[for Greg]

[more_flexible]

[dated wednesday the 24th]

On the fourth day, Jack returned. He was hungry and tired and he'd finally had time to think. Now it was time to come back and face up to everything he'd done.

And undone.

He sauntered into the Compound as if he'd never been gone, took a shower and changed his clothes, the headed for the treehouse. He paused long enough to notice how the sky lightened as the sun rose. It was a new day and maybe things would work out. He had come to terms with his lies and his fears. What he wanted. What a child he'd been.

He opened the door and noticed Ianto wasn't on the sofa, but didn't dwell on it long. He went directly to Greg's room, closing the door behind him.

Comments

[misanthrope_md]

House just stared at him for a second.

Jesus.

"... really?" He honestly didn't know what else to say. He realized vaguely that Jack was offering to do what House himself thought he wouldn't be able to do, with Chase and the Doctor.

"I... I do love you, you know that. I don't want you to think that because I don't want to... make a choice, that it means that..."

Honestly, he couldn't make a choice because he thought it would mean he'd lose both of them.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I know you do," he said quickly, looking up. "I never thought you didn't. Choose wahtever, I can't control that. I'm done trying to control things. I made my choice, Greg. I left and I came back to face the music. I'm a selfish fuck, I'm a liar, I'm a lot of things. And yeah, I ran off when it go thard, but I'm not a fucking coward. Not anymore."

[misanthrope_md]

"Just promise me two things," House said quietly. "No lies. And if you feel the need to run away for a while, tell me first. To my face."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I promise," he agreed, pulling himself close again. "Both, everything. I promise."

[misanthrope_md]

House nodded, and laid his hands on Jack's arms. "Well then I don't feel that I can ask you to promise anything else. But whatever you do... I mean."

He cleared his throat. "You're still welcome in my bed, Jack. If it happens that you're not in anyone else's, then I'll try to..." He quirked a small smile. "Be enough."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Anyone else I sleep with, it'll just be sleep," he said. "You know, like Ace. You, on the other hand," he said, rising more and pushing Greg back onto the bed, "...I might just wear out."

[misanthrope_md]

It was really hard to still be pissed at him after all that. House still was, kind of, of course, but mostly there was just one thing he really wanted to know...

"Why me?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He looked down at him and smiled slowly. "Because," he said softly, tracing his jaw with light fingers. "You are so beautiful. Your eyes especially, when you look at me and really see me. And because you touch me and call me baby and no one else has ever made me feel like you do. Because when you're not here I miss you and when you're with me, you're really with me and because for the past four days all I thought about was you and I missed you so much I couldn't breathe. That's why I only wrote two words, Greg. I love you because without you I feel like I'm drowning."

[misanthrope_md]

"I bet you say that to all the girls," House mumbled, but his skin was flushed with pleasure.

No one had ever said anything like that to him before. At least... not on that scale. He wasn't even sure how to internalize it, how to rationalize that someone could feel that way about him.

"I'm here," he murmured against Jack's lips after pulling him down. "Let me save you."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Don't save me," he purred. "Just swim with me."

Jack kissed him slowly, cradling his face in his hand. Lips parted and dragged lips along with them and he teased Greg's tongue with his own. He could have died happy, right here, just kissing him.

[misanthrope_md]

"Swear to me you'll never tell anyone that I sometimes say things like that," House murmured. "I've got a reputation to maintain, you know."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Our little secret," he whispered.

[misanthrope_md]

"I think you need to stay here with me tonight," House continued, sliding hand onto Jack's waist under his shirt. "There are some people who might be kind of pissed at you."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"More pissed than you?" he asked, smiling as he closed his eyes. "Who?"

[misanthrope_md]

"Well, maybe not as..." House sighed as he brushed his fingertips against the bruise blossoming on Jack's jaw. "Jesus. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... fuck, people are going to think I'm abusive or something."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"It's only bad because of the one that was already there. I can just say Logan did it...make him feel manly," he chuckled. "Don't worry,Greg. If I didn't deserve it, I would have hit back."

[misanthrope_md]

"Yeah, well, still..." House cleared his throat. "I should probably warn you, there may be a conception that I was kind of... fucked up over you leaving."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack opened his eyes slowly and looked at Greg for a minute in silence. "Yeah? ...Fucked up? Who'm I going to hear it from?"

[misanthrope_md]

House actually looked a little sheepish. "Maybe, ah. The Doctor. And your friend Yani. And Chase. I think that's it. I sort of... got drunk, and the dog was running around barking, probably thought I was sick or something and wanted to get help. Either a really smart dog or a really dumb dog..."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

""Oh, Greg," he breathed, pulling him into his arms. "I'm sorry. I really am."

[misanthrope_md]

"Yeah, well..." House muttered, "just.... a longer note next time. Apparently you can't trust what's his name to pass on important information. Besides, it's not like I was - you know. My leg hurt."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Your leg always hurts," he pointed out gently. "If there's a next time, no note. Face to face, I promised."

He ran his fingers through Greg's hair, catching the back of his neck.

"I really missed you."

[misanthrope_md]

"Well I missed you too." He sighed. "Obviously. I'd say something like, the next time you feel like trekking out into the wilderness I'll go with you, but we both know that's not going to happen."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Next time I'll just come in here and ask you to lie for me. Say you haven't seen me in days, and I'll stay in bed."

[misanthrope_md]

"You know you don't have to do that, Jack," House pointed out. "If you don't want to see people, then tell them you don't want to see people. You don't have to lie. Hell, if you want to stay in here for a few days I'll beat people away with my cane."