FANFIC: Ghost From The Past
TITLE: Ghost From The Past
CHAPTER: One-shot
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Jack/Luke
RATING/WARNINGS: PG-13
SUMMARY/NOTES: written for cerberusa at 2012 tribeathon. Set ca s5, AU.
The mood in the café was tense. One person was the centre of attention, though no one was speaking to him. Jack simply glared at him from the other end of the room, chewing slowly on his cereal and not taking his eyes off the man sitting awkwardly placed by the table closest to the entrance. Lex sat at the table next to Jack, eyeing up the man who had arrived the day before as if he was wondering whether he should bother to confront him or not. May and Salene sat quietly at the table next to him, May occasionally sending a glare in the direction of the man next to them, getting warning glances from Salene when she did. Amber stood by the kitchen, her bowl of cereal in her hand as her eyes roamed the people in the room. Pride came up next to her, leaning in.
“Maybe someone should take pity on the guy,” he said in a low voice. Amber glanced at him, a small smile on her face. Pride looked almost amused by it all.
“And that someone, I bet, will have to be me,” Amber answered with a sigh. Pride shrugged his shoulders slightly, a grin spreading on his face. Amber tried to glare at him, but couldn’t hide the smile on her face.
“Alright, alright.” She rolled her eyes as she moved away from him, seating herself at the opposite side of the table from Luke. He looked up, a smile on his face that seemed so grateful that Amber couldn’t help but feel bad for him.
“So… Luke. Sleep well?”
He nodded as he finished chewing. “Yes, thank you, Amber.”
“Are you planning to stay here, or…?” she let the question hang in the air. It seemed cruel almost to put that on him so soon after he arrived, but she did need to know what they were dealing with here. She glanced towards Jack. That situation was so tense she wasn’t sure how Jack would behave with Luke hanging around.
“I, uhm.. I don’t know, to be honest.” Luke seemed very aware of the fact that every single person in the room were listening in. “When I escaped the Technos, this was the only place I could think of to come. I have nowhere else to go.”
“And who says you’re welcome here?” Lex asked, his voice booming out through the café. Luke opened his mouth, but nothing came out and he remained with his back towards Lex.
“Lex!” Amber warned him, getting only a smug look in return.
“What? He has a point, Amber. Remember what this man did? Who he worked for?” May shot in, ignoring the warning look Salene sent her.
“Look who’s talking,” Lex shot back, not taking up the offer of an ally.
“Oh, that’s rich coming from you…” May began, shutting up as Salene’s hand shot out and grabbed hers.
“Just drop it, May.” She said quietly. “Can we all drop it? What happened then is in the past. We’ve forgiven a lot of people, like Jay, for the same crimes. I for one say Luke is welcome here.”
Amber gave Salene a grateful smile. She wasn’t quite as eager to forgive and forget as Salene seemed to be, but she wasn’t about to kick Luke out on the street again either.
“I agree,” she said quickly. “And let’s face it, we need as many people on our side as we can in rebuilding the city.”
“How do we even know he’s on our side?” Lex shot in. “Back me up here, Jack. You don’t want the former lieutenant of the Chosen here anymore than I do.”
Suddenly all eyes seemed to be on Jack. He still had a look of anger on his face, his eyes first now leaving Luke’s back. He looked over at Lex, but didn’t reply. He just stood up and in hurried steps walked out of the café.
Jack was deep in his work, or at least trying to be. He couldn’t focus, and as once again he failed to connect a wire to the right slot, he banged his fist down on the table, making all the nuts and bolts and little doodads lying there bounce and roll. Jack tried to make like an octopus to stop it all from rolling to the floor, not being very successful. It was when moved to pick stuff up from the floor that he realised someone was standing in the doorway to his workshop.
“What do you want?” he snapped, the barely hidden amusement on Luke’s face not making Jack any happier to see him.
“Sorry, I just… I wanted to talk.” The smile was gone now, a more serious look on his face.
“I’m busy.” Jack began picking things up from the floor, turning his back to Luke and hoping the older man would take the very strong hint. Instead Luke was quickly next to him, helping to pick things up. Reluctantly Jack let him, though doing his best to keep a distance. As they finished, Jack stood up, placing himself at the other side of his chair from the blue-haired man, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrows. “So? I told you I’m busy. You can leave now.”
Luke sighed, looking down before he let his eyes wander up again to meet Jack’s. “I am sorry, about everything that happened. I understand if you can’t forgive me, but… I never meant to hurt you. And Ellie…”
“Don’t mention her name.” Jack interrupted, his voice coming out harsh. “Just don’t.”
Luke nodded. “Okay, fine. I won’t.”
“Like I said, I’m busy. I don’t want to talk to you. You can’t just come back here and expect me to just forgive and forget like nothing ever happened.” Jack’s arms were no longer crossed, but waving around him as his voice got higher.
“I know, I know. You’re right.” Luke held his hands up to disarm him, taking a couple steps back. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it, alright?” He sighed, shaking his head as he turned around to walk out.
Jack stood there staring at the spot he had left, not feeling quite as satisfied as he had thought now that Luke was out of sight. “Stupid git,” he mumbled to himself as he sat back down at his desk. He had work to do.
The mall was dark and quiet. Too quiet. Jack turned around again in his bed, a loud sigh escaping him. It was the knowing that Luke was there, above him in his old room upstairs. It was throwing him off, he couldn’t relax. Annoyed Jack threw his blanket aside, sitting up. Okay, he really couldn’t have another sleepless night, he had to deal with this. He pulled on his trousers, not bothering to put a shirt over his gray tank top for such a short walk. As quietly as he managed he walked out of the workshop and up the stairs. At the top he glanced around. The upstairs rooms were all almost empty now. Since the café had moved downstairs everyone thought it was easier and safer if they all stayed on the ground floor together, using the rooms there. Up here everything was empty. Except for one room, the old art shop Luke used to live in back when…back then. Jack took a deep breath before he moved closer, stopping just outside the doorway. A blue curtain was all that kept visitors out. Carefully Jack knocked on the doorframe.
“Luke. You awake?” He whispered. He heard movement inside, then Luke’s groggy voice.
“Who’s there?”
Jack took another deep breath to steady himself, before pulling the curtain aside and stepping in. Luke was half sitting up in his bed, eyes widening when he saw who it was before his face changed into a small smile.
“I thought it would be Lex or May coming to tar and feather me or something. Though I guess that might be why you are here to.”
Jack crossed his arms over his chest again, suddenly feeling very naked with only his thin gray tank top on.
“No, I just came here to…talk.”
“In the middle of the night?” Luke raised an eyebrow, getting only a glare in return from Jack.
“Don’t get your hopes up.” He snapped, feeling the more comforting feeling of anger rising in him again.
“Well, talk then,” Luke moved to put his feet over the edge of the bed, revealing that he was wearing nothing but boxers.
Jack swallowed. Of course. He had to make this harder. “I just…you left me!” Suddenly it seemed so easy to say it. “After everything, you just left. I gave up everything for you, if you remember. My friends thought I was crazy, Ellie hated me when she came back home to find out I was shacking up with the lieutenant of the tribe that took her away! I was willing to leave everything behind for you, and then you just take off!” It all came pouring out now, a couple times Jack almost forgot to keep his voice down to not wake anyone.
“It was better that way, Jack. I couldn’t let you give up on all of that for me. You were better off with Ellie.” Luke remained sitting on the bed, his face turning into that suffering puppy dog look that had made it so difficult for Jack to hate him back then.
“Yeah, that worked out so well, didn’t it. We both got taken away by the Technos shortly after they got here, I haven’t seen her since.”
Luke looked down. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t have predicted that though. But Jack, you have to see it.” He looked up again, their eyes locking together again. “The kind of life you would have had with me isn’t something I would wish on anyone, let alone the person I…” Luke stopped, his words left hanging in the air.
“The person you what?” Jack wasn’t going to let him get away with that. “The person you were sleeping with? That was stupid enough to get into bed with you? Stupid enough to believe your ‘suffering man looking for redemption’ act?”
“It wasn’t an act! None of it ever was, Jack. I loved you. I still love you. I came back because I missed you, I had to find out how you were. You don’t want me around and that’s fine, Jack. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow. I just needed to see you.”
Jack fell silent, refusing to look at Luke as his declarations of love came pouring out.
“Well, now you have seen me.” He said, his voice coming out shaky and weak.
“Yeah,” Luke smiled slightly. “And you look good.”
Jack glared at him, getting a small laugh out of Luke. He stood up, moving closer.
“I tell you what, Jack. I will leave on one condition. If you can tell me honestly that everything we had between us is gone. That you feel nothing for me, that there’s no hope I can ever win you back.”
He was so close now, Jack swallowed hard, unable to look away as he was backed up against the wall and Luke moved so close they were standing pressed together. Jack couldn’t think of a single word to say, his eyes drawn to Luke’s lips.
“Well? Can you?” As Luke spoke again, Jack could feel his breath with every word.
“I…no.” Jack finally managed to speak, swallowing hard after that one word escaped him. A smile appeared on Luke’s face, a gentler one this time.
“I missed you, Jack.”
“I missed you to,” Jack said back, knowing he couldn’t deny that anymore.
Without taking another second to wait, Luke leaned in and kissed him.
CHAPTER: One-shot
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Jack/Luke
RATING/WARNINGS: PG-13
SUMMARY/NOTES: written for cerberusa at 2012 tribeathon. Set ca s5, AU.
The mood in the café was tense. One person was the centre of attention, though no one was speaking to him. Jack simply glared at him from the other end of the room, chewing slowly on his cereal and not taking his eyes off the man sitting awkwardly placed by the table closest to the entrance. Lex sat at the table next to Jack, eyeing up the man who had arrived the day before as if he was wondering whether he should bother to confront him or not. May and Salene sat quietly at the table next to him, May occasionally sending a glare in the direction of the man next to them, getting warning glances from Salene when she did. Amber stood by the kitchen, her bowl of cereal in her hand as her eyes roamed the people in the room. Pride came up next to her, leaning in.
“Maybe someone should take pity on the guy,” he said in a low voice. Amber glanced at him, a small smile on her face. Pride looked almost amused by it all.
“And that someone, I bet, will have to be me,” Amber answered with a sigh. Pride shrugged his shoulders slightly, a grin spreading on his face. Amber tried to glare at him, but couldn’t hide the smile on her face.
“Alright, alright.” She rolled her eyes as she moved away from him, seating herself at the opposite side of the table from Luke. He looked up, a smile on his face that seemed so grateful that Amber couldn’t help but feel bad for him.
“So… Luke. Sleep well?”
He nodded as he finished chewing. “Yes, thank you, Amber.”
“Are you planning to stay here, or…?” she let the question hang in the air. It seemed cruel almost to put that on him so soon after he arrived, but she did need to know what they were dealing with here. She glanced towards Jack. That situation was so tense she wasn’t sure how Jack would behave with Luke hanging around.
“I, uhm.. I don’t know, to be honest.” Luke seemed very aware of the fact that every single person in the room were listening in. “When I escaped the Technos, this was the only place I could think of to come. I have nowhere else to go.”
“And who says you’re welcome here?” Lex asked, his voice booming out through the café. Luke opened his mouth, but nothing came out and he remained with his back towards Lex.
“Lex!” Amber warned him, getting only a smug look in return.
“What? He has a point, Amber. Remember what this man did? Who he worked for?” May shot in, ignoring the warning look Salene sent her.
“Look who’s talking,” Lex shot back, not taking up the offer of an ally.
“Oh, that’s rich coming from you…” May began, shutting up as Salene’s hand shot out and grabbed hers.
“Just drop it, May.” She said quietly. “Can we all drop it? What happened then is in the past. We’ve forgiven a lot of people, like Jay, for the same crimes. I for one say Luke is welcome here.”
Amber gave Salene a grateful smile. She wasn’t quite as eager to forgive and forget as Salene seemed to be, but she wasn’t about to kick Luke out on the street again either.
“I agree,” she said quickly. “And let’s face it, we need as many people on our side as we can in rebuilding the city.”
“How do we even know he’s on our side?” Lex shot in. “Back me up here, Jack. You don’t want the former lieutenant of the Chosen here anymore than I do.”
Suddenly all eyes seemed to be on Jack. He still had a look of anger on his face, his eyes first now leaving Luke’s back. He looked over at Lex, but didn’t reply. He just stood up and in hurried steps walked out of the café.
Jack was deep in his work, or at least trying to be. He couldn’t focus, and as once again he failed to connect a wire to the right slot, he banged his fist down on the table, making all the nuts and bolts and little doodads lying there bounce and roll. Jack tried to make like an octopus to stop it all from rolling to the floor, not being very successful. It was when moved to pick stuff up from the floor that he realised someone was standing in the doorway to his workshop.
“What do you want?” he snapped, the barely hidden amusement on Luke’s face not making Jack any happier to see him.
“Sorry, I just… I wanted to talk.” The smile was gone now, a more serious look on his face.
“I’m busy.” Jack began picking things up from the floor, turning his back to Luke and hoping the older man would take the very strong hint. Instead Luke was quickly next to him, helping to pick things up. Reluctantly Jack let him, though doing his best to keep a distance. As they finished, Jack stood up, placing himself at the other side of his chair from the blue-haired man, crossing his arms over his chest and raising his eyebrows. “So? I told you I’m busy. You can leave now.”
Luke sighed, looking down before he let his eyes wander up again to meet Jack’s. “I am sorry, about everything that happened. I understand if you can’t forgive me, but… I never meant to hurt you. And Ellie…”
“Don’t mention her name.” Jack interrupted, his voice coming out harsh. “Just don’t.”
Luke nodded. “Okay, fine. I won’t.”
“Like I said, I’m busy. I don’t want to talk to you. You can’t just come back here and expect me to just forgive and forget like nothing ever happened.” Jack’s arms were no longer crossed, but waving around him as his voice got higher.
“I know, I know. You’re right.” Luke held his hands up to disarm him, taking a couple steps back. “Okay, I’ll leave you to it, alright?” He sighed, shaking his head as he turned around to walk out.
Jack stood there staring at the spot he had left, not feeling quite as satisfied as he had thought now that Luke was out of sight. “Stupid git,” he mumbled to himself as he sat back down at his desk. He had work to do.
The mall was dark and quiet. Too quiet. Jack turned around again in his bed, a loud sigh escaping him. It was the knowing that Luke was there, above him in his old room upstairs. It was throwing him off, he couldn’t relax. Annoyed Jack threw his blanket aside, sitting up. Okay, he really couldn’t have another sleepless night, he had to deal with this. He pulled on his trousers, not bothering to put a shirt over his gray tank top for such a short walk. As quietly as he managed he walked out of the workshop and up the stairs. At the top he glanced around. The upstairs rooms were all almost empty now. Since the café had moved downstairs everyone thought it was easier and safer if they all stayed on the ground floor together, using the rooms there. Up here everything was empty. Except for one room, the old art shop Luke used to live in back when…back then. Jack took a deep breath before he moved closer, stopping just outside the doorway. A blue curtain was all that kept visitors out. Carefully Jack knocked on the doorframe.
“Luke. You awake?” He whispered. He heard movement inside, then Luke’s groggy voice.
“Who’s there?”
Jack took another deep breath to steady himself, before pulling the curtain aside and stepping in. Luke was half sitting up in his bed, eyes widening when he saw who it was before his face changed into a small smile.
“I thought it would be Lex or May coming to tar and feather me or something. Though I guess that might be why you are here to.”
Jack crossed his arms over his chest again, suddenly feeling very naked with only his thin gray tank top on.
“No, I just came here to…talk.”
“In the middle of the night?” Luke raised an eyebrow, getting only a glare in return from Jack.
“Don’t get your hopes up.” He snapped, feeling the more comforting feeling of anger rising in him again.
“Well, talk then,” Luke moved to put his feet over the edge of the bed, revealing that he was wearing nothing but boxers.
Jack swallowed. Of course. He had to make this harder. “I just…you left me!” Suddenly it seemed so easy to say it. “After everything, you just left. I gave up everything for you, if you remember. My friends thought I was crazy, Ellie hated me when she came back home to find out I was shacking up with the lieutenant of the tribe that took her away! I was willing to leave everything behind for you, and then you just take off!” It all came pouring out now, a couple times Jack almost forgot to keep his voice down to not wake anyone.
“It was better that way, Jack. I couldn’t let you give up on all of that for me. You were better off with Ellie.” Luke remained sitting on the bed, his face turning into that suffering puppy dog look that had made it so difficult for Jack to hate him back then.
“Yeah, that worked out so well, didn’t it. We both got taken away by the Technos shortly after they got here, I haven’t seen her since.”
Luke looked down. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t have predicted that though. But Jack, you have to see it.” He looked up again, their eyes locking together again. “The kind of life you would have had with me isn’t something I would wish on anyone, let alone the person I…” Luke stopped, his words left hanging in the air.
“The person you what?” Jack wasn’t going to let him get away with that. “The person you were sleeping with? That was stupid enough to get into bed with you? Stupid enough to believe your ‘suffering man looking for redemption’ act?”
“It wasn’t an act! None of it ever was, Jack. I loved you. I still love you. I came back because I missed you, I had to find out how you were. You don’t want me around and that’s fine, Jack. I’ll leave first thing tomorrow. I just needed to see you.”
Jack fell silent, refusing to look at Luke as his declarations of love came pouring out.
“Well, now you have seen me.” He said, his voice coming out shaky and weak.
“Yeah,” Luke smiled slightly. “And you look good.”
Jack glared at him, getting a small laugh out of Luke. He stood up, moving closer.
“I tell you what, Jack. I will leave on one condition. If you can tell me honestly that everything we had between us is gone. That you feel nothing for me, that there’s no hope I can ever win you back.”
He was so close now, Jack swallowed hard, unable to look away as he was backed up against the wall and Luke moved so close they were standing pressed together. Jack couldn’t think of a single word to say, his eyes drawn to Luke’s lips.
“Well? Can you?” As Luke spoke again, Jack could feel his breath with every word.
“I…no.” Jack finally managed to speak, swallowing hard after that one word escaped him. A smile appeared on Luke’s face, a gentler one this time.
“I missed you, Jack.”
“I missed you to,” Jack said back, knowing he couldn’t deny that anymore.
Without taking another second to wait, Luke leaned in and kissed him.