ALP 8 of 12 - August
May. 13th, 2006 08:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serene_quillTitle: A Long Pursuit (Part 8 of 12)
Pairing: Jack/Nathan
Rating: Overall PG-13 (For language and suggestive moments)
Word Count: total ~13K/this part ~650
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I did try to barter for them once!
Warnings: UST, a whole year of it!
Summary: Nathan knew it would take him some time to wear down Jack when he began the campaign to wear him over, but it turned out to be fortunate that he was the most stubborn man in Eureka, because Jack came in a close second. No one, not even Henry had predicted that it would take a year.
The story, as intended to be read, is located here.
August 1, 2008: Friendship Day
“You stupid son of a bitch!” Nathan cursed at Jack, and Jack slammed his hands down on the desk.
“If you hadn’t take such reckless, needless risks, this wouldn’t have happened!” Jack replied angrily.
Nathan was about to scream in return, when Allison stepped into the office. “What’s happened?” he asked her, seeing the pain clearly written in her features.
“I’m sorry,” she told them, “Dr. Tomlinson didn’t make it.”
Jack slammed his hands again, muttering under his breath. He stood up straight, heading for the door. “Jack…” Nathan started, cut off by the angry look Jack shot him. He let Jack leave, his head falling in defeat.
“Nathan,” Allison said softly, setting a hand on his arm. “This wasn’t your fault.”
“If I’d acted sooner, maybe we could have gotten him out of there,” Nathan muttered, and Allison sighed.
“Nathan, did you listen to what Jack was saying?” she pressed him. “He doesn’t blame you. That’s not what he’s angry about.”
Nathan let Jack’s angry words filter back to him, ‘reckless, needless risks’. “He was scared for you when you went in after Dr. Sparks,” Allison said. “Terrified. He’s afraid it distracted him and that’s why he didn’t get Tomlinson out in time.”
Nathan frowned at this. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe he needs to hear that from you,” Allison suggested. “Just… give him time to cool down first?”
“Okay,” Nathan agreed, sighing. He set his head down on his desk, fighting the urge to bang his head.
August 25, 2008: Kiss and Make-up Day
Jack shuffled through some paperwork, desk bound by a twisted ankle and miserable. He looked up eagerly when the door opened, his expression freezing as he spotted Nathan, two coffees in hand.
“Can I help you, Dr. Stark?” he asked, overly formal and polite. He enjoyed the grimace that passed over Nathan’s face at his tone.
“We need to talk,” Nathan said evenly, handing Jack one cup of coffee. “And I’m not leaving until we do. You can ignore me, but I’ll simply follow you until you’re ready to talk.” He smirked wickedly. “Even if it means following you to bed.”
“You would, wouldn’t you,” Jack grumbled, sipping the coffee. “Fine, talk. I’m listening.”
“You’re mad at me for risking my life,” Nathan said bluntly. Jack sat up, surprised. “I know, there’s a lot of other things, but how about we start with the real problem?” he added wryly.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed, adjusting his leg carefully. “Pissed that you charged in and risked your life, and that I got so worried I couldn’t do my job. That’s why the flirting and other stuff has to stop.”
“Or be embraced,” Nathan suggested. “I can’t walk away from you, Jack. I care too much. I could stop flirting and never kiss you again, and I’d still panic every time you walked into a dangerous situation one of my scientists caused. Maybe if I were with you, it would be easier to deal with. At least then I’d have the right to be concerned, to check on you.”
“I can’t,” Jack replied. “I know, old answer, but nothing about who we are has changed.”
“Could you at least think about trying?” Nathan asked, and Jack was taken aback by the pleading edge to the other man’s request. “Or can we go back to the flirting, me trying to win you over phase?”
“Nothing I say would stop you anyway,” Jack replied sarcastically, shifting his leg uncomfortably again. Nathan stood, sliding around the desk and lifting Jack’s foot into his lap as he sat in the chair. He slowly began kneading the calf muscles, making Jack moan at the way Nathan’s hands worked out the knots. “Geez, Nathan.”
“Consider it my way of saying I’m sorry for worrying you,” Nathan replied, his fingers continuing to loosen terrible knots that were caused by the pressure of walking on the sprain.
“Good apology,” Jack replied, his eyes fluttering closed against the sensation. “I should apologize for losing my temper too.”
“Going to be hard to top this,” Nathan joked, nodding solemnly when Jack gave him a pointed look. “Accepted,” he agreed.
Pairing: Jack/Nathan
Rating: Overall PG-13 (For language and suggestive moments)
Word Count: total ~13K/this part ~650
Disclaimer: Not mine, though I did try to barter for them once!
Warnings: UST, a whole year of it!
Summary: Nathan knew it would take him some time to wear down Jack when he began the campaign to wear him over, but it turned out to be fortunate that he was the most stubborn man in Eureka, because Jack came in a close second. No one, not even Henry had predicted that it would take a year.
The story, as intended to be read, is located here.
August 1, 2008: Friendship Day
“You stupid son of a bitch!” Nathan cursed at Jack, and Jack slammed his hands down on the desk.
“If you hadn’t take such reckless, needless risks, this wouldn’t have happened!” Jack replied angrily.
Nathan was about to scream in return, when Allison stepped into the office. “What’s happened?” he asked her, seeing the pain clearly written in her features.
“I’m sorry,” she told them, “Dr. Tomlinson didn’t make it.”
Jack slammed his hands again, muttering under his breath. He stood up straight, heading for the door. “Jack…” Nathan started, cut off by the angry look Jack shot him. He let Jack leave, his head falling in defeat.
“Nathan,” Allison said softly, setting a hand on his arm. “This wasn’t your fault.”
“If I’d acted sooner, maybe we could have gotten him out of there,” Nathan muttered, and Allison sighed.
“Nathan, did you listen to what Jack was saying?” she pressed him. “He doesn’t blame you. That’s not what he’s angry about.”
Nathan let Jack’s angry words filter back to him, ‘reckless, needless risks’. “He was scared for you when you went in after Dr. Sparks,” Allison said. “Terrified. He’s afraid it distracted him and that’s why he didn’t get Tomlinson out in time.”
Nathan frowned at this. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Maybe he needs to hear that from you,” Allison suggested. “Just… give him time to cool down first?”
“Okay,” Nathan agreed, sighing. He set his head down on his desk, fighting the urge to bang his head.
August 25, 2008: Kiss and Make-up Day
Jack shuffled through some paperwork, desk bound by a twisted ankle and miserable. He looked up eagerly when the door opened, his expression freezing as he spotted Nathan, two coffees in hand.
“Can I help you, Dr. Stark?” he asked, overly formal and polite. He enjoyed the grimace that passed over Nathan’s face at his tone.
“We need to talk,” Nathan said evenly, handing Jack one cup of coffee. “And I’m not leaving until we do. You can ignore me, but I’ll simply follow you until you’re ready to talk.” He smirked wickedly. “Even if it means following you to bed.”
“You would, wouldn’t you,” Jack grumbled, sipping the coffee. “Fine, talk. I’m listening.”
“You’re mad at me for risking my life,” Nathan said bluntly. Jack sat up, surprised. “I know, there’s a lot of other things, but how about we start with the real problem?” he added wryly.
“Yeah,” Jack agreed, adjusting his leg carefully. “Pissed that you charged in and risked your life, and that I got so worried I couldn’t do my job. That’s why the flirting and other stuff has to stop.”
“Or be embraced,” Nathan suggested. “I can’t walk away from you, Jack. I care too much. I could stop flirting and never kiss you again, and I’d still panic every time you walked into a dangerous situation one of my scientists caused. Maybe if I were with you, it would be easier to deal with. At least then I’d have the right to be concerned, to check on you.”
“I can’t,” Jack replied. “I know, old answer, but nothing about who we are has changed.”
“Could you at least think about trying?” Nathan asked, and Jack was taken aback by the pleading edge to the other man’s request. “Or can we go back to the flirting, me trying to win you over phase?”
“Nothing I say would stop you anyway,” Jack replied sarcastically, shifting his leg uncomfortably again. Nathan stood, sliding around the desk and lifting Jack’s foot into his lap as he sat in the chair. He slowly began kneading the calf muscles, making Jack moan at the way Nathan’s hands worked out the knots. “Geez, Nathan.”
“Consider it my way of saying I’m sorry for worrying you,” Nathan replied, his fingers continuing to loosen terrible knots that were caused by the pressure of walking on the sprain.
“Good apology,” Jack replied, his eyes fluttering closed against the sensation. “I should apologize for losing my temper too.”
“Going to be hard to top this,” Nathan joked, nodding solemnly when Jack gave him a pointed look. “Accepted,” he agreed.