The moon is full. Light shines through the open windows, blanketing Jack with enough alertness to barely stay awake. His face, half buried in cool bedsheets, tickles from the occasional cool breeze. The rest of his body still glows in the warm aftermath. Hair tussled, eyelids heavy, body used and at ease, it made little sense for Jack to be awake at this hour.
Distorted shadows stretch across the bed. It wasn't the moon that woke Jack from his light slumber, but the controlled humming of his friend, companion, his brother in arms. For one reason or another, be it the rejuvenating effects of sex, or a result of waking from post traumatic induced nightmares, Gabriel is awake. Jack hones in on him. Gabriel sits at the end of the bed, back hunched, the light of the moon showing off the contours of his spine. The short airy notes emitting from him has Jack guessing the later. It's a frantic and raspy melody. Far from sultry or in-tune, the song is more a reminder that they are safe.
The curtains flutter, allowing flashes of light to stretch across the room and igniting something inside both of them. Jack watches Gabriel freeze, the shape of his shadow falling victim to the violence of the wind. The darkness consumes most of Gabriel's form, rendering him unrecognizable. What stops Jack from reaching out was the sharp turn of the older man's head. He catches sight of Gabriel's dark brown eye, filled with alertness and fervor. It's the eye of a soldier, brimming with pride and unwillingness to be caught off guard.
Would it be wrong to crush that spirit with a helping hand? Jack thinks so and he hesitates, enduring the sound of uneven breathing before deciding the song needs to end. Jack turns on his back and exaggerates a yawn, closing his eyes long enough for Gabriel to assume a new position. When he opens them Gabriel is standing up, but looks far from innocent. Jack smiles, feigning his at a higher degree. He beckons Gabriel back into bed with an open arm. He hopes the act is subtle enough. Most of Gabriel's face is obscured by the shadows, but Jack can still witness the dwindling craze in Gabriel's eyes. Jack beckons him again with a turn of his head, the rest of him stretching out like a cat. The shape of Gabriel's eyes ease, and he approaches the bed not as a solider, but as a civilian.
A long shadow crawls on top on Jack, followed by a tired old man. Jack welcomes both willingly, letting the weight of the war grab him like an angry, uncontrollable child. He whispers good night and makes no mention of the humming that stirred him awake. Gabriel's arms squeeze him tight, first as a way to reassure himself, then as a means of asserting possession. He grunts something purposely inaudible, but Jack's knows Reyes well enough to understand his way of giving thanks.
Jack waits for Gabriel to close his eyes, rest his head on top of his body, and continues waiting still, listening to the beat of the rapid, unspoken song emitting from Gabriel's chest. When the heart ceases its anxious melody and Jack feels that Gabriel is temporarily at peace, he finally goes back to sleep.