Chapter Text
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Jesse McCree lowered his gun, reloading it with a practiced hand. The targets at the far end of the shooting range looked considerably worse for wear. Flicking the cylinder shut, he raised the revolver again and took careful aim.
“JACKPOT!!”
The sudden shout and the accompanying whoosh of bass notes caught McCree completely off-guard. He spun without thought, leveling his pistol at the source of the sound.
Lucio stood just behind him, eyes wide and trained on the barrel of the gun. Jesse dropped his arm almost immediately, but not soon enough to miss the look of shock on Lucio’s face.
“H-hey, Eastwood. Thought a little distraction might keep you on your toes. Hah.”
Jesse could hear the strained humor in Lucio’s voice. Guilt nagged at him, sharp as a knife in his gut.
“Sorry, partner. You startled me good.” Licking his lips, Jesse holstered his gun and glanced down between them, unable to meet Lucio’s eyes. “You coming out to practice?”
“Nah, I was just passing by and heard the shots. You should really be wearing ear plugs, y’know? Gotta protect your hearing.” Lucio smiled, his cheerful nature reemerging despite the close call moments before. Jesse thought fleetingly that it was like watching the sun come out after a storm.
“Did Angela put you up to saying that? She’s always on me about it too.” McCree reached up to tap the brim of his hat. “Don’t work so well with the get-up though.”
Lucio snickered, gently coasting from side to side on his skates. “Yeah, heaven forbid you mess up the aesthetic.”
“The what now?”
Rolling his eyes, Lucio flapped his hands in defeat. Jesse wanted to let it drop, to laugh along and forget that he just pointed a gun at one of his teammates, but the trace of guilt that lingered in the back of his mind wouldn’t stop whispering to him.
“Hey, I’m... sorry I reacted bad just now.”
“Forget it man, no worries. I should be used to it by now.” Lucio laughed, but there was less warmth than usual in the sound. “It’s just that… before Overwatch, there was only one time I ever had a gun pointed at me. It’s still sort of a novel experience, you dig?”
Frowning slightly, Jesse hooked his thumbs into his belt. Sometimes it did escape him that not all of his teammates grew up the same way he did, forged in violence. Trying to come up with a reply let the silence between them stretch uncomfortably long.
Lucio rocked back on the heels of his skates, clearing his throat. “Ah, anyway… you gonna keep shooting, or you want to go get some lunch? My treat, cowboy.”
Snorting at the nickname, McCree glanced back at the targets, riddled with bullet holes. He could do better.
“I’m gonna stick around a bit longer, but thanks. I’ll take you up on the offer some other day.”
“Cool. Catch you later!” Lucio skated off, a smile and a salute tossed Jesse’s way as he glided back to the doors of the base.
McCree turned and drew his pistol again, thumbing back the hammer. The look on Lucio’s face kept flickering into his mind, the fear in the other man’s eyes. Jesse tried not to think about how many times he’d seen that same look on the faces of his enemies.
He raised his gun and took the shot.