The sun rose slowly over Gibraltar, allowing its warmth and light to raise the Overwatch headquarters from its slumber. Birds began to chirp as the scenery brightened, illuminating the spots of green where grass dared to grow. Surrounding the base, the reddish-brown rocks seemed to shudder as they released the last of their chill into the air around them. With water on all sides, the temperature rarely varied more than a few degrees, keeping the inhabitants comfortable year round.
The sounds of life began to drift through the compound; coffee makers and teapots chimed in their morning duet, with shuffling footsteps providing the accompaniment. Stovetops and grills are lit and are joined by the scents of bacon, pancakes, fruit and syrup. A yawn here, a stretch-induced moan there, and soon the buzzing of morning life filled the small base.
Ana Amari strode into the breakfast hall, freshly washed and invigorated. It was what many considered an "R&R" day, with the only scheduled training being a review of paperwork and documentation that evening. Reyes and Morrison had decided to give the agents a bit of rest after a couple of taxing missions. However, that did not break her daily routine. One did not get to her level of expertise and skill by taking days off.
She smiled as she passed by her fellow agents, aware of the multiple sets of eyes following her. She ignored them; eyes had always followed her. Having inherited her mother's looks and her father's charm and confidence, she had never been at a loss for friends and admirers. Her own dedication and skill only seemed to add to their numbers, though she was often told she could be "intimidating".
She'd always smirked at that statement. Stand your ground and look a man in the eye, and he'd call any woman intimidating. Put him at the other end of her scope and she'd show him just how intimidating she could be.
Breakfasts were fairly communal, though with staffing as it was many of the agents chose to make their own meals or cook together. Today, Ana had received an invitation to start the morning with Morrison, Reyes and a few other younger members, with Reinhardt's famous banana pancakes for the entre. She smiled; the food sounded delicious, but it was the company that caught her attention.
Reinhardt Wilhelm was the true definition of larger than life. And while he towered over the rest of Overwatch's members and had shoulders the width of two men, it was his personality that cemented that idea in her mind. With his bold-faced optimism and enormous smile he seemed to infect everyone around him with boisterous energy. And while he wouldn't hesitate to call out any wrongdoings or problems he perceived within the organization, he was just as quick to find a point to compliment and praise whenever they did well.
It was his blunt, yet warm, honesty that had drawn her to him at the beginning. And it was the same enthusiasm and gregariousness that made her smile softly as she found herself looking forward to the meal. A meal which she now noticed she was late for. Ana half-jogged the rest of the way to her destination, swinging the door open wide as she arrived.
"You're late."
Gabriel Reyes glanced up from his own pancakes, glaring at his companion.
"For fuck's sake, Jack, this isn't drill. She's allowed to show up when she wants," he muttered around a full mouth.
Jack Morrison raised his hands defensively. "I'm just noticing, that's all. She's not usually late."
"And you're not usually so unshaven, so it looks like we're all a bit off today," Ana bit back, walking lithely over to the spot left open for her. Her smile stayed, but it was a bit harder now. Leave it to Jack Morrison to sour a perfectly good morning.
Jack reached up to feel the stubble on his chin, shrugged, and took another bite. Gabriel shook his head with a chuckle, returning to his own food. From the kitchen, another voice boomed out.
"Is that the lovely voice of Miss Amari I hear?"
Ana's grin widened. From around the corner the large frame of Reinhardt Wilhelm appeared. He was wearing fatigue pants, a t-shirt and a hilariously small apron. A huge smile appeared on his face as he saw her.
"Ah, my ears do not deceive me!" he boomed out, his long arm reaching over to pat her shoulder affectionately. "And looking as elegant and beautiful as ever. No matter the time," he added, shooting a smirk at Jack. The younger man raised his hands, then let them drop in defeat.
Ana laughed easily. "Reinhardt, I'm dressed in plain clothes; there is nothing elegant about them."
"Ja, and I'm wearing an apron!" he agreed, laughing heartily. "It doesn't matter; you make anything elegant."
Ana chuckled, modestly covering her blush with her hand. "Reinhardt, you are always a charmer." She breathed in deeply as the pancakes were deposited on her plate, her mouth watering at the scent.
A slight cough caught her attention, and she glanced towards Gabriel. Her comrade raised an eyebrow at her, a smile playing at the edge of his lips as he glanced between her and the now-busy Reinhardt before wriggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Ana gave him a smile that very clearly said she would slit his throat in his sleep if he said a word. Gabriel chuckled to himself, busying himself with his pancakes once more as Jack gave him a confused look. Ana couldn't decide at the moment which one of the two was more infuriating.
The rest of the breakfast went on without fanfare, with Reinhardt joining the table soon after. Conversation drifted between missions, trainings, and their various personal lives, or lack thereof. Ana loved these breakfasts, and the conversations that came with them. It was an opportunity to get to know her teammates a little better, to bond as it were in ways and with topics that would rarely come up otherwise.
She knew Jack had a family that he was only partially estranged from, and that his older sister used to tease and pester him about just about everything. She knew that Gabriel was quite the linguist and had almost gone an entirely different direction with his career, a fact that he still shudders at the thought of. She knew the two of them had met in the super-soldier program and had become fast friends, a friendship holding despite the tension of Jack's promotion.
She had also learned about Reinhardt, though not nearly as much as she would have liked. And as the meal went on, she found herself studying him more and more. His movements, his words, the way he emoted and his attitude while talking about various topics. She had learned to read people quite well during her time in the military, something she was always proud of. Everything she read from the large German man only made her appreciate his company a little more.
"Rein, ya might wanna check your face for food. Ana keep's staring at it as though you've missed something with the napkin."
Ana froze at Gabriel's voice, a deep blush building from her collar. To her great relief, Reinhardt didn't notice.
"Do I? Ach, damned beard, always catching crumbs," he grumbled, dabbing at his chin with a napkin.
Ana ducked her head, shoving pieces of pancake into her mouth in an attempt to hide any expression she might have. After a subtle glance beneath the table, she kicked the toe of her boot into Gabriel's shin, causing the man to sputter on his glass of milk.
The bastard couldn't quite hide a smile, though.
"Ah well, it's time I started cleaning up anyways. Thank you all for joining me; breakfast together is always a treat!" Reinhardt exclaimed, standing to his full height before bowing respectfully to the group.
"No, thank you, Wilhelm," answered Jack, standing as well. "Your pancakes were fantastic."
"And coming from the Indiana flapjacks-are-my-life boy, you know that's a compliment," added Gabriel, earning himself an elbow to his ribs.
Ana stood, ignoring the squabbling two as she smiled once more at Reinhardt. "It is always a pleasure to see you, good friend," she said sweetly, her hand gently squeezing his forearm.
Reinhardt grinned. "With you, dear Ana, any morning is truly a pleasure. What is with the stares?" he asked, turning towards the other two who were now openly watching them.
Ana grit her teeth. It was time to go.
"I'll see you on the mats with the rest of the unit this afternoon, yes?" she called as she quickly walked to Gabriel and Jack, ushering them out the door. His answer sounded vaguely affirmative as they bustled outside, her hands digging into each of their arms.
"Not a word, either of you," she hissed as she let go, striding confidently away. The only response was Jack's confused sputtering and Gabriel's barely contained laughter.