The next day, Symmetra found herself in high spirits even though she had barely slept a wink. In any other circumstance, waking up in a small, unfamiliar room would have unsettled her, but today, she was filled to the brim with adrenaline and a dire need to see the day through. With record breaking speed, she changed into another borrowed outfit from Mercy and hopped towards the door as she slipped her heels back on. She could barely contain the eagerness that bubbled inside of her and swung her door open with gusto as she bolted outside the room.

Unfortunately, Mccree was standing right outside and was practically bulldozed down on her way out. The sudden encounter knocked her off balance, consequently causing him to stumble backwards. There wasn't enough time to register what was happening, but he still managed to keep a steady grip on her shoulders to keep her from falling. He didn't release her even as his back made an unpleasant contact the wall.

"Oof…And here I thought you weren't a morning person," he grunted, trying to smile and hide the fact that the air had been knocked out of him.

She didn't seem to notice and made a face. "I do not know what gave you that impression."

Once he was certain that she was all right, he let go of her shoulders. "Mm… I dunno, probs because you always complain and grumble at me any time I knock if it's too early. Y'know, I'd probably have an easier time running past a field of rattle snakes. Way less scarier too."

"I am not comparable to a rattle snake."

"You're right, you have way more bite," he teased, holding out his arm for her to take. She seemed more comfortable with friendly affection when it was just the two of them, and sure enough, she reached for him. He didn't realize that she'd go straight for his hand though, which made him smile. Rather than a rattlesnake, she was like a little duckling that had imprinted on him.

"Jesse, I will pretend I did not hear you for the sake of today being a good day."

"Mm? That so? And just what's so good about today?"

It was a casual question, but it still managed to make her flushed behind the ears. It hit her that she might come across as childish if she indulged in how exultant she felt to have joined Overwatch on her own terms. It didn't make it any better when she recalled how reluctant and stubborn she had initially acted towards it. She never had many outlets for her personal interests, and had a habit of burying them inside to keep up with the silent status quo. "Nothing in particular, I suppose. Just a fresh start."

"Hold on a sec, that's right! You're officially one of us now, huh?" He mentioned, squeezing her hand unconsciously as he led her down the hallway. "It's been such a whirlwind meeting that it kinda feels like it's been longer than a week, don't it?"

"Yes, that would be the case…" She was always surprised how well Mccree could understand her with so few words. She wasn't sure she would ever get used to this, as comforting as it was. So many times people would misinterpret her words and actions as standoffish and cold, even as a child, that she sometimes thought she would never develop a meaningful interaction.

"It may be premature to say anything for certain, and perhaps I am indeed rushing into things, but for once, it is not an unwelcome change," she started. "Also this is very late to say, but I formally apologize to how I acted towards you in our first meeting. You have been most helpful with assisting me in being, oh, how would you put it…? Ride like the wind, or whatever your western euphemisms are. I hope you can forgive my rudeness."

That was way too cute, and the fact that she was entirely serious made it even cuter. "Course, I can darlin'," he said, the corners of his lips tugged into a heartfelt smile. On a complete whim, Mccree lifted her hand above her head and spun her around. "I wouldn't dream of holdin' it against you. I completely get it, you were in a rough patch. I been there before."

Without missing a beat, Satya twirled with all the grace of a queen, taking proper care to move right alongside him as they walked. Her movements were so naturally that he was almost tempted to dip her right there in the empty hallway for fun. While she looked incredibly confused, she didn't question his actions.

"Oh! You dance?" he asked. He couldn't really picture Satya dancing in all honesty. She came across like the type that would be too reserved and shy, but life was full of surprises. What he wouldn't give to see her on the dance floor.

"Yes, of course," she responded as if it was a matter of fact.

"Good to know. Maybe I should take you dancin, sometime then. I know a place or two still runnin' in the backparts of a town where we could go. If you're up for that sorta thing." Maybe the joints wouldn't be her style, but he always had a backup plan. Something something dancing in the moonlight. Women loved moonlight and dancing, right?

"Take who dancing?"

The duo were startled when Tracer popped out of nowhere, and once more, Satya released his hand, mortified that she had been caught fraternizing with him. They would have to be more careful than to have such unorthodox interactions in the future. It was entirely out of her comfort zone with being so demonstrative with a friend in front of others. Thankfully, her embarrassed expression was easily misinterpreted as displeased that Tracer purposely skipped her attention over to Mccree.

"Well? Well?" The young pilot chirped, zipping around him like a child shaking their old man for an answer.

"Didn't your old lady teach you to keep your nose outta other people's business?" He sighed and grabbed Tracer by the shoulder to keep her still. He couldn't actually blame her; he knew very well that this was his own damn fault. After all, the truth was that Tracer had been walking their direction for some time, but they had been so caught up in their conversation down the hall that he hadn't noticed her approaching until now. He caught sight of Satya tensing up next to him, and he felt bad for getting her caught up in these situations. Curse him and his fatal flaw of invading personal spaces.

"Hard to mind myself when you're practically yelling it in the corridor! Are you taking Ms. Vaswani dancing? Can you really dance, Sat- Ms. Vaswani? Well, you do have the build of one, with those long legs, don'cha? Would love to see you dance some time! What kind of dances do you kn- yeowch!"

Mccree had bonked Tracer on the head with his right hand and ignored her complaints. "What is this, an interrogation? Lay off and give the lady some space. We're getting breakfast, so I'll see you later, kid."

"Wait!"

"What is it now?"

Tracer rubbed her head with both hands with a little pout on her face. "Winston said you had to head to the briefing room! I was gonna tell you sooner, but I got distracted when you kept talking about dancing!"

"Huh, when you mean me talkin, did'ye mean to say when you were eavesdropping?"

She stuck out her tongue with a sheepish grin. "Yeah, yeah, but head over when you can! I'm off there myself, see ya!" With a wink and salute, she blipped out of sight like that ancient old roadrunner cartoon.

"Another mission already?" While she should have expected it, given where she was, it was surprising that he would be shipped off to god know's where else so quickly after just arriving from Route 66 a few days prior. She took a few days to settle from the jet lag herself that she could barely imagine how fine he'd be with bouncing from country to country in so little time. He was always in such a good mood that she sometimes forgot how tired he must really be.

"Yeah… I think I know what it's about if she's asking me to come asap. Been a thing we've been keepin' a slight eye on for awhile. I should probably go now and get breakfast later.

"That would be advisable, yes. It would do you no good if you were to miss out on any vital information," she contemplated, tapping the side of her cheek as she began walking down the hallway again. If this was something as important as he made it sound, he would definitely need to know every nook and cranny of the plan.

"But Satya…"

His voice was further back, and when she turned around, she realized that he wasn't following alongside with her. "What is it?"

"You good to head to the mess room on your own?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed.

The question caught her a little off guard. She hadn't considered that him leaving would mean she would be by herself. She had had the fortune of having Mccree around on a regular basis that she never really thought about what she would do if he wasn't around. She wasnt about to interfere with his work though, so her response came quickly.

"Yes, I will be fine."

At least she thought she would be. Without Mccree as her buffer, she was a fish out of water. Over the past few days, there had been a trickle of new faces around her. It seemed like all of them were returning members, so they already knew the ins and outs of the places. Mccree would occasionally introduce her to some, but for the most part, she never went out of her way to make any sort of conversation. She had never really learned to make small talk with people, and now, she was starting to think maybe that lacking that skill might make things more awkward than it should be. She was used to being by herself for long periods of times, but here, it was different. At least before, she grew up thinking she fully belonged that she took the silence for granted, but now, she was still the cog that didn't quite connect well with the others.

Even though she knew the exact distance to the food line, today, it felt like it was yards away. The seats were filling up quicker with the growing number, and the usual buzz of the crowd became a bit louder. It wasn't intolerable, but the change of environment was still uncomfortable. Her foot began to tap on the floor, and while the sound would be drowned out by the chattering around her, she wondered if anyone would notice. As much as she wanted to, she did not stop. Or rather she could not stop.

Taking careful, meticulous strides to the food line, she prayed that no one would notice that every third step she made, she would tap the front of her shoe onto the floor before rolling it back down as she walked. Mercifully, all her years of dance had made her movements natural, that it was hard to pick up on what she was doing. At least the rhythm of clicks brought a slight sense of peace to her mind that she began to clack her finger tips together with the beat. By the time she was getting her food served, she was keeping herself busy to keep up her pattern, consequently calming her nerves. She even remembered to breathe after holding it in the entire time.

She couldn't just become reliant on Jesse forever. At some point, she'd have to learn to adapt to these new situations on her own, she told herself. That's what she had promised to herself.

"How curious seeing you on your own, Ms. Vaswani." Dr. Ziegler piped up once Satya had returned. Strategically, Angela had purposely chosen a seat at the table she and Jesse always sat at. She had been further in the line for breakfast and happened to notice Symmtra stimming. It reminded her of the files she had read prior to her arrival, and while she was respectful of everyone's medical history, she wanted to check in with her. "It's been quite a week, hasn't it? Are you adjusting well?"

"Yes, I would say so. Everything is admittedly still out of my level of comfort, but I am confident that I can learn to live with it." Satya said, blowing gently on her food to cool it down. "I can thank Jess, ah… Mr. Mccree, for that."

Angela found it a little endearing that Satya was not willing to disclose that she was on first name basis with Jesse. Word on the grapevine (read: Tracer) was that the two had been seen holding hands on a few occasions. While it was no secret to anyone that Mccree lacked quite a few manners, Angela did find it very intriguing to know that Satya of all people was fine with it. She continued to keep a wall between her and everyone else, something that made her a bit hard to approach by some people's standards. It was reassuring that she had found someone she could feel secure with.

Even if it was Mccree.

"That's certainly nice to hear. Overwatch is quite an experience, for anyone really, but it's important to me that things run along well for you. If you do ever find yourself needing an extra ear, my office is always open to you."

"My thanks, Dr. Ziegler."

For the rest of the meal, the two women continued their pleasant chat over breakfast. While it wasn't nearly as casual as it would be with her favorite cowboy, Symmetra found it enjoyable. Her worries about not fitting in completely melted away the more she recognized that there were other people that accepted her just as well. Even thinking about Tracer's overfamiliarity put her mind at ease.

Later on, she ended up spending the rest of the day on her own since Mccree had yet to return. Dr. Zeigler had informed her that the briefing sessions varied in their length of time, but for longer scale missions, it could take quite a while to plan everything accordingly.

There were still a handful of extra matters for Winston to handle before she would finally be able to go on an official mission, this time as a full fledged member. To keep herself busy in the meantime, she walked around the halls and taking a closer look at the rooms, especially the ones she rarely ventured to. When she had first came to Gibraltar, she had only concerned herself about making a quick and accurate layout of the base in her head, a habit she could not easily shake, but today, she decided she'd slow herself down for a more intimate knowledge of her surroundings.

The last place she visited was one of the locker rooms on the other side of the base. It wasn't far, but it was still out of the way from her usual schedule. Dust had nestled itself on several surfaces in this area, abandoned by their old owners. Only the areas that were used often were maintained, it seemed. Usually, the dust would deter her from getting a closer look, but what drew her towards them were the decorations hung up with magnets or tape.

Photographs and clippings, some yellowed and tattered, revealed an era of Overwatch that she only knew secondhand from newspapers and television. The pictures were far more personal than anything in the media could have ever hoped to share. Even without a shred of context, it was clear as day that these were better days. It was hard to think of the dim, quiet base as a place that was once bustling with activity. Some of the pictures were from different missions, while others were taken at an entirely different base that she couldn't put a name to.

What really stood out the most was the length of time everyone had been active. Many of of the active Overwatch members showed up in multiple photographs, even among the people she didn't recognize. After gingerly lifting some of the pictures up with a finger, the faintly written dates scribbled on the back revealed that almost everyone had been in Overwatch for at least more than a decade. Faces and bodies had aged over time, some more surprising than others, namely Reinhardt with that flowing head of golden locks.

A fleeting thought passed her mind made her wonder if it was rude to be perusing on these memories as an outsider. That idea briskly drifted away the moment she noticed what seemed to be Mccree's locker further down the row. Who else would collect such quirky magnets of western related paraphernalia? Whether this was a joke or a serious hobby, she had no idea. An old black hat rested on top of the locker, a lot different than the one he always wore around now.

"It will only be for a moment…" she said, trying to justify her snooping. There was only had one picture hung up on his locker. From here, it looked like there were three other people were there with him. She hadn't really thought about what his life must have been years ago. What was he like back then? Was he really as stubborn as he made his younger self out to be? Who did he spend his time with? There were so many things she didn't actually know about Mccree, and the questions kept piling up in her head. Curiosity got the better of her and lured her closer to see the picture. It had to be special for him to have placed it there, right?

"You sure are good at hiding up in the last place I'd ever look. Always in the dark too, huh?"

She jumped away from the locker, and quickly swiveled on her heels. "M-Mccree!" She weakly replied, putting a hand over her chest. She hoped that the drumming beat of her heart was only audible to herself. "I was not expecting you…"

"Sorry, I could'a sword we had an agreement, you and I…" he teased, leaning against the doorframe. There was no telling how long he had been there, or if he had just arrived. It didn't look like it was on his agenda to reveal that bit of information.

At first, she thought he was scolding her for the invasion of privacy but quickly dawned on her that this was about his name. "… Jesse," she carefully replied, reluctantly making eye contact. He wasn't frowning at least, but that didn't really mean anything; he always managed to smile around her. What if he was actually the type of person to smile when he was mad?

"Thank you, darlin," he said, tipping his hat in approval. "What's got you so interested in anyways? Didn't even hear me coming." He tapped the heel of his boot on the floor, making an undeniable loud clacking sound on the metal floor. It echoed in the empty void, only to be heard by the two of them. There was no way she could've missed it if she hadn't been distracted.

Symmetra awkwardly positioned herself in front of the locker to hide it from his line of sight. Not too close to arise suspicion, but enough to keep his eyes on her. At least, that's what she was hoping, but by a cruel trick of fate, Mccree's gaze went past her and right to the very place she was hoping he'd overlook.

"That my locker?" He asked, pushing himself off the doorway and walked her way. Satya backed away in response to him approaching. He wondered what she was so embarrassed for. It wasn't like she had done anything wrong; the picture was out there in public view after all. It had been so long since it had been tacked up there that he had actually forgotten it was still there after all this time. He had gotten himself a new locker ages ago, not that she would've known about that.

"Yes… I happened to come across it when I wandered this way," She came clean, unable to lie to him, and bowed her head out of reverence. Her thumping heart refused to cease its dance and only made her feel guiltier for sticking her nose in his private business. "The photograph piqued my curiosity, more than it should have."

Mccree found a bit of humor from the fact that she caved without even the slightest bit of pressure when he wasn't really thinking about asking her. Then again, being so straightforward and honest was pretty in character for her, and was a large part of why he found her so endearing. What's more was the flustered expression was too precious to pass up. It wouldn't be a crime to tease her a little more, would it?

Mccree slid his thumbs through his belt loops and leaned forward to get a better look at her face. "So, you're interested in me, are you?" To anyone else, this would easily be taken as flirting, but he wasn't so sure about her. She was definitely racking her brain for a response, but there was nothing in her expression that looked like she knew the social implication of his question. He had to wonder if she had ever been flirted with to begin with. She was definitely pretty enough to turn heads, but her first impression exuded off an unapproachable aura. Anyone would have to be a pretty cocky bastard to even think of it.

"Yes… you could say that," was all she managed to reply. Mccree wasn't exactly giving her much room to think as he followed her retreating steps until she was backed up against the wall of metal. When she didn't say anything more, he put one hand on the locker behind her, effectively boxing her in. Was this his way of getting mad?

Not wanting to go overboard with his teasing, he brushed his knuckles along her jaw before lifting her chin to make her look his way. She didn't look put off or intimidated by any means, nor did she move away like she usually would if she wasn't in the mood to be touched. She actually did the opposite of what he thought she'd do and tilted her head towards his hand, something that made his heart feel soft.

Her gaze didn't always meet his, although that wasn't really that much of a problem; he was used to her not being fond of keeping eye contact for long periods of time. So far so good, but she had other telltale signs he had to check. He glanced downward to her hands and then her shoes. No fidgeting or tapping either, so she seemed fine, just mildly disconcerted from the misunderstanding she had created for herself. That and the irrefutable question of what he was even doing so close to her clearly whirled in those honey eyes of hers.

"That so? Why don't you come to me then, Satya?" he purred, getting dangerously close to her cheek. The familiar fragrance of her perfume lingered on her skin, too soft to normally be noticed. He knew jack about perfume and toilettes, but he loved how gentle it was. It suited her, whatever it was.

The way his breath tickled her skin is what ended up bothering her. She jerked her hand onto the raised hairs on her nape as if a mosquito had bitten her. Her quick motion almost smacked him in the process. "Yes, I would like to know more about you, that is what I said if you were listening to me," she started, pursing her lips into a small, irritated pout. "Next time, I will ask you directly if it matters to you, I am sorry for not being respectful to your privacy."

Mccree was seconds away from slamming his head on the locker. He was definitely going to hell for this. Satya was just so sweet, a literal angel, and here he was teasing her just to get a rise out of her. It was hard to keep a straight face, forced to cover his mouth with his other hand. At least the lights were dim enough to hide his flush face. Just how was it that he was the one being flustered despite being the one who instigated this in the first place?

"I'd be more than happy to indulge you; if you gotta question, just shoot," he conceded, finally giving her some breathing room. Teasing her like this could only be done in moderation anyways. Anymore and HE'D be the one suffering from getting flustered. "But I don't mind that curiosity of yours, so don't keep apologizing to me. I was just pulling your leg, I'm not upset."

"You aren't?" The tension in her body released all at once, relieved that she hadn't overstepped her bounds, and smiled at him. "That is a burden released off my chest."

He felt even worse knowing that she was actually stressed about it. Did she really think that he was mad? He'd definitely find a way to make up for this later. "Not at all! Hell, you can look inside for all I care. It's my old locker, so I don't even remember what junk is in there."

"I really have no desire to intrude that much. May I just see the photograph then?"

"Be my guest, Satya," he said, tugging it out from under its magnet and handing it to her.

She gingerly held it along the edges, not wanting to get a single fingerprint on it. Staring back at her was Mccree, but much different than the one that stood in front of her. "When was this taken?" She remembered him mentioning him being younger when he had first joined Overwatch, but she didn't realize he was an actual teenager at the time. Clad in black armor and a cigar in his mouth, he looked like your typical troublemaker. Much different than the gentleman he was today. "You were so young."

"Hm… maybe like ten years ago? Fifteen? Couldn't really tell ya." At this point, all the years had blended together. Overwatch had practically been a part of him his whole life. "I was a handsome devil back then, huh?"

"You're still very handsome, Jesse," she replied nonchalantly as she peered at the other three in the picture. If they were old teammates of his, she hadn't seen them before. They were all so distinct from each other that it was hard to tell they were even part of the same association. She'd have to ask about them another time, but for now she was content with learning a little bit more about him. He wasn't in any of the other photographs she had seen while perusing around. She was glad he came to find her. "Although, it is a little strange to see you without a full beard."

There wasn't a response. It wasn't as though he couldn't hear her, they were right next to each other in an empty room. She looked up to see that Mccree was leaning against the lockers, head buried in the crook of his arm.

"Jesse?"

Forget his frivolous flirting, this woman was the real danger here.

"… Let me walk you back to your room, Satya. I'm gonna turn in early," Mccree said, words half muffled. He had to admit that yeah, he could be a bit of a Casanova, never too shy from laying on some cowboy charm here and there. Never meant a damn thing, but if it managed to get him somewhere, then yeah, he'd bite sometimes. It felt so different being around her though. Her eyes were always brimming with sincerity and honesty, that it made it nearly impossible for him to feel right trying to play with her like that.

A glance at the window hat the sun had long since started to set. After all the excitement of her day, she was a bit sluggish now. "Very well, it would do us both some good to get a good night's rest."

Like Mccree had promised, he escorted her back, but for once, he remained silent the whole way back. It was strange, even for her, since he usually had something to say. She wondered if it had anything to do with the picture from before, or if it was something entirely different.

Mccree awkwardly lingered by her door as if he did want to say something, but he just scratched his head and laughed weakly whenever he opened his mouth. This was his first time being so tongue-tied.

"Might I ask about the results of your meeting earlier?" She asked, breaking the silence between them.

"What? Oh, right. Yeah, I almost forgot about that." Why did he expect her to say something else? Did he want her to? No, not at all, he thought, planning on pushing what happened to the back of his mind. "Turns out I'm off to Tibet on a retrieval mission. From what we discussed, it's probably gonna take some time, a week at best if we can help it, but with the distance and weather out there right now, it's probably gonna take longer."

With that, her mood was quickly deflated.

"Aw, dont gimme that look. I won't be gone forever, you know. I'll even bring ya back somethin' if there's a giftshop anywhere. Maybe a yeti plushy or whatever the hell they got up there," he said, attempting to lighten the mood.

He received a small frown in response, she was not one for little nicknacks to begin with. "I do not require anything other than your well being. Be safe," she insisted. She had gotten more than a lifetime of adventure on one little outing with Mccree that she genuinely could not trust him to not take on some risky behavior for the hell of it. As much as she had come to open up to him, that man was a disaster and a half.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," he laughed, but his smile didn't last long when he saw she how unconvinced and worried she was. She could give a puppy a run for its money, and he had to gather the strength to look away. If he held eye contact any longer, he'd probably try to find anyway to ditch his mission just to make her happy. "Say, why don't you take care of this for me? I'll feel a helluva lot better if you're looking after it."

"You're entrusting me with your hat?" She looked at him with astonishment as he took off what she assumed to be his beloved treasure and handed it to her reluctantly awaiting hands. It rested on her forearms and palms with more care than if she had been entrusted with the Queen of England's crown.

"Course, figure if anyone would be better at keeping somethin' safe than me, it'd be you." He said, shaking out his dark brown hair. Always felt pretty weird to go hatless, but if it meant reassuring her, he'd give up every hat he ever owned. The way she smiled at him made him feel like this was definitely the right decision, and he felt warm inside.

"See you soon, Satya."

"I will see you then, Jesse."