“He's a good man. I know better than to come to him with something like that, though. We raise cattle for consumption.” Jaxon supplied in regards to his father. He'd been joking mostly, but even he knew better about testing areas of his father's patience.<br/><br/>“We had one issue. The first steer I raised for our local 4h, I hadn't wanted it to go to slaughter. He sat me down and we talked it out, man to man. He said if I wanted to keep pets I would need to pay to feed it. We couldn't keep them all. We had our working animals, and we had our money makers. He said it wasn't fair to pick and choose. I was a hypocrite if I ate any of the other ones. He let me make the decision, but eventually I did send it in for processing. He's patient but certain things aren't acceptable. If I had told him I was not going to eat meat he would have told me I had to find a way to support my own habits. I respect him for letting me make the choice. He was more about options and consequences. He is imposing enough without ever having to raise his voice. He was proud when I sent the steer off even if it was a hard thing to do. We get so attached when we're young.” He explained the dynamic he shared a little more with him and his father beyond the joke. He obviously had a lot of respect for the man he was speaking of and harbored no resentment based on the experiences. They had their way of life.<br/><br/>“Treat 'em with respect, but they aren't pets. We never had pets. We had tools.” Not much had changed in that regard. Even Kiv was a tool to the US army. Even so, Jaxon probably didn't realize how relatable he Gabriel's experiences had been with their fathers. The only difference being that Jaxon was who he was, developing into something acceptable. What would their relationship have been like if he hadn't?<br/><br/>Gabriel agreed that they would play another game of cornhole at some point and they went inside where Jaxon proceeded to show him his medals, even the one he wasn't so proud of. The large man frowned when Gabriel had made a comment about the military not wanting him because he was gay.<br/><br/>“Times are changing. Anyone that wants to<i>should</i>be able to fight for their country. Gay men serve, trust me, they are just more quiet about it. My brothers in arms always had my back and I think who they went home to at the end of the day impacted that<i>very</i>little.” It was something Jaxon obviously felt strongly about, cultivated by relationships as he'd grown to know the men he served alongside. Some secrets were not his own, but he meant to keep them.<br/><br/>“I didn't always think like that, really. Life experiences will change you. It wasn't how I was raised but I think we've forgotten some of the rights we're fighting for in the first place.” It wasn't made obvious until oppression and acts of brutality were witnessed firsthand. “I've made some mistakes, some serious ones, but I'm trying.” Jaxon was more than just a product of his upbringing. He was strong enough to make decisions for himself; opinionated in his constitution. They wrapped up with the medals, moving on to other topics and Jaxon asked about Gabriel.<br/><br/>“I've never been to Mexico,” Jaxon told him, though he could understand why someone wanted to get away from that sort of unfavorable setting with the way Gabriel described it. It was hard to think outside of one's own perspective, at least not until such things were brought to ones attention firsthand.<br/><br/>“Seems to me like their hard work is starting to pay off,” he said with a smile. The restaurant had been respectively busy each time he'd gone, and it was well-deserved it would seem. “They're lucky to have you too, to help. Hopefully, you won't get arrested again for your efforts to simply promote your family business.” He was smiling. “Though for all that grief, it hasn't turned out so bad. Your personal invitation went over way better than a flier on my door.” They'd kindled a friendship out of all of it and Jaxon would admit that Gabriel was easy to be around. Not so rowdy and overbearing as a lot of his usual company.<br/><br/>As the night wore on Jaxon couldn't stay tucked away in his house with Gabriel, but the reprieve did help as he waited for some to go home until it was a more familiar small group of close friends. Some he'd gone to high school with. They agreed to get a fire going with the cooler weather, setting chairs up around it to exchange friendly conversation.<br/><br/>“I haven't seen you before. New friend of Jaxon's?” one guy asked, Daniel, sitting across the fire from Gabriel. All things considered, inviting Gabriel had gone well. His neighbors left early and everyone else knew better than to disrespect one of Jaxon's guests at his own barbecue. It was unusual, but many followed by example, and with fewer people around, many weren't opposed to striking up conversation with the newcomer. With a few beers in them many would just consider him another guy, and those that did pass judgment kept it mostly to themselves, at least up until that point. Jaxon still wasn't drinking. They all made their own assumptions.<br/><br/>“Don't go turning all uptight and straight-laced on us, Jaxon. Haven't seen you let loose and take a beer since you've gotten home. You need to relax and unwind,” someone chastised, a guy stout guy by the name of Mason. The smoke billowing back into Jaxon's face was a mix of pleasant and not so pleasant memories, but something he had a handle on.<br/><br/>“You tellin' me I'm no fun anymore?” Jaxon asked, smiling, hoping to deflect the question.<br/><br/>“No, you've been much more fun since you came home without the ball and chain waiting for you,” Daniel said, countering the friend beside him that had been on Jaxon for not drinking. Daniel had his guesses as to why and was quick to help divert the conversation.<br/><br/>“What about you, Gabriel? Woman troubles or are you a free man?” Daniel asked. Jaxon didn't step in to assume how he wanted that answered, and how much he wanted to divulge to these people he barely knew. If he wanted it made known that he was gay, or if he'd be offended if Jaxon avoided making it common knowledge, so instead he kept his mouth shut. Unfortunately, not everyone did.<br/><br/>“Wait, Daniel,” Mason said, laughing, clearly a bit intoxicated. “You didn't hear? Some faggot this guy was seeing pulled his gun out on Jaxon. Ross told me about it. Assumed he'd said something to you also. Kiv put holes all up the guy's arm so luckily Jaxon didn't have to. Stupid bastard.” Ross had been a friend of theirs that had joined the police department, and in a town like this, word apparently got around. Jaxon had gone stiff, frowning at not only the harsh wording but also the disrespectful way Gabriel's business was aired openly.<br/><br/>“It wasn't a joke,” Jaxon said in a tone of warning. “And not something that should be getting around, so watch your mouth. You're not only showing your ass right now, but you're going to get Ross written up.” Alcohol didn't give a free pass for his friends to act ignorant.