Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The Talon meeting room was always dim, with little lighting and no windows. Sombra claimed it was dramatic, but it lent a serious atmosphere to meetings that had an invaluable psychological impact, even when it was a simple group debriefing.

Not that Akande thought group debriefings were necessary. Why would you need details of a mission that you weren’t involved in and did not directly impact you? Still, there had been complaints about the lack of transparency in the organisation. Akande considered it entitlement, but he was certain that if he ignored such complaints, there would only be more requests that would be harder to fulfill. Group debriefs were a small price to pay for contentment and loyalty, no matter how thoroughly annoying they were.

“Any other orders of business?” Akande asked. No one responded and the only sound in the meeting room was Sombra’s obnoxiously loud chewing. Moira’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly, her clenched jaw becoming more apparent every second. 

“Very well,” Akande said, gathering his papers. “This meeting is concluded.” 

The words were barely out of his mouth before Moira was standing, the sound of her chair scraping across the floor turning all eyes towards her as she stalked out of the room. Sombra immediately stopped chewing, looking smug. 

“I hope you’re not antagonising her on purpose,” Gabriel warned from the end of the table.

Sombra’s indignant expression fooled nobody, but it did not stop her from gasping, “On purpose? I would never do that to her!” 

“Sombra…” Gabriel growled.

“Gabe…” Sombra imitated. 

“If there are any further points to be discussed privately, I will be in my office,” Akande cut in before it could escalate. Sombra took the hint, rolling her eyes but choosing not to rile Gabriel up further. 

Amelie made her way out of the room; as did Sigma, looking somewhat dazed. Akande was prepared to follow suit, but paused when he noticed that both Gabriel and Sombra remained in their seats. The Reaper mask did little to hide Gabriel’s clear irritation but Sombra was not one to be fazed by his frequent crankiness. It wasn’t uncommon for the two to butt heads but Akande had no idea what had triggered this one-sided staring match.

The plate of cookies that Sombra had been snacking on caught his eye. Ah. 

“Gabriel,” Akande called. “May I speak with you privately?” 

Gabriel stood reluctantly. He said nothing as he was led out of the meeting room, but Akande sensed his frustration.

“You know,” he began casually. “Sombra will annoy you, no matter what.” 

Gabriel made an inquisitive sound. 

“She’ll make fun of you regardless. You might as well just take the cookie and endure the mockery,” Akande elaborated. 

“If I gave her any more material, she’d have a field day,” Gabriel grumbled. “I’d rather not. Where are we going?” 

Gabriel’s pride would be infuriating if it were anyone else, but Akande couldn’t help but smile. “It’s a surprise.” 

“I don’t like surprises.” 

“You’ll like this one,” Akande countered as they entered the kitchen. Hidden behind a number of cereal boxes was a small Tupperware container, which he passed to Gabriel.

“You saved me some cookies?” Gabriel asked, sounding surprised. He opened the container to pick up a spiced oat cookie, breaking it in half and inspecting it with more focus than a cookie warranted.

“I thought Sombra might eat them all just to spite you,” Akande explained. Gabriel tended to get mildly uncomfortable when he thought Akande was making unwarranted effort for him. He didn’t mention that he made this batch separately - Gabriel liked his cookies with more spice than the others and Moira would get passive aggressive if anything she ate wasn't bland enough.

“Thanks,” Gabriel said, his voice low. He removed his Reaper mask with one hand and used the other to tug Akande down by the neck of his T-shirt to kiss him, tasting cinnamon on his tongue. A translucent purple shape appeared beside them for a moment, and Gabriel pulled away.

“Sombra,” Gabriel growled.

“I’m going, I’m going!” her disembodied voice called out.

Akande would never tell Gabriel, but it was a little endearing to see him get angry over Sombra’s antics. They argued like siblings, and while Akande didn’t have such fond memories of family to look back on, it still managed to trigger some false nostalgia. 

“You should get going. You don’t want our favourite gorilla wondering where you are,” Akande said, pressing a quick kiss against Gabriel’s cheek. “I’ll see you at the party later tonight?” 

“Sure,” Gabriel said, still suspiciously eyeing the empty kitchen. 

“You sure you don’t want me to buy you an outfit? It’s not too late, I have a wonderful tailor that can work at the last minute.” 

“You don’t have faith in my fashion sense?” Gabriel asked with mock affront. And Akande didn’t, if he was honest, but he at least trusted Gabriel not to show up in paisley or some similarly revolting pattern.

“As long as it’s not off the rack,” Akande said. 

Gabriel winked. “No promises.” 

Chapter Text

Winston's concern for Gabriel's wellbeing would have been endearing if it wasn't so goddamn annoying. 

"And remember, you can still press the panic button if you want a quick escape," Winston was saying. 

"I know," Gabriel said, biting back a few meaner retorts. 

"We'll be outside to pick you up in less than a minu-"

"Maybe we should let him get to it, eh, big guy?" Tracer interjected. As exhausting as her relentless cheer was, Gabriel was thankful for her presence when it was the only thing to shut up Winston's incessant rambling.

"I got this," Gabriel told them, switching off his comm just as Tracer was wishing him good luck. He was a ruthless soldier and his near-death experience didn't change that. He couldn't blame Winston for being nervous as the new de facto leader but goddamn he didn't need a five minute coddling about not letting his pride get in the way of pressing the stupid panic button. 

There was a small queue ahead of the omnic accepting attendees' tickets, and Gabriel took the opportunity to examine the hall Doomfist had chosen to host his dumb masquerade ball. The architecture was old, possibly Baroque and admittedly quite nice. Not that he expected anything less from Doomfist and his pretentious taste.

"Ticket please," the omnic said primly. Gabriel pulled out a slightly crumpled ticket that he placed on the small table. The omnic's face plate didn't accommodate emotions in the traditional human sense, but that didn't seem to stop the him from communicating pure disdain as they picked up the ticket as though it was a snotty tissue and not just a piece of paper that had been folded one too many times. 

"You may enter," the omnic said, tearing the corner of the ticket. 

"Thanks," Gabriel responded. The large double doors swung open, revealing a massive hall already filled with people strolling aimlessly with glasses of champagne that probably cost more then Gabriel's annual income a few years ago. Their outfits looked significantly more put together than Gabriel’s plain black suit and cheap plastic mask with a single oversized feather attached haphazardly.

"May I offer you a drink?" an omnic waiter asked, carrying a tray of champagne-filled glasses with remarkable ease. 

Winston had specifically told Gabriel not to drink. They couldn't afford to miss out on some crucial information because Gabriel was tipsy, and "Doomfist" was far too dangerous to be drunk around. But still… knowing Akande, that champagne would definitely be expensive. 

"Yeah, I'll have a glass," Gabriel said, taking one from the tray. If he was going to bear this shitfest then he was at least going to get tipsy.

The waiter walked away and Gabriel was alone once again. He could probably nudge his way into a conversation with one of the small crowds of attendees, but they all looked… dull. A circlejerk of humblebragging and obnoxious displays of wealth wasn't Gabriel's idea of a good time. 

Not to say this whole party wasn't an obnoxious display of wealth itself. It was beautiful, sure, but sickeningly so. Who needed a ceiling that high? The engravings of the wood panels were intricate, the decor was tasteful, the champagne was good enough that Gabriel was already considering getting another glass.

God, it was fucking boring. 

"I hope you're not planning on spending the entire evening drinking alone in a corner," a smooth voice said. 

Gabriel hadn't even noticed Akande approaching him. For a man of his stature, he was unfairly good at being sneaky, even when he stood out with his almost disgustingly opulent outfit. His suit was white with patterned engravings, paired with a gold tie, a white handkerchief lined with gold tucked into his breast pocket, and a gold lace mask covering the upper half of his face. He looked good, even if it pissed Gabriel off a little. 

"I thought I'd recreate my middle school dance experience," Gabriel responded stubbornly. "Nice party." 

"Not nice enough to get you to mingle, apparently. Or nice enough to get you to spend some money on your outfit," Akande pointed out, his face deceptively blank even as he sounded as though he was trying not to laugh. What was Overwatch's protocol for extremely dangerous terrorists that were making fun of you? Gabriel would have to ask Winston when he got back. 

"I'm not spending a few grand on a mask I can get for three dollars at Party City," Gabriel said defensively. "But let me guess, yours is pure gold? 

"Venetian lace, actually," Akande told him. Gabriel hated him. "...Did you actually get your mask from Party City?” 

Gabriel took a long, deliberate sip of his champagne whilst maintaining eye contact with Akande. The other man only laughed. 

"Come, let me introduce you to a friend," Akande said. He held out his arm - ever the fucking gentleman - and smiled even when Gabriel made a point of rolling his eyes. 

"Yeah, sure," Gabriel said, linking his arm with Akande's. "But don't expect me to pretend they're interesting if they're boring as hell." 

"Gabriel," Akande said in exaggerated indignation. "I would never ask you to be anything other than yourself."

"Yes, you'd never ask me to pretend to still believe in Overwatch in order to spy on a monkey," Gabriel agreed dryly. 

"A fair point," Akande replied, clearly biting back a smile. As much as Gabriel hated fancy events, it was nice to watch Akande attempt to maintain a straight face and not do the dumb little snort he did whenever they were alone. Not that he'd tell Akande that his snort was charming, or that the way he pressed his lips together when he was trying not to laugh was just a little cute, or that his-

"This is Damien Cadogan," Akande said. "We've been ironing out a business agreement so you may be hearing about him in the future."

Cadogan was a tall omnic with an angular face plate hidden under a metal mask. Everything about him was sharp from his chin to the pointed end of his fake hair. He wasn’t even trying to look like he wasn’t a criminal.

"Pleasure to meet you," Gabriel said.

“Likewise,” Cadogan said, his voice staticy. “I have heard much about you, Gabriel Reyes.” 

Well, that didn’t sound creepy at all. 

“Good things, I hope?” Gabriel said, forcing a smile. He didn’t have a problem with omnics, but god the lack of facial expressions made things difficult. Especially when certain omnics chose to fall silent for awkwardly long periods of time after an innocent question. 

“Yes,” Cadogan said finally. “I am glad to hear that you are collaborating with Ogundimu. Perhaps I shall be working with you in the near future.” 

“Sure,” Gabriel replied, whilst also hoping that he would not have to interact with Cadogan in the near future, far future, or any future of any distance. “Akande, would you mind pointing me in the direction of the restroom?” 

“Of course,” Akande said, guiding Gabriel with a gentle hand on him lower back. “I will speak to you soon, Cadogan. I hope you enjoy the party.” 

“Thank you,” Cadogan responded simply. 

Akande led Gabriel away through the swarming crowds of people that were all vying for his attention. It still astounded Gabriel how adept Akande was with people - he rebuffed every attempt at a conversation, soothing the blow by implying that he would seek them out later whilst also avoiding making any promises. It was impressive, to say the least, and definitely interesting to watch, but Gabriel couldn’t say he was disappointed when they finally made it to the restroom. 

“Sorry,” Gabriel said as soon as the door closed behind them. “I just felt like I was going to say something that would ruin your relationship with him.” 

“Cadogan does tend to make others feel a precarious tension in every conversation he joins,” Akande agreed. He leaned against the sink, looking every part of the cool, collected businessman aura he emulated, even when Gabriel felt like his brain was being slowly fried.

“I’m not trying to drag you away from the party,” Gabriel continued. "I know you're the host and you take that shit seriously. I just wanted to get away from him for a moment. I would have been fine coming here by myself." 

“Nonsense,” Akande insisted. “As host, I should make sure my guests are entertained and well."

Gabriel snorted. Akande's dedication to being a good host was admirable but Gabriel used to routinely invite people over to his place, only to head out fifteen minutes later and leave them with the password to his Netflix and an open invitation to raid his fridge. Sometimes it felt like they were worlds apart. 

They didn’t speak for a moment, and Gabriel frowned at his reflection in the pristine mirror. 

“But he was creepy though, right?” he blurted out. “I’m not imagining that?” 

Akande hummed. "He is. I think he pushes the creep factor in order to make others uncomfortable. It's a common, if juvenile, powerplay in this line of business."

Gabriel shuddered. “Ugh, I don’t know how you do this.” 

“It’s a necessary evil to reach the goal that I want,” Akande said, calm as ever. “It’s uncomfortable sometimes, and boring most of the time. I dislike most of these people, but I need them in some way or other.” 

“You have the patience of a saint,” Gabriel said. “Maybe not the pacifism of one though."

"I don't think pacifism is a key part of sainthood," Akande said thoughtfully. 

"In that case, somebody call the Pope."

Akande laughed. It was the kind of laugh reserved for their private moments, alone in bedrooms or unoccupied kitchens or private dinners, meant for him alone. Gabriel couldn't help but feel smug that the douches outside would never hear Akande's dumb little snort. 

"Come on," Akande said, shaking his head fondly. "Let's find a better view, shall we?"

"Lead the way," Gabriel said. 

They re-entered the hall. Gabriel wasn't entirely sure where Akande was leading him, but it was easy to trust him and smile politely at the various people they bumped into. 

"You sure you wouldn't rather be chatting up your boring business friends?" Gabriel asked again. It felt a little counterintuitive to throw an extravagant ball with the intention of bonding with business partners only to neglect them in favour of the one guy Akande saw on a regular basis.

"I've talked plenty before you arrived, and I'll make rounds before the event finishes again," Akande dismissed. "And besides, there's something I want to show you."

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Do you wanna tell me what it is or are you going to make me wait?"

Akande smiled secretively. 

"Mr Ogundimu," a voice called out. A tall man in a garish pink tuxedo was beaming at Akande, taking his hand before the other man could react and shaking it enthusiastically.

"Mr Reynolds, it's been quite some time," Akande said politely, somehow still unnerved. "I trust you have been well?" 

"Better, now that I'm here," the other man practically shouted. God, Gabriel would have brought some earbuds if he knew Reinhardt's kindred spirit would be attending. "Have you considered my offer?" 

Even Akande appeared surprised. "I have. I'd be glad to discuss it with you in a private conversation later." 

"No need, we trust each other here, right?" the man said, gesturing at the small crowd of people around him. 

One of whom looked familiar.

"We meet again, Gabriel," Cadogan said.

Fucking fantastic. 

"We do indeed," Gabriel said, his voice determinedly even. "Have you been enjoying the event?" 

"Certainly," Cadogan replied blankly. “It is exquisite, as always. I expect nothing less from Ogundimu.” 

“Yeah, he has a reputation for gorgeous parties, I guess,” Gabriel agreed. He spied a waiter passing by and helped himself to another glass of champagne. Lord knew he needed it if he was going to get through any conversation with Cadogan whilst Akande was distracted by Reynolds.

Cadogan tilted his head in what Gabriel could only assume was curiosity. “Are you Ogundimu’s lover?” 

“What?” Gabriel spluttered. He set down the champagne glass on a nearby table before he could spill it.

Cadogan did not appear fazed. “Are you Ogundimu’s lover?” he asked again. 

“No,” Gabriel lied. Where the hell had that question come from? Had Cadogan seen them enter the restroom together? That was hardly damning evidence. “Why do you ask?” 

“His demeanor changes ever so slightly around you. I wondered if there was a particular reason for that,” Cadogan explained. 

“We’ve just worked together often, that’s all,” Gabriel said. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest but his voice was even and his tone was blank, so maybe Cadogan wouldn’t notice. Although if he was observant enough to notice something strange about him and Akande, maybe he could tell he was lying. Did it matter? Surely it wasn’t a big deal. What did Cadogan care even if they were together? Wait, did he have a crush on Akande or something? 

“A strong partnership,” Cadogan said, almost approvingly. “A key factor in success, I believe.” 

“Sure,” Gabriel managed to say. “Trust is everything.” 

“Certainly.” 

Cadogan didn’t say anything further, staring impassively. Gabriel felt his smile become more strained with every silent second that passed. 

“Ah, but I shouldn’t keep you from your other guests,” Gabriel heard Reynolds announce loudly. Thank fucking god. Akande laughed, excused himself from the group, and began walking again. Gabriel smiled politely at Cadogan and took his champagne with him.

“My apologies,” Akande said as they left the hall. “Reynolds doesn’t take a hint. I hope your conversation with Cadogan was not too painful?” 

“It was fine. But if you’re really sorry, you could slow down so I’m not jogging to keep up with you,” Gabriel grumbled. Stupid Akande and his stupidly long legs. 

“It’s not my fault if you’re short,” Akande countered as they stepped into a lift. “Try to keep up.” 

“I hate you,” Gabriel groaned. 

Akande grinned and kissed him as soon as the lift doors closed. Akande usually preferred to avoid doing anything in public but Gabriel loved the risk factor, and lifts had become a common compromise. 

Gabriel had to crane his neck a little to kiss Akande, but the annoyance of a neck ache was pacified by Akande's hand running through his hair. 

Gabriel let his hand trail from Akande’s lapel to his chest, and was considering travelling a little lower when the doors began to open. 

“Get it together, you look like you've been making out in a lift," Akande said,

“Fuck off,” Gabriel laughed. 

"Language," Akande said in mock 

"I thought this might be more to your taste," Akande said, pushing open a final set of doors. 

It was a balcony, with a frankly gorgeous view of the city. Gabriel loved looking at skylines. Seeing the busy lives of thousands of people compressed into a single view of still buildings let him imagine himself as a bird flying above. He didn’t know if Akande noticed him staring out of the dropship window before every mission or if it was the decorative skyline paintings in his room that gave it away, but he'd noticed nonetheless. It was a small but sweet gesture, and Gabriel felt the slightly uncomfortable but otherwise welcome tug at his heartstrings.

"It's beautiful," Gabriel said. "Thank you." 

"It's nothing," Akande dismissed as he took off his mask. He sat on the floor, forgoing the seats and crossing his legs. Gabriel sat beside him, slipping his legs between the railings. 

“Ugh, this stupid mask has been digging into my cheek this whole time,” he grumbled, ripping the mask off and placing it beside him. 

“You’re the one who refused to let me buy you a better quality one,” Akande shot back. “Would you like some hors d'oeuvres? I can call up a plate?" 

Gabriel pulled a face. “No thanks, I don’t eat rich people food.” 

“You know you’re technically rich too now, right?” Akande pointed out. He wasn’t wrong - Talon paid far more than Overwatch, and the double income combined with Akande’s sugar daddy tendencies meant that Gabriel had more than enough money. 

“Technically? Yes. But psychologically, I’m still a broke college student.” 

“You’re 50, my love.” 

“So?” 

Akande chuckled. They let the city’s noise wash over them for a moment, the distant chatter and the hum of the cars below. It was a gorgeous view. Skyscrapers and domes outlined by moonlight, the stillness of the skyline was only broken by the occasional bird.

“Cadogan thought we were fucking,” Gabriel blurted out. 

Akande didn’t respond for a moment. Instead, he stared at the view, an almost imperceptible furrow in his brow. Gabriel wasn’t sure how disastrous this was for their plans, and found himself feeling guilty even if this was all fucking Cadogan’s fault. 

“He has always been observant. I shall handle it.” 

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “You gonna kill him?” Not that murder was anything new in their line of business, but it seemed a tad drastic in this case.

“No,” Akande chuckled. “But leave it to me.” 

It was vague, but Gabriel was used to Akande not sharing every detail of his plans. It used to bother him until he realized that Akande simply didn’t see the need to share everything, and his consistent ambiguity didn’t stem from a lack of trust in Gabriel. 

“What do you want me to tell Winston when I get back?” Gabriel asked. 

Akande hummed. “I have accepted Reynolds’ business preposition, but I am certain it will not last long. It may be worth exposing our agreement to Overwatch in order to build their trust in your intel.” 

“What was your agreement, exactly?” 

“Money laundering through his nightclubs,” Akande explained. “He has a history of cleaning money, so I was planning on using him in the meantime until I find a long-term source.” 

“Fair enough,” Gabriel said. “Anyone else?”

“Hironaka, Zariski, and Kallinger. Cadogan and myself are parting ways, so there’s no harm in claiming that I spent a portion of the evening with him,” Akande said.

Gabriel frowned. “Cadogan seemed to think you’d be working with him in the future.” 

“He knows we’re not, it’s just diplomacy.” 

Fucking diplomacy. Gabriel reckoned it would be his downfall one day. It was why he could never take the mantle of Strike Commander years ago, and why he dreaded events like these.

“If I was in your position, Talon would collapse in weeks,” he contemplated.

Akande pinched Gabriel’s ear with just a little too much force, laughing fondly when Gabriel yelped. “You’re more competent than you give yourself credit for. You sounded diplomatic enough when you were talking to Cadogan.” 

“You mean when I almost died choking on top shelf champagne because he asked if I was banging you?” 

“Yes, but you didn’t die choking on top shelf champagne. A credit to your subtlety.” 

Gabriel laughed.

“It’s a beautiful night,” Akande said.

The moon was exceptionally bright, casting a silver glow in every dip and contour on Akande’s face. They rarely spent time together like this, doing nothing when there was a billion things waiting to be done, but it was nice. Akande wasn’t the type to take a long break from work so vacations weren’t a strong likelihood, but moments like these were enough for Gabriel.

“It is,” Gabriel agreed.

Akande turned to him. “I should return to the party.” When Gabriel began to stand, he placed a hand on his knee. “You should stay. No one knows about this balcony, and you already know what to say to Winston. There’s no need for you to return.” 

“Great,” Gabriel said immediately before wincing. “I mean, it’s a brilliant party, but-” 

“Don’t worry,” Akande laughed. “I know it’s not your scene. Stay as long as you like.” 

Akande stood, dusting off his suit and putting his mask on again.

“Before you go,” Gabriel said, reaching for Akande’s lapel and dragging him down. Akande raised an eyebrow before closing his eyes. With the moon as their witness, they kissed.

“You do like a little risk, don’t you?” Akande said fondly when he pulled away.

“Just as a treat,” Gabriel winked.

Akande flicked a strand of hair that had fallen loose from Gabriel’s gelled hairstyle. “I’ll see you later, my love.” 

“See you,” Gabriel said. 

After the building buildings on him in Switzerland, Gabriel had been so angry that it poisoned every cell in his body. It pushed him forward and kept him moving. It drove him into the arms of Talon. At some point, he began to rely on that anger to feel anything other than numbness. It felt strange, but right, to feel it seep away and be replaced with something lighter, something more wholesome. He looked at the skyline and wondered if this was what peace felt like. 

In the distance, down the barrel of a sniper rifle, Shrike watched Gabriel sit alone, doused in the liquid silver of a full moon.