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“Never have I ever...owned chickens”. Jack scowls.
“I grew up on a farm, Gabe, that’s not fair”.
“Doesn’t matter if it’s fair, you have to drink”, he smirks. Jack rolls his eyes and takes another sip of his lukewarm shot.
Their unit had arrived on base a few weeks prior, with a handful of strangers and little information about what exactly “Overwatch” was or what they as a team were supposed to be doing. Everyone had been quickly escorted into a daily routine of early rising, schedules and discipline, nothing that Jack wasn’t already accustomed to by being in the military and growing up on a farm. Up at 0500, breakfast, drills in the early heat of midsummer, lunch at 1200, individual assignments and injections, dinner and lights out by 2100. But Jack welcomed the strict schedule and physical labor. It cleared his head and eased the homesickness he felt for his small, Indiana corn farm.
They all felt homesick, but took solace in the fact that they were all missing home together: it gave them something to bond over. On their Sunday evenings off, they crowded together in the small rec room on base to tell stories of their home lives and what they enjoyed outside of the confines of the military.
That was, until Gabe and Ana decided that they had done enough “moping around” and that it was time to “loosen up and make things interesting”.
To them, Jack learned, that meant sneaking liquor into their dry, military base.
The first night Gabe pulled out a bottle of whiskey from his hoodie, Jack felt a wave of uncertainty wash over him. Where did they even get that? What if they were caught? He had never gotten into any kind of serious trouble before.
“They handpicked us for this team, they’re not going to kick you out for having a few drinks”, Gabe had said to him, noticing his apprehension. He pours a shot and hands the small, plastic cup to Jack. “Come on Farm Boy let’s see how you hold your liquor”. Jack was never one to turn down a challenge.
But every night ended the same, with Morrison and Reyes as the last two standing after everyone else had gone to bed.
“You and Gabe are always making eyes at each other”, Ana said to him one evening as they walked back to their rooms.
“What??”, Jack replies, dumbfounded by her statement. He’s acknowledged to himself, privately, that he finds Gabriel Reyes attractive. He’s tried to chalk it up to admiration: Gabe is a great soldier with so much potential, it’s difficult not to find his drive...attractive. But being confronted out loud about his feelings by someone else catches him entirely off guard.
“You heard me”, she grins. “You guys practically undress each other”.
“That’s not true!”, he says, too defensively, his face turning several shades of red.
“Keep telling yourself that, Jack”, she smiles at him as she turns down the hall leading to her room. “But everyone else has certainly taken notice”.
Jack was starting to believe that the rest of their team had been leaving them alone on purpose.
“Ok it’s your turn”, Gabe says.
“What else can I ask, you’ve practically done everything”. Between his extensive sexual history, alcoholic shenanigans, and various drug trip adventures, Jack was convinced that there was absolutely nothing Gabe hadn’t done. It was a mystery to him why someone so wild would ever join the military.
“That’s such a cop out answer”, Gabe says, rolling his eyes. Jack shrugs and lays his head back to rest on the couch back behind him, the liquor and the humidity of the room making him drowsy.
“Then you go”, he retorts. Gabe leans back and looks off into the distance, conjuring up a question. Jack stares at Gabe, sitting on the other end of the couch, watching the broad stretch of his shoulders rise and fall gently with his breath.
“Never have I ever...not made out on the first date”, Gabe says.
“I’ve never even kissed anyone”, Jack replies without thinking, letting the liquor get the better of his mouth.
“Wait what?”. Oh no, did that really just come out of his mouth? Jack freezes, embarrassed, waiting for the ridicule that usually follows that statement.
“You’ve never kissed anyone?”, a smirk forms across Gabe’s face. “Never, not even once?”
“No, never”, Jack says sheepishly. Gabe laughs out loud and the sound echos off Jack’s ears harshly, but he stops when he notices Jack’s frown.
“I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you”, he says, reassuring. “Just...wow. That’s surprising”.
“Why?”, Jack asks, his words slurring a bit, his defense still up.
“Well, look at you”, Gabe motions at him as he pours another shot into a plastic water cup.
“What, what about me??? What’s the supposed to mean?”, Jack demands, his insecurities flaring, turning his full attention to Gabe, who knocks his shot back in one fluid motion. God, he looks so good. “Cause I’ll have you know--”
“Relax, Morrison”, Gabe says. “Just...you’re a good looking guy. I’m surprised you don’t have people lined up to get a bite of you”. Jack’s heart leaps in his chest and he reaches for the booze, hoping to conceal the blush that has crept up his neck from Gabe’s comments.
“You don’t mean that”, he says dismissively, avoiding eye contact, trying to focus on pouring his shot without spilling the bottle. Only when he picks his cup back up and settles back on the couch does he realize Gabe has turned his attention completely towards him.
“I do”, he says. Jack looks at him and when their eyes meet, Gabe’s dark gaze is intense. Jack knows he’s reading the situation, he recognizes that same keen-eyed determination during their drills, but what he can’t place is the teasing in Gabe’s eyes. “I’ve certainly noticed”. There’s silence as the weight of Gabe’s words settles between them. Jack’s heart is pounding.
“In fact, in my opinion”, Gabe continues, sliding closer to Jack on the couch to close the gap between them. “It would be an honor if I could be the one to share in your first kiss”. He takes Jack’s hand in his own, a smug smile tugs at the corner of his lips, and kisses the back of his hand. Jack stares at Gabe, wide eyed and speechless. Gabe is close enough that Jack can see the slight, dark stubble of his beard returning, despite the fact that twelve hours ago he was clean shaven. A sheen of sweat covers his face and an alcoholic flush spreads across his dark skin, like a liquor stain seeped across his flesh. He looks like a model.
“You’re just drunk and you’re fucking with me”, is the only sentence Jack manages to blurt out because it’s the only explanation he has for why Gabe would be acting this way. “Did Ana put you up to this?”. Gabe seems taken aback by his question.
“No?”, Gabe says, confused, but his confidence unfaltering.
“Oh”, Jack replies. “Because she tried to convince me that you have been flirting with me--”
“I have been flirting with you”, Gabe says, almost nonchalantly. “You really haven’t noticed?”. Jack shakes his head slowly.
Everyone except me really has taken notice , he realizes, mortified.
“This is embarrassing”, Gabe chuckles to himself. “I’m sorry. Did I misread the situation?”.
“No, I…”, Jack trails off. “I just didn’t realize you had been”.
“That’s alright, I probably should have been more direct”, Gabe says, smiling. “Is this okay?”. He gestures to his hand, still closed around Jack’s and Jack is so nervous, all he can do is nod. They stay like this for awhile, Gabe wrapped around Jack, their hands intertwined. Gabe leans his head back and closes his eyes, resting his head back on the top of the couch. His hand rakes gently through the soft wisps of blonde hair at the nape of Jack’s neck. His touch sends electricity through his spine.
Jack stews silently in his cloudy thoughts, unable to relax. Obviously Gabe was being serious in his request and he was always one to keep his word, but Jack had never had anyone so outwardly express their interest in him. He didn’t know how to respond to his advances. After a while, Gabe speaks up.
“Alright Morrison, I should probably get back to my quarters”, he says, unlacing himself from around Jack’s frame. “Thanks for cuddling with me”. He stands to leave, stretching his arms above his head as he does and Jack gets a peek at the chiseled skin beneath. He begins to walk towards the door.
Kiss him , Jack’s intoxicated inner voice shouts at him and before Jack realizes he’s doing it, he’s standing up. He crosses the room to Gabe, grabbing his wrist as he reaches the door, wheeling him around and crushing his mouth against Gabe’s. Their lips fumble together before Jack pulls away. They stare at each other for a moment.
“You could have at least let me kiss you properly”, Gabe says, reaching to cup Jack’s face in his hand and pulling him back in. Gabe kisses him tenderly, wrapping his free hand around Jack’s waist to hold him close. His stubble scratches against Jack’s face, tickling his nose and Jack snakes his arms around Gabe’s neck. He pushes back into the kiss as Gabe’s tongue prods gently at Jack’s lips, requesting access that Jack happily grants. He rakes his hand gently through Gabe’s hair, their tongues dancing together, hungry for more, wanting to pull him closer. When they finally separate, they’re both flushed and breathless, Jack’s cheek still resting against Gabe’s palm. Jack can still feel the lingering of Gabe’s lips against his own, like a phantom kiss. He strokes Jack’s face gently with his thumb and presses his forehead against his.
“Was that...um....alright?”, Jack asks hesitantly, breaking their silence.
“You need some work on your delivery, but you’re off to a strong start”, he grins back and Jack breaks into a smile. “Maybe we could get together again and practice”. Jack feels his legs go weak and he’s thankful Gabe is there to hold him up.
“As long as you don’t tell Ana we kissed”.
“I won’t have to”, Gabe says. “She’s gonna read you like a book, Morrison”.
“No she won’t”, Jack says, rolling his eyes.
“You’re right, everyone is gonna read you like a book”, he adds, fanning the fire. “Everyone’s gonna know”.
“Come on Gabe, stop”, Jack scowls, feeling his blush reach all the way to the tips of his ears, partially because Jack knows he’s right.
“And then I’ll be able to brag ‘I concurred Jack Morrison’s lips’”, Gabe continues.
“Oh my god stop”, Jack sighs heavily. “I’m too drunk and tired for all the shit you’re giving me”.
“Don’t pretend that you don’t like it”, Gabe mumbles as he plants a kiss on Jack’s forehead and laces their fingers together. “Come on, let’s go to bed”.
Together, hand in hand, they make their way to their rooms. Jack can’t help but think about how exactly this will play out, what this will mean for them in the future, what would happen if their superiors found out, how this may put their jobs and even their relationship in jeopardy.
But in the moment, Gabriel Reyes is here and Jack feels that’s all that he really needs to be happy.