Jack

[logan_echolls]

Christmas was well in the past now, and Logan had settled into the new year. Things with Jack were- Well, they were as normal as he could hope, though things were still strange. There was no easy way to just get over learning some other him had lived some other life- With a man who was now his boss. Still, Logan had accepted that life was complicated, and he'd moved on as best as he could.

It was late now and most of the team had already left- But not Jack. Logan was certain the man never truly left work. Even when he said he was taking a night off, he was sure he was just working on something else. So after clicking off the lights in the record room he made his way to Jack's office, pushing open the unlocked door and leaning against the door frame.

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," he tutted. "Come on, we're going out," he decided.

Comments

[logan_echolls]

Logan's amusement faded.

"You're pissed. ...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left. I was just processing, I guess."

[im_torchwood]

"I'm not pissed, Logan," Jack said, finally looking up. "I don't know what I am, but it's nothing like angry. I promise."

[logan_echolls]

"What is it then? Talk to me," Logan said calmly. "What we're navigating is- It's not normal. We have to talk or we're both going to end up way off course."

[im_torchwood]

Jack let the photos fall and he looked at Logan.

"I don't want to screw this up," he said. "And I feel like that's all I'm doing."

[logan_echolls]

"How is me leaving you screwing up?" Logan asked.

[im_torchwood]

"Jack held up his hands and shrugged.

"I don't know. It just...I shouldn't have...I don't know."

[logan_echolls]

Logan rolled his eyes, putting the report down and getting to his feet.

He was heading for the door, then stopped.

"You're not always the cause. Most of the damage was already done a long time ago, Jack," he said, tapping the door frame with his knuckles before heading back down to the records room.

[im_torchwood]

Jack watched him go, then got back to his paperwork. Or he would have, if he could focus.

Maybe they just needed to try it again, once more from the top.

Around noon, Jack found Logan in the records room.

"Lunch?" he asked casually.

[logan_echolls]

"Uhhh... Can we eat here?" Logan asked, glancing up from his work. "I'm still sorting through some of the records that haven't been digitized yet."

[im_torchwood]

"Pizza or Chinese?" he asked. Both take aways were staples at Torchwood.

[logan_echolls]

"Salad?" Logan suggested, daring to sound hopeful. "I ate better in the mess hall than I do in London. I haven't seen green in days."

[im_torchwood]

"Salad? Salad. Okay," Jack chuckled and turned away to go place an order.

[logan_echolls]

Logan watched him go, considering him for a moment before returning to his work while they waited.

[im_torchwood]

Jack kept himself busy and went to the door when the delivery arrived.

"Food!" he called, knowing Logan would be the only one to answer the call. Jack had made sure everyone else was out doing things.

[logan_echolls]

Logan saved his work and wandered off to fing Jack.

"Oh, yes. Salad. Beautiful, healthy, boring, salad, " he smiled.

[im_torchwood]

"I don't know how you do that," he said. "It's an appetizer, not a meal."

For his part, Jack took a large slice of pizza.

[logan_echolls]

"It's a balance, Jack," Logan said. "Healthy now, bad later. Like a really boring dance."

[im_torchwood]

"That's a hell of a way to go through life. Dancing with salad," he snickered.

[logan_echolls]

"Eventually you have to stop dancing with fire, right?" Logan shrugged.

[im_torchwood]

Jack couldn't help but laugh at that. He loaded a paper plate with a couple slices, then went to the vintage sofa so he could eat.

[logan_echolls]

"It wan't panic this morning," he said, poking at his salad and looking over. "It was frustration."

[im_torchwood]

"Frustration?" Jack repeated, fearing the worst.

[logan_echolls]

"That I was there, and ready, and the universe wasn't," Logan said.

[im_torchwood]

"that's how it goes sometimes," he replied kindly. "I was afraid I was pushing you..."

[logan_echolls]

"You weren't," Logan said. "But it's good, in a way. It gives us time to get things straight. I'm not here to be a good time when you want one. We work together and this work involves a lot of trust. If we go here, I'm all in, Jack. So I need to know where you're at."