Ficlet: Just One of Those Things (Eureka, Jack/Nathan, PG)
Title: Just One of Those Things
Fandom: Eureka
Pairing: Jack/Nathan
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Summary: Just another day in Eureka. *sigh*
Notes: I've been doing little writing exercises lately to try to get unblocked, and this tiny thing is one of the bits that I've liked. 750 just-for-fun words.
"So. Some weather we're having today."
Jack expected the comment to draw a withering retort or an extensive lecture on how important GD's latest doowhahickey was, but Nathan simply sighed and dropped his head--right against the back of Jack's neck. Nathan's hair was softer than Jack ever expected, tickling against his nape. Jack resisted the urge to wriggle as Nathan's breath burrowed between his shoulder blades, hot even through the layers of uniform shirt and tee. Instead, he cleared his throat and tried to concentrate on acting normal--well, as normal as possible in this situation. Which, all things considered, wasn't that far outside Eureka normal.
"Was it something I said?" he ventured again.
Nathan snorted. "Believe it or not, Carter, some days this town is a little too crazy for me."
Jack grinned. The wide, shit-eating grin that was his natural response to that put-upon tone. Of course, it was pretty much wasted, since Nathan couldn't see it, but he figured some of his glee would carry over into his voice. "Aww, Stark. You say that like you mean it. It's not nice to play with my feelings like that."
That earned an actual chuckle. Jack could feel him relax, his chest pressing up against Jack's back in a more natural way as he stopped unconsciously straining for an escape that just wasn't happening. Well, wasn't happening due to their own efforts. Somewhere Henry and Zane (and Fargo, but thinking about that most definitely wasn't making Jack feel better) were working on a solution to the problem, and he had faith that they'd figure it out before all the blood stagnated in the left half of his body. He frowned, unable to control the wriggling the thought brought about, but his hand and leg were trapped good by the mound of dirt beneath them.
"Tell me," he said, because really, how was he supposed to pass the time stuck with Nathan Stark in the middle of Eureka's soccer field after they were both almost eaten by The Thing's less musclebound cousin if he couldn't needle the man some, "whose idea was it to create sentient dirt? My money's on Fargo, but Taggart's not far behind in the running."
A low grinding sound came from close behind him. Jack tensed, wary of losing more appendages to the earthen wall. It didn't move, however, and after a moment he put two and two together. "Are you grinding your teeth?"
The noise stopped. "It's a bad habit," Nathan said like he'd been caught out more than once before. "It helps me to deal with what happens when I allow my generosity to override my intellect. This isn't the first time I've literally been bitten in the ass."
"You know, you didn't have to jump in after me," Jack offered. He was still a little tingly--whether from surprise or something else, he didn't want to think about--over the way Nathan had flung his body at the mound of dirt in a misguided attempt to save him. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the thought, but--"
"Believe me, Carter. I'm going to get my head examined as soon as I get back to GD." Then he settled his right arm on top of Jack's side, so casually it had to be on purpose. Jack stared down at the glossy blue fabric of Nathan's shirt cuff, at the long fingers arched over his waist, at the perfectly manicured fingernails smudged by dirt. He swallowed the fear in his throat and shifted ever so slightly backwards, and that was all it took for Nathan to drop his hand definitively across his chest.
They didn't say anything for several minutes. Gradually Jack relaxed, his breathing slowly matching Nathan's, until he felt warm, sleepy, and pretty damn good. Which said a lot about his life in Eureka, considering he was still trapped in the middle of an open field, hoping the dirt didn't get hungry again.
Right. He wasn't going to think about that right now. "I take it from your response earlier that I wasn't far off track," Jack said, hoping that continuing their verbal fencing wouldn't disturb Nathan's sudden handsiness. "So was it Fargo or Taggart?"
Nathan groaned. "Both. It was a joint project."
Jack laughed. "And you really didn't anticipate this outcome?"
"Let's just say I've had other things on my mind," he said, and linked his fingers with Jack's.
Jack figured he was pretty okay with that--provided, of course, that Henry got them out of the dirt in time for dinner.
Fandom: Eureka
Pairing: Jack/Nathan
Rating: PG
Spoilers: None
Summary: Just another day in Eureka. *sigh*
Notes: I've been doing little writing exercises lately to try to get unblocked, and this tiny thing is one of the bits that I've liked. 750 just-for-fun words.
"So. Some weather we're having today."
Jack expected the comment to draw a withering retort or an extensive lecture on how important GD's latest doowhahickey was, but Nathan simply sighed and dropped his head--right against the back of Jack's neck. Nathan's hair was softer than Jack ever expected, tickling against his nape. Jack resisted the urge to wriggle as Nathan's breath burrowed between his shoulder blades, hot even through the layers of uniform shirt and tee. Instead, he cleared his throat and tried to concentrate on acting normal--well, as normal as possible in this situation. Which, all things considered, wasn't that far outside Eureka normal.
"Was it something I said?" he ventured again.
Nathan snorted. "Believe it or not, Carter, some days this town is a little too crazy for me."
Jack grinned. The wide, shit-eating grin that was his natural response to that put-upon tone. Of course, it was pretty much wasted, since Nathan couldn't see it, but he figured some of his glee would carry over into his voice. "Aww, Stark. You say that like you mean it. It's not nice to play with my feelings like that."
That earned an actual chuckle. Jack could feel him relax, his chest pressing up against Jack's back in a more natural way as he stopped unconsciously straining for an escape that just wasn't happening. Well, wasn't happening due to their own efforts. Somewhere Henry and Zane (and Fargo, but thinking about that most definitely wasn't making Jack feel better) were working on a solution to the problem, and he had faith that they'd figure it out before all the blood stagnated in the left half of his body. He frowned, unable to control the wriggling the thought brought about, but his hand and leg were trapped good by the mound of dirt beneath them.
"Tell me," he said, because really, how was he supposed to pass the time stuck with Nathan Stark in the middle of Eureka's soccer field after they were both almost eaten by The Thing's less musclebound cousin if he couldn't needle the man some, "whose idea was it to create sentient dirt? My money's on Fargo, but Taggart's not far behind in the running."
A low grinding sound came from close behind him. Jack tensed, wary of losing more appendages to the earthen wall. It didn't move, however, and after a moment he put two and two together. "Are you grinding your teeth?"
The noise stopped. "It's a bad habit," Nathan said like he'd been caught out more than once before. "It helps me to deal with what happens when I allow my generosity to override my intellect. This isn't the first time I've literally been bitten in the ass."
"You know, you didn't have to jump in after me," Jack offered. He was still a little tingly--whether from surprise or something else, he didn't want to think about--over the way Nathan had flung his body at the mound of dirt in a misguided attempt to save him. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the thought, but--"
"Believe me, Carter. I'm going to get my head examined as soon as I get back to GD." Then he settled his right arm on top of Jack's side, so casually it had to be on purpose. Jack stared down at the glossy blue fabric of Nathan's shirt cuff, at the long fingers arched over his waist, at the perfectly manicured fingernails smudged by dirt. He swallowed the fear in his throat and shifted ever so slightly backwards, and that was all it took for Nathan to drop his hand definitively across his chest.
They didn't say anything for several minutes. Gradually Jack relaxed, his breathing slowly matching Nathan's, until he felt warm, sleepy, and pretty damn good. Which said a lot about his life in Eureka, considering he was still trapped in the middle of an open field, hoping the dirt didn't get hungry again.
Right. He wasn't going to think about that right now. "I take it from your response earlier that I wasn't far off track," Jack said, hoping that continuing their verbal fencing wouldn't disturb Nathan's sudden handsiness. "So was it Fargo or Taggart?"
Nathan groaned. "Both. It was a joint project."
Jack laughed. "And you really didn't anticipate this outcome?"
"Let's just say I've had other things on my mind," he said, and linked his fingers with Jack's.
Jack figured he was pretty okay with that--provided, of course, that Henry got them out of the dirt in time for dinner.