[for greg]

[more_flexible]

That morning, at the clothes box, Jack had met Buffy. He'd been here more than a year and so had she, but what was amazing was that in the past seven months (almost to the day) he hadn't ever even seen her. Sure, he'd wondered, he'd thought about that name...dreamed about that name on the lips of a raving madman. That name along with ropes and blades and smothering darkness.

He'd just thought he was handling it better.

He'd collected enough shellfish for he and Greg and threw together a quick lunch after he'd left the basement. If he could keep busy, he could keep from thinking about it. From thinking about her. She barely came up to his chest and she was so pretty and young and if she'd been bound and there had been...no. He couldn't keep doing this to himself. He'd done what he had to do to stay alive, and he'd done all he could to keep people like Buffy safe. He tried not to think about Maladicta being hit, tried not to think about how he'd failed to just keep the man there with him. He just needed to stop thinking about it.

Except he couldn't. It was on his mind the whole way to the treehouse.

Comments

[misanthrope_md]

House was outside the treehouse when Jack arrived. He kept his bike not far from the TARDIS, against a tree and underneath a tarp. He hadn't driven it in weeks, and he was busily cleaning it off with a damp cloth, wishing he could give it a proper wax, really take care of it like it deserved to be.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack swallowed hard and forced a smile. The last person he wanted to know how fucked up he still was was Greg. Especially after that...whatever it was yesterday. So, maybe he did keep some things secret. So what.

"Hey. Ready for lunch?"

[misanthrope_md]

House turned, actually lighting up a little when he saw Jack because he'd actually been looking forward to this. Because...

"I thought we could take the bike," he said. "Get a little farther away, down to the far end of the beach, maybe."

He hadn't been driving it a lot because he was very aware of the fact that once it ran out of gas, it was out, but he may as well make it useful as well as fun - he could actually go somewhere without killing his leg in the hike.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Really?" he asked, almost instantly distracted. He took another step closer, looking at how Greg brightened. "I'd...I'd love to."

[misanthrope_md]

"Yeah." House straightened up, shoved the rag in his pocket, and slid his cane into the cane holder on the side of the bike. Then he swung one leg over and straddled the bike. "Hop on."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He fisted the bag with the lunch in it and slid on easily behind him, feet on the rear pegs. The angles of the seat forced him forward, tight against Greg's back and it was the first moment since the basement that he just stopped thinking.

[misanthrope_md]

"Hold on tight," House suggested. He took the helmet off of the handlebars and handed it to Jack just out of habit, and then cranked the engine.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He pulled it on and jerked the strap tight, then held on. He'd ridden before...granted, there'd been bombs going off and the roads of the English country side hadn't been half as good as the island...

"Go," came muffled from over Greg's shoulder.

[misanthrope_md]

House took off, grinning. He turned his head a little and yelled, "This is long overdue!" over the roar of the engine.

He knew his way through the trees by now - despite his leg, he was a good driver - but it wasn't until they got out on the flat expanse of the beach that he really cranked it.

God, this felt good!

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

The roar of the engine and the wind and the waves became white noise and he focused on the thrumming between his legs. The raw power of it. God, it was sexy. He hadn't been on a bike since he'd gone out with Maureen.

One hand spread wide against Greg's chest so he could pull himself just a little tighter. Too bad there wasn't any gas. They could do this every day as far as Jack was concerned.

[misanthrope_md]

"Isn't it great?" House yelled over the noise. "Fucking fantastic!"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Yeah!" he hollered, legs squeezing the seat.

[misanthrope_md]

When they were far enough out that House was pretty sure that no one would be anywhere around, he pulled to a stop by a sand dune. He took a deep breath as the bike hummed and was finally silent, then looked over his shoulder at Jack, his eyes bright.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack pulled off the helmet and handed it back, forcing himself to smile again. "That was fantastic," he said as he eased off the back.

[misanthrope_md]

House put the helmet back on the handlebars and ruffled a hand through his own wind-blown hair, mussing it up even more. "I always wanted one back home, don't know what I was waiting for... it's not like I can't drive it."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," he nodded, taking another step back, ostensibly looking around for where they should sit and eat. Greg had to have picked the most deserted part of the island. The water here was too volitile for swimming and the beach was nicer to the south. As far as he knew, no one came here on purpose.

"So...lunch?" he offered, feet shifting in the sand.

[misanthrope_md]

"Yeah, okay." House's face was actually relaxed into a smile as he swung his good leg over the bike and hopped to the side so he could grab his cane.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack stayed close, but not too close. House had to know by now that if he needed an arm, Jack wouldn't think twice about giving him one, but he wasn't going to treat him like he needed it.

"You have a good morning?" he asked, trying not to come off as distracted.

[misanthrope_md]

"Well," House said, "yeah, I guess so. I went down to the compound for a while, drank nearly a pot of coffee by myself and did some reading, uh..." He hesitated. "Took a shot of the belladonna, felt better after that. Then came back and pampered my bike for a while."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Cool," he replied, not really hearing the specifics. "That's good...how about here out of the sun?"

[misanthrope_md]

"Okay." House put his hand on Jack's lower back.

This sort of good mood was a rare thing for him.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

The touch made him jump, and there was no way to hide it. He just...hadn't seen it coming.

[misanthrope_md]

"Jack?" House turned his head. "What is it?" He didn't connect to the jump to the touch - he was looking out at the beach, wondering if something had startled him.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Hmm? Nothing," he said dismissively, stepping aside and turning, looking at the ground. "I have fried clams, but their cold now. And some bread and stuff. It's not much," he continued just to distract Greg as he got on his knees and started to unpack the bag.

[misanthrope_md]

"I'm sure it's great. Sorry I didn't get any wine, couldn't find what's-his-name and there wasn't any in the kitchen."

House put the keys to the motorcycle in his pocket and lowered himself onto the ground, sitting cross-legged.