Something's off.
Gabe can sense the change in the room even though he's not fully awake yet. He lies perfectly still as he comes to awareness, trying to determine if it's just the cat again. He's a light sleeper by nature—when he sleeps at all—but Reaper's comings and goings throughout the night have stopped setting off his alarm bells. He's not sure if that's something he should be happy about.
Sure enough, his next deep breath lodges a fair amount of fur in his nose. And there's a constant rumble buzzing against his neck and shoulder. But he doesn't remember the faint click-clacking sound ever being part of Reaper's repertoire whenever he deigns to purr in Gabe's presence. Which is usually right in Gabe's ear, sprawled across his face whenever he is trying to sleep.
He tries to pin it down without giving away his wakefulness. His subconscious is indicating change and not threat, after all. So he considers all available sensory inputs, from the dim light reddening the insides of his eyelids to the early strains of birdsong to the kitten's contented rumble, radiating his complete lack of alarm or concern.
His ability to do this, to identify threats in his sleep and react accordingly and only when necessary, is part of what made him a stand out agent in the special forces. It's also why he feels comfortable sleeping with his door unlocked in a houseful of kids. Kids that can be prone to nightmares of their own, to boot. But this doesn't feel like somebody had a bad dream and seeks reassurance. Gabe would bet Sombra just wants something.
He opens his eyes. Reaper is dangerously close to using his face as a pillow so Gabe shrugs him off, rolling him over with a sleepy yowl of displeasure. He props himself up on one elbow and surveys the room for the rest of what disturbed him, unhurried. Sombra sits cross-legged at the foot of the bed, well out of range of any accidental kicks. Her laptop balances on one knee and she doesn't look at him, just lifts one hand to wiggle her fingers at him in greeting.
"Morning," he rumbles, yawning. He glances over at the clock and closes his eyes again, stifling a groan at the numbers displayed. "If you're about to tell me you hacked the Pentagon on a sugar high, you're on your own."
Sombra snorts. "Like you wouldn't have me over the border before they notice."
"At this exact moment, I would just go back to sleep," Gabe says, scrubbing a hand across his crusty eyes. He stretches out his back, groaning a little, and shifts to sit upright against the headboard. "So. Any particular reason you're here and not asleep in your own room right now? It's too early to be getting ready, unless you're just that excited about school today for some reason."
Sombra looks up to meet his eyes but says nothing. She tilts sideways to reach over the edge of the bed, picking up something off the floor with a soft metallic scrape. Then she straightens and thrusts the French press at him.
Gabe blinks at it but doesn't move to take it. He furrows his brows and looks back up at her. "Something special going on today I should know about?"
"Yeah," she says. She shakes the press for emphasis so he takes it out of her hand. Her cheeks start to take on a redder hue than normal but she doesn't break eye contact, sitting up a little straighter. "I decided. Today's my birthday."
"Oh," Gabe says. He shoves the covers off his legs, further disturbing the sleeping kitten. Reaper turns and scowls at him, effect ruined by the clumps of fur sticking up wildly across his face. "Okay."
Sombra follows him down the stairs with a pleased little grin, laptop shoved under one arm. He hands her back the press and starts getting out eggs and potatoes and all the fixings of a deluxe breakfast while she goes to grind some coffee beans. Sombra finishes her task first and steals a back burner on the stove for the kettle, sneaking some crumbled fragments of bacon to feed to Peacekeeper when he rambles in to beg. Gabe pretends he didn't see it happen.
The luxurious scent of brewing coffee fills the air before long, mingling with the spices Gabe adds to the potatoes and the underlying aroma of frying bacon. Sombra props her laptop up on the island and goes back to whatever she was doing before while she waits, attention focused. Gabe takes the opportunity to pull out his phone with his free hand while he pretends to poke the potatoes pieces around the cast iron skillet.
sent (group) : Sombra's birthday today
He flips the bacon one last time and pulls it off to drain, setting the eggs to fry just as the toast pops up. Sombra grabs it from the toaster before he can reach for it, buttering the pieces one by one and stacking them on a plate. She balances it on a pile of plates and silverware and dumps the whole load on the table.
"So," she says, leaning casually against the island, "any chance my special day lets me skip out on school?"
"Nope," Gabe says. Sombra makes a face. "Nice try. Although," he continues, tapping one finger against his chin and regarding her with a critical eye, "now that you mention it, you don't look so good. If you just happened to, say, get sick and need to check out halfway through the afternoon, what can you do?" Her eyes light up and a delighted grin spreads across her face.
"What exactly does that authorize?" she asks with no small amount of glee.
"Anything you feel you need to sell it," Gabe chuckles. He points a menacing forefinger at her before she can get carried away. "'Anything' being limited to things I would feel are absolutely necessary."
Sombra waves a dismissive hand, face scrunched with disdain. "That eliminates like nothing."
"In general, true," Gabe concedes. "But the key to operation planning is situational requirement, with an eye on long-term impact. As in, you are absolutely going back tomorrow, so don't oversell it."
"Ugh, fine," Sombra huffs with a smile. She helps him carry the steaming dishes to the table, jerking her hand back from the French press with a frown. Gabe's about to ask what's wrong when she pulls out her phone and gives it a quizzical stare. Then she laughs. "Word travels fast around here, huh?"
Gabe performs his best unapologetic shrug and pours the coffee.
His own phone dings a few times in quick succession a second later. He waits until she's absorbed in fielding an apparent flurry of messages between bites to turn to his own.
Jesse (group) : and you think now is the best time to tell us this
Jesse (group) : what do you people not understand about mornings being evil
Jesse (group) : jk just tell me where to meet y'all tonight
Genji (group) : PARTY TIME
Genji (group) : how much would she kill me if I broke into her locker and filled it with confetti
Jesse (group) : DO IT
Zenyatta (group) : Now, Genji. An endeavor such as this is best only undertaken with proper reflection upon all aspects and consequences.
Zenyatta (group) : That is to say, if you can get it into her backpack as well it would be ideal.
sent (group) : She will absolutely murder you.
sent (group) : Do it before lunch, she's probably skipping history.
Genji (group) : consider it done!
Gabe sets aside his phone with a chuckle. Sombra quirks an eyebrow at him around a sip from her mug, breaking eye contact long enough to send another message. Gabe plays it cool. "Jesse's asking where to meet us tonight," he says. "Got a place picked out for dinner yet?"
Sombra bites her lip, looking back down at her plate. "Not yet," she says slowly. She shoots a glance around the kitchen and the spread laid out across the table before returning her gaze to meet his, almost shy. "I was thinking...maybe just here? But if you'd rather not cook—" She cuts herself off with a blink when Gabe dives for his phone.
"Are you kidding?" he asks, fingers flying. His deep grin tugs on the thick scar tissue scattered across his cheeks. "I'm pulling Genji in, he'll never forgive me if I don't let him help. But you think we'd pass up the chance to be responsible for your first birthday dinner here? We'll blow your fucking socks off."
"Oh, yeah?" she teases him with an appraising look. "Now you have to deliver, or you'll disappoint the entire Reyes family legacy."
"Just you wait, kid," he growls, infusing his voice with a menacing sort of promise though he doesn't try to filter the twinkle from his eyes. "Just you wait."
Jack sits in his car and stares up at the imposing brick school building looming overhead. He clenches Hana's class schedule in his hand, crinkling the paper, despite having it already memorized. Parents move in and out of the building in small clusters. Jack watches them critically, trying to convince himself to get out of the car.
He's never been here without Hana in tow before. Or, more accurately, leading him through the maze of hallways. Today, she's home with Reinhardt. Jack's sure the big man is filling her head with ideas about the apartment upstairs and things they can do to make it less boring. He hasn't officially accepted the offer, but it seems to be a done deal in Reinhardt's mind. And even Jack will admit he's not really wrong—just not out loud yet.
Jack looks down at the schedule one more time and bites his lip. Six teachers total. Well, five if he doesn't count gym. He might skip that talk, just to knock the count of required human interaction down one level. In fact, the mid-term report card they'd sent home suggests Hana's doing just fine, and he's proud of her for it. For all her devotion to her games, she seems to take her studies very seriously. It makes Jack wonder if he needs to show up to parent-teacher conferences at all. The temptation to skip is strong, he has to admit.
But Jack feels like getting to know her teachers and showing interest in her progress is one of those things responsible guardians just do. So he'll steel himself and talk to as many of her teachers as he can even if it kills him.
It's only five people. He can do this. Jack swallows hard, other hand tightening around his indulgent caramel mocha, and gets out of the car. He takes a swig and slams the car door, savoring the excess sugar like a lifeline. If there was ever a better time to spring for ridiculous coffee, Jack hasn't yet experienced it.
He takes a deep breath and marches into the building, relying on signs taped to the wall to direct him to the cafeteria. He stops short just inside the door, tensing up as a cacophony of voices and chairs scraping across the floor slams into him like a wall. He clenches his jaw and tries to focus, letting old habits take over as he scans the big room. Tables are scattered throughout in an approximation of orderly, little signs dangling from each one. Jack adjusts his glasses but he can't read them from here. He guesses they're names.
He glances back down at the schedule and frowns to himself. He's only met a few of Hana's teachers once or twice at most, and he doesn't recognize any of them at first glance. He takes an abortive step forwards and stumbles when the sheer mass of people in front of him overwhelms him again. He turns it into an awkward hop to the side to get out of the doorway, trying to make it look as smooth as possible.
By the sound of the soft chuckle behind him, he's not successful.
Jack twists his head just enough to catch a glimpse of Hana's guidance counselor as he comes to stand at his shoulder. "Hello, Mr. Morrison."
"Hey," Jack sighs. He turns to face him. "Mr. Lloyd, right?"
"That's right. But," Lloyd says with a smile. "You can call me Damian."
"Oh," Jack blinks, hand halfway out to return a shake. "Okay, uh. Jack, then."
"Sure, Jack." Damian nods to the schedule crumpled in Jack's hand. "Having some trouble finding Hana's teachers?"
Jack hums and shrugs, hiding his expression behind a deep sip from his cup. But Damian waits him out with a raised eyebrow and knowing grin. Jack can't help a little smile in return. "Maybe a little. I don't really recognize anyone in here."
"Yeah, it can get a little crazy in here, even if you're used to it," Damian nods. "Here, let me take you around. I can point them out."
"Thanks," Jack says, trying not to show how grateful he is.
Damian threads out into the crowd and Jack keeps to his heels, following him to the far corner of the cafeteria. There they find four of the teachers for Hana's core classes grouped loosely in one area. Jack scopes each of them out, biting his lip with a frown as he tries to gauge which of the lines is best to get into. But Damian taps his shoulder and nods toward another side of the gym.
Jack nods and follows again, not bothering to try talking over the noise. Damian leads him to two tables sitting under the basketball hoop, where Hana's programming and gym teachers sit side by side.
The line for the programming teacher is five deep, like the others had been. But the gym teacher spins a pen between his fingers, flicking it into the air with some skill now and then. He's alone.
So much for skipping one.
Jack gives Damian a nod and tries to swallow the lingering nervousness. What's one more conversation, anyway? He takes a step toward the table but pulls up short when Damian puts a hand lightly on his arm.
"I'll be over there," Damian says, pointing at a table by the gym's doors. "Come find me when you're done, would you? I've got a few things I'd like to speak with you about."
Jack falters, mind buzzing through possible topics. They've spoken a few times since Hana'd enrolled, little status updates here and there. He can't imagine what could've come up since their last conversation and tries to tamp down on his worry. He nods again. Damian gives him a reassuring smile and walks away.
Jack turns back to the gym teacher's table, takes a fortifying gulp, and steps up.
Six awkward and exhausting conversations later, Jack pushes his chair back with relief and shakes the math teacher's hand. He's about to make his escape when she tilts her head and narrows her eyes.
"I will say one thing," she says, and Jack bites back a groan. She's had plenty to say so far, but at least it's all been good. "Hana seems to have an unfortunate fixation with her phone. Texting in class is against the rules, you know."
"Yeah," Jack says with a sigh. It's not the first time he's heard this today. He should have expected it, with the number of texts he gets throughout the day. "I'm going to talk to her about it."
The teacher nods and releases him at last. Jack doesn't waste any time and takes his first deep breath as he steps away. He's mentally drained but does his best to process everything he's heard as he moves towards the door. He's pleased the teachers seem happy with Hana and her grades, though a few are worried about the times she becomes quiet and withdrawn. Her social studies teacher in particular seems overly concerned with her social development but Jack could only shrug when she drilled him about it. He knows Efi isn't in that class, so it's not surprising to him Hana would be more reserved there.
From what Jack can see, Hana seems to be friendly with a lot of people while having only a few actual friends. He grimaces when he thinks of the axe murderer, although so far the kid seems okay. He's still uncomfortable with her being friends with a random voice over the internet. But he knows Ana's right, that it's good for Hana to keep friends from before no matter how she made them. Jack sighs to himself. Maybe he'll feel better about the kid after he gets Reinhardt's in-person evaluation. Then again, Reinhardt seems incapable of disliking anyone.
Jack shakes his head to disperse the thoughts and approaches the door, remembering at the last minute to adjust course for Damian's table. There's still a set of parents sitting with him so Jack takes a few extra seconds to toss his empty cup and meander a little slower. By the time he makes it over, the couple stands and shakes Damian's hand one after another before taking their leave. Damian looks up and gives Jack a smile, waving a hand toward one of the chairs in front of him.
Jack takes the proffered seat and leans back, surprised to find himself relaxing more than he had at any of the other tables.
"So," Damian says, taking a mini water bottle off the stack behind his table and offering it. "How'd it go?"
Jack rolls it between his hands, grateful to have something to hold again. "Okay," he says. He's not exactly an expert on gauging a successful parent-teacher conference. "They didn't tell me anything I didn't expect to hear, I guess. That's good, right?"
"Yep," Damian says. "I always like it when there are no surprises. Makes my job easier, too."
"I bet." Jack chuckles. He pushes his glasses up with one finger and does his best to keep the low level worry off his face. "But, uh. You said there's something you wanted to talk about, right? Is it about, uh," Jack pauses, waving one hand when his mind comes up blank. "What's her name, the social studies teacher?"
"Mrs. Sanchez," Damian supplies without missing a beat.
"Yeah, her," Jack says, making a brief attempt to commit the name to memory. "She said something about Hana's social skills, which I found a little weird. Then again," he gives a little self-depreciative shrug, "that's not exactly my forte so I might not know if there is a problem. She seemed like the only one worried, though."
Damian is shaking his head before Jack even finishes his sentence. "It's not that," he says and Jack relaxes again. Damian then gives him a knowing little grin. "You didn't hear this from me, but Mrs. Sanchez can be a bit…overbearing, on occasion. Believe it or not, Hana's not the only student who develops a sudden case of reticence in that class."
"Got it," Jack laughs.
"I was hoping we could talk about her phone," Damian says and Jack can only nod with a grimace. "I get it," Damian goes on, holding one hand up as Jack opens his mouth. "I understand it's important to her to be in contact with you, especially where she's coming from. But unfortunately, we can't just ignore the rules about phones in class. We need to find an alternative if it's something she needs."
"Yeah, I know," Jack sighs. "I'll talk to her. I just…" He twists the cap off his bottle and takes a drink, trying to think through what to say. "I don't want her to feel isolated here, or to…well. To be worried about me." He shrugs. "I don't exactly have the safest job out there."
"Oh?" Damian's eyebrows bounce up a little. "What do you do?"
Jack shifts in his seat. "I'm a paramedic for LA county."
"Ah," Damian says with an understanding nod. "So, weird hours and no idea what you're walking into on a daily basis."
"Pretty much."
"Yeah, I can see how that would be a source of worry for Hana," Damian goes on, tapping a finger against his chin. "Well, I'm glad I put some thought to this ahead of time. I've got a suggestion, though I don't know how well it'll work while you're on the job." He pulls a few papers of the stack on his table and slides them over. "They're making high tech bracelets these days, linked together with an app of some sort. Touch one and it transmits a buzz or pulse to the paired one."
"Huh," Jack says, glancing over the pages. "Yeah, that would work great. It's hard to text sometimes when I'm on a call, and I know that's made Hana anxious a few times. But I could tap something like this anytime. Wouldn't be a problem to wear it to work."
"Good," Damian says. "I'm glad you're open to the suggestion. I get it's important for Hana to hear from you, but I can't bend the rules just because I like you."
Jack's eyes pop up from the pages and fix on Damian's face, the rest of him almost freezing in place. Damian smiles at him, eyes warm. Jack can feel his cheeks heat up and he coughs, trying to jump start his brain.
"Right," he stutters. "Of course. Thanks for looking into this. It's uh," he coughs again. "It's a great idea."
"No problem," Damian says easily. "Anything else you wanted to talk about?"
Jack shakes his head, taking as deep a breath as he dares to refocus. "No, I'm good. I'm happy with how Hana's doing." He pushes his chair back and gets to his feet.
"Glad to hear it," Damian says, standing as well. Jack reaches out for a handshake but Damian nods towards the door. "I'll walk you out."
"Oh," Jack falters, glancing around the cafeteria. It's still teeming with parents and seems a little busy for Damian to be heading out, even if no one's waiting to talk to him. Jack puts on a smile, trying to channel the days when he used to be suave. Well, suave-ish. "Afraid I'll get lost on the way out?"
"I'd rather not take any chances," Damian says seriously and Jack chuckles. They walk through the building in a silence that's surprisingly comfortable, and before Jack knows it they've reached the parking lot. Damian turns to him before Jack can step off the sidewalk. "I actually have one more question for you."
Jack blinks at him, turning on his heel to face him. His brain immediately spins through things that could be going on with Hana that Damian wouldn't want to discuss in a crowd. "What about?"
Damian clearly sees his growing panic because he waves a reassuring hand. "Nothing school-related, don't worry." Jack lets out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, shoulders relaxing from their sudden tension. "More like coffee-related. Or dinner, even. How does that sound?"
A whole new kind of panic lances through Jack's chest.
"Like a…" Jack almost bites his tongue. It suddenly feels too big for his mouth. He swallows hard. "Like a date?"
Damian's gives Jack one slow nod. "Exactly like a date."
Jack tries to say something, but his brain is full of white noise and there's no air in his lungs. He can tell his face is stuck in six kinds of shell shock, and the one working portion of his brain is mortified over it.
"Here," Damian says, holding out a slip of paper. His smile hasn't wavered; if anything, it's turning fond. Jack's both grateful and amazed he's taking a reaction like this in stride. "Don't worry about answering right now, take your time. Just give me a call or something when you decide." His smile becomes more of a smirk. "I'll even take smoke signals, but I may misinterpret those. Possibly deliberately."
That startles a laugh out of Jack's chest, finally breaking through his mental block. He takes the paper and slides it carefully into a pocket. When he looks back up, Damian's holding out his hand. Jack shakes it on autopilot.
"I like you, Jack," Damian says, giving his hand a warm squeeze before letting go. "I'd really like to spend some time getting to know you better. I should head back in, but think it over." He turns back to the door, giving Jack some space to regroup. "Have a good night," he offers over his shoulder.
Jack can only give him an awkward wave before he disappears back inside.
Sombra hunches her shoulders and clutches her midsection a little tighter, angling her head so her artful expression of misery is in the secretary's line of sight. She shifts enough to draw attention and the woman glances over. Her face twists with sympathy and she reaches over to pat Sombra's elbow. "Don't worry, honey," she soothes, putting on a smile clearly meant to cheer her up. "Your dad should be here any moment. You doing okay for now?"
Sombra lifts her shoulders in a faint shrug, sinking further into her chair. "I guess," she says, taking care to keep her voice weak.
The secretary makes a reassuring hum and slides a piece of paper to the edge of her desk closest to Sombra. "Just a little longer. I've got you all signed out, we just need your dad to sign it too. Some kind of flu going around your house, huh?"
Sombra doesn't let her expression waver even though she's surprised. And instantly suspicious. "I think so," she says in a small voice.
The secretary reaches out to pat her arm again and Sombra keeps herself from pulling away. "Well, hopefully you'll all feel better—oh! Mr. Reyes, perfect timing."
Sombra lifts her head slowly, allowing a little relief to seep onto her face as Gabe walks into the office. "Hey, kid," he says, fixing her with a look of such tender concern she has to bite her cheek to keep from laughing. "She all set?" he asks the secretary.
She pushes the paper toward him and nods. "Just sign here and she's free to go."
Gabe grabs the pen so Sombra starts painfully lumbering out of the chair. He then slings his arm around her shoulders before she's upright and helps steer her out the door. She makes sure to drag her feet all the way to the car. As soon as the door's shut, she relaxes in the seat and gives him a broad grin. "You didn't have to come get me, you know. You could have just called them."
"Oh?" Gabe says, sparing her a glance full of mock surprise while he turns onto the street. "I didn't know you wanted to take the bus so bad, and on your birthday too." He pulls to a stop at the light and reaches over for her door. "You want out?"
"Not a chance," she laughs, punching his arm. Then she folds her arm across her chest and puts on a scowl. "I just hope you made Genji walk."
She has to give him credit; Gabe's acting ability is top notch. His face betrays nothing but mild curiosity. "Why's that?"
"You know why," she says darkly.
He cracks a smile. "Thought you'd want us to have enough time to get everything cooked properly?"
"Yeah," Sombra says with a dramatic shake of her head, reveling in the still weird feeling of it being lighter on one side. "That's totally the only reason Genji disappeared after lunch. Couldn't possibly be the imminent threat to his life."
Gabe laughs. "Believe it or not, you might forgive him once you get a taste of the main course he's got planned."
"If there's confetti in that too, I'm going to murder him with it," Sombra grumbles.
"I think you can safely assume," Gabe chuckles, leaning forward to see around the next corner, "that food is the one thing Genji will never sabotage."
"And I think," she shoots back, "you underestimate his dedication to causing chaos." Gabe gives her a wink and she huffs, though she doesn't bother to hide her own smile.
"He knows tonight is off limits, or else," Gabe says. "No shenanigans at family dinner. After is fair game, of course."
"Of course," Sombra nods. "It better be, because I need revenge."
"I'm sure you'll get your chance," Gabe says as he pulls into the garage. "At least you know to plan ahead next time."
"He's getting a preemptive strike for his birthday next year," Sombra mutters. She slams her door shut and does her best imitation of Gabe, pointing a menacing finger at him. "But you did not hear that from me."
Gabe shrugs and holds the back door open for her. "So long as it's not at dinner, I didn't hear anything."
"Good," Sombra says with a satisfied nod, toeing off her shoes.
Genji looks up from the pot he's stirring with slow strokes, brows knitted. "What is not at dinner?"
"Oh, nothing," Sombra says sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes at him a few times.
Genji narrows his eyes and gestures with wooden spoon, pointing it at her and then at the living room. "Then out of my kitchen with you."
Gabe folds his arms across his broad chest and clears his throat, one eyebrow raised for emphasis. "Whose kitchen, you say?"
"Uh," Genji stammers, eyes wide. "What I mean to say—well…"
Sombra chuckles and makes her escape, settling on the couch to relax while they finish preparations. She has no idea what they're making or why they had to start so early, but she's not questioning it. The sheer amount of banging and clanging coming from the kitchen probably shouldn't inspire confidence, but they know what they're doing.
She has faith in them. She's not sure how she feels about that.
Sombra shakes off the thought, poking idly at a controller to distract herself. Before she can start up a game, a thought occurs to her. She picks up her phone and starts scrolling through her message log. Genji squawks in the kitchen and she looks up, but nothing seems amiss. Gabe's in front of the stove now. Genji's over the by the island, green bangs flopping in his face as he layers something into a dish. Sombra shakes her head and decides she doesn't want to know.
She taps open an old message thread before she can think too hard about it.
sent : so any chance you're free tonight? i decided it's my birthday
sent : we're doing dinner at the house if you want to come
She sets her phone aside and selects a game, but a text alert beeps before she can log in. She tilts it with one finger so she can see the screen.
amélie : But of course
amélie : I will come as soon as I am assured the office will still be standing in the morning
Sombra grins to herself. She types out a quick reply and tosses her phone aside, glancing over to the kitchen when Gabe barks out a sharp laugh. Sombra hovers a hand back over the controller but she bites her lip, giving the two cooks a considering look. She should probably tell Gabe about the additional guest, to at least ensure there's enough food. Sombra heaves a sigh and gets to her feet, marching into the kitchen.
Sombra ghosts up to Gabe's elbow and tugs on his sleeve. He turns his head to look and if he's surprised to see her appear out of nowhere, he doesn't show it. "Hey," she says, trying to swallow the slight nervousness that chews at her insides. It's stupid, she should be able to ask for anything she wants on her own birthday. "I know this is usually a family thing…" She stalls, feeling her lip tug between her teeth. She hadn't realized she'd started chewing on it. She yanks it out and smooths her expression. Gabe just watches her.
"Sure," he says easily. "Family as in whoever you decide you want to count as family."
"Okay," Sombra says, drawing out the vowels. She tilts her head and looks up at him through her lashes, injecting a little extra innocence into her imploring expression. "Any objection to me inviting Amélie?"
"Nope," Gabe says. Sombra's stomach unclenches right away. "You're driving this runaway train, as is birthday tradition."
She lets her smile tug at her lips. "Good, 'cause I already invited her."
"Of course you did." Gabe rolls his eyes with a grin, wiping his hands off on a towel. He tosses it at Genji when he's done. "That's fine, I'll have Zenyatta pick up some more wine when he's out getting Jesse. Pretty sure we're still cleaned out from yesterday."
"Gracias, Gabe," Sombra says, allowing a rare moment of seriousness. Then she flits back out of the kitchen before he can respond. She's not about to take the blame for ruining her own birthday dinner by being present during the cooking. That's all.
She settles back on the couch and finishes starting up a game. Reaper jumps over the back of the couch and settles in her lap with a proprietary flop. Sombra gives him a few absent-minded pats, sparing one for Haku as well when he stretches out along the back of the couch, before focusing on her game.
She's lost track of time when the back door slams open and Peacekeeper charges in from the yard. Sombra hisses as Reaper leaps off her lap and vaults over Haku, who makes his own break for the stairs. She watches Reaper scramble effortlessly up the bookshelf, perching at the top to glare down at the dog. Peacekeeper plants himself at the base and stares up, tongue wagging. Sombra reaches over and gives his ears an idle scratch.
She hears Jesse's laugh before she sees him, though there's not much warning. Jesse throws his arms around her and bodily hauls her up over the back of the couch for a bear hug. She squawks but doesn't protest, wrapping her arms around him in turn.
"Happy birthday!" Jesse swings her around in a few circles and Sombra laughs, squirming in his embrace now. He relents and sets her down. "So what is this, fourteen? Fifteen?"
Zenyatta steps up and gives her a much more subdued hug. Sombra takes the moment to do some quick thinking, running years over in her head. She's not completely sure when her birthday should be—erasing all traces of her own identity means she has to remember this shit herself. And she's spent a long time trying to repress a lot of details of her past.
"Fourteen," she says. At least, she's pretty sure.
"All grown up," Jesse says with a dramatic sniff, reaching over to ruffle her hair. She swats him away with a laugh.
"Jesse, quite harassing your sister," Gabe barks from the kitchen before he can try again. "Get in here and make yourself useful." Jesse rolls his eyes and gives Sombra another hug. She punches him lightly in the shoulder as she lets him go. Gabe directs him to the table and he bypasses Genji on his way, just as Genji pulls a pan out of the oven. The way his face falls is almost comical. Zenyatta gives Sombra a look that makes her laugh before he goes to help.
Zenyatta puts a hand on his shoulder and leans in to look at the dish. "Genji, I'm sure it turned out fine."
"But fine is not enough," Genji whines, setting the pan on the counter with care nonetheless. "Today it must be perfect!"
Sombra shakes her head as she settles back against the couch but Peacekeeper distracts her, scrambling to his gangly limbs and charging the door with a series of soft whuffs. She leans back to look out the window and just sees the swing of Amélie's long ponytail before the front door swings open.
Amélie ignores the dog as she glides into the living room, pushing a long box into Sombra's hands when she rounds the couch. Sombra takes it on reflex but just holds it, staring at it. Amélie's low laugh fills her ears as she looks up to raise an eyebrow at her.
"I know birthdays may be new to you," Amélie says, tapping the box with one long and perfectly manicured finger, "but typically one opens the gifts one is given. And part of this one may come in handy for dinner, so don't delay."
"Oh," Sombra says. She peels the card off the top and slides a fingernail under the flap, pulling out a gift certificate. Her eyes widen at the amount listed on the card.
"It is the salon I frequent," Amélie explains before she can say anything. "What do you say, girls day out? Perhaps next time your hair needs to be touched up, yes?"
"Thank you," Sombra breathes, letting her mouth curl with the full force of her smile. She pries up one corner of the box and peeks inside, taking in the array of delicate little pastries that fills it completely.
"For dessert," Amélie says with a rare wide smile of her own. "That is, if you want to share, of course."
Sombra laughs and tilts one hand back and forth. "We'll see if dinner measures up."
Amélie gives her an approving nod as Gabe sticks his head out of the kitchen. "Perfect timing, Amélie," he says. "Dinner's ready."
"Thank you again," Sombra says to her as they follow him, lifting the box for emphasis. She sets it out of the way before joining the others at the table. Her eyebrows bounce up with her surprise as she takes in the spread. The table is beautifully set, even though each place is pushed as far toward the edge as possible. The center is overladen with dish after dish with almost no room between the platters. Sombra takes her seat, a little unsure where to even start.
"So what is all this?" Jesse asks as he sits beside her.
"Salmon with a lemon and honey glaze," Genji says, handing the platter full of it to Sombra. He points to another few dishes in sequence. "Coffee-rubbed sirloin with a chipotle sauce, grilled corn and zucchini, and tri-colored roasted potatoes."
Jesse whistles between his teeth as he loads his plate with the steak, exchanging the dish with Zenyatta for the potatoes.
"You think that's a lot, wait until we hit dessert," Gabe chuckles, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "Tiramisu and tres leches cake. Told you we needed plenty of time," he says to Sombra with a wink.
"A worthy effort indeed," Zenyatta says, picking up his cup and raising it in Sombra's direction. "For a worthy cause."
The rest of the table picks up their glasses and follows suit. Sombra feels her cheeks start to heat amid a chorus of happy birthdays. She gives them a regal nod and shoves a forkful of salmon in her mouth to avoid having to say anything.
The meal is delicious. Sombra is impressed by every dish, even sharing an amused look with Jesse when they notice Genji pulling a face at something. She can't begin to pinpoint what displeased him. Sombra savors every bite and tries to swallow down the tight feeling in her throat each time. She's having a hard time believing Gabe and Genji went this far out on a limb to celebrate a day she picked out of what must feel like thin air to them. That Amélie, Zenyatta, and Jesse would all drop everything to come celebrate it with her. But there's a strange warmth building in her chest all the same.
"Damn," Jesse says around a mouthful of the vegetables. "I shoulda had a birthday dinner at home years ago."
"Nice try," Genji smirks as he loads his plate again. "But your birthday is old news."
"Besides," Zenyatta says around a sip of his tea. "Had you asked for such years ago, you would have received one of Genji's experimental…concoctions, I suppose is the best word."
"Hey!" Genji tries to snap around a mouthful while Jesse performs a full body shudder.
"You know, I almost miss the learning years," Gabe says with a reminiscent smile. "Back when half the dishes were on fire and he still listened to me in the kitchen."
"Only one of those things was ever true, my friend," Zenyatta says and pats the back of Gabe's hand.
"The most interesting parts were his explanations," Amélie says. She turns to Sombra and waves a hand in Genji's direction as he shakes his head. "It was like one of those cooking shows on TV, he would stand and try to explain his dish. He had a very creative interpretation of the word 'char'."
"I hope there's video," Sombra grins at him. Genji shakes his head a bit more emphatically.
"You will never find it," he says, voice dark.
Sombra leans back in her chair and smirks. "Watch me. But honestly," she says and turns to include Gabe, "thank you for all of this. Both of you. Everything is incredible. And I appreciate the lack of char."
"Very funny," Genji says but he's smiling. Gabe just raises his glass to her again, eyes warm.
"So why today?" Jesse says, leaning back in his chair as he pushes his empty plate away. "Any special reason or you just liked the date?"
Sombra looks down and quickly puts the forkful of vegetables she'd scraped together into her mouth, mulling over the question. There is a significance, but she's not sure she wants to talk about it. The others might not get it, but Gabe and Jesse would understand enough about traditional Día de Muertos celebrations to pick out what the this day means, even if they might not get what it means to her right away.
Día de los Inocentes, the day of the lost innocents. The time to celebrate children that have died. Well, Sombra lost herself a long time ago and chose to start over, a brand new life. It feels fitting to remember the person she left behind when celebrating the girl she's becoming. But she's still not ready to share that just yet.
She swallows the bite and gives him a shrug. "It seemed appropriate," is all she says.
Jesse nods and the conversation moves on, though Sombra notices Gabe give her a considering look. She meets his eyes head on but he just smiles and takes a sip of coffee.
"What do you say to presents before we start the sugar rush?" he says. Jesse and Genji immediately jump to their feet, followed by Zenyatta at a more sedate pace. Sombra stares after them, turning back to blink at Gabe. He grins and starts clearing dishes from the table.
"I just told you all today," she says, incredulous.
"Plenty of time," Amélie says, picking up a stack of dirty plates. She waves Sombra back into her seat when she moves to help. "Birthdays require presents. Get used to it."
Jesse reenters the kitchen and drops a bag in front of her before she can formulate a reply. He gestures to it when she hesitates, so Sombra huffs and pulls the tissue paper out. Reaper pops onto the chair next to her and tackles the tissue paper, pulling it beneath the table to start shredding it. Sombra lets him have it and pulls a stuffed animal out of the bag. It's a black cat in a style very similar to Genji's ninja bear, but this one with a little purple laptop sewn to its lap. Sombra laughs and gives Jesse a one armed hug in thanks.
But he groans before she lets go and she feels it rumble under her ear. She looks up to see what's wrong and he points to the back door. "They've always gotta one up me, don't they," Jesse moans but he's smiling.
Genji and Zenyatta are carrying in a giant piece of furniture, though it's not until they set it upright that she can tell what it is: a cat tower. It looks handcrafted. Sombra gapes at it.
Reaper, on the other hand, wastes no time. He picks up the bulk of his tissue paper prize in his mouth and darts into the biggest cavern at the base. "There's one seal of approval," Genji laughs, straightening up just as Haku darts into the room and scurries up his pant leg. He climbs all the way up to his shoulder to examine the tower. Genji scratches behind his ears and turns to Sombra. "But what do you think? Zenyatta finished it today."
"It was originally for Christmas," Zenyatta explains when she can't get her mouth to work. "But we thought it would do nicely for a birthday as well."
"It's beautiful," Sombra breathes, finally regaining control of her voice. "You…you really built this for me?"
"Of course we did," Genji grins, raising his shoulder so Haku can jump onto a higher platform. Amélie startles when he hops by her. She watches Reaper climb up to chase him up to the top and turns to give Gabe a flat stare.
"Vous n'avez pas," she says.
Gabe just shrugs.
"His name is Haku," Sombra tells her with a grin and Amélie shakes her head.
Gabe seems unperturbed as he strides forward to drop a box on the table. "Happy birthday, kid." Sombra tears into it and finds a few components for the computer she's building. She has no idea how Gabe even knew she needed them, but these are top of the line.
She looks up to give Gabe a blinding smile. "Gracias." She turns to include the rest of the room in her glance. "To all of you. This is more than I ever expected."
Gabe pulls her to her feet with a warm hug. Then he jerks a thumb at the cat tower. "Where do you want this, your room?"
"Si," Sombra says, picturing the best layout. "By the window, I think." Jesse tips his hat and goes to help Genji and Zenyatta haul it up out of the way. Gabe gives Amélie a look, and she nods and goes to start getting out the dessert plates.
Gabe tugs Sombra over to his office and puts an envelope in her hands. "Not really a present, but I thought you should have these," he says.
She gives him a narrow-eyed glance and slits it open with a fingernail. Out tumbles new copies of her ID cards, looking exactly the same as the old versions. But at second glance she can see her birthdate is now listed as November first.
Sombra looks up in surprise, her eyebrows making a quick trek up her forehead. Gabe shrugs again. "It's legal, I swear. I called in a few favors to get it done fast, that's all."
Sombra's not sure how legal it can be in the first place when her entire identity is technically fake, but she appreciates the gesture. She clutches the cards in one hand and gives Gabe a hug. "You didn't have to do that."
"It's an important detail," Gabe says into her hair, voice gruff. "You chose it, so it means something. It's worth the effort."
Sombra almost bites her tongue in an effort to swallow a sudden rush of emotion, tightening her grip on Gabe. They stand together for a few long seconds until Amélie rattles some plates in warning, signaling the return of the others as they troop down the stairs. Sombra steps back and gives Gabe the most real smile she's worn in a long time.
Gabe nods, eyes crinkling at the corners, and they rejoin the others for dessert.
Translation:
Vous n'avez pas — You didn't.