[ace, doctor, cuddy]

[more_flexible]

He'd talked to House. That was...what was today? He'd talked to House on Monday. That had to be days ago.

Jack was in his hut. He'd been there...days, maybe. He had some water, and he'd eaten something. Maybe a while ago, he couldn't remember.

Is this what it was to have a broken heart? Had he done this to people? Had he done this to people all over time and space?

Had he done this to people here?

Fuck it. Jack rolled over and pulled the sheet up over his face. If anyone needed him, they'd know where to find him or who to ask. It's not like he was going anywhere.



[dual duty because I'm lazy. this is for ace, cuddy and the doctor. he's still not talking, so I'm really sorry if these go short or die.]

Comments

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

"No, that's okay. I know- I know you have your own stuff." Important stuff. "Just take care of you, yeah? That's what's important." She skimmed her fingers over his knee for a second, before her arms moved around her waist. "Like eating more, and things. Not to sound like an idiot, but the last thing you need is to get sick."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He actually smiled, really, a real smile, at her concern. He should have known if anyone would be here, it'd be her. He reached out and caught her hand, pulling at her gently. "Ace...you can touch me. I like it when you touch me," he said, brows knitting together. "I mean...unless you'd rather wait until I take a shower," he teased...poorly.

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

She shifted closer, and shifted to hug him. "I don't bloody care." She just hugged him tight, before pulling back. "What happened? Things weren't this bad - they weren't this bad on Saturday morning." She skimmed her fingertips over his cheek, her eyes dark with concern. This wasn't how things were supposed to be.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He laughed bitterly. "I missed Greg so fucking bad, Ace. I tried. All week I tried. Then I had those great tits and a killer body and when I ran into him..."

He paused and sighed. "Okay, I'm sure you don't want the details, but I woke up with him Monday, back to myself. We fought. Talked. Sort of came to an agreement. But he doesn't love me. Not like he did, I don't think. I ruined what we had, and there's no fixing it."

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

The first two things she thought?

Oh, Fuck.

"Oh, Jack-" She didn't stop touching him, her fingers slowly slipping through his hair again and again. "It's not you. His feelings changing aren't your fault. You didn't ruin it, it's just- Both of you don't fit anymore." To see him blame himself like this-

"I know it's horrid. I do. Believe me, I know, Jack. I- It doesn't make it your fault that things are different."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"You know, I'm sure I'm old enough to know that's the truth? But I've gotten this far in life without getting really attached to anyone. I thought it was bad when the Doctor and I agreed to...quit...or whatever. Greg? This is tearing me up inside, Ace. There's a really short list of people who could possibly make me feel this way, and now that it has, I really don't think I can take it again."

So much for lies and half-truths. Jack just let it all tumble out.

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

"It's horrible, Jack. The feeling, it hurts and there's nothing like it, but- but you have to realise that it's not normally like this." She didn't want him pulling away from everyone. "You loved him. Love him. I know, Jack. You did everything you could. It's alright to feel like it ripped your heart out-"

She pressed her lips to his fingers.

"But it's not something that's going to happen all the time. It's not, I promise."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"It..." he paused, searching for just the right word. "It sucks."

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

"It does. I know it does." Her eyes searched his, her own dark. "I know it sucks, and it's awful and- I know. But you have to keep on moving - just sitting here and letting the world go buy isn't what you need to do." She poured him some more coffee, pressing the cup into his hand.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He took it gladly and drank. "I just can't seem to get up. I don't know. Maybe I should go diving or something. Something."

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

She chewed on the inside of her lip. "I- I'm going to need help." She hated asking for it, wasn't going to have asked for it, but- "With... walking. To be able-" To be able to do it again.

She had been going to try and manage on her own. "To not need the crutches anymore."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

His eyebrows went up as he watched her over the rim of his cup. "Okay," he agreed. "I can do that."

Something he could do. Pretty hard to fuck up helping Ace.

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

She swallowed hard, mumbling. "I'm kind of afraid." She looked away, and then changed the subject as she looked back at him. "I honestly think Ianto's coffee can fix anything. Feeling better, even just a little?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I am," he agreed, letting her admission slip past. Of course she was, but platitudes wouldn't help. "Thank you. I mean it, Ace. Thank you."

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

Her brows knit. "... For coffee?" She.. She wasn't used to being thanked. Not really, when you got down to it.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"For coming and finding me. I could have, in theory, moped and slept and wasted away...like some smelly Romantic poet. Minus the poofy shirt and syphillis," he said, absolutely seriously.

And then...he smiled.

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

"I'll always come and find you. And someone else would have roused you far before the point of you wasting away, but I'm glad I have the honors." She smiled at him, and wrinkled her nose. "Although I must say I'm a bit grateful about the lack of the last bit."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, poofy shirts have never looked good on me," he shot back, his smile growing wider. "Nothing against Ianto, but I don't think his coffee alone could have made me smile as easy as you."

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

"You know, if Ianto's coffee managed to get here without Ianto or me bringing it, I'd have to wonder if it was really coffee at all, and not some odd sort of alien." She laughed, and shook her head slightly. "Sometimes, I wonder if all he puts in that stuff is coffee. It almost seems a bit too good, although I'm hardly complaining."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"He's precise," Jack replied, his smile slipping just a little. "Ace? Would you tell me the truth about something?"

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

Ace's eyebrows rose, and her fingers entwined with his. "Yup. What is it?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Is there something between you and Ianto?" he asked, both hoping and dreading the answer.

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

Ace blinked, and actually pulled back slightly, before she shook her head. "N-no." She looked at the sheets on his bed, biting the inside of her lip. "I- There isn't anybody. With anything, Jack." She still wasn't looking at him, but when she finally did it was obvious that she was telling the truth.

"Why?" She didn't understand why he would ask- ... She tried to deny that it hurt somehow that he asked, that he thought she wouldn't tell him, but that she'd had to tell him no- She looked down again, her fingers winding up with her shirt again.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Because if there was, I might have to feel bad about this," he said, wrapping his arms around her and holding on, pressing a kiss to her neck beneath her ear.

[pawnoffenric.livejournal.com]

Her breath caught, her mind not quite having the time to catch up with his words when he kissed beneath her ear, her breath catching as her nails tightened just slightly on his shoulder. Of course his mouth would just hit that spot, and- And it must have been accidental. "Jack?" Her voice was almost pure breath and no voice, her head tipping just slightly without even her thinking about it so that it would be easier for him-

Thinking? Not so much a priority. Although later, she certainly would be... confused.