Title: Jack
By: lilithangel
Pairings: Jack/the tenth Doctor
Rating: PG-13
Challenge for the wintercompanion Summer fest – compromise, compromising, persuasion, entice.
Summary: The Doctor has a problem, Jack helps, there may be collars involved.

***

“Come on Jack,” the Doctor said edging closer. “I didn’t mean to yell at you I promise.”

Jack inched further under the table, his eyes wide and untrusting.

“Come on,” the Doctor begged, “I’ve got a chocolate cream biscuit.” He waved said biscuit enticingly.

Jack edged a little closer, his eyes fixed on the biscuit. Slowly the Doctor backed out from under the table with Jack following. The biscuit disappeared from his hand and he grabbed hold of Jack.

While Jack concentrated on getting every crumb of biscuit the Doctor did a quick scan with his screwdriver.

“I told you not to eat that meat on Aulous Seven,” the Doctor scolded, “you’ve made yourself ill.” Just to prove his point the Doctor’s sneakers were splattered with something unidentifiable when Jack brought the biscuit back up as well as the Aulous Seven mystery meat. “Could have done without that, but better out than in,” the Doctor said with a shrug.

Jack looked at him pathetically.

“I know you didn’t mean to Jack,” the Doctor said, “let’s get you cleaned up.”

“Please tell me you didn’t name a dog after me,” a voice said from the doorway and the Doctor jumped.

He turned to see Jack lounging against the doorframe with a quizzical expression.

“His full name is Jacksaquillian Most Proud,” the Doctor said as the four legged Jack growled at the two legged one, “it seemed easier.”

Jack’s lips twitched. “I know you like to take in strays but this is not quite what I imagined for your latest companion.”

“He was a gift from a grateful Countessa,” the Doctor said, scratching Jack behind the ears. The four legged one obviously, although the response was probably the same, rolling over and begging for his tummy to be rubbed.

The Doctor found a cloth and wiped up the mess Jack had left, and now that he thought about it, thinking about two Jacks was going to get complicated.

“You could go back to calling me Captain,” Jack said reading his mind.

The Doctor considered it for a moment, rolling the names around in his head and then shook it. “Too military,” he said, “despite your insistence on that coat you’re not very military anymore. You’ll stay Jack and this one will be Jacksa or Quillian but that’s a decision for his owner.”

“He’s not yours then?” Jack said with some surprise. The dog looked surprisingly comfortable in the Doctor’s arms.

“The TARDIS is no place for a dog,” the Doctor said.

Jack looked around the console room, taking in the dog bed against one strut and the array of chew toys scattered around.

The Doctor followed his gaze and shrugged. “I won’t show you what he did to the Extrapolator you wired in.”

Jack looked at the dog who conspired to look both innocent and smug at the same time. The Doctor was still scratching him behind the ears and Jack was jealous.

“Who are you giving him to?” Jack said.

“I was thinking Martha actually,” the Doctor replied, “he shouldn’t grow much bigger and he’s mainly housetrained, or TARDIS trained really, palace trained before that which is just a really big house when you get down to it. What are you doing here anyway?”

“Visiting Martha,” Jack said, “for her wedding.”

“That’s today?” the Doctor said in surprise and then he grinned. “I need some ribbon then. Jacksaquillian Most Proud you’re going to be a wedding present.” He held the dog up to his face where it licked him enthusiastically.

“Sure you let him lick you,” Jack said.

“I know where he’s been,” the Doctor said.

“Throwing up,” Jack retorted and the Doctor made a face.

“So where’s your plus one?” the Doctor said.

Jack’s face stilled. “Going stag,” he said his voice steady. “Probably wouldn’t have come except Martha made me promise. I’m guessing you weren’t planning on being here either?”

“I’m here aren’t I?” the Doctor said. Jack looked unconvinced but didn’t say anything.

Two men in long coats walking a dog on a ribbon into the church wasn’t the strangest thing that happened at the wedding but it ended up being the strangest thing anyone remembered after Jack got to the champagne. The Doctor wasn’t exactly happy about it but did prefer not to be slapped by Francine again.

Martha looked beautiful and it was all the Doctor could do to stay for the ceremony. Jack noticed his unease and kept a careful hand on his arm until the incident. Jack thought it deserved a capital ‘I’ but the Doctor insisted it was nowhere near capitalisation.

So now they were wandering back to the TARDIS comparing royalty and historical figures they had snogged. Jack declared the Doctor the winner after the Madame du Pompadour story, declaring her a woman worth losing for. The Doctor toasted his agreement with the bottle of champagne he’d acquired from the wedding before passing it over to Jack.

Jack stopped briefly at the door to the TARDIS but the Doctor was still talking to him so he wandered in after.

“Jack,” the Doctor said inside the door, “how did you get back here?”

“With you,” Jack said until he saw that the Doctor was addressing the dog and not him. “How’d he get back in?”

“He shouldn’t have been able to,” the Doctor said with a frown.

“You never did tell me what breed he was,” Jack said, noticing movement behind the Doctor.

“You know the Contessa never mentioned that come to think of it, I thought he was some sort of setter,” the Doctor said.

“Definitely not,” Jack said, “unless setters have been able to clone themselves and nobody thought to mention.”

“Clone?” the Doctor spun around, “on dear.”

There were five identical dogs sitting staring up at him.

“How many do you think it could have cloned?” Jack said, carefully shutting the door.

In fact it was thirty seven clones and possibly clones of clones the Doctor wasn’t certain. They were both rather worse for wear and incredibly sober by the time all thirty seven were rounded up, examined and then neutered of their cloning ability.

“I was jealous of the attention you gave the dog,” Jack said, “now, not so much.”

“It’s not actually neutering,” the Doctor said, “they will still be able to perform, just not replicate. Martha!” he added.

“Where?” Jack turned around.

“We have to warn her,” the Doctor said, “who knows how many Jacks she has to deal with.”

“She’s gone on her honeymoon,” Jack said.

“Then who’s got the dog?” the Doctor said with some anxiety.

“Tish was taking him until Martha returns,” Jack said and the Doctor relaxed slightly. “I’ll call her and warn her or at least tell her we’re on our way to fix things.”

Tish had never sounded as much like Francine as she did when Jack spoke to her. He immediately placed all blame on the Doctor and promised to get there as soon as possible.

As soon as possible only turned out to be a day later than aimed for thanks to one of the dogs tripping Jack up, and the Doctor accidentally hitting the wrong lever avoiding the same problem.

Finally they rounded up, neutered and corralled all the dogs in a room in the TARDIS to be delivered back to the Contessa, and collapsed onto the pilot chair in the console room. The Doctor was dangling a collar absently from one finger and Jack watched it with tired interest.

“Did we miss one?” Jack said.

“Hmmm?” the Doctor said, “oh this, no just had it left over.”

“Not planning on keeping one of them then?”

“If it comes to faithful companions I think the role has been filled,” the Doctor said.

“So you are travelling with someone,” Jack said.

“I thought I was the obtuse one,” the Doctor said with a grin. “How long do you think the Earth will need defending?” he added.

“A few more years,” Jack said his eyes bright with understanding, “but there’s nothing to say that collar couldn’t be utilised before then.” He waggled his eyebrows. The Doctor rolled his eyes and then looked thoughtful. Jack smiled enticingly at the Doctor, “don’t tell me you’ve never wondered what we’d be like. I know my state leaves you on edge but it could just add a bit of spice to things.”

“Are you trying to compromise my virtue?” the Doctor looked at Jack with an expression Jack hadn’t seen before.

He ran a finger along Jack’s throat and slipped it under the edge of Jack’s tee shirt. Jack raised an eyebrow in challenge and with a flick of his wrist the Doctor fastened the collar around Jack’s neck. The Doctor hooked a finger behind the collar and pulled Jack closer.

“Are you a good boy?” the Doctor said. His lips twitched. “Do you want me to rub your tummy?”

“Doctor,” Jack tried to sound stern. “Shut up and kiss me?” he pleaded.

“If you insist,” the Doctor said. He pressed his lips against Jack’s briefly.

“Not a kiss you’d give your grandmother,” Jack said. He pulled the Doctor closer and this time their lips parted and there was definite tongue involved. “That’s better,” Jack added, a little bit dazed from the Doctor’s enthusiasm.

The Doctor smiled and his hands made quick work of Jack’s first shirt. “You wear too many clothes,” he said.

“You can talk,” Jack said as he worked his way past suit jacket, tie and shirt to spread his fingers across skin. “Seems like it’s my virtue that’s at risk,” he added and the Doctor snorted.

“Virtuous is not a term anyone would ever apply to you, Jack Harkness,” the Doctor said.

“And what terms would you apply to me?” Jack said, nipping at the Doctor’s throat.

“Courageous, frustrating, stubborn, noble, gorgeous,” the Doctor said, punctuating each word with a kiss. “Foolish, impetuous, loyal,” he added.

“Smart, outstanding, funny, beautiful,” Jack started his own list with his own kisses. “Stubborn, confusing, spectacular, stupid,” he added with a grin.

“How can I be smart and stupid?” the Doctor asked.

“Surprisingly easily,” Jack replied.

The Doctor’s hands had worked their way under Jack’s tee shirt and they matched each other’s exploration. It was as awkward as first encounters always were and just as wonderful. Jack used every one of his years of experience to make the Doctor arch into his touch and babble in several languages the TARDIS didn’t translate. The Doctor retaliated by demonstrating how he liked to lick things, tasting parts of Jack’s body driving the other man wild.

They managed to get naked and get enough of their clothing in place to create a buffer from the floor. There was still a hesitation between them as both expected the other to take control, until they realised neither needed to and they set about finding their rhythm together.

The Doctor’s more slender form moulded into Jack’s sturdier frame their similar heights allowing lips to meet lips and cocks to rub together with increasing urgency.

“This could be over with embarrassing speed if we’re not careful,” Jack said, breaking their kiss.

“Only the first time,” the Doctor said, “we can make the next few last longer.”

“There’s going to be more?” Jack said with surprise.

“I hope so,” the Doctor said.

“I hope so too,” Jack said.

“I’ve got two hearts, Jack;” the Doctor said seriously, “falling for someone is doubly hard for me.”

“That make three then,” Jack said, “I fell in love with you a long time ago, and couldn’t be happier,” he added, and then there were no more words until they lay in a tangled heap on the floor, panting to catch their breath.

“Could we have round two in a real bed?” Jack said, “Not as young as I used to be you know.”

The Doctor raised an amused eyebrow. “Neither of us is,” he said, “so a bed sounds perfect. Do you think maybe the world will be able to defend itself a bit faster than a few years though? We’ve got a lot of time to make up for.”

“We’ve got a lot of time to make it up in,” Jack replied, “but I think maybe they’re ready. Just give me a bit of time to prepare them; most of them are still new to it all.”

“New?” The Doctor noticed the shadows in Jack’s eyes and recognised the loss there.

“Humans are so fragile,” Jack said, “and so strong at the same time, but it hurts every time I have to say goodbye.” He let his head rest on the Doctor’s shoulder, soaking in the strength there.

The Doctor knew that heartache and contented himself with a soft kiss on Jack’s head as he savoured the unique taste of his constant fact. There was still wrongness around Jack when the Doctor looked at him, but the compromise was worth it when he looked beyond that to the strength and love from one who would never break his hearts.

Jack’s existence was going to be full of loss but he was determined to fill it with love and laughter as well. His Doctor might change face and form while his remained constant, but life would never be boring and that was fantastic.

END

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