what should i be doing? Sleeping. What am i doing? writing a one-shot unrelated to any of my other WIPs. Enjoy!

It was midnight, and a cartoon was idly playing in the background, no one truly paying attention.

Neither of them had moved for the past hour, both splayed on a sofa, with no regard for personal space. Sombra was beginning to wonder if Gabe fell asleep. (Did he even sleep anymore?) She looked over at him, and he looked back. Awake then.

Save for silly cartoon voices still streaming from the hologram playing television, the world was quiet. No noise, no sound, no words needed to be used. And still, Sombra's head was racing, thoughts flying through, quick enough that no one else would be able to understand any of them.

It was hard, trying to focus her thoughts. Almost like grasping for confetti in the air of a party. You could do it, but you don't always get the thing you want.

"What do you do when you don't know who you are anymore?" She asked, sleep muddling her paranoia, letting her speak with vulnerability like she hadn't for years.

Gabriel looked at her, head tilted. She met his gaze, unflinching, observing what he would do. "You go out and find yourself." He said, after several seconds had passed.

Sombra considered that for some time, letting her brain take the words apart and put them back together, piecing together meaning from sound waves floating through the air. You go out and look for yourself. Sounded simple. Then why didn't it make sense?

Gabe was still looking at her, blinking once, twice, three times. Thinking, the gears in his mind turning, trying to figure her out. Even without the mask, he looked like an owl. It was in the way he held himself, the gaze that could cut through steel. The tilted head, the slow, curious blinks, and neutral expression.

Owls were pretty awesome.

Her mind was wandering again, floating away from the topic. Sombra forced her attention back.

You go out and look for yourself.

"What if you don't want to know the answer?" Her voice was quiet, tired.

Gabriel stared at her some more. She didn't look back at him, didn't need to. Didn't expect an answer to her latest question.

Sombra's mind wandered, and this time, she let it. Hopping from one topic to the next, like an overexcited child at a carnival.

Carnivals sounded fun. She should go to one sometime. And eat cotton candy. Cotton candy was amazing. Like you were eating clouds, but with extra, extra sugar.

Sugar made everything better. Except things like pizza. Which was still good. Especially when it was really spicy and hot, with extra pepperonis and spicy red peppers and cheese. Even though all pizzas had cheese. But cheese was good, so that was okay.

What would it be like to have lactose intolerance? That must suck. Or maybe it doesn't, 'cause how can you miss eating dairy you never eat it in the first place? Unless you ate it when you were little before you knew, and remember the tas-

"I guess you find who you want to be." Sombra drew a blank for a few seconds, struggling to pull her head back to their earlier conversation.

"What happens after that?"

He looked at her again, expression curious. "Then you become that person."

Sombra nodded. That made sense. But who did she want to be? Who was she? What did she want? She could think of something. "I'm someone who wants more popcorn." she decided.

Gabriel laughed. "Then make some. You know where I keep it."

Sombra shook her head, poking his side in annoyance. "No. I'm someone who wants you to make more popcorn and then give it to me."

"Nope. I'm not getting up." Sombra pouted at him, trying to do puppy-dog eyes. "Oh, no, don't- Stop! No! Save your manipulation tactics for the battlefield! Don't use them on me." Gabe shielded his face, doing his best to avoid seeing her whimpering frown. After a few minutes, he peeked through his fingers, met with her still pouty face. "Humph. Fine. But you owe me." He said, slowly standing up.

"Yay! Gracias, papacito!"

"De nada, Mija."

Translations:

Gracias, Papacito: Thanks, Dad.

De Nada, Mija: You're welcome, my daughter.

so what'd yall think? tell me in the comments! or come yell at me in my PMs! Bye my Lovelies!