<span style="font-size: 15px"><span style="font-family:Open Sans">“Over on the table over there,” Jaxon told Gabriel, pointing to one he had set up that was already full of sides, finger foods, and deserts. “You'll have to make room.” He smiled, knowing that there would be leftovers no matter how ravenous his groups of friends usually were. Everyone had brought something, and they would have a satisfactory feast. There was something for everyone, no matter their tastes, and Jaxon was eager to try what Gabriel had brought.<br/>
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“What is it?” Jaxon questioned, leaving the grill to finish really heating up to help Gabriel make room on the table, shoving a few bags of chips over. Clearly, the southern boy hadn't seen anything of it's kind, but he took a spoon to try it, nodding his approval. It was interesting, different from the usual flavors of his life. He didn't doubt that it would be gone when it came time to send out the leftovers. Before he could answer Gabriel's question about needing help he was offering a petco bag, explaining that he'd brought Kiv a gift. Gabriel smiled, taking it out of the bag.<br/>
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“Yes, he can have it. Not here,” Jaxon told him, and when Kiv saw the toy he froze, fixated, anticipating. “We use it to train high drive dogs. That's actually how we teach bite work. Get them fixated, and use this sort of thing as a reward. It helps them learn their grip. Generally, we don't want them to let go. I teach a release later.” He went through a series of commands, all in french, Kiv maintaining that focus and carrying out each command easily. His eyes were on his handler the entire time, and at the end he tossed him the ball while maintaining hold of the end, letting Kiv play the game that he wanted. Jaxon slung him about, lifting him onto his hind legs, but the well trained Malinois didn't let go until Jaxon commanded him to.<br/>
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“Not really a game most people want to be playing with him. Working dogs like him are no joke. Not really pets. Kiv was awful at first.” Jaxon showed Gabriel his forearm, where he had a few scars left from teeth. “When I first got him he came to me with handler aggression. When he got frustrated, he would snake up the leash and latch onto whatever was holding him, many times myself before we got it worked out.” Despite this, he laughed. “They can be a little neurotic, but it's the same behavior that makes them right for their job. The reason why he's with me today. No one else wants to work with him, otherwise he would have served another soldier.” He put the toy away, something to play with later when his background wasn't crawling with children who didn't know any better. In a lot of ways, him and Kiv had been made the way they were because of their time overseas, both dangerous if pushed.<br/>
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“I could use some help in the kitchen, cutting up some tomato and lettuce,” he spoke, taking him up on his offer to help with the burger fixins. He introduced people to Gabriel along the way, causally. Everyone was pretty friendly, some more curious. One guy asked how the two of them knew each other, obviously a little surprised.<br/>
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“Gabriel got me turned on to his restaurant. You know, the Mexican one across the way from the pharmacy. We got to talkin' and I invited him down here since he's been seeing me fed at least once a week,” Jaxon answered without hesitation, leaving out the whole mess about Slater. It wasn't anyone's business, and Gabriel had a right to his privacy. If Jaxon didn't make a big deal about it, hopefully no one else would.<br/>
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“Excuse me,” he said as he continued on, leading Gabriel in through the back door. Kiv slipped in with them, but didn't follow them into the kitchen. The lettuce and tomatoes were sitting in the sink, whole, but washed. Jaxon pulled a tray out to fill with ice, and then set two side by side bowls in it to keep the veggies chilled. Everything he did was meticulous, but he let Gabriel take over slicing everything up. He added the kraft singles to the tray, along with ketchup and mustard. He pointed to the covered meat.<br/>
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“Once we finish this up, I can start actually cooking,” Jaxon decided, “Thanks for the help.”<br/>
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Someone else had come in to grab more beer to add to the cooler.<br/>
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“My god, Jaxon. You need a woman, you know that?” he spoke, shaking his head at seeing the two of them working together in the kitchen. Jaxon laughed.<br/>
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“Didn't work out so well when I had one. You know how tense it got around here. I spent more time avoiding coming home than I did anything else, even when I was in the country,” Jaxon reminded. He didn't care that it was Gabriel that was helping him, a gay man, no matter how it looked. He was secure in his masculinity, and he liked the young man that was currently tending to the veggies beside him.<br/>
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They followed the fellow out who was carrying the beer, Jaxon the uncooked meat a big pack of all beef hotdogs, then Gabriel with the ice tray of cheese and veggies. More room had to be made, and Jaxon set the meat on the table attached to the grill.<br/>
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“How do you like your steak, Gabriel? Jaxon questioned, rearranging the meat so that there would be a variety of temperatures. The grill was hot, but the steaks were thick, of varying cuts. He threw the burgers around the edges, knowing they would cook in a shorter amount of time. He sprinkled seasoning on everything, and painted the steak with butter. Jaxon might not have been able to all that much, but he could prepare a mean steak. He added hotdogs wherever there was space.<br/>
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“All this came fresh from my old man's meat packing facility. Nothing better than proper raised cattle,” Jaxon told Gabe proudly.</span></span>