ohnofeelings | tell the world that i'm coming home

It had been a long sixteen months, a period of time Jack wouldn't have even been aware of were it not for access to calendars and technology. Time just worked differently when he was out in the field. Sometimes he had enough time for a brief Skype call home, but between the limited amount of free time he was allocated, which included time for sleep, and how exhausted he often was, those calls were few and far between.

It wasn't to say that Jack slept well; getting decent sleep was hard when he more often than not slept in the dirt with a gun in hand. Despite his position as an officer, his accommodations weren't that much better than his men's.

That was going to change, and he couldn't be more thrilled. A month of leave and a desk job on base afterwards. And he was home- well, almost. The cab he was in had only turned into his neighbourhood. For Jack, time had stood still. This town, this neighbourhood, the people he knew and loved- everything was etched into his memory as it was the day he left.

Things seemed the same, but also different. He hadn't been gone long enough for everything to turn upside down, but it was disorienting anyway.

After the cab pulled up to his driveway, he handed the driver the appropriate amount of cash, fresh from the airport atm, and grabbed a duffel bag from the trunk. He'd told Witt that he'd be that evening intentionally- he wanted to surprise him.

He unlocked the door and stepped into the foyer, dropping the bag and pulling off his shades. Despite periods of slumming it in the field for the sake of blending in and not exposing himself as an officer to any onlooking enemies, he was wearing his officer's uniform, crisp and fresh.

"Nick?"

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"Jack?"

Witt hadn't been expecting Jack to be back for hours, so he was still toweling his hair dry from the shower when he hears the familiar voice. At least he had straightened up earlier in the day, so the place looked decent. He dropped the towel, still dressed in nothing but his pants when he came out to meet Jack.

"You're back early."

Sixteen painfully long months of nothing but intermittent skype calls and a letter or two, and there he was in the foyer, dressed in a pair of his finest.

After all that time, Witt might have given him some space and some time to get settled, but the surprise and the relief at seeing him back on familiar ground without the grime of battlefield all over his face- He couldn't keep from approaching and wrapping his arms around Jack tight.

He'd always been a little too quick with physical displays. If Jack didn't like it, he could shove the former airman off of himself. But if he let Witt, Jack was getting a kiss.

In some situations, Jack was more reserved when it came to physical affection. But after sixteen months with nothing but longing, it wouldn't have mattered if they were in the middle of a huge crowd. He would've acted on what he wanted, which was to have the other man in his arms just like this. Any dream he'd had in his time away didn't compare to the real thing, to having Witt's lips against his.

With his arms sliding around Witt and keeping him flush against him, Jack returned the kiss deeply, making sure to put every ounce of emotion he had into it. Talking about feelings was never his strong suit, but he could express himself physically and that counted more.

Eventually he broke it, not only to catch his breath, but to press his face into the side of Witt's neck. Inhaling the familiar scent only solidified that he was really here. "I figured I'd surprise you."

"It's a great surprise."

He laughs, his arms sliding lower to rest on Jack's lower back, a smile as he presses his face into the other man's hair and breathes in with a smile. After sixteen months, it feels so good to have him back home.

"I stocked up the fridge with real food."

You know, Jack, the kind you don't have to piss on to eat.

Jack had no intention of letting go of Witt any time soon. He was kind of exhausted from the trip, jetlagged, and still adjusting to the idea of being back in a country where people spoke his language.

But still, most importantly, he was glad to be reunited with Witt. The month had been more excruciating than all the others. Just knowing he was coming back to this made him even more impatient to get back here.

He laughed, just a little, against the side of Witt's neck. "Real food? Don't think I've heard of it."

It's good just to stand there and reaffirm that Jack is back and this isn't one of many frequent dreams, but Witt can hear the weariness in Jack's voice and he leads him in out of the foyer. Stubborn as he might be, he doubts the other man will protest to being able to sit down.

But he makes no effort to stay out of Jack's personal space when he leans back in like he has some great secret.

"I bought steak for dinner."

Jack let Witt lead him out of the foyer. It didn't matter where they were going, as long as he didn't have to let go of him. He had every intention of collapsing on the sofa as soon as he was close enough. He'd done a lot of sitting, sure, but airplane seating was never comfortable.

His mouth already watered at the idea of real meat. He hadn't had a steak since before he left. "I love you, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know, you just love me for my meat."

Witt sank onto their couch with Jack, letting him arrange himself however he wanted. Witt wasn't going anywhere, and neither was Jack, he was sure. They would be a pair of velcro gloves for a while at this rate. He didn't mind.

"Coke, Steak, some wine and beer, and I stockpiled on candy." He grinned and his hands found Jack's stomach, teasingly poking at it.

"I have to undo all the damage of sixteen months of deployment diet."

Witt might've had a horrid sense of humour, but Jack enjoyed it. Found it endearing. He laughed more heartily this time, not letting go of Witt at all when he flopped onto the couch. That left for weird positioning, so he tugged Witt into his lap.

Deal with it.

"Dunno about that, Nick. I think I might be partial to MREs and canned mystery meat now."

"The day that happens, the moon will fall out of the sky."

Witt let Jack pull him into his lap, but after a moment he shifted to straddle him, hands on the couch for balance.

He leaned in for another kiss, lingering until he was nearly out of breath and pressing his forehead to Jack's while he caught his breath.

"I'm really glad you're home, Jack."

"Mm, I hope you have a bomb shelter built then."

It was a poor joke, because really. Jack was hungry for whatever meat Witt had to offer. He was just so glad to be home, and he had much to make up for the lost time.

He cupped the side of Witt's face, stroking his thumb over his cheekbone. As soon as he caught his breath again, Jack would likely kiss him again. Everything else could wait forever. He needed this more than anything.

"I am too. I missed you."

tell the world that i'm coming home

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