#fistgabe

The party had been for the rich, the influential, and the undercover agents with long standing aliases posing as one or both. Gabriel was the latter. He'd pretended not to know that he'd be at the party, pretended not to know that Akande would do the same. He'd pretended that wasn't the reason he’d taken the assignment even as he ignored his self-assigned mark for the company of the Talon leader. They'd both grabbed many drinks and raised them to their lips and drank none of them. They’d pretended to be drunk during the cab ride to make it easier, to play their game. Pretended to be drunk in the elevator where clothing got untucked and lips met warm skin. Pretended to be drunk as they stripped and pressed together, warm and so good until they couldn't pretend anymore and Gabriel had seen him, truly seen him. It was terrifying. It was powerful.

His fingers splayed over the synthetic skin of Akande’s torso, the warmth and hard muscle beneath indistinguishable from organic flesh, evidence of his access to the best West African technology on the market. His hand moved to the surgical bolt next to his abs and ran his fingers to the one above his hip, curled his finger around the metal brace next to it. All of his enhancements were to make him stronger in combat, to resist the strain his body took while wielding the Doomfist Gauntlet.

Christ, he was literally sleeping with the enemy. Ana’s tired, distrustful stare flashed in his mind and he closed his eyes to be rid of it but it lingered, deservedly so.

He wondered if this was part of Akande’s plan, his grand design, because it wasn’t part of Gabriel’s. This wasn't supposed to happen, but it had. The newest Doomfist was a priority target, and they'd played this game of cat and mouse for too long. He’d gotten too attached to it, too admirable of his brilliant mind, too willing to talk during a stalemate, and Akande had been beautiful, so very beautiful with his keen eyes, his smooth dark skin, his confident laugh, and regality. His armchair philosophy grated irritatingly against Gabriel’s scarred and bled through history, but Akande’s will to do what must be done, to do what he feels is right and enacting it with his own two hands is something Gabriel has been missing for too long, the will that could change the world.

He used to share that will with his strike team before Torbjorn settled down with his family, before Reinhardt retired to wander the world like Don Quixote, before Ana grew more spiteful that there was nothing left for her but the military, before the job wore down everything that made Jack great. They’d gotten old, all of them had, but unlike them Gabriel still felt the will to act.

Once upon a time he'd do anything for them, and that promise had never been rescinded, but the long years had worn the oath down, the meaning of the words lost with use and experience and cynicism until it was a vague thing that he wasn't sure he remembered because it was important or because it was a childish memory of a time when he was better.

And maybe Gabriel wanted something that wasn’t crumbling at the base with the paint chipping off. Maybe for once he didn't want to clean up a mess and pick up the pieces. Maybe he wanted spend time with people he hadn’t known for so long they’d run out of things to talk about. Maybe he wanted a future with an immovable force that made him want something more. Maybe he wanted one person to truly see him, who shared his world of mind games and violence and laughter and parties they couldn't wait to leave.

“If your hands go any lower, we’ll never leave this bed,” a deep, amused voice said above him. A smile spread across Gabriel’s lips at the sound and he turned his head up to look at Akande’s sleepy eyes, shining in the morning light with mirth.

The fondness felt heavy and wonderful in his chest. It ached even as he sat up and kissed those soft lips. Then he kissed him again because the corners of Akande’s lips lifted and he could. He took a breath to marvel at that.

“That would be such a tragedy,” Gabriel breathed against his lips, the naked happiness in his lover’s eyes, the happiness Gabriel caused with just two presses of his lips to the tempting pair beneath him, was almost enough to distract from the horrid smell of his breath. Almost. Gabriel pulled back, wrinkling his nose. The confused scrunch between Akande's eyebrows was kind of adorable.

“My breath smells terrible. I need to brush my teeth. Do you have a spare toothbrush?” He asked without preamble and swung his sweaty legs out of bed. He was already walking toward the connected bathroom when he heard that low chuckle. He turned around immediately, loathe to not see one of his favorite sights when he’d only monitored him from afar.

The chuckles disappeared quickly, but his stare lingered and roamed Gabriel’s naked body with those keen, planning eyes. It made Gabriel grin arrogantly that his body could capture such attention from a man like Akande.

“Like what you see?” Gabriel said through his cocky grin because he couldn't help himself, displaying himself openly with his arms crossed over his chest. Akande shook his head, amused.

“There should be a spare toothbrush in the top right drawer,” Akande said easily, not taking the bait to Gabriel’s disappointment,” You should also take a shower while you're in there. Clean towels are on the rack.”

Gabriel pouted, but nodded his thanks and headed for the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

With a toilet in front of him, the need to pee made itself known and he relieved himself before fishing through Akande’s surprisingly messy drawer for the toothbrush. He found it and popped open the container. There was toothpaste next to the sink, squeezed from the middle, that he silently judged and ignored, instead opting to use the travel sized toothpaste he'd found in the drawer.

It felt good to scrub his teeth clean. Something about the ritual of grooming pleased his sensibilities. Perhaps it was a product of his military background or the long expanses of time he’d had to go without it for the mission. Either way, he was eyeing that shower with every intention of using it.

He spat out his toothpaste and rinsed it down the drain, making sure none of it lingered in the pristine sink. He set the toothbrush down on the counter with the bristles over the sink and headed for the shower.

The shower was massive with a granite bench to sit on in the back and an entire shelf of soaps inlaid in the aqua blue, tiled wall. It could comfortably fit four of him. He was too used to hunched over communal showers or spaces so small that his elbow always pushed against the curtains. A giddy feeling rose in him at the prospect of a shower without either of those things. He couldn't wait to tell Reinhardt about this during their-

He paused in his thoughts.

He couldn't tell Rein about this. He could never know whose bed Gabriel had warmed. Not unless something-

He stopped that thinking, pushed away a tiny flicker of loss, and got back on task. It was a familiar feeling, redacting away the moments in his life.

The sheer variety of soaps was staggering. And his agents called him prissy for special ordering the lavender citrus soap he preferred. At least it was only one. This was ridiculous. He picked out a blue and green swirled soap bar that smelled like it came from one of the boutique soap/jewelry/hemp clothing shops back home.

There didn't appear to be a shower head, which made him cautious, but there was a handle that said “hot” in one side and “cold” on the other which he knew how to work with. He turned it to the middle and water came pouring down on him in like a heavy rain, and not willing to go out drowning himself in a shower, he turned off the water.

He glared up and for the first time noticed the small dots on the ceiling. The water came from the damn ceiling. He also noticed a thin, black panel next to the soap shelf. He rolled his eyes and pressed his fingertips to it, bringing up a holoscreen of shower options. Of course it had to be the most convoluted shower in existence.

He settled on the “light shower” option through the middle half of the shower space and turned the water on to medium temperature. It came out in a much more reasonable amount behind Gabriel and he stepped into it with a sigh, letting the water flow over tight muscles and fond aches. He automatically started scrubbing, consciously making himself slow down. A shower like this wasn't a five minute shower.

It wasn't a surprise when large hands closed his to stop the direction of the soap.

“I see that you finally figured out how to use the shower,” Akande teased him. Gabriel turned and raised both eyebrows at him.

“This is not a shower. This is a water boarding simulator.”

“You're the expert,” Akande said with happy resignation, kissing him lovingly next to his eye like a husband placating their spouse instead of acknowledging them as a torturer. Gabriel stiffened, but moved easily to kiss under his jaw at his pulse point. This was their game.

“Torture is an ineffective way to get information,” Gabriel replied kissing gently down his neck, “infiltration and gaining trust is much more effective.”

He saw the hand raise to his neck. Thick fingers that when balled in a fist have demolished lives, rest gently under his chin. Gabriel allowed his chin to be raised and plush lips to be pressed firmly onto his. They're playing their game and Gabriel should not show how willing he is to give himself to this man except now Akande has seen him. Their night together memorized, stored, and catalogued in their relentless minds. Akande already knows so Gabriel opens his mouth before his lover has to ask for permission, knows that Akande wants to give more of himself too because Gabriel saw him and he knows. The need to take the hidden pieces of himself that Akande’s giving him wars deliciously with Gabriel’s need to give Akande only the parts of him that would make him feel good. They pull apart with a divine satisfaction.

“You know, your skills would be appreciated elsewhere,” Akande breathed oh so gently, the words more a whisper and a rumble in his chest.

“I'm where I want to be,” he replied like he always did to Akande's offer, but if felt lighter than their usual script. He’s also keenly aware of the intimacy in the double meaning of his words. A taste lingered in his mouth from the kiss and Gabriel scrunched up his nose.

“You never brushed your teeth,” he accused, pushing Akande away with one hand.

“I did not.” The bastard was completely unapologetic. Gabriel’s nose remain scrunched.

“I know where your mouth has been, you know?”

“Then it would be a waste to brush my teeth as I have every intention of putting my mouth back on those places in the very immediate future,” Akande replied with a shit eating grin.

Gabriel’s disgust melted into open intrigue and grinned back at him.

“Fair point,” Gabriel said with a tilt of his head, “and one that I am eager to discuss, but I need to report back to work.”

The look on Akande’s face said that he would do no such thing, but they both knew he wouldn't stop him. It was a bad play so instead he just said “okay.”

His hands were suddenly on Gabriel’s shoulders, looking him square in the eye.

“Have dinner with me,” he requested. Gabriel froze, if someone from Overwatch saw them together it would be terrible. The “no” was on his tongue when Akande continued.

“I know a very discreet Thai restaurant where we could have our privacy,” he elaborated and Gabriel felt both a gratefulness to not have to explain his discretion and a thrill that he was being asked to go on an honest to God date. Except Gabriel was busy, especially with Overwatch no longer officially backing them and his ingrate Second In Command having flown the coop and was unable take over for him.

It occurred to Gabriel that getting him away for another night could be part of a plan to disrupt Blackwatch command for a short, but possibly critical time. Feelings aside, Gabriel knew that an opportunity to further Doomfist’s and Talon’s goals was not going to be wasted. Except this could work in Blackwatch’s favor too. He would be able to take Doomfist off of the board for a known, set of time. That opened a whole new world of possibilities for them. He’d have to talk to Ali to see what could be set up. It should leave him with time to prepare for his date.

“Okay, I'm in,” Gabriel replied, feeling joy light up in him at Akande’s delighted smile.

“We could go see a show after if you like. The ballet perhaps,” he brought up a little too casually like he already knows that Gabriel likes the ballet, like that couldn't have been information pulled from an abducted, traumatized woman who had been Gabriel's friend, who was still missing.

“I would like that,” Gabriel said instead, tallying up more time that Doomfist could be accounted for. He smiled a pleased smile and started soaping himself back up in earnest, aware of Akande’s following gaze even as he lifted up his leg to wash between his toes. When he went to put the soap bar back a hand grabbed his wrist to stop him. He looked back at Akande questioningly.

He moved the hand still holding the soap and moved it to his own chest, rubbing sudsy circle on his synthetic skin, the back of Gabriel’s fingers grazing the warm skin along with it.

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to stay just a little bit longer? You are sure to already be late with how long it took you to figure out how to use this shower,” he joked, but rubbed his freehand down Gabriel’s side, which was nice, but Gabriel was too focused on that little circle of suds and how he’d been ignoring that he was naked in a shower with the gorgeous man he had feelings for who’d been unsubtle in his desires. Gabriel couldn’t think of a reason he was doing nothing about it.

“It would have to be quick…” Gabriel bargained. Akande grinned triumphantly and snaked an arm around his waist.

“Two hours tops,” Akande joked to him which made Gabriel grin and shake his head.

“And I want coffee, good coffee. Like it takes 20 minutes to drip slowly into a cup using gravity alone good coffee.”

“I know just the place,” he agreed easily, pulling Gabriel closer to him so that the only thing between them was Gabriel’s arm and the bar of soap, “Any other demands?”

“I’d also like a Bentley.”

“Done.”

“Really?” Gabriel leaned back with an eyebrow raised.

“No,” Akande deadpanned at him and then broke into chuckles. Gabe laughed with him and and playfully hit him in the arm.

“Then I’m good to go,” Gabriel said amicably.

“Good. I’d like to brush my teeth sometime this morning.”

Gabriel snorted into a laugh that lasted even as he watched the soapy trail of the bar of soap as he moved it further down his lover’s washboard abs.