serene_quill

Title: I Never
Pairing: Jack/Nathan
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~2800
Disclaimer: Not mine, just borrowing to play with!
Warnings: AU- (Allison said no, ignores 304) Unbeta'ed
Summary: Valentine fic for

reginabellatrix who requested: Nathan's hurt (for whatever value of hurt you like - major, minor, physical, emotional - no restrictions save a happy ending is preferred and heavy bdsm is not)

Nathan groaned as he came to, baffled for a moment, then recalled the lockdown protocols had been engaged before the building began shaking violently. He reached up to his aching head, pulling away blurry bloody fingers. “Great,” he mutter, figuring he must have been thrown down when the building shook, judging by the blood on the corner of his desk. His fingers blurred again, and Nathan quickly self diagnosed as being concussed. He pulled himself up, managing to stumble dizzily to his desk, pulling up information.

An experiment had exploded and was leaking radiation, so the building was locked down completely until outside cleanup teams could stop the leak. Lead shielding had sealed his office and foyer off completely, meaning he was on his own for keeping himself awake. He did a quick scan, and the monitor blinked at him, indicating someone was moving in the foyer outside his office. It took two tries, but he managed to input the command to open the door in between. A moment later, he groaned as Jack Carter entered, looking a little knocked around but not much worse for the wear from what Nathan’s blurred vision could see.

“Should have left the door sealed,” Nathan sighed, head falling back.

“Nasty cut,” Jack observed quietly, folding his arms. “You seeing double?”

“I’m good and concussed,” Nathan agreed, closing his eyes against the light. “Dizzy, nausea, blurred vision, big bump on the head,” he rambled, unaware that Jack had returned to Fargo’s desk to retrieve the first aid kit. “And sleepy, of course.”

“Okay,” Jack remarked, opening the kit and removing peroxide and gauze. “This is going to hurt, which is probably good because I have to keep you awake.”

Nathan ignored this, then promptly regretted it as soon as Jack began cleaning out the cut. “Shit,” he cursed, digging his fingers into the armrests of his chair, trying to brace against the pain.

“Okay, just hang on,” Jack said soothingly, gentle but sure swipes of the cloth easing a little of the sting, but reawaking the sharp pain of the cut. “Once more, this’ll sting,” Jack warned, just before a second dose of peroxide was applied, and Nathan had to fight hard to stay still while Jack finished cleaning the wound.

“I don’t think you need stitches,” Jack mused, a few more dabs at the wound, as he checked it. “And I’ve got it pretty well cleaned out, so just hold on a moment.”

“Should be some antibiotic salve in the top of the kit,” Nathan mumbled. A moment later, he was aware of Jack dabbing it on the cut, the mild analgesic kicking in as he did, thankfully.

“Come on, keep talking, Nathan,” Jack urged as he bandaged the cut. “Why’d we lock down?”

“Lockdown, project exploded, leaking radiation,” Nathan told him, opening his eyes as Jack finished taping down the gauze. “Locked down till clean up teams arrive. And no, you can’t get out to go help people and do your saving kittens thing, solid lead walls dropped around this office.”

“Well, the sarcasm is back so you can’t be hurt too badly,” Jack observed, leaning down to look in Nathan’s eyes with a pen light, evaluating.

“I already told you I was concussed,” Nathan complained, swatting at the light. “I can self diagnose just fine, Carter.”

“Yeah, forgive me for wanting to check that you’re not bleeding into your eyeballs,” Jack retorted, picking up the first aid kit and heading over to the couch. “Keep talking to me while I patch myself up.” Nathan noticed for the first time that Jack’s thigh was cut, blood soaking through the pants.

“Here, let me help,” Nathan rose, slightly more steady and settling in next to Jack, who was tearing the ruined uniform away. “Payback, for the head,” he said, reaching for the peroxide.

“Most people just say thanks,” Jack remarked, gritting his teeth as Nathan poured the peroxide over the cut.

“Like you took no pleasure from my pain,” Nathan scoffed, surprised when the bright blue eyes turned up at him, too open and concerned, and he sighed. “Of course you didn’t,” he muttered, sighing. “You’re just too damn nice for that.”

“Most people consider that a good thing, especially when it means saving your amazing brain from damage,” Jack sniped at him, wincing as Nathan started cleaning the cut. “It feels like there’s still glass in there,” Jack commented, grabbing onto Nathan’s hand to stop him. “Let me pull it out.”

“I can do it,” Nathan argued, and Jack snorted.

“Yeah, but you’re still seeing double,” Jack remarked, taking the tweezers from the kit. “And I can feel exactly where it’s at, so just let me do it.”

“Okay,” Nathan sat back, trying not to flinch as he watched the sheriff dig into his own wound, finally removing a small, thin piece of glass. Jack looked pale by the time he set it down, so Nathan slid back in, finishing cleaning up and bandaging the cut, using as gentle a touch as he could manage. He finished taping the bandage, then looked at the ruined tatters of Jack’s uniform. “There’s a change of clothes in the cupboard,” Nathan told Jack gruffly. “And some blankets. It’s going to get cold in here to help control the radiation leak,” he informed Jack.

“Okay,” Jack replied standing and removing his gun belt, looking thoughtful. “That’s helpful for keeping you awake, but how cold are we talking about?”

Nathan watched Jack pull out a pair of sweatpants. “Still safe for people but cold. We’ll probably be treating people for colds and pneumonia for the next week, but not hypothermia.”

“Lovely. Clean up will take a few hours?” Jack was stripping off his pants, and Nathan watched closely, mouth going dry. “Nathan?”

“Oh, sorry, at most, maybe four hours,” Nathan replied, tearing his eyes away from where Jack’s boxers had pulled tight over his behind, flushing a little as he did. Jack removed his uniform shirt, tugging on Nathan’s oversized MIT sweatshirt, and that made Nathan shift a little, adding the image of the sheriff in his clothes to the list of things that turned him on about the other man.

“Okay, you're getting fuzzy, look at me,” Jack muttered, leaning in and checking Nathan’s eyes. It did little to help Nathan’s libido, so he glared at Jack, trying to create some distance.

“Stop it, I’m fine,” he snapped, and Jack backed away, sitting down again, checking his watch.

“You know, lockdown would be a lot easier to deal with if you didn’t disable communications every time something went wrong,” Jack complained, flipping open his cell phone, then shoving the useless device aside. “Zoë will be freaking out by the time I get out of here.”

“Deputy Lupo knows where you are, correct?” Nathan asked, able to understand the worry.

“Yeah, she does,” Jack admitted, settling in, absently rubbing at his leg. Nathan reached over, covering Jack’s hand with his, stopping him.

“If there’s anything in it, you’ll make it worse,” he reminded Jack, before removing his hand. “All right, sheriff, if I have to stay awake, you should entertain me.”

Jack gave him a disbelieving look. “And how the hell am I supposed to do that?” he asked, rolling his eyes. “You can’t stand me when you’re not concussed.”

Nathan shrugged. “You’ve got a teenager, you should know dozens of way to keep us occupied,” he replied.

After six or seven rounds of twenty questions during which Jack had to ban scientific concepts, Nathan had to ban specific types of weaponry, and both agreed that Adriana Lima was hot, the temperature had dropped enough that Jack went for blankets. After his return, they switched to I Spy, which ended abruptly when after almost 50 guesses at Jack spying something green, Nathan accused Jack of cheating.

“You can’t cheat at I Spy,” Jack laughed, rolling his eyes.

“If anyone could find a way, you would,” Nathan insisted.

“I think I’m flattered by that,” Jack replied, burrowing a little more deeply into the blankets, shivering. “How are you feeling?”

“Head’s clearer, and I’m seeing normally,” Nathan replied. “Still a little dizzy, but I think it’ll pass.”

“Good,” Jack replied. “I’m out of car games, though. We could go back to 20 questions.”

“You have a teenager and didn’t think to suggest Truth or Dare or I Never?” Nathan joked, and Jack raised an eyebrow.

“Didn’t figure you’d go for that,” Jack remarked. “And we’re a little light on drinks for I Never.”

“There’s scotch in my desk, but if I can’t drink, I’m not sharing. So just take out the drinks and it’s the same thing as the truth part of truth or dare,” Nathan observed. “The difference is both of us are charged with the answer, since without drinks, you have to have done it to say it. We can’t really get one up on each other.”

“All right,” Jack agreed, wincing as he tried to stretch his leg. “Mind if I stretch out my leg? I’m getting stiff.”

“Yeah, here,” Nathan helped him shift so Jack’s leg ended up in his lap. “Okay?” he asked, and Jack nodded. Unable to figure out what to do with his hands, Nathan finally settled them on Jack’s leg, hoping they’d behave themselves. “So, do you still want to play?”

Jack nodded again, and this time Nathan noticed how flushed Jack was, his eyes not quite meeting the other man’s. Interesting. “I never shared a dream with a girl I wanted to kiss and later got shot down by,” Nathan started, and Jack grinned, more at ease.

“I’ll drink to that,” Jack agreed, looking amused by the memory. “I never jumped out of an airplane.”

“I’ve done it as well,” Nathan agreed, and Jack raised an eyebrow. “Last year of my PhD, was working with a guy who had an ex-fiancé, Amy, who loved to talk him into crazy stunts. She’d come to town, and we’d end up down in the Castro district for sangria and dancing, or windsurfing down the coast, or one memorable weekend in Vegas right before graduation where she took us skydiving.”

“He was still in love with her, I take it,” Jack guessed, and Nathan nodded.

“It was hard not to be a little in love with her,” he admitted. “She was vibrant, too optimistic, a little bit like you sometimes.” With the little bit in love part too, Nathan mused silently.

“Thanks,” Jack said cheerfully. “You may mean it as an insult, but I like optimism. Your turn.”

“I never had a threesome,” Nathan remarked, deciding to up the game a little, enjoying the way Jack flushed.

“Ah, you’re on your own with that one,” Jack replied, shaking his head. “Should I ask?”

“Like I said, was hard not to be a little in love with Amy,” Nathan replied, grinning wickedly. “Who was I to pass up the invite?”

“I never had sex on a beach,” Jack countered, and Nathan smirked.

“Now you’re on your own,” he said, making a face. “Give me a bed any day.”

Jack laughed at that. “And here I thought you were the adventurous type,” he teased, the open delight on his face making Nathan’s breath catch.

“I’ve never…” Nathan trailed off, giving himself one last chance to back down from this game. “I’ve never kissed another man.”

Jack’s eyebrows rose, but he made a motion like tossing back his drink. “My turn to ask about it,” Nathan said, voice low.

“Ah, it was about a year before I met Abby,” Jack admitted. “My college roommate was gay, and I went to a club with him. I met a guy named Adam, got swept off my feet, dated him for about four months. You?”

“Told you, the invitation was too good too pass up,” Nathan grinned, burrowing deeper under the covers, sliding his hands under the cuff of Jack’s pants, seeking warm skin. “’S cold,” he grumbled, and Jack looked around quickly, a little panicked, standing up and going to the cupboard for the last blanket.

“We need one of those electric blankets,” Jack mused, spreading out the blanket, then crouching down, looking at Nathan’s eyes. “What’s the speed of light?”

“299,792,458 meters per second,” Nathan answered automatically. “And how would you know if I’m wrong?”

“Zoë had to have it memorized, went around reciting it and singing little tunes about it for a week,” Jack replied. “Couldn’t help picking it up.” He started back toward his corner of the couch, but Nathan stretched out, making Jack narrow his eyes. “Come on,” he complained, before noticing Nathan shifting in on the couch and pulling the blankets up for him.

“There’s room for two this way, and it lets you stretch out your leg,” Nathan explained. “Plus we’ll conserve more body heat.”

“Oh, good thinking,” Jack agreed, sliding in next to Nathan, swallowing audibly when Nathan wrapped an arm around his waist, tugging him closer. “I never thought about kissing a rival,” Jack rasped, looking up at Nathan tentatively.

Nathan leaned in, closing the distance between them and softly touching his lips to Jack’s. “I never acted on that impulse,” he remarked, and Jack smiled, sitting back a little.

“Ah, that was probably a bad idea,” he muttered, giving Nathan a faint shrug. “Not the kissing, but the doing it while you’re brain damaged.”

“It’s not the brain damage, and I’m going to kiss you again here in a moment,” Nathan murmured, bringing a hand up to caress Jack’s cheek. “Told you, you’re like Amy. I can’t help being drawn to you.”

“I’ve always had a thing for arrogant, like Abby,” Jack admitted, smiling slowly. “You sure it’s not just the concussion?”

Nathan leaned in, kissing Jack hungrily, parting his lips easily and dipping his tongue in for a quick taste, humming happily when Jack opened to him, sucking his tongue in, just as eager for a taste. Nathan had just managed to wind his fingers around Jack’s neck when the all clear sounded, the lead walls rising and flooding the office with bright light.

“Timing,” Nathan observed dryly, sighing resignedly when Jack sat up.

“Yeah, time to get you checked out in the infirmary,” Jack replied, helping Nathan up, catching the look Nathan gave him. “I’ll get checked out too, I promise.”

Nathan was surprised he was as steady on his feet as he was, but he managed to make it down to the infirmary under his own power. He was being checked out, listening to Jack finishing up having his cut healed as he held still for an MRI. “…just come back in about a week and we’ll remove the scar, Sheriff.”

“Why?” Jack asked, sounding absolutely perplexed, and Nathan smiled to himself. “Am I good to go?”

“Of course, Sheriff,” the nurse released him, and Nathan tried to breathe normally as he waited to see what Jack would do. A hand gently took his, Jack’s thumb rubbing a small arc back and forth on the back of Nathan’s hand.

“How is he?” Jack asked the doctor running the MRI, and Nathan bristled at being ignored.

“He’s fine, just a minor concussion,” the doctor reassured Jack. “You did well to keep him awake, Sheriff.”

“Can I go home now?” Nathan asked, letting his irritation creep into his voice.

“Someone needs to go with you, keep you awake for a few more hours just to be safe, wake you every couple of hours tonight, and you’ll need to take it easy, rest for the next 24 hours,” the doctor advised, pushing the portable MRI back so Nathan could sit up. “Should I call…”

“I’ll take him home,” Jack interrupted, shrugging at the doctor’s curious glance. “I kept him awake for a few hours now, might as well keep going while I’m on a roll.”

“Perfect,” Nathan remarked acidly, tugging on his jacket. “My own personal annoyance shadowing me for the next few hours.”

“Eh, get over it Stark,” Jack replied with a grin. “If I didn’t keep an eye on you, you’d probably would try to go back to work, and you’ve just been handed a 24 hour ban. Be a human being for the day and play hooky.”

Nathan gave a much put upon sigh and followed Jack out. “So what were you cheating with while we played I Spy?” he asked, and Jack looked over blankly. “You know, the something green that I couldn’t figure out. What was it? Something that was actually blue? Something you made up?”

“Oh,” Jack said, stepping into the elevator after Nathan. “No. It was your eyes.”

Nathan managed to wait till the doors closed, then stepped closer, looking into Jack’s eyes for a moment before leaning down to kiss him softly. “You know forced rest means I can’t exactly screw you through the mattress like I was planning to,” he told the sheriff.

Jack grinned, flushing slightly at the remark. “I was thinking something slower anyway, you know, slow kissing, slow teasing, slow…everything. At least, till you wake up tomorrow. Then we’ll talk about your plans.”

“You know, Carter, sometimes you’re not as dumb as you look,” Nathan remarked, letting Jack help him into the car. He was looking forward to this forced sick leave and making sure Jack didn’t leave his bed either. After all, he’d been injured too.