"I told him, I'm not going to do it if I'm going to have to deal with his shit." Gabriel dipped a slice of toast into the yolk of his egg and bit off the desired section.

"Ironic," Moira said. "I'm forced to put up with everyone's nonsense, and I don't complain."

"Listen, it's different when it's Jack. He's infuriating on a whole n'other level."

"I suppose I could agree with you." The woman gracefully-yes, everything she did was graceful-sipped her tea as she turned her head to the side, seemingly glancing out of the windows of the cafeteria.

"It's warm today."

"Perfect swimming weather," he commented. "You like swimming?"

"Not with others."

That response was so Moira he didn't know what to do with himself.

"I prefer to relax when I swim, something that can't be done when others are around." She skewered a piece of pancake with her fork and muttered, "Perhaps later tonight," before popping it into her mouth.

"Does that include me?" It was an odd question, but he wasn't taking it back.

He wanted to hear her response.

"It depends on how I'm feeling that day," Moira smirked.

"Well, you must be feeling good today. You aren't the easiest person to coerce out of their cave."

"I wouldn't necessarily call 'I'm not leaving this room without you' coercion so much as manipulation."

Gabe recalled journeying to that infamous laboratory with a few ordered boxes and the full intention of enjoying breakfast with her.

He recalled saying that. He recalled how hot his face became.

Even now, as he recollected on the event, he could feel the blood rush to his ears.

"Hey, sometimes you got to do what you got to do," he chuckled.

"Unbelievable." She shook her head lightly. "It mystifies me how I'm able to tolerate you."

He threw a chunk of egg white into his mouth. "I must be more tolerable than Jesse."

"While that's true, you're nowhere near as tolerable as Genji."

"Can't argue with that." Gabriel swallowed. "I don't think I'm that bad, though."

"No, I can't say you are." The Doctor looked away from him and to her small stack of pancakes. "Your grammar is, however."

Oh.

The note. His note.

Didn't she not want to talk about that? he thought. However, judging by the I wish I weren't here right now demeanor she boasted, it seemed as if that wasn't something she'd meant to be heard.

He couldn't just sit there awkwardly, though.

Gabe decided to tread lightly.

"I told you I didn't have a lot of time."

"I don't believe time would have made a difference," Moira said through flushed cheeks and an averted gaze.

"Love how nice you are to me."

Her smile grew a bit wider as she looked to him once more. "I-"

"...because the Commander's too busy flirting!" Jesse's voice suddenly called out, and both Gabriel and Moira turned their heads to the source of his voice.

A large chunk of Overwatch and the remaining few of Blackwatch encircled a table and were looking to him expectantly, save for Genji.

Determined to fight off the embarrassment threatening to rush to his ears and cheeks, he huffed as he stood and marched over to the bunch, food left where it sat.

"Is this important?" was the Commander's first question, and it had better be important, because Moira was just starting to get comfortable and it was fucking adorable.

"You remember Mei, right, Boss?" said McCree. An image flashed in his head of the short Chinese woman they spoke to over a video feed a few times before. They spoke of recruiting her to Overwatch, but she was never sure.

"What about her?"

"We got her paperwork all set. She's heading over here as we speak."

Gabriel paused and thought over the man's statement. "What does that have to do with Blackwatch?"

"Oh, come on," Ana spoke up, "you've been here how long, Gabriel? You know we throw together something nice when someone like her joins."

Oh, yeah, right.

Blackwatch members weren't offered the same treatment as Overwatch members, so it was easy to forget sometimes, despite how many parties (excuses to drink alcohol) he has seen in his day.

"You better come Friday," Brigitte looked up at him from her father's side. "I don't want to have to hunt you down again." The teen offered Moira (who was standing to his right, something he was vaguely aware of until then) an odd glance before turning back to Ana.

The woman smiled. "I'll get you up to speed on when this is taking place soon enough, okay, Gabriel?" The motherly tone in her voice was impossible to ignore.

"Got it," he grinned back.

The crowd slowly broke up after that, with most returning to their meals. Gabe decided he was no longer hungry and trekked over to a trash bin while Moira finished her breakfast.

She is coming to that party, he thought as he returned. I'll carry her to it if I have to.

Which he wouldn't mind doing at all.

"You're going to that thing, right?" he questioned the Doctor as he sat down.

She pierced a slice of strawberry before answering. "I'm not sure."

"Why not?"

"Well, in the case that you're a bit slow and haven't noticed, social events are not my forté."

"Aw, come on, it won't be that bad." When she didn't answer, he decided to tell her, "I want you to come."

"Why's that?"

If only I could grow a pair and tell you.

"The hell do you mean, 'why'? It can't be just because.." He trailed off, mainly due not having the ability to speak the words that sprung into his head.

Perhaps this made him like Moira, in a way: awkward and closed-off emotionally. Despite how outward he may be, there was still that second side of him.

And perhaps it was a side he'd like to bury.

He simply wasn't sure.