It had been a month since Gabriel had reentered their lives.

Things were…different than he'd imagined them being, when such a thing happened. But looking at the situation, and looking at his expectations and dreams, he could now say he was foolish to have expected otherwise.

Jack sat in the middle of his afternoon lecture at his college. The professor had them watching a movie, one that he'd already been given a copy of to watch at his leisure. There were two reasons why he was exempt from paying attention, and why he was able to space out and think about how he'd gotten to this point in his life.

The first of which was the delicate content- this was a class discussing the many different aspects of the Omnic Crisis. They'd finished the first unit, which was a very broad unit on overview Omnic Crisis. Now, as they were preparing for a test at the end of the week, their professor had thought it'd be helpful to see footage and more detailed recounts in media form.

However, the man teaching the course had asked Jack still attend class that day.

He didn't mind having to stick around even though he wouldn't be able to watch the movie with the class; it was nice to be apart of things. Plus, the professor enjoyed having Jack around afterwards for the younger students to be able to ask questions.

The other reason he was exempt was the reason Jack had to be tapped on the hand gently when the film was finally finished.

He looked up, and the professor smiled down at him, signing that the movie was finished.

'Are you still ok with being asked questions?" The man signed, and Jack thought on that. Was he?

Really, he had been here this long, and the film seemed innocent from what little he'd seen of it. Jack nodded. 'I'll tell you if I can't answer.' He responded, before sitting up. Jack put his hearing aid back in, and reentered the conversation once more.

XXXXX

After class was said and done, and the last of the other students were ushered out of class, the professor smiled at Jack, signing to him to say he'd done well.

Jack removed the hearing aid, having to rub at where it was starting to get exceptionally sore against the skin.

'Thanks for that, Jack.' The man sat across from him, giving Jack a soft look before he put his hands back up to continue talking. 'The students enjoyed that.'

'I did too.' Jack shrugged. 'I was surprised with how polite they were.'

'You are sort of a hero.' The man slyly reminded, pointing at the poster on the holographic display- to that overly flattering image of him and Gabriel, back to back, featured in propaganda.

Jack sighed, rolling his eyes as he flipped the photos album, not wanting to see how they'd looked back then any more, before looking to his friend. 'You're too kind to me, professor.'

'Jack, I thought I told you to call me Syd.' He chastised. 'You were one of the best men at my wedding; you have long past earned the right to call me by my first name. Hell, you could even call me it during class hours.'

The photos stopped on a more personal image in the album that Jack and Syd had put together, and they both looked sad at the forgotten photo. Jack's face smiled at the camera, as did another dark haired man.

Syd rubbed his ring finger tiredly. 'You know, today is the 7 year anniversary of his death.' He told Jack. 'Do you miss him?'

'Of course I do, Syd.' Jack looked to Vincent's youthful face and felt his stomach stir. 'You're seeing someone now, aren't you?'

'Just sometimes. It's not serious.' Syd waved a hand. 'I keep myself too busy to think about him. But that means I don't have time to see anyone regardless. I heard that you have someone at home now.'

Jack gave a soft smile, rubbing his neck. 'I do- his name's Jesse. He's another vet. He works at an oddity store around here.'

'Oh?' Syd looked intrigued. 'I've heard more though, from the VA office about someone else.' He looked down, and fingered through the photos, before tapping on Gabriel's face.

Jack looked at it, and he looked a bit…bittersweet.

'Yeah.' Jack admitted. 'There are some administrative issues that needed to be resolved- its got me going back and forth from the office these days. There are a ton of issues because his medical bills are enormous. But…well, we're looking to his back pay, compensation he's owed from the class action lawsuit against the United States Armed Forces following the SEP… Plus, we're deciding how to inform his next of kin, considering that his guardian is actually…Jesse.'

Syd made a face, seeming just as uncertain about that as Jack was. 'Did he have kids?' When Jack just nodded, Syd raised his hands, because that was just an extremely messy layer to add to the already complicated situation.

'They've thought their father was dead for 6 years.' Jack explained. 'I was the one to tell them. It won't look good if I tell them he wasn't actually all that dead.'

Syd made a sympathetic face.

'Good luck.'

Jack nodded, getting up. 'Well, I've left Ana babysitting long enough. You know how to find me.'

Syd nodded, handing Jack back his thumb drive off his computer. 'Take care, Jack. I'm here to help too.'

Jack quickly dipped from the emptied classroom, pocketing the thumb drive and his hearing aid. He needed some of his own space to think all this over once again before he had to head home. Thankfully, he had a bus ride before he'd get home.

His silent footsteps followed him as he descended the stairs, and traversed the emptier part of campus as the sun fell below the horizon, and January's wind pressed its way into his conflicted heart.

Gabriel was quite the complicated subject, and Jack had a myriad of…mixed feelings. That man had been his best friend, but he was also a man that Jack had had none too subtle feelings for, back when.

At the time, though, Gabriel had been married to someone else, a lovely woman that lived out in California near her and Gabe's daughters' home, helping raise the grandchild with the girls husband. Jack knew about them because they still sent him Christmas cards, even long after Gabriel had broken off, even after Gabriel's death.

Instead, for a time, Jack had Vincent. They'd broken up over mutual terms- Jack had been determined to see the crisis to its end, and Vincent did his piece and wanted out. He'd gotten married to a flight enthusiast and things had been fine. Syd and Vincent's wedding was right before Gabriel's split into that shadow organization, when it'd become clear that factions of the beleaguered omnic forces were being restocked and resupplied and reinforced through human factions, profiteering off the mess.

In that moment, he had loved Gabriel, and Vincent had known it. He had loved his straight best friend, and Vincent told him that he was worth loving, and would find someone who would.

And here he was, almost 20 years after the fact. He had a relationship with someone who did, in fact care. Who had similar faults to Jack, even, pressing forward even when everyone else was gone and they were only fighting ghosts.

The cars headlights shone over Jack as it crested the hill of his university, and Jack looked to see if it was the bus, and was only disappointed for a moment, before he sat down on a bench to wait.

20 years after he knew he'd loved Gabriel, he was finally beginning to grasp how little Gabriel had loved him back. How many secrets had been kept, over the years, and how much that organization had both changed Gabriel, and yet, embodied him.

There was the flickering of jealousy, because even though Jesse had yet to confirm anything…it was becoming clearer and clearer that Gabriel wasn't as straight as Jack had believed when they'd met or been close for all those years.

And it wasn't Jack he had discovered that through.

He would never begrudge the dead, but as the bus's headlights finally shone over him, he felt the hole left in him when Vincent had told him he wasn't the one echo stronger than ever inside him.

It had been a month since Gabriel had reentered their lives.

Jack was becoming increasingly afraid that would happen again.

Jack was becoming increasingly afraid he would never be the one.

XXXXX

"Thanks again for doing this on short notice, Ana." Jack said thankfully, murmuring as he walked through his kitchen, Trooper trailing behind him. Ana was busy throwing out her and Gabe's takeout from that night as Jack filled up his faithful dog's bowl with his wet food, setting it down for him and offering him several loving scratches to his side.

"Of course, Jack. I don't mind it, and it's nice to get the chance to hang out with an old friend." Ana murmured, putting a hand on his as the man stood. "By the way, Jesse called earlier. He wanted me to tell you that he's coming over at…." She glanced at the clock, before sighing. "Well, he'll be here any minute now."

"No worries." Jack murmured, rubbing his neck. "How was Gabe? Hopefully he behaved."

"Gabriel is an angel, Jack." Ana murmured affectionately, before leaning in and nudging him conspiratorially, her amber eyes glowing with amusement. "We both know the only reason he gets feisty with you is because he's jealous of your relationship with Jesse."

"Don't say that." Jack whispered, guilt surging in him as Trooper trotted over, in search of food, before heading back to the kitchen table. "It's Jesse and Gabriel's thing to work out, and Jesse has yet to tell me about the true…nature of their past relationship." He waved her off, before going over to where Gabriel was sitting at his chair, finishing off his dessert from where Ana had, undoubtedly, caved into his pouting. Trooper was begging on the floor, but Jack wasn't going to tell him off any.

"Well, Gabriel was feeling chatty with me," Ana admitted, putting her hands on Gabriel's shoulders appreciatively. Gabriel looked up at the gesture inquisitively, staring at Ana quietly, clearly not fully listening. "He told me what he recalls. From what it sounds like, he and Jesse apparently had quite the cute romance."

Jack went flush, and Gabriel stared at him intently with those deep brown eyes, paying attention now- he'd need a minute to focus. "Ana," He told her off half-heartedly, before he glanced at her furtively, and gave into that urge to want to know more. "… A romance, huh?" He murmured, aware that Gabriel was trying to listen into their conversation now. "I thought Gabe was straight."

"If I recall, so did Gabriel." Ana chuckled, "Time apparently changed things for him. On the whole, the only thing I'm not all that surprised about is that he and his wife broke things off; with the war dragging on the way it did meant that…there wasn't a chance to ever see our partners. It was the same for Sam and I…"

Jack nodded, rubbing his arm. "Still, you and he managed to have families." He reminded, that remaining a sore spot in spite of how he was happy that Vincent had managed to have a life outside of the war, without Jack. "How is Fareeha doing?"

"She's left the Egyptian army…but has taken up a spot in Helix Security." Ana said, almost exasperatedly. "I fought for almost 30 years to bring about peace, and my daughter is determined not to make the most of it."

Jack chuckled lightly. "Well, Fareeha does take after someone particularly protective that I know rather well." He teased, prodding Ana while he cleared Gabriel's dishes, the man having finished his dessert.

Ana gave him a warning look, raising a finely manicured eyebrow, drawing a challenge line in the sand for Jack about how far he wanted to push Ana Amari.

"Who's Fareeha?" Gabe finally managed to enter the conversation, and Ana and Jack both looked to him with a bit of surprise.

Ana softened, ignoring any qualms with Jack for the moment, "She's my daughter, and your niece," She explained, patting his back. "Unfortunately, she's not come to see you yet because she's busy with work in Egypt. I heard she's going to get placed over in Colorado soon. She was already planning a visit to her father, perhaps I could convince her to come here as well."

Gabriel seemed interested, before he turned to Jack.

"Is Jesse home yet?" He asked, and Jack's smile only slightly faltered.

"Not yet." He shook his head, giving an apologetic smile, brow creasing together softly. "He had some business to take care of with Ashe at their store."

Gabriel's face fell, and he leaned back in his chair. "Why am I here, then?" He asked, voice just shy of whiny. "B.O.B. likes me around just fine."

"It's not fair to you to keep you in a store while Jesse is working, Gabriel," Ana explained. "And, I had to take you to therapy this afternoon, remember?"

Gabriel shifted, crossing his arms and hanging his head slightly. "I know. But I'm better, aren't I? I want to be with Jesse."

Ana and Jack resisted the urge to sigh, and Ana patted Gabriel's back reassuringly. "You are better, Gabriel. But recovery is a process, and there's more we can do for you to get you even better."

Gabriel shifted unhappily, looking to Jack, brow furrowing in his unspoken jealousy. "Aren't I good enough now?" He asked, and Jack's throat felt a little tight at the question. He knew that feeling well, wondering when he'd finally be good enough to be done. Recovery was a process, but it was tiring.

He sat down with Gabriel, and did something he'd yet to do in front of him. Quietly, he took out his hearing aid.

Gabriel didn't respond at first, but Jack let him come touch it, feel it.

He let Gabriel investigate it until he was content, and then he put it back in.

"It is hard, Gabe." Jack told him, putting his hands on Gabriel's. "I know it is." He squeezed his hands quietly in support. "You are good enough, Gabe, and you can do this. It's not that you're not good enough. Therapy is about improving your quality of life, just like everything we're doing with you is. And it sucks. I won't lie. Ana knows some sign language but it's her, what, forth, fifth language?" He looked to her quietly for confirmation.

Ana gave a shrug. "Sixth and a half, but who's keeping count?" She joked quietly.

"And so I got the hearing aid to…well, improve my quality of life. Everything I've done has been to make sure I feel better. So I can do what I want to do." He gave him a gentle look. "Therapy has helped you speak and be able to focus faster- you like being able to be in conversations faster, don't you?"

Gabriel made another face at having his argument already smashed to pieces in front of him. "I do." He agreed begrudgingly, lips moving in distaste. "I like what I get out of it. I'm just…it's a lot." He admitted. "I went from sleeping almost all the time to doing all kindsa stuff. And it's nice. I like having Jesse around, I enjoy having you as friends…but…. Ugh." He gestured helplessly. "It's a lot. I'd like it to not be a lot."

"We'd like very much for it to not be a lot as well, Gabriel." Ana sympathized, brow creased as her hand gently placed itself upon Gabriel and Jack's. "I understand you're doing a lot. It'll get easier with time. You've only been back for a month and we've all had to keep moving you around instead of giving you the time to settle."

Gabriel nodded, face looking crestfallen as they got to the bottom of his issues with what was happening around him.

"I can't keep up." He admitted. "I just…I like being with Jesse, but we always seem to come back here or to Jesse's store or the hospital. People are always moving around and I have to move with them. I just sort of wished things would. Stop, for a bit. Let me adjust… to anything that's going on."

Ana stroked his back understandingly. "I know it's tough, Gabriel." She murmured, and both of them felt his form shudder beneath their touch. "It'll get easier soon. We promise. Jesse's working out a break at the store with Ashe, in order to devote more time to you, at least during this stage."

Jack nodded when the man looked to him for support, and Gabriel sighed, slouching against the table, picking up Trooper from the floor. The one thing Gabriel consistently liked about Jack's apartment was his dog, and the dog was rather taken with Gabriel too.

Ana sighed as she looked to the clock, pulling out her phone. "I should get going, but I'll call Jesse to ask where he is." Ana told them but, but unnecessarily as Trooper perked up in Gabriel's lap, drawing their attention to the sound of keys working at the door.

"Well, speak of the devil." Ana humorously added, putting her phone away before crossing her arms. "Someone's late."

"Hey now." Jesse laughed weakly. "I ain't got a car and had to stop for Jack and I's dinner." He grinned, holding up takeout from Jack's favorite restaurant, unconsciously winning a smile from Jack. It was…very simple- but also incredibly sweet. Exactly what Jack wanted to finish off the day with.

Jesse brushed through the apartment, offering Ana a double kiss to the cheek thoughtlessly, and giving Jack a full kiss on the lips. "Sorry for the trouble, Ana, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, then- this was a big help." Jesse waved as Ana finally was able to see herself out of the apartment.

"See you later, Ana." Gabriel said right as she headed out, looking up from where he'd grown distracted by Trooper on his lap. Trooper seemed all too pleased with the situation, the dog's tail beating lazily against Gabriel's PJ bottoms. "What are you two doing tomorrow?" He asked, looking to Jesse expectantly.

Jesse broke away from his embrace with Jack, and he made his way over to Gabriel, kissing his cheeks the way he'd grown accustomed to getting from Jesse. He'd spotted Ana greeting Jesse and had promptly asked questions about it, and had gotten what he wanted easily.

"Well." Jesse rubbed his neck awkwardly, sitting down there and opening up his box, having to remove lids off sauces and figure out what it was he wanted to eat first- the side of a particularly tasty mango based salsa and chips or the entrée. "I'm moving out of my apartment, and Ana's chipping in. It's gonna be in one of the flats above the store, and she's helping me schlep my shit out, and working with me to trick the place out for you."

Gabriel's thinking expression was what Jack saw when he turned with his unpacked takeout box, the man biting his lower lip and furrowing his brow, before he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "You have an apartment, Jesse?" He asked, surprised.

Jack snorted, and Jesse hung his head guiltily, patting Gabriel's arm apologetically, chewing and swallowing what he was eating before looking at Gabriel earnestly.

"I do, but it's not…disability friendly in the slightest."

"It's not living friendly in the slightest." Jack corrected, amused as he padded over, quiet. "It's an extremely cluttered place, and it'd be difficult to move your wheelchair in there at all. Not to mention, it's on the third floor, and there's no elevator." He sat with Gabriel at the table, before realizing something. He turned to Jesse. "Come to think of it, how'd they get away with that? You'd think ADA advocates in the area would have serious issues with them."

"Oh, they do." Jesse hummed, patting Gabriel one final time before turning his attention back to his own takeout box. "I don't know how the landlord does it, but he weasels out of it at every opportunity. I'm just lucky that the appliances work as well as they do, even with frequently cold showers." He joked, shrugging. "But yeah, Gabe. I have an apartment. However, I'll be moving house anyway. When that's all settled, you'll finally be brought in so that we can stop taking advantage of Jack's gracious hospitality."

"Jesse, we're dating." Jack teased; shaking his head in disagreement, licking his lips at what he felt was undeserved praise. "Gabe's my friend too. It's not like I've minded the company. And I've certainly not minded having you around." Jesse sat down across from Jack, sitting on Gabriel's other side.

Gabriel was looking down at Trooper, rubbing the dog's fur to gain some reassurance. He always dampened at the reminder, and Jesse put a hand on Gabriel's shoulder, wanting to cheer him up.

"That, we are." Jesse agreed as he smiled at Jack, the expression something incredibly tender. "Regardless, the place I'm moving to is right above the store. It'll make a lotta stuff a bunch easier. But Ana and I have to clear house at my old place first, and that's no easy task."

Jack hummed noncommittally, and Gabriel set Trooper on the floor, the dog returning to Jack's side eagerly. Jack snuck him a single cooling fry from his takeout box, and stroked the dog's fur to ground himself. Gabriel was looking pretty worn out, and neither Jack nor Jesse could blame the way he just seemingly ran out of steam.

"I'm full, Jackie, I'll see you in the bedroom." Jesse told him as he brushed off the crumbs on his front, and moved to pull Gabriel's chair out from underneath the table.

Jesse's hands were gentle on Gabriel's body, helping him to his feet. Gabriel still needed therapy to be able to walk appropriately again, but he seemed to relish in how Jesse's hands were all over him. Jack tried his best to extinguish his growing discontent; but his eyes zoomed in towards all those soft, shared touches, and his heart ached in that hole, and something threatened to fill that empty space.

Jesse vanished to the guestroom, murmuring to Gabriel as he explained that it was way past bedtime, and Jesse would talk to him more in the morning.

Now, being honest, Jack was afraid of what the next month would bring, now that Jesse would be able to live in his new apartment with him, and now that Jack was no longer needed.

He stood up as well, feeling full, and deciding to clean up before he and Jesse headed to bed as well. He put Trooper back down on the floor,

He wandered towards the kitchen sink and washed off his and Jesse's utensils, putting away their remaining leftovers, making sure Trooper had a full water bowl before he silently walked towards his and Jesse's room, the one that he would soon be alone in again.

Jesse came in moments later, stripping with ease. "Hey, wow, my eyes." Jesse said, covering them as he approached the bed with a grin. Jack felt laughter starting to bubble in his chest.

"Jesse," He chastised mildly, eyes crinkling at the sides of his face.

Jesse's strong arms wrapped around him in an embrace as Jack felt giggles start to get out of control, and his chin tucked itself just above Jack's shoulder, while his lips got to Jack's ears, and whispered. "Wow, there we go. Lookin' at the sun is always such a hard task." He murmured, Jack's sides starting to hurt from his quiet laughter and shaking shoulders, but unable to help it as he snorted, and Jesse kissed his jawline, before moving into kiss his lips.

Jack broke the kiss after a few seconds of just…enjoying it. Jesse's eyes, rich and deep, watched him closely. Jesse's hands rubbed against his skin, and Jack felt reassured for the moment, and was emboldened to say what had been on his mind.

"You know, Jesse, you don't have to leave." Jack murmured, settling back into the hug. "You and Gabe could just…move in. Why move into a new place when you guys can just…be here. With me."

Jesse squeezed Jack back, obviously feeling at that vulnerability laying just beneath the surface, or hearing it in Jack's voice.

"I mean…I want to. I really, really do." Jesse murmured, leaning his head against Jack's, enjoying the closeness. "I just think it might be smarter, for now, to stick to having some boundaries." Jesse explained. "We just started our relationship, and while I have no intentions of ending it, I also don't want to rush." Jesse explained, hand on Jack's lower back. "Living together, like…for real, is a big commitment. And I think that while I'm…looking forward to it, I think it's important we figure the rest of this out first."

"Wanna sit on the bed and chat?" Jack asked, feeling ready to lie down. Jesse nodded wordlessly, and they climbed onto Jack's soft duvet and sat there together.

Jesse huffed quietly, shifting on the bed before flopping onto his back. "Well. I think I should come clean." Jesse admitted, turning his head towards Jack. "Gabe and I…well. We were a thing."

Jack nodded, putting a hand over Jesse's, "I know." He murmured, eyebrows furrowed together as he squeezed on Jesse's calloused hand. "Gabriel's mentioned things, and… well. Even before then… I had suspicions."

Jesse, frankly, looked a little dumbfounded. "What?" He asked, his front lifting off the bed as he craned his neck to look at Jack full-on. "You knew? Why didn't you say anything?"

"It was your thing to tell me." Jack explained, soft as he leaned over and kissed him, gentle. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me." Jesse pulled himself upright, and kissed Jack back, the two of them sinking into the embrace.

"It was about time I did." Jesse murmured, the words ghosting against Jack's skin from where they remained intertwined. "You've trusted me with a lot." He pulled away, a tender hand tracing Jack's aged edges, the calloused fingers going from temple, down his ear, his thumb trailing down his jawline. Jack felt secure, but the sensation of Jesse's hand just over his hearing aid was…unfamiliar, and new. "I just…it's been hard for me to come to terms with too. He's not the same as he was back then, and I have to respect that and his needs now."

Jack made a soft noise, hand coming up to meet Jesse's and resting there. "I think…we can keep readdressing this."

"I think we'll have to." Jesse mumbled, leaning in for another kiss. "I'm glad I have you, Jack. We'll figure out this mess…together. But for now…let's just… enjoy this."

"Wanna go on a date tomorrow?" Jack asked, eyes soft as they laid down together. "To celebrate getting moved out?"

"I'd love to." Jesse murmured, kissing Jack as the man curled into Jesse, pulling out his hearing aid to go to bed, setting it on the bedside table, before letting the comfortable silence reign once more.