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Jack stumbled backwards as if Gray had hit him. “Baby me? I’d like the man I love to acknowledge my presence as something more than a cook or a maid and you call that babying?”
Mason banged his textbook shut, startling Jack and Gray into silence. He grabbed his backpack and started shoving books and notebooks in.
“What are you doing?” Gray asked.
“Leaving. I’ve got to study, and I can’t do it with you two arguing.”
Gray turned to Jack. “How come you’re not bitching at him for studying all the time?”
“I— Fuck, Gray. He’s working and going to school, and I’ve seen more of him than I have of you. At least he remembers to kiss me on occasion.”
Mason zipped his bag and walked toward the door.
Gray glared at Jack, and he braced himself for another vicious accusation. But the anger faded from Gray’s eyes, and a look of utter devastation replaced it. “Don’t go, Mason.”
Mason ignored him.
“Please.” The pain in Gray’s voice had Jack reaching for him, despite the anger that had snapped between them.
Mason turned around. “Why should I stay?”
Gray squeezed his eyes shut, and Jack grabbed his hand and squeezed. “It’s going to be okay, Gray. Just talk to us.”
“I… It’s not just the case.”
“What happened, Gray?” Mason asked, dropping his bag and moving close.
“A couple of guys were making fun of a gay guy we brought in for questioning, saying crap like they wished he was guilty, because it would be good to get another pansy off the streets. Dumbass shit like that.”
All the anger Jack had felt toward Gray was suddenly channeled toward these assholes who’d hurt him, hurt all three of them. He slammed his fist down on the counter.
Gray scowled at him. “Don’t you dare say this is why we shouldn’t come out. Those fuckers need to know there are gay men all around them, and we aren’t who they think. They’ve gotto be shown that some of the men and women who have their backs are gay or bi or?—”
Jack held up a hand. A few months ago, Gray’s story would have made him more adamant about staying in the closet, but now, it made him want everyone to know. Just like Gray said, those men needed to realize they worked with gay men and women every day. “I get it. I was going to agree with you.”
Gray sighed. “I walked out. I just turned and walked out in the middle of a briefing.”
“Did you catch hell from Roberson?”
Gray shook his head. “Thornton was there. I told him I wasn’t going to sit there and listen to a bunch of shit when we needed to find a new direction on the case. He said I should have busted their chops and moved on.”
“Do you think he knows?” Mason asked.
Gray shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t care, and I don’t think he does either.”
Jack took a deep breath and then asked the question that seemed to be hanging in the air. “Do you want to tell him?”
Gray shook his head. “Not in the middle of this shit. Let’s do it after this case ends.”
Mason nodded. “I like that plan. I don’t want to wait much longer. I want everyone to know how much I care for you both.”
“Me too,” Jack said, and he meant it. Sure there were assholes at work and elsewhere who would never accept who they were, but those people needed to be made aware of the fact that gay mendidn’t fit into a single stereotype and who he fucked had nothing to do with how well he did his job.
“Really?” Gray asked.
“Yes. I want this. I want to be able to kiss you anywhere, to hold your hand, to tell people what an awesome man you are.”
“Even if all I do is ask you to make me dinner and go bury myself in work?”
