It was easy enough for Gage to win the temporary restraining order, which would be looked at again in a few months to decide whether it should be permanent for an amount of five years. Lucia filed a restraining order on the Phillips too, but they had to be served which meant figuring out where they were staying. Lucia would send one to their home in Texas, but they needed to actually be served and given a chance to be in court for it.
Jeremy also put out the news stories. It included photos of Gage and Tate. Both of them had given interviews to a few reporters, with Tate telling them about how the Mission President had made his entire mission hell from the beginning. He was seen as a problem child from the outset, and Mr. Hartman had disciplined him, taken away privileges, and put him with men that were more than happy to tell on any small infraction, even if it was something like not praying enough.
Gage told them all about being gay, and what the church believed you should do in that instance. BYU had come out recently with their revised rules regarding conduct and dress that was acceptable, and even intimate touching between two men or two women were prohibited if they were thought to be gay. They weren't even allowed to be romantic with anyone of the same sex, while heterosexual couples only had to abstain from sex unless they were married. He talked about Craig's suicide, which was the hardest thing he had ever done, and he had to stop quite often because his emotions overwhelmed him and he had been taught to not cry in front of people. He also told them all about his family using the police against him.
The effect from that was almost immediate. No more missionaries or home visitors showed up at their door after that. Gage had never been so relieved, though he never felt any ill will towards the missionaries or home visitors. Tate did, but Tate had far less empathy at this point. Most of them had been very kind, and some even understanding of the position that Gage was in. There were quite a few home visitors that would offer to pray for his happiness, or tell him that they didn't have a problem with gay people.
Gage was still waiting for the other shoe to drop though, mostly with Jarek's family, and every time he left the house or came back home, he was on high alert. Jarek seemed to take the atmosphere of constant waiting with the same sort of nervous energy Gage did, as if it was a certainty that they would show up eventually, even to the point that he carried around the restraining order service paperwork. They barely left the house except to go to work or school and go back home. They ordered all of their food or groceries in, fortunately on the Foundation's generous dime.
They only really went out for fun once, and that was for Gage to really feel like he had broken free of his family. He ended up with pierced ears, a labret piercing (that Jarek kept calling his lab rat piercing), and a tattoo on his arm of a black bird breaking free of a cage. That outing included getting them coffee for the first time, which Gage liked alright and Tate said he would gladly trade it with his cigarette addiction. He'd take the coffee any day over the cancer sticks.
Jarek secretly hoped Tate could find a way to quit smoking. He always smelled terribly and him going outside to feed his habit made both Jarek and Gage nervous with each time the door opened. Though they had noticed he was doing it less now, and seemed to be chewing gum or sucking on candies more often. Jarek supposed they were still traumatized by what Gage's sister and dad had done.
Tate seemed to be serious about his comment too, because he invested in a coffee machine and ended up outside far less than he had been before. It seemed his cigarettes were a treatment to his own psych issues versus actually getting medication. The Foundation helped him get into a counselor of his own and it seemed to be helping, but being able to indulge in something that went against the Mormon beliefs was something that calmed some of his anger and anxiety down. Coffee and soda soon became his main way of doing that.
A little after the cops had been in their home, Gage started feeling vague pain in his stomach occasionally, and as the weeks went by, it seemed to get worse. His appetite decreased and he was careful about what he was eating, trying to put things on his stomach that were easy to digest and he would sometimes hold off on eating until dinner was cold. He was trying to keep it away from Jarek though, as he didn't want him to worry.
As a few weeks went by without any incident from either the Belfords or the Phillips, Gage was starting to calm down, thinking maybe the Phillips didn't think it was worth coming up to Chicago for. It was why when Xavier let Gage see where they kept the spare wood and parts and how he allowed his workers to make things, sometimes for themselves or family and friends, and sometimes to make things to show Xavier as ideas for the shop, Gage jumped on it with hope of making something for Jarek.
There were two big, long pieces of wood that Gage had some ideas for, and he had a setup done for his small downtimes. He used resin and paint to create a beach scene with a rainbow over the top of the water. There was a box of unused art items that he dug into for the shells and sand, and he added glitter into the sand so that it sparkled in the light. Xavier loved it once he saw the final piece and asked to take photos because he might want them to recreate something like it later. This one, though, was for someone and Xavier knew it.
Xavier even let him borrow his truck to take it to the house. Gage called a little before he got home to ask Tate for help, and so Tate gave an apologetic look to Jarek for having to open the door before he went out to help Gage pull the table down off the truck bed and over onto the porch.
Tate popped his head back in the door and looked at Jarek. "Only good things, but you might want to come see this."
Jarek got up and followed Tate, curious now. When he got outside, he saw the table and just stood there speechless for a moment. Gage gave him a nervous smile before saying, "It's a Gage Belford original. This is the first time I've used so many different types of media in it. Not my first time with resin at this point, though, or else it would look awful."
Jarek laughed good-naturedly at that, but it was clear he was still in awe. "Gage, this is beautiful!"
Gage's smile was so bright it could have left everyone sunburned. "I'm glad you think so, because I made it for you."
Jarek looked shocked. "I couldn't!" he managed to sputter out. "It's your first piece and you deserve to be paid for your work!"
"It's my first full one alone, sure, but there will be others," Gage replied. "And it's nowhere near up to the quality the shop would sell. It's a perfect gift for someone who has helped me through some serious hell and hasn't just up and left over it though."
Jarek looked confused. "Why would I leave? I'm the one on the lease!"
Gage laughed at that. "Okay, or kicked me out. You could have easily kicked me and Tate out. Especially Tate."
Jarek laughed, a short bark. "No," he said, "queers don't give up on each other. I'm going to have to have you watch some of my favorite musicals..."
Gage grinned at that and kissed Jarek. "Tate isn't one of us queers, though," he replied with a chuckle, which made Tate stick his tongue out at them. "I'd love that though. We can put the popcorn bowl and mugs with coasters on the new table while we watch too!"
"I'm queer adjacent," Tate added. "My only friends now are queer, so I guess I'm also learning the no gay left behind thing."
"If I have it my way, soon the house will be filled with furniture I've made," Gage said to Jarek.
