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serene_quillTitle: A Modest Proposal, Chapter 13: The Life Politic
Pairing: Jack/Nathan, Jack/Allison, Nathan/Allison, Jack/Nathan/Allison
Rating: FRAO
Disclaimer: Don’t own!
Warnings: slash, threesome, a bit of rough but consensual sex, spoilers through 307: Here Come the Suns, blink and miss it season 4.0 promo reference.
Summary: Voter fraud was the least of Jack’s worries... Between projectile milkshakes, angry dry cleaners, and a boyfriend who seems to be the only one who can hold his temper, he’s got plenty on his plate!
Previous Parts can be found here
“Yes, Eureka is known for pushing both scientific and moral boundaries, but it’s time for us to draw some lines, especially when it comes to the good of the kids in this town! A 1+1 equation for marriage has worked well for this town, and now is not the time to be changing the equation!”
Nathan pushed his way past an onlooker to the counter, sharing a grimace with Vince. “Make it very strong,” he ordered his coffee quietly, not wanting to attract Dr. Herrera’s attention when he was working up a good political rant. Well, that wasn’t strictly true, he’d love to take Eva Thorne’s puppet scientist down a few pegs. But Jack and Allison had made a number of dirty promises to him if he could make it through the day without taking a verbal or physical swing at anyone over their partnership.
“I’ve got Jo on speed dial, Dr. Stark,” Vince said in a low voice. “The minute he steps out of line, I’m having her haul him out.”
Nathan smirked before he could help it. “I probably shouldn’t encourage that,” he admitted, flicking his eyes over to Herrera, who was hitting the familiar points about a town and GD united behind leaders who could work in synergy.
“Why not?” Zoë snarked as she joined them at the counter. “He’s still running unopposed.”
“Fargo tried to talk me into running, but I don’t think I’d be a great choice,” Vince sighed, looking over at the scientist who was on a roll now, talking with a small group of parents and teachers.
“Ugh, it’s all just a nightmare,” Zoë remarked. “Reverend Harper was in earlier, by the way. She didn’t look all that impressed with Herrera’s sermonizing.”
“If someone could get her to say she’d support a second candidate or make a statement on the issue, it might help,” Vince suggested, and Nathan allowed himself a wan smile.
“She’s decided on the classic church strategy of wait and think,” he told them, though he’d used more colorful language when Allison had told him about it two days earlier when Herrera had first announced. “I’m still trying to figure out when this all actually became about my job…”
He trailed off as a woman from the crowd, a teacher at Tesla, joined them at the counter. “Ought to think about what’s good for Kevin and Zoë, Dr. Stark,” she muttered in a nasty undertone.
“Thank you for your concern, but please leave my children out of this,” Nathan replied politely, grateful that Allison had provided him with a polite catch all response.
“Your children?” the woman snorted, shaking her head. “They aren’t yours.”
Nathan was too busy counting to ten and absorbing the sting of the words before responding to realize that Zoë had also taken affront at the words. She had dumped a cold milkshake on the woman’s shirt, ‘accidentally spilling’ it, if her faux look of remorse was anything to go by. “Oh, so sorry, I was trying to hand that to one of my parents,” Zoë emphasized pointedly, giving Nathan a sly smile.
“See you in your lab?” Nathan asked as he leaned over and kissed her forehead gratefully. She quickly handed him a chocolate croissant wrapped up and his coffee. Nathan felt a little of the tension dissolve at the gesture.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Zoë replied, beginning to clean up milkshake from the counter.
*-*
Half an hour later, Zoë looked up as Allison entered, looking harried. “Hey sweetheart,” she greeted Zoë with a tired smile. “Can I get a large coffee and something sweet? Maybe a Danish?”
“I saved one of Vince’s pan de dulche’s for you,” Zoë said sympathetically. “I’ve got one hidden back here for Dad too, so let him know if you see him before I do.”
“I’ll do that,” Allison promised. “Have you had a quiet morning?”
“I’m a total butterfingers this morning,” Zoë replied, aiming for an innocent look. “Spilled three milkshakes before I got some peace and quiet.”
“Zoë.” Allison managed a reproving tone, but only just. She sighed when the teenager gave her a ‘who me?’ smile, then handed her the chocolate croissant. “Worked on Nathan and your dad too, didn’t it?”
“Haven’t seen Dad yet, but Nathan seemed to appreciate it since he was behaving himself,” Zoë replied. “What the hell did you and Dad threaten him with?”
“Remember that whole ‘don’t ask us, don’t tell you’ clause you asked for? You really asking?” Allison remarked dryly, biting back a smile when Zoë blanched predictably.
“Eww. Thanks for that,” she informed Allison, making a face.
“You’re welcome, sweetie,” she replied, turning to leave. Dr. Herrera stood in her path.
“Dr. Blake,” he started, and she swung a hand up.
“I don’t want to hear it, Herrera, my personal life isn’t fodder for your political campaign,” she snapped, and he folded his arms.
“Even when it’s affecting a child, a child you could be damaging by confusing him with too many parental figures in his life?” Herrera challenged her, and something in Allison snapped.
“How dare you try to tell me what my son can or can’t handle,” she said, her voice cold and crisp, carrying through the sudden silence in the café. “Do you have a degree in Autistic Research?”
“Well, no…”
“You ever even worked with an autistic child?” she continued, unabated.
“No,” Herrera conceded, a flicker of decency subduing his outrage for a moment.
“And yet somehow, I think you know that using an autistic boy for your political career is a pretty low, asinine move, don’t you?” Allison concluded, looking around the café. “Anyone else think so?”
No one would meet her eyes, and though the coldness hadn’t faded from many of the faces, some signs of shame had crept in.
“Leave my son and Zoë out of your political crusade,” she hissed lowly, turning back and beckoning to Zoë, who had a very Nathan half-smirk on her lips, clearly satisfied.
“I’ll let the milkshake thing slide if you don’t tell your dad I slipped first,” she offered, and Zoë grinned.
“Deal,” she agreed, impulsively leaning up and hugging Allison. “We’ll get through this, family, right?”
“Family,” she agreed, tucking a strand of Zoë’s hair behind her ear before taking her coffee and her pan de dulce and leaving Café Diem.
*-*
Nathan leaned against the doorframe to Allison’s office, watching her work for a long moment. She finished typing something, turning slightly, jumping when she caught sight of him. “Geez, make some noise next time,” she complained, and he carefully sealed the door and locked it with his code behind him.
“Trouble?” he asked, tone a little too innocent, and Allison’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“You’ve been talking to Zoë,” she guessed, and he grinned, shrugging.
“She did only promise not to tell Jack,” he replied. “Though, for the record, I think you did well. There’s been some rumblings about Herrera needing to run a cleaner campaign.”
“That’d be a bit of a blessing all by itself,” Allison sighed. “After this morning, I have this nagging worry that someone is going to try to push Kevin to try and prove we’re doing him harm. That’s the last thing he needs.”
“Did you call his teachers?” Nathan asked, and Allison nodded.
“Yeah, and Cara too. They’re going to be working just as hard to keep him safe. I think they’ll be in for one hell of a fight if they approach Cara,” she told him wryly. “She was beyond offended by the idea of dragging not just Kevin but our personal lives into a political arena.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Nathan murmured, looking at his hands as he spoke. “Thorne’s awfully keen on having us distracted. And I can’t think of a bigger distraction to all three of us, not to mention by proxy to Jo, Zane, Henry… all our friends. What’s she got on her plate right now?”
“You asking to do some hacking into her personal calendar?” Allison asked, eyebrows lifting. “Nathan, you can’t let that get tracked to you. Someone else has to do it, be willing to risk the rap.”
“Zane,” Nathan answered the unspoken question, finally looking up. “He’s the best when it comes to covering his tracks, and high placed and well liked enough by Thorne that if he does get caught, he might slide on a warning, especially if he finds something she’s trying to keep quiet. I didn’t want to ask him to do it without checking with you first though.”
Allison was quiet for a long moment, before rising and crossing to the large windows, looking out over GD. “All right,” she said at last. Nathan knew he looked surprised when she elaborated, “I don’t trust her, and we need to protect the town, even if some of it isn’t so keen on protecting us right now.”
“You’re a remarkable woman,” Nathan sat back, giving himself a moment to appreciate her. “Part of me is saying we should just let them fend for themselves against her.”
Allison smiled, shaking her head. “You might think it, but I know you don’t mean it,” she said, crossing back to her desk and darkening her office windows. “You wouldn’t be behaving so well otherwise.”
“Nah, that’s all in the promise I’m thinking I’m getting payback on,” Nathan glanced over at the darkened windows and smirked. “Right now, from the looks of it.”
“Mmhmm,” Allison hummed, straddling his lap and leaning in to slowly kiss him, fingers raking through his hair before gently scraping along the back of his neck, giving him a little shiver of lust. She slowly started sliding off his lap, and Nathan followed her, bending down to avoid breaking the kiss as she slid down to the floor.
She quickly had his belt undone, finally breaking the kiss to nip at his lower lip gently as she worked his pants open, pulling him free of his boxers. She gave him an impish smile before she leaned in, her breath hot against his erection for a moment, teasing him.
“God, Allie,” he groaned, and as though in response, her tongue swiped a quick circuit of the head of his cock, making him groan. He let his head loll back as she started to trade off between little licks and playful bits of pressure from her lips rolled over her teeth, dangerous and arousing at the same time. The first time she’d tried it, Nathan had nearly had a heart attack before coming harder than ever before. Now he bit his lip on a groan, it taking all his willpower to hold still while she played.
“You know,” Allison remarked, her voice a little husky. Nathan couldn’t lift his head to look down as she scraped a fingernail slowly up the underside of his penis. “Jack had this idea that I should do this one night when we have you completely tied down. Unable to move.” Then her mouth was back, sucking him in suddenly enough to make him cry out, glad her office was soundproof.
“Fuck, Allie,” he managed to say, head reeling as she roughly tugged him down further in the chair, sliding his pants and boxers to his knees.
“Close your eyes,” she murmured, and he smartly bit back the comment that they had been ever since she’d started the game. He heard her unlocking her bottom desk drawer, then entering a quick code into something.
“What are you up to?” he murmured, remaining still and compliant despite his curiosity.
“Just a special little treat,” she murmured, and he groaned a moment later as she began teasing him again, fingernails, tongue, lips and teeth, all quick touches without rhyme or reason. He was just adjusting to the intense sensations, teetering on the edge, when something gently slid inside him, slender and slick, stretching him.
“Allie,” he tried to asked, but a second finger joined the first, turning it into a wordless moan.
“Trust me,” she whispered, then a moment later, she swallowed as much of his cock as she could, a plug sliding into him at the same time, bumping his prostate as she adjusted it, forcing Nathan over the edge with a cry.
It took several moments for him to figure out how to open his eyes, humming slightly when he caught sight of a smug, pleased looking Allison standing over him. “Shouldn’t leave you and Jack alone to plan things anymore,” he managed to say, though he was pretty sure some of his words had slurred from the way her smug smile grew. “Evil and amazing.”
She ran a gentle touch through his hair now, and Nathan shifted into it, suddenly aware of the pressure still filling his ass, sliding against his prostate. “Uh,” he started to ask, Allison smirking at him now.
“Oh no, I think we’ll leave that there,” she replied. “Just a reminder to behave for the rest of the day. Jack will know what to do if you make it, and if he slips up first, he’ll be up here to take care of it.”
He let his head fall back, trying not to groan. “Evil,” he protested weakly. “Got time for me to return the favor?” he asked, and Allison checked her watch, shaking her head.
“Got a conference call with Geneva in 10 minutes,” she started to tell him, but he apparently took that as a challenge, snaking his hand under her skirt.
“Plenty of time,” he replied, fingers sliding into her, making her knees wobble slightly, her hand rising to catch his shoulder, steadying herself.
“You do it like that, I’ll have to change,” Allison warned him, even as she bucked a little into the touch.
“You’ve got a change of clothes in your closet, I checked,” Nathan replied smugly. “And you’re close enough that you’d come right now if I moved a little more…” he rubbed his thumb against her clit softly, just a teasing touch that produced a gasp.
“God,” she murmured, and Nathan managed to trade places with her, lowering her to the chair and sliding to his knees, lifting her skirt, unsnapping her garters, and peeling her panties down to her knees.
“But since it’s one of my favorite suits,” he reassured her, gasping himself as he bent to taste her, the plug inside him shifting just right.
“Enjoying that toy?” Allison purred, even as her own back arched her hips into Nathan’s teasing tongue.
“I’ll never make it to the end of the day,” he groaned, before sucking hard at her clit, making her fall apart hard and fast in response to the teasing.
*-*
Jack’s first day back after having his stitches from the SHWARC attack removed had been quiet, Jo handling the phone at the station, and more often than not, informing the caller to visit a proctologist regarding the giant stick up their ass. He finally decided he’d had enough of hiding out in the station for the day as the clock clicked past 4 and decided to visit Zoe for her after school shift at Café Diem.
He frowned a little as a woman wearing most of a chocolate shake muttered darkly under her breath as she passed him on the street. He paused, watching with interest as she entered Curie Dry Cleaners, only to be turned away a few moments later by a fuming Callie.
“And don’t bother coming back until you wrap your narrow little mind around that fact!” Callie was shouting after the woman as Jack approached. She turned, jumping a little when she saw him standing there. “Geez, Jack, make some noise when you walk,” she complained, gesturing him in. “Got a stain for me?”
“No, just curious about the woman wearing a shake that you just refused to help,” Jack drawled, turning up his naïve charm.
Callie didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Your daughter has slippery fingers,” she admitted. “Probably from all those greasy turncoats who would judge their neighbors,” she ended on a shout aimed at a man who scampered by faster at her tone. “Yeah, I saw you with the Herrera button, pal, and I don’t think Reverend Harper would think your attitude is very Christian!”
“Whoa, Callie,” Jack tried to hold in a laugh, and the dry cleaner blew out a frustrated huff of air.
“Jack, I don’t know what’s going on in this town,” she confessed. “Suddenly we’re drawing lines on what’s okay in a person’s bedroom? That’s not Eureka. We legalized gay marriage years before it was a blip on the radar screens of this country’s legal system. And once we start down this path, when does it stop?”
“I know,” Jack soothed her, giving her a crooked smile. “I’m really glad you’re on my side.”
“Ha,” Callie replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m on Allison’s side. Just happens to include you.”
“Works for me,” Jack accepted it, nodding to her as he started to walk toward Café Diem to have a word with his daughter.
“Jack!”
Callie hurried up behind him, staring at his face for a moment. “You’re really happy,” she stated, looking certain. “That’s good enough for me,” she added by way of explanation, before turning and heading back into the dry cleaners.
Jack entered the café to find chaos. “That’s it,” he heard Vince yell over the melee between two customers. “I’m running for mayor!”
Surprisingly effective, Jack had to admit, as the entire café went silent. “I’ll help,” a new voice piped in, and Jack looked over to where Lucas had risen from his seat by Zoë. He folded his arms, leaning back into the alcove by the door, allowing the drama to play out without interfering. “Maybe we can start talking about some real issues now,” Lucas said stonily, face daring anyone to come near Zoë and try to challenge him.
Jack stepped out of his hiding spot, joining Zoë at her table, ignoring the looks around him. “On a break?” he asked, smiling widely. “Or do you have time to make me a shake?”
He almost lost it when Zoë’s eyes grew huge, too panicked to avoid being caught. “What’s worse than the waste of perfectly good shakes,” he continued lightly, enjoying the way she was squirming a little. “Is that apparently the town dry cleaner is refusing to clean the clothes you’ve ruined.”
It was quick, but he caught Zoë’s smirk before she managed to suppress it completely. “Channel your efforts into helping your boyfriend get Vince elected, okay?” he suggested, and she nodded, grin breaking free. “And for crying out loud, don’t tell Nathan. He’s been handling this without yelling or killing anyone so far.” He wasn’t sure when his daughter had started reminding him so much of Nathan, but if they ever really teamed up, the town was doomed.
“You got it,” she said, rising. “Banana milkshake and a chocolate croissant?”
“You’re getting too good at this bribery thing,” Jack grumbled, but waved her off. Fargo slid into the booth, looking pleased with himself.
“Well, it’s all settled, Sheriff,” he informed Jack. “Vince is going to run, with me as campaign manager and Lucas as our PR guru.”
“My daughter’s boyfriend is a PR guru?” Jack asked skeptically.
“He practically invented Twitter!” Fargo replied enthusiastically. “Like, two years before the real one! GD internship project.”
“Lucas,” Jack called out sardonically, enjoying that the boy looked around the room suspiciously before slinking over to the table. “Did you invent Twitter?”
Lucas looked panicked, and Jack could see him trying to determine how this was going to affect Jack’s opinion of him. “Uh… yes, sir?”
“Huh,” Jack remarked idly. “Maybe you are smart enough for my daughter.”
“Thanks!” Lucas brightened visibly before bouncing off to the Café Diem counter, probably to tell Zoë that he scored a few Dad points.
Fargo shook his head, amused. “So glad I’m not the one dating your daughter.” Jack turned a glare on him. “Uh, not that I’m saying Zoë wouldn’t be… uh, no, no, I mean I wouldn’t! Not because… oh god.” Fargo slumped miserably in his seat.
“Relax, I get it Fargo,” Jack remarked, sighing when a man gave him the evil eye as he walked out of Café Diem.
“If it helps, I think more people are on your side than against you,” Fargo remarked. “It’s just the idiots have Herrera to make them more vocal.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Jack replied skeptically.
“Sheriff…” Fargo bit his lip looking uncertain. “I really didn’t think people would get up in arms over it. It’s Eureka, you know? And you guys have been so amazing lately, like completely in sync, and I just thought everyone would see how good it is, for the town too, I mean.”
“Is that your convoluted way of apologizing?” Jack asked, trying not to smile at Nathan’s assistant.
“Uh, yeah?”
Then he did smile. “Practice it a little more before you hit Nathan with it,” he advised the young man. “But seriously, Fargo? We know.”
“Thanks,” Fargo slumped a little, pressure off. He left a minute later, he and Lucas taking over part of the counter to begin strategizing for Vince’s campaign.
Zoë returned, banana milkshake and chocolate croissant in hand. “So, how much trouble am I in for the whole milkshake throwing thing?”
“Vince mad about it?” Jack asked, looking over at the chef, who appeared to be arguing with Fargo.
“Relieved,” Zoë said, shrugging. “He said he was about to throw a plate at someone this morning and milkshakes are cheaper. Plus, word is getting out and now all I have to do is rev the blender and people are ducking and covering. I still don’t know how Nathan kept his cool when that woman this morning said Kevin and I weren’t his kids.”
“She said what?” Jack was aware that his voice had risen, and Zoë made a calming gesture.
“Whoa, like I said, Nathan kept his cool, better than I did anyway,” she admitted. “And he knows that’s not how you and Allison see it.”
“Just… no more throwing milkshakes, okay?” Jack decided finally. “Tell them they can direct any comments to the sheriff’s station. You shouldn’t be dealing with this.”
“You sound like Allison,” she remarked, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, you didn’t hear that.”
“She lost it already?” Jack asked, surprised.
“Herrera took a swing at her, said she wasn’t thinking about Kevin’s best interest,” Zoë admitted.
“And he’s still walking?” Jack replied incredulously. “That’s restraint. So why the rest of the shakes?”
He left Café Diem a little bit later, heading up Main Street, deciding to radio Jo and go ahead and do his rounds. He couldn’t hide from this thing forever, and he wasn’t doing his daughter any favors by hiding either.
He was pleasantly surprised to run into Ethan Edison and his wife at 3rd and Archimedes, both of whom told him that they had his back, for anything he needed. He counted as many glares as people who greeted him cheerfully, as though nothing had changed. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he’d originally thought, he decided, looping back over to Main Street to head back toward the station.
He’d made it almost back when he suddenly came face to face with Eva Thorne. “Ms. Thorne,” he managed, tone barely clearing what he would consider ‘civil’ as he tried to move quickly past her.
“Sheriff, please, don’t allow the mayoral race to upset our professional working relations,” Thorne said as she blocked his path. “I’m sure we can all continue to do our jobs.”
“You know who can’t do her job?” he responded before he could help it. “My daughter. She has people in her face telling her what a horrible parent I am while she tries to work at Café Diem. You know what I’m going to go worry about now? If I need to reassign someone from security to keep an eye on Kevin because while my daughter may be more than capable of defending herself, he isn’t. And you have the audacity to call for professionalism?”
“Sheriff, I had no idea—”
“If you didn’t know this would turn ugly, then you’re either stupid or reckless,” he informed her coldly. “And I know you’re not stupid. So I’ll be keeping a much closer eye on you from now on.”
He stalked past her, and this time, she didn’t try to stop him. He made it back to the station, taking a deep breath once he was back inside, earning a curious look from Jo. “Just ran into America’s sweetheart,” he explained.
Jo checked him over carefully, lips quirking up slightly. “Well, I don’t see any blood, but do you need help with the body disposal?”
“Maybe I had more restraint than I thought,” Jack quipped back, shrugging as he relayed his patrol to her.
“Yeah, I had a complaint earlier that Curie Dry Cleaners had refused service to a customer,” Jo said when he finished. “When I pressed to find out the reason Callie had given her, the woman suddenly was no longer interested in making a complaint. We probably should make sure businesses have a ‘right to refuse service’ sign up so we don’t get anyone trying to press charges against someone like Callie.”
“Good idea,” Jack agreed. “I don’t think Eureka’s ever needed anything like that.”
“All courtesy of Eva Thorne,” Jo remarked, shaking her head in annoyance. “Carter, that woman’s going to destroy this town, one way or another.”
“She does seem…” Jack trailed off, wondering. “Reckless. Getting reckless. Wonder what’s down in that bunker.” He didn’t realize he’d been speaking aloud until he saw Jo’s look. “Sorry, I’ll talk with Nathan or Allison about it later.”
“I’ll do a round through town, talk to Callie and the business owners before I head home,” Jo said, checking the wall clock. “It’s almost 6 anyway, you could knock off and leave the emergency line up if you want.”
“Nah, I’ll stick around, try to finish up the paperwork from Benchley and Harlin,” Jack told her, shrugging. “Have a good night, Jo.”
“See you tomorrow, Carter,” she replied before heading out the door. He returned to the paperwork (murder generated a surprising amount less than GD accidents, but it was still a ridiculously large amount.)
Half an hour later, the phone rang. “Carter,” he answered absently.
“You still at the station?” Nathan demanded, and Jack blinked, double checking that he’d picked up the land line.
“Uh, given that you called me at the station,” Jack began, but Nathan cut him off.
“Jo gone?”
“Yeah, I’m just finishing paperwork,” Jack replied, starting to get a little worried. “Nathan, is everything okay?”
“Stay put, I’ll be there in a few,” Nathan ordered him before abruptly hanging up.
Jack looked over the paperwork, sighing and sticking it in a file and shoving it in a drawer. He doubted he’d be finishing it if GD had another crisis to deal with, he decided, which was just icing on an already crummy day. He put his gun belt on the desk, just in case he needed it, then tried to settle in to wait patiently. He was up and pacing between the desks after a few seconds.
Nathan burst into the station a few minutes later, locking the door behind him, glaring at Jack. “You went off on Eva?” He sounded slightly strangled, and Jack shrugged.
“Yeah, a little, I guess,” he admitted. “Though Zoë told me you kept your cool so I guess maybe I could have…” he trailed off, suddenly remembering something. “Oh. Guess I should have been up to see you a while ago, huh?”
“You think?” Nathan demanded, grabbing hold of Jack’s uniform and tugging him into a brutal kiss. “Fuck, Jack, do you know how long this thing’s been driving me crazy?”
“Guess you should work on your control,” Jack quipped between kisses, earning a sharp bite to his lower lip. Nathan pushed him back hard, his back hitting jail bars, as Nathan tugged his shirt open, hands trying to scrabble their way to bare skin. Jack gave in a little, helping Nathan tug the shirts off, before he started after Nathan’s shirt buttons.
“Unh uh,” he heard Nathan growl before the taller man used his size to help him gain the upper hand, spinning Jack around roughly. “You could have been up at GD an hour ago, Nathan reminded him, wrestling Jack’s arms up and cuffing them to the bars with Jack’s own handcuffs, hooked high above his head.
“Fuck, sorry, Nathan,” Jack managed, groaning slightly when Nathan slowed, hands groping his erection through his pants. Nathan stepped away, and Jack heard the snap of the station window blinds, the room growing dark. A moment later, Nathan had returned, shoving Jack’s pants and briefs to his ankles, leaving the fabric constricting around them.
“No, you’re not sorry, not yet,” Nathan chuckled, stroking Jack’s erection, making Jack moan slightly. “You do it on purpose?”
“No, I really forgot she planned to do that,” Jack admitted, arching as far as the bars would let him into the strokes. “Not that I mind the outcome.”
“I’ve been hard since lunch, desperate,” Nathan reminded him, withdrawing his hand. “And put in an hour of over time,” he added. “I think I’ll have to claim time and a half.”
Jack didn’t have long to puzzle it out before Nathan’s hand landed on his ass with a solid crack, making him groan. “Seriously, 90?” he asked, and Nathan chuckled.
“What’s wrong, Jack, I’ve taken more,” Nathan replied mercilessly. “Don’t come, either,” he added, before he wrapped an arm around Jack’s midsection, lifting him slightly away from the press of the bars before he started spanking Jack in earnest.
Jack wasn’t convinced Nathan was actually counting, his spanks quick and surprisingly softer than Jack’s own were when their roles were reversed. It ached pleasantly, so by the time Nathan stopped, kneeling down to rub at the reddened flash, Jack was even harder, feeling a little desperate. “God, please fuck me, Nathan,” he begged, relieved when Nathan’s big hands parted his cheeks a moment later, then worked a slick finger in.
“Gonna take you tight,” Nathan warned him, withdrawing the finger and Jack heard the zipper of his jeans.
“Bare,” he said suddenly, surprised when Nathan paused, processing. They’d always been safe, resorting to blow jobs and hand jobs if they hadn’t had a condom, so Jack’s request was unusual. “Want you in me, want to feel you come in me,” Jack continued, knowing Nathan had a kink for dirty talk from both him and Allison. “You got me chained and at your mercy, claim me,” he murmured, crying out as Nathan’s slick cock slid into him suddenly, stretching him ruthlessly.
“Mine,” Nathan snarled, hips snapping once, pumping deeper into Jack, leaving him feeling full and desperate.
“Left you aching all day though,” Jack reminded him, groaning when Nathan withdrew almost all the way and slammed into him again, hands finding a good purchase on Jack’s body by curling into his hips now.
He didn’t feel like it got any easier to take Nathan’s cock as Nathan began to pump into him faster, erection jumping a little with each thrust filling him. “Please, can I—” he started, and one of Nathan’s hand snaked low, squeezing his erection warningly.
“Not yet,” Nathan groaned, unbelievably thrusting harder. “Fuck, Jack, so tight, can’t even slide your legs open for me this way, can you? Feels so good,” he gasped, hands suddenly sliding up Jack’s torso to his chest, fingers pinching and making Jack gasp in a quick flare of pain and pleasure. “Want me to slow down, let you spread yourself open for me?” Nathan asked, but Jack didn’t get the impression he would actually do it.
“God no,” he managed to reply, shuddering as Nathan sped up once again, fucking him ruthlessly. “Close,” he finally gasped, and this time, Nathan nodded against his shoulder, permission implicit. Jack tumbled over the edge, suddenly feeling boneless as Nathan continued fucking him, a handful of thrusts more before everything suddenly felt hot and shuddery, Nathan coming hard in him, head collapsing against his shoulder.
It was several moments before Nathan pulled slowly back out of Jack, but before Jack could adjust, cool, slick plastic, the girth alone telling him it’s not the toy he and Allison picked out, slid into place. “You think you’re the only one who makes kinky plans?” Nathan asked him, voice soft next to his ear as he fumbled the cuffs open. Jack stumbled back a little as his arms came down, but Nathan caught him easily, hugging him close for a long moment.
“Zoë’s staying at Pilar’s tonight,” Jack finally said once he was breathing normally again.
“You really inviting me to keep going?” Nathan asked, fingers splaying wide for a moment over Jack’s chest and abdomen.
“Hell, no, I’m going to bend you over my couch and fuck you until you don’t know your own name,” Jack replied, though he was already planning how he’d throw the second round of wrestling.
“You can try,” Nathan replied dryly. “It sounds like a good plan, your ass up over the couch, me fucking you until you scream.”
“This dominance thing cuz you behaved all day?” Jack guessed, letting Nathan help him back into his pants, before reaching out and stopping him from zipping up his own. Jack wiggled his own hand down the back of Nathan’s boxers, grinning when his fingers found the plastic knob. “Mistress Allison joining us tonight?”
“No nanny,” Nathan replied, his lips quirking down a little in disappointment, then smirking as something occurred to him. “No, you’re on your own, Jack, no backup, and I won’t be letting you win.”
Jack pretended to sigh, and then decided he probably had it coming. He had left Nathan on his own for an extra hour. “Let’s go home then,” he replied, turning to pick up his shirts, surprised when Nathan tugged him back into an embrace, hands tracing his stomach muscles gently.
“This submissive thing because you didn’t behave?” Nathan guessed, and Jack shrugged, letting his head roll back as Nathan’s fingers traced their way up his throat.
“Hell if I know, Nathan,” Jack groaned, enjoying the kiss Nathan pressed to the hollow of his throat. “Just need it.”
“We’re all going to make sure Kevin and Zoë are safe, protected,” Nathan reassured him, repeating the gentle kiss and making Jack’s eyes close, relief settling in that Nathan had pegged the reason so well.
“Yeah, and I think I like the reminder that you can sometimes outwrestle me right now,” Jack admitted, arching a little as Nathan’s hands slid down his torso.
“Finish getting dressed and we can get back to the bunker,” Nathan finally said, swatting Jack’s ass and making him yelp.
Pairing: Jack/Nathan, Jack/Allison, Nathan/Allison, Jack/Nathan/Allison
Rating: FRAO
Disclaimer: Don’t own!
Warnings: slash, threesome, a bit of rough but consensual sex, spoilers through 307: Here Come the Suns, blink and miss it season 4.0 promo reference.
Summary: Voter fraud was the least of Jack’s worries... Between projectile milkshakes, angry dry cleaners, and a boyfriend who seems to be the only one who can hold his temper, he’s got plenty on his plate!
Previous Parts can be found here
“Yes, Eureka is known for pushing both scientific and moral boundaries, but it’s time for us to draw some lines, especially when it comes to the good of the kids in this town! A 1+1 equation for marriage has worked well for this town, and now is not the time to be changing the equation!”
Nathan pushed his way past an onlooker to the counter, sharing a grimace with Vince. “Make it very strong,” he ordered his coffee quietly, not wanting to attract Dr. Herrera’s attention when he was working up a good political rant. Well, that wasn’t strictly true, he’d love to take Eva Thorne’s puppet scientist down a few pegs. But Jack and Allison had made a number of dirty promises to him if he could make it through the day without taking a verbal or physical swing at anyone over their partnership.
“I’ve got Jo on speed dial, Dr. Stark,” Vince said in a low voice. “The minute he steps out of line, I’m having her haul him out.”
Nathan smirked before he could help it. “I probably shouldn’t encourage that,” he admitted, flicking his eyes over to Herrera, who was hitting the familiar points about a town and GD united behind leaders who could work in synergy.
“Why not?” Zoë snarked as she joined them at the counter. “He’s still running unopposed.”
“Fargo tried to talk me into running, but I don’t think I’d be a great choice,” Vince sighed, looking over at the scientist who was on a roll now, talking with a small group of parents and teachers.
“Ugh, it’s all just a nightmare,” Zoë remarked. “Reverend Harper was in earlier, by the way. She didn’t look all that impressed with Herrera’s sermonizing.”
“If someone could get her to say she’d support a second candidate or make a statement on the issue, it might help,” Vince suggested, and Nathan allowed himself a wan smile.
“She’s decided on the classic church strategy of wait and think,” he told them, though he’d used more colorful language when Allison had told him about it two days earlier when Herrera had first announced. “I’m still trying to figure out when this all actually became about my job…”
He trailed off as a woman from the crowd, a teacher at Tesla, joined them at the counter. “Ought to think about what’s good for Kevin and Zoë, Dr. Stark,” she muttered in a nasty undertone.
“Thank you for your concern, but please leave my children out of this,” Nathan replied politely, grateful that Allison had provided him with a polite catch all response.
“Your children?” the woman snorted, shaking her head. “They aren’t yours.”
Nathan was too busy counting to ten and absorbing the sting of the words before responding to realize that Zoë had also taken affront at the words. She had dumped a cold milkshake on the woman’s shirt, ‘accidentally spilling’ it, if her faux look of remorse was anything to go by. “Oh, so sorry, I was trying to hand that to one of my parents,” Zoë emphasized pointedly, giving Nathan a sly smile.
“See you in your lab?” Nathan asked as he leaned over and kissed her forehead gratefully. She quickly handed him a chocolate croissant wrapped up and his coffee. Nathan felt a little of the tension dissolve at the gesture.
“Wouldn’t miss it,” Zoë replied, beginning to clean up milkshake from the counter.
*-*
Half an hour later, Zoë looked up as Allison entered, looking harried. “Hey sweetheart,” she greeted Zoë with a tired smile. “Can I get a large coffee and something sweet? Maybe a Danish?”
“I saved one of Vince’s pan de dulche’s for you,” Zoë said sympathetically. “I’ve got one hidden back here for Dad too, so let him know if you see him before I do.”
“I’ll do that,” Allison promised. “Have you had a quiet morning?”
“I’m a total butterfingers this morning,” Zoë replied, aiming for an innocent look. “Spilled three milkshakes before I got some peace and quiet.”
“Zoë.” Allison managed a reproving tone, but only just. She sighed when the teenager gave her a ‘who me?’ smile, then handed her the chocolate croissant. “Worked on Nathan and your dad too, didn’t it?”
“Haven’t seen Dad yet, but Nathan seemed to appreciate it since he was behaving himself,” Zoë replied. “What the hell did you and Dad threaten him with?”
“Remember that whole ‘don’t ask us, don’t tell you’ clause you asked for? You really asking?” Allison remarked dryly, biting back a smile when Zoë blanched predictably.
“Eww. Thanks for that,” she informed Allison, making a face.
“You’re welcome, sweetie,” she replied, turning to leave. Dr. Herrera stood in her path.
“Dr. Blake,” he started, and she swung a hand up.
“I don’t want to hear it, Herrera, my personal life isn’t fodder for your political campaign,” she snapped, and he folded his arms.
“Even when it’s affecting a child, a child you could be damaging by confusing him with too many parental figures in his life?” Herrera challenged her, and something in Allison snapped.
“How dare you try to tell me what my son can or can’t handle,” she said, her voice cold and crisp, carrying through the sudden silence in the café. “Do you have a degree in Autistic Research?”
“Well, no…”
“You ever even worked with an autistic child?” she continued, unabated.
“No,” Herrera conceded, a flicker of decency subduing his outrage for a moment.
“And yet somehow, I think you know that using an autistic boy for your political career is a pretty low, asinine move, don’t you?” Allison concluded, looking around the café. “Anyone else think so?”
No one would meet her eyes, and though the coldness hadn’t faded from many of the faces, some signs of shame had crept in.
“Leave my son and Zoë out of your political crusade,” she hissed lowly, turning back and beckoning to Zoë, who had a very Nathan half-smirk on her lips, clearly satisfied.
“I’ll let the milkshake thing slide if you don’t tell your dad I slipped first,” she offered, and Zoë grinned.
“Deal,” she agreed, impulsively leaning up and hugging Allison. “We’ll get through this, family, right?”
“Family,” she agreed, tucking a strand of Zoë’s hair behind her ear before taking her coffee and her pan de dulce and leaving Café Diem.
*-*
Nathan leaned against the doorframe to Allison’s office, watching her work for a long moment. She finished typing something, turning slightly, jumping when she caught sight of him. “Geez, make some noise next time,” she complained, and he carefully sealed the door and locked it with his code behind him.
“Trouble?” he asked, tone a little too innocent, and Allison’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“You’ve been talking to Zoë,” she guessed, and he grinned, shrugging.
“She did only promise not to tell Jack,” he replied. “Though, for the record, I think you did well. There’s been some rumblings about Herrera needing to run a cleaner campaign.”
“That’d be a bit of a blessing all by itself,” Allison sighed. “After this morning, I have this nagging worry that someone is going to try to push Kevin to try and prove we’re doing him harm. That’s the last thing he needs.”
“Did you call his teachers?” Nathan asked, and Allison nodded.
“Yeah, and Cara too. They’re going to be working just as hard to keep him safe. I think they’ll be in for one hell of a fight if they approach Cara,” she told him wryly. “She was beyond offended by the idea of dragging not just Kevin but our personal lives into a political arena.”
“I’ve been thinking,” Nathan murmured, looking at his hands as he spoke. “Thorne’s awfully keen on having us distracted. And I can’t think of a bigger distraction to all three of us, not to mention by proxy to Jo, Zane, Henry… all our friends. What’s she got on her plate right now?”
“You asking to do some hacking into her personal calendar?” Allison asked, eyebrows lifting. “Nathan, you can’t let that get tracked to you. Someone else has to do it, be willing to risk the rap.”
“Zane,” Nathan answered the unspoken question, finally looking up. “He’s the best when it comes to covering his tracks, and high placed and well liked enough by Thorne that if he does get caught, he might slide on a warning, especially if he finds something she’s trying to keep quiet. I didn’t want to ask him to do it without checking with you first though.”
Allison was quiet for a long moment, before rising and crossing to the large windows, looking out over GD. “All right,” she said at last. Nathan knew he looked surprised when she elaborated, “I don’t trust her, and we need to protect the town, even if some of it isn’t so keen on protecting us right now.”
“You’re a remarkable woman,” Nathan sat back, giving himself a moment to appreciate her. “Part of me is saying we should just let them fend for themselves against her.”
Allison smiled, shaking her head. “You might think it, but I know you don’t mean it,” she said, crossing back to her desk and darkening her office windows. “You wouldn’t be behaving so well otherwise.”
“Nah, that’s all in the promise I’m thinking I’m getting payback on,” Nathan glanced over at the darkened windows and smirked. “Right now, from the looks of it.”
“Mmhmm,” Allison hummed, straddling his lap and leaning in to slowly kiss him, fingers raking through his hair before gently scraping along the back of his neck, giving him a little shiver of lust. She slowly started sliding off his lap, and Nathan followed her, bending down to avoid breaking the kiss as she slid down to the floor.
She quickly had his belt undone, finally breaking the kiss to nip at his lower lip gently as she worked his pants open, pulling him free of his boxers. She gave him an impish smile before she leaned in, her breath hot against his erection for a moment, teasing him.
“God, Allie,” he groaned, and as though in response, her tongue swiped a quick circuit of the head of his cock, making him groan. He let his head loll back as she started to trade off between little licks and playful bits of pressure from her lips rolled over her teeth, dangerous and arousing at the same time. The first time she’d tried it, Nathan had nearly had a heart attack before coming harder than ever before. Now he bit his lip on a groan, it taking all his willpower to hold still while she played.
“You know,” Allison remarked, her voice a little husky. Nathan couldn’t lift his head to look down as she scraped a fingernail slowly up the underside of his penis. “Jack had this idea that I should do this one night when we have you completely tied down. Unable to move.” Then her mouth was back, sucking him in suddenly enough to make him cry out, glad her office was soundproof.
“Fuck, Allie,” he managed to say, head reeling as she roughly tugged him down further in the chair, sliding his pants and boxers to his knees.
“Close your eyes,” she murmured, and he smartly bit back the comment that they had been ever since she’d started the game. He heard her unlocking her bottom desk drawer, then entering a quick code into something.
“What are you up to?” he murmured, remaining still and compliant despite his curiosity.
“Just a special little treat,” she murmured, and he groaned a moment later as she began teasing him again, fingernails, tongue, lips and teeth, all quick touches without rhyme or reason. He was just adjusting to the intense sensations, teetering on the edge, when something gently slid inside him, slender and slick, stretching him.
“Allie,” he tried to asked, but a second finger joined the first, turning it into a wordless moan.
“Trust me,” she whispered, then a moment later, she swallowed as much of his cock as she could, a plug sliding into him at the same time, bumping his prostate as she adjusted it, forcing Nathan over the edge with a cry.
It took several moments for him to figure out how to open his eyes, humming slightly when he caught sight of a smug, pleased looking Allison standing over him. “Shouldn’t leave you and Jack alone to plan things anymore,” he managed to say, though he was pretty sure some of his words had slurred from the way her smug smile grew. “Evil and amazing.”
She ran a gentle touch through his hair now, and Nathan shifted into it, suddenly aware of the pressure still filling his ass, sliding against his prostate. “Uh,” he started to ask, Allison smirking at him now.
“Oh no, I think we’ll leave that there,” she replied. “Just a reminder to behave for the rest of the day. Jack will know what to do if you make it, and if he slips up first, he’ll be up here to take care of it.”
He let his head fall back, trying not to groan. “Evil,” he protested weakly. “Got time for me to return the favor?” he asked, and Allison checked her watch, shaking her head.
“Got a conference call with Geneva in 10 minutes,” she started to tell him, but he apparently took that as a challenge, snaking his hand under her skirt.
“Plenty of time,” he replied, fingers sliding into her, making her knees wobble slightly, her hand rising to catch his shoulder, steadying herself.
“You do it like that, I’ll have to change,” Allison warned him, even as she bucked a little into the touch.
“You’ve got a change of clothes in your closet, I checked,” Nathan replied smugly. “And you’re close enough that you’d come right now if I moved a little more…” he rubbed his thumb against her clit softly, just a teasing touch that produced a gasp.
“God,” she murmured, and Nathan managed to trade places with her, lowering her to the chair and sliding to his knees, lifting her skirt, unsnapping her garters, and peeling her panties down to her knees.
“But since it’s one of my favorite suits,” he reassured her, gasping himself as he bent to taste her, the plug inside him shifting just right.
“Enjoying that toy?” Allison purred, even as her own back arched her hips into Nathan’s teasing tongue.
“I’ll never make it to the end of the day,” he groaned, before sucking hard at her clit, making her fall apart hard and fast in response to the teasing.
*-*
Jack’s first day back after having his stitches from the SHWARC attack removed had been quiet, Jo handling the phone at the station, and more often than not, informing the caller to visit a proctologist regarding the giant stick up their ass. He finally decided he’d had enough of hiding out in the station for the day as the clock clicked past 4 and decided to visit Zoe for her after school shift at Café Diem.
He frowned a little as a woman wearing most of a chocolate shake muttered darkly under her breath as she passed him on the street. He paused, watching with interest as she entered Curie Dry Cleaners, only to be turned away a few moments later by a fuming Callie.
“And don’t bother coming back until you wrap your narrow little mind around that fact!” Callie was shouting after the woman as Jack approached. She turned, jumping a little when she saw him standing there. “Geez, Jack, make some noise when you walk,” she complained, gesturing him in. “Got a stain for me?”
“No, just curious about the woman wearing a shake that you just refused to help,” Jack drawled, turning up his naïve charm.
Callie didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Your daughter has slippery fingers,” she admitted. “Probably from all those greasy turncoats who would judge their neighbors,” she ended on a shout aimed at a man who scampered by faster at her tone. “Yeah, I saw you with the Herrera button, pal, and I don’t think Reverend Harper would think your attitude is very Christian!”
“Whoa, Callie,” Jack tried to hold in a laugh, and the dry cleaner blew out a frustrated huff of air.
“Jack, I don’t know what’s going on in this town,” she confessed. “Suddenly we’re drawing lines on what’s okay in a person’s bedroom? That’s not Eureka. We legalized gay marriage years before it was a blip on the radar screens of this country’s legal system. And once we start down this path, when does it stop?”
“I know,” Jack soothed her, giving her a crooked smile. “I’m really glad you’re on my side.”
“Ha,” Callie replied, rolling her eyes. “I’m on Allison’s side. Just happens to include you.”
“Works for me,” Jack accepted it, nodding to her as he started to walk toward Café Diem to have a word with his daughter.
“Jack!”
Callie hurried up behind him, staring at his face for a moment. “You’re really happy,” she stated, looking certain. “That’s good enough for me,” she added by way of explanation, before turning and heading back into the dry cleaners.
Jack entered the café to find chaos. “That’s it,” he heard Vince yell over the melee between two customers. “I’m running for mayor!”
Surprisingly effective, Jack had to admit, as the entire café went silent. “I’ll help,” a new voice piped in, and Jack looked over to where Lucas had risen from his seat by Zoë. He folded his arms, leaning back into the alcove by the door, allowing the drama to play out without interfering. “Maybe we can start talking about some real issues now,” Lucas said stonily, face daring anyone to come near Zoë and try to challenge him.
Jack stepped out of his hiding spot, joining Zoë at her table, ignoring the looks around him. “On a break?” he asked, smiling widely. “Or do you have time to make me a shake?”
He almost lost it when Zoë’s eyes grew huge, too panicked to avoid being caught. “What’s worse than the waste of perfectly good shakes,” he continued lightly, enjoying the way she was squirming a little. “Is that apparently the town dry cleaner is refusing to clean the clothes you’ve ruined.”
It was quick, but he caught Zoë’s smirk before she managed to suppress it completely. “Channel your efforts into helping your boyfriend get Vince elected, okay?” he suggested, and she nodded, grin breaking free. “And for crying out loud, don’t tell Nathan. He’s been handling this without yelling or killing anyone so far.” He wasn’t sure when his daughter had started reminding him so much of Nathan, but if they ever really teamed up, the town was doomed.
“You got it,” she said, rising. “Banana milkshake and a chocolate croissant?”
“You’re getting too good at this bribery thing,” Jack grumbled, but waved her off. Fargo slid into the booth, looking pleased with himself.
“Well, it’s all settled, Sheriff,” he informed Jack. “Vince is going to run, with me as campaign manager and Lucas as our PR guru.”
“My daughter’s boyfriend is a PR guru?” Jack asked skeptically.
“He practically invented Twitter!” Fargo replied enthusiastically. “Like, two years before the real one! GD internship project.”
“Lucas,” Jack called out sardonically, enjoying that the boy looked around the room suspiciously before slinking over to the table. “Did you invent Twitter?”
Lucas looked panicked, and Jack could see him trying to determine how this was going to affect Jack’s opinion of him. “Uh… yes, sir?”
“Huh,” Jack remarked idly. “Maybe you are smart enough for my daughter.”
“Thanks!” Lucas brightened visibly before bouncing off to the Café Diem counter, probably to tell Zoë that he scored a few Dad points.
Fargo shook his head, amused. “So glad I’m not the one dating your daughter.” Jack turned a glare on him. “Uh, not that I’m saying Zoë wouldn’t be… uh, no, no, I mean I wouldn’t! Not because… oh god.” Fargo slumped miserably in his seat.
“Relax, I get it Fargo,” Jack remarked, sighing when a man gave him the evil eye as he walked out of Café Diem.
“If it helps, I think more people are on your side than against you,” Fargo remarked. “It’s just the idiots have Herrera to make them more vocal.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Jack replied skeptically.
“Sheriff…” Fargo bit his lip looking uncertain. “I really didn’t think people would get up in arms over it. It’s Eureka, you know? And you guys have been so amazing lately, like completely in sync, and I just thought everyone would see how good it is, for the town too, I mean.”
“Is that your convoluted way of apologizing?” Jack asked, trying not to smile at Nathan’s assistant.
“Uh, yeah?”
Then he did smile. “Practice it a little more before you hit Nathan with it,” he advised the young man. “But seriously, Fargo? We know.”
“Thanks,” Fargo slumped a little, pressure off. He left a minute later, he and Lucas taking over part of the counter to begin strategizing for Vince’s campaign.
Zoë returned, banana milkshake and chocolate croissant in hand. “So, how much trouble am I in for the whole milkshake throwing thing?”
“Vince mad about it?” Jack asked, looking over at the chef, who appeared to be arguing with Fargo.
“Relieved,” Zoë said, shrugging. “He said he was about to throw a plate at someone this morning and milkshakes are cheaper. Plus, word is getting out and now all I have to do is rev the blender and people are ducking and covering. I still don’t know how Nathan kept his cool when that woman this morning said Kevin and I weren’t his kids.”
“She said what?” Jack was aware that his voice had risen, and Zoë made a calming gesture.
“Whoa, like I said, Nathan kept his cool, better than I did anyway,” she admitted. “And he knows that’s not how you and Allison see it.”
“Just… no more throwing milkshakes, okay?” Jack decided finally. “Tell them they can direct any comments to the sheriff’s station. You shouldn’t be dealing with this.”
“You sound like Allison,” she remarked, then clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, you didn’t hear that.”
“She lost it already?” Jack asked, surprised.
“Herrera took a swing at her, said she wasn’t thinking about Kevin’s best interest,” Zoë admitted.
“And he’s still walking?” Jack replied incredulously. “That’s restraint. So why the rest of the shakes?”
He left Café Diem a little bit later, heading up Main Street, deciding to radio Jo and go ahead and do his rounds. He couldn’t hide from this thing forever, and he wasn’t doing his daughter any favors by hiding either.
He was pleasantly surprised to run into Ethan Edison and his wife at 3rd and Archimedes, both of whom told him that they had his back, for anything he needed. He counted as many glares as people who greeted him cheerfully, as though nothing had changed. Maybe it wasn’t as bad as he’d originally thought, he decided, looping back over to Main Street to head back toward the station.
He’d made it almost back when he suddenly came face to face with Eva Thorne. “Ms. Thorne,” he managed, tone barely clearing what he would consider ‘civil’ as he tried to move quickly past her.
“Sheriff, please, don’t allow the mayoral race to upset our professional working relations,” Thorne said as she blocked his path. “I’m sure we can all continue to do our jobs.”
“You know who can’t do her job?” he responded before he could help it. “My daughter. She has people in her face telling her what a horrible parent I am while she tries to work at Café Diem. You know what I’m going to go worry about now? If I need to reassign someone from security to keep an eye on Kevin because while my daughter may be more than capable of defending herself, he isn’t. And you have the audacity to call for professionalism?”
“Sheriff, I had no idea—”
“If you didn’t know this would turn ugly, then you’re either stupid or reckless,” he informed her coldly. “And I know you’re not stupid. So I’ll be keeping a much closer eye on you from now on.”
He stalked past her, and this time, she didn’t try to stop him. He made it back to the station, taking a deep breath once he was back inside, earning a curious look from Jo. “Just ran into America’s sweetheart,” he explained.
Jo checked him over carefully, lips quirking up slightly. “Well, I don’t see any blood, but do you need help with the body disposal?”
“Maybe I had more restraint than I thought,” Jack quipped back, shrugging as he relayed his patrol to her.
“Yeah, I had a complaint earlier that Curie Dry Cleaners had refused service to a customer,” Jo said when he finished. “When I pressed to find out the reason Callie had given her, the woman suddenly was no longer interested in making a complaint. We probably should make sure businesses have a ‘right to refuse service’ sign up so we don’t get anyone trying to press charges against someone like Callie.”
“Good idea,” Jack agreed. “I don’t think Eureka’s ever needed anything like that.”
“All courtesy of Eva Thorne,” Jo remarked, shaking her head in annoyance. “Carter, that woman’s going to destroy this town, one way or another.”
“She does seem…” Jack trailed off, wondering. “Reckless. Getting reckless. Wonder what’s down in that bunker.” He didn’t realize he’d been speaking aloud until he saw Jo’s look. “Sorry, I’ll talk with Nathan or Allison about it later.”
“I’ll do a round through town, talk to Callie and the business owners before I head home,” Jo said, checking the wall clock. “It’s almost 6 anyway, you could knock off and leave the emergency line up if you want.”
“Nah, I’ll stick around, try to finish up the paperwork from Benchley and Harlin,” Jack told her, shrugging. “Have a good night, Jo.”
“See you tomorrow, Carter,” she replied before heading out the door. He returned to the paperwork (murder generated a surprising amount less than GD accidents, but it was still a ridiculously large amount.)
Half an hour later, the phone rang. “Carter,” he answered absently.
“You still at the station?” Nathan demanded, and Jack blinked, double checking that he’d picked up the land line.
“Uh, given that you called me at the station,” Jack began, but Nathan cut him off.
“Jo gone?”
“Yeah, I’m just finishing paperwork,” Jack replied, starting to get a little worried. “Nathan, is everything okay?”
“Stay put, I’ll be there in a few,” Nathan ordered him before abruptly hanging up.
Jack looked over the paperwork, sighing and sticking it in a file and shoving it in a drawer. He doubted he’d be finishing it if GD had another crisis to deal with, he decided, which was just icing on an already crummy day. He put his gun belt on the desk, just in case he needed it, then tried to settle in to wait patiently. He was up and pacing between the desks after a few seconds.
Nathan burst into the station a few minutes later, locking the door behind him, glaring at Jack. “You went off on Eva?” He sounded slightly strangled, and Jack shrugged.
“Yeah, a little, I guess,” he admitted. “Though Zoë told me you kept your cool so I guess maybe I could have…” he trailed off, suddenly remembering something. “Oh. Guess I should have been up to see you a while ago, huh?”
“You think?” Nathan demanded, grabbing hold of Jack’s uniform and tugging him into a brutal kiss. “Fuck, Jack, do you know how long this thing’s been driving me crazy?”
“Guess you should work on your control,” Jack quipped between kisses, earning a sharp bite to his lower lip. Nathan pushed him back hard, his back hitting jail bars, as Nathan tugged his shirt open, hands trying to scrabble their way to bare skin. Jack gave in a little, helping Nathan tug the shirts off, before he started after Nathan’s shirt buttons.
“Unh uh,” he heard Nathan growl before the taller man used his size to help him gain the upper hand, spinning Jack around roughly. “You could have been up at GD an hour ago, Nathan reminded him, wrestling Jack’s arms up and cuffing them to the bars with Jack’s own handcuffs, hooked high above his head.
“Fuck, sorry, Nathan,” Jack managed, groaning slightly when Nathan slowed, hands groping his erection through his pants. Nathan stepped away, and Jack heard the snap of the station window blinds, the room growing dark. A moment later, Nathan had returned, shoving Jack’s pants and briefs to his ankles, leaving the fabric constricting around them.
“No, you’re not sorry, not yet,” Nathan chuckled, stroking Jack’s erection, making Jack moan slightly. “You do it on purpose?”
“No, I really forgot she planned to do that,” Jack admitted, arching as far as the bars would let him into the strokes. “Not that I mind the outcome.”
“I’ve been hard since lunch, desperate,” Nathan reminded him, withdrawing his hand. “And put in an hour of over time,” he added. “I think I’ll have to claim time and a half.”
Jack didn’t have long to puzzle it out before Nathan’s hand landed on his ass with a solid crack, making him groan. “Seriously, 90?” he asked, and Nathan chuckled.
“What’s wrong, Jack, I’ve taken more,” Nathan replied mercilessly. “Don’t come, either,” he added, before he wrapped an arm around Jack’s midsection, lifting him slightly away from the press of the bars before he started spanking Jack in earnest.
Jack wasn’t convinced Nathan was actually counting, his spanks quick and surprisingly softer than Jack’s own were when their roles were reversed. It ached pleasantly, so by the time Nathan stopped, kneeling down to rub at the reddened flash, Jack was even harder, feeling a little desperate. “God, please fuck me, Nathan,” he begged, relieved when Nathan’s big hands parted his cheeks a moment later, then worked a slick finger in.
“Gonna take you tight,” Nathan warned him, withdrawing the finger and Jack heard the zipper of his jeans.
“Bare,” he said suddenly, surprised when Nathan paused, processing. They’d always been safe, resorting to blow jobs and hand jobs if they hadn’t had a condom, so Jack’s request was unusual. “Want you in me, want to feel you come in me,” Jack continued, knowing Nathan had a kink for dirty talk from both him and Allison. “You got me chained and at your mercy, claim me,” he murmured, crying out as Nathan’s slick cock slid into him suddenly, stretching him ruthlessly.
“Mine,” Nathan snarled, hips snapping once, pumping deeper into Jack, leaving him feeling full and desperate.
“Left you aching all day though,” Jack reminded him, groaning when Nathan withdrew almost all the way and slammed into him again, hands finding a good purchase on Jack’s body by curling into his hips now.
He didn’t feel like it got any easier to take Nathan’s cock as Nathan began to pump into him faster, erection jumping a little with each thrust filling him. “Please, can I—” he started, and one of Nathan’s hand snaked low, squeezing his erection warningly.
“Not yet,” Nathan groaned, unbelievably thrusting harder. “Fuck, Jack, so tight, can’t even slide your legs open for me this way, can you? Feels so good,” he gasped, hands suddenly sliding up Jack’s torso to his chest, fingers pinching and making Jack gasp in a quick flare of pain and pleasure. “Want me to slow down, let you spread yourself open for me?” Nathan asked, but Jack didn’t get the impression he would actually do it.
“God no,” he managed to reply, shuddering as Nathan sped up once again, fucking him ruthlessly. “Close,” he finally gasped, and this time, Nathan nodded against his shoulder, permission implicit. Jack tumbled over the edge, suddenly feeling boneless as Nathan continued fucking him, a handful of thrusts more before everything suddenly felt hot and shuddery, Nathan coming hard in him, head collapsing against his shoulder.
It was several moments before Nathan pulled slowly back out of Jack, but before Jack could adjust, cool, slick plastic, the girth alone telling him it’s not the toy he and Allison picked out, slid into place. “You think you’re the only one who makes kinky plans?” Nathan asked him, voice soft next to his ear as he fumbled the cuffs open. Jack stumbled back a little as his arms came down, but Nathan caught him easily, hugging him close for a long moment.
“Zoë’s staying at Pilar’s tonight,” Jack finally said once he was breathing normally again.
“You really inviting me to keep going?” Nathan asked, fingers splaying wide for a moment over Jack’s chest and abdomen.
“Hell, no, I’m going to bend you over my couch and fuck you until you don’t know your own name,” Jack replied, though he was already planning how he’d throw the second round of wrestling.
“You can try,” Nathan replied dryly. “It sounds like a good plan, your ass up over the couch, me fucking you until you scream.”
“This dominance thing cuz you behaved all day?” Jack guessed, letting Nathan help him back into his pants, before reaching out and stopping him from zipping up his own. Jack wiggled his own hand down the back of Nathan’s boxers, grinning when his fingers found the plastic knob. “Mistress Allison joining us tonight?”
“No nanny,” Nathan replied, his lips quirking down a little in disappointment, then smirking as something occurred to him. “No, you’re on your own, Jack, no backup, and I won’t be letting you win.”
Jack pretended to sigh, and then decided he probably had it coming. He had left Nathan on his own for an extra hour. “Let’s go home then,” he replied, turning to pick up his shirts, surprised when Nathan tugged him back into an embrace, hands tracing his stomach muscles gently.
“This submissive thing because you didn’t behave?” Nathan guessed, and Jack shrugged, letting his head roll back as Nathan’s fingers traced their way up his throat.
“Hell if I know, Nathan,” Jack groaned, enjoying the kiss Nathan pressed to the hollow of his throat. “Just need it.”
“We’re all going to make sure Kevin and Zoë are safe, protected,” Nathan reassured him, repeating the gentle kiss and making Jack’s eyes close, relief settling in that Nathan had pegged the reason so well.
“Yeah, and I think I like the reminder that you can sometimes outwrestle me right now,” Jack admitted, arching a little as Nathan’s hands slid down his torso.
“Finish getting dressed and we can get back to the bunker,” Nathan finally said, swatting Jack’s ass and making him yelp.
