Auld Lang Syne
Title: Auld Lang Syne
Rating: PG
Summary: Jack and Kate spend a quiet New Year's Eve together. This is a complement to Something to Fix but can be read as a stand alone.
Spoilers: Post season 4
Disclaimer: Not mine. :)
He'd lasted a week, that had to count for something. He'd be kidding himself if he thought he could kick the habit cold turkey. As a doctor he should have known better, known that it was a gradual process. When he was little his mother always told him that 'Rome wasn't built in a day', well neither was this. He shouldn't have expected for it to go away all on it's own, but he did, he wanted it to.
Kate watched him from the door way, his head dipped low exposing the smooth layer of muscle that curved under his neck. She stroked it, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed.
"Aaron just called. He insists that he and Spencer are going to stay up to ring in the New Year. Mrs. Sullivan said he could sleep over which means we have the house all to ourselves" she mused. Jack didn't look up. It was obvious that his hands were shaking and he was guiltily trying to hide them. She rubbed his neck harder teasing out a tired moan that surprised even him. The naltrexone he was taking had left him feeling nauseous and snowed under; it helped with the shaking but the urge was still there and he had promised himself he wouldn't let it take control.
"It's alright," she assured him sensing his discomfort. "You're trying and that's all I wanted from you."
Jack didn't feel so sure. Kate moved from his neck, taking his shaking hands in her own as she massaged small circles across his knuckles. She looked up at him sympathetically, he just felt so damn tired and helpless. He'd never admit that playing with Aaron wore him out more than it probably should have. They just had to take it slow; she knew that. He didn't.
"Come on," Kate tugged at his arm, her fingers tracing the smooth cotton of the faded blue sweater he had shrugged himself into. It made him look old and wary in the flickering lamp light of their bedroom. Jack watched her bleary eyed.
"Kate, I'm really not in the mood," he admitted.
"That wasn't what I had in mind." She almost laughed and pushed him hard in the chest causing him to fall back on the bed with a surprised grunt. He offered several low pitched whines of protest when she manipulated his arms to get his shirt over his head and prodded him to roll over.
Before Jack could even raise his head she was straddling his back with both hands planted firmly on his shoulder blades.
"You need to relax."
"I'm fine," he protested. "Really I am."
"I know," she ran her thumb along a particularly large knot causing him to inhale sharply. The muscle under her fingers was tight and hard so she squeezed at it repeatedly in an attempt to get it to relax. Jack wriggled underneath her taunt and feigning restlessness that seemed beyond his control. Kate for the most part ignored him, her aim was to get him to relax; whether he enjoyed it or not didn't matter.
In the past week she had started to see the Jack she knew and loved come back to life. Yes there were still traces of that other man in him but he had made her a promise that he was going to beat this thing and she resolved to help him every step of the way. She didn't want to be without him any longer....not when she didn't have to.
"Easy," she soothed when he lurched forward with a hiss. She alternated pressure and depth resorting to shorter strokes when he exhaled sharply or tightened the muscles in his neck. When the knot gave way she observed a notable change in his breathing and the way he let his body melt into the bedspread with an involuntary sigh.
Kate smiled inwardly and continued to trace his shoulder muscles down to the ridges of his spine. She pressed her palms down and rubbed in circular motions that expanded as she steadily moved down the small of his back. Jack exhaled a shaky breath that fused into a particularly low growl when she retraced her path. Across the shoulders, following the muscle line she applied a deeper even pressure that heated up his skin when she did it just so. Her efforts were rewarded with a definite groan of pleasure.
"Jack?" Kate whispered long after he had stopped fidgeting. She had halted her ministrations and was staring down at him limp and snoring on top of the bed. It provoked a silent smile that she maintained as she gently climbed off of him and flexing the stiffness out of her fingers.
"You don't have to be Superman all the time you know." It was a statement that he probably would have discounted if he had heard.
The next thing he did hear was a persistent buzzing that translated as background noise, loud enough to pull him from sleep but fuzzy enough to be indistinguishable. Jack groaned and cracked his eyes open just enough to see Kate glancing at him apologetically.
"Why are you watching cartoons?" He was groggy and his saliva felt thick and syrupy in his mouth.
"The Grinch is a classic," she grinned. Jack rubbed at his eyes.
"How long was I out?" he muttered.
Kate suddenly looked very guilty. "A little over two hours. It's almost eleven."
He frowned but his tone was light. "At least you didn't drug me this time."
"Still bitter are we?" She teased.
Jack let out an undignified snort which made her smile and move to brush the hair out of her eyes. He anticipated this and did it for her, one finger gently teasing it back across her brow. He couldn't remember the last time he had bothered only knowing that it was a long time ago, when they still trusted each other.
"Hey," Kate said firmly, catching that glint of self-loathing in his face. "You promised," she reminded. "The pity party is over."
He sighed, releasing her hair so that it fell against her cheek. "Yes, I suppose I did." He searched her expression with sharp eyes, wording worriedly whether his tired brain was missing some significant feminine subtext. Somehow he felt like he'd done something wrong ― something he couldn't be forgiven for.
But when Kate looked up again her eyes shone at him with affection and humor. She took a deep breath, her warm stare combing over his features as her fingers fiddled with the edge of the bedspread. "I just think," she told him gently, slipping her hands around his neck, "a quiet night would do us some good." She gazed up at him through pooled orbs of green that tugged at his heart as she kissed his bottom lip.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Scrabble." Her face was delectably pink. She offered him a sheepish smile.
"Scrabble." He repeated unenthusiastically. His brows furrowed as he stared at her.
Kate suddenly seemed shy. "It'd be nice to just sit and talk with you," she flushed, not quite meeting his face.
"Alright." Jack gave in, slipping his sweater back on over his head. "Scrabble it is. You should know I was quite the champ back in my day so I'd be perfectly willing to go easy on you if you'd like."
"If this is anything like how you are at golf I think I can handle it oh Great One," she chided.
"Hey that was one time and my arm was stiff!" He protested, watching her retrieve the game from the back of her closet, she blew off the dust and set it on the bed.
"Save it for the game board Shephard."
"Fair enough." Jack grinned deviously at her. "But I warned you."
She lifted off the lid of the box setting it on the floor to her left while Jack unfolded the game board and spread out the little tiles face down. He handed her a wooden stand and they each picked out their seven.
"Ladies first," he asserted, leaning back against the pillows with his arms crossed. Kate shook her head at this action, a little too nonchalant.
"Okay," she agreed looking down at her letters to realize there wasn't much there. Frowning, she pulled three tiles and placed them on the board. "C-A-T, Cat. 5-points." Jack smirked and marked it down on the score sheet.
He told himself it was a bad draw and he'd do better on the next one because he only managed to put down amongst others: 'MAT', 'BAG', 'MUG', and 'WORK'― but at least he obtained a double word score on the last one. His next selection of letters turned out to be much better.
"C-O-X-A-L-G-I-A, Coxalgia. 18 big ones," he beamed.
"You can't use that," she huffed, glowering at him.
"It's a word," Jack assured looking very smug. "It means hip pain."
"It's a medical term. Somehow I doubt if I get out the dictionary I'll find..." she glance down, reading off the squares. "Coxalgia."
"Then we'll check the medical dictionary," Jack shrugged. "Trust me, it's there."
"This isn't medical scrabble," Kate protested but Jack stood his ground and 'coxalgia' stayed much to her irritation. She sized up her own tiles looking at the board and then down at what she had. A devilish smirk crossed her features.
"F-L-A-V-O-U-R, flavour. Ouch," she said slyly. "13-points oh and is that a triple word score? Hmm...that would give me 39-points. Not bad."
"You used the Canadian spelling,"Jack hissed. "Now that's definitely not allowed."
"But the medical dictionary is huh?" Kate cocked an eyebrow and checked the score to see that she was 14-points ahead with very little room left on the board. "Looks like I win."
"Right," he quipped. "Maybe if we were in Canada."
"Jack, admit it. I beat you." She watched him fooling with the few extra tiles he had left. He thought for a moment as he switched the squares around on his stand, sliding his fingers up and down the glossy wood until he was ready to pick them up and join them onto the 'O' in ''TOXICITY'.
She had to tilt her head to distinguish what was being spelled out.
"ILOVEYOU"
"I believe that's another 14-points on my end," he stated smugly.
"Are you trying to tell me something here?" She leaned towards him with one perfectly arched eyebrow and a warm gaze that steadily roved over his features.
"Just playing the game Kate," he lied smoothly,
Kate couldn't help the soft, low giggle that escaped her lips, her eyes twinkling with exasperation. "I guess we can call it a tie." He smiled in reply, watching her...waiting.
Jack grabs her before she could even think about doing anything else. Her elegant brown locks falling against his face as he descends in for a rough kiss that's both wild and loving at the same time. A thin layer of scruff bristles again her neck as he presses a string of kisses against her shoulder line his hands resting on her ribcage.
"Kate..." He struggles, unsure of the right words. He didn't want to make the same mistakes as he did with Sarah, sick and tired of the old pattern especially since he knew he had a chance to be so much better.
"Thanks for this..." he settles on finally. "...For everything."
"It was all you Jack." She assured.
Jack's gaze settled on the bedside clock. They could already hear the cracks and pops of fireworks fizzling in the street below.
"One minute to go." He pulled her tighter into him so that she was spooning against his chest.
"To the New Year," she finished drowsily.
"No," Jack huffed lightly, amused by her curious stare. "To our new beginning," he assured her, whispering his promise against her mouth and giving her another lazy kiss as they settled in to watch the fireworks.
Rating: PG
Summary: Jack and Kate spend a quiet New Year's Eve together. This is a complement to Something to Fix but can be read as a stand alone.
Spoilers: Post season 4
Disclaimer: Not mine. :)
He'd lasted a week, that had to count for something. He'd be kidding himself if he thought he could kick the habit cold turkey. As a doctor he should have known better, known that it was a gradual process. When he was little his mother always told him that 'Rome wasn't built in a day', well neither was this. He shouldn't have expected for it to go away all on it's own, but he did, he wanted it to.
Kate watched him from the door way, his head dipped low exposing the smooth layer of muscle that curved under his neck. She stroked it, sitting next to him on the edge of the bed.
"Aaron just called. He insists that he and Spencer are going to stay up to ring in the New Year. Mrs. Sullivan said he could sleep over which means we have the house all to ourselves" she mused. Jack didn't look up. It was obvious that his hands were shaking and he was guiltily trying to hide them. She rubbed his neck harder teasing out a tired moan that surprised even him. The naltrexone he was taking had left him feeling nauseous and snowed under; it helped with the shaking but the urge was still there and he had promised himself he wouldn't let it take control.
"It's alright," she assured him sensing his discomfort. "You're trying and that's all I wanted from you."
Jack didn't feel so sure. Kate moved from his neck, taking his shaking hands in her own as she massaged small circles across his knuckles. She looked up at him sympathetically, he just felt so damn tired and helpless. He'd never admit that playing with Aaron wore him out more than it probably should have. They just had to take it slow; she knew that. He didn't.
"Come on," Kate tugged at his arm, her fingers tracing the smooth cotton of the faded blue sweater he had shrugged himself into. It made him look old and wary in the flickering lamp light of their bedroom. Jack watched her bleary eyed.
"Kate, I'm really not in the mood," he admitted.
"That wasn't what I had in mind." She almost laughed and pushed him hard in the chest causing him to fall back on the bed with a surprised grunt. He offered several low pitched whines of protest when she manipulated his arms to get his shirt over his head and prodded him to roll over.
Before Jack could even raise his head she was straddling his back with both hands planted firmly on his shoulder blades.
"You need to relax."
"I'm fine," he protested. "Really I am."
"I know," she ran her thumb along a particularly large knot causing him to inhale sharply. The muscle under her fingers was tight and hard so she squeezed at it repeatedly in an attempt to get it to relax. Jack wriggled underneath her taunt and feigning restlessness that seemed beyond his control. Kate for the most part ignored him, her aim was to get him to relax; whether he enjoyed it or not didn't matter.
In the past week she had started to see the Jack she knew and loved come back to life. Yes there were still traces of that other man in him but he had made her a promise that he was going to beat this thing and she resolved to help him every step of the way. She didn't want to be without him any longer....not when she didn't have to.
"Easy," she soothed when he lurched forward with a hiss. She alternated pressure and depth resorting to shorter strokes when he exhaled sharply or tightened the muscles in his neck. When the knot gave way she observed a notable change in his breathing and the way he let his body melt into the bedspread with an involuntary sigh.
Kate smiled inwardly and continued to trace his shoulder muscles down to the ridges of his spine. She pressed her palms down and rubbed in circular motions that expanded as she steadily moved down the small of his back. Jack exhaled a shaky breath that fused into a particularly low growl when she retraced her path. Across the shoulders, following the muscle line she applied a deeper even pressure that heated up his skin when she did it just so. Her efforts were rewarded with a definite groan of pleasure.
"Jack?" Kate whispered long after he had stopped fidgeting. She had halted her ministrations and was staring down at him limp and snoring on top of the bed. It provoked a silent smile that she maintained as she gently climbed off of him and flexing the stiffness out of her fingers.
"You don't have to be Superman all the time you know." It was a statement that he probably would have discounted if he had heard.
The next thing he did hear was a persistent buzzing that translated as background noise, loud enough to pull him from sleep but fuzzy enough to be indistinguishable. Jack groaned and cracked his eyes open just enough to see Kate glancing at him apologetically.
"Why are you watching cartoons?" He was groggy and his saliva felt thick and syrupy in his mouth.
"The Grinch is a classic," she grinned. Jack rubbed at his eyes.
"How long was I out?" he muttered.
Kate suddenly looked very guilty. "A little over two hours. It's almost eleven."
He frowned but his tone was light. "At least you didn't drug me this time."
"Still bitter are we?" She teased.
Jack let out an undignified snort which made her smile and move to brush the hair out of her eyes. He anticipated this and did it for her, one finger gently teasing it back across her brow. He couldn't remember the last time he had bothered only knowing that it was a long time ago, when they still trusted each other.
"Hey," Kate said firmly, catching that glint of self-loathing in his face. "You promised," she reminded. "The pity party is over."
He sighed, releasing her hair so that it fell against her cheek. "Yes, I suppose I did." He searched her expression with sharp eyes, wording worriedly whether his tired brain was missing some significant feminine subtext. Somehow he felt like he'd done something wrong ― something he couldn't be forgiven for.
But when Kate looked up again her eyes shone at him with affection and humor. She took a deep breath, her warm stare combing over his features as her fingers fiddled with the edge of the bedspread. "I just think," she told him gently, slipping her hands around his neck, "a quiet night would do us some good." She gazed up at him through pooled orbs of green that tugged at his heart as she kissed his bottom lip.
"What do you have in mind?"
"Scrabble." Her face was delectably pink. She offered him a sheepish smile.
"Scrabble." He repeated unenthusiastically. His brows furrowed as he stared at her.
Kate suddenly seemed shy. "It'd be nice to just sit and talk with you," she flushed, not quite meeting his face.
"Alright." Jack gave in, slipping his sweater back on over his head. "Scrabble it is. You should know I was quite the champ back in my day so I'd be perfectly willing to go easy on you if you'd like."
"If this is anything like how you are at golf I think I can handle it oh Great One," she chided.
"Hey that was one time and my arm was stiff!" He protested, watching her retrieve the game from the back of her closet, she blew off the dust and set it on the bed.
"Save it for the game board Shephard."
"Fair enough." Jack grinned deviously at her. "But I warned you."
She lifted off the lid of the box setting it on the floor to her left while Jack unfolded the game board and spread out the little tiles face down. He handed her a wooden stand and they each picked out their seven.
"Ladies first," he asserted, leaning back against the pillows with his arms crossed. Kate shook her head at this action, a little too nonchalant.
"Okay," she agreed looking down at her letters to realize there wasn't much there. Frowning, she pulled three tiles and placed them on the board. "C-A-T, Cat. 5-points." Jack smirked and marked it down on the score sheet.
He told himself it was a bad draw and he'd do better on the next one because he only managed to put down amongst others: 'MAT', 'BAG', 'MUG', and 'WORK'― but at least he obtained a double word score on the last one. His next selection of letters turned out to be much better.
"C-O-X-A-L-G-I-A, Coxalgia. 18 big ones," he beamed.
"You can't use that," she huffed, glowering at him.
"It's a word," Jack assured looking very smug. "It means hip pain."
"It's a medical term. Somehow I doubt if I get out the dictionary I'll find..." she glance down, reading off the squares. "Coxalgia."
"Then we'll check the medical dictionary," Jack shrugged. "Trust me, it's there."
"This isn't medical scrabble," Kate protested but Jack stood his ground and 'coxalgia' stayed much to her irritation. She sized up her own tiles looking at the board and then down at what she had. A devilish smirk crossed her features.
"F-L-A-V-O-U-R, flavour. Ouch," she said slyly. "13-points oh and is that a triple word score? Hmm...that would give me 39-points. Not bad."
"You used the Canadian spelling,"Jack hissed. "Now that's definitely not allowed."
"But the medical dictionary is huh?" Kate cocked an eyebrow and checked the score to see that she was 14-points ahead with very little room left on the board. "Looks like I win."
"Right," he quipped. "Maybe if we were in Canada."
"Jack, admit it. I beat you." She watched him fooling with the few extra tiles he had left. He thought for a moment as he switched the squares around on his stand, sliding his fingers up and down the glossy wood until he was ready to pick them up and join them onto the 'O' in ''TOXICITY'.
She had to tilt her head to distinguish what was being spelled out.
"ILOVEYOU"
"I believe that's another 14-points on my end," he stated smugly.
"Are you trying to tell me something here?" She leaned towards him with one perfectly arched eyebrow and a warm gaze that steadily roved over his features.
"Just playing the game Kate," he lied smoothly,
Kate couldn't help the soft, low giggle that escaped her lips, her eyes twinkling with exasperation. "I guess we can call it a tie." He smiled in reply, watching her...waiting.
Jack grabs her before she could even think about doing anything else. Her elegant brown locks falling against his face as he descends in for a rough kiss that's both wild and loving at the same time. A thin layer of scruff bristles again her neck as he presses a string of kisses against her shoulder line his hands resting on her ribcage.
"Kate..." He struggles, unsure of the right words. He didn't want to make the same mistakes as he did with Sarah, sick and tired of the old pattern especially since he knew he had a chance to be so much better.
"Thanks for this..." he settles on finally. "...For everything."
"It was all you Jack." She assured.
Jack's gaze settled on the bedside clock. They could already hear the cracks and pops of fireworks fizzling in the street below.
"One minute to go." He pulled her tighter into him so that she was spooning against his chest.
"To the New Year," she finished drowsily.
"No," Jack huffed lightly, amused by her curious stare. "To our new beginning," he assured her, whispering his promise against her mouth and giving her another lazy kiss as they settled in to watch the fireworks.