The Villain Wrangler | Overwatch

Chapter 16

Jack knocked on the door, then walked in without waiting for a response. "Gabe? Where are you?"

He flicked on the light on in the bedroom, and stared at the large, amorphous shadow draped on and around the bed. "Gabe?" he asked hesitantly.

At his voice, dozens of crimson eyes popped open on the shadowy mass and glared at him. Several mouths lined with sharp fangs opened in a chorus of yawns, the the mass began to shrink in on itself. Jack stared, stunned, as the shadow coalesced into Gabe, nude, with the eyes and mouths scattered over his ashy gray skin.

Gabe stretched, then turned to Jack. His brow furrowed and the eyes and mouths slowly vanished as his skin took on its usual mahogany tones.

"Told ya I was more fucked up than you," he said into the shocked silence.

"Fuck, Gabe. What happened?"

Gabe shrugged and rose to grab his underwear. "No idea. Came with the voice and the shadow stuff."

Jack considered it. "How much control do you have?"

"I can control it when I'm awake, not so much when I'm asleep. I mostly keep the extra eyes closed unless I'm on a mission. It's disorienting. And I can eat with the other mouths, but things taste... off." He shrugged into a compression shirt and continued, his back to Jack, "So, still want to keep this going?"

Jack said nothing, just walked up and looped his arms around his waist. He pressed a kiss onto Gabe's shoulder, "I stayed with you through all the shit the SEP threw at us, and the Omnics, and the politicians. You think this'll change anything?" He chuckled a bit, and went on, "Might take a bit to get used to, but I'm staying."

They stood there for a while, just enjoying each other's touch, then Gabe sighed. "You wanted something."

Jack hummed, pressing another kiss to Gabe's shoulder. "Gérard's awake. Angela's doing her stuff, and Amélie is with him, but apparently he wants to yell at you. He was very insistent."

Gabe slowly pulled away, finishing getting dressed as he considered what Gérard wanted to yell at him about. As they walked toward the medical wing, he studied Jack.

"I miss you. Do-"

"If you want to move back in, I'll pack your shit while Gérard is yelling at you," Jack interrupted.

Gabe laughed, dragging him over for a swift kiss. "You go move my shit. I'll deal with the angry Frenchman."

—

Gabe paused at the door. Gérard was sitting up in the bed, chatting with Amélie in French as he held her hand. Gabe grinned a bit. Amélie was looking more like her old self, though her skin was still more purple than pink. But she had the same vibrancy on her face as she laughed at her husband's sappy lines. Gérard stopped when he caught sight of him, and Amélie smiled and rose, kissing his temple as she left.

"He's not as cross as he sounds," she murmured as she walked past.

Gabe waited while the door clicked closed behind her, then sighed and approached the bed.

Gérard watched him, face impassive.

"Well, you got almost everything sorted with Jack, I see," he drawled as Gabe dropped into the seat next to him.

Gabe smirked. "I'm allowed to move back in after this is over," he replied.

Gérard barked a laugh. "Finally out of the doghouse, eh? Good. You two work better when you're at each other's backs, not throats." He took a long pull from a glass of apple juice and pinned Gabe to the chair with a look. "Now, what's this I hear about the pair of you being sweet on some sweet, young, civilian?"

Gabe laughed. "She's hardly defenseless. She hit me with a clipboard and tried to deck Jack."

Gérard's eyes twinkled. "I think I like her already. But both of you have... let's be polite and call it baggage."

"She was a fan. And we both dumped a lot on her before we pulled our heads out of our asses." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "She's interested in both of us, that's fairly obvious. But her ex was cheating on her, and Jack and I have issues we need to air out..."

Gérard watched him, face softening. "You think you could make a triad work?"

"Jack and I have talked about it. We think it could."

Gérard glared. "But you haven't yet discussed it with the object of your shared affections, have you?" he rolled his eyes to the ceiling, as if praying for patience. "Look. Talk to her. See if she would wish to be courted by the pair of you, and abide by her wishes. Or, accept that a twenty-odd year age gap is insurmountable and add her to your collection of surrogate children." Gabe glared at that, but Gérard went on. "Either way, you are an adult. Act like one. Now, go away. I wish to continue staring at my wife. She is much better looking than you."

Gabe laughed and swatted his shoulder lightly, but left, nodding to Amélie as he passed.

—

Jack was halfway between Gabe's room and his own, arms full of cloth and sewing machine, when Ana called his name. He paused, jerking his head toward his room, but waited for Ana to catch up.

"So, you and Gabriel have made up already?"

He huffed a laugh. "Yeah. Angelica helped, made us actually talk. I can't believe how much I missed him, Ana."

"Hmm. I hope this works out better than last time, old friend."

She followed him into his quarters, watching as he dumped the fabric in the second bedroom and placing the sewing machine on a table. Her eyes narrowed a bit as she glanced around the room.

"You are taking him back to your bed remarkably quickly, don't you think?"

He laughed as he walked back toward her. "Nope. We've had a few heart-to-hearts, and we're pretty firmly on the same page now." He headed back out, Ana trailing behind. "C'mon. I want to get Angelica set up in one of the offices. It should make things easier for her."

Ana scoffed quietly. "She is a civilian. Why keep her around?"

"Well, she's got a good head on her shoulders. And she's been helping with the publicity we need, after Petras."

Ana stopped, eyes narrowed. "You are more than twenty years her senior, yet you are panting at her heels like a love-struck puppy. She is a child, Jack. And how would Gabriel feel?"

"Gabriel is right there with him, panting at his side," Gabe announced, slinging an arm around Jack's hips and kissing his cheek. Turning back to Ana, he continued, "Ange is an adult, and more than capable of telling us to stop. She's had plenty of opportunities so far."

"I'm giving her my old office," Jack informed him.

Gabe snorted. "Bet you twenty she hates it."

"You're on."

They walked down the hallway, arms around each other's waist and generally acting like boys less than half their ages. Ana sniffed and let them go. They'd learn.