The Barn wasn’t busy, and that was the first thing Jordan noticed. It wasn’t empty. Nor was it quiet enough to feel abandoned. It was subdued, which was unusual for it during the evening. Jordan had known the Barn to be quite a lively place for the junior officers back when the cadet unit was assigned to the Odyssey. Instead, it was different tonight. Conversations were kept to a low, and the laughter seemed muted. It was almost like the atmosphere was frozen, and it felt like the ship was holding its breath, but no one had yet realised why.

Jordan paused just inside the entrance. For a moment, he considered turning around. Not because he didn’t want a drink, however, he was feeling out of place here on the Odyssey. His fathers were no longer stationed on board, and the home he once knew was no longer his. It felt different, but he needed to take a break from all of this madness that had entered their lives, and coming to the Barn felt like a good idea at the time. Now, he was re-thinking, but then he saw him.

Scott.

Sat at the bar, one elbow resting against the polished surface, a glass in his hand, he wasn’t really drinking from. His posture was relaxed in that deliberate way, as if he were choosing it, holding it in place. His uniform was crisp, gold catching the low light just enough to draw attention without asking for it.

The same feeling Jordan had over an hour ago when he watched Scott walk into the briefing resurfaced; however, something felt different this time. Jordan hadn’t seen him like this before. Not properly. Not with just them two. Not since everything had blown up in their faces on the Astra last year.

Jordan swallowed once, steadying himself, then forced his feet forward. No running and no avoiding, not this time. They had to talk, and he knew he needed to clear the air, once and for all.

“Didn’t take you long to find the best spot on the ship,” Jordan said as he approached Scott.

Scott didn’t jump, but the shift in his shoulders gave him away. He turned. And for a split second, neither of them spoke.

Jordan felt it hit him properly then. The familiarity. The difference. For a brief moment, the memories of them being intimate with one another while he and Alfie had taken a break didn’t just surface. They landed. The secrecy of it all. Not abstract, nor distant. The press of Scott’s hands at his waist. The way he used to pull him in without asking. The heat of it, reckless and urgent, like they were always about to be caught and didn’t care. The quick kisses between them when no one was around. The way Scott’s arms around him felt different to Alfie. Strong. Affirming. Assuring. How his eyes glimmered differently in the light.

Jordan blinked hard a couple of times. He shouldn’t be thinking about that. Not now. Not here. He gazed back at the man before him.

Scott looked older. Not in years, but in the way he held himself. The way his gaze settled, measured, before reacting. The way his hair had been cut shorter, cleaner, sharper around the edges. It suited him. More than suited him. Dangerously so. His handsome features were still there.

Scott recovered first, a faint smirk tugging at one corner of his mouth. “I’ve always had good taste.”

Jordan huffed softly, stepping up closer beside him at the bar. “That’s debatable.”

Then Scott gestured to the empty seat next to him. “You’re going to stand there all night, or will you join me?”

Jordan sat, closer than he probably needed to. Not touching. Close enough to feel the heat coming off him. Close enough that if he shifted even slightly, their arms would brush. He remembered exactly what that felt like. Jordan curled his fingers subtly against his thigh, grounding himself. That was new, or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was just old emotions surfacing. Jordan had forced it back down. His thumb found his engagement ring without thinking, turning it slowly against his finger. A quiet anchor and a reminder of who he had chosen, and who he was not choosing again.

“Drink?” Scott asked.

“Already had one,” Jordan said. “Didn’t help.”

Scott gave a small nod. “Yeah. Same.”

There was a pause between them. It stretched, but not painfully; it was just the uncertainty.

Jordan glanced sideways at him, taking him in properly now. “Ensign suits you.”

Scott looked down briefly at the gold of his uniform, brushing at it absently. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Jordan said. “Security, too. Makes sense. You were always protecting us on the Astra.”

Scott’s smirk returned, a little more confident this time. “I do look good in gold.”

Jordan let out a quiet laugh. “You always looked good. This just,” he trailed off, shrugging slightly, “feels like you’ve grown into it.”

Scott glanced at him again, something softer flickering there. “You’re not exactly the same either.”

Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“Engaged, for one,” Scott said lightly, lifting his glass slightly in acknowledgement. “Congratulations.”

Jordan nodded once. “Thanks.”

Scott hesitated, just a fraction, then added, “So, how long do you reckon that’s going to last?”

The words hung there. Jordan wasn’t sure if he was joking or being serious.

Even Scott seemed to realise immediately what a shuttle crash it was. “…yeah,” he muttered, shaking his head. “That was a stupid thing to say.”

Jordan stared at him for a second. Then, he laughed. Not forced. Not defensive. Just genuine. “It’s fine,” he said, leaning back slightly. “Trust me, I’ve had worse thoughts today.”

Scott let out a breath, tension easing a notch. “Good.”

“I mean,” Jordan added, glancing down at the bar, “apparently I end up with you anyway.”

“Yeah,” Scott said, quieter now. “And apparently I don’t survive it.”

That took the edge off the humour. Jordan glanced at him. “Yeah,” he said softly. “Neither of us does.”

That earned a short, surprised laugh from Scott. “Yeah. That’s still weird to think about.”

“Tell me about it,” Jordan said. “One minute I’m engaged, next minute I’m apparently married to someone else in another timeline, somehow you’re back in the mix, and we’re both dead.”

Scott raised his glass slightly. “Well, here’s to an interesting future we know nothing about!”

Jordan smirked. “Yeah, who knows what’s around the corner!”

That familiar rhythm slipped in for a second. It was easy, however dangerous, and Jordan knew it. He took a breath to calm himself.

Scott shifted slightly on his stool. “For what it’s worth, you seemed happy.”

Jordan glanced at him. “In that timeline?”

Scott nodded. “From what little we saw. You didn’t look like you were settling.”

Jordan considered that. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “You didn’t either.”

Scott didn’t respond to that straight away. Instead, he took a sip of his drink, buying himself a second. “So what do you think of our future godson?” he said eventually.

Jordan took a second before answering. “Preston?”

Scott nodded. “Yeah.”

Jordan exhaled slowly. “Hard to miss.”

Scott huffed a quiet laugh. “He walks like him.”

Jordan glanced over. “Alfie?”

“Yeah,” Scott said. “Same posture. Same way of looking at things, like he’s already three steps ahead of everyone else in the room.” A faint smile tugged at his lips. “And the dimples. Didn’t miss those.”

Jordan felt something tighten unexpectedly in his chest. “Yeah,” he said. “I noticed.”

Scott rolled his glass slightly between his fingers. “It was weird. Standing there in the transporter room on the Orion, talking to him, it felt like talking to a version of Alfie that had already figured everything out.”

Jordan frowned slightly. “Did he?”

Scott shook his head. “No.” A pause. “But he thought he had.”

They chuckled at that for a moment, sharing what they knew of Alfie.

Jordan shifted slightly, resting his forearms on the bar. “I’m sorry.”

Scott blinked. “For what?”

Jordan glanced at him properly this time. “Everything.” No jokes. No deflection. Just honesty this time. Jordan knew he needed to clear the air. “What happened on the Astra,” he went on. “The Nacene stuff. The way it all came out. The way I handled it. The way we handled it. I never wanted you to leave us.”

Scott didn’t move or didn’t interrupt Jordan while he spoke. He remained still.

Jordan noticed how quiet and calm Scott had become; nevertheless, he pushed on. “You didn’t deserve that,” he said. “None of it to blow up in your face like that.”

Scott looked down at his drink for a second, then back up again. “I wasn’t exactly blameless,” he said. “You and I were both involved, and we both kept it a secret. I just needed to give you, Alfie, and me the room to breathe.”

“Maybe so,” Jordan admitted. “But I still handled it badly.”

Scott studied him. Really studied him. Then gave a small nod. “Yeah. You did.”

Jordan huffed a quiet laugh. “Fair.”

Then Scott added, softer, “But I missed you.”

That caught Jordan off guard. He blinked. “Yeah?”

Scott shrugged slightly, trying to play it down. “You. Will. Athena. Even Beatrice, when she wasn’t trying to get involved with everything.” A faint smile. “The Orion feels quieter without all of that. I even miss Jibb sometimes.”

Jordan felt something loosen in his chest. “I miss you, too,” he said.

Scott looked at him again, longer this time. “Yeah?” he asked.

Jordan nodded. “Yeah.”

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward anymore; it was just full.

Scott leaned back slightly. “I like the Orion,” he said. “It’s different. More structured. More people and a lot more cool technology to play with. There’s less cadet drama chaos, too.”

Jordan smirked. “You’re saying we were dramatic on the Astra?”

“We were dramatic, Jord,” Scott affirmed.

Jordan laughed softly. “That’s fair.”

There was a slight pause between them, then Jordan tilted his head slightly. “Anyone on the Orion you like?”

Scott’s expression shifted, just a touch, and then he smirked. “Maybe.”

Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Maybe?”

Scott took another sip of his drink. “I’m not saying anything yet.”

“Why not?”

Scott shrugged. “Don’t want to jinx it. It’s probably nothing.”

Jordan nodded slowly. “Yeah, I get that.” He did, more than he wanted to admit.

Scott glanced at him again, eyes lingering just a second longer than they should have. “Are you happy?”

Jordan didn’t answer straight away. Not because he didn’t know, but because the question carried more weight than it should have. “Yeah,” he said eventually. “I am.” And he meant it. Mostly.

Scott seemed to accept that, giving a small nod. “Good,” he said.

There was another slight pause, and then Jordan shifted a bit, turning more toward him. “You think we can ever just go back to being friends?”

Scott considered that. Not quickly. Not lightly. Then he turned to face Jordan properly. “Yeah,” he said. It was simple. It was certain. “I think we can.”

Jordan let out a breath he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. “Good,” he said.

Scott’s smirk returned, softer this time. “Might be a good idea.”

Jordan raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

Scott leaned in just slightly. “You know. In case we do end up married in another timeline.”

Jordan laughed, really laughed this time. “Yeah,” he said. “Wouldn’t want it to be awkward.”

Scott shook his head, smiling. For a moment, it felt normal again.

Then Scott stood.

Jordan followed a second later.

There was a brief hesitation, just long enough to matter, before Scott stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.

It wasn’t formal. It wasn’t distant. It was familiar.

Jordan hadn’t expected that. And the second it happened, he felt it.

Scott’s arm wrapped around him, firm and instinctive, like it had done a hundred times before. Jordan felt it immediately. Not just the contact, the memory of it. The way Scott used to hold him like that when they weren’t supposed to be anywhere near each other. The way he’d pull him in, steady, certain, like the rest of the world didn’t matter for those few seconds.

It hit deeper than he expected. Lower. Warmer. Dangerous. Jordan’s breath caught, just for a second. The solid presence he remembered but hadn’t realised he’d missed this much. And the smell. Faint and clean. Slightly different from before, however, still him. It hit something low in his chest before he could stop it. For just a second, Jordan didn’t want to let go. Having Scott back in his arms again, feeling his strong, muscular arms around him, made everything that was happening feel safe and secure again.

And that thought alone was enough to snap him back. He pulled away first. Just slightly and just enough to ensure, for his own sake, let alone Scott’s, that what they had was no longer an option. He had Alfie, he was happy with Alfie and wanted to be with Alfie for the rest of his life. However, Scott was there and was beautiful to look at.

Scott didn’t comment on it.

“Friends?” Scott said.

Jordan nodded. “Friends.”

Then Scott added, quieter, “For now.”

Jordan met his gaze and smirked.

Something unspoken passed between them. It was not a promise, nor was it a question. Jordan could only think of one word. Possibility. Again, he had to push it down. Alfie was his now, and he wouldn’t do anything to muck that up.

Jordan stepped back, forcing a small smile. “I should get back to Alfie. He’s meeting Parker and Preston without everyone else. I should ensure he remains my future-husband-to-be.”

Scott nodded. “Yeah, I should check in with the Orion.”

They lingered for a second longer than necessary, and then Jordan turned and walked away.

He didn’t look back, not because he didn’t want to, but because he knew if he did, it might change something he wasn’t ready to question.

Not yet anyway.