Nevertheless, We Stand Together || jalim

Reunion

     After all the fighting, Jason wanted time to himself to reflect. He'd been hurting because of his mistakes beating him down, but whenever he was upset, he just thought about Salim having his back, and vice versa.
     He was at home in his nice little cottage; he lived small since he didn't have a wife or kids or anything. He only had a Siberian Husky rescue to keep him company. He was resting on the couch and cuddling his pup, having the TV on mostly for background noise. It was still early in the evening, around 4pm, but late in the year so the daylight went by much faster, much to his discontent.
He was, however, on the verge of resting his eyes for a bit when there was suddenly a knock at his front door, a rather playful one at that. He jumped slightly from the noise and blinked away the sleepiness in his eyes, rubbing them as he stood up. He sluggishly made his way to the door, being followed by his protective dog. When he unlocked and opened it, he wasn't expecting to have so many emotions hit him at once.
Jason took a minute to soak it all in, his heart racing at the sight of his old friend and ally. He saw him smiling so sweetly and wanted to hug him on the spot, but he refrained. "Salim, man, how the fuck are you here right now? I thought they weren't letting y'all leave the country." He let himself smile, finding it amusing how sneaky Salim still was after all this time.

"I'm sorry for coming here out of nowhere. Now that things are settling down, I can get away from it all. Besides, I'm too old to fight anymore wars." Salim chuckled after explaining his appearance, watching as Jason held his hand out to give him a handshake. Instead of accepting, he stepped closer bravely and wrapped his arms around the younger man in a somewhat desperate hug, trying to avoid the tears for both of their sakes.

Although not expecting it, Jason was welcoming of the embrace. "Woah there, cowboy. I ain't goin' nowhere." He hugged back, patting Salim on the back to comfort him. He was worried things would get awkward between them, but thankfully the taller man pulled away slowly.

Salim smiled sadly, feeling reflective because of the nostalgia he felt. "I've been far too busy, but I hope you aren't bitter with me. I really did want to answer your calls, honest." He sighed guiltily, dropping his head in shame.

Jason put a reassuring hand on Salim's shoulder and ushered him inside, wanting him to be in the comfort of his house rather than outside. "No hard feelings, man. I understand you got your own bullshit to deal with. Besides, I figured you had your hands full." He let go of Salim, closing the door behind him so they could have more privacy. "So, how've you been past few years? How's Zain doin'?" He walked back to the living room with Salim following closely behind him, as well as his dog.

"Ah, you wouldn't believe how stressful it has been in Iraq. American troops are still everywhere. I had to get away as soon as possible." Salim explained the condition of his homeland, though he wasn't expressing any grievance with Jason. "As for Zain, he graduated a few months ago. I couldn't be prouder of him!" He paused, sitting with Jason on the couch. "He came here with me, but he's out 'adventuring,' or so he calls it. It is our first time being in the US."

"Well, damn, I'd love to meet him so I can tell him myself what a great dad he's got." Jason remarked in a heartwarming manner, nudging Salim playfully to lighten the mood.

Thankfully, his method worked and Salim chuckled sheepishly, eventually averting his gaze due to the awkwardness emitting from them both. "What about you? I thought you would be fighting." He changed the subject, wanting to hear more about Jason.

     The younger man lost his smile pretty quickly after being met with this question, though he didn't want to be secretive his whole life. "Truth be told, I ain't cut out for that life. I was traumatized after what happened four years ago, even if I didn't realize it at the time. And things just got worse and worse for me over the years." Jason was genuine with his explanation, trusting that Salim would understand his struggle. "Last March, I was given honorable discharge. They had some talks with me, and let's just say I ain't the most mentally stable guy."