#owbigbang

First Time

Ok, so maybe they’d had a bit too much to drink. That didn’t mean it was enough to go making bad decisions, or enough to make Jack believe he would be fine spending 7 hours straight with Gabe, with both of them drunk off their asses.

Perhaps it may have been enough to drink.

Because the current situation, with Gabe on the couch and Jack sitting on Gabe’s lap, wasn’t something either of them would allow in their normal, not-drunk states, despite it being 2 in the morning.

The TV in front of them was on, and playing some Spanish soap opera that Gabe had found about a half hour ago. Jack was sitting facing the TV, though his hands were resting on Gabe’s strong thighs, and he squeezed them every so often to marvel at the feeling of so much muscle under his hands, and to hear Gabe giggle a little. Jack leaned back comfortably, his back pressing against Gabe’s chest as he closed his eyes and ran his hands up and down Gabe’s thighs.

He cracked open his eyes as Gabe spoke. “You're heavy.”

Jack giggled a bit and leaned back harder against Gabe's chest. “You're just too weak.”

Gabe scoffed, resting his chin on Jack's shoulder. “You calling these weak?” Gabe tightened the muscles in his thighs under Jack's hands, and Jack nearly outright moaned at how truly strong those legs were. They could crush him with ease.

“Maybe I am.”

He always did like flirting with danger. Especially when he was drunk.

He could almost feel Gabe smirk behind him. “You don't know what you're saying, Jack.”

“Don't I?”

“Come on. Haven't you fantasized about my massive thighs crushing your pretty little head? Haven't you touched yourself while thinking about it? Haven't you--”

Gabe always liked to play dirty, but Jack hadn't known he'd go quite so far. In order to shut him up, Jack twisted in his lap, knee just barely brushing Gabe's crotch, and kissed him.

Of course everything Gabe had said was true. How the hell he knew that was a different topic, but it was undeniably correct. Jack fucking loved Gabe's thighs.

Gabe laughed as Jack pulled away with a faint blush on his cheeks. “See. Told you,” Gabe

Jack sighed and put his hands back on Gabe's thighs, kneading them with his fingers. “Fine. I admit it. I may like your thighs.” Jack squeezed them for emphasis.

“May like? Please. That's the--” Gabe hiccuped, then scowled-- “biggest understatement of the century.” He hiccuped again, then sighed. “Geez. We're gonna feel this in the morning.”

“'Course we are. Doesn't mean we can slack off,” Jack pointed out. “Just ask Angela for those miracle hangover things she has.”

“You mean ask her to give me an injection? Are you--” hiccup-- “serious? You know I hate needles, Jack.”

“Fine, go around all day with a massive headache that puts you in a shitty mood and makes you yell at the recruits even more. That'll be splendid.”

Gabe groaned. “I will not do that.”

“Yes you will.”

“No I won't.”

“Yes, you will.”

Gabe narrowed his eyes at Jack. “Watch me.”

“I already do that,” Jack replied cheekily.

“God, you're insufferable.”

Jack’s lips twitched up in a smirk. “I know. And you love me for it.”

Gabe sighed and pressed a kiss to Jack's cheek. “Maybe I do.”

They fell asleep like that, with Jack leaning against Gabe’s chest, his hands on Gabe’s thighs and Gabe’s chin on his shoulder.

Second Time

This time, they weren’t the ones to blame.

It was Ana that had insisted, really, and since Angela could never say no to her, and since Torbjörn and Reinhardt were always up for a bit of drinking, they had ended up here.

Torbjörn was passed out, his small form taking up a miniscule amount of space on the couch next to Reinhardt, who was also dead asleep. Ana was currently taking small sips of wine at the bar in between trying to speak and breaking out in laughter, and even Angela was drunk, laughing clumsily at Ana’s antics and possibly putting her hands places she shouldn’t.

Gabe had taken up residence on one of the chairs, on his third beer (no, he wasn’t a fucking lightweight, this stuff was strong), while Jack was standing at the bar with the other two, quietly watching their “conversation.” Gabe took the time to admire Jack’s ass, because how could he not with such a fantastic viewpoint? His gaze traveled across the large, strong shoulders, the slight curve of his back, down to his ass, emphasized by the tight pants Jack wore.

Gabe had never more appreciated those pants than in that moment.

Jack shifted on his feet, and Gabe watched, entranced. His thigh muscles flexed under his pants, and while they weren’t quite as large as Gabe’s own, he had been in the super soldier program as well, making his muscles just as strong. Jack lifted his arm to take a sip of his beer, and Gabe could see the way his arm muscles moved beneath his t-shirt.

God, he was so drawn to this man. This white, naive, overachieving, too-damn-smart-for-his-own-good man from the middle of nowhere, Illinois or some shit. Maybe it was Indiana. And he wasn’t sure why.

Jack must’ve turned around recently, because Gabe brought his eyes up to see Jack watching him. He didn’t know if Jack had caught him checking out his ass, but, well, it looked like Jack was staring at him, in any case. Experimentally, he lifted his beer bottle to his lips, and Jack’s eyes followed, staring at his arm muscles like Gabe had just been staring at Jack’s ass. Gabe took a sip, and Jack’s eyes focused on his lips, prompting a smile to spread across Gabe’s face, and he barely managed to avoid spilling his drink across his shirt front. Jack seemed to realize he was openly staring, and a blush crept onto his face as he grabbed his own drink and sipped at it to cover his face. Gabe’s smile only spread. Damn, he loved Jack’s blushing face.

Gabe cheekily beckoned at Jack with his drink, urging him to come over, and Jack snuck a look at the two girls also at the bar. Neither of them seemed to be aware of their surroundings, and considering the fact that Angela was currently in Ana’s lap… They would probably be a while.

Gabe felt a thrill go through him as Jack stretched his arms and legs out in front of him in his seat, tensing and loosening the muscles before standing up to head towards Gabe. Gabe, empowered by the alcohol, spread his legs slightly and patted his thigh, a silent sit here.

Somehow, Jack always managed to be cuter when he was drunk. He blushed easier, yet made lewder jokes; he was easily embarrassed, but had no trouble embarrassing Gabe in any context. He broke his “perfect boy” façade when drunk, something Gabe endlessly pressed him to do in normal company, and Gabe loved it.

At the moment, he was blushing, his pale skin flushing bright red easily and Gabe could stare at that face for forever. Jack set his drink on the small end table, next to Gabe’s, and then he was crawling into Gabe’s lap, straddling his thighs and resting his hands on strong biceps. Gabe couldn’t help himself from moving his hands to cup Jack’s ass -- he had been staring at it for quite a while -- and Jack’s attempted glare never reached its full potential before Jack gave up and relaxed in Gabe’s lap.

Gabe kneaded the flesh underneath his hands, whispering, “Damn, cariño, your ass is perfect.”

Jack wrinkled his nose (god damn it, Gabe loved when he did that) before starting to slowly caress the muscles underneath his own fingers. “If my ass is perfect, then yours is made by God himself. It is a fucking work of art. It’s worthy of Michelangelo. You could put it in a museum. You could--”

“Alright, lover boy, no need to keep extolling the virtues of my backside. Not that I don’t appreciate it, mind you,” Gabe added, and Jack snorted, drunkenness slurring the sound slightly.

“‘Course you appreciate it, you narcissist.”

“Excuse me? I’m not the one staring at myself in the mirror every night, wondering if my muscles have grown just a bit--”

“You shut it,” Jack grumbled, and leaned in for a kiss. Gabe willingly complied, feeling Jack’s soft lips press against his and letting out a low rumble of satisfaction. Jack pressed his chest to Gabe’s, a cue for more, and Gabe nipped Jack’s bottom lip softly even as he made the sound again. Gabe didn’t care what Jack liked about it, whether it was the soft vibrations of his chest or the low pitch of the sound -- if Jack liked it, he’d do it a thousand times over.

He really was head-over-heels in love with this man.

Third Time

Oh my god. Gabe needs to stop bringing me to these shitty places, Jack thought to himself as he stepped into the bar with Gabe. It wasn't very clean, judging by the stains on the wood of the floor and the bar, but even as Jack wrinkled his nose, Gabe perked up, easily making his way over to the bar through the crowd. I guess he’s really used to places like this, though.

“Hey, Jackie! C’mon, or I won't save you a drink!” Jack could barely hear Gabe over the music and people, but rolled his eyes and followed Gabe anyway.

Squeezing his way through crowds was a lot easier than it had been in high school. Having been in the super soldier program, it didn't take much to make his way through the mob of people, and he found himself next to Gabe at the bar soon enough.

“There you are. Here, have this.” Gabe pushed a shot glass full of golden liquid at him. Jack raised an eyebrow at him, wary. “Oh, come on. It's fine.”

“You drink yours too then,” Jack challenged. Gabe smirked at him, then grabbed his glass too.

“One, two, three,” Gabe said, and they tipped their drinks back at the same time.

Jack coughed as he finished downing his drink. “What the fuck did you give me? This better not be another one of your vodka-plus-something-else combinations, or this night is not going to go well for either of us.”

“Relax. I’m not allowed behind the bar here anymore.” Jack raised an eyebrow -- what he wouldn’t give to hear that story -- and Gabe scowled. “Don’t even think about it. But anyway, there’s nothing that strong in this.” Gabe set his glass down on the bar with possibly more force than necessary (probably on accident) and caught the bartender’s attention, asking for two more, hopefully less potent, drinks.

Jack took the time to observe where they were. It didn’t seem any different than a typical bar, and Jack felt compelled to ask Gabe. “Why here?”

“Hmm? Oh. I spent some time here with McCree the other day when he dragged me over -- he got drunk as fuck, by the way, be sure to tease him about it -- and I figured you’d like the place. Besides,” Gabe said, smirking slightly, “The hallways are pretty people-free.”

“Oh my god, Gabe, is that all you ever think about?”

Gabe reached for the second drink placed in front of him and scooted the other one towards Jack. These were taller glasses, and the liquid was a slightly lighter shade than whatever Gabe had given him before, so Jack assumed he’d be alright. “What, you don’t think about me banging you all the time?” Gabe quipped, after he’d taken a sip.

Jack was glad he hadn’t decided to take a drink at that moment, because he would’ve spat it out. “Gabe, I’m not drunk enough for this,” he groaned.

“With you, you’re never drunk enough. You gotta lighten up a bit, Jack.” Gabe seemed completely serious now, taking small sips of his drink as he looked at Jack, brown eyes unwavering.

“I can’t just lighten up, Gabe. There’s no time for lightening up, not in the positions we’re i--”

Jack never finished his sentence, as Gabe chose that time to press a kiss against his lips. He inhaled the scent of alcohol and Gabe, a masculine mix of sweat and something like cinnamon that Jack wouldn’t even try to deny he loved.

Gabe pulled back, his mouth serious but his eyes smiling. “Lighten up,” he said, and leaned back again, taking another sip of golden liquid.

Fourth Time

Ana stood behind him with her hands on her hips as Gabe reached up into the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of whiskey and a small glass, pouring a shot for himself. “Gabe,” she said quietly.

“What, mom,” Gabe grumbled as he took the drink, then poured a second.

“What’s wrong.”

Gabe groaned, throwing the second drink back then setting the glass on the counter, turning to face her, but not quite being able to meet her gaze. Gabe winced as he caught sight of the bandage completely wrapped around her head, covering her right eye and slightly stained with dry blood. Ana, of course, noticed.

“Are you upset I got hurt?” she asked softly.

“Of course I’m upset, dammit! You could’ve gotten killed! Do you know how much that means to me?” Gabe frustratedly tore off his beanie, scrunching it in his hands.

“I’m still here though, aren’t I?”

“But--”

“Gabe,” Ana said sternly. Gabe shut up and listened -- he didn’t usually shut up for people, but with Ana, he’d learned a while ago that it was a good idea. “There was nothing you could’ve done. I know the risks associated with what I do.”

“But how did you get hit? You’re usually able to take out people before they get within 30 feet of you.”

Ana tensed a little, looking down and balling her hands up. “I-- I couldn’t shoot her.”

Gabe cocked his head slightly. “Shoot whom?” he asked softly.

A pause, and then,

“Amélie.”

Gabe’s eyes widened. “Impossible. She was taken by Talon. She couldn’t be--”

“It was her, Gabe. They must’ve done something to her. Her face… it was blue. And there was no recognition, no emotion on her face when she saw me. They-- they broke her, Gabe.”

Gabe snarled, slamming his hands onto the counter behind him. “And I suppose there’s no chance of getting her back.”

“No,” Ana said sadly.

“God damn,” Gabe muttered. “I hate caring about people too much. You end up with situations like this every time.”

“I’m not leaving you, Gabe,” Ana interjected suddenly. Gabe looked up, and their eyes met, Ana’s pale brown eye meeting Gabe’s dark ones.

Gabe’s mouth quirked into a small smile. “You’d better not be.”

Gabe found Jack in the training room, visor switched on and rifle aimed at the training bots gliding past, blowing them to pieces within seconds until they reformed and got shot down again.

Gabe didn’t need to announce his presence, not when Jack had his heat sensors on, so he simply leaned against the wall near the back and watched.

Jack was a magnificent soldier. Even without his aim-bot visor (which was totally cheating, in Gabe’s opinion) Jack rarely missed. He preferred the massive pulse rifles they’d used in the SEP, the whole thing nearly the length of his arm and twice as heavy but Jack making the lift look effortless. He fired round after round, reloading mechanically as years of training took over his muscles -- dump the old round, pull out another, slide it in, click the cover back over, fire again.

Gabe wouldn’t ever admit it, but he’d liked using the same gun when they were both training together. It felt good to know that they were using the same weapon, side-by-side, both with full knowledge of each other’s capabilities and weaknesses. Gabe was considerably better at close combat, while Jack liked firing helix rockets from the back to disrupt the enemy team; Gabe got hit less, but Jack was always right there with a biotic field when he got injured.

Then Gabe had been introduced to his enhanced shotguns, and he was instantly enamored. The power to strike at close range with enough power to take them down in one shot -- that was what he’d been looking for. And Jack had stuck with his pulse rifle, his skills getting even better with years and years of practice.

They still made a good team even without the same weapon, though.

Gabe realized Jack had stopped firing and had switched off his visor, turning around to face Gabe. “Hey.”

Gabe jumped straight to the point. “Ana won’t recover easily.”

Jack sighed, stripping off his sweaty protective armor and shrugging his blue jacket back on. “I know.”

“We won’t have her for a while.”

“I know.”

“Jack, she was shot by Amélie.”

That gave Jack pause, in the middle of raising a water bottle to his lips. “She what now?”

“Amélie shot Ana. Ana hesitated because she saw Amélie’s face. She’s been broken by Talon, Jack.” Gabe uncrossed his arms and let them drop to his sides. “We won’t ever get her back. We can’t ever recover her.”

“Geez, since when are you such a sap? We both know the risks of being soldiers. We could die, get captured, any number of things, and you’re here moping about never being able to see Amélie again?” Jack stalked over to him, head held high and back straight, and grasped Gabe’s chin in his hands. “Get yourself together.”

“Shut up,” Gabe growled, jerking his head away from Jack’s hand. “I don’t know why this is getting to me so much. I just can’t help but think about what I would do if you were the one taken. How I’d deal with it.”

Jack’s mouth quirked into a small smile. “You care about me.”

Gabe slammed his fist on the wall behind him, slightly fed up. “Of course I do, Jack! God damn it, I love you.”

Gabe and Jack stared at each other for a few long seconds. “Never thought I’d hear those words from you,” Jack finally said. He looked away from Gabe, staring at the wall behind his head.

“Never thought I’d hear them from myself either, but here we are,” Gabe said blandly. “So what, you gonna ignore that I said them? Pretend it didn’t happen? Awkwardly skirt around it like you do with everything else?”

“Shush,” Jack said, leaning closer to Gabe. Close enough that their noses almost brushed and their lips were only centimeters apart. “I never said I didn’t reciprocate the feeling.”

“Well you didn’t say anything so what was I to assum--” Gabe was cut off by Jack’s lips, much like he had done to Jack the other night. Jack smelled of sweat, something Gabe was used to from their SEP days, and the fresh, clean smell of whatever deodorant Jack liked to wear. Gabe realized he probably tasted mildly like whiskey. Jack’s hands came up to cup his face, and then Jack pulled back and rested his forehead against Gabe’s.

“I love you too, you big dork. You just need to learn patience.”

Gabe snorted, even as he felt a rush go through his chest at Jack’s words. “Me, need patience? You’re the one who rushes headlong into any dangerous situation, careless for your own safety.”

“That’s because I know you’ll be there to back me up,” Jack said simply, brushing his lips against Gabe’s again.

“Yea, because I’d hate to see you die. Especially after this.” Gabe’s face grew somber again, and he felt a frown tugging at his mouth. “I’m worried about Ana.”

Jack sighed and pulled back a little, still keeping one hand on Gabe’s face. “You’re not the only one,” he said sadly.

Gabe thought of the shots he’d had earlier. “Wanna grab a drink with me?”

“Gabe, is that all you ever think about?”

“Well, I do think about you on occasion,” Gabe replied cheekily, and Jack sighed even as he turned to grab his rifle and water bottle.

“Fine. I’ll put this back in my room and go with you.” Jack went to leave, but Gabe reached out and grabbed his wrist, stilling him.

“Hey… thanks, Jack,” Gabe said quietly, a little embarrassed that he’d acted so out of character.

Jack smiled at Gabe, a genuine smile that lit up his eyes, and Gabe swore his stomach flipped. “Thank you, Gabe.”

They ended up in one of their rooms -- Gabe couldn’t remember which -- with a few beer bottles scattered across the table that sat to one side. Jack had ended up having more, considering Gabe had already had a bit to drink earlier, and his pale cheeks were flushed as he quietly giggled to himself, leaning against the bed behind him.

“What are you laughing about?” Gabe asked softly, not wanting to disturb the mostly serene moment; it was the first one all day, what with Ana and… everything.

Jack let out a softer laugh at that, then turned his head to face Gabe. His eyes shone bright, and he had the silliest smile on his face. “I really do love you.”

Struggling not to blush (because damn if Jack didn’t have such an effect on him), Gabe met Jack’s eyes. “… Alright, so why are you laughing?”

“I just… I never really thought I’d meet someone for me. There aren’t many people in rural Indiana to begin with, much less people, men, who’d date me. It’s kinda… surreal.” Jack managed to get through the sentence without much slurring, which was an accomplishment when he was drunk. Or maybe he wasn’t as drunk as he looked.

Gabe raised an eyebrow. “You doubting your looks? Because I’m here to tell you that I, frankly, think it’s unbelievable you haven’t had at least four boyfriends before me.” Gabe’s voice grew softer. “Look at you, Jack. You’re amazing.”

Silence reigned in the room for a few seconds, before Jack replied, “I think you’re amazing too, Gabe.”

Then Jack let out a soft giggle again, and Gabe rolled his eyes. “Alright, prom king, let’s get to bed.”

“You’re gonna regret this more in the morning than I am. Y’know, because of you not liking needles and stuff?”

“Oh, shut it. You’re still gonna be grouchy.”

Jack sighed and closed his eyes, relaxing against the bed supporting him. “Probably.”

“Probably.”

Neither of them made any attempt to stand up, or even move at all. Except then Jack reached over and took Gabe’s hand in his, twining their fingers together.

Gabe looked down at their joined hands. His own hand was only slightly larger than Jack’s, but the difference in skin color was stark, Jack’s suntanned skin seeming pale against his own complexion. He smiled softly.

Maybe they’d all make it out of this. Maybe he’d be able to savor this moment someday in the future, too.

Fifth Time

A few months after the whole thing with Amélie, Jack stood against the wall and watched as Angela uncharacteristically dashed about, scattering a few papers. Her patient today lay on the medical bed, encased by a blue lid and kept in stasis by Angela’s highly advanced technology while she analyzed… everything. He was a mess: missing both legs below the hip as well as an arm, open wounds all over his body, his face slashed nearly beyond recognition. His shock of green hair was his only identifier. It was clear that whatever fight he’d been in, he’d lost, and badly.

“Who?” Jack knew he didn’t need to clarify his question, even with Angela’s unusual flurry of action. She was about to reply before she was cut off.

“His brother,” Ana said as she stepped in. “Family feud. His older brother wanted him to be more sophisticated, and he refused, so…” She gestured to the body of the unconscious man. Angela nodded at Ana, and turned back to her work.

“How could he get hurt this badly though? Surely as the second heir to the Shimada clan he’s had some training,” Jack wondered.

Gabe stepped in behind Ana, and leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. “Likely he went easy. He probably didn’t think his brother would actually do harm to him. It doesn’t look like that turned out well for him, though.”

Jack turned his gaze back to the man, trying to remember his name. Genji, that’s what it was. And his older brother… Hanzo. Jack knew he’d be doing some looking later.

“What can you do for him, Ziegler?” Gabe asked. The two were never on the best of terms, especially not after Gabe (accidentally) put her in danger once and Reinhardt had had to bail them out.

“I’m not sure. I’m analyzing his vitals right now, and though he seems stable, he’ll lose blood quickly once I release the vacuum seal on the lid. I…” She trailed off, clearly thinking. No one interrupted her -- they all knew disruptions would just be pointless. “I may be able to create an artificial body for him. I would give him proper prosthetics, of course, but he won’t be able to survive in that body alone. He needs… assistance.”

Jack thought about it. Surely artificial bodies were beyond any of their capabilities -- though, if any of them could make it work, it was Angela.

“Would he be able to fight again?” was Gabe’s second question, and Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The man was dying, and Gabe wanted to know if he’d be able to fight. They didn’t even know if he was even going to be able to walk again.

Ana seemed to catch his train of thought, because she turned her one good eye on Gabe. Jack almost had to look away at the sight of the eyepatch covering her right eye. “I don’t believe that’s a question of importance right now, Gabe,” she said sternly, though Jack heard her voice soften a bit. She was a bit of a mother to them all, he supposed.

Angela answered anyway, turning to face them. “Given time to work out his new body structure, I could give him weapons, though he’d need to re-learn everything he’s been taught. Most of his body would need to be cybernetic -- I ran diagnostics, and he’s suffered a lot of internal tissue damage. He’d only be part human, and therefore his reflexes and mobility would be drastically altered.” She looked up at all of them. “Should I do it? Should I… make a man a robot?” She sounded upset, like she expected protests against it.

“You’re asking us for approval? Ziegler, you can do whatever will keep him alive,” Gabe said, and Ana nodded in agreement.

“It just feels so wrong,” Angela said, then sighed. “But I will do it. I have to keep him alive.” She turned back to her work, tying her hair back with a hair tie on her wrist. Jack heard her mutter, “I will keep him alive,” and smiled. He knew she’d do her best.

But he had his doubts about what she was going to do. Making a man less-than-human, just to keep him alive? Like Angela had said, it just seemed… wrong. He thought about it as they all left Angela in peace, with Ana staying behind to provide both physical and emotional help. He and Gabe headed back to the barracks, walking side-by-side with an ease that came only with so much time working together.

Gabe broke the silence as they were about halfway there. “Alright, what’s up. You’re tense.”

Jack frowned, but let out a sigh and stopped, turning to face his partner. Gabe somehow always knew when he was uneasy. “I just don’t know how to feel about what Angela is going to do. Humans weren’t meant to be part-robot.”

“Yea, well, we weren’t meant to be half-steroid either, but here the two of us are.” Gabe fixed him with a look. “And I know you wouldn’t rather he die.”

“Of course not. I just have my misgivings, that’s all.”

Gabe raised an eyebrow. “Jack, you have misgivings about everything. It’s a miracle you ever manage to get past that must-save-everyone complex you have.”

With a roll of his eyes, Jack punched Gabe on the shoulder, before he started to walk again. Gabe easily fell into step beside him. “Well, maybe I just manage to quell that urge with a bit of help sometimes. Let’s go back to my dorm and drink.”

This got him two raised eyebrows. “I thought you were the one lecturing me about too much drinking not too long ago. And you know we can’t get that knocked up, right? Damn fast metabolism,” Gabe grumbled.

“Yea, yea. I never said I didn’t like drinking though. And we can still get drunk,” Jack said, and Gabe sighed.

“You’re insatiable, you know that?”

“Yea. I know.” Jack smiled. “And you love it.”