, a new wave of adrenaline giving her the momentum she needed to power over to the frozen hunter. "Do svidaniya."
Mei watched, horrified by a number of things, the extent of Aleks' injuries and the way she just pushed through them as she stood her ground and stomped over to the frozen hunter. She held a hand to her mouth as Aleks took the woman by the face and brought her knee upward, shattering her skull with little to no effort and letting her limp, cold body fall to the ground. She couldn't stop her even if she tried! Instead, she encased herself in a block of ice while she tried to weakly pull the arrow out of her shoulder, only managing to snap the ends.
Jesse wouldn't deny he was a bit on the mortified side as he watched the vamp destroy Ashe. After he saw her crush her face and pummel her lifeless corpse into the gravel, he slipped away, unable to save or watch her get mangled by that woman's bare hands. He'd given Han their secret signal, letting him know he was on his way back to him. There was no way he could take her on alone, nor did he even want to! All he wanted was to go home and forget about all of this, but it was going to take a while for him to get that gruesome image out of his head.
Hanzo wished he could say he was phased by a scene like the one he was witnessing, but he'd unfortunately seen far worse in his lifetime. The small vamp had a trick up her sleeve that no one knew about, and it was the very thing that saved their lives. It was a pity it had to end for Ashe this way, but this was the risk she took, and she was well aware of the consequences.
When Jesse gave him the signal, he made sure he was safe before packing his bow and arrow away and meeting up with him. They needed to get out of there quickly before they drew any unwanted attention.
"Han…" Jesse practically collided with him, hugging him tight and dropping his head on his shoulder. "Thank you for watchin' over me."
"Come," Hanzo pat his back a few times before taking his hand and leading him down the street. "I will comfort you back at the hotel. For now, we must go."
Jesse nodded, staring at the back of Han's head as he walked ahead of him. He couldn't help but wonder if he let that happen on purpose. He shot that girl in her shoulder like it was nothing. He could have easily put an arrow through the big one's head before she got to Ashe. Did he not have a clear shot? Did he willingly let her die to protect them? …was this something he could even ask him?
The walk back to their hotel was a quiet and heavy one. He'd seen some things in his day, but nothing near as grisly as that. And what made it worse was that it was someone he knew personally. To see such a thing… it was going to take time to recover. The moment they stepped into their room, he kissed Han profusely, thankful to be there with him. That could have been him. Had he been two inches closer, he'd have met the same fate.
"What has come over you?" Hanzo was barely able to put his things down while Jesse glommed onto him. Why was he suddenly so clingy? "You are safe, Jesse. It is over."
"I know," Jesse didn't want to let him go, not even for a second. Maybe he should reconsider his line of work. He hadn't taken jobs that gave him a scare like that in a while, and the last time he did, he didn't have anything really keeping him going. But now that he had someone to protect, someone to come home to, it made his life that much more valuable. "But that coulda been me."
"What are you saying?" Hanzo gave him a look of confusion. "I would not have let that happen. I had a clear view of you the entire time, they would have not been able to touch you."
He knew it! "Han…" Jesse held his shoulders and looked at him knowingly. "You coulda saved Ashe, couldn't you?"
"Those vampires were not harming anyone. They deserve to live just as much as humans do, so why murder them carelessly? She knew the risks," Hanzo walked into the bathroom, ready to wash the sweat from his body. "My job was to keep you safe, and you only."
Jesse only stood there in his thoughts as Hanzo closed the door and started his shower. He didn't feel bad in the least, did he? To him, this was just another thing to add to his list of burdens, but Jesse wasn't sure how he should feel! He wouldn't have considered he and Ashe as close as friends, not to mention they hadn't spoken in two decades. Was he supposed to be sad because of the loss of someone he once knew? Should he be angry at Han because he could have prevented it? Should he be relieved that he didn't have to finish the job he didn't even want to do in the first place? Should he be thankful that Han was only loyal to him?
So many thoughts, so many questions, but truthfully, the only thing that mattered was that he and Han were safe and sound.
He fell into one of the chairs, pulling out a cigar and striking a match. Han had gotten them a smoking room so he wouldn't break any rules and be charged extra, which he appreciated. How was he feeling? He knew with his life as an assassin, this was probably nothing, but it'd been a while since he'd seen anything like it. Was he handling it okay?
As Hanzo showered, the only feeling he felt was relief. With that woman gone, there was no more risk of Jesse getting his license revoked, or her changing her mind and coming after him. She knew far too much about his history, and it was a small weight off knowing the threat no longer existed. They could return to their quaint home in Colorado and continue living their lives as if nothing happened. Which was just what he wanted.
After Zarya was no longer blinded by rage, she finally dropped the limp body of the female hunter, who was unfortunate enough to get caught in the blizzard. She directed her attention to Mei, who'd frozen herself in her block of ice. "Snezhinka, are you okay? Come out of there," she limped over to her and knelt at her side as she emerged from the ice. "You did good work."
"Aleks!" Mei saw how much blood she was losing and panicked, disregarding the broken arrow in her shoulder. "You're…!"
"I will be okay," she helped her up, throwing an arm around her to keep stable. "You saved me. And I will need you to save me again."
"What do you mean?! I…" Mei wavered, gesturing at Aleks' bullet-ridden body. "I can't fix this!"
"Do not fret, snezhinka," Zarya groaned as a wave of pain crashed into her, adrenaline no longer providing the extra energy she needed to power through without assistance. "I just need you to help me dig bullets out. I will be fine as long as we act fast. They were made of silver."
Mei had dug bullets out of Aleks before, and it was not a pleasant experience! But for her health and safety, she would never complain, especially since she just saved her.
"I will get rest of arrow out of shoulder, do not worry," Zarya assured her as they slowly walked over to the mangled body on the ground. "For now, we take blood from hunter to tide us over until we meet with doctor again."
Mei watched as Aleks pulled a large water bottle out of her bag and poured water out of it before filling it with fresh blood. "What about the other one?"
"He ran away like little girl. Smart hunter." Zarya screwed the top on her bottle and pulled out another, much smaller one, filling that one up also. "What I do not know is where arrow came from. There is third somewhere, but I do not think they will attack us any longer." Zarya knew with how precise that single shot was, she could have easily lost her life when she went after the hunter, but for some reason, she didn't. Whoever it was, she thanked them internally for not finishing the job and hoped they kept that moment of weakness for each vampire they came across.
"Do you think we should move?" Mei asked, wincing from the pain shooting down her arm.
"No. I refuse." Zarya liked the life they built there and would rather fight than uproot herself again. The likelihood of being ambushed again was unknown, but they would have that fear wherever they went. "Unless you are unhappy here."
"No! I want to stay," Mei loved their neighborhood and their friends! She didn't want to leave! But she also didn't want to get attacked again. "But what if someone else comes after us?"
"Then we will fight." Zarya put the bottles back in her bag and held onto Mei again, continuing their journey home. So much for their date night. "All we can do now is be glad the one with the arrows did not end us quickly."
Mei held her as they walked, feeling nothing but pain and remorse. They'd both gotten hurt, and Aleks nearly died! This wouldn't have happened if she could protect herself. Instead, she just cowered behind cans helplessly while Aleks did all the work! How could she call herself her equal? "I'm sorry, Aleks."
"What are you sorry for? You have done nothing wrong."
"I feel like I should have done something more to help out! But I… I…" She stammered.
"Mei," Zarya would have stopped to face her if she weren't in so much pain. She just needed to get home! "What have I told you about saying sorry all the time? Also, you helped greatly. Without blizzard, I would have been goner, and you would have been next. Do not apologize. Ya lyublyu tebya vsey dushoy."
"I love you too, Aleks."
Melbourne
"Good Morning Melbourne! Thank you so much for tuning in! Today, we have two special guests joining us, world-renowned Lucio Correia dos Santos and his soon-to-be wife, Queen of the Outback, Dez Stone! A special thanks to the two of you for coming out this morning."
About a week ago, Lucio told her they'd gotten an offer to go on "Good Morning Melbourne", a popular talk show in Australia. She was excited! Of course, any time she could flaunt her relationship, she did! So, she agreed to join him in Melbourne, going as far as buying a nice, cream-colored sun dress and matching heels.
Lately, she'd been working on her outward appearance because of some not-so-nice opinions of the public. But the catch was that she wasn't doing it for herself; she couldn't care less about what people thought about her, but she did care about what people said about her man. And just like she knew he would, he noticed the sudden change in her attire the last few times they went out and urged her to be herself.
"Be genuine. Be the Dez I fell in love with. I don't care what these people say."
All that did was make her fall for him even more.
However, this was live television, not arena television! She couldn't just be rough and rugged when she was representing the love of her life like this! Besides, he gave her a new outlook on her femininity, and she wanted to embrace it a little.
"Thank you for having us," Lucio sat on the maroon couch next to Dez, his arm comfortably around her waist as he fiddled with the fabric of her pretty dress. He loved that color on her; it really made her eyes pop. He was a little reluctant when she told him she'd gotten an outfit for this, only because she was caring too much about what other people thought of them. But when she saw that she was finally embracing her beauty and doing it for herself, he couldn't stop her shine.
"I should be thanking you for coming on such short notice," the host said from her seat on a white accent chair. "And I must say, Dez, you look fabulous in that dress!"
"Thanks!" Dez blushed, reminding herself to sit like a girl and crossing her legs. "I know you're used to seein' me in my rags, but I had to get dressed up for ya!"
"I would have been happy either way," the host took a personal liking to Dez, fond of her strength in the Western Australia arena, and appreciative of the time she took to protect her people from vampires. "I'm a big fan of yours."
"Well, thanks, that's nice to hear." Since this was the first time she'd been on television outside of what they filmed at the arena, she didn't know what to say! Usually, she was too focused on her opponent to acknowledge her cheering fans in the crowd, but this time, she had to sit there and take it! How did he do it? "I just do what I do best," she boasted.
"Well, your name is becoming well known around the world now that you've taken Lucio on as your beau. How does that make you feel?" The host asked, smiling widely at the cute pair.
"I feel great! It's nice bein' able to put myself out there so the world knows who the queen really is!" Dez couldn't help but let the dominant side of her personality show. There was no suppressing that!
"And Lucio," the host nodded, directing her next question to the pop star. "How does it make you feel now that our Dez has made it to the world outside of the Outback? Have you faced any new challenges or hit any bumps in the road?"
"I mean there's gonna be challenges wherever you go," Lucio explained with a confident vagueness. Sure, there were some negative comments and opinions from the public, but those didn't matter, and it wasn't really anyone else's business what difficulties they may have been going through. "But the trick is to find someone willing to jump those hurdles with."
"And you've certainly found yours, haven't you?" The host gushed, loving his response and how in love they looked. "I just have to ask you guys this."
Dez had a feeling she knew what was about to be brought up since it was the main thing everyone always asked her. "Ask away."
"How do you guys handle the sheer height difference between the two of you?" The host prayed they weren't the type to get offended! She had to ask!
Dez and Lucio shared a grin, having been asked that by nearly everyone they personally met. It was definitely expected, and it didn't really bother them. If anything, it was amusing!
"Judging by your faces, you guys must get asked that a lot," she said, happy they weren't taken aback by her question.
"Yeah, but it's not a problem," Lucio said. "I love tall women! Bonus if they're strong."
"There ain't really any issues here," Dez agreed. "I like to carry him on my shoulders so he can reach stuff," she joked with a laugh.
"And you can open those jars for me," Lucio poked her in the side, laughing with her.
"Such an interesting dynamic! I love you two!" The host liked how their roles seemed to be the opposite of most relationships. "Do you really carry him on your shoulders? I'd love to see that!"
"Yeah, but only when we go to events and stuff," Dez pulled out her phone and showed the host a picture Ham took of them at their last community concert.
"Oh, my! Do you mind if I put this on the big screen?" The host had stars in her eyes as Dez shook her head. "Ladies and gents, take a look at this!" The picture of Dez dressed in her usual tank top and ripped shorts, carrying a shirtless Lucio on her shoulders while they appeared to be cheering along with the rest of the crowd displayed on the large screen, and the audience had various positive reactions. "I know! Aren't they cute?"
"Oh yeah, I remember this," Lucio leaned forward and turned to look at the screen. "This was a few weeks ago at a friend of mine's concert. I couldn't see, so she lifted me up."
"I am going to guess your bodyguard took the picture?" The host asked.
"Yeah, he loves catchin' us off guard," Dez looked into the camera. "Ya little ripper!"
"Well, we'll definitely have to have the two of you on in the future to talk about your arena fights," the host made a mental note to reinvite her and Hammond back in a couple of months. She'd love to understand the nature of their friendship a bit more. "For now… you guys have a big day coming up! Excited?"
"Definitely," they said in unison, linking their hands together.
"I understand you two are currently living separately until after the wedding?" The host asked.
"Yeah, Dez is attached to her hometown, so I had us a house built here in Australia so she can stay here and do her thing," Lucio said, rubbing her arm with his free hand. "We're gonna move in after the wedding."
"We've already got most of our stuff moved," Dez added. "Just a few bits and pieces left."
"Wow! What a romantic gesture!" The host swooned, happy to get a glance at the most popular celebrity couple to date. "I bet you were excited when he told you," she said to Dez, who was grinning at him from ear to ear.
"Yeah, he's a sweetie," she blushed when he kissed her hand. Next week couldn't come fast enough. "He takes good care of me."
"Can you regale me with the story of how you two met? It's better coming from the source!" The host couldn't get over how perfect they were. Their energy complimented each other so well.
"You wanna do the honors, babe?" Lucio knew she liked telling the story, and he loved that. She always looked so happy when she told it.
"We met at one of his concerts," Dez cheesed at the memory. "Ham got me backstage passes for my birthday, and we hit it off durin' a meet an' greet." She could have gone into more detail, but her nerves were getting to her!
"She was the only one who stood out," he recalled fondly. "She showed me a video of her in action at the arena and that's when I knew it. She's the one. My muse."
"Aww, baby," Dez leaned over for a kiss. Slowly but surely, she was coming around and opening back up about her hunts and her fights. She even took him to the arena the other day, showing him around and introducing him to her acquaintances. If she knew it would have given her more clout, she would have brought him around a long time ago. "He's my trophy husband!"
"When you flaunt me around at the arena," Lucio noticed the attention she got when she finally took him to the arena and how she thrived. He felt he really brought out the best in her.
"But when we go out with your friends, I'm your trophy wife," Dez liked his friends. They made it a habit to get together once every other month and catch up, and they all got along well. She even got out of her shell a bit and traveled with them on occasion.
"That song you wrote for her, 'Para Odessa'? Beautiful! You guys are officially my favorite pair," the host said. "I can't wait 'til you guys get hitched! Tell me more about the wedding! It's right around the corner!"
"Yeah, on Sunday," Lucio couldn't wait for her to take his name.
"We're gettin' married in Brisbane, on the beach where he proposed," Dez gushed, excited for the future. "There's a cliff that overlooks the Coral Sea that we're havin' the ceremony on," she turned to Lucio. "I can't wait for those pictures!"
"Yeah, with those crystal blue water and clear skies," Lucio nodded. "I'm already planning on getting our photos blown up."
"I know just where we can hang 'em!" Dez said excitedly, thinking of putting them in the foyer for their guests to see every time they had company.
"I'm guessing you wanna put them by the front door," he knew her like the back of his hand. How cute was it that she loved to show him off? He couldn't have asked for a better soulmate.
"You know me so well," giddy wasn't the word. Her whole life, she never imagined she'd connect with someone like this. How different would her life be if she'd met him sooner? Would they have hit it off like this?
"Adorable," the host wished she could attend the wedding as a guest, but if she remembered correctly, she read something about it being a closed event. "I understand the ceremony will be private?"
"Yeah," Lucio said, playing with the end of one of her braids. "Just a few close friends and some family members. I originally wanted it to be televised but she convinced me to just record it."
"No live wedding?" The host pouted.
"God, no! An event like this should be personal," Dez declared. She understood where he was coming from, though. He was a performer. It was only natural for him to want to share the most important event of his life with his fans. For her, it was a little too intimate to put on blast for the world to see.
"She's right," he nodded.
"Well, I cannot wait to see the photos! Where are you guys going for the honeymoon?"
Mako sat in front of the stolen flat screen in their hideout, breathing in fresh diesel while he watched that hunter and her boyfriend talk about their wedding. He was still royally pissed she abandoned the fight a week ago, but that made this all the more satisfying. Little did they know, they'd just given up all the information he needed for an ambush. They may not have been specific about exactly where the lookout in Brisbane was, but there were only a few. He'd find her.
"We haven't decided yet, but we're thinking Bali since it's not too far."
"Bali…" Mako rumbled. "Let's see you make it to Bali."