Title: Look Back in Anger
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Tenth Doctor/Jack Harkness
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood
Rating: R
Table: 100moods
Prompt: 3, Angry
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.

***

The Doctor sat in his chair near the control console of the Tardis, lower lip pushed out in a pout. His arms were folded over his chest, his entire stance warning anyone who glanced at him to keep away. He definitely wasn't in an approachable mood.

He hadn't spoken a word to his companion when they'd come back to the ship; he'd simply stalked to his bedroom and barricaded himself inside. The doors on the Tardis weren't locked to him, but if he wanted to keep away from anyone else, he made sure they couldn't get to him.

And at the moment, he definitely didn't want Jack Harkness to get to him.

He was angry. Infuriated, really. The more he thought about what had taken place on the planet they'd been on, the angrier he got. What was it the humans said? He felt as though he could blow his top at any moment.

It wouldn't be so bad if Jack woudn't be such .... such a flirt, he fumed, his lips thinning into a straight line. He had to try to charm everyone he met -- no, that wasn't the right word. Jack didn't just charm people. He attempted to seduce them.

He was so tired of being involved with a man who coudn't seem to get it into his head that flirting in front of your significant other wasn't a good way to act -- not if you wanted to keep that particular significant other by your side.

Jack hadn't come into the control room, and the Doctor was glad of that. At the moment, he didn't want to see his boyfriend; he knew that if he did, he'd say tart, rude things to Jack that he might regret later.

The last thing he wanted to do was to drive a further wedge between them, but after the way Jack had acted today, he supposed it was inevitable that they argue at some point.

At the moment, he was keeping his peace, not saying anything. But Jack knew that he was upset; he'd tried to talk to the Doctor all the way back to the Tardis, but the Time Lord had stayed tight-lipped, refusing to make conversation.

If Jack didn't know that he was angry, or if he didn't know why, then he certainly would in short order. The Doctor knew that he wouldn't be able to rest easily until they'd had it out -- and, in his opinion, it was past time that they did so.

Speak of the devil, and he will appear, the Doctor said to himself as he heard Jack's soft tread coming into the control room. It seemed that somehow, just thinking of Jack could make the other man show up from wherever he'd been keeping himself.

He supposed that his boyfriend had been avoiding him since they'd gotten back to the Tardis and left the world they were on; he didn't much blame Jack for doing that. He definitely wasn't in any sort of mood to talk, which was more than obvious.

Would Jack come across the room and lay a hand on his shoulder, speak in that soft, rueful voice and give him an apology? He tensed at the thought, wondering how he would react. He wasn't sure that he could accept an apology, not quite yet.

But it didn't come. Instead, Jack strolled to the console to lean against it, looking at the Doctor with his brows raised in question.

"Look, I know you're upset with me," he began, his voice soft, but even and firm. "But you know how I am, Doc. You know I flirt with people. It doesn't mean I care any less about you. I just like to find out if I can charm everybody around me, that's all."

The Doctor stared up at him, amazed at the other man's words. There was no apology for how he'd acted, not at all. Only a blatant attempt to rationalize what he'd done, the way that he'd made the Doctor feel alone and unwanted.

"Well, then, I'll take you back to Earth and you can concentrate on 'charming' people there," he snapped, scowling and looking away from Jack. "You obviously don't need me cramping your style. I'm sure that I'm only putting a damper on your adventures."

Jack sighed, shaking his head and looking down. "You're not listening to me. I just told you that it doesn't mean anything. So I'm not hanging onto your arm every second and threatening people if they look at you the wrong way. It doesn't mean that I don't love you."

He wasn't going to answer. He wasn't going to look up at Jack, to let the immortal see the flash of pain that he knew had to show in his eyes. So he wasn't worthy of Jack's attention when other people were around, apparently. How nice to know.

Looking down, he blinked back the tears that had risen behind his eyes. Jack was ashamed of him, of their relationship. He didn't want anyone to know that they were together. Why hadn't he realized that before? It seemed so obvious now.

He hadn't realized that Jack was kneeling beside him until the other man took his hands, making him look up with a startled exclamation.

"I know I'm not the perfect boyfriend. I know I don't always act the way I should when I'm around other people. But I don't do it because I don't love you. I do it so people won't know how much you mean to me. So they won't try to use you against me somehow."

The Doctor turned away, shaking his head. He didn't trust his voice any more; he couldn't speak, couldn't say anything without bursting into tears. How could Jack expect him to believe that? It sounded like a very weak excuse.

"You're ashamed of me," he finally managed to say, his voice barely above a whisper. "You don't want anyone to know you're with me. I should have guessed it before -- and now that I know, you don't have to pretend otherwise. Don't waste your time."

"What?" Jack sounded completely at a loss, as though he couldn't believe what the Doctor was saying. "You can't honestly believe that. Ashamed of you? What in the hell could make you think that? Ask anybody who's been around me, and they'll tell you that's not true."

"You never act as though you're with me when there's anyone else around." The Doctor couldn't keep the petulant note out of his voice; he hated it, but it wouldn't go away. "You ignore me. It's as though I don't exist for you whenever there's someone else for you to flirt with."

Jack blinked, looking stunned. "That's not it at all. I flirt with other people because I don't want anybody to see how much in love with you I am. I feel like if anybody knows that, then they'll try to flirt with you -- and I won't be responsible for what I might do if I see it."

Now it was the Doctor's turn to stare. He hadn't thought of that .... it didn't seem like Jack's style. Not like the immortal at all.

"Come here." Jack stood up, tugging at the Doctor's hand. The Time Lord rose reluctantly from the chair, allowing the other man to pull him into those strong arms. He didn't really want to, but .... he coudn't resist the insistence of that touch.

"If you want me to show people how much I love you, I'll do it every time we're around anybody," Jack whispered, his lips brushing against the Doctor's hair. "I won't leave a single person in the universe in any doubt of my feelings for you."

The Doctor shook his head, still trying to hold back tears that threatened to spill over. "Not if you don't mean it," he choked out. "I don't want you doing something that you don't genuinely feel. That doesn't make things any better."

Jack placed a hand under the Doctor's chin, tilting his head back so that their eyes met. The Time Lord was completely unprepared for Jack's lips on his, the kiss taking his breath away, making him feel weak and dizzy in the other man's arms.

When Jack raised his head, that smile was still hovering around his lips. "Do you think I could kiss you like that if I didn't mean it?"

The Doctor shook his head, his senses whirling. His anger was completely gone now, drained away, replaced by .... what? He couldn't put a name to the emotion, but it was one that felt much better than the dark despair that had seemed to press down on him.

He let out a soft gasp of surprise when Jack quickly bent to hook an arm behind his knees, lifting the Doctor in his arms and heading for the corridor that the Time Lord's bedroom was on. There was no doubt what was in his lover's mind at this point.

And as for himself .... he was in complete agreement.

***