Title: Learning Curve
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Jack Harkness
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Table: 2, 50episodes
Prompt: 31, Education
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the Tenth Doctor or Jack Harkness. Please do not sue.

***

"Jack, stop that!" the Doctor laughed as his lover licked a path from his navel up to his chest. "You're insatiable, do you know that?" he asked fondly as he reached out to brush a lock of hair away from Jack's eyes. "But I certainly don't mind."

"What, don't tell me you're not ready to go again," Jack said, sitting up and gathering the Time Lord into his arms. "You're capable of a lot more than one orgasm in a night, Doctor. Don't tell me you're too tired, because I'm not going to believe that."

The Doctor raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "Jack, I didn't say I was tired. I just don't want to go at it like a jackhammer. You might be a hammer, but you have a tendency to forget that after the first couple of times, I can get a little sore."

"Sorry about that, Doc." Jack propped himself up on one elbow, smiling apologetically as he moved his free hand down the Time Lord's chest to tweak and tease one small nipple. "You can always say no. And if you do, I'll stop. I'd never do anything to hurt you."

He'd done plenty to hurt the Doctor in other ways, though, he thought guiltily. He'd never hurt his lover in teh physical sense, but he cringed to think of all the pain that he'd inflicted on the Doctor emotionally. He would spend all of eternity trying to make up for that.

The Doctor reached out to stroke gentle fingertips over Jack's cheek, smiling softly as he did so. "It's all right, Jack. I know you can get a little enthusiastic at times. And I know you'd never hurt me. You're not that sort of man. You never have been."

From the expression on his lover's face, Jack knew that he was thinking about the Master. He could feel anger building within him, threatening to come to the surface; he had to push that feeling down ruthlessly, hold it at bay and not allow it to escape.

He didn't want to think about the Master, or about anyone else who had physically hurt the Doctor in the past. This time was for them, for building their relationship back to what it had been -- and from there, becoming better than they'd been in the past.

This was a time for creating their own happy memories, not for looking back into the past and dredging up old hurts that others had caused. Jack searched his mind for something to say that would get them back on track, to divert the Doctor from any dark thoughts he might be having.

"What do you say we just lie here and hold each other?" he asked, his voice soft and husky. He pulled the Time Lord into his arms, easing one leg between the other man's thighs and moving one hand down the slender curve of his back to cup one firm ass cheek in his palm.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea to me -- and it'll give us a chance to rest for the next bout," the Doctor said with a soft laugh. "I'm not saying no, Jack. I want to make love again. I just think we should give ourselves a rest before we go at it again."

Jack nodded, though he felt rested and ready to make love to the Doctor again at this very moment. But the Time Lord was right; if they paced themselves, he could make this last all night -- and possibly even into the next day.

But at the moment, he just wanted to lie here with the Doctor in his arms, enjoying the feeling of that slim body next to his. He didn't have to make love to the Time Lord to enjoy being with him; he could simply drink in this man's presence and be content.

He'd never felt like that with any other lover; no one else had ever given him the satisfaction that the Time Lord did. The Doctor had been meant for him; he was sure of it. They were each other's destiny, and there was no escaping that fact for either of them.

He had discovered all too soon after he'd left the Doctor that he'd made the wrong choice. But he had been too proud to admit that, even though he'd wanted to get down on his knees every time he'd seen his former lover after that and beg for a second chance.

Finally, he hadn't been able to keep himself away any longer. He'd thrown away his pride and gone to the Doctor -- and he knew that he would never regret that choice for a moment. He was right where he belonged, and he never wanted to be anywhere else.

"What are you thinking, Jack?" the Doctor asked, his voice soft and questioning, soft fingertips stroking along the strong line of Jack's jaw. "You look so serious. I hope whatever you're thinking of isn't something that's bothering you. If it is, tell me. I'll try to help."

Jack shook his head, smiling and pushing his thoughts away. This wasn't the time for them; this was a time for him to be enjoying the Doctor's presence, reveling in the fact that he was finally with the man he loved, the man he'd forced himself to stay away from for far too long.

"No, they're not bothering me," he said, his voice husky. "I was just thinking about how I belong with you, and how it was stupid of me not to have realized that from the very beginning. About what a mistake I made when I walked away, and how glad I am that I corrected that mistake."

"Knowing you is an education, Jack," the Doctor murmured, his eyes wide with surprise. "I would never have expected you to admit that out loud. I learn something new about you ever day -- and everything I learn never fails to amaze me."

"Being with you has been an education for me -- in a lot of different ways," Jack told him, smiling as he stroked the Time Lord's hair back from his face. "It's taught me a lot about being in love, and exactly what it means to love somebody and to belong to them."

"What else has being with me taught you?" the Doctor asked, his tone curious. "I know that I've taught you about love -- and I'm glad that I have, Jack. I just hope they're lessons you'll remember." He sounded a little cautious, as though he was unsure of what he said.

But Jack only nodded; he had definitely learned the value of love from the Doctor, and he would soon forget it. "You don't have to worry about that, Doc. I might have been stupid about love before, or not wanted to admit that I felt it, but I'm older and wiser now."

"I've learned some lessons from you too, you know," the Doctor murmured, settling more comfortably into Jack's embrace. "I've learned not to hold onto wounded pride. I should have begged you to come back to me a long time ago. To hell with that pride. I should have let it go."

"I learned the same thing," Jack said softly, blinking rapidly as he felt tears rising behind his eyes. "I didn't want to be on Earth, away from you. But I was too proud to say it, just like I was too proud to admit that I'd made a horrible mistake. I think we both learned from that one."

"We certainly did," the Doctor said, sighing and shaking his head. "But now that we're together again, we can forget that time we were apart. Maybe we both learned something from it, but it's too painful a time in my personal history for me to want to revisit it again and again."

"Neither do I," Jack said firmly, rolling the Time Lord over onto his back and looking down at him. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to give you more of an education about love. Or at least about sex -- even though I don't think there's much I could teach you at this point."

"Oh, really?" the Doctor asked, raising his brows and smirking up at Jack. "I know a lot, Jack, but when it comes to sex, I don't think I've ever met anyone who knows all the .... errr .... exotic things you do. Even after nine hundred years, you beat me in that department."

"That's a little hard to swallow," Jack laughed, shaking his head. "But I guess if it comes from you, I can believe it." He leaned down until his lips were nearly touching the Doctor's, his blue gaze locking with the other man's fathomless dark eyes. "Looks like there might be a learning curve."

The Doctor nodded, starting to say something before Jack stifled the words with a kiss. The time for talking was done; all either of them were interested in now was letting their bodies speak, in a language that was as old as time itself.

***