Chapter Text
Jesse was starting his college courses on a full-ride scholarship in Hawaii while Gabe was left behind at the aquarium. The shark-humanoid hybrid would never admit to missing the stupid twenty-one year old but the days seemed rather boring without the human cowboy to help him with tank duties. Jack spent more time with him but that made the water dragon humanoid, Hanzo, more anxious as he spent time with Gabriel. Hanzo was recently moved to the bigger General Population 2 tank and Gabe kept pushing the aquarium owner out of Gen Pop 1 after feedings so he would tend to Hanzo’s tank shyness issues.
Jack rolled his eyes as he climbed out of the tank after being shooed away by Gabriel when the feedings for the day concluded and sat at the top of the newly installed rubber-covered platform for the aquarium staff. He took the mouthpiece off and pushed his goggles up as he glared down at the scowling sharkman glaring up at him. “Gabe. Hanzo is not going to adjust to his tank if I’m constantly in there to distract him.” He huffed. Clearly having enough of the sharkman’s shit even though it was only week two of Jesse being gone. “You’re getting work done but come on! I know I’m a shit substitute for Jesse but you gotta work with me here!”
Gabe knew Jack was trying to be a supportive friend after Jesse left for college. He knew the old geezer was reaching out to him in his time of need but it was a lot harder for Gabriel to simply accept Jack’s help out of some twisted sense of pride. He didn't think he would be missing Jesse this much at all and finding himself working to exhaustion to not think about him. Worrying about Jesse wouldn't help either of them and so he worked to keep himself busy so he wouldn't have to think about him. Trouble did follow Jesse wherever he went but he was a resourceful idiot with a big heart and it ached something terrible for Gabe to have to admit that his choice to let his mate follow his dream was right.
Jack sighed as he noticed the downtrodden look on Gabe’s face and Gabriel instantly tensed up, replacing his fleeting feels of loneliness easily with anger. “Shut up and worry about someone who actually needs help, Jack!”
“YOU need someone to worry about you, Gabe! You can just work yourself to the bone until Jesse comes home for vacation in a few months!” Jack emphasised as he pressed a palm to his forehead. Gabriel narrowed his eyes at Jack as he lowered himself in the water so only his head was peeking out of the water. “You know Jesse looked up to you before he fell for you, Gabe. He really wants to be a Marine Biologist like you are and he was torn up about leaving you behind to pursue that dream.” Jack sighed as he looked over at the Gen Pop 2 tank in the distance and saw Hanzo watching him on the rubber mat platform he built for him so he could comfortably look around the maintenance area. He remembered the time he spent in Japan getting Hanzo to trust him and the time they had to spend apart while he waited for months to get approval to have brought over. It had been a few months since then but Jack could understand the pain Gabriel was going through. “It’s okay to miss him, Gabe. It's okay to admit that your day doesn't feel the same without Jesse doing homework beside your resting tank during your break or swimming in the tank with you. He sends you messages on the tablet, right?”
Gabe frowned as he looked down. The tablet was being charged over by the wall but… “It’s not the same. I can't see his face or hear him since water would ruin the tablet. I can’t type fast enough to keep up with him.”
Jack frowned understandably as Gabe admitted his difficulties through connecting with Jesse through technology. Jesse apparently talked to Jack the same way daily but he didn't have to deal with claws messing up the special water-proof sealing on his computer or phone like Gabe did with his tablet. Gabriel hated admitting that he was anything but in control of his life, earning himself a genuine college degree, becoming a world-renowned shark conservation activist; he was not EVER a prisoner of this tank. He was a respected employee who lived on-site. He had two interns under his care, down to one when Jesse left, but it was still a huge feat for any hybrid living in ‘captivity’. He refused to be considered anything less than equal with the humans who walked the lands with their two feet.
“Somethin’ up, Boss Man? You guys fightin’ again?”
Jack turned around as Gabriel’s new intern stepped up onto the platform and plopped down next to the man in the wetsuit. He was still wearing his weird street clothing and had his headset around his neck with the music still pumping out of it. Gabe could hear it from where he was a few feet down so he could imagine how Jack was feeling right now. What was with the kid and frogs? Sharks are so much cooler.
“Gabe and I are just talking, Lucio. Believe me, this is not us fighting.” Jack chuckled.
“Not even close.” Gabe added with a tooth grin.
“Ah! I getcha! How’s Jesse doing? He enjoying the sun and the surf?” Lucio asked down to Gabe, looking confused as his boss turned and huffed.
“I’ll kick his fucking ass if he’s fucking around in Hawaii. He’s likely to fall into a volcano with how clumsy he is.”
Lucio slapped his knee as he threw his head back laughing. Jack saw right through the joke and sighed as he got up. He said something to Lucio and the kid nodded his head before getting up as well to follow Jack out of Gabe’s sight. Lucio was only a year younger than Jesse but had a passion for music and aquatic life in all of its forms. He wasn't with them for public service like Jesse originally was but hand picked by Jack to join the crew as the cowboy would be hundreds of miles away and they would need someone to fill his role. Gabe didn't interfere with Jack’s scheme and let the kid with brown sea funnel hair into his tank with no fight, mainly cause Jesse was too busy drawing him away since they only had a few days together before he would leave.
With no one to talk to, Gabe slipped quietly back under the water and idly swam about the perimeter of his tank. Jack was likely going to spend the next hour with Hanzo before having to lock down on administrative work he pushed aside to be with them while Lucio would do whatever tasks Jack assigned him. He was halfway down past the kelp fields when he heard a splash from the surface. Gabe turned around and was seeing red as he quickly swam upward to catch his tablet before continuing the rest of the way back up to breach the surface.
“LUCIO! STOP THROWING MY SHIT INTO THE TANK!” Gabe screamed furiously as a certain frog-lover was putting on his flippers, wearing his zebra striped wetsuit, and laughing hysterically on the rubber platform above the tank. He was fuming from the extreme lack of respect Lucio had for his things, mainly his tablet. “What if it hits one of the older fish or a turtle, dip shit?! Stop laughing!”
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Lucio chuckled as he moved to sit on the edge of the platform. “Jack wants me to to do coral counts in sector 25 through 30 since those have been acting up. Jesse sent you a message by the way.” The frog kid added quickly before pulling his goggles down and getting his oxygen mouthpiece in place. He slid himself off the edge and plunged into the water, feet first.
Gabe rolled his eyes and groaned before tapping the ‘on’ button to his tablet. He didn't have a password on the tablet since it was technically Jack’s and everyone working in the tanks used it to access the spreadsheets where they recorded data. Jack just happened to install instant messaging software on the damn thing a day after Jesse left and told him how to use it. Gabe swiped to pull up the messenger window and saw that he indeed had a message from the punk cowboy half a world away.
Cowboy MBiologist: (This message is for Gabe) How you holding up? Jack says you’re sulking around in the tank again even with Lucio holding the fort.
Gabe rolled his eyes. He hated that everyone used the tablet to talk to Jesse so there was absolutely no privacy between them and that he had to mark his messages so no one got confused on who Jesse was talking to. He tucked the tablet under his arm and swam downwards quickly to tuck himself down in his cove for privacy, even if anyone could scroll up later and see what they said to each other. He could at least put the tablet between two rocks and lay down comfortably in the sand to message him back with quick taps with his knuckles verses his talons.
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) Jack is a lying, hanging, goldfish shit, Jesse, don't trust a word he says. I’m doing fine, even if Frogger can be a bigger pain in the dorsal fin than you ever were at times. How is Hawaii? See any of my asshole relatives out there? Not those complete sharks, of course.
Gabe sent the message and then minimized the app so he could pull up the aquarium’s email account and see if Jesse sent more pictures/videos. Jesse loved sharing his adventures with them, and it brought a sense of peace to Gabe to see him enjoying himself. The idiot already had several friends and they would appear in the pictures from time to time but Gabe liked the ones Jesse took where he photographed the sea. The videos were boring to Lucio and Jack but he could close his eyes and imagine a time when he was young again. Gabe originally came from the Pacific Ocean but couldn't remember if he had ever been to the Hawaiian islands. Everything looked the same to him back then and he didn't really care about it, outside of its marine ecosystem, before Jesse said he was going to college there. Now? He could appreciate it and it's importance in regards to Jesse’s growth into adulthood.
No new emails from Jesse.
He frowned at that but the tablet rumbled lightly between the rocks as the app for the messenger lit up, and Gabe minimized the email app to pull up the messenger box.
Cowboy MBiologist: (To Gabe) Wow. You’re actually on at a decent time for me for once. Lol Don’t hawk on the others for being concerned, Boss. They’re just trying to help ya out and they’re doing me a big favor for doing so. As for the fish people? Haven't seen any out here and I go out to the beach every day. Where would you be if you were swimming around out here?
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) I’ll get over it, Jesse, just tell them to stop already since they won't listen to a damn thing I say on the matter! As for the ‘fish people’, as you so crudely put it, I wouldn't go within a mile of shore if you were walking the beach. But seriously? Warm water with high fish populations; you should know this, Jesse. That or ask your damn teachers where the ‘speaking fish’ are.
Cowboy MBiologist: (to Gabe) I’m in general education classes right now, Gabe. No one in the Marine Biology department will tell me squat and all they ask me is about you all the time to change the subject. Also, you know what I meant, Boss. Stop trying to start fights with me. Go bicker with Jack about Hanzo or the tank water being too cold in Gen Pop 1.
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) I wouldn't talk to you either if you still insist on wearing that cowboy hat ever goddamn place you go, Jesse. I’m amazed you managed to make friends to be honest. You paying them or something? Also, fuck you and your wetsuit, you don't suffer like I do!
Cowboy MBiologist: (to Gabe) That’s cruel! You’re suppose to be my loving and supportive mate, Jackass! I hope Jack throws extra ice cubes into the water just cause you made fun of my hat! You have a fucking sun lamp above your special pool, Gabe! Stop whining. I can practically hear your bitching every time the waves come in. Lol
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) You joke but I’ve had no reason to even go into that tank, Jesse.
Cowboy MBiologist: (to Gabe) What? Why? Is something wrong with it? Do you have a mite infestation in there again? Have you told Jack about it yet? I'm going to assume you didn't.
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) There’s nothing wrong with the tank, Jesse. I just feel restless laying in it now. Sleeping in my cove works fine.
Cowboy MBiologist: (to Gabe) Is it because of all the times I climbed in it with you?
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) .. Yes.
Cowboy MBiologist: (to Gabe) Shit. The one decent place set aside for you and I ruined it. I’m so sorry, Darlin’.
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) Don’t call me pet names, Jesse, we talked about this before. Also, don’t worry about it. I’ll get fed up of the cove eventually and switch back to the pool. I think Jack is going to put new sand in it soon but I’m not completely sure.
Cowboy MBiologist: (to Gabe) Let’s hope he teaches Lucio how to do a good flush out of your pool so it gets rid of that rodeo smell, right? Lol
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) I just checked the time zone converter and it’s almost fucking one in the morning for you, Jesse McCree! Go the fuck to sleep!
Cowboy MBiologist: (to Gabe) Alright! Sheesh. Still the stiffy drill sergeant as always. I’ll email you the pictures I took yesterday plus my birthday party stuff! Night, Gabe!
Indiana Aquarium: (Gabe) Make sure you don't send something stupid that will get you fired, Jesse. I swear to god. Night.
With that, Gabe closes the messenger program and swims out of his cove to go find Lucio so he can pass the tablet off to him. The zebra striped wetsuit made him stick out like a sore thumb against the colorful coral clusters he was examining and Gabe swam up behind him and gently put his palm on Lucio’s shoulder. Frogger whipped around in surprise making Gabriel roll his eyes and handed him the tablet. Lucio nodded his head as he took it and held his thumb up to Gabe in approval before turning back around to pull up the spreadsheet to start logging the coral cluster conditions.
--
Doing his last rounds of the aquarium before he hit the lights, Jack pressed his hand to the tank where Hanzo had his own since he was walking the exhibits rather than the maintenance area above. He lived on-site at the aquarium since he brought Gabe in several years ago along with Angela since the PETRAS ACT required zoos and aquariums to have 24/7 medical support teams on site for housed human hybrids along with a plethora of other restrictions for fair quality of life treatments for the species. It was why Jack had the second population tank built so he could bring in Hanzo along with expanding the aquarium with the extra funds they got from interviews, research grants and donations from the public. Gabriel, being his partner in crime and enthusiast driver of the donation campaign to get the tank built in the first place, broke his heart shortly before Jesse fell into the tank, but it was even more heartbreaking to see him in a slump after Jesse left. Gabe didn't have a lot of people to talk to him who REALLY wanted to talk to him outside of his unique status of being the first humanoid with a degree from an IVY League school and it was hard to dig through the multitude of applications and interviews he conducted to find someone who would work well under him.
Jack bid Hanzo good night and turned to walk away from the tank, knowing full well that the water serpent hybrid would watch him the entire time until he left the exhibit hall for Gen Pop 2 and moved into Gen Pop 1. Hanzo still had separation anxiety issues that they were slowly working on since moving him to the larger tank; Gabriel taught him everything he knew about how to interact safely with the aquatic population in his tank along with how to monitor the tank conditions itself. Hanzo’s tank had one seal in it; A small, young female, that they named ‘Hana’, who got injured and was in no condition to be released back into the wild since her species was critically endangered. She wasn't aggressive but Hanzo’s lack of interaction with intelligent non-speakers made him skittish when she swam over to engage in play behavior with him. The seal was rubbing up against the length of Hanzo’s body affectionately as Jack took one last look at Hanzo and smiled as he watched Hanzo hesitantly push away from the glass to follow her. Gabe was right in assuming she would do better in a shark-less tank and bonding with Hanzo.
He walked down the short dimmed hallway with the variety of small tanks featuring their deep sea collection of fish and aggressive fish species, leaning in to make sure everything looked alright in each tank before moving to the Gen Pop 1 area. The automated light system already dimmed the lights around the tank, something he programmed to help calm the fish in the large tank since Gabriel was sleeping in his cove in the coral at the bottom of the tank since Jesse left. Jack took his phone out of his pocket and pulled up the messenger app to see the chat history for the day since Jesse only really texted him but he talked to Lucio and Gabe through the app.
He scrolled down through the conversation Lucio and Jesse had earlier over movies as he looked at the fish and sharks moved about slowly through the tank past him behind the glass. Jack paused as he saw that Gabe and Jesse had an actual, albeit short, conversation earlier in the evening. Jesse had a way of prodding information out of Gabe unintentionally and it was always interesting to see what was on that humanoid’s mind. Gabe and Jesse seemed to be convinced there was a humanoid population of some sort out around the Hawaiian islands; It made Jack nervous that Gabe wasn't trying to talk Jesse out of trying to make contact with them but he was at least being unhelpful, as usual, in regards to helping Jesse out to narrow his search. He would have to give Jesse a lecture about the PETRAS ACT specifically banning human initiated conversation between wild humanoids and remind him that Gabe had to fight rather hard to get the politicians in the UN to put that clause in. Jack figured Gabe was being a bit too soft around the edges since he missed Jesse more than he would ever admit; It was kind of sweet in a Gabe kind of way, regardless of how south it could go if Jesse did approach a humanoid in the wild.
It was obvious that the university would tell it's staff to keep quiet about any humanoids in the waters due to the PETRAS ACT, if there was any, but Jack wondered if Jesse got hounded due to his close association with Gabriel. The university president contacted Jack almost two days after Jesse sent the university an application with a written recommendation letter from Jack and offered to give Jesse a full-ride scholarship since he admired the conservation efforts their aquarium made. It made him wonder if sending Jesse all the way out to Hawaii really such a good idea. Hawaii was an excellent place for Jesse to literally get his feet wet and work along with some retired marine biologists that Jack personally knew once upon a time but he didn't think Gabriel would take it so hard.
Angela had been right to fret over him more than usual; Checking on him an hour after feeding time to just talk with him and collect data like his weight. He was eating but lost a pound in the first week Jesse left from how much more active he was being in his tank. Angela took Jack behind closed doors at the beginning of week two and let him know that she was going to diagnose him as being depressed, with the heightened physical activity to cover up his anxiety being the key characteristic along with a drastic change in sleeping patterns. Jack and Hanzo had a feeling it would be the case due to Gabe’s lack of strong relationship ties with the other workers and volunteers at the aquarium; Having an abrasive personality didn't really help him make friends. Gabe pretty much admitted it himself by flat out telling Jesse why he wasn't using his private tank in the maintenance department. Jack would have to check on the shipping order to see when the new sand would be arriving this week and schedule a tank cleaning right when it gets in.
The promise of Jesse sending more pictures and video reminded Jack that he needed to buy some bluetooth portable speakers for Gabe’s private tank or something so Gabe could listen to the audio of the videos. Jesse sent a lot of videos of just him setting up his tripod up to record the waves crashing against the sand beach while the seagulls flew overhead; He had to have sent about an hour’s worth of ocean footage along with videos of him goofing around that Gabe would like to hear without risking the tablet getting damaged. Gabe was too pragmatic and proud sometimes to admit he wanted something.
Jack continued to walk the length of the glass tank, chuckling as he read the two arguing back and forth over their respective nitpicks with each other but Jack knew it was entirely playful between them. He could read between not so subtle lines that Gabe missed Jesse and did want to tell him that but they all knew Jesse would come running back to Indiana if Gabe said that he missed him outright; The stubborn shark hybrid would be on his deathbed before he would say anything that would compromise Jesse’s dream. Besides the airfare was a big enough damper that Jesse would have to stay at the dorms over the week long Thanksgiving break much less him impulsively jumping on a plane to see Gabe.
He finished up reading the conversation as he stopped in front of the few angles you could actually see the cove in the tank, not that it didn't give you more than a view of Gabe’s tail, if you were lucky. Jack sighed and tucked the phone into his pocket as he leaned his shoulder up against the tank glass. He needed to do something to get Gabe going again that wasn't work-related if he didn't want to risk Gabe getting sick from stress. Gabe responded well with Lucio but it wasn't nearly enough to divert him from overworking himself so that he would be too tired to swim up to his private tank.
Jack had to come up with something to help his friend and partner through this.
--
Jesse McCree was a lot of things; former gangster, trickster, protégé to a world renowned marine biologist and most recently his lover but he was never one for traditional classroom learning. He was set up with a tutor almost immediately from day one due to his lack of attending formal high school and he was very appreciative of the person he was learning the ropes from; Genji Shimada. He was twenty-one like Jesse and a native to Japan but was extremely good at English. Though the guy somehow managed to be on the honor roll with his grades while also being a party-going playboy.
Jesse was out walking the beach again like he usually did in the morning, snapping pictures with Jack’s old Canon and trying to find the best new spots with the tide out. There were plenty of wave pools practically crawling with little critters he wanted to show Gabe and Jack back at the aquarium though secretly he was hoping he would have a run-in with the local merfolk if he got up early enough.
“You out here this early again, Jesse?” Genji yawned as he stretched his arms out and placed them casually behind his head as he stepped bare-footed over to early-rising cowboy. Jesse took one quick picture of a good-looking starfish in the pool before turning around to wave to his friend/tutor.
“Yep. Still can't break the cycle of getting up early and doing somethin’. It might as well be taking pictures and video for the folks back home.” He drawled happily. Jesse had his black Indiana Aquarium swim trunks on and a Toy Story 2 t-shirt on that had a picture of the cast on the front and back along with his trust stetson on his head as he waded carefully through the pools. Genji was in his stylish capris and a crazy shirt from Harajuku since he was from a rich family and always wore the latest fashions from his homeland, no matter how batshit crazy they looked to Jesse.
“I kind of got that on week one but it’s been a month, Jesse! You were itching to go to the beach when I took you out drinking on your 21st birthday!” The green-haired Japanese man sighed as he walked over, carelessly stomping over the pools with his sandal to get to Jesse as the cowboy visibly cringed in place. Genji then looked down at what was bothering him and saw a crushed starfish under his sandal. “Gross.” He stuck his tongue out before kicking the remains away. “Anyways, you need to stop doing this every morning before class. People are calling you a ‘fish-kisser’, Jesse.”
Jesse groaned as he let his camera fall back against his chest with the neck strap before bringing his hands up to drag them down his face. Genji was a nice person and one of the first people to approach him on campus to be his friend but his blatant disregard for aquatic life was one of the reasons he was obviously not majoring in Marine Biology. “Genji. I know you’re think you’re helping me, and that’s real swell of you, but this helps me deal with not being at the aquarium, alright?” Jesse explained as he took his hands off his face and gestured to the wave pools around them. “The aquarium and the folks there are pretty much my family and got me back on the right path in my life so I wanna share my experience out here with them as well.”
Genji shrugged his shoulders at that but nodded his hand in understanding. “I still think you’re not living your own life like you want to though. You barely drank two beers at the bar for your party.”
“That’s cause I celebrated my twenty-first before I came over here and I barely knew the people you invited. They were just there for an excuse to drink, Genji.” Jesse sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ve gotten drunk a lot of times before I straightened up so there was not much of a thrill for me, alright?”
Genji rolled his eyes and sighed as he turned away from McCree to look out at the ocean. “I don’t see what’s so great about the ocean. It’s just water with rocks and such in it.”
Jesse felt like there might be something a bit more to that but he didn’t really feel like arguing over the merits of marine biology again with Genji. Jack and the others gave him a new shot at life and Gabe gave him a chance at love; He owed his life to them and wanted to follow in their footsteps. Gabriel’s existence proved that there was fascinating things that lived beneath the surface and he wanted to be able to work to be able to protect it with him and Jack. Genji was too sheltered to understand that and that’s why Jesse let his quips slide.
“Thanks for tellin’ me what your friends think about me, Genji. Makes me glad they’re not Marine Biology majors and I won’t have to put up with them next year when I can finally enter the program.” Jesse picked up his camera hanging by his chest, carefully make his way over to a few pools he hadn’t investigated yet, expecting Genji to get bored with him and walk off but heard the splashing of careless stomping into the pools follow behind him. “Could you NOT do that, Genji?” Jesse whipped around to confront Genji as he was just about to step into another pool.
“What the hell? It’s just water!” Genji shot back defensively.
“There’s LIFE in that water, Genji!” Jesse countered, growing frustrated with Genji’s disregard for life. “Could you PLEASE step around the pools like I am? It’s not that hard.”
Genji’s eyes narrowed as he dropped his arms to his side before gesturing to Jesse. “This is why people make fun of you, Jesse! Why can’t you just act like a normal college student and not draw such attention to yourself? There should be other ways to cope from being home sick!”
“Who says I’m homesick? I’m having the time of my life out here!” Jesse laughed incredulously as he spun around to gesture to everything around him. “I’ve never been to the beach in my life and now I’m going to school out in motherfucking Hawaii and studying under Jack Morrison’s old colleagues! How can I be homesick if I feel like I never left home?!”
Genji looked at Jesse with pure concern on his face and reached up to play with one the sleeves on his jacket. He wasn’t homesick. This was an opportunity of a life-time and one he could not afford to pass up just because he was hundreds of miles away from the aquarium. He was going to go back after finals were done and spend three weeks with Gabe and the others! There was nothing to be homesick about at all!
“Is the aquarium really all that you hype it up to be like, Jesse?” Genji suddenly asked as he looked him firmly in the eyes.
“Of course it is!” Jesse answered confidently with the brightest smile he had. “People all around the world in the zoology and marine biology fields make fucking pilgrimages out to the biggest aquarium in the United States that happens to be located in what used to be a dingy little corn field! I’ve met pretty much anyone who's anyone in the field and even got to have dinner with some of them cause they wanted to talk to THE Gabriel Reyes’ protege. We even got a water serpent hybrid in the newer tank who is learning the ropes of being a hybrid ambassador! Straight from Japan and saved from being a play toy to some Chinese drug lord!”
Genji’s eyes widened at that and he brought a hand up to cup his chin as he hummed in deep thought. Jesse was proud that he was able to make a positive impression on the Shimada hier if it meant that he was closer to understanding why Jesse loved marine biology so much. That’s all he honestly wanted.
“You plan on going back to the aquarium during winter break, Yes?” He suddenly asked.
“Yeah. Can’t have them missing me, now can I?” Jesse chuckled fondly, thinking about Gabe’s grumpy face for a moment before Genji smiled up at him.
“Then I shall accompany you back to Indiana to see this aquarium for myself!” Genji grinned mischievously as if Jesse challenged him to a bet of some kind.
“W-wait!” Jesse held up his hands as Genji blind-sided him with that one. “Not just anyone can come and interact with Gabe and Hanzo! There’s a whole lot of paperwork and interviews you gotta go through with the owner of the place! I can’t even bring my own mom behind the scenes with how strict security is there.” He admitted.
“That is fine! I’ll have plenty of time to persuade Jack Morrison to let me have a tour with you.” He grinned confidently as he put his hands on his hips. “You underestimate the persuasive powers of a Shimada, Jesse!”
“Jack don’t take bribes, if that’s what you’re implying, Buckeroo. I’ve seen plenty of huge media companies try before.” Jesse deadpanned.
Genji immediately hand waved that suggestion with a look of disgust on his face. “No. I will do it the proper way, if you will show me where to get started. That is all I ask for from you, Jesse.”
Jesse sighed as he brought a hand to rub the back of his neck before looking back at Genji. “Fine. I can’t afford to pay for your plane ticket or lodging unless you’re fine with bumming it at my mother’s place.”
Genji nodded his head confidently and held out his hand. “It is a deal then. Assuming I can persuade your boss, of course.”
“Alright. As long as you’re sure this is really how you wanna spend your winter vacation.” Jesse chuckled nervously before shaking Genji’s hand on it.
Why did trouble always have to follow him around wherever he went?