Eureka fic: "Altered Perceptions" (Jack/Nathan; NC-17)
Fandom: EUReKA
Title: Altered Perceptions
Rating: NC-17
Summary: A GD mishap becomes a blessing in disguise.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Property of SciFi, Andrew Cosby and Jamie Paglia.
Pairing/Characters: Jack Carter/Nathan Stark
Categories/Warnings: Assumes that S3 didn't happen, S2 AU of sorts, established relationship.
A/N: Written for smallfandomfest, with the prompt : Jack/Nathan, Jack can feel it when Nathan touches himself
A/N#2: Thanks to serene_quill for the beta help, and whom I also blame for this piece, because when I showed her the prompts for smallfandomfest, this one got the response "You better be writing this one." So I gave it a shot. Late present of sorts, too.
Nathan dusts himself off amongst the chaos, tugging at his suit jacket and smoothing out the sleeves. He spares a glance over at Jack, who looks relatively unhurt but doesn’t seem quite right. When he’s done fussing, he looks back at Jack, who hasn’t moved and is holding his arms out in front of himself, slightly bent and staring at them.
“Carter,” he barks out at the confused man for the benefit of the room around him. He hardly needs Jack’s usual antics right now, given that hiding in plain sight seems to be their current choice for how to handle their change in relationship. Things are changing fast enough already, and they don’t need to worry about how to deal with everyone’s reactions while they’re still trying to get their own footing.
Jack looks up with a bewildered expression, eyes unsure and something ominous stirs in Nathan’s stomach.
“Are you ok?” Generally when Jack and Fargo get that look on their faces, something is amiss. Or maybe 'impending disaster' is a better description. He has to keep himself from groaning.
Jack scuffs a toe on the floor and isn't quite looking at him as he responds. “Not sure… Were there any known side effects of that machine blowing up on us?”
“That ‘machine’ was measuring electrical impulses generated by nerve transmission, and no.”
Jack still looks uncomfortable, but his expression is not as worried as before. It's not quite consoling -- Jack is too much of a trouble magnet.
“You don’t feel anything, do you?”
“Feel anything?” He can’t help but raise an eyebrow at this comment. What now?
“Y’know, like… Never mind.” Jack frowns and fusses with his uniform, and Nathan doesn't like that Jack won't look at him. But he's not going to bother with it right this moment; there's too much going on to be worth making a public scene and taking a chance at revealing anything right now.
"Let’s get this done,” Jack says with a nod, leading them out of the lab. Nathan trails sufficiently behind for appearances, while taking in the view.
********
Later on they’re back in his office, and Jack’s taken residence across the desk from him, feet propped up on the edge of Nathan’s desk. He’s stopped arguing with Jack if there’s nobody else around, refusing to give into the needling because that would let Jack win. He’s not responsible for Jack’s churlish mood, and he’s not going to play into it either.
Nathan scrubs his face with his hands tiredly, and Carter nearly falls out of his chair, boots landing on the floor with a heavy thud.
“Ok, Jack, what the hell is going on?”
“I was about to ask you the same, scientist.”
“You’re the one falling out of chairs and panicking for no apparent reason, not me. What’s your problem?”
Jack’s face reddens, and he rubs the back of his neck. “I, uh, feel something on my skin.”
Nathan’s stomach drops. “What? Do you need a decon shower? Did something spill on you earlier? Do I need to take you to the infirmary to get scanned?”
“What? No. Dammit, Nathan. Not like that. Like something’s… touching me. Like a ghost. On my arms earlier and my face just now.”
"There are no such things as ghosts, Jack." Nathan looks him over with a critical eye, not seeing any outward signs of trauma or contamination, just Jack looking very uncomfortable. He steeples his fingers together, trying to think, and Jack jumps, staring down at his hands.
“What?”
“My fingers,” Jack says, staring down at them. “It’s touching my fingers.”
Nathan comes to the other side of the desk, looking Jack over carefully, and Jack frowns. “It stopped.”
Nathan picks up Jack’s hand gently, inspecting it for any imperfections. Everything seems fine - normal bloodflow, no cuts or bruising, no visible chemical contamination or other coatings. He touches Jack’s fingertips gently and finds nothing wrong besides the coil of desire that starts to burn at him just from touching Jack’s, long, elegant fingers. He feels a bit guilty that even a simple touch can set him off when he should be worrying about the effects of some hairbrained machine from Level 3 on Jack.
“Looks fine. Maybe you should be checked for concussion, you probably wouldn’t notice it with your head as hard as it is.”
Jack withdraws his hand and glares at him, and he can’t help but smile. Too easy sometimes. He leans against his desk, and Jack frowns. “What the…?” Jack squirms in the chair.
He frowns at Jack, absently scratching his beard in thought, and Jack jumps again. Jack’s hand moves to the same part of his own neck, rubbing as if that alone will preserve the feeling.
Nathan reaches out to the same spot, and Jack frowns, dropping his hand and baring his neck a bit more in silent invitation. Part of him is pleased that he’s not the only one who can’t control the impulse to feel the other’s touch, worried that it was just him. He has to resist stroking the smooth skin laid out right there for him, forcing himself to stay focused at the task at hand.
“I think maybe you should head to the infirmary. You could be reacting to something that we can’t see.” He doesn't like the feeling that creeps into his gut. Not at all.
“You’re not, and you were right there next to me. Does anything feel wrong with you?”
“No. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something wrong with you.”
“I’m fine!”
“You’re not. Would you prefer I called Allison instead? Maybe I should. She’ll drag your ass to the infirmary and save me the trouble.”
“Nathan!” Jack glowers at him.
He’s worried, but he can’t do anything about it or justify physically dragging Jack down to the infirmary yet. Most of the town is still convinced they hate each other, and it wouldn’t do them any good right now to do anything that will change that. They don’t need to be outing themselves to the town right now and don’t need all the chaos it would bring with it, especially if something is really wrong with Jack.
However, he doesn’t want Jack to just slip away without any evaluation, especially given how he’s been reacting. “How about Henry? He’s supposed to be by shortly to bring me some schematics anyway. Just let him look. Maybe he’ll have some ideas. Or maybe you’ll listen to him if he insists on a trip to the infirmary.” Jack frowns at him again.
“They’ll just poke me and tell me it’s all in my head and do nothing about it. What’s the point?”
Nathan sighs, not interested in arguing the point perpetually when there could be more efficient ways to get Jack to cooperate. He slides his hand up to Jack’s cheek, cupping it softly, and Jack angles his head into the touch.
“The point is to make sure you’re ok.” Jack snorts in quiet disagreement, and Nathan gives him a slight smile as he moves back to his chair. He looks down at his desk, tapping the desktop and typing on the virtual keyboard to bring up the schematics of the neuroanalysis machine, studying it for any potential flaws and known exposure effects.
He looks up and Jack is staring at his fingers again, looking back and forth between the fingers and him. He stops what he’s doing, and Jack’s expression changes again. Something in his mind clicks, and he decides to test a quick theory. He rubs his fingers and thumb together in slow circles, and Jack stares at the same hand, frowning. He moves his fingers up to his own earlobe, pinching tightly and ignoring the pain. Jack yelps, rubbing at his own ear.
Maybe he’s right, and somehow Jack is feeling echoes of Nathan’s touch on his body, except he doesn’t feel Jack’s on his skin. Jack doesn’t seem to have completely made the connection of Nathan’s movements to the feeling on his skin yet, and Nathan considers his next move.
He enters a quick security code for the office, tinting the glass and running the program he created to spoof the video and audio live feeds of the interior of his office for a few minutes. Jack’s still too absorbed in staring intently at his own hands to notice what Nathan’s done, and he smiles to himself. One last little test, and this one’s going to be a fun one. An experiment of his own.
Nathan slides his hand slowly below the line of sight for the desk and rubs a slow, deliberate hand over his own cock through his trousers. Jack jumps as if poked with a cattle prod, yelping again in surprise, and looking around the room frantically.
Nathan smiles. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…. Nothing. Just another feeling is all.”
“Oh, really?” He tries to project innocence, which is too easily accepted when Jack is as distracted as he is. He does it again, watching as Jack’s hips give the tiniest stutter jerk as he tries to act normally. “Is it worse? Are you sure you don’t want to go to the infirmary now?”
“No! Not… right now,” Jack says, a small blush starting to creep up onto his face.
As fun as playing with this is, something obviously happened with the neuroanalysis machine, and they need to figure out how to fix it. And get Jack checked out and ok with the situation in the meantime.
“Jack, watch me,” he tells Jack, who strangely enough, obeys without question. Nathan presses a fingernail into his arm and drags it slowly down, and Jack gasps, looking frantically between him and his arm.
“It’s you! But how? Do you feel me?”
“Nope. Just you causing the trouble. As usual.” Jack glares at him, but his expression softens as Nathan strokes his own arm in smooth, comforting motions, the sensations working to sooth Jack.
"Something must have happened with the experiment. Transference, most likely. Now will you go to the infirmary?"
Jack scoffs. "If I'm going, you're going. If it's really you making me feel things, you need to be looked at as much as me."
Nathan squeezes himself once again, drawing a line with his thumb down the head of his cock. Jack shifts in his seat and moans, glare softened by a flicker of desire.
"Ok, fine. I get it.... Jackass." Jack’s protest lacks vehemence, tempered by the slightest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It's you. But that means you're coming too."
Nathan gives him a curt nod, pleased with his acquiescence. He does have a point-- clearly there's something affecting both of them if he's projecting sensory information on to Jack. Someone has to transmit for the other to receive-- and he really hopes that he isn't transmitting to anyone else. The last thing he needs is to be broadcasting himself to everyone in his vicinity. Jack he can handle, but the idea of anyone else feeling something so intimate is disconcerting.
He activates his headset, summoning Fargo. "FARGO! Get everyone involved with the neuroanalysis project on Level 3 down to the infirmary right NOW. Henry, Zane and Allison too.... Don't question, just DO it. I don't care what it takes. Get. Them. There. Now."
His attention turns back to Jack, who is watching him with mild interest. He always does seem to enjoy watching Fargo get reduced to a squeaking mass at times.
“Awwww, scientist, you do care.” Jack flashes his usual carefree smile, but he can see the seriousness in his eyes.
He stands, leaving the comm link on his desk and walks over to Jack, who is up on his feet now too. “Yeah. Against my better judgment and clearly without any sanity, I do,” he says, smiling as he leans down to give Jack a soft kiss.
He smiles when Jack nips his lip in return.
**********
Nathan watches discreetly as Allison examines Jack, who frowns the whole time. As much as he hates being poked and prodded, he’s too kindhearted to get too upset.
“Honestly Ali, I told you, I don’t feel anything. Not from you, not from anything else. Just Stark.”
He can’t quite hear what Ali says back, but he can put together the pieces well enough from Jack’s response.
“Yeah, I know the great irony in that. Just the two of us are affected. You think Mr. Power Hungry over there is going to be able to handle himself with all the temptation? I wouldn’t put it above him to do some really mean stuff to me just for his personal amusement.”
And Jack makes the pouting face at her, and of course she caves. Nathan has to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, I know. But seriously, is he going to be ok? He may be the biggest pain in the ass, but I don’t want a repeat of the time he nearly fried in his own skin.” Another indistinguishable murmur from Ali. “I know, but it wouldn’t be good if the head of GD just keeled over or hard boiled himself. Not to mention if he was broadcasting everything he was doing to the world at large and not just me, people could trace patterns of behavior, and it could become a security risk.”
Nathan frowns. He never even entertained that thought, but Jack does have a good point. If he is somehow transmitting what he feels against him to someone else besides Jack, they could apply the knowledge to all sorts of disturbing possibilities.
Jack flashes him a look as Ali turns and walks over to him. He feigns disinterest, and hopes that Jack’s able to see through the act at this point.
Ali stops in front of him, reaching out to touch him in an aborted movement. Funny how she draws the lines now much more distinctly than he does. “How are you feeling, Nathan?”
“Fine, Ali.” She glares at him. He sighs and rolls his eyes. Just because that’s not what she wanted to hear doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
“Really, Ali. Absolutely nothing feels out of the ordinary. No different than when I woke up this morning.” He wiggles his fingers in demonstration, and it gets him a small smile. “As usual, it’s just him creating all of the issues. How much damage has the local law enforcement caused to himself now?”
Ali sighs and rolls her eyes again, but he’s not sure who it’s directed at this time. “I’m not sure yet. He seems intact and normal beyond sharing the sensory perception of your skin. He doesn’t seem to register anyone else’s perceptions, male or female, from what we could deduce. Just yours. Have you noticed anyone else acting strangely around you that you might be projecting to?”
“No. Nobody acting stranger than usual. However Carter managed to get me involved in this disaster is most likely related to our proximity to the machine when it malfunctioned. We were both in range and standing close to each other when we may have gotten caught up in any low emission field that the device gave off. The next closest person was across the room.”
Ali nods, seemingly pleased at this. “That’s pretty much what we’ve deduced, although we need to test it out.”
Nathan huffs in annoyance. “Ok, so we know the what. Get someone to figure out how this happened. The bigger issue becomes how to reverse the effects.”
“We need to do more testing for that. Tell Fargo to clear your schedule for the next few hours.”
“No. I’ll keep an eye out for anyone acting even more strangely around me, but concentrate the resources on him, his issue is a bigger priority since I seem to be only affecting him. I’ll let you know if anything arises.”
Ali frowns but doesn’t try very hard to stop him. He’s slightly surprised, expecting more of a fight over it.
“Fine. Henry’s already on it, and I’ll be joining him now that I’ve seen the two of you. Hopefully it won’t take too long to reverse engineer something from the data we have. I’ll keep working with Carter to get more, and don’t you think for a second that you’re completely out of this yet. It might take a day or two to get this sorted out, and as we progress, we’ll need you back. In the meantime, could you please ignore temptation and behave? I know torturing Carter and Fargo are hobbies of yours, but he’s jumpy enough right now.”
She sighs, and he follows her gaze over to Carter, who is sitting nervously on the edge of an infirmary bed. He looks nervous, ready to run. Part of him, the part none of them knows about, wants to go over and kiss him softly, assure him it’ll all be fine - even though he has no clue whether or not they’re going to be able to fix this.
She clears her throat and gives him an angry look. At least she misinterpreted his look; he’s still got them all fooled for now. “Stop. We don’t need an armed man driven to insanity solely for your amusement. And, if I find out you have done anything to provoke him, you will both be put into isolation until we fix this.”
“Fine. No torturing the town Sheriff, no matter how enticing the prospect. Do I have to babysit him now too?” He tries to sound as put out as possible.
“Well…”
“Ali!” He’s not above whining, especially to maintain cover. Being forced together is nice, but not in this situation.
“It’d be easier on him to be around you so that he’ll be able to anticipate your movements and sensory inputs a little easier. Otherwise it’s cameras on you for him to watch 24/7 until we solve this.”
“He can deal.”
“Nathan!” She looks rather affronted by the suggestion. Honestly, the man has them all eating out of his hand. He rolls his eyes.
He sighs mostly for effect, but it is going to be a little cumbersome to have Jack shadowing him constantly. His presence can be distracting at best, annoying at worst, and right now the prospect of using this new connection for something else starts a slow burn in his stomach that having Jack nearby constantly is not going to help dissipate.
“Fine. But he behaves. And shuts up. And stays out of the way. And no cameras.”
He smiles inwardly when Ali mutters under her breath something about potential bloodbaths and no evidence. They’re still doing pretty good fooling everyone, although he absently wonders how much longer that’s going to last.
“I’m serious, Ali. Having him invading my personal space for however long this is going to take is going to be bad enough. No need to make my life a show for anyone else who gets a look at the feed. I don’t trust Fargo not to be a voyeur and make a show out of it.”
Ali’s face softens as that, surprisingly enough, but she still fixes him with another stern look. “Fine. For now. I hear anything, and I mean anything that says you’ve tormented him in any way, and the deal’s off. I mean it. I can already see the twinkle in your eye. Forget it.”
Oh, she has no idea what that look really means. But all the better.
“Fine.”
He looks over to Jack, who has been watching the whole exchange with interest. “Carter, you’re with me.”
“What? No… Ali!” Jack whines, pouting at her. Nathan smiles inwardly, but the smallest part of him worries that it isn’t completely an act.
“Jack, just go with him. It’s the best for the situation right now. If you’re around him, you can anticipate his movements and sensory inputs better, which means less danger to you. We don’t need you getting into some sort of accident because of an unexpected stimulus. Plus he knows he has to behave and the consequences for if he doesn’t.” She sends another glare his way. Oh lord, Jack has her wrapped around his little finger.
“Ali…” he whines again. Ali says nothing and glares, and Jack gets up and walks over towards him, practically dragging his feet. He’s learned from Zoe well.
“Fine. But it’s not my fault when something goes wrong or he breaks his promise and decides I’m better used for his amusement. I better call Jo since I’m not going to be of any use working today if I have to follow him around.” Jack’s pouting, with the skill of a five year old.
“Oh, she already knows and left a tablet for you in Nathan’s office with your back paperwork. She was pleased to hear that you would have some time on your hands to catch up on it since you had been avoiding it for quite a while now.”
Jack groans, and Nathan can’t keep the smirk off his face. As much fun as this is, he does have work to do. “Stay close, Sheriff, or I’ll task Fargo with keeping you company instead. He’d probably enjoy it.” He turns and leaves for his office, not even waiting for the reaction to come.
Jack growls. “You wouldn’t… You would!”
Nathan laughs to himself as he hears the scuff of Jack’s boots on the concrete floor as he follows behind.
*******
Jack sighs again, shifting on the couch. Nathan looks up.
“What?” he asks impatiently.
“I don’t like being penned up here, and I really don’t like doing paperwork.”
“And you don’t like being stuck with me?” Nathan ventures. Jack looks down quickly.
Nailed it in one, he thinks. At least Jack has the decency to look ashamed about it. “Not that, just that we’re stuck here. People are watching us like hawks, and we can’t even act like we don’t hate each other. It seems to be getting harder to keep it up for long periods of time when you haven’t actually done something to piss me off.”
“I know,” he says softly. “But just think - a perfect excuse for you to have to be at my place tonight. Drag your feet enough, make a show of it, and we’ll be in the clear.”
Jack’s face brightens a little at that, and something he didn’t realize had knotted itself unfolds in Nathan’s chest. “True. Stop at Café Diem on the way? Dinner to go, tell Zoe I won’t be home tonight, and more cover. Three for the price of one.”
“Sure. Now do you think you can fuss less? If you want us to get out of here, I have to get this done. And the less out of you, the quicker I get this done.”
Jack glares at him and snorts.
Nathan sighs. It’s going to be a long few hours.
*******
“Hey, Zo.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Can I get a burger and fries to go? And a milkshake.”
“A milkshake day? That can’t be good,” she says with a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
“Oh, you don’t know the half of it. And it’s far from over. You going to be ok by yourself tonight?” Jack’s pretty sure she won’t object, but he’ll call S.A.R.A.H. to make sure everything stays that way.
She turns back from placing the order. “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”
“I’m stuck with him,” he says with distaste, tossing a thumb in Nathan’s direction.
Zoe arches an eyebrow at him, and he knows he can’t lie to her. She’ll see right through it - he just hopes she’s got enough sense to keep her mouth shut for the time being. “Experiment gone wrong. Not worth explaining, and definitely not to the world.”
“Since when does ‘experiment gone wrong’ end up landing you a night with Dr. Stark?” Ut oh. He knows that look.
He sighs. “Since today when some neurosomethingorother machine practically exploded on us and we’re connected in this not very fun way.”
Zoe looks at him expectantly.
“I can… feel what he feels. Not like… feelings, but if stuff touches his skin or if he grabs something, I can feel it too, like I’m doing the same thing, except I’m not.”
Zoe glares at him. Of course she doesn’t believe him. He wouldn’t believe himself, if it wasn’t happening to him. Even with as crazy as this town is.
“I know, this wasn’t on our list of ‘crazy shit that could happen in this town’, but I assure you, it has. Go over to Stark and touch him. I’ll be able to tell you, with my back turned and eyes closed where you touched him.”
Zoe’s expression turns completely disbelieving, and she frowns at him.
“Don’t believe me? Go try for yourself. I’m sure if you ask nicely he’ll say yes. Pretty sure he likes you better than me.”
Zoe snorts. “Right. Ok. Why are you really going over there Dad? You’re a terrible liar.”
“No really, Zoe, I’m serious. Go touch him.” When she doesn’t move, he turns toward Nathan. “Stark, could you prove to her I’m not lying about why I’m stuck with you right now? I told her if she was nice you’d let her do the demonstrating. Pretty sure you like her better.”
“That’s because she got the brains and common sense of the family. Must take after her mother.” Jack rolls his eyes, but keeps an eye on the both of them. “It’s ok, Zoe, really.” Jack’s impressed by the softer tone Nathan takes with Zoe.
Zoe seems to take their assurances at face value and moves over towards Nathan, and Jack can’t stop watching them. Zoe seems slightly unsure of Nathan, but much less afraid of him than most people are. Nathan gives her a slight smile, and maybe he’s right about Nathan liking her. This may turn out to be a very good thing.
She turns back and glares at him. “Dad! Turn around already!”
“Ok, ok sorry,” he says, trying not to laugh. If it wasn’t such a pain in the ass, the whole thing could be really amusing.
He closes his eyes, waiting for her to touch Nathan, although he wishes he could watch their faces, how they interact. Please, god, let them get along. He needs them to.
He let his mind wander too far, and when she touches Nathan it’s like an unexpected spark through his skin right before the pressure. He jumps and squirms, arching his back away from the sensation.
“His back, between his shoulder blades. With your fingertips, not your hand. Spread out a little.”
He can hear Vincent gasp, and he barely holds back a groan. Great. So much for the keeping it quiet thing. The whole town’s going to know by morning. The sensation stops, and he opens his eyes and turns to look at them.
"Believe me now?"
Zoe’s eyes are slightly apologetic. "What?... How? What's it like?"
"Weird. Like someone's touching me right there, and...something else. It's hard to explain. And it really sucks, because I can't control it. Not to mention I'm stuck connected to him,” Jack grumbles. He hopes that his annoyance at the circumstances is believable enough to get them off the hook for the time being. Zoe can be tenacious at the best of times, and he really doesn’t want to get into his sex life with her.
Nathan rolls his eyes. "You think I'm enjoying this, Carter? The last thing I need is a puppy in sheriff's clothing trailing after me like you've lost your mistress again.”
"Wasn't my orders. She's your ex."
"I doubt that has anything to do with the practicalities of the situation. That, I blame on you."
"Me? You were the one that called me down there."
"Everything you get near explodes or malfunctions. Between you and Fargo, half of my facility is in constant danger of catastrophic failure every day. “
“GD is nothing but a giant powderkeg anyway! It’d be on the verge of destruction even if I wasn’t here to clean up after your disasters every five seconds.” His frustration bleeds through more than he intended, and they’re staring to escalate into a real argument in the middle of Café Diem. Not good.
"Dad!" Zoe scolds him. He can feel his face flush slightly at the tone of her voice. Guess she thought his behavior was a little much for in public, even though it's hardly a big argument. Nathan huffs loudly, and Jack bites his tongue and tries to resist the urge to snap at him. This is going to be a long night if they’re already this wound up.
"Dad? Dad!" The sound of Zoe’s voice manages to bring him out of his momentary fog. She had moved closer when he wasn't paying attention.
"Oh, sorry Zo," he tries to look contrite, but the look she gives him screams that she clearly doesn't buy it.
She sighs, and he has to keep the smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth in check. “Ok, ok, I get it... This is so not the full story, I can tell. You’re such a terrible liar. You’re off the hook for the moment, but later on when everything’s back to normal, you and I are so having a conversation, Mister.” Despite his discomfort and the upcoming interrogation, he's proud. He’s got a wonderful kid, even with everything that's gone on.
Vincent then interrupts with a none-too-delicate clearing of his throat.
"Here you go Sheriff, one cheeseburger and fries like always, and a shake with a little extra tonight," he says, giving Jack a piteous look. No comment about his dinner choice; Vincent must be feeling quite sorry for him.
"Thanks, Vincent."
"You sure you'll be ok tonight, Zoe?"
"Yes, Dad. I'll be fine. Really."
He frowns. "Ok, but no--"
"Boys, parties, staying out late, blah blah blah." She flaps her hand at him. "I know Dad. And I'll call Jo if I need anything."
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow sometime. Have a good day at school."
She moves close to him and pauses, clearly unsure, and he nods. She gives him a light half hug. "You be careful too," she says quietly.
He kisses the top of her head. "It'll be ok, I promise. They'll fix it in no time, I'm sure." She smiles up at him, but the smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Go on," he says, and he watches her head over to Vincent and back to work.
Jack looks over to Nathan, surprised to find he had been watching the whole exchange. Nathan silently picks up his Cafe Diem bag and heads for the door, and Jack follows, trying to ignore the weight of everyone's stares as they leave.
******
Jack settles in on Nathan's couch, college football on the plasma tv and idly picking at his fries.
Nathan comes in with glasses of water and utensils, and Jack frowns.
"No beer?" he grumbles.
"No, no alcohol tonight. I don't want anything that could have any effect on what's going on. You're having a hard enough time filtering out stimuli. No need to compound it further with mind-altering substances that can easily be avoided."
"It'll be fine! One beer won't hurt."
"You can have as much as you want when the whole thing is over with. I don't want to risk you, your safety."
Jack huffs in annoyance, but can't hold in the smile when Nathan's hand settles lightly on his thigh. He settles in to enjoy the game and company, relaxing and leaning in towards Nathan slightly. He can sense Nathan relaxing next to him, impressed because Nathan often isn't much for watching college football unless it involves Cal.
Jack's learning how to tune out some of the expected repetitive feelings that he can anticipate, like the pressure and movement of the fork in Nathan's hand, and him eating. He turns them into a white noise, just present but not really disruptive. Normal, everyday stuff isn't too much of an issue anymore. It's the sudden, unexpected things that throw him off.
Jack finds himself in a content little bubble for the moment, until one of the fries is snatched out of his hand. He turns just in time to watch Nathan toss it almost playfully into his mouth.
"Hey!" Nathan gives him a devilish smile. "You have your own food," Jack says, frowning.
"Yes, but I know Vincent gave you plenty extra because you conned them into feeling bad because you had to go home with the big bad Nathan Stark. You're spoiled; you can spare a few."
"Eat your own dinner, scientist," he snips back, but it lacks any vehemence. He holds his next fry out in invitation, figuring it just best to give in now and cut his losses. A battle over some extra fries isn't going to be worth the energy. He's shocked, however, when instead of snatching it again, Nathan leans over and eats it straight out of his hand. He looks over at Nathan, who is looking back from under his eyelashes with a confident little smirk. Bastard.
Well, if he has to lose part of his dinner, it just got way more interesting, he thinks. He didn't imagine he was going to be feeding it to Nathan, and it stirs up something in his gut. He still isn't used to the playful side that emerges in Nathan when they're alone together; it was hardly a trait that he would associate with him if asked. He can be almost impish at times, and even though he's been constantly surprised by it, he likes it. He could easily get used to having that version of Nathan around.
He eats a few more but then holds out another, eyes still on the game and trying to act as nonchalant as possible while still watching out of his peripheral vision. Nathan eats it from his hand again, like it's the most natural thing in the world. Jack’s surprised by how casual the whole thing is. He could get used to this.
A couple more later, Nathan's teeth lightly graze his fingertips, and he almost jumps at the unexpected sensation. He looks fully at Nathan, who has a devilish grin and a light in his eyes. Jack grabs one more, offering it, and this time Nathan grabs his wrist slowly and carefully, eating and then cleaning off Jack's fingers with slow, deliberate motions. Jack shivers as Nathan's tongue dances slowly between his fingers.
Well, that was a bit of a left turn, he thinks. He expected to at least finish his game, or for Nathan to insist on some absurd 'no touching' rule tonight considering how concerned he's been about Jack's 'safety'. Instead, he's got a very interested Nathan sitting next to him, smile on his face and thumb rubbing slow circles along his captured wrist. The dual sensations are still there, he can feel Nathan's thumb rubbing against him, but he can also feel pressure against his own thumb.
"This ok?" Nathan's hand moves in wider strokes up and down his arm.
"Yeah. I get sorta used to things, the more they happen. Sudden stuff is much harder to deal with."
"Slow we can do." Nathan gets the mischievous look back, and Jack can't help but worry until Nathan leans in and kisses him slowly. Nathan starts trying to undress him, undoing the buttons of his uniform. Jack does the same to Nathan, grateful that he had already ditched the jacket and tie before dinner. Nathan urges Jack closer, pulling him practically into his lap, and he has to steady himself.
The added sensations from settling on Nathan's thighs is not completely unexpected, but still incredibly strong in its effect. He whimpers in response, jerking back and almost falling off. It rushed him all at once, with a change in the sensation that he wasn’t expecting, and he couldn’t handle it. Nathan frowns at him, catching him just in time to keep him from falling.
“Hey… hey,” Nathan coaxes, thankfully keeping his hands still. “Too much?” Jack nods.
Nathan lies back against the couch in a submissive pose, arching his neck and gently guiding Jack’s hand to his chest. “It’s okay. Take your time.”
Jack moves his hand very slowly, tentatively across Nathan’s chest, trying to understand with every tiny movement how the touch feels after it’s twisted and served back to him through Nathan’s own sense of touch. Nathan’s skin is warm and smooth under his hand, same as always, but yet everything’s so different.
Part of him wants to go faster, feeling like he’s torturing himself by moving in small increments, but every single time he moves too fast it’s a jolt to his system-- tingling waves of sensation, sometimes pleasurable, mostly overwhelming.
Nathan is watching him quietly, observing him like another one of his experiments. Jack damn well feels like one at the moment, and he’s pretty sure he doesn’t like it at all. There are good parts to this whole debacle, but plenty of bad ones too. The unexpected is the hardest part to control, and he doesn’t like how off center it leaves him. It makes him feel jumpy and out of control, and he hates it.
He moves his hands up over Nathan’s chest, stroking lightly over his pecs, and Nathan makes a pleased rumbling sound low in his chest. Jack manages a small smile at that-Nathan’s predictability is comforting. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was the change in the chemistry, for lack of a better word, in the feeling that accompanies their change in tone. Jack tries again, this time bracing himself, and scrapes a fingernail across Nathan’s nipple.
The sensation definitely takes on a different quality, more electric. It feels like little electric shocks but like it’s filtered through something he just can’t explain. It makes him wonder if he’s feeling literally exactly what Nathan feels, and if it is, he almost feels sorry for him. It’s intense and disconcerting in this way he just can’t explain, and if Jack always saw and felt the world so intensely, he doesn’t know how he’d even function. It could explain a lot about Nathan if he really thought about it…. But that’s not on the agenda right now.
Nathan slowly kneads Jack’s back in encouragement, gently nudging him closer, and Jack smiles. Nathan seems both eager to be together but also extremely conscientious about Jack’s condition, almost to the point of condescension. He has a protective streak a mile wide, and as annoying as it can be, it’s also sort of comforting. It’s another aspect of Nathan he’s still getting used to, and finds he likes - a sense of security and safety in the rare moments he lets himself let go with Nathan.
“Ok?” Nathan’s watching him, curious, but open. Not with his usual sharp edges.
“Yeah… I think. Still getting used to it.”
“What’s it like?” His eyes sparkle with curiosity, and Jack would call it cute, except that he can’t equate ‘cute’ with Nathan. Never.
“It’s… weird. Like little electric shocks but… intense. And like it’s put through this filter of... something. I don’t have all your big words, but intense is a good one for it.”
“Intense,” Nathan has the look like the gears are turning in his head. Jack’s not sure whether or not to be amused or afraid. “Good intense? Bad intense?”
“Both. Mostly good, but then it gets to be too much. And it… changed. A couple times. Sometimes it hurts, when it’s like circuits on overload. It’s hard to explain.”
“So it’s mostly pleasurable. And pleasant pain.”
“As pleasant as pain can be. It doesn’t feel like someone’s tearing my arm out of its socket, just…” He’s not sure how to describe it. “Sometimes it’s like another set of hands on me. Like you touching me, except your hands are somewhere else too. But then the electric stuff-it underlies it in the background, but kinda mixed in too. And it spikes and changes and is the weirdest part of all.” Nathan’s still looking at him like his latest puzzle, fascinated, but distracted at the same time. His eyes are taking on that vacant look he gets when he’s really thinking about something.
“Yeah, yeah. I know, time to take the crazy Sheriff in to the GD psych ward. Do you think you could at least keep them from using me as a pincushion?”
Nathan pulls him closer, a possessive air to his tight hold. “No, I’m not taking you back. Not until they have something useful. Or a proper path to investigate.”
He leans up again, landing a kiss this time on Jack’s neck. Jack bares his neck to the touch, cutting off the little noise that threatens to escape. “I’ll be doing the investigating instead,” Nathan murmurs against his neck, and Jack can hear the smile in his voice.
Nathan’s hand slides into his lap, running slowly over the slowly forming bulge in his pants. “I’d ask if you were up for it, but I think I’ve gotten my answer,” he says with a smirk.
Jack smiles down at him. “Well, yeah. Going to take more than a stupid GD machine malfunction to make me turn that down. I am human, after all.” Nathan grins, but something in his eyes changes too. Jack wonders what exactly it was - he’s far from an expert on reading Nathan yet.
Nathan leans up towards him again, and this time Jack meets him halfway for a slow, sensual kiss. The sparks change form, and they’re warmer now. Yeah. He still wants to give it a go. Even if it kills him… Although he really hopes that won’t happen. He can still remember the time with the artifact that Nathan nearly cooked inside his skin, and he hopes in the back of his mind that he won’t have the same fate.
Nathan nudges him off his lap and they both stand, but Nathan’s hand lingers low on his back.
“C’mon. I’ll be careful.”
Jack frowns. “I’m not glass.”
“I know, but for now, it’s in both of our best interest to be cautious. Careful doesn’t mean boring or a bad night. I’ve got plenty of ideas for when you move your damn feet and follow me. I just don’t want you hurt because of something that could have been avoided.” Nathan’s tone is gentle, but still firm. He really can be overprotective at times, and Jack’s torn between wanting to revel in the attention or to rebel. He’s not used to care like that from anyone, and didn’t inspect such intensity of it from Nathan - although he shouldn’t be surprised, really, considering how intense Nathan is in general.
Nathan’s hands move down to his ass, pulling Jack close, and he leans into Nathan. Nathan leans in, his breath tickling as it ghosts over Jack’s ear. “And when all of this shit is over, you can go back to trying to shove me around before I screw you into the mattress like you seem to enjoy. You’re just going to have to wait. I know delayed gratification is something that you don’t handle well.” Nathan’s voice turns challenging with the last bit, and Jack can just imagine the smirk on his face. Jack growls. He can’t wait for this whole debacle to be over with. He’ll show him handling. Bastard.
“Yeah, fuck you. We’ll see who screws who into the mattress,” he grumbles good-naturedly. Nathan nips his ear.
“Come on,” Nathan urges him to follow with a quick tug to Jack’s belt. He does, but not right away, and makes sure he lingers just long enough to watch Nathan’s ass as he walks behind. No need for Nathan to think he’s the boss any more than he already does.
*********
Nathan pushes him back onto the bed, crawling on top and hovering over him. He smiles as Nathan leans down to kiss him, but frowns when he pulls away.
"Lie back," Nathan says. He has that look about him, and Jack suddenly feels like a bug under a microscope.
"Uh..."He squirms, unsure about just surrendering.
"Come on, you can't follow directions for once?" Nathan's tone is both teasing and challenging at the same time. “I won’t hurt you. Promise.”
Jack sighs and settles back on the pillows, determined to prove him wrong.
"Good boy," Nathan murmurs, leaning in to kiss him.
Jack frowns, but tries to relax.
"That's it, stay there."
Jack huffs in response.
“I’m not a dog,” Jack grumbles.
“Please. You bound around town like a little puppy and follow Ali like you wish for her to be your new mistress. But you’re mine.” Jack debates the merits of arguing this point, but when Nathan’s hand glides gently across his stomach, it just doesn’t seem worth the energy to argue right now. Not when they could be doing much more interesting things.
Nathan stretches out next to him, touching him very lightly. Jack's about to move, complain, when Nathan pinches his nipple quickly. He gasps, looking down, only to find no hands on himself.
Nathan's hand is on his own chest, watching Jack closely as if he's another one of his experiments. Great, he thinks. I am one of his experiments.
He gasps again when he feels a hand trail down his chest, and he stares at the empty flesh. Nathan isn't touching him at all, but he can still feel it. He can't help but squirm some more, unable to escape the feelings. Nathan chuckles at him, and he frowns.
"Settle down. I just want you to feel good. Not every experiment is intrinsically bad, you'll see." Jack has a hard time believing this, but he doesn't have a choice.
He looks back over at Nathan, who is lazily running a hand up and down his torso, stroking his, and consequently Jack's, chest. When Jack just sits still and concentrates on nothing else, the feelings take on a different quality, almost electric.
Nathan’s eyes are alight with excitement, staring intently at him as he touches himself. Jack blushes - he’s not sure he’ll ever get used to being the subject of such intensity, or even used to how much Nathan likes to watch him. He closes his eyes, concentrating on the sparks of sensation from the invisible hands working small pleasureable tortures into his skin.
****
Nathan grins when Jack finally seems to close his eyes and just go with it. He can’t help but want to experiment, want to understand how it works, what Jack feels and how he affects him. The last thing he would want to do is hurt him, but this weird affliction is clearly able to bring Jack pleasure, with the added bonus of some for himself, and it’s one of the best opportunities he can imagine. Science and sex rolled into one.
He keeps his movements slow at first, allowing the sensations to build in the both of them. He loves watching Jack’s skin twitch & react, almost as much as hearing the little noises of pleasure and reaction Jack makes from low in his chest. Nathan lets his hand stray slowly towards his groin, the slow build and sensations pleasuring himself just as much as Jack.
He strokes himself, feather-light, and watches as Jack moans and squirms, looking over at him. He smiles, repeating the motion, and Jack wiggles as if he’s trying to get away. Nathan can’t help the grin on his face when he realizes that no matter what Jack tries he can’t get away, and it’s only going to drive him even more crazy. He pinches at the head in a sharp snap and Jack tries to shift away quickly, glaring at him from slitted eyes. He chuffs out a laugh and has to hold back on the impulse to kiss away the look, instead running a soft stroke over his own chest and trying to project a calming air. It seems to work, and Jack settles down quicker than he expected.
The temptation to touch, to reach out and caress the smooth skin in front of him is almost overwhelming, but the draw of having his own life sized pleasure experiment is too much of an opportunity to pass up. He’ll have plenty more time to run his hands all over Jack like he likes to do.
He strokes himself again, this time a little bolder and faster. Jack’s hips angle up into the imaginary hand, seeking more sensation. He strokes again and again, slowly gaining in frequency and incorporating the twist that he knows drives Jack wild. Nathan’s torn between watching Jack’s face as he reacts and studying his body’s reactions completely unhindered before the distraction becomes too much and he can’t focus anymore. He couldn’t ask for a better view and opportunity to understand how exactly Jack reacts.
Jack shifts and moans again, eyes suddenly snapping open and reaching over and kissing Nathan soundly before he even has time to react. Jack’s almost desperate, trying to consume them both starting from the lips. Nathan runs a hand through Jack’s hair, and he moans again, biting hard on Nathan’s lip.
Jack seems to have an extra edge, an added layer of desperation for the contact and a lack of control. It’s heady, enticing. Jack without control is a Jack he loves to bring to the surface and turns him on more than he would like right now. They break for air, and he speeds up, giving himself over to creating the sensations in himself that transmit over to Jack.
Jack keeps shifting and moaning, and Nathan changes techniques, trying to draw out the most positive reactions. Jack makes a little hitching noise, hips now making stuttering thrusts into the air and Nathan forces himself to pay attention despite the haze of his own building pleasure. He’s close, and Nathan doesn’t want to miss this one for the world.
Jack moans and makes a choking sound, tenses up and comes, body and face contorting in pleasure, and Nathan simultaneously finds it the most fascinating and hottest thing he’s ever seen. He watches as Jack almost collapses in on himself, panting and looking towards him.
Jack smiles at him, sated but eyes sparkling, interested in his own right. “Your turn,” he says, voice rough, reaching for him.
Nathan moves his hand away gently. “Just watch. Are you ready?”
Jack’s eyes go wide at that, and he’ll have to remember that for future reference. The innocent little sheriff likes to watch. Nathan starts to speed up, ready to bring himself off.
He tries to stay as aware as possible, but the closer he gets, the less the outside world even registers. Jack starts to moan, a keening noise that gets louder and louder as he gets closer. Even with the blood rushing through his ears, he can still hear Jack scream as he comes and dimly registers the bed shaking as if Jack had just jumped on it.
Nathan lays there letting the sensations run over him, stroking himself gently, trying to hang on to the last bits of pleasure. Jack’s silence is a bit disturbing, and when he looks over it registers that Jack’s out cold, most likely from sensation overload. Nathan watches closely, worried, but Jack is breathing and appears ok beyond being unconscious.
Nathan places a hand lightly on Jack’s chest, stroking gently and waiting for Jack to return to the land of the living. It may take a while, and Nathan doesn’t blame him - most likely Jack went into some sort of sensory overload from having two orgasms so very close together. The longer he’s out, the more Nathan starts to worry, given that they aren’t sure of all of the effects of this idiotic experiment. He strokes Jack slowly and softly, willing him to wake up slowly, hoping that it isn’t a sign of lasting damage.
Jack starts to stir, and something inside Nathan’s chest unknots when tired but clear blue eyes flutter open. Jack leans over and Nathan meets him halfway for a long, soft kiss, careful because Jack is moving slowly. He strokes low circles on Jack’s stomach, and Jack leans away from the touch. Nathan can’t stop the little noise of disappointment as Jack moves away.
“You ok?” Nathan asks, watching Jack’s reactions very carefully, trying to catalogue any anomalies in his own fuzzy mind.
“No more for now, I can’t take it. Too much.” Jack takes Nathan’s hand and holds it still against his chest, fingers loosely tangling together.
“Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” Nathan’s instantly more on guard at the exhaustion in Jack’s voice and his desire to call it a night. Normally Jack is just as eager to touch and explore after the fact as he is before, even if he’s drifted off in the middle of it more than once.
“No, I’m ok….Just…. it’s hard to explain, like little sparks of nerves that shoot randomly like firecrackers, bright and thrilling and painful. No more today, I don’t know if I would survive.” Jack chuffs out a dark but tired laugh. “Guess there must be something wrong, if I’m turning down sex.”
Nathan moves his fingers in a slow caress, unable to curb the impulse to touch and comfort completely. He slides slowly towards Jack, letting him adjust to having him back in close proximity in increments. Clearly, what they did, as hot as it was, overtaxed his nervous system. He makes a mental note to check Jack’s electrolytes when he wakes up again, especially if he’s still feeling odd effects. “Ok, no more for now. Although I have another idea…” he lets the teasing notes slip back into his voice, disguising the concern.
“No. Next one is my turn. Nice try,” Jack argues as his eyes start to droop. He’ll be out in no time, and Nathan smiles, watching as Jack practically melts into the bed.
Nathan runs his hand over Jack’s short shorn hair. “Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he says softly, caressing Jack’s head as he too settles in, pulling Jack close.
He knows he’ll never forget this night, and he doubts Jack will either, but as he settles in next to Jack, he can’t help but let his mind wander. Having Jack at home with him and hiding in plain sight is a wonderful luxury, but not at the expense of Jack’s health and spirit.
As much fun as it is to get to tease and bother Jack with absolute ease, their connection complicates everything and makes it impossible for both of them to properly function in their jobs. And he knows if Jack couldn’t be the sheriff anymore, if he ended up being controlled and chained to someone else’s actions, he’d be unhappy, lose the spark that draws Nathan to him.
He pulls Jack tighter to him and curls around him protectively, easing up at the sleepy mewl of protest. Tomorrow we fix this, he assures himself. And until then -- and maybe even for the rest of his life -- he’s not going to let go.
Fin
1/09
Feedback always welcome.
Link to all of my stories
Title: Altered Perceptions
Rating: NC-17
Summary: A GD mishap becomes a blessing in disguise.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Property of SciFi, Andrew Cosby and Jamie Paglia.
Pairing/Characters: Jack Carter/Nathan Stark
Categories/Warnings: Assumes that S3 didn't happen, S2 AU of sorts, established relationship.
A/N: Written for smallfandomfest, with the prompt : Jack/Nathan, Jack can feel it when Nathan touches himself
A/N#2: Thanks to serene_quill for the beta help, and whom I also blame for this piece, because when I showed her the prompts for smallfandomfest, this one got the response "You better be writing this one." So I gave it a shot. Late present of sorts, too.
Nathan dusts himself off amongst the chaos, tugging at his suit jacket and smoothing out the sleeves. He spares a glance over at Jack, who looks relatively unhurt but doesn’t seem quite right. When he’s done fussing, he looks back at Jack, who hasn’t moved and is holding his arms out in front of himself, slightly bent and staring at them.
“Carter,” he barks out at the confused man for the benefit of the room around him. He hardly needs Jack’s usual antics right now, given that hiding in plain sight seems to be their current choice for how to handle their change in relationship. Things are changing fast enough already, and they don’t need to worry about how to deal with everyone’s reactions while they’re still trying to get their own footing.
Jack looks up with a bewildered expression, eyes unsure and something ominous stirs in Nathan’s stomach.
“Are you ok?” Generally when Jack and Fargo get that look on their faces, something is amiss. Or maybe 'impending disaster' is a better description. He has to keep himself from groaning.
Jack scuffs a toe on the floor and isn't quite looking at him as he responds. “Not sure… Were there any known side effects of that machine blowing up on us?”
“That ‘machine’ was measuring electrical impulses generated by nerve transmission, and no.”
Jack still looks uncomfortable, but his expression is not as worried as before. It's not quite consoling -- Jack is too much of a trouble magnet.
“You don’t feel anything, do you?”
“Feel anything?” He can’t help but raise an eyebrow at this comment. What now?
“Y’know, like… Never mind.” Jack frowns and fusses with his uniform, and Nathan doesn't like that Jack won't look at him. But he's not going to bother with it right this moment; there's too much going on to be worth making a public scene and taking a chance at revealing anything right now.
"Let’s get this done,” Jack says with a nod, leading them out of the lab. Nathan trails sufficiently behind for appearances, while taking in the view.
********
Later on they’re back in his office, and Jack’s taken residence across the desk from him, feet propped up on the edge of Nathan’s desk. He’s stopped arguing with Jack if there’s nobody else around, refusing to give into the needling because that would let Jack win. He’s not responsible for Jack’s churlish mood, and he’s not going to play into it either.
Nathan scrubs his face with his hands tiredly, and Carter nearly falls out of his chair, boots landing on the floor with a heavy thud.
“Ok, Jack, what the hell is going on?”
“I was about to ask you the same, scientist.”
“You’re the one falling out of chairs and panicking for no apparent reason, not me. What’s your problem?”
Jack’s face reddens, and he rubs the back of his neck. “I, uh, feel something on my skin.”
Nathan’s stomach drops. “What? Do you need a decon shower? Did something spill on you earlier? Do I need to take you to the infirmary to get scanned?”
“What? No. Dammit, Nathan. Not like that. Like something’s… touching me. Like a ghost. On my arms earlier and my face just now.”
"There are no such things as ghosts, Jack." Nathan looks him over with a critical eye, not seeing any outward signs of trauma or contamination, just Jack looking very uncomfortable. He steeples his fingers together, trying to think, and Jack jumps, staring down at his hands.
“What?”
“My fingers,” Jack says, staring down at them. “It’s touching my fingers.”
Nathan comes to the other side of the desk, looking Jack over carefully, and Jack frowns. “It stopped.”
Nathan picks up Jack’s hand gently, inspecting it for any imperfections. Everything seems fine - normal bloodflow, no cuts or bruising, no visible chemical contamination or other coatings. He touches Jack’s fingertips gently and finds nothing wrong besides the coil of desire that starts to burn at him just from touching Jack’s, long, elegant fingers. He feels a bit guilty that even a simple touch can set him off when he should be worrying about the effects of some hairbrained machine from Level 3 on Jack.
“Looks fine. Maybe you should be checked for concussion, you probably wouldn’t notice it with your head as hard as it is.”
Jack withdraws his hand and glares at him, and he can’t help but smile. Too easy sometimes. He leans against his desk, and Jack frowns. “What the…?” Jack squirms in the chair.
He frowns at Jack, absently scratching his beard in thought, and Jack jumps again. Jack’s hand moves to the same part of his own neck, rubbing as if that alone will preserve the feeling.
Nathan reaches out to the same spot, and Jack frowns, dropping his hand and baring his neck a bit more in silent invitation. Part of him is pleased that he’s not the only one who can’t control the impulse to feel the other’s touch, worried that it was just him. He has to resist stroking the smooth skin laid out right there for him, forcing himself to stay focused at the task at hand.
“I think maybe you should head to the infirmary. You could be reacting to something that we can’t see.” He doesn't like the feeling that creeps into his gut. Not at all.
“You’re not, and you were right there next to me. Does anything feel wrong with you?”
“No. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t something wrong with you.”
“I’m fine!”
“You’re not. Would you prefer I called Allison instead? Maybe I should. She’ll drag your ass to the infirmary and save me the trouble.”
“Nathan!” Jack glowers at him.
He’s worried, but he can’t do anything about it or justify physically dragging Jack down to the infirmary yet. Most of the town is still convinced they hate each other, and it wouldn’t do them any good right now to do anything that will change that. They don’t need to be outing themselves to the town right now and don’t need all the chaos it would bring with it, especially if something is really wrong with Jack.
However, he doesn’t want Jack to just slip away without any evaluation, especially given how he’s been reacting. “How about Henry? He’s supposed to be by shortly to bring me some schematics anyway. Just let him look. Maybe he’ll have some ideas. Or maybe you’ll listen to him if he insists on a trip to the infirmary.” Jack frowns at him again.
“They’ll just poke me and tell me it’s all in my head and do nothing about it. What’s the point?”
Nathan sighs, not interested in arguing the point perpetually when there could be more efficient ways to get Jack to cooperate. He slides his hand up to Jack’s cheek, cupping it softly, and Jack angles his head into the touch.
“The point is to make sure you’re ok.” Jack snorts in quiet disagreement, and Nathan gives him a slight smile as he moves back to his chair. He looks down at his desk, tapping the desktop and typing on the virtual keyboard to bring up the schematics of the neuroanalysis machine, studying it for any potential flaws and known exposure effects.
He looks up and Jack is staring at his fingers again, looking back and forth between the fingers and him. He stops what he’s doing, and Jack’s expression changes again. Something in his mind clicks, and he decides to test a quick theory. He rubs his fingers and thumb together in slow circles, and Jack stares at the same hand, frowning. He moves his fingers up to his own earlobe, pinching tightly and ignoring the pain. Jack yelps, rubbing at his own ear.
Maybe he’s right, and somehow Jack is feeling echoes of Nathan’s touch on his body, except he doesn’t feel Jack’s on his skin. Jack doesn’t seem to have completely made the connection of Nathan’s movements to the feeling on his skin yet, and Nathan considers his next move.
He enters a quick security code for the office, tinting the glass and running the program he created to spoof the video and audio live feeds of the interior of his office for a few minutes. Jack’s still too absorbed in staring intently at his own hands to notice what Nathan’s done, and he smiles to himself. One last little test, and this one’s going to be a fun one. An experiment of his own.
Nathan slides his hand slowly below the line of sight for the desk and rubs a slow, deliberate hand over his own cock through his trousers. Jack jumps as if poked with a cattle prod, yelping again in surprise, and looking around the room frantically.
Nathan smiles. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing…. Nothing. Just another feeling is all.”
“Oh, really?” He tries to project innocence, which is too easily accepted when Jack is as distracted as he is. He does it again, watching as Jack’s hips give the tiniest stutter jerk as he tries to act normally. “Is it worse? Are you sure you don’t want to go to the infirmary now?”
“No! Not… right now,” Jack says, a small blush starting to creep up onto his face.
As fun as playing with this is, something obviously happened with the neuroanalysis machine, and they need to figure out how to fix it. And get Jack checked out and ok with the situation in the meantime.
“Jack, watch me,” he tells Jack, who strangely enough, obeys without question. Nathan presses a fingernail into his arm and drags it slowly down, and Jack gasps, looking frantically between him and his arm.
“It’s you! But how? Do you feel me?”
“Nope. Just you causing the trouble. As usual.” Jack glares at him, but his expression softens as Nathan strokes his own arm in smooth, comforting motions, the sensations working to sooth Jack.
"Something must have happened with the experiment. Transference, most likely. Now will you go to the infirmary?"
Jack scoffs. "If I'm going, you're going. If it's really you making me feel things, you need to be looked at as much as me."
Nathan squeezes himself once again, drawing a line with his thumb down the head of his cock. Jack shifts in his seat and moans, glare softened by a flicker of desire.
"Ok, fine. I get it.... Jackass." Jack’s protest lacks vehemence, tempered by the slightest of smiles tugging at the corner of his mouth. "It's you. But that means you're coming too."
Nathan gives him a curt nod, pleased with his acquiescence. He does have a point-- clearly there's something affecting both of them if he's projecting sensory information on to Jack. Someone has to transmit for the other to receive-- and he really hopes that he isn't transmitting to anyone else. The last thing he needs is to be broadcasting himself to everyone in his vicinity. Jack he can handle, but the idea of anyone else feeling something so intimate is disconcerting.
He activates his headset, summoning Fargo. "FARGO! Get everyone involved with the neuroanalysis project on Level 3 down to the infirmary right NOW. Henry, Zane and Allison too.... Don't question, just DO it. I don't care what it takes. Get. Them. There. Now."
His attention turns back to Jack, who is watching him with mild interest. He always does seem to enjoy watching Fargo get reduced to a squeaking mass at times.
“Awwww, scientist, you do care.” Jack flashes his usual carefree smile, but he can see the seriousness in his eyes.
He stands, leaving the comm link on his desk and walks over to Jack, who is up on his feet now too. “Yeah. Against my better judgment and clearly without any sanity, I do,” he says, smiling as he leans down to give Jack a soft kiss.
He smiles when Jack nips his lip in return.
**********
Nathan watches discreetly as Allison examines Jack, who frowns the whole time. As much as he hates being poked and prodded, he’s too kindhearted to get too upset.
“Honestly Ali, I told you, I don’t feel anything. Not from you, not from anything else. Just Stark.”
He can’t quite hear what Ali says back, but he can put together the pieces well enough from Jack’s response.
“Yeah, I know the great irony in that. Just the two of us are affected. You think Mr. Power Hungry over there is going to be able to handle himself with all the temptation? I wouldn’t put it above him to do some really mean stuff to me just for his personal amusement.”
And Jack makes the pouting face at her, and of course she caves. Nathan has to keep himself from rolling his eyes.
“Yeah, I know. But seriously, is he going to be ok? He may be the biggest pain in the ass, but I don’t want a repeat of the time he nearly fried in his own skin.” Another indistinguishable murmur from Ali. “I know, but it wouldn’t be good if the head of GD just keeled over or hard boiled himself. Not to mention if he was broadcasting everything he was doing to the world at large and not just me, people could trace patterns of behavior, and it could become a security risk.”
Nathan frowns. He never even entertained that thought, but Jack does have a good point. If he is somehow transmitting what he feels against him to someone else besides Jack, they could apply the knowledge to all sorts of disturbing possibilities.
Jack flashes him a look as Ali turns and walks over to him. He feigns disinterest, and hopes that Jack’s able to see through the act at this point.
Ali stops in front of him, reaching out to touch him in an aborted movement. Funny how she draws the lines now much more distinctly than he does. “How are you feeling, Nathan?”
“Fine, Ali.” She glares at him. He sighs and rolls his eyes. Just because that’s not what she wanted to hear doesn’t mean it isn’t true.
“Really, Ali. Absolutely nothing feels out of the ordinary. No different than when I woke up this morning.” He wiggles his fingers in demonstration, and it gets him a small smile. “As usual, it’s just him creating all of the issues. How much damage has the local law enforcement caused to himself now?”
Ali sighs and rolls her eyes again, but he’s not sure who it’s directed at this time. “I’m not sure yet. He seems intact and normal beyond sharing the sensory perception of your skin. He doesn’t seem to register anyone else’s perceptions, male or female, from what we could deduce. Just yours. Have you noticed anyone else acting strangely around you that you might be projecting to?”
“No. Nobody acting stranger than usual. However Carter managed to get me involved in this disaster is most likely related to our proximity to the machine when it malfunctioned. We were both in range and standing close to each other when we may have gotten caught up in any low emission field that the device gave off. The next closest person was across the room.”
Ali nods, seemingly pleased at this. “That’s pretty much what we’ve deduced, although we need to test it out.”
Nathan huffs in annoyance. “Ok, so we know the what. Get someone to figure out how this happened. The bigger issue becomes how to reverse the effects.”
“We need to do more testing for that. Tell Fargo to clear your schedule for the next few hours.”
“No. I’ll keep an eye out for anyone acting even more strangely around me, but concentrate the resources on him, his issue is a bigger priority since I seem to be only affecting him. I’ll let you know if anything arises.”
Ali frowns but doesn’t try very hard to stop him. He’s slightly surprised, expecting more of a fight over it.
“Fine. Henry’s already on it, and I’ll be joining him now that I’ve seen the two of you. Hopefully it won’t take too long to reverse engineer something from the data we have. I’ll keep working with Carter to get more, and don’t you think for a second that you’re completely out of this yet. It might take a day or two to get this sorted out, and as we progress, we’ll need you back. In the meantime, could you please ignore temptation and behave? I know torturing Carter and Fargo are hobbies of yours, but he’s jumpy enough right now.”
She sighs, and he follows her gaze over to Carter, who is sitting nervously on the edge of an infirmary bed. He looks nervous, ready to run. Part of him, the part none of them knows about, wants to go over and kiss him softly, assure him it’ll all be fine - even though he has no clue whether or not they’re going to be able to fix this.
She clears her throat and gives him an angry look. At least she misinterpreted his look; he’s still got them all fooled for now. “Stop. We don’t need an armed man driven to insanity solely for your amusement. And, if I find out you have done anything to provoke him, you will both be put into isolation until we fix this.”
“Fine. No torturing the town Sheriff, no matter how enticing the prospect. Do I have to babysit him now too?” He tries to sound as put out as possible.
“Well…”
“Ali!” He’s not above whining, especially to maintain cover. Being forced together is nice, but not in this situation.
“It’d be easier on him to be around you so that he’ll be able to anticipate your movements and sensory inputs a little easier. Otherwise it’s cameras on you for him to watch 24/7 until we solve this.”
“He can deal.”
“Nathan!” She looks rather affronted by the suggestion. Honestly, the man has them all eating out of his hand. He rolls his eyes.
He sighs mostly for effect, but it is going to be a little cumbersome to have Jack shadowing him constantly. His presence can be distracting at best, annoying at worst, and right now the prospect of using this new connection for something else starts a slow burn in his stomach that having Jack nearby constantly is not going to help dissipate.
“Fine. But he behaves. And shuts up. And stays out of the way. And no cameras.”
He smiles inwardly when Ali mutters under her breath something about potential bloodbaths and no evidence. They’re still doing pretty good fooling everyone, although he absently wonders how much longer that’s going to last.
“I’m serious, Ali. Having him invading my personal space for however long this is going to take is going to be bad enough. No need to make my life a show for anyone else who gets a look at the feed. I don’t trust Fargo not to be a voyeur and make a show out of it.”
Ali’s face softens as that, surprisingly enough, but she still fixes him with another stern look. “Fine. For now. I hear anything, and I mean anything that says you’ve tormented him in any way, and the deal’s off. I mean it. I can already see the twinkle in your eye. Forget it.”
Oh, she has no idea what that look really means. But all the better.
“Fine.”
He looks over to Jack, who has been watching the whole exchange with interest. “Carter, you’re with me.”
“What? No… Ali!” Jack whines, pouting at her. Nathan smiles inwardly, but the smallest part of him worries that it isn’t completely an act.
“Jack, just go with him. It’s the best for the situation right now. If you’re around him, you can anticipate his movements and sensory inputs better, which means less danger to you. We don’t need you getting into some sort of accident because of an unexpected stimulus. Plus he knows he has to behave and the consequences for if he doesn’t.” She sends another glare his way. Oh lord, Jack has her wrapped around his little finger.
“Ali…” he whines again. Ali says nothing and glares, and Jack gets up and walks over towards him, practically dragging his feet. He’s learned from Zoe well.
“Fine. But it’s not my fault when something goes wrong or he breaks his promise and decides I’m better used for his amusement. I better call Jo since I’m not going to be of any use working today if I have to follow him around.” Jack’s pouting, with the skill of a five year old.
“Oh, she already knows and left a tablet for you in Nathan’s office with your back paperwork. She was pleased to hear that you would have some time on your hands to catch up on it since you had been avoiding it for quite a while now.”
Jack groans, and Nathan can’t keep the smirk off his face. As much fun as this is, he does have work to do. “Stay close, Sheriff, or I’ll task Fargo with keeping you company instead. He’d probably enjoy it.” He turns and leaves for his office, not even waiting for the reaction to come.
Jack growls. “You wouldn’t… You would!”
Nathan laughs to himself as he hears the scuff of Jack’s boots on the concrete floor as he follows behind.
*******
Jack sighs again, shifting on the couch. Nathan looks up.
“What?” he asks impatiently.
“I don’t like being penned up here, and I really don’t like doing paperwork.”
“And you don’t like being stuck with me?” Nathan ventures. Jack looks down quickly.
Nailed it in one, he thinks. At least Jack has the decency to look ashamed about it. “Not that, just that we’re stuck here. People are watching us like hawks, and we can’t even act like we don’t hate each other. It seems to be getting harder to keep it up for long periods of time when you haven’t actually done something to piss me off.”
“I know,” he says softly. “But just think - a perfect excuse for you to have to be at my place tonight. Drag your feet enough, make a show of it, and we’ll be in the clear.”
Jack’s face brightens a little at that, and something he didn’t realize had knotted itself unfolds in Nathan’s chest. “True. Stop at Café Diem on the way? Dinner to go, tell Zoe I won’t be home tonight, and more cover. Three for the price of one.”
“Sure. Now do you think you can fuss less? If you want us to get out of here, I have to get this done. And the less out of you, the quicker I get this done.”
Jack glares at him and snorts.
Nathan sighs. It’s going to be a long few hours.
*******
“Hey, Zo.”
“Hey, Dad.”
“Can I get a burger and fries to go? And a milkshake.”
“A milkshake day? That can’t be good,” she says with a teasing sparkle in her eyes.
“Oh, you don’t know the half of it. And it’s far from over. You going to be ok by yourself tonight?” Jack’s pretty sure she won’t object, but he’ll call S.A.R.A.H. to make sure everything stays that way.
She turns back from placing the order. “Yeah, sure. What’s up?”
“I’m stuck with him,” he says with distaste, tossing a thumb in Nathan’s direction.
Zoe arches an eyebrow at him, and he knows he can’t lie to her. She’ll see right through it - he just hopes she’s got enough sense to keep her mouth shut for the time being. “Experiment gone wrong. Not worth explaining, and definitely not to the world.”
“Since when does ‘experiment gone wrong’ end up landing you a night with Dr. Stark?” Ut oh. He knows that look.
He sighs. “Since today when some neurosomethingorother machine practically exploded on us and we’re connected in this not very fun way.”
Zoe looks at him expectantly.
“I can… feel what he feels. Not like… feelings, but if stuff touches his skin or if he grabs something, I can feel it too, like I’m doing the same thing, except I’m not.”
Zoe glares at him. Of course she doesn’t believe him. He wouldn’t believe himself, if it wasn’t happening to him. Even with as crazy as this town is.
“I know, this wasn’t on our list of ‘crazy shit that could happen in this town’, but I assure you, it has. Go over to Stark and touch him. I’ll be able to tell you, with my back turned and eyes closed where you touched him.”
Zoe’s expression turns completely disbelieving, and she frowns at him.
“Don’t believe me? Go try for yourself. I’m sure if you ask nicely he’ll say yes. Pretty sure he likes you better than me.”
Zoe snorts. “Right. Ok. Why are you really going over there Dad? You’re a terrible liar.”
“No really, Zoe, I’m serious. Go touch him.” When she doesn’t move, he turns toward Nathan. “Stark, could you prove to her I’m not lying about why I’m stuck with you right now? I told her if she was nice you’d let her do the demonstrating. Pretty sure you like her better.”
“That’s because she got the brains and common sense of the family. Must take after her mother.” Jack rolls his eyes, but keeps an eye on the both of them. “It’s ok, Zoe, really.” Jack’s impressed by the softer tone Nathan takes with Zoe.
Zoe seems to take their assurances at face value and moves over towards Nathan, and Jack can’t stop watching them. Zoe seems slightly unsure of Nathan, but much less afraid of him than most people are. Nathan gives her a slight smile, and maybe he’s right about Nathan liking her. This may turn out to be a very good thing.
She turns back and glares at him. “Dad! Turn around already!”
“Ok, ok sorry,” he says, trying not to laugh. If it wasn’t such a pain in the ass, the whole thing could be really amusing.
He closes his eyes, waiting for her to touch Nathan, although he wishes he could watch their faces, how they interact. Please, god, let them get along. He needs them to.
He let his mind wander too far, and when she touches Nathan it’s like an unexpected spark through his skin right before the pressure. He jumps and squirms, arching his back away from the sensation.
“His back, between his shoulder blades. With your fingertips, not your hand. Spread out a little.”
He can hear Vincent gasp, and he barely holds back a groan. Great. So much for the keeping it quiet thing. The whole town’s going to know by morning. The sensation stops, and he opens his eyes and turns to look at them.
"Believe me now?"
Zoe’s eyes are slightly apologetic. "What?... How? What's it like?"
"Weird. Like someone's touching me right there, and...something else. It's hard to explain. And it really sucks, because I can't control it. Not to mention I'm stuck connected to him,” Jack grumbles. He hopes that his annoyance at the circumstances is believable enough to get them off the hook for the time being. Zoe can be tenacious at the best of times, and he really doesn’t want to get into his sex life with her.
Nathan rolls his eyes. "You think I'm enjoying this, Carter? The last thing I need is a puppy in sheriff's clothing trailing after me like you've lost your mistress again.”
"Wasn't my orders. She's your ex."
"I doubt that has anything to do with the practicalities of the situation. That, I blame on you."
"Me? You were the one that called me down there."
"Everything you get near explodes or malfunctions. Between you and Fargo, half of my facility is in constant danger of catastrophic failure every day. “
“GD is nothing but a giant powderkeg anyway! It’d be on the verge of destruction even if I wasn’t here to clean up after your disasters every five seconds.” His frustration bleeds through more than he intended, and they’re staring to escalate into a real argument in the middle of Café Diem. Not good.
"Dad!" Zoe scolds him. He can feel his face flush slightly at the tone of her voice. Guess she thought his behavior was a little much for in public, even though it's hardly a big argument. Nathan huffs loudly, and Jack bites his tongue and tries to resist the urge to snap at him. This is going to be a long night if they’re already this wound up.
"Dad? Dad!" The sound of Zoe’s voice manages to bring him out of his momentary fog. She had moved closer when he wasn't paying attention.
"Oh, sorry Zo," he tries to look contrite, but the look she gives him screams that she clearly doesn't buy it.
She sighs, and he has to keep the smile that tugs at the corner of his mouth in check. “Ok, ok, I get it... This is so not the full story, I can tell. You’re such a terrible liar. You’re off the hook for the moment, but later on when everything’s back to normal, you and I are so having a conversation, Mister.” Despite his discomfort and the upcoming interrogation, he's proud. He’s got a wonderful kid, even with everything that's gone on.
Vincent then interrupts with a none-too-delicate clearing of his throat.
"Here you go Sheriff, one cheeseburger and fries like always, and a shake with a little extra tonight," he says, giving Jack a piteous look. No comment about his dinner choice; Vincent must be feeling quite sorry for him.
"Thanks, Vincent."
"You sure you'll be ok tonight, Zoe?"
"Yes, Dad. I'll be fine. Really."
He frowns. "Ok, but no--"
"Boys, parties, staying out late, blah blah blah." She flaps her hand at him. "I know Dad. And I'll call Jo if I need anything."
"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow sometime. Have a good day at school."
She moves close to him and pauses, clearly unsure, and he nods. She gives him a light half hug. "You be careful too," she says quietly.
He kisses the top of her head. "It'll be ok, I promise. They'll fix it in no time, I'm sure." She smiles up at him, but the smile doesn't reach her eyes. "Go on," he says, and he watches her head over to Vincent and back to work.
Jack looks over to Nathan, surprised to find he had been watching the whole exchange. Nathan silently picks up his Cafe Diem bag and heads for the door, and Jack follows, trying to ignore the weight of everyone's stares as they leave.
******
Jack settles in on Nathan's couch, college football on the plasma tv and idly picking at his fries.
Nathan comes in with glasses of water and utensils, and Jack frowns.
"No beer?" he grumbles.
"No, no alcohol tonight. I don't want anything that could have any effect on what's going on. You're having a hard enough time filtering out stimuli. No need to compound it further with mind-altering substances that can easily be avoided."
"It'll be fine! One beer won't hurt."
"You can have as much as you want when the whole thing is over with. I don't want to risk you, your safety."
Jack huffs in annoyance, but can't hold in the smile when Nathan's hand settles lightly on his thigh. He settles in to enjoy the game and company, relaxing and leaning in towards Nathan slightly. He can sense Nathan relaxing next to him, impressed because Nathan often isn't much for watching college football unless it involves Cal.
Jack's learning how to tune out some of the expected repetitive feelings that he can anticipate, like the pressure and movement of the fork in Nathan's hand, and him eating. He turns them into a white noise, just present but not really disruptive. Normal, everyday stuff isn't too much of an issue anymore. It's the sudden, unexpected things that throw him off.
Jack finds himself in a content little bubble for the moment, until one of the fries is snatched out of his hand. He turns just in time to watch Nathan toss it almost playfully into his mouth.
"Hey!" Nathan gives him a devilish smile. "You have your own food," Jack says, frowning.
"Yes, but I know Vincent gave you plenty extra because you conned them into feeling bad because you had to go home with the big bad Nathan Stark. You're spoiled; you can spare a few."
"Eat your own dinner, scientist," he snips back, but it lacks any vehemence. He holds his next fry out in invitation, figuring it just best to give in now and cut his losses. A battle over some extra fries isn't going to be worth the energy. He's shocked, however, when instead of snatching it again, Nathan leans over and eats it straight out of his hand. He looks over at Nathan, who is looking back from under his eyelashes with a confident little smirk. Bastard.
Well, if he has to lose part of his dinner, it just got way more interesting, he thinks. He didn't imagine he was going to be feeding it to Nathan, and it stirs up something in his gut. He still isn't used to the playful side that emerges in Nathan when they're alone together; it was hardly a trait that he would associate with him if asked. He can be almost impish at times, and even though he's been constantly surprised by it, he likes it. He could easily get used to having that version of Nathan around.
He eats a few more but then holds out another, eyes still on the game and trying to act as nonchalant as possible while still watching out of his peripheral vision. Nathan eats it from his hand again, like it's the most natural thing in the world. Jack’s surprised by how casual the whole thing is. He could get used to this.
A couple more later, Nathan's teeth lightly graze his fingertips, and he almost jumps at the unexpected sensation. He looks fully at Nathan, who has a devilish grin and a light in his eyes. Jack grabs one more, offering it, and this time Nathan grabs his wrist slowly and carefully, eating and then cleaning off Jack's fingers with slow, deliberate motions. Jack shivers as Nathan's tongue dances slowly between his fingers.
Well, that was a bit of a left turn, he thinks. He expected to at least finish his game, or for Nathan to insist on some absurd 'no touching' rule tonight considering how concerned he's been about Jack's 'safety'. Instead, he's got a very interested Nathan sitting next to him, smile on his face and thumb rubbing slow circles along his captured wrist. The dual sensations are still there, he can feel Nathan's thumb rubbing against him, but he can also feel pressure against his own thumb.
"This ok?" Nathan's hand moves in wider strokes up and down his arm.
"Yeah. I get sorta used to things, the more they happen. Sudden stuff is much harder to deal with."
"Slow we can do." Nathan gets the mischievous look back, and Jack can't help but worry until Nathan leans in and kisses him slowly. Nathan starts trying to undress him, undoing the buttons of his uniform. Jack does the same to Nathan, grateful that he had already ditched the jacket and tie before dinner. Nathan urges Jack closer, pulling him practically into his lap, and he has to steady himself.
The added sensations from settling on Nathan's thighs is not completely unexpected, but still incredibly strong in its effect. He whimpers in response, jerking back and almost falling off. It rushed him all at once, with a change in the sensation that he wasn’t expecting, and he couldn’t handle it. Nathan frowns at him, catching him just in time to keep him from falling.
“Hey… hey,” Nathan coaxes, thankfully keeping his hands still. “Too much?” Jack nods.
Nathan lies back against the couch in a submissive pose, arching his neck and gently guiding Jack’s hand to his chest. “It’s okay. Take your time.”
Jack moves his hand very slowly, tentatively across Nathan’s chest, trying to understand with every tiny movement how the touch feels after it’s twisted and served back to him through Nathan’s own sense of touch. Nathan’s skin is warm and smooth under his hand, same as always, but yet everything’s so different.
Part of him wants to go faster, feeling like he’s torturing himself by moving in small increments, but every single time he moves too fast it’s a jolt to his system-- tingling waves of sensation, sometimes pleasurable, mostly overwhelming.
Nathan is watching him quietly, observing him like another one of his experiments. Jack damn well feels like one at the moment, and he’s pretty sure he doesn’t like it at all. There are good parts to this whole debacle, but plenty of bad ones too. The unexpected is the hardest part to control, and he doesn’t like how off center it leaves him. It makes him feel jumpy and out of control, and he hates it.
He moves his hands up over Nathan’s chest, stroking lightly over his pecs, and Nathan makes a pleased rumbling sound low in his chest. Jack manages a small smile at that-Nathan’s predictability is comforting. What he wasn’t expecting, however, was the change in the chemistry, for lack of a better word, in the feeling that accompanies their change in tone. Jack tries again, this time bracing himself, and scrapes a fingernail across Nathan’s nipple.
The sensation definitely takes on a different quality, more electric. It feels like little electric shocks but like it’s filtered through something he just can’t explain. It makes him wonder if he’s feeling literally exactly what Nathan feels, and if it is, he almost feels sorry for him. It’s intense and disconcerting in this way he just can’t explain, and if Jack always saw and felt the world so intensely, he doesn’t know how he’d even function. It could explain a lot about Nathan if he really thought about it…. But that’s not on the agenda right now.
Nathan slowly kneads Jack’s back in encouragement, gently nudging him closer, and Jack smiles. Nathan seems both eager to be together but also extremely conscientious about Jack’s condition, almost to the point of condescension. He has a protective streak a mile wide, and as annoying as it can be, it’s also sort of comforting. It’s another aspect of Nathan he’s still getting used to, and finds he likes - a sense of security and safety in the rare moments he lets himself let go with Nathan.
“Ok?” Nathan’s watching him, curious, but open. Not with his usual sharp edges.
“Yeah… I think. Still getting used to it.”
“What’s it like?” His eyes sparkle with curiosity, and Jack would call it cute, except that he can’t equate ‘cute’ with Nathan. Never.
“It’s… weird. Like little electric shocks but… intense. And like it’s put through this filter of... something. I don’t have all your big words, but intense is a good one for it.”
“Intense,” Nathan has the look like the gears are turning in his head. Jack’s not sure whether or not to be amused or afraid. “Good intense? Bad intense?”
“Both. Mostly good, but then it gets to be too much. And it… changed. A couple times. Sometimes it hurts, when it’s like circuits on overload. It’s hard to explain.”
“So it’s mostly pleasurable. And pleasant pain.”
“As pleasant as pain can be. It doesn’t feel like someone’s tearing my arm out of its socket, just…” He’s not sure how to describe it. “Sometimes it’s like another set of hands on me. Like you touching me, except your hands are somewhere else too. But then the electric stuff-it underlies it in the background, but kinda mixed in too. And it spikes and changes and is the weirdest part of all.” Nathan’s still looking at him like his latest puzzle, fascinated, but distracted at the same time. His eyes are taking on that vacant look he gets when he’s really thinking about something.
“Yeah, yeah. I know, time to take the crazy Sheriff in to the GD psych ward. Do you think you could at least keep them from using me as a pincushion?”
Nathan pulls him closer, a possessive air to his tight hold. “No, I’m not taking you back. Not until they have something useful. Or a proper path to investigate.”
He leans up again, landing a kiss this time on Jack’s neck. Jack bares his neck to the touch, cutting off the little noise that threatens to escape. “I’ll be doing the investigating instead,” Nathan murmurs against his neck, and Jack can hear the smile in his voice.
Nathan’s hand slides into his lap, running slowly over the slowly forming bulge in his pants. “I’d ask if you were up for it, but I think I’ve gotten my answer,” he says with a smirk.
Jack smiles down at him. “Well, yeah. Going to take more than a stupid GD machine malfunction to make me turn that down. I am human, after all.” Nathan grins, but something in his eyes changes too. Jack wonders what exactly it was - he’s far from an expert on reading Nathan yet.
Nathan leans up towards him again, and this time Jack meets him halfway for a slow, sensual kiss. The sparks change form, and they’re warmer now. Yeah. He still wants to give it a go. Even if it kills him… Although he really hopes that won’t happen. He can still remember the time with the artifact that Nathan nearly cooked inside his skin, and he hopes in the back of his mind that he won’t have the same fate.
Nathan nudges him off his lap and they both stand, but Nathan’s hand lingers low on his back.
“C’mon. I’ll be careful.”
Jack frowns. “I’m not glass.”
“I know, but for now, it’s in both of our best interest to be cautious. Careful doesn’t mean boring or a bad night. I’ve got plenty of ideas for when you move your damn feet and follow me. I just don’t want you hurt because of something that could have been avoided.” Nathan’s tone is gentle, but still firm. He really can be overprotective at times, and Jack’s torn between wanting to revel in the attention or to rebel. He’s not used to care like that from anyone, and didn’t inspect such intensity of it from Nathan - although he shouldn’t be surprised, really, considering how intense Nathan is in general.
Nathan’s hands move down to his ass, pulling Jack close, and he leans into Nathan. Nathan leans in, his breath tickling as it ghosts over Jack’s ear. “And when all of this shit is over, you can go back to trying to shove me around before I screw you into the mattress like you seem to enjoy. You’re just going to have to wait. I know delayed gratification is something that you don’t handle well.” Nathan’s voice turns challenging with the last bit, and Jack can just imagine the smirk on his face. Jack growls. He can’t wait for this whole debacle to be over with. He’ll show him handling. Bastard.
“Yeah, fuck you. We’ll see who screws who into the mattress,” he grumbles good-naturedly. Nathan nips his ear.
“Come on,” Nathan urges him to follow with a quick tug to Jack’s belt. He does, but not right away, and makes sure he lingers just long enough to watch Nathan’s ass as he walks behind. No need for Nathan to think he’s the boss any more than he already does.
*********
Nathan pushes him back onto the bed, crawling on top and hovering over him. He smiles as Nathan leans down to kiss him, but frowns when he pulls away.
"Lie back," Nathan says. He has that look about him, and Jack suddenly feels like a bug under a microscope.
"Uh..."He squirms, unsure about just surrendering.
"Come on, you can't follow directions for once?" Nathan's tone is both teasing and challenging at the same time. “I won’t hurt you. Promise.”
Jack sighs and settles back on the pillows, determined to prove him wrong.
"Good boy," Nathan murmurs, leaning in to kiss him.
Jack frowns, but tries to relax.
"That's it, stay there."
Jack huffs in response.
“I’m not a dog,” Jack grumbles.
“Please. You bound around town like a little puppy and follow Ali like you wish for her to be your new mistress. But you’re mine.” Jack debates the merits of arguing this point, but when Nathan’s hand glides gently across his stomach, it just doesn’t seem worth the energy to argue right now. Not when they could be doing much more interesting things.
Nathan stretches out next to him, touching him very lightly. Jack's about to move, complain, when Nathan pinches his nipple quickly. He gasps, looking down, only to find no hands on himself.
Nathan's hand is on his own chest, watching Jack closely as if he's another one of his experiments. Great, he thinks. I am one of his experiments.
He gasps again when he feels a hand trail down his chest, and he stares at the empty flesh. Nathan isn't touching him at all, but he can still feel it. He can't help but squirm some more, unable to escape the feelings. Nathan chuckles at him, and he frowns.
"Settle down. I just want you to feel good. Not every experiment is intrinsically bad, you'll see." Jack has a hard time believing this, but he doesn't have a choice.
He looks back over at Nathan, who is lazily running a hand up and down his torso, stroking his, and consequently Jack's, chest. When Jack just sits still and concentrates on nothing else, the feelings take on a different quality, almost electric.
Nathan’s eyes are alight with excitement, staring intently at him as he touches himself. Jack blushes - he’s not sure he’ll ever get used to being the subject of such intensity, or even used to how much Nathan likes to watch him. He closes his eyes, concentrating on the sparks of sensation from the invisible hands working small pleasureable tortures into his skin.
****
Nathan grins when Jack finally seems to close his eyes and just go with it. He can’t help but want to experiment, want to understand how it works, what Jack feels and how he affects him. The last thing he would want to do is hurt him, but this weird affliction is clearly able to bring Jack pleasure, with the added bonus of some for himself, and it’s one of the best opportunities he can imagine. Science and sex rolled into one.
He keeps his movements slow at first, allowing the sensations to build in the both of them. He loves watching Jack’s skin twitch & react, almost as much as hearing the little noises of pleasure and reaction Jack makes from low in his chest. Nathan lets his hand stray slowly towards his groin, the slow build and sensations pleasuring himself just as much as Jack.
He strokes himself, feather-light, and watches as Jack moans and squirms, looking over at him. He smiles, repeating the motion, and Jack wiggles as if he’s trying to get away. Nathan can’t help the grin on his face when he realizes that no matter what Jack tries he can’t get away, and it’s only going to drive him even more crazy. He pinches at the head in a sharp snap and Jack tries to shift away quickly, glaring at him from slitted eyes. He chuffs out a laugh and has to hold back on the impulse to kiss away the look, instead running a soft stroke over his own chest and trying to project a calming air. It seems to work, and Jack settles down quicker than he expected.
The temptation to touch, to reach out and caress the smooth skin in front of him is almost overwhelming, but the draw of having his own life sized pleasure experiment is too much of an opportunity to pass up. He’ll have plenty more time to run his hands all over Jack like he likes to do.
He strokes himself again, this time a little bolder and faster. Jack’s hips angle up into the imaginary hand, seeking more sensation. He strokes again and again, slowly gaining in frequency and incorporating the twist that he knows drives Jack wild. Nathan’s torn between watching Jack’s face as he reacts and studying his body’s reactions completely unhindered before the distraction becomes too much and he can’t focus anymore. He couldn’t ask for a better view and opportunity to understand how exactly Jack reacts.
Jack shifts and moans again, eyes suddenly snapping open and reaching over and kissing Nathan soundly before he even has time to react. Jack’s almost desperate, trying to consume them both starting from the lips. Nathan runs a hand through Jack’s hair, and he moans again, biting hard on Nathan’s lip.
Jack seems to have an extra edge, an added layer of desperation for the contact and a lack of control. It’s heady, enticing. Jack without control is a Jack he loves to bring to the surface and turns him on more than he would like right now. They break for air, and he speeds up, giving himself over to creating the sensations in himself that transmit over to Jack.
Jack keeps shifting and moaning, and Nathan changes techniques, trying to draw out the most positive reactions. Jack makes a little hitching noise, hips now making stuttering thrusts into the air and Nathan forces himself to pay attention despite the haze of his own building pleasure. He’s close, and Nathan doesn’t want to miss this one for the world.
Jack moans and makes a choking sound, tenses up and comes, body and face contorting in pleasure, and Nathan simultaneously finds it the most fascinating and hottest thing he’s ever seen. He watches as Jack almost collapses in on himself, panting and looking towards him.
Jack smiles at him, sated but eyes sparkling, interested in his own right. “Your turn,” he says, voice rough, reaching for him.
Nathan moves his hand away gently. “Just watch. Are you ready?”
Jack’s eyes go wide at that, and he’ll have to remember that for future reference. The innocent little sheriff likes to watch. Nathan starts to speed up, ready to bring himself off.
He tries to stay as aware as possible, but the closer he gets, the less the outside world even registers. Jack starts to moan, a keening noise that gets louder and louder as he gets closer. Even with the blood rushing through his ears, he can still hear Jack scream as he comes and dimly registers the bed shaking as if Jack had just jumped on it.
Nathan lays there letting the sensations run over him, stroking himself gently, trying to hang on to the last bits of pleasure. Jack’s silence is a bit disturbing, and when he looks over it registers that Jack’s out cold, most likely from sensation overload. Nathan watches closely, worried, but Jack is breathing and appears ok beyond being unconscious.
Nathan places a hand lightly on Jack’s chest, stroking gently and waiting for Jack to return to the land of the living. It may take a while, and Nathan doesn’t blame him - most likely Jack went into some sort of sensory overload from having two orgasms so very close together. The longer he’s out, the more Nathan starts to worry, given that they aren’t sure of all of the effects of this idiotic experiment. He strokes Jack slowly and softly, willing him to wake up slowly, hoping that it isn’t a sign of lasting damage.
Jack starts to stir, and something inside Nathan’s chest unknots when tired but clear blue eyes flutter open. Jack leans over and Nathan meets him halfway for a long, soft kiss, careful because Jack is moving slowly. He strokes low circles on Jack’s stomach, and Jack leans away from the touch. Nathan can’t stop the little noise of disappointment as Jack moves away.
“You ok?” Nathan asks, watching Jack’s reactions very carefully, trying to catalogue any anomalies in his own fuzzy mind.
“No more for now, I can’t take it. Too much.” Jack takes Nathan’s hand and holds it still against his chest, fingers loosely tangling together.
“Are you hurt? What’s wrong?” Nathan’s instantly more on guard at the exhaustion in Jack’s voice and his desire to call it a night. Normally Jack is just as eager to touch and explore after the fact as he is before, even if he’s drifted off in the middle of it more than once.
“No, I’m ok….Just…. it’s hard to explain, like little sparks of nerves that shoot randomly like firecrackers, bright and thrilling and painful. No more today, I don’t know if I would survive.” Jack chuffs out a dark but tired laugh. “Guess there must be something wrong, if I’m turning down sex.”
Nathan moves his fingers in a slow caress, unable to curb the impulse to touch and comfort completely. He slides slowly towards Jack, letting him adjust to having him back in close proximity in increments. Clearly, what they did, as hot as it was, overtaxed his nervous system. He makes a mental note to check Jack’s electrolytes when he wakes up again, especially if he’s still feeling odd effects. “Ok, no more for now. Although I have another idea…” he lets the teasing notes slip back into his voice, disguising the concern.
“No. Next one is my turn. Nice try,” Jack argues as his eyes start to droop. He’ll be out in no time, and Nathan smiles, watching as Jack practically melts into the bed.
Nathan runs his hand over Jack’s short shorn hair. “Yeah, we’ll see about that,” he says softly, caressing Jack’s head as he too settles in, pulling Jack close.
He knows he’ll never forget this night, and he doubts Jack will either, but as he settles in next to Jack, he can’t help but let his mind wander. Having Jack at home with him and hiding in plain sight is a wonderful luxury, but not at the expense of Jack’s health and spirit.
As much fun as it is to get to tease and bother Jack with absolute ease, their connection complicates everything and makes it impossible for both of them to properly function in their jobs. And he knows if Jack couldn’t be the sheriff anymore, if he ended up being controlled and chained to someone else’s actions, he’d be unhappy, lose the spark that draws Nathan to him.
He pulls Jack tighter to him and curls around him protectively, easing up at the sleepy mewl of protest. Tomorrow we fix this, he assures himself. And until then -- and maybe even for the rest of his life -- he’s not going to let go.
Fin
1/09
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