Chapter Text
Jack walked into his class and froze. He swallowed, staring at the man leaning on his desk talking with Jesse and Hana. His heart was in his throat and he forced his legs to move. He wasn’t expecting this. He had nothing to prepare him for this.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you,” Jack heard himself say.
Gabriel turned to look at him and smiled, one perfect wave of curl falling across his forehead. “Wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, you did,” Jack said as he stopped in front of Gabriel.
“Good,” Gabriel smiled before he cupped Jack’s cheek. “You look good, Jack.”
“I look like an old man,” Jack snorted. “Don’t even try that bullshit.”
“You’re a silver fox,” Gabriel teased before he leaned in and kissed him.
Jack felt heat creep up his face as his students gasped. He reached up, pulling Gabriel closer as he returned the kiss. When they broke apart to breathe, Jack shook his head.
“You know, I give students shit for kissing like that,” he said.
“Bah,” Gabriel snorted before he pulled Jack’s hips close. “They’re children. We’re adults and haven’t seen each other in years.” His thumb rolled down Jack’s cheek and he smiled. “You’re even more beautiful than I remember.”
“He’s cheesy!” Hana laughed. “Are you listening to this guy, Jesse?”
“I think it’s romantic,” Jesse rolled his eyes.
“Someone appreciates my lines,” Gabriel smiled before he picked something off the desk and held it out to Jack. “Something I picked up along the way.”
Jack stared at the bouquet of wild flowers before he gently took them. He buried his nose in the buds of a bluebell and looked shyly at Gabriel.
“Where did you find these?” he murmured.
“Picked them on the way here,” Gabriel tilted his head slightly to the side. “Two flowers for every state I crossed to get to you.”
Jack felt his blush deepen before he shook his head and wiped at his eyes. Tears leaked out regardless and he looked away.
“You are going to break me,” he whispered.
“Oh, mi cielo,” Gabriel soothed before he cupped Jack’s cheek again. “That’s not what I wanted. I just…I want you back.”
“So much for taking it slow,” Jack teased as he went to put the flowers into the vase that he had on hand.
“It’s been a month,” Gabriel laughed. “I think flowers and a visit are perfectly acceptable, mi sol.”
Jack set the vase and flowers on his desk and crossed his arms over his chest. “Charmer,” he teased before he shifted his stance.
He watched Gabriel, ignoring the grins his students were shooting at him. Gabriel had aged amazingly, his beard and hair threaded with gray that made him look even sexier than he already was. There were crow’s feet forming around his eyes, but his laugh lines were beautiful. Their time apart hadn’t slowed him down. Good.
Jack swallowed as everything seemed to slam into him all at once. This was Gabriel, the man he was quietly dating over the phone, terrified that he couldn’t handle being committed to the successful man again. In spite of that, he wanted to throw himself into Gabriel’s arms and beg him to stay in Indiana with him. Or, if he wouldn’t, to take Jack with him back to L.A. He didn’t want to be separated again.
“Gabe,” he whispered.
“Ssh,” Gabriel stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. “Ssh, it’s okay, my love. I’m here.”
“Don’t leave,” Jack whispered as his class let out a loud ‘aw’. “Please, don’t leave me again.”
“I don’t plan on it,” Gabriel promised as he hugged him tighter. “I don’t play on letting you slip away again, Jack Morrison.”
“I love you,” Jack whispered. “I never stopped. I’m so sorry, Gabriel.”
“Ssh,” Gabriel soothed and kissed him. “Ssh.”
No one said a word as Jack let out a soft sob and clung to the love of his life. Gabriel rocked him slowly in his arms until Jack slowly pulled away. They kissed again, Jack’s hand cupping Gabriel’s face. Gabriel turned to kiss over his palm before he rubbed his hands together.
“Now, Jesse was telling me that you were wishing that someone could play acoustic guitar?” he grinned.
“I was,” Jack laughed before he went to grab his guitar for Gabriel. “Care to show these amateurs how it’s done?”
“With pleasure,” Gabriel smirked before he started strumming the guitar. “And what would my love like me to play?”
“Whatever you desire,” Jack rolled his eyes as he went to grab his violin. “Jamieson, sit on your stool properly. You aren’t a perching vulture.”
Jamieson cackled as he set all four legs of his stool back on the floor while Gabriel started playing an old love song. Jack smiled as he quickly tuned his violin and joined in, leaning on his desk before they both started singing.
“HOLY FUCK! THAT’S REAPER?!” Hana shrieked as Gabriel’s voice filled the room, mixing and harmonizing with Jack’s without any trouble.
Gabriel shot her a grin and winked as Jack shook his head in amusement. Everyone was staring at Gabriel as he strummed and sang, completely forgetting that they were in class. They were too stunned by the fact that their teacher was with the single hottest musician in the business to even say anything. Jack didn’t mind; it just gave him time to enjoy Gabriel’s presence all the more.