bakerstreet | and since we've no place to go

and since we've no place to go

❄ it's quiet
and the snow's beautiful tonight

snowfall;

stage i; none, streets are already blanketed in white.
stage ii; very light and intermittent.
stage iii; light - moderate. lasts longer periods.
stage iv; continuous, heavy snowfall.
stage v; the hardest of cores - blizzards, snowstorms, you name it.

scenarios;

① fuck the police, this is the best time for a walk. hope you've got a nice thick coat on.
② stranded in the buttcrack of nowheresville? weren't you watching the time? now you've gone and missed that last bus out of there. or maybe you're lost, somehow. what do?
③ literally chilling, in this weather, is quite easy to do. sitting around relaxing in it is a wee more difficult, but sometimes much more enjoyable, especially if shelter can be found. the snow is beautiful to watch, after all.
④ the weather's not going to stop you. your snow fort's packed full of ammo and ready to go. those aren't snow angels over there; they mark where the poor souls you've downed have fallen. be careful with that snowman's head!!
⑤ you're about fifty miles from civilization but there's a roof over your head, so never mind the chilly draught, right? right. you mightn't be the only one lucky enough to stumble upon this little shelter, though. remember to share the blanket.
⑥ everyone stuck outside should be jelly. you've got a fireplace and hot cocoa and damn if it isn't awesome. a heater's not quite so romantic, but it'd do. there'd better be a backup generator in case the power trips.
⑦ mix and match, or make up your own.

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[The heating pad was caught and Gabriel went about resituating himself to try and keep warm right there. Gloves kept on, going as far as to pull his hood up on top of his beanie.

See? Making a hoodie part of his own uniform made perfect sense now.]

I'm cold, we're stuck together for at least twelve more hours- I'm fine.

Your coffee isn't that terrible.

I don't have to make it.

[But he is, and it's not much of a threat, said more jokingly than anything else. Jack busies himself at the coffee maker, leaning against the counter and watching Gabriel take his precautions as it percolates. Soon enough, he's poured it out and approaches, making it very clear that his intention is to impose on the nest that Gabriel's gone and built.]

Scoot.

[Sorry, did you carefully construct a blanket fort? Jack is trying to nudge his way into it, a mug of coffee in each hand.]

But there you are.

[If he weren't so busy trying to keep warm it might have sounded more teasing than not. Jack's coffee really wasn't that bad-

Maybe not good enough to gain entry to his blanket fort if the flat look he was getting upon approach was anything to judge by. That bit of a scowl and arched brow as Gabriel was asked to scoot.

Excuse you, this was his warm spot. Then there came the tell-tale grumble as he did actually move to make enough room. Ugh fine, with all the nudging it was just easier to comply.]

What, cold getting to you, too? [As he reached for one of those mugs, thank you. Might as well give Jack a free hand to invade better.]

Edited 2016-12-04 04:19 (UTC)

[He has to fight and nudge his way in, but he knows that Gabriel will relent eventually. They both know full well that this is just the usual back-and-forth.]

Sharing body heat, Reyes.

[Reyes, he says, like he's not invading the blanket fort and getting uncomfortably (or comfortably?) close, pressing the coffee mug into his hand.]

I'm doing you a favor.

[The relenting usually came, usually, no matter how much growling Gabriel might do. Did do. It was habit. Tugging blankets closer on what was now his side rather than having claim over all of it.]

How fucking thoughtful, Morrison. [Taking a sip of that coffee, still hot be damned. Like he didn't occasionally drink straight from the pot.

Not like he was going to scoot away with him getting closer.]

Want a badge for it, boy scout? Living radiator.

I usually am.

[More joking. Jack is careful not to spill his coffee as he settles into the blanket fort that has been forcibly adjusted for two. He pulls the other end over his shoulder, and there's a brief tug-of-war as they both adjust. Jack goes still after a moment, clearly enjoying either Gabriel's testiness, their closeness, or both. He'll even go so far as to nudge him a bit, perhaps almost jostling his coffee on purpose.]

Are you offering one?

When you're not being a shit.

[For all of Jack's efforts he does earn himself a range of growls and other irritated noises with every movement and jostle Gabriel feels. Maybe an elbow near the ribs for that last almost-jostling of his coffee before even Gabe settled.

Then there was just an amused snort.]

The annoying living radiator badge, only one in existence.

[He laughs, unable to provide a more sufficient answer--because of course, Gabriel is right. They finish elbowing each other (playfully and not), and Jack stops squirming. It's already warmer shoulder-to-shoulder, not that he was very cold in the first place. He'll take that living radiator badge and wear it proudly, hypothetically speaking of course.

A pause to try the coffee--also good, so there.]

Better?

[Careful or he'd go and make the damn badge a reality whenever they got back- if he had the time at least. Just to be a shit himself. It's with an overly dramatic huff that Gabriel finally settled, and even he'd have to admit it was much warmer than with just him and his makeshift blanket fort.

At least neither of them were crowing the other out, right.]

... Better.

[There won't be time when they get back--which is perhaps why Jack is so insistent on making the most of this weather delay. With nothing to do but sit and wait and maybe catch some sleep, he's content to just sit here and enjoy each other's company for once. It's something they don't get to do often, given their respective jobs.

Suffice to say, he's going to milk this for all it's worth, letting his head fall against Gabriel's shoulder.]

Been a while since we had some time alone.

[And it took a snowstorm to make it happen, but Jack isn't complaining.

[Gabriel would complain about the snowstorm itself, loudly and as frequently as he pleased—]

It has been.

[Not right then apparently, some moment of silence before he'd spoken up, relaxed there where the two of them were. Of course it would take something like this, even if they'd been stuck together in worse places; under worse conditions. Before Strike Commander Morrison, before Blackwatch Commander Reyes.

Gabriel rested his head back, letting out a breath without complain of that extra bit of weight on his shoulder.]

Now we've got several hours of alone time, and no chance of suddenly being pulled away.

[Look. The mental image of someone stomping through that storm with some sort of paperwork or Important Thing That Needed Attention Immediately was a little entertaining.]

[Jack lets the silence hang in the air for a few long moments, simply enjoying the warmth and proximity of Gabriel to him. This isn't exactly something they can get away with on a day to day basis--not that he thinks people would care, but just because of the nature of their jobs.

So it's nice to have this impromptu moment. It reminds him of earlier years, not that Jack really wants to remember the Crisis. This isn't the first time they've holed up somewhere this way, and he's glad that the circumstances are much less dire, this time.]

We'll sleep for some of it.

[Or try to. He knows full well that sleep is difficult for people like them, too wrapped up in responsibilities and stress and the ghosts of old battles. He nudges Gabriel in the shoulder.]

Try not to get bored.

What, plan on using me as a pillow?

[Gabriel wasn't about to make a move to shrug Jack off, spoken more with a roll of eyes than any actual protest. It was nice -damn the cold- to actually sit still for longer than fifteen minutes at a time. No urgent business, constant hum of having to get there and do that; all of that would be waiting, of course.

It would all be there waiting on them. Sleep wouldn't come any easier.

His head tilted to the side, letting out a huff of air at the nudge. Which of course had him nudging Jack in the ribs-]

Eh, your company isn't that boring boy scout. [Kidding, he was kidding.] Sure I can figure some way to keep the boredom away.

Is that an invitation?

[He'll do it, don't test him. The lopsided grin on his face is testament enough to that, like every eyeroll on Gabriel's part just eggs him on, nudges him closer. Jack is testing boundaries here, seeing how far Reyes will let him go when it's just the two of them.

And it hasn't been just the two of them in a while.]

Do you have something in mind?

[Because he could definitely make coffee all night. They tend to drink a lot of it.]

[With every nudge closer Gabriel leaned a little heavier, wasn't even trying to crowd Jack out or push him away, was just there. Still rolled his eyes, huffed and scowled-]

You still drool?

[Maybe have been said with a baring of teeth, but it was more of a grin than a sneer. Not that many could tell the difference, and Jack used to. Didn't know if he still could but it was there all the same.

Set of gloved fingers reaching up and tugging his beanie further down on one side.]

Wasn't so cold I'd offer a game of strip poker, be busy enough trying to keep warm.

Everywhere. All over your shirt.

[Said with a wry grin that indicates he's joking, but there's a sort of self-awareness to it, like they both know this has happened before. Jack puts his hands over Gabriel's on either side of his head, 'helping' him tug the beanie down even further, until it's over his eyes.]

If you want me out of my clothes, you don't have to use strip poker as an excuse.

[Gabriel should certainly know that by now.]

That's a pity, I kinda like this shirt.

[Spoken with the sort of dramatic tone Gabriel could almost seamlessly dip into when joking. Wording chosen just so for it, some bit of comfort in being able to do so—

Hands twisted as soon as that fabric went over his eyes, curling and trapping Jack's hands right where they were. Corner of his mouth twitching.]

You offering, Jack?

[There should also be the knowledge that Gabriel Reyes was and would always be a shit himself.]

Maybe. I just made all this coffee.

[Dancing around each other is the fun part, and Jack keeps holding Gabriel's beanie right where it is, not that he could pull his hands away even if he wanted to. It's easy, like this--to pretend that they don't have the jobs and responsibilities they do, that they aren't separated by their respective commands.

With the hat over Gabriel's eyes, it's easy enough to lean in, very nearly brushing against him.]

Can't have it go to waste.

[Push and pull, toing something that kept them both on their toes, never easy. Wasn't that how they'd built up their initial friendship in the first place? Challenging the other, pushed each other to be better, couldn't always get along and didn't have to.]

May as well stay up long enough to drink it all? You actually made a good pot, be a shame to let it go to waste, you're right.

[Lips curved into a grin, not faltering even when he could sense a slight change in closeness.]

Have time to kill.

[Perhaps in another situation this would backfire on him because Gabriel is definitely the type to do things out of spite, but he's using the fact that it's cold to his advantage. Sure, they could interrupt all this and actually drink the coffee, or they could stay impossibly close under the blanket, taking advantage of each others' warmth.

He's pretty sure that the latter is the best choice.]

It'll stay warm.

[Jack leans in a little more, all but speaking against Gabriel's lips as he loosens his grip on the beanie.]

[There wasn't much hold left on Jack's hands, even as fingers remained curled, thumb idly moving over skin near his wrist-]

Think I will, too. [Stay warm.

Gabriel's lips did brush against Jack's as he spoke, had leaned that much closer without needing to think about it. Another situation, another day, there might have been a hand in Jack's face instead of Gabriel hanging there as he had. As he was. Lingering.]

You're welcome.

[He's grinning, but to Jack's credit, he doesn't make Gabriel wait too long, leaning in and closing the distance. It's tentative, to start, at least until he sees how Gabriel responds. Not that Jack thinks this is going to go poorly, but--it's been a while. There's a lot between them, now, and he isn't going to discount the multitude of ways this could go.]

[Jackass.

Almost too much, or too little time spent these days with everything coming first. Tied hands, restrictions, flared tempers and frustration. Things Gabriel didn't talk about, because there was no 'good' way to.

He finally pushed that beanie back up with one hand as the other settled against Jack's jaw, thumb brushed over skin. Could it hurt to take the moment for what they could? Didn't stop him from pressing lips against Jack's in a more confident kiss, even if it was still testing the waters.]

[Gabriel reciprocates and Jack is immediately relieved, not sure where they might have stood with this sort of thing given their current professional states. It's silly to pretend, but that hand touches his face with a gentleness reserved for moments like this and he can almost lose himself in the moment.

Sure, he'd been gunning for it almost since he shoved that mug of coffee into Gabe's hands, but actually leaning in and kissing him reminds him why he tried in the first place.]

I missed this.

Don't get time alone as often.

[Gabriel slowly brushed his thumb along Jack's jaw, touch almost careful, before stopping just below his bottom lip. Didn't pull his hand away at all, using the blanket to tug him closer, bundling the two of them together.

Too busy, too much of a risk. Not just soldiers-]

Missed it, too.

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