neverwouldiever | Valiantly Living On.

The Doctor didn't protest, given he had just invaded Jack's privacy and the general grief the whole situation was giving the man, he could share his ice cream with him. Of course, then suddenly that was most definitely a mouth on his finger and his eyes widened. He definitely wasn't sure what to make of that, not in combination with Jack's stare. He had to be doing this on purpose. No one brought that much heat into one's eyes without being very aware of it.

After swallowing he stretched his hand out, suddenly bringing as much distance between himself and the cone as possible. "You can finish it off, if you'd like."

At least the Doctor seemed to understand that this wasn't just playful for him. Was this his outright denial of him? If that were the case, he'd better run from the room and soon. "No, it's fine," he purred, pulling back and licking his lips clean. "I just wanted a taste. It's very cold. Very sweet. You've got good taste, Doctor." He sat back a little, watching him closely.

"You and the Master seem like you were close at one point. Did you two ever sleep together?" He was a little afraid of the answer, but he had to know where to start from and what to expect. "Do you love him, Doctor?"

The Doctor pulled the cone back, giving it an almost petulant lick while he watched Jack, at a complete loss of what to do about this situation. Blatant flirting, sure, but usually he had an easier time thinking of a way to dissuade Jack. And then Jack asked those questions and his stomach was in knots for completely different reasons.

"He's lost himself. How could anyone love a man like that?" He shook his head and looked at the ice cream as if it would give him any hints about what to say. Unsurprisingly, it didn't.

Master of dodging questions. That had been a thing he'd noticed about the Doctor whenever Jack wanted answers. He sighed a little and leaned in closer to him, his voice growing somewhat darker. "So you did. At least at one point. You didn't answer my question, Doctor." His eyes made sure to wait until he had the Doctor's gaze. "Did you two have sex? It's okay to tell me. I'm not going to judge you. After all, you said he was a different person back then. If he was handsome, why wouldn't you?"

"If I truly cared that much about people being handsome, I'd be having sex with you right now, wouldn't I? On this bed. Or maybe against the wall. I don't know, wherever I could best bask in your handsomeness, I reckon." There, maybe that would make Jack think of something other than grilling him about the Master. Any topic was easier than that. The Doctor licked his ice cream, deciding that keeping his mouth busy was probably the best way to get out of answering. Couldn't talk like that, could he?

"So you think I'm handsome." It wasn't a question; the Doctor had outright said it. He was right, it was a good distraction. "I could, you know. If you wanted. I could have you against the wall, on the desk, bent over the bed, on your knees, in the shower..." Clearly, there had been thought put into this.

He let his words trail off, leaning in close to the Doctor when he decided to busy himself with his cone, tilting his head as one normally might for a kiss. However, Jack's lips parted and curved round the half of the ice cream nearest to him. He made sure to moan and give a slow, almost obscene sucking sound when he pulled back.

"I would do it in an instant."

"Well, now you're just stealing my ice cream, that's not very attractive." He cleared his throat with a cough, doing a pretty bad show of not being affected while he wasn't even sure how he was affected. There was some mildly triumphant feeling over his distraction actually having worked, but on the other hand the Doctor wasn't entirely convinced whether this topic was really so much more harmless.

"How often do you think about stuff like that? Just curious, mind."

"You said I could finish it off, before. All I did was take another bite." He smirked, easily noticing the signs that maybe he'd caught the Doctor off guard. The question was only a little surprising, not used to the Doctor talking about that stuff with him, much less at all.

"Why? Does it make you uncomfortable?" Jack let one of his hands rest against the Doctor's thigh, squeezing it gently. "Lately, it's been all the time. It's been a while for me, and having you so close to me has been driving me mad." Jack laughed softly. "What do you think I was thinking about when you barged in?" Without waiting for the Doctor to answer, he decided to divulge. "I was imagining your legs wrapped around my waist, and you screaming for me while I fucked you into this bed."

"I don't know. I suppose I thought you would be thinking about sexy people." Whoever those people where and whatever that elusive adjective 'sexy' really meant. The Doctor smiled, although he kept looking at the ice cream, taking it all into his mouth again, mostly to keep it safe from Jack. He wasn't sure what to do about the hand on his thigh. Jumping up seemed like an overreaction and yet...

He turned to look at the bed. "Well. It's good to know I'm so enthusiastic in your imagination."

He had to know that popping it into his mouth like that wasn't helping. In fact, watching him do that only made Jack groan. No use hiding it now that his fantasies were out in the open. "You were loving every second of it, trust me." The hand on the Doctor's leg swept upward, blatantly pressing his fingers and palm against the front of his trousers to search for the Doctor's cock. When he found it under there, he gave him a slow, loving squeeze.

"I've thought about loads of things. Sometimes it's me on the bed with my ankles on your shoulders. Sometimes I'm choking on your cock. Trust me, I've thought of all of it."

In all honesty, the Doctor really had no idea that anything about eating ice cream was anything but innocent. Although Jack's groan just then definitely alarmed him enough to give in an inkling. He might have drawn a conclusion, but then there was Jack's hand and that really became the primary concern very, very quickly.

The Doctor grabbed Jack's wrist and pulled his hand back. He knew he owed Jack for a lot of reason, but not quite enough to let himself be groped out of the blue.

"So. What about if we stop by somewhere? You can go to a bar, find... You know. Attractive people." This was all more than enough to make him blush, but he could handle this. Jack had needs, he had to consider that, especially given he didn't want him to leave.

There was a great deal of frustration on Jack's face when the Doctor removed his hand. He honestly should have expected that, but still, it was less than ideal. He pulled back and away from him, leaning back on one hand and using the other to pull at the roots of his hair.

"Maybe. I'd hate to leave you two alone, though." For more than just safety concerns, really. He looked down at the Doctor, a somewhat concerned look on his face.

"...Do you not think you're attractive?"

"Well, it wouldn't have to be for long, would it? I won't leave you stranded, if you're worried about that." Not that he could have blamed him if he was. Quite justified, on the whole, but things had changed. The Doctor didn't just feel as if he owed Jack, he felt as if he needed him. Which was all too scary a thought, because he always ended up losing. "I can be alone with him for a while. I can handle him, don't worry."

The question caught him a bit off-guard and he turned to look at Jack, blinking once. "I don't really know. I suppose I have my moments when I want to?" He shrugged and took a bite off the edge of the cone, lapping up the ice cream that threatened to spill.

Jack shook his head and brought his hand to rub the back of his neck, watching the Doctor closely. It was so frustrating watching him and not being able to touch him or kiss him or anything of the sort. "It's a bit more than that. You're a good looking man, and you've got brains, too. Brains are quite sexy."

His expression turned a little more serious, however, and he dropped his hand to lean back on that one as well. "You know I'd do just about anything for you, right? If you wanted it, I'd do it. It's really the only reason I'm putting up with him. You like him, and I want to honour that. Were it up to me, he'd have been caged, gagged, and probably executed ages ago."

"Sexy? You think? Those squishy things? I mean, your brain's kind of small, comparatively speaking, but I don't know about mine being any sexier." He knocked his forehead, but of course - big brain and all - he had gotten what Jack actually meant and so he had no problem with turning more serious himself as well.

"I know that, Jack." The Doctor glanced to the side, taking another bite of his cone and sighing. "And I know it's difficult and this is the last place you'd want to be at. I just want you to live your life happily, really." He rubbed his face and as he lowered his hand he looked at Jack again. "But I am happy you're here. Grateful. Just..." He shrugged. "You remind me that there are others out there. That he's not right about the world."

"You can't let him get to you, Doctor." Jack let his head fall lazily on his own shoulder. "I know it's hard.. trust me, I know. But you can't let it upset you.. you can't let him win and corrupt you. I don't know what I'd do if you lost that brilliant, beautiful mind." It would be a dark day for the universe indeed.

"I don't mind being here, really... It's just him. I can't keep myself from thinking about all of the things he did... the horrible things he did to me, and to you. I don't... I don't want to have to think about that. But I can't help it." He reaches a hand out and places it on the Doctor's leg. "I worry about you. You're too strong. you don't have to keep letting the things he says pile up and pile up. I want to help you. You just need to tell me how."

"It was my idea to save him and my idea to take him on board and despite everything I'm still so very glad he's here. I don't know if there's any way to help me." The Doctor shrugged and, while he finished his ice cream cone, he laid back on the bed. After a moment he placed his hand on top of Jack, looking at the ceiling as he licked some crumbs off his lips.

"I left him behind. Way back when. He wasn't done with Gallifrey yet and I so very much was. I just wanted to see the universe. So I... I borrowed a TARDIS and took off with my granddaughter. Never really looked back." The Doctor shrugged, his eyes not just serious. Sad. "Now it's all gone. And only he's left. I couldn't leave him behind again."

The Doctor had had a granddaughter? It was so hard to see the Doctor for the age he really was and not the age he looked, and that perhaps it was one of the older Doctors.. one of the many faces he'd had. Jack understood about family, about abandoning. He turned his hand to hold the Doctor's, looking sad right along with him.

"I've got a grandson too. Sweet, smart boy. He's called Steven. Only, he doesn't know I'm his granddad. He thinks I'm his uncle. My daughter's brother." He laughed a little. "Not sure when he'll catch on... Maybe when his mum's gone grey and he's finished uni." He'd gotten off track.

Jack shook his head, determined to bring the conversation back around. "I understand. You want to do right by him. You feel guilty about abandoning him. Can't say I blame you, really.You want to save him... But Doctor, I'm not sure he can be."

"Mhm. We travelled together for a while." The Doctor wasn't sure what else to say to that, so he just tightened his hold on Jack's hand and, after a few moments, lifted it to his lips so he could kiss it, ever so similar to the gesture Jack pulled off so well. He was fairly sure that from him it was more awkward than suave, but at least it filled the silence while they thought about those left behind for whatever reason.

Those that left and those that got left and those that just didn't make it.

He sighed and closed his eyes, covering them with his arm. "I can't give him up. Not anymore than I can give myself up. I'm sorry, Jack. I'm selfish."

"I don't blame you," he said, smiling at the Doctor's sweet gesture. "I have a hard time giving things up, too." Jack laughed a bit and shrugged a shoulder. "I mean, I kept that old hand of yours for probably a bit too long, but it brought me good luck.

"I might hate him, but I have to know, Doctor... Do you think you two can be happy? I wouldn't dare leave you two if I knew you couldn't be happy with him." He especially couldn't leave him while the Master was still hell-bent on getting hold of the TARDIS and doing God knows what to her. She might not have wanted him to, but Jack was fairly certain that a Time Lord would be able to circumvent any of that. "He's a maniac. You have to know that."

"I believe it was in this very room not that long ago that you told me I'm too manic, wasn't it? In some ways we're not that different, him and I. Never have been. I suppose I was the disruptive influence." The Doctor ran his thumb over the back of Jack's hand, opening his eyes again. "I don't know about happy, Jack, but I told you before: I can look after myself. I'd not have taken him with me if I didn't think I could look after him, too. You don't have to stay to guard me, in any capacity."

He smiled briefly. "Not that I'm not grateful."

"You'll never bee like him," Jack says as though it were fact. "You could never be that cruel. Never." He pulled the Doctor's hand close, kissing the top of it, as if somehow he might absorb the thought via osmosis.

"I know you can, Doctor, but he's clever... I don't want him getting to you." He squeezed the Doctor's hand and looked to him with pleading eyes. "Please don't throw me out. Not yet. You might not need me, exactly, but I don't think I'm done needing you yet, either."

"I'm not throwing you out! I just don't want you staying for the wrong reasons." The Doctor frowned and sat up, rubbing his face in frustration. "Not that I know what a right reason would be these days. Not a lot of adventuring getting done like this, eh?" He shot him a rueful smile and then he just reached out to comb some of Jack's hair away from his face.

"I know his presence is hard on you. If there's anything I can do that's not connected to things I won't do to him... You just have to say." He leaned forward and kissed Jack's cheek. Then he paused and kissed him again, this time a lot closer to his mouth. He had no idea what he was doing. "Alright?"

Well that was certainly a start. The initial kiss had actually quite surprised Jack. He hadn't seen it coming and thought it a little odd of the Doctor. He was only trying to comfort him, he thought, until the second kiss came along. Jack turned in toward the kiss, his gaze flitting between the Doctor's lips and his eyes.

"Would you stay with me tonight?" he asked, his voice soft. He shifted his head, affectionately bumping his nose against the Doctor's. Sure it was forward, but who was Jack if that wasn't part of his character? "You don't have to but... it would be rather nice..."

"Er. Sure, I suppose." The Doctor wrinkled his nose feeling out of his element in ways he definitely didn't like. But on the other hand the way his hearts fluttered... There was something about this all that made him feel... Feel young, really. Not all that unpleasant, all in all. Maybe Jack made him think of Rose or maybe it really was just Jack. Stranger things had happened. Not so strange at all, all things considered.

"We can do a sleepover. Maybe you'll get some actual sleep that way." He wasn't an idiot. He knew what Jack intended with the question. But, well. He really didn't know about that.

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