[for the doctor]

[more_flexible]

Jack had been given a couple bottles of wine, the last of the old batch, from that dark haired man who never took off his glasses. He had his suspicions there was more to it than a kind gesture, but he wasn't about to pass it up.

He took them both to the waterfall to chill in the cold water and watched the stars for a while before he opened the first bottle. It was a nice night for a change, and he'd been having it relatively easy lately. A celebratory drink...deserved a song. He sang softly, something he'd heard years ago that had stuck with him. He didn't even remember what all the words meant in that language, but it was pretty.

Comments

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"All right." The Doctor waited for exposition, considering this was a given point.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He sat quietly for a moment and reached for the bottle. "I wanted you to want me along. As part of your life. So...I pushed my way in. Us being friends...have we ever really been friends?"

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

The Doctor settled his elbows on his knees, then his chin in his hands. There was a long moment, and then he said, "I really don't know. Except for that I want it now. That's...all I really understand about it anymore, I guess."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"So...what do we do now?"

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"I don't know. I'm not really sure what friends do that we don't do." The Doctor took another sip from the bottle. "Build everything from the ground up, I guess."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He sighed and took the bottle, drinking the dregs before getting up to retrieve the other one from the pool. Standing before the Doctor, he had a sudden, horrible question that he...he didn't want to ask. But he had to.

"Do you even like me?"

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

The Doctor, startled, looked up, then looked him in the eye. He smiled softly. "Yeah. Actually, I really do."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Maybe it was a stupid thing to ask, but he'd needed to know.

"Here. My hands are too wet," he said, passing off the bottle and fishing the corkscrew from his pocket.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

Not so stupid. The Doctor took the bottle and wiped his hands off a bit sloppily against his jeans. "Have a go?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He handed the Doctor the corkscrew as well, then took his place again beside him. "You open it. I'd just tear my hand open."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"Definitely wreck the mood." The Doctor took the corkscrew and deftly (if a bit clumsily) opened the bottle, handing the corkscrew back. "Do you even like me, Jack?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He folded it up and stuffed it back in his pocket, then looked over at him. "I don't know. I think there's too may other things in the way. I respect you. Admire you. Probably worship you. But yeah...beyond all that? I like you."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"Just had to know." The Doctor took a long sip, then handed him the bottle. "Gotta figure out where else to start, you know?"

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I know," he replied, taking another drink. It was going straight to his head, but it was good. It felt...right. This wasn't a sober type of conversation.

"You know. You know? Even after everything, I've never doubted you? Even when I had every reason to, I never have," he said, handing the bottle back.

"Although...I did kind of want to punch you in the mouth for the way you treated Ace," he said, then adding, "Not here. Back then. With Gabriel Chase."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"That's okay," the Doctor said, "I kinda want to punch me in the mouth too some days. Ace..." He sighed and took a drink. It was going down too well now. "Ace loves that me, but to be honest? I was a really big arse."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Love? No. No she doesn't. I think she misses him. You. Whatever. And you're so important to her, but," Jack sighed again, taking the bottle almost as it came away from his mouth so he could down a measure before saying what needed to be said, "But just knowing you. Seeing the things we've seen and doing things with you. Whatever you? Ace, Sarah Jane, me...in some ways we really resent you for doing that to us. As amazing and wonderful as it was. Does that make sense?"

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"I don't even know anymore," the Doctor said. He took the bottle back. "But that? I've known that for ages, Jack. It's not any kind of surprise." A long swig and he wiped his mouth. "And I've given up on any kind of atonement for the shit parts. Don't...don't feel the need to try to set it aside."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack nodded and drew his knees up, holding then in his arms. "I hadn't planned on it. But it's such a small part of how I feel about you, it almost...it pales in comparison. I'd still follow you anywhere, you know. I'd die. I'd do anything with you or for you, just to be the one who catches your attention for a minute."

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"I feel the obligation to tell you that I'm not worth that. But you already knew that I'd say that. And that I believe it. And that..." He took another drink, the alcohol making him fast and loose and he really needed to say it anyway. "And that I'm sorry, and that that wasn't what I really wanted."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"What'd you really want?" he asked, taking the bottle back and for no good reason, suddenly thinking of Gwen and Ianto and their karaoke on New Year's. He shook his head and drank deep to banish that thought.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately, the statement called up the Spice in the Doctor's head, and that led to the same karaoke thought. He sat there for a moment, then started to laugh. Giggle.

"Friends," he said, clapping Jack on the shoulder and sporfling like mad.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

The laughter was contagious and he leaned in closer. "No, tell me what you want," he said, nearly gasping. "What you really really want..."

That's when he fell over.

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

And the Doctor fell with him. "Nine hundred years," he said, one hand slapping the ground, the other propped against Jack, "nine hundred years of time and space, and I never could figure out what 'zigazig-ah' meant." He was gasping, then started to laugh even harder.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack could barely catch his breath, the laughter becomming voiceless.

"It's SEX!" he managed, breathing in deep as he clutched at the Doctor's arm. "Group sex!"

[sortofaman.livejournal.com]

"What?! So the...the gotta get with my friends bit..." The Doctor descended into even harder laughter until he was nearly heaving with it.