Jack Morrison did not like Gérard Lacroix. Jesse didn't know what the Frenchman had done to earn the ire of Overwatch's Strike Commander, but whatever it was Jack seemed to hate the idea of being in the same room as the man. Jesse had all sorts of theories from Lacroix being a former illegal weapons dealer who struck a bargain with the UN for immunity to a mission gone wrong that ended with Jack being shot. Never did Jesse imagine in his wildest dreams that the animosity would stem from a past relationship, especially one involving Gabriel Reyes.
Jesse found out completely by accident. Jack had been bemoaning about a meeting involving Lacroix during lunch and between every other bite of food talked about doing anything to get out of it.
"Why'd'ya need to attend?" Jesse asked. "Can't Capt'n Amari attend for you?"
"No it contains information on Talon that I need to review for Blackwatch," Jack mumbled, glaring at a spoonful of mashed potatoes.
"Well then why not have Commander Reyes go and get the information firsthand?" Jesse suggested. Gabriel tensed at the suggestion while Ana choked on her drink.
"Because Gabriel has better things to do with his time than deal with Gérard Lacroix," Jack said stiffly, not bothering to look at Gabriel or Ana as he got up to dispose of his tray.
"Jesse," Gabriel hissed at him like he'd just committed a cardinal sin. Ana was suddenly giggling.
Jesse looked between Gabriel's sour look and Ana's weakly contained hysterics to find what he was missing that would involve Jack not wanting Gabriel in the same room as Gérard Lacroix like the two were past lovers. "Wait… did y'all fuck?" Jesse asked in admittedly not the most eloquent fashion. Ana lost it and Gabriel gave her a withering look. Jesse suddenly broke out into a grin. "Didn't know you liked the French so much, Jefe. That why you keep that old song framed on your desk?"
"That's enough Jesse," Gabriel tried to cut him off.
"What old song?" Ana pried. "What song do you keep framed on your desk Gabriel?"
"Hymn a la-mour or somthin' like that." Jesse answered despite receiving a glare with enough force to kill a Bastion. "Written in fancy calligraphy, keeps it right next to a photo of 'im and corncob from one of those 'end of the war gala things'. They're both drunk as skunks in it."
"You kept it Gabriel?" Ana asked incredulously, her giggles suddenly turning into cackles. "You kept it? And you keep it framed on your desk?"
"Don't tease me Ana," Gabriel whined, slumping over the table and burying his face in his arms.
"I wanna know the story behind this," Jesse snickered. He would hate himself later when Gabriel had him running laps till his legs feel off, but right now it was totally worth it.
"Gabe won't answer otherwise, but Jack is convinced Gérard was purely to spite him because of the whole promotion incident. Jack didn't find out about it until after the fact - I'm not saying Jack's reasoning is the most sound on this point - when Gérard sent Gabe those handwritten lyrics along with all of Gabes stuff he apparently kept in Gérard's apartment while the two were together. Jack is still defensive of Gérard to this day and it's the only break in their relationship that I know about." Ana explains, nudging Gabriel a little to try to get a response from him. "Needless to say, if Jack can keep them separated he's going to do it. I wouldn't mention the song in front of Jack, Jesse. Gabe here might get all flustered but Jack is severely insecure about Gérard and will be out for blood."
With that she patted Gabriel gently on the back before getting up and abandoning Jesse to fend for himself. Gabriel looked up at Jesse with a very unamused look. "Your lunch is finished. Go to the training room and start running. You're not allowed to stop till I decide to come get you." Jesse didn't have to be told twice and was leaving before Gabriel could even finish.
Apparently Gérard's breakup letter had been more than a final farewell because when Ana told Reinhardt and Torbjörn during dinner (in the absence of Jack, still held up in a meeting) they instantly knew what Ana was talking about and laughed Gabriel out of the room.
It became a game after that, teasing Gabriel about the still kept memories of a long past relationship. He never offered an explanation as to why he not only kept it but framed it on his desk, leaving everyone to draw their own conclusion. So long as it never reached Jack's ears the teasing never seemed to be a problem.
When Genji was unofficially adopted into the dysfunctional family that was Blackwatch it didn't take long for him to catch onto the joke either. The most recent turn the joke took was leaving cans of LaCroix in places Gabriel would find them such as his locker or on his desk. They started using empty cans after Gabriel caught Jesse trying to leave one after a debriefing and it was decided a full 8 oz. aluminum can was not something one wanted to leave within grabbing distance of a genetically enhanced soldier when trying to piss said soldier off.
Genji being a damn ninja was especially good at it and everyone quickly began attempting to one up each other. Unfortunately Genji hadn't been filled in on the 'why' of the joke and that it was supposed to stay a secret from one Jack Morrison.
"I do not get why Commander Reyes hates sparkling water so much," Genji said during lunch, tossing an empty can into the air. "Is it just this brand or is it the aluminium can?"
"What are you going on about?" Jack asked, taking a seat across from them. "And you said "aluminum" wrong."
"It is pronounced "aluminium" outside of North America and it is a game we play with Commander Reyes, hiding these empty cans for him to find like a scavenger hunt." Genji explained handing the can over to Jack. "It has something to do with Commander Reyes's love letter but I do not-" Jesse lunged at Genji when he realized what the ninja was about to spill but the damage had already been done.
At that moment Gabriel had sat down and Jack was connecting the dots between the LaCroix can and "Commander Reyes's love letter". "Why does Genji know about the song Gérard Lacroix wrote for you when you broke up?" Jack demands, catching Gabriel off guard. Ana's words about Jack being "severely insecure" and "out for blood" repeat through Jesse's head and a cold sweat starts down his back.
"What're you-" Gabriel's eyes catch the LaCroix can in Jack's hand. "It's nothing Jack. Jesse saw the damn thing and told Ana and now everyone likes to make fun of me for it."
"And Jesse was rummaging through your personal stuff? Or do you just keep it out for everyone to see?" Gabriel doesn't answer and Jesse gets scared of the look on Jack's face. "What? Next are you going to tell me that you keep it framed on your desk?"
"I'm allowed to keep things from past relationships-" Gabriel suddenly becomes defensive but Jack cuts him off.
"On your desk? For everyone to see?"
"It wasn't hurting you until you found out." Gabriel countered, starting to get angry himself. Jesse hadn't been prepared for a fight to happen.
"But why him, Gabriel? Gérard's married. To a woman."
"I introduced him to said woman, I know."
'Go!' Jesse mouthed to Genji while both commanders were distracted. They'd both be held responsible for the fallout later and Jesse wanted to get as much of a headstart away from them as possible. Genji nodded and both hauled ass out of the cafeteria like Jack or Gabriel were already chasing them.
Jesse had been confused at first then relieved when he wasn't hunted down later that evening and forced to do laps till he threw up or worse whatever Jack could possibly have planned for him. In fact when Jesse saw them both at dinner - which he had bravely dared to attend to scope out for Genji - they seemed happier than they ever had been. He was smart enough not to ask questions at the time, just in case by some miracle they'd just forgotten about what happened at lunch and reminding them of him would incur their wrath, but Jesse was dead curious to know what happened. He'd asked Fareeha but she was either lying or honestly didn't know what had happened, because lunch apparently hadn't ended in a screaming match or worse a fight.
Jesse later guessed that they'd made up somehow, though he had no clue as to how it could have happened, but the next time he was in Gabriel's office the French love song in Gérard's calligraphy was replaced by Jack's recognizable smooth cursive.