There was always a look of sadness to Jack's eyes when the Doctor talked about him like that. He hated being reminded that to the Doctor he was little more than a walking, talking problem that he couldn't fix. He shook his head and stepped close to the Doctor, placing a hand on his shoulders and giving him a smile. "I'm glad you're not alone, too." His voice was soft with a note of understanding.
"You're too manic to be left by yourself, you know. But if you need anything... someone to talk to, if you want me on the opposite end of the TARDIS for a while... I can do that. I just need you to talk to me about it. I can't read minds. I don't know what's going on in your head, and while I'm not... scared about it, exactly..." his smile faded, replaced with a concerned look. "It's troubling. I want to make sure you're okay. It's been hard, I know."
"Troubling. Yeah. That's a good word." The Doctor avoided meeting Jack's eyes, instead blinking as he looked to the side, rubbing his earlobe between two fingers. "I don't know if he'll wake up or if he'll just stay like this and I don't know which prospect I find more troubling." He sighed and finally turned his head, looking right at Jack. "I just need to get somewhere already. Terrible, isn't it? All pent up in here. But I can't really risk it. Can't risk anything right now, not until..." Lifting his shoulders a bit in a half-shrug he smiled. "Y'know."
"Well, if it makes things better, he's cuffed down. Not sure he'd be going anywhere even if he did wake up while you were gone." Jack shrugged one of his shoulders and slipped his hands into the pockets of his trousers. "He's vain. He's not going to risk mutilation to escape. He's not a fox. But we'll know soon... and when we do, we can make plans from there. But until that time... we've gotta be patient, no matter how stir-crazy we get."
There was a bit of slyness that came to Jack's lips when he smiled. "Or if you get bored, I've been known to entertain handsome men from time to time. I'm sure a handsome Time Lord wouldn't be too different." Mostly a joke, just to lighten the tension.
There was a look of plain confusion for a moment, before it shifted into a slight blush accompanied by a smile that did betray some vanity. Handsome, huh? Well, he could see that. Of course, Jack flirted all the time, but in this situation the compliment had still managed to catch the Doctor off-guard.
Which made him actually think about it and that finally just led to him chuckling with a slight shake of his head. "Oh, great idea. Let's just nab over to the console room and get right to it, shall we? There's something bound to wake him."
The remark actually caught Jack off guard. He wasn't exactly used to the Doctor flirting back with him. Still, he wouldn't be Jack Harkness if he didn't meet it with his signature charm. He closed the distance between himself and the Doctor, taking one hand and wrapping it around him to pull him against Jack's half-naked body.
"Don't tempt me. Don't think I haven't had that very same train of thought at least once." With a grin, he leaned close to his ear to whisper, "To have you bent over that console, screaming my name while I took you into ecstasy? Yeah, the thought occurred to me once or twice."
Alright. Woah. That was a lot of Jack very close suddenly. A lot of skin and how had his hand come to be pressed against Jack's chest anyway? The Doctor's eyes were wide even before the whisper and then he just stayed silent for a few seconds, wondering if he just imagined his hearts beating that fast.
Finally he cleared his throat, taking a step backward and ever so gently trying to pull his hand out of Jack's grip. He should have foreseen this, he really should have, yet somehow... He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and ran his hand through his hair. Better. Good. "Oh, Ecstasy is horrid this time of the year. Terrible climate, really."
Jack had honestly expected as much, and let the Doctor go without any fighting him. Harmless flirting, and of course his advances had been deflected with a joke. Jack stepped back and turned to find his shirt. "Too bad. I'd heard such nice things, too. Oh well, maybe another time. Wouldn't want the TARDIS to get jealous, after all." He winked and smiled back at him. He never really expected to be taken up on his offers, anyway. Not by the Doctor, at least. Still one of the only people who could manage to deflect him that well. Damn.
"Oh, she wouldn't. She likes you." That much was true, at least. Probably because she felt responsible, too. And there was a shadow over his face.
"I'm sorry. For everything." Everything Jack had become and been through because of him. His first death, his revival, the vortex energy burning inside him, the constant of his existence and all the suffering it had put him through. The year with the Master and all the pain it had caused him, all because of his loyalty to the man ultimately responsible for all of it. "You're impossible, you know?"
There was a slight smile before he continued. "And I don't mean... you know, all that. I mean how you haven't punched me yet."
Jack's smile faded when the tone of the conversation changed so suddenly. Why was he apologising? Jack wasn't entirely sure, though he had a pretty good idea so far... He didn't want him to feel sad or responsible for what had happened to him, but he couldn't help the fact that the closure did feel nice. He pulled the shirt on and started fastening the buttons, finding it somewhat hard to look at the Doctor without feeling awkward.
"There's no reason to," he said. "I'm not going to punch you, Doctor. You haven't done anything to deserve it. In fact, it was you that kept me sane the last year. If I didn't have the hope that you would fix everything in the end... I don't know what I would have done. I knew that he hadn't killed you, so I knew everything would work out." He shrugged and sighed. "And if I hadn't come chasing after you, none of this would have happened. So if anyone deserves to get punched, it's probably me."
"Punch you? Do I look like I want to bruise my hand?" There, maybe a joke would lighten the mood again, at least end the spiral of guilt he was on. Besides, Jack was almost dressed now, that should make this a bit less dangerous. One never knew when he might decide to just drop the towel and that would most definitely be awkward.
"If there's anything you need, just... You know, let me know. Or tell the TARDIS, I think the old girl has a crush on you anyway."
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"You're too manic to be left by yourself, you know. But if you need anything... someone to talk to, if you want me on the opposite end of the TARDIS for a while... I can do that. I just need you to talk to me about it. I can't read minds. I don't know what's going on in your head, and while I'm not... scared about it, exactly..." his smile faded, replaced with a concerned look. "It's troubling. I want to make sure you're okay. It's been hard, I know."
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There was a bit of slyness that came to Jack's lips when he smiled. "Or if you get bored, I've been known to entertain handsome men from time to time. I'm sure a handsome Time Lord wouldn't be too different." Mostly a joke, just to lighten the tension.
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Which made him actually think about it and that finally just led to him chuckling with a slight shake of his head. "Oh, great idea. Let's just nab over to the console room and get right to it, shall we? There's something bound to wake him."
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"Don't tempt me. Don't think I haven't had that very same train of thought at least once." With a grin, he leaned close to his ear to whisper, "To have you bent over that console, screaming my name while I took you into ecstasy? Yeah, the thought occurred to me once or twice."
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Finally he cleared his throat, taking a step backward and ever so gently trying to pull his hand out of Jack's grip. He should have foreseen this, he really should have, yet somehow... He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and ran his hand through his hair. Better. Good. "Oh, Ecstasy is horrid this time of the year. Terrible climate, really."
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"I'm sorry. For everything." Everything Jack had become and been through because of him. His first death, his revival, the vortex energy burning inside him, the constant of his existence and all the suffering it had put him through. The year with the Master and all the pain it had caused him, all because of his loyalty to the man ultimately responsible for all of it. "You're impossible, you know?"
There was a slight smile before he continued. "And I don't mean... you know, all that. I mean how you haven't punched me yet."
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"There's no reason to," he said. "I'm not going to punch you, Doctor. You haven't done anything to deserve it. In fact, it was you that kept me sane the last year. If I didn't have the hope that you would fix everything in the end... I don't know what I would have done. I knew that he hadn't killed you, so I knew everything would work out." He shrugged and sighed. "And if I hadn't come chasing after you, none of this would have happened. So if anyone deserves to get punched, it's probably me."
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"If there's anything you need, just... You know, let me know. Or tell the TARDIS, I think the old girl has a crush on you anyway."