trobadora (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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wintercompanion2011-07-15 10:13 pm
trobadora) wrote in wintercompanion2011-07-15 10:13 pm
plaid_slytherin: Pear Grass (Ten/Jack) [T]
Title: Pear Grass
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
plaid_slytherin
Challenge: Summer/Winter Holidays 3
Pairing: Ten/Jack
Rating: T
Spoilers/warnings: Last of the Time Lords
Summary: The Doctor and Jack have a heart-to-hearts.
Prompt: green 47 love grass
"So, why'd the TARDIS bring us here?" Jack asked, as he and the Doctor stepped out of ship.
"I'm not sure," the Doctor said pensively. He circled the TARDIS once, laying a hand against the wood. "She's not saying."
"Do you know what this place is?"
The Doctor tilted his head back and sniffed the air. Then, he said something. It sounded like bare feet on dewy wet grass.
"What?" Jack said.
"That's the name of the planet. The native language requires six tongues."
Jack sat down, cocking his head thoughtfully. "That sounds like it could come in handy."
The hill the TARDIS had landed them on was covered with pear grass and it smelled wonderful. He lay down and pillowed his hands behind his head. "How did you do that, anyway?"
The Doctor sat down next to him, cross-legged. "I'm not human."
"So I've gathered."
The Doctor didn't say anything, but Jack felt a cool hand running through his hair. "Mm," he murmured contentedly. "That's nice."
"Do you remember coming here before?"
"No." Jack was hovering right on the edge of sleep—the truth was, he didn't remember very much of anything at all.
"It was a different part of this planet," the Doctor went on. "We came to watch the ice waterfall. You, me and Rose—back when I was… different." He paused. "You were different, too."
Jack snorted. "You could look at me, then."
"I can look at you now."
Jack opened one eye. "Do you really mean that? I thought it…"
"Yeah…" The Doctor looked up, avoiding Jack's gaze. "It's… difficult."
"And?"
The Doctor sighed, his hand stilling on Jack's forehead. "Jack…"
"Hey, if it hurts for you to look at me, I have a right to know." Jack sat up. "If I'm causing you pain, I can—"
"Don't." The Doctor grabbed his hand, and for a brief moment, his grip was hard enough to startle. "Jack, you—you're different, but—but I've gotten used to you."
"Thanks," Jack muttered.
"No, I mean it." The Doctor paused. "It's hard to describe if you're not a Time Lord."
Jack gave him a pointed look. "We have all the time in the world—at least I do. Try me."
The Doctor hesitated, running his tongue over his lips. "You're a fixed point," he began.
Irritably, Jack ran his palm over the grass. "What exactly does that mean?"
"I don't see the world the same as you do. I see time, Jack, I see it flowing, passing, all around. You're different. Like a stone in the middle of a stream. Like a rock in the middle of a river. The river just goes crashing against it, but it can never move it."
Jack paused. "Over time, though, the rock wears down."
"Yeah, it does," the Doctor said slowly. There was a glimmer of some sort of realization in his eyes, but he didn't say what it could have been.
"How long?" Jack asked. "How long did I… bother you?"
"Not long." The Doctor's gaze was still far away. "When we left the Valiant, when I asked you to travel with me, I meant it. I could have done it."
"So…" Jack wasn't sure if he even wanted to ask the next question, but he had to. "Did it go away, that feeling with the rock in the river, or did you just learn to work past it?"
The Doctor cast his eyes away and scratched his neck, all the answer Jack needed. "I learned to work past it," he admitted.
Jack opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. "How?" he asked.
"I had to keep looking at you," the Doctor said. He rubbed his face. "I can still see it, can still see the… the wrong, but I see you, too, Jack. Seeing just you has gotten easier."
Jack smiled. "Thanks, I think."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you," the Doctor said. He seemed to hesitate, and said, "Y'know, anyone who's been told they're wrong can't really be blamed for not wanting to have anything to do with the person who told them they were wrong. If you get my drift."
Jack did. He smirked. "When you're as old as I am, you tend to let bygones be bygones."
The Doctor sniffed indignantly. "Oh, so now you're playing the I'm older than you card, are you?"
Jack grinned. "I am older than you."
The Doctor frowned. Oh, he was pouting. He pouted adorably. "Only technically."
Jack shook his head ruefully. "I've been around longer than you have. How else are you going to define it?"
"Experience," the Doctor said promptly. "Wisdom."
"Oh?" Jack leaned in close, cupping the Doctor's cheek in his hand. "I've had plenty of experience."
"So I see," the Doctor said drily. His voice didn't give anything away, but his eyes were focused directly on Jack's lips. Jack flicked his tongue over them and the Doctor flinched.
"You gotta account for that," Jack said.
"I do," the Doctor murmured, and he kissed him, letting them both fall back onto the grass.
"I like it," the Doctor said. "My favorite flavor actually."
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"The grass, I mean. Pear grass."
Jack smiled. "Partial to orange myself."
"Oh, orange." The Doctor's tone was derisive. "Orange is artificial."
"I still like it!"
"You would."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The Doctor smiled and closed his eyes. "Not a thing, Jack." He slipped his hand into Jack's and squeezed. "I've just… figured out what you like."
"Oh, yeah?" Jack slid closer, threading his fingers through the Doctor's hair. "I'm that predictable, huh?"
The Doctor kissed him. "Very. It's one of your more endearing qualities."
"I'll just have to stay predictable, then," Jack murmured.
"Good," the Doctor said. "I like you… you and your… predictable factiness."
Jack didn't say anything else. Wordlessly, he drew the Doctor closer, wrapped his arms around his waist. It wasn't often that he got the Doctor to sit still and stay in one place. However long he got the Doctor here, lying in the grass, he was going to savor it. If that made Jack predictable, well, predictable he'd be.
Their quiet moment was suddenly interrupted by an explosion.
Jack sat up instantly. "What was that?"
The Doctor stood more slowly. "I think that sounds like why the TARDIS brought us here."
"Oh?" Jack stood, brushing pear grass off his coat.
"Shall we?"
"I think we'd better."
"Right then." The Doctor grabbed Jack's hand and they took off running. "Allons-y."
Author:
plaid_slytherinChallenge: Summer/Winter Holidays 3
Pairing: Ten/Jack
Rating: T
Spoilers/warnings: Last of the Time Lords
Summary: The Doctor and Jack have a heart-to-hearts.
Prompt: green 47 love grass
"So, why'd the TARDIS bring us here?" Jack asked, as he and the Doctor stepped out of ship.
"I'm not sure," the Doctor said pensively. He circled the TARDIS once, laying a hand against the wood. "She's not saying."
"Do you know what this place is?"
The Doctor tilted his head back and sniffed the air. Then, he said something. It sounded like bare feet on dewy wet grass.
"What?" Jack said.
"That's the name of the planet. The native language requires six tongues."
Jack sat down, cocking his head thoughtfully. "That sounds like it could come in handy."
The hill the TARDIS had landed them on was covered with pear grass and it smelled wonderful. He lay down and pillowed his hands behind his head. "How did you do that, anyway?"
The Doctor sat down next to him, cross-legged. "I'm not human."
"So I've gathered."
The Doctor didn't say anything, but Jack felt a cool hand running through his hair. "Mm," he murmured contentedly. "That's nice."
"Do you remember coming here before?"
"No." Jack was hovering right on the edge of sleep—the truth was, he didn't remember very much of anything at all.
"It was a different part of this planet," the Doctor went on. "We came to watch the ice waterfall. You, me and Rose—back when I was… different." He paused. "You were different, too."
Jack snorted. "You could look at me, then."
"I can look at you now."
Jack opened one eye. "Do you really mean that? I thought it…"
"Yeah…" The Doctor looked up, avoiding Jack's gaze. "It's… difficult."
"And?"
The Doctor sighed, his hand stilling on Jack's forehead. "Jack…"
"Hey, if it hurts for you to look at me, I have a right to know." Jack sat up. "If I'm causing you pain, I can—"
"Don't." The Doctor grabbed his hand, and for a brief moment, his grip was hard enough to startle. "Jack, you—you're different, but—but I've gotten used to you."
"Thanks," Jack muttered.
"No, I mean it." The Doctor paused. "It's hard to describe if you're not a Time Lord."
Jack gave him a pointed look. "We have all the time in the world—at least I do. Try me."
The Doctor hesitated, running his tongue over his lips. "You're a fixed point," he began.
Irritably, Jack ran his palm over the grass. "What exactly does that mean?"
"I don't see the world the same as you do. I see time, Jack, I see it flowing, passing, all around. You're different. Like a stone in the middle of a stream. Like a rock in the middle of a river. The river just goes crashing against it, but it can never move it."
Jack paused. "Over time, though, the rock wears down."
"Yeah, it does," the Doctor said slowly. There was a glimmer of some sort of realization in his eyes, but he didn't say what it could have been.
"How long?" Jack asked. "How long did I… bother you?"
"Not long." The Doctor's gaze was still far away. "When we left the Valiant, when I asked you to travel with me, I meant it. I could have done it."
"So…" Jack wasn't sure if he even wanted to ask the next question, but he had to. "Did it go away, that feeling with the rock in the river, or did you just learn to work past it?"
The Doctor cast his eyes away and scratched his neck, all the answer Jack needed. "I learned to work past it," he admitted.
Jack opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it. "How?" he asked.
"I had to keep looking at you," the Doctor said. He rubbed his face. "I can still see it, can still see the… the wrong, but I see you, too, Jack. Seeing just you has gotten easier."
Jack smiled. "Thanks, I think."
"I'm the one who should be thanking you," the Doctor said. He seemed to hesitate, and said, "Y'know, anyone who's been told they're wrong can't really be blamed for not wanting to have anything to do with the person who told them they were wrong. If you get my drift."
Jack did. He smirked. "When you're as old as I am, you tend to let bygones be bygones."
The Doctor sniffed indignantly. "Oh, so now you're playing the I'm older than you card, are you?"
Jack grinned. "I am older than you."
The Doctor frowned. Oh, he was pouting. He pouted adorably. "Only technically."
Jack shook his head ruefully. "I've been around longer than you have. How else are you going to define it?"
"Experience," the Doctor said promptly. "Wisdom."
"Oh?" Jack leaned in close, cupping the Doctor's cheek in his hand. "I've had plenty of experience."
"So I see," the Doctor said drily. His voice didn't give anything away, but his eyes were focused directly on Jack's lips. Jack flicked his tongue over them and the Doctor flinched.
"You gotta account for that," Jack said.
"I do," the Doctor murmured, and he kissed him, letting them both fall back onto the grass.
"I like it," the Doctor said. "My favorite flavor actually."
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"The grass, I mean. Pear grass."
Jack smiled. "Partial to orange myself."
"Oh, orange." The Doctor's tone was derisive. "Orange is artificial."
"I still like it!"
"You would."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
The Doctor smiled and closed his eyes. "Not a thing, Jack." He slipped his hand into Jack's and squeezed. "I've just… figured out what you like."
"Oh, yeah?" Jack slid closer, threading his fingers through the Doctor's hair. "I'm that predictable, huh?"
The Doctor kissed him. "Very. It's one of your more endearing qualities."
"I'll just have to stay predictable, then," Jack murmured.
"Good," the Doctor said. "I like you… you and your… predictable factiness."
Jack didn't say anything else. Wordlessly, he drew the Doctor closer, wrapped his arms around his waist. It wasn't often that he got the Doctor to sit still and stay in one place. However long he got the Doctor here, lying in the grass, he was going to savor it. If that made Jack predictable, well, predictable he'd be.
Their quiet moment was suddenly interrupted by an explosion.
Jack sat up instantly. "What was that?"
The Doctor stood more slowly. "I think that sounds like why the TARDIS brought us here."
"Oh?" Jack stood, brushing pear grass off his coat.
"Shall we?"
"I think we'd better."
"Right then." The Doctor grabbed Jack's hand and they took off running. "Allons-y."
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This made me grin:
The Doctor sniffed indignantly. "Oh, so now you're playing the I'm older than you card, are you?"
Jack grinned. "I am older than you."
The Doctor frowned. Oh, he was pouting. He pouted adorably. "Only technically."
Loved the kissing. And of course there was an explosion - it wouldn't be them if there wasn't an explosion!
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Love the dialogue, some lack of self-confidence and even competitiveness, solved in such a nice way..) And the final is also great, very typical for these two!
It was my fanart prompt, so I am especially glad to read such a great story based on it!) I had something like this in my mind...
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And now I wish pear grass were real.
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