(Jack, Joe - 10/16)

[echolls_cursed]

So, okay, he hadn't gone to see the dinosaurs, but he had gone up to the mountain. It hadn't been a long trip or a long stay. Gone on Tuesday, back by Thursday morning. Nothing monumental or exciting had happened, and whatever it was he'd been hoping to find out there hadn't been found.

Still, Linus had enjoyed the trip, and a few days away from the world had helped clear his head a little.

The hut was starting to get a little untidy again, but he made no move to clean anything up, dumping his bag out on the table and tossing the dirty laundry in a pile in the corner before putting down the food he'd grabbed for Linus at the compound when he'd stopped off for a shower.

In fact, his hair was still damp, and when he heard someone head up the steps to his stilted hut he raked his fingers through it, causing it to stand on end as he glanced over to see who it was.

Comments

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack didn't say anything for a minute. Or the next minute. He watched the way Logan sat and the mango as he tossed it, finally looking down at his feet as he leaned heavily against the door.

"John. Monday morning. In bed. Right...right out of my arms." Short words stated plainly, as if giving a report would help him keep the facts from eating at him.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan's glib indifference faded as Jack spoke, the mango abandoned on the table as he watched Jack and then glanced away. There was a feeling of sorrow lurking in his gut, though he wasn't mourning the loss of the man. Hell, Logan struggled to mourn people he knew and loved, there wasn't much chance of him mourning a stranger.

No, the sorrow he felt was for Jack, and he opened his mouth to apologize before shutting it tightly again.

'I'm sorry', never brought anyone back.

Instead he got to his feet, slowly making his way over to Jack, and resting his hand lightly on the other man's arm.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

It took a moment to compose himself, something made harder by the gentle contact. "I've kept track, you know," he continued softly. "It's got to be some kind of cosmic fucking joke...he's the hundredth person I gave a shit about who has vanished."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

It was on the tip of Logan's tongue to suggest that maybe he just cared about too many people, but even Logan knew now wasn't the time to start spitting venom for no good reason. Jack was hurting, and though part of him still didn't understand why he cared, he did.

"It's just how this place is, you know? It hurts you however it can. It's like it looks for a weakness and just goes for it," he said quietly.

"Jack, I... I'm sorry," he said finally, letting the words out even though he knew they wouldn't help, simply because he was. He really was.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack nodded, pulling it all in and pushing it all down. He'd deal with it in his own time, a little at a time...or not at all. He was torn between grieving for yet another person who had left him behind and being grateful that he didn't have to worry about John unleashing on the island population.

"Thanks," he said, then swallowed hard. He turned his head and closed his eyes as he kissed Logan softly.

"Anyway," he continued, "it's not just a headcount. I sort of missed you."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Returning the kiss, Logan's hand slid lightly down Jack's arm before falling away. "Only sort of?" he asked lightly, going for playful but still sounding slightly concerned.

He let the topic of John drop for the time being though. If Jack wasn't ready to talk about it, Logan wouldn't drag it out of him.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Only sort of," he confirmed, but managed a smile that gave him away. He pushed off the door and took a step so he could pivot and face Logan. His hands moved of their own accord, finding the solid warmth of his waist and Jack held on more tightly than he'd intended.

"You fell asleep before I could tell you to watch your ass out there."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, I was pretty tired, man. Can't imagine why," He smirked, his own hand moving to rest on Jack's shoulder before slipping up to cup the back of his neck gently. "You should be proud, it takes a lot to wear me out."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"That almost sounds like another challenge," he replied, leaning in to kiss him again. He wasn't particularly interested in sex but it felt good to touch and be touched. To just be close with someone who wasn't off limits and wasn't hurt by John's absence almost as much as Jack.

Logan wasn't his first choice of people to go to, hadn't been his second choice either. But holding onto him and feeling the line of his body so close, Jack thought he might just be the best choice.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"Not a challenge, not today," Logan replied between kisses, his fingers combing through the hair at the back of Jack's neck. "I've been hiking all day, wouldn't take much to knock me out tonight."

He kissed Jack again, softer this time, and gently tugged him further into the room. "Don't take this the wrong way, but... you look like crap. I was going to put my pajamas on, lay down for a while. You should join me. I'll even lend you something to wear if you want," he offered.

Logan was hardly the cuddly sort, and yet there he was, offering to share his bed for something as innocent as simply laying there in peace together. It was unusual. Enough so that even he looked a little surprised when he said it.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"I never wear anything to bed," Jack replied, following along willingly. "Sleep might not be a bad idea. I've been running a lot."

Once he'd crossed the threshold of Logan's bedroom, he pulled off his shirt. He'd never bothered to go to the clinic after Logan and then after John, and when he got up Monday morning it had been the last thing on his mind. All it meant for him was that he still had bruised ribs and vicious scratches across his back. The scratches continued to his ass when he pulled his jeans off and his knees were both bruised and scraped. It really wasn't much worse than any other fight he'd ever been in, and considering the majority of the damage was from John, he'd gotten off lightly. He'd even had a few days to heal up on his own.

"If you want me to wear something, though, I will."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan had turned away to undress, tossing his shirt aside and shedding his old ripped jeans and replacing them with a pair of simple gray pajama bottoms as he spoke and slowly turned to face the other man again.

"You don't have to wear anything, I just-"

He stopped as he took in all the bruises and marks, a sight he was becoming far too accustomed to when it came to Jack.

"Jesus," he said softly, his eyes wandering over every mark before finally flicking up to meet Jack's. "I mean, no, you can wear as little as you want," he finished awkwardly.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Looks bad, huh?" he asked, looking down and brushing his fingers across one of the darker bruises. "It's not. And, you know, once they're gone I don't think I'll have to worry about looking like this on a daily basis anymore if I don't get to the clinic to use the nanos to keep it all...secret."

He idly scratched his chest, then throat, then moved to the bed. He hadn't lied when he told Logan that he liked his bed. At the moment it was the most inviting bed on the island.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan nearly asked if he'd miss it, but that sounded strange, even in his head. So instead he simply nodded, nearly reaching out to touch one but in the end simply sat down on the mattress. He sat like that for a long moment, his feet dangling over the side, but eventually he lay down, stretching out and rolling onto his side to face Jack.

"Sometimes you really make my head hurt, you know that?" he asked softly.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack laid on his back and curled an arm behind his head as he turned to look at Logan.

"You're not the first person to tell me that," he remarked.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan looked at the scratches and bruises again, trying to work out which were his and which belonged to the man Jack had warned him to stay away from. Eventually he reached out, running the pad of his finger along one of the darker cuts, still healing and still an angry red. It wasn't one of his, and he studied it curiously before speaking again.

"I thought about you, while I was gone," he admitted quietly. "Just the first night. I was laying there, just wondering what you were doing. Who you were doing. If I'd known... If I'd thought something was going to happen, I would have stuck around. I dunno if you'd have wanted me here, but I would have stayed."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Something like him vanishing? Or something like him putting a gun to my head?" he asked evenly. "Look, Logan..."

He sighed and looked back at the ceiling for a second, then closed his eyes.

"It was always violent. Before. Here. He and I...I don't know. It was just starting to be nice, sometimes. For a minute or two. Usually it was a fight just to see who'd wind up bloody first. That day? On the beach? When I finally went home, he broke my nose."

Jack lifted his arm, bent it, and lowered his elbow, just barely touching Logan's nose before fluidly pulling it behind his head as well.

"God, I hate this place sometimes. If he'd had enough time he could have gotten clean. Maybe found some...peace."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan didn't mean to, but he flinched when Jack raised his arm, forcing himself not to react as the other man's elbow brushed his nose. Though it was out of habit rather than a lack of trust, and it took him a moment to settle back in as he listened to Jack talk.

"You don't know that," he said quietly. "Some people can't change. Hell, some people don't want to. For all you know, it could have just gotten worse. Look, I'm not saying it's wrong to miss him, I get that, I do, better than you probably think even, but you have to really ask yourself if it would have been better to have him here. All the things he did to you... your friends could have been next."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"Why do you think I've never once asked you back to my place, Logan?" he asked, then answered immediately. "Because that was my biggest fear. Tosh and Jackson, Ianto, the Doctor. Alcuin."

He sighed because the list just kept going.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

"I know, I know, man, I'm just making a point," Logan said quietly, struggling to be helpful.

"Sorry, look, I'm not really good with this sort of thing. I'm probably the worst person on the island to talk to about losing someone, or... I dunno, anything bad. I'm not good at offering sympathy, even when I am sympathetic."

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

"You're doing fine," Jack assured him. "I do masochism and brooding so well, sympathy kind of bounces off."

He was more interested in the solid presence of Logan's body, anyhow. He inched closer until he was pressed tight against him before he turned his face toward him again.

"You could just kiss me. That works every single time."

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Logan squirmed a little, pressing closer and laughing softly, a low and breathless sound that wasn't very joyful. "Yeah?" he said quietly, leaning in a little and brushing his lips against Jack's jaw, and then sighing as he turned his head and caught his lips instead.

Kissing he could do. Kissing was easy.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

He uncurled an arm to drape it around Logan's shoulders as he kissed him slowly. It was tender and gentle and soft and everything that kissing John wasn't--even if he didn't dwell on the why or how behind any given kiss with any person on the island--and he sighed softly into it. He whispered Logan's name against his lips and tipped his head, perfectly content with slow lips and light touches.

[echolls-cursed.livejournal.com]

Letting his lips travel lower, Logan kiss Jack's jaw and neck, his chin and cheeks... Soft brushes of lips that were meant to be comforting more than anything else.

His hand rested lightly against the other man's chest, and his fingers traced light patterns as he slid his hand lower and then higher, exploring and touching everything in reach.

[captainjack.livejournal.com]

Jack tilted his head back, offering up his throat for more. For anything, really. He'd never wanted to be able to just focus on the sensations sparked by lips and fingers more than right now.

"This...this is good," he murmured as he drew slow circles with his fingertips against Logan's shoulder. "Better than words."