A Tale of Two Travelers (Heroes/Torchwood, Hiro/Jack, pg13)
Crack. Blame thiscanbegin for encouraging me.
Title: A Tale of Two Travelers
Author: siriusly_sex
Rating: pg13
Word Count: 2826
Fandom: Torchwood/Heroes
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jack's POV. Hiro/Jack mostly, with mentions of past relationships.
Warnings: Crack. Set before the end of Out of Time for Hiro, and way before the Torchwood series for Jack, so spoilers for half of Heroes S2 and Doctor Who S1. (And also a slight spoiler for the first episode of Torchwood S2!)
Disclaimer: fic-tion n. something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story
A/N: I did this meme that required me to ask why John Sheppard and Remus Lupin found Hiro Nakamura and Jack Harkness were having sex. I came up with one (see summary), and this happened. Dedicated to thiscanbegin.
Summary: HAHAHA. Okay, here's how Hiro/Jack started: On Hiro's many trips through time, he ends up in Wales just after Jack gets there. Hiro is broken :( and Jack's stuck! They talk about time travel, and Hiro falls in love with the man from the future. -- From the meme. (see A/N) That's more or less what happens.
There was nothing like it, the darkness he felt when he was dead. He was lost, suffocating, drowning, and then it was over. He was alive again. He gulped in a huge breath and looked around, confused. The memories of what happened washed over him, and he had to take another huge breath before he stood up. There were no more Daleks around him, only dust where they once stood.
Jack heard the faint hum of the TARDIS, which must mean Rose had gotten back to them. He searched Satellite Five for hours (there were many, many floors) but still couldn't find any trace of Rose, the Doctor, or the TARDIS. Everyone else was dead.
Then, he had a brilliant idea. Go to where Rose was from. They had obviously gotten out, because the TARDIS was gone again, and the Doctor was bound to go there sooner or later to refuel.
But he must've calculated wrong because this was definitely not the Cardiff Jack remembered. He wasn't even sure he was in Cardiff - man, he really miscalculated. He tried using his Vortex Manipulator, but unfortunately, it was broken, and he didn't know how to fix it.
For days he wandered, not knowing when or where he was. He stumbled across a sword in the ground; apparently, he was in Japan. He'd been in Japan once before; it was another con from another time and way before he met Rose. Way before his life changed.
Suddenly, a man appeared before him, as if by magic. Jack nearly ran into him, because one second he wasn't there, and the next there he was. He was a strange, young, Japanese man, with a samurai's helmet under his arm. He looked around, confused, especially when he saw Jack in his vest and tee shirt. He looked scared; he closed his eyes and squeezed the shut, body shaking in concentration. After a couple of seconds, he opened his eyes, visibly disappointed.
It was very attractive, but this wasn't the time. Or the place. "How did you do that?" Jack asked, not even bothering to ask his name.
"When - ah - Where am I?" He had a Japanese accent, but he definitely spoke in English.
"I don't know when," Jack said, pointing at his Vortex Manipulator. "I just got here myself. Where?" Jack looked around. "I'm thinking Japan."
The man looked at Jack, confused. "You. Just got here?"
"Yeah. Time travel. I assume that's what you do too? Except," Jack added, putting a hand to his mouth, clearly confused. Jack didn't see a time travel device on the man's wrist. "How did you do it without a Vortex Manipulator?"
The man blushed and started babbling incoherently in a mixture of Japanese and English. "Time travel" and "hero" was the most Jack could understand.
"Um, sorry," Jack said, holding out his hand. "I'm Jack."
"I'm Hiro."
"Hiro?"
"Yes, and I am broken again," Hiro huffed. He puffed out his cheeks and frowned.
Jack just stared at him.
Hiro and Jack had hitched a ride to Cardiff, because, by some amazing coincidence, there was a cargo ship already going there, and Hiro asked if they could board.
Before, on the way to the shore, Hiro had not really talked about himself, afraid he'd break the time-space continuum he said. So Jack talked about himself. Mostly about the Doctor and Rose, and getting to Cardiff. Hiro said he'd help, because "It is my duty! As a hero!" It wasn't Hiro's plan to go with Jack to Cardiff, but the strapping young Japanese sailors didn't trust Jack by himself, and said they'd only let him on with Hiro, so Hiro agreed cheerily.
"I've never been to Wales!" Hiro exclaimed, sitting down next to Jack. The sailors could only afford to clear out one room, so Jack and Hiro had to share a bed. "They said we'd get there in a couple of months, though. It is 1869, of course."
"Is it?" Jack said, curiously, more interested in what time he had landed in than how long it would take.
"Mmhm!" Hiro said. "One of the sailors told me."
The word "months" weighed heavily on Jack's shoulders. "What are we going to do now? We have months."
Hiro shrugged. "The crew said that we'd just get in the way if we were out there, so I guess we pass the time in here."
Jack frowned. There was nothing in the room except Hiro and the bed. Jack sighed. Usually this a very nice situation - weeks alone in a room with someone attractive - but Hiro didn't sound particularly interested.
"You can have the bed," Hiro offered, putting the helmut on the floor at the foot of the bed. "I am fine with the floor."
"No," Jack said, because he could always try; there were months ahead of them. "We could share," Jack smirked, raising both eyebrows.
Hiro turned bright red and mumbled something that sounded like "No."
Jack laughed. "Or, we could take turns?" Hiro looked up. "You know, you can have it one day, I get it the next." Jack could tell Hiro was thinking about it, and considering it, so Jack declared, "Okay, that's what we'll do!" and promptly changed the subject: "Do you know when we get food?"
A couple of weeks had passed. Early into the trip, Jack had suggested taking a different route; one with less risks and took a shorter time. Jack had spent some time on a ship when he was a time agent, so he knew about these kinds of things. The sailors took his advice reluctantly at first, only on Hiro's word, but, eventually, they admitted that they were making amazing time, getting there at least a week and a half early. They trusted Jack a little more after that.
But still, they were mainly confined to their room, only coming out during dinnertime to chat with the crew. There really was nothing to do in that room, so Jack talked more about himself. He spoke of the Time Agency, and of some of his cons between leaving the agency and meeting the Doctor.
"That's amazing!" Hiro would exclaim after each account was told. Jack couldn't tell if Hiro actually believed him, or if he thought Jack was making the whole thing up, but seeing Hiro's face light up made the bottom of his stomach drop, like he was falling off a cliff. It felt good. Really good.
When Jack ran out of adventures, Jack started telling Hiro about his advances with other beings. "There was this one, and boy did he - or she. I never did get its name - have a lot of tentacles. That was very weird, and very interesting."
Hiro laughed whole-heartedly, and there was that feeling again; his stomach flipped and then something happened to his heart. Jack ignored it. "Have I told you about my friend John? I married him. He was a damn good wife, too." Hiro just laughed.
It took a lot for Hiro to open up; he was still convinced he was going to break the very fabric of time if he did. Jack tried to explain that was nearly impossible, but the most he could get of out Hiro was a woman named Yaeko and a man named Kensei, and Hiro spoke of them like Jack spoke of the Doctor and Rose; like he loved them. But both were from where Hiro had come from, The Past, not where he wanted to go. Jack wanted to ask if he had anyone waiting for him, in The Present, but the words never made it past his mouth.
So Jack asked what was on his mind since they first met. "What do you mean, you're broken?"
Hiro went quiet. Jack was about to change the subject when Hiro said, softly "I have these powers. They're like your Vortex Manipulator. I can travel through time. Once, when I tried to change the past, they stopped working."
"What happened? What did you try to do?" This was much more interesting than whatever Jack had been through.
"I tried to save a girl. Someone I loved," Hiro said.
"Oh," Jack said, his stomach plummeting. It wasn't the same feeling as before; this one made him sick.
"But, it didn't work," Hiro continued. "I wasn't meant to save Charlie."
Jack didn't point out that Charlie was a man's name.
"Anyway," Hiro said, snapping out of it. "I couldn't get myself back to the present by teleporting, so I had to wait it out in the past." Hiro paused, and gulped. "I hope that isn't the case right now. I can't wait two hundred years."
Jack patted him on the back. "I'm sure it's not the case this time." He put on his best reassuring smile, and wished the boat would go faster.
Finally, one the sailors spotted Wales on the horizon. "A couple of days!" Hiro translated for Jack at dinner, but he did't have to, because Jack kind of understood. When they weren't talking about themselves, Hiro tried teaching Jack some words in Japanese, and Jack tried to help Hiro improve his English.
The sailors told them they weren't going back to Japan after Wales; they were heading to France, and then it was another three months to Japan. Hiro said he wanted to stay in Wales instead of staying on the ship. "So what are you going to do in Wales?" Jack asked, curious. It was his day on the floor, and tomorrow they were landing in Wales. He could hardly sleep.
"I don't know," Hiro said seriously. "Maybe I could stay with you? Or maybe I could wander around Wales?"
"Mm," Jack made a face. "There's not much to do in Wales, especially now."
"I could go see Stonehenge!" Hiro leaned over the bed to look at Jack. He was very happy. "I've always wanted to see Stonehenge!"
"Okaaay," Jack said slowly, propping himself up on an elbow. "What's Stonehenge?"
"Oh," Hiro said. "I keep forgetting you're not from my time. It's a giant circle made of giant stones, and it's so magical!" Hiro grinned again, and there was that feeling, and before he could stop himself, he kissed Hiro. It was a chaste and innocent kiss, and Jack didn't know what to expect, except that Hiro's lips really were as soft as they looked.
When his brain told him he was kissing Hiro, he pulled away and apologized, desperately trying not to lose the one good thing in his life for the past few months. Hiro turned over, not saying anything.
A couple hours later, Jack finally heard Hiro's soft snores, and closed his own eyes.
The next morning, it was as if nothing happened. Hiro grinned happily down at Jack, announcing breakfast was ready.
Jack grinned back and got up for breakfast.
Hiro did end up with Jack. The sailors bid them both goodbye, and Hiro said that the sailors wanted to thank Jack for showing them a shortcut. Jack just smiled his bright smile, and shook their hands, saying "thank you" and "goodbye" in Japanese.
They went to Stonehenge, like Hiro wanted, and Jack thought it was even more amazing than Hiro thought it was. Jack really felt something magic on the ground he stood on, and when Hiro accidentally brushed against him, he knew it was magic, because there was no other reason for Hiro to be this close to Jack.
They went to Cardiff, and Jack mapped out the buildings that weren't there yet, describing them to the best of his ability. Hiro really liked the Millenium Centre descriptions, and vowed he would see it in The Present, if he ever went back.
They were on their way to England when Jack died. Hiro wanted to see Big Ben, because it was Hiro's turn to pick where to go, and he really wanted to see Big Ben in it's prime. Jack said that he parked his Chula warship in front of it, and Hiro got that happy look in him again as Jack explained what a Chula warship was.
He was in the middle of explaining how the nanogenes worked when a man appeared out of nowhere and demanded their money. Jack thought it was a stupid way to die, as the blood drained out of him. He vaguely remembered opening his eyes and seeing Hiro fight the man off, but every time he closed his eyes, it got harder to open them again.
The next time he opened his eyes, Hiro was sobbing, pressing on the wound in Jack's stomach, pleading for the bleeding to stop. "I should've told you," Hiro said over and over again. "I do, I do love you, I do, I do."
Jack smiled before it all went black again, before he could open his mouth to thank him.
And, just what happened on Satellite Five, his eyes were open again, and he didn't feel groggy or tired anymore. In fact, he wasn't in pain at all. Hiro was still crying; Jack wondered how long he had been out. Hiro's entire body was flung onto Jack's, his body shaking with the sobs that consumed his body. "Daisuki*," Hiro repeated between sobs, "daisuki, Jack."
"Hiro," Jack said, his voice cracking.
Hiro looked up, confused. "Jack? You were dead."
"Hiro," Jack repeated. Hiro pulled him up into a sitting position. "Hiro, what does 'daisuki' mean?"
Hiro laughed, and flung his arms around Jack.
Hiro didn't question why Jack was still alive. "It's obviously one of your powers," Hiro explained. "I know other people with regeneration, although theirs are faster working than yours is."
"Hm," Jack said. It bothered him that Hiro was so nonchalant about this.
"Kensei was one. The cheerleader was another."
"Cheerleader?" Jack said, perking up.
When Hiro discovered he had his powers back, it happened during his daily morning meditation. Every morning, no matter where he was, he would meditate. Hiro said it was to get his powers back.
Jack thinks that falling in love got Hiro his powers back.
They argued a lot for the first few days about what Hiro should do. Jack wanted Hiro to go back to his life. Recently, Hiro started talking about his best friend, Ando, who he sent letters to through his sword. More than anything, Jack wanted Hiro to see Ando again. More than anything, Jack wanted Hiro to be happy.
Hiro wanted to take Jack with him.
If Hiro had proposed the idea before Jack died, he would've gone with him for the sake of a new adventure, but coming back to life couldn't have been a coincidence; it had to do with the Doctor. So now, Jack had questions that needed answering. And if Jack was with Hiro, he wouldn't be close enough to the Rift to get those answers.
"I'm sorry," Jack said, after he finished telling Hiro his reasons. "I know you hate me for doing this, but I need to find the Doctor. I need to know what happened on Satellite Five. And being here, in Cardiff, that's the answer."
Hiro didn't know what to say. "I think I understand," Hiro said, "But if I bring you to My Present, wouldn't that bring you closer to your Doctor?"
Jack shrugged. "He could turn up anytime. Maybe," Jack smirked, pointing at his stomach, "maybe this means I can't die."
Hiro shuddered, and Jack remembered Hiro telling him how he had to kill Kensei. "I'll make a promise," Jack said, pulling Hiro in close and breathing in his scent. "I promise that if I'm still alive in Your Present, I'll look for you. What year was it again?"
"2007," Hiro said, squeezing Jack tightly before disappearing.
Jack called Hiro in 2007, and got Ando. "Hello," Jack said, tentatively. "This is Jack Harkness calling for Hiro Nakamura?"
"Um, I'm sorry, Hiro has been, ah, gone for a while. Will a message be okay? He will get back to you as soon as possible."
"Just tell him Jack called." Something was tugging at Jack's memory. "Is this Ando?"
"Um, yes," Ando said, surprise evident in his voice.
"Oh. Well. Please just tell Hiro that Jack called." Jack hung up and put his head in his hands.
A couple of weeks later, Ianto came into Jack's office. Ianto was fresh from Torchwood 1, and today marked the end of his first week. "Sir." Jack looked up and smiled; Ianto really did look good in a suit. "Suzie just left, and Owen is leaving now. Tosh says she wants to stay a little longer, so I'm making coffee for her. Do you want any?"
Jack shook his head and went back to his work.
"Oh, and there was a message for you. Someone named Hiro Nakamura called?"
Jack looked up sharply. "What's the message?"
"Just a flight number." Ianto was holding out a piece of paper.
Jack took it and ran.
He met Hiro at the Cardiff International Airport and, like a scene any cheesy film he'd watched recently, ran to him and kissed him before he even got his luggage off the baggage claim.
"What. Took. You. So. Long?" Jack asked inbetween kisses. He pulled away and looked into Hiro's eyes. "You wear glasses?"
Hiro smiled sheepishy and looked down. "I'm sorry you waited so long," Hiro said, pulling Jack closer. "Did you find your Doctor?"
"No," Jack said, pressing his forehead to Hiro's, "but you being here has been worth the wait."
*"Daisuki" means "I like you"/"I love you". "Aishiteru" also means "I love you", but it's more formal and more serious. I figured Hiro would use the non-formal one, even if he thought Jack was dead.
Another Author's Note: God, Hiro really does fall in love all the time, doesn't he? Charlie? Yaeko? Adam? Jack? ...My Hiro, apparently, is a love!whore.
Also, the timing is really odd, I know. At the end of the fic, S2 of Heroes has ended, and S1 of Torchwood has yet to begin.
Title: A Tale of Two Travelers
Author: siriusly_sex
Rating: pg13
Word Count: 2826
Fandom: Torchwood/Heroes
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jack's POV. Hiro/Jack mostly, with mentions of past relationships.
Warnings: Crack. Set before the end of Out of Time for Hiro, and way before the Torchwood series for Jack, so spoilers for half of Heroes S2 and Doctor Who S1. (And also a slight spoiler for the first episode of Torchwood S2!)
Disclaimer: fic-tion n. something feigned, invented, or imagined; a made-up story
A/N: I did this meme that required me to ask why John Sheppard and Remus Lupin found Hiro Nakamura and Jack Harkness were having sex. I came up with one (see summary), and this happened. Dedicated to thiscanbegin.
Summary: HAHAHA. Okay, here's how Hiro/Jack started: On Hiro's many trips through time, he ends up in Wales just after Jack gets there. Hiro is broken :( and Jack's stuck! They talk about time travel, and Hiro falls in love with the man from the future. -- From the meme. (see A/N) That's more or less what happens.
There was nothing like it, the darkness he felt when he was dead. He was lost, suffocating, drowning, and then it was over. He was alive again. He gulped in a huge breath and looked around, confused. The memories of what happened washed over him, and he had to take another huge breath before he stood up. There were no more Daleks around him, only dust where they once stood.
Jack heard the faint hum of the TARDIS, which must mean Rose had gotten back to them. He searched Satellite Five for hours (there were many, many floors) but still couldn't find any trace of Rose, the Doctor, or the TARDIS. Everyone else was dead.
Then, he had a brilliant idea. Go to where Rose was from. They had obviously gotten out, because the TARDIS was gone again, and the Doctor was bound to go there sooner or later to refuel.
But he must've calculated wrong because this was definitely not the Cardiff Jack remembered. He wasn't even sure he was in Cardiff - man, he really miscalculated. He tried using his Vortex Manipulator, but unfortunately, it was broken, and he didn't know how to fix it.
For days he wandered, not knowing when or where he was. He stumbled across a sword in the ground; apparently, he was in Japan. He'd been in Japan once before; it was another con from another time and way before he met Rose. Way before his life changed.
Suddenly, a man appeared before him, as if by magic. Jack nearly ran into him, because one second he wasn't there, and the next there he was. He was a strange, young, Japanese man, with a samurai's helmet under his arm. He looked around, confused, especially when he saw Jack in his vest and tee shirt. He looked scared; he closed his eyes and squeezed the shut, body shaking in concentration. After a couple of seconds, he opened his eyes, visibly disappointed.
It was very attractive, but this wasn't the time. Or the place. "How did you do that?" Jack asked, not even bothering to ask his name.
"When - ah - Where am I?" He had a Japanese accent, but he definitely spoke in English.
"I don't know when," Jack said, pointing at his Vortex Manipulator. "I just got here myself. Where?" Jack looked around. "I'm thinking Japan."
The man looked at Jack, confused. "You. Just got here?"
"Yeah. Time travel. I assume that's what you do too? Except," Jack added, putting a hand to his mouth, clearly confused. Jack didn't see a time travel device on the man's wrist. "How did you do it without a Vortex Manipulator?"
The man blushed and started babbling incoherently in a mixture of Japanese and English. "Time travel" and "hero" was the most Jack could understand.
"Um, sorry," Jack said, holding out his hand. "I'm Jack."
"I'm Hiro."
"Hiro?"
"Yes, and I am broken again," Hiro huffed. He puffed out his cheeks and frowned.
Jack just stared at him.
Hiro and Jack had hitched a ride to Cardiff, because, by some amazing coincidence, there was a cargo ship already going there, and Hiro asked if they could board.
Before, on the way to the shore, Hiro had not really talked about himself, afraid he'd break the time-space continuum he said. So Jack talked about himself. Mostly about the Doctor and Rose, and getting to Cardiff. Hiro said he'd help, because "It is my duty! As a hero!" It wasn't Hiro's plan to go with Jack to Cardiff, but the strapping young Japanese sailors didn't trust Jack by himself, and said they'd only let him on with Hiro, so Hiro agreed cheerily.
"I've never been to Wales!" Hiro exclaimed, sitting down next to Jack. The sailors could only afford to clear out one room, so Jack and Hiro had to share a bed. "They said we'd get there in a couple of months, though. It is 1869, of course."
"Is it?" Jack said, curiously, more interested in what time he had landed in than how long it would take.
"Mmhm!" Hiro said. "One of the sailors told me."
The word "months" weighed heavily on Jack's shoulders. "What are we going to do now? We have months."
Hiro shrugged. "The crew said that we'd just get in the way if we were out there, so I guess we pass the time in here."
Jack frowned. There was nothing in the room except Hiro and the bed. Jack sighed. Usually this a very nice situation - weeks alone in a room with someone attractive - but Hiro didn't sound particularly interested.
"You can have the bed," Hiro offered, putting the helmut on the floor at the foot of the bed. "I am fine with the floor."
"No," Jack said, because he could always try; there were months ahead of them. "We could share," Jack smirked, raising both eyebrows.
Hiro turned bright red and mumbled something that sounded like "No."
Jack laughed. "Or, we could take turns?" Hiro looked up. "You know, you can have it one day, I get it the next." Jack could tell Hiro was thinking about it, and considering it, so Jack declared, "Okay, that's what we'll do!" and promptly changed the subject: "Do you know when we get food?"
A couple of weeks had passed. Early into the trip, Jack had suggested taking a different route; one with less risks and took a shorter time. Jack had spent some time on a ship when he was a time agent, so he knew about these kinds of things. The sailors took his advice reluctantly at first, only on Hiro's word, but, eventually, they admitted that they were making amazing time, getting there at least a week and a half early. They trusted Jack a little more after that.
But still, they were mainly confined to their room, only coming out during dinnertime to chat with the crew. There really was nothing to do in that room, so Jack talked more about himself. He spoke of the Time Agency, and of some of his cons between leaving the agency and meeting the Doctor.
"That's amazing!" Hiro would exclaim after each account was told. Jack couldn't tell if Hiro actually believed him, or if he thought Jack was making the whole thing up, but seeing Hiro's face light up made the bottom of his stomach drop, like he was falling off a cliff. It felt good. Really good.
When Jack ran out of adventures, Jack started telling Hiro about his advances with other beings. "There was this one, and boy did he - or she. I never did get its name - have a lot of tentacles. That was very weird, and very interesting."
Hiro laughed whole-heartedly, and there was that feeling again; his stomach flipped and then something happened to his heart. Jack ignored it. "Have I told you about my friend John? I married him. He was a damn good wife, too." Hiro just laughed.
It took a lot for Hiro to open up; he was still convinced he was going to break the very fabric of time if he did. Jack tried to explain that was nearly impossible, but the most he could get of out Hiro was a woman named Yaeko and a man named Kensei, and Hiro spoke of them like Jack spoke of the Doctor and Rose; like he loved them. But both were from where Hiro had come from, The Past, not where he wanted to go. Jack wanted to ask if he had anyone waiting for him, in The Present, but the words never made it past his mouth.
So Jack asked what was on his mind since they first met. "What do you mean, you're broken?"
Hiro went quiet. Jack was about to change the subject when Hiro said, softly "I have these powers. They're like your Vortex Manipulator. I can travel through time. Once, when I tried to change the past, they stopped working."
"What happened? What did you try to do?" This was much more interesting than whatever Jack had been through.
"I tried to save a girl. Someone I loved," Hiro said.
"Oh," Jack said, his stomach plummeting. It wasn't the same feeling as before; this one made him sick.
"But, it didn't work," Hiro continued. "I wasn't meant to save Charlie."
Jack didn't point out that Charlie was a man's name.
"Anyway," Hiro said, snapping out of it. "I couldn't get myself back to the present by teleporting, so I had to wait it out in the past." Hiro paused, and gulped. "I hope that isn't the case right now. I can't wait two hundred years."
Jack patted him on the back. "I'm sure it's not the case this time." He put on his best reassuring smile, and wished the boat would go faster.
Finally, one the sailors spotted Wales on the horizon. "A couple of days!" Hiro translated for Jack at dinner, but he did't have to, because Jack kind of understood. When they weren't talking about themselves, Hiro tried teaching Jack some words in Japanese, and Jack tried to help Hiro improve his English.
The sailors told them they weren't going back to Japan after Wales; they were heading to France, and then it was another three months to Japan. Hiro said he wanted to stay in Wales instead of staying on the ship. "So what are you going to do in Wales?" Jack asked, curious. It was his day on the floor, and tomorrow they were landing in Wales. He could hardly sleep.
"I don't know," Hiro said seriously. "Maybe I could stay with you? Or maybe I could wander around Wales?"
"Mm," Jack made a face. "There's not much to do in Wales, especially now."
"I could go see Stonehenge!" Hiro leaned over the bed to look at Jack. He was very happy. "I've always wanted to see Stonehenge!"
"Okaaay," Jack said slowly, propping himself up on an elbow. "What's Stonehenge?"
"Oh," Hiro said. "I keep forgetting you're not from my time. It's a giant circle made of giant stones, and it's so magical!" Hiro grinned again, and there was that feeling, and before he could stop himself, he kissed Hiro. It was a chaste and innocent kiss, and Jack didn't know what to expect, except that Hiro's lips really were as soft as they looked.
When his brain told him he was kissing Hiro, he pulled away and apologized, desperately trying not to lose the one good thing in his life for the past few months. Hiro turned over, not saying anything.
A couple hours later, Jack finally heard Hiro's soft snores, and closed his own eyes.
The next morning, it was as if nothing happened. Hiro grinned happily down at Jack, announcing breakfast was ready.
Jack grinned back and got up for breakfast.
Hiro did end up with Jack. The sailors bid them both goodbye, and Hiro said that the sailors wanted to thank Jack for showing them a shortcut. Jack just smiled his bright smile, and shook their hands, saying "thank you" and "goodbye" in Japanese.
They went to Stonehenge, like Hiro wanted, and Jack thought it was even more amazing than Hiro thought it was. Jack really felt something magic on the ground he stood on, and when Hiro accidentally brushed against him, he knew it was magic, because there was no other reason for Hiro to be this close to Jack.
They went to Cardiff, and Jack mapped out the buildings that weren't there yet, describing them to the best of his ability. Hiro really liked the Millenium Centre descriptions, and vowed he would see it in The Present, if he ever went back.
They were on their way to England when Jack died. Hiro wanted to see Big Ben, because it was Hiro's turn to pick where to go, and he really wanted to see Big Ben in it's prime. Jack said that he parked his Chula warship in front of it, and Hiro got that happy look in him again as Jack explained what a Chula warship was.
He was in the middle of explaining how the nanogenes worked when a man appeared out of nowhere and demanded their money. Jack thought it was a stupid way to die, as the blood drained out of him. He vaguely remembered opening his eyes and seeing Hiro fight the man off, but every time he closed his eyes, it got harder to open them again.
The next time he opened his eyes, Hiro was sobbing, pressing on the wound in Jack's stomach, pleading for the bleeding to stop. "I should've told you," Hiro said over and over again. "I do, I do love you, I do, I do."
Jack smiled before it all went black again, before he could open his mouth to thank him.
And, just what happened on Satellite Five, his eyes were open again, and he didn't feel groggy or tired anymore. In fact, he wasn't in pain at all. Hiro was still crying; Jack wondered how long he had been out. Hiro's entire body was flung onto Jack's, his body shaking with the sobs that consumed his body. "Daisuki*," Hiro repeated between sobs, "daisuki, Jack."
"Hiro," Jack said, his voice cracking.
Hiro looked up, confused. "Jack? You were dead."
"Hiro," Jack repeated. Hiro pulled him up into a sitting position. "Hiro, what does 'daisuki' mean?"
Hiro laughed, and flung his arms around Jack.
Hiro didn't question why Jack was still alive. "It's obviously one of your powers," Hiro explained. "I know other people with regeneration, although theirs are faster working than yours is."
"Hm," Jack said. It bothered him that Hiro was so nonchalant about this.
"Kensei was one. The cheerleader was another."
"Cheerleader?" Jack said, perking up.
When Hiro discovered he had his powers back, it happened during his daily morning meditation. Every morning, no matter where he was, he would meditate. Hiro said it was to get his powers back.
Jack thinks that falling in love got Hiro his powers back.
They argued a lot for the first few days about what Hiro should do. Jack wanted Hiro to go back to his life. Recently, Hiro started talking about his best friend, Ando, who he sent letters to through his sword. More than anything, Jack wanted Hiro to see Ando again. More than anything, Jack wanted Hiro to be happy.
Hiro wanted to take Jack with him.
If Hiro had proposed the idea before Jack died, he would've gone with him for the sake of a new adventure, but coming back to life couldn't have been a coincidence; it had to do with the Doctor. So now, Jack had questions that needed answering. And if Jack was with Hiro, he wouldn't be close enough to the Rift to get those answers.
"I'm sorry," Jack said, after he finished telling Hiro his reasons. "I know you hate me for doing this, but I need to find the Doctor. I need to know what happened on Satellite Five. And being here, in Cardiff, that's the answer."
Hiro didn't know what to say. "I think I understand," Hiro said, "But if I bring you to My Present, wouldn't that bring you closer to your Doctor?"
Jack shrugged. "He could turn up anytime. Maybe," Jack smirked, pointing at his stomach, "maybe this means I can't die."
Hiro shuddered, and Jack remembered Hiro telling him how he had to kill Kensei. "I'll make a promise," Jack said, pulling Hiro in close and breathing in his scent. "I promise that if I'm still alive in Your Present, I'll look for you. What year was it again?"
"2007," Hiro said, squeezing Jack tightly before disappearing.
Jack called Hiro in 2007, and got Ando. "Hello," Jack said, tentatively. "This is Jack Harkness calling for Hiro Nakamura?"
"Um, I'm sorry, Hiro has been, ah, gone for a while. Will a message be okay? He will get back to you as soon as possible."
"Just tell him Jack called." Something was tugging at Jack's memory. "Is this Ando?"
"Um, yes," Ando said, surprise evident in his voice.
"Oh. Well. Please just tell Hiro that Jack called." Jack hung up and put his head in his hands.
A couple of weeks later, Ianto came into Jack's office. Ianto was fresh from Torchwood 1, and today marked the end of his first week. "Sir." Jack looked up and smiled; Ianto really did look good in a suit. "Suzie just left, and Owen is leaving now. Tosh says she wants to stay a little longer, so I'm making coffee for her. Do you want any?"
Jack shook his head and went back to his work.
"Oh, and there was a message for you. Someone named Hiro Nakamura called?"
Jack looked up sharply. "What's the message?"
"Just a flight number." Ianto was holding out a piece of paper.
Jack took it and ran.
He met Hiro at the Cardiff International Airport and, like a scene any cheesy film he'd watched recently, ran to him and kissed him before he even got his luggage off the baggage claim.
"What. Took. You. So. Long?" Jack asked inbetween kisses. He pulled away and looked into Hiro's eyes. "You wear glasses?"
Hiro smiled sheepishy and looked down. "I'm sorry you waited so long," Hiro said, pulling Jack closer. "Did you find your Doctor?"
"No," Jack said, pressing his forehead to Hiro's, "but you being here has been worth the wait."
*"Daisuki" means "I like you"/"I love you". "Aishiteru" also means "I love you", but it's more formal and more serious. I figured Hiro would use the non-formal one, even if he thought Jack was dead.
Another Author's Note: God, Hiro really does fall in love all the time, doesn't he? Charlie? Yaeko? Adam? Jack? ...My Hiro, apparently, is a love!whore.
Also, the timing is really odd, I know. At the end of the fic, S2 of Heroes has ended, and S1 of Torchwood has yet to begin.