Chapter Text
"Gabe? Are you ready?" You leaned against the bottom of the oak banister as you called up the stairs to him.
"Yeah, gimme a second."
You smiled fondly and playfully responded, "So you're not ready then?"
You heard him sigh irritably and you began making your way up the stairs.
Once you'd made it to the open doorway of your shared room, you saw him twisting and turning in front of the full length mirror; examining his outfit before his chocolate gaze flitted back to the other three laid out on the bed behind him. His handsome face was a picture of mild distress and frustration. You made your way over to him and he spared you a half-second glance before turning back to the mirror to fuss with his unruly hair and newly trimmed beard. You snaked your arms around his waist and looked at him through the mirror. His fussing stopped and his eyes met yours in the reflective glass as a sigh accompanied his hands dropping to lay atop both of yours. You smiled at him sweetly and whispered, "What's wrong?"
He closed his eyes briefly and reopened them once he had settled back into your warm embrace, "I just don't want to make a bad impression."
You scoffed, "Gabe. It's two hoity-toity business folk from the UN, not the friggin' Queen of England." He couldn't hold back an amused smile as he raised an eyebrow at you through the mirror, "Besides, me and Jackie and Ana will be there too."
His smile dropped a little, "Exactly. I don't want Jack having something else to hold over me. Neither of them will let me live it down if I screw up or embarrass myself tonight."
You squeezed his waist a little, "You won't screw anything up. It's just dinner...nothing formal. We're just gonna discuss how things are going...you're not under scrutiny."
He sighed again and ran a hand through his curls, "Yeah."
You trailed your hands up the front of the crisp, white shirt he was wearing beneath the grey-ish black suit jacket and popped open the top few buttons. He held his breath.
"There. You look perfect." You winked at him in the glass before letting go of him and stepping back slightly. You turned to make your way back out of the room, but before you could you were pulled back. Gabriel caught your wrist and tugged you towards him; chest to chest. The hand on your wrist moved to hold your waist whilst the other tucked some hair away from your face. He looked deep into your eyes with an unforgettable dark gaze of want and admiration before cupping a hand around the back of your head to bring you into a searing kiss.
When you broke apart he looked dazed for a few seconds. You grinned at him and he returned it, "Thanks, dulzura."
You pushed away, still holding that grin on your face. Knowing he was watching you, you swayed your hips as you left the bedroom and made your way downstairs, "Tick-tock, Gabriel."
He snapped out of the reverie you'd put him in and shook his head with a quiet chuckle. He looked himself over once more in the mirror and played with the top button on his shirt. He decided it did indeed look better open.
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A 10 minute taxi ride, some awkward introductions and a round of sodas later, and here you were; sat beside Gabriel and opposite Ana trying to seem like you were remotely interested in the conversation Jack was currently engaging the two representing members of the UN in. Jack sat between Ana and the more outgoing of the UN guys you'd come to know as, Mr. Fenwick. He was a large man, with a personality to match. The other guy, Mr. O'Brien seemed more reserved, but still very interested in how Overwatch was being run. He would occasionally ask Gabe questions about the new branch he was running and asked you about your position as Commander Reyes' second in command. He was nice enough.
"Ah! Finally!" Mr. Fenwick boomed as he rubbed his hands together gleefully. You turned to see that the first course of God-knows-how-many had arrived.
The young waiter and waitress laid a multitude of plates on the table before you. It all looked so...neat? Unfamiliar? Posh? It wasn't really your speed. You spared a glance at Gabe and could tell he was thinking the same thing as you.
"Well, let's eat!" Mr. Fenwick suggested as he was already moving what looked to be some kinda of black, squid ink ravioli onto his plate.
The others began to do the same; taking pieces of food and placing them in front of themselves before digging in. You crinkled up your nose as you took two of the largest shrimp you'd ever seen and set them on your plate. You caught Jack looking at you incredulously as you left the serving utensils in favour of picking them up with your hands. You pulled a face at him and he shook his head before smiling up at Mr. O'Brien.
You noticed that the shrimp you had taken, had some kind of dressing on and what you recognised as caviar had come with them. You side-eyed Gabriel, who was taking a cautious bite from whatever he had picked up from the array of weird dishes. You leaned over and whispered, "Do you think this is safe to eat?"
He almost choked on whatever he was eating and had to take a sip of water. All eyes were on him and you smirked behind a napkin, "Sorry about that, it's a little spicy."
Jack chuckled, "I thought you loved spicy food, Gabriel?"
Gabe huffed out a small, fake laugh, "Yeah, yeah, just wasn't expecting it."
Once everyone's attention had gone back to their food or to Mr. Fenwick's story about the terrible time he booked a weekend in luxury cabin and some couple was already vacationing there when he showed up. You nudged Gabriel with your elbow and he subtly turned his head to give you a look that was pleading you to behave. You smirked at him and decided to lighten this drab dinner up for the two of you.
You took a piece of food from his plate and, as seductively slow as possible took a bite. Your foot gently stroked up and down the side of his leg as you did so. He watched you the whole time, half-lidded eyes flitting from your mouth to your own playful, sparkling eyes, "It doesn't taste too bad," You quietly giggled.
You'd managed to avoid drawing attention from any of the other guests until Gabe shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. You were getting to him and Ana had noticed. She sent you a knowing look and you grinned smugly towards her. She looked down, but failed to hide the amused smile on her face. You'd discussed with her how stressed Gabe had been lately over becoming the leader of Blackwatch and everything that came along with it. She knew you just wanted him to be happy again.
After you'd finished the bite, you took a drink and tried to seem like you'd been listening the whole time. Mr. Fenwick was now talking about an argument with the couple from the cabin and how it had ended in one of them being shoved into the lake. You glanced at Gabe, who looked like he was struggling to stay awake through the boredom as his eyes zoned out in the direction of the loud business man.
You placed your hand at the top of his thigh below the table. He immediately straightened in his seat and pushed your hand away with his own, never looking at you. You were so bored by this point it was unreal.
You looked down at the untouched shrimp on your plate and began playing with them; subtly moving them around the plate as if they were still alive and swimming. You picked them up and nudged Gabriel again. He was ready to give you that pleading, furrowed-brow look again, but instead couldn't hold in a loud chuckle when he turned to see you with both shrimp placed in front of your eyes looking through the gap in their curled up bodies like they were silly glasses.
You began laughing too, as did Ana. Jack looked horrified as his gaze flicked from the three of you to the two UN representatives. You glanced to them to see that Mr. O'Brien was also trying to hold in a laugh. Jack hissed, "Captain Y/L/N? What are you doing?"
You lowered the shrimp and give him an apologetic look. You were about to respond when Gabriel chuckled, "Relax, Jackie."
You smiled. There was your Gabe. Your smiling, laid-back, carefree Gabe.
Jack shifted uncomfortably. He turned to Mr. Fenwick, "I'm sorry for my associates' childish behaviour."
By this time, other patrons were looking with disgust at you and Gabriel who were now grasping at each other in uncontainable fits of silly laughter. Mr. Fenwick looked around and cleared his throat, embarrassed. His brow furrowed as he replied, "Yes, well, we are drawing a lot of attention."
You mumbled under your breath, between little giggles, "He says that like he hasn't been desperate for all the attention all night."
That only made Gabriel laugh more as he curled towards you clutching his stomach.
Jack looked angry now. He growled, "Commander Reyes, you're making a mockery of us."
You picked up a small ball of caviar a threw it towards Jack, "Lighten up, golden boy."
It hit his chest and he scooped it up into a napkin as it fell into his lap. He was more angry now than ever, Mr. Fenwick was too. You knew Jack hated it when Gabriel called him that. He was about to reply, but his face softened as he looked behind you. Ana cleared her throat and straightened her expression. You turned to see the waitress from earlier, but this time she didn't approach with the young waiter, she was with a stern-looking woman wearing a deep reddish-brown pencil skirt and matching suit jacket over her bright white blouse. Her hair was black, but greying at the sides and was pulled up into a neat bun at the top of her head. Her red-painted lips were pulled into a tight line as she approached you. As she got close, her icy blue eyes bore into yours. Your smile dropped slightly and her arms folded, "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."
Jack stood and walked around the table to stand between the woman and you. He held his hand towards her with an apologetic smile, "Excuse me, miss, I am Strike Commander Morrison of Overwatch. I deeply apologise for my colleagues behaviour."
She took his hand and shook it firmly, "I am Ms. Killington, the owner and manager of this establishment. We've received complaints about your colleagues and would..."
Before she could finish, Gabriel stood and tapped your shoulder. You also stood and followed Gabe's lead. As he collected his jacket from the back of his chair, so did you. He looked at the woman as he encircled an arm around your waist, "Don't worry, Ma'am, we were just leaving."
As you and Gabriel headed for the exit, you heard Jack apologising some more, with Ana in reserve. Gabriel kissed your cheek and chuckled as every person in that room watched you leave. You grinned wide and walked out into the cool, evening air with the love of your life by your side.
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Once you were a few yards away from the restaurant, Gabe stopped and swung around in front of you. He pulled you against him chest to chest, not unlike how he had in your bedroom earlier in the evening. He kissed your forehead, then your cheeks, then your lips, then your neck...his beard tickled and you laughed. He looked up at you then, smiling wide and with eyes filled with pools of endless love and admiration that was only mirrored in your own. You looked down, feeling slightly shy under his intense gaze.
He lifted your chin with a crooked finger, "Hey," You giggled at him at pecked his cheek. He sighed, "I love you, Y/N."
You locked your arms around his body and snuggled your face into his chest to feel the patterned thrumming of his big heart, "Hmmm, I love you too."
The thrumming sped up just a little when you said that. One of his hands went to your lower back; pinning you to him, the other began stroking your hair as he moved you both out of the public path and under the small veranda of a closed florists shop. He kissed the top of your head softly and cleared his throat, "You know..." He paused. You looked up at him; chin still resting on his chiselled chest. He met your gaze with a downward tilt of his head and smiled again, "I sometimes forget what's really important."
Your eyebrows knitted together and you pulled back slightly, to fully see his face. Your arms were still around him and his around you. You almost whispered, "What do you mean?"
He huffed a small laugh and brought you back against him, where you could once more feel his heartbeat, "I mean...sometimes, when I'm working, or doing something for Blackwatch like tonight, I forget what's important in life." He paused to give you another peck on the crown of your head. You stayed silent until he continued, "Laughter...I love hearing you laugh." You smiled against his chest, "I forget to enjoy life sometimes."
He pulled back a little bit and cupped your face with both of his hands. His thumbs stroked your cheeks, "Thank you, Y/N. Thank you for reminding me what's important...and reminding me how to live."
You smiled, leaned up and kissed him quickly, then again, but slower. When you broke apart you gazed at each other for a few moments of comfortable silence; foreheads and tips of noses still touching. Then your breath brushed his lips as you whispered, "Let's go home."
He closed his eyes briefly before reopening them to come around and hold your hand. You started to walk down the street hand-in-hand, not bothering to call a taxi. The night wasn't too cold, it wasn't raining, you could probably walk...or run.
You squeezed Gabe's hand and gave him that mischievous look he loved and began to pick up speed. Before he knew it he was chasing you along the concrete; your giggle bubbling up out of your throat and melding into the atmospheric sounds of the evening air like the sweetest melody known to humankind. He chased it, he cherished the sound of it.
You looked back at him as he too began to laugh. You loved him.
Your Gabe. Your smiling, laid-back, carefree Gabe.