TW fic: Slip
Title: Slip
Author: drabblewriter
Wordcount: 407
Rating: R
Characters: Jack, Gwen
Warning(s): violence, self harm
Prompt(s): At comment_fic , juliet316 asked for a follow up to this fic with the prompt "Jack gets caught"
Summary: Gwen interrupts. (You'll need to read the above-mentioned fic first - it carries the same warnings as this one.)
AN: Also, my first real comment fic, because I can't really count the 6-word ones, regardless of how much I loved them. ♥
Jack let out a hiss as cool metal slid along his flesh, warm blood bubbling up and flowing down his arm. He basked in the feel of fireworks shooting through his nerves, letting it wash away all thoughts of the past week and its sorrows. There was only this, pain he controlled, one of the few things in his life. He dug the scalpel in deeper, twisting it slightly, and reveled in the spark of pain that made him gasp again. The knife slipped from his slick hand and clattered across the floor, a few crimson splashes marring the pale tile like some kind of twisted abstract art.
“Jack?”
The man cursed, wondering how he hadn’t heard the door. What was Gwen doing here? He’d sent his team home nearly an hour ago. She couldn’t find out what he was doing. He cast his eyes around frantically for something - anything - to cover it up, but then she was coming down the stairs.
“Jack, I just - oh, God!“ She ran over, hands fluttering around the wound, concerned green eyes locked on him. “What happened?” she demanded as she grabbed a towel from a nearby cupboard and pressed it to his arm.
“I…” Jack searched madly for a plausible excuse, finally coming up with - “It was a sliver. I was trying to get it out and I - I slipped.”
“Bloody hell. That’s an awfully deep cut to have happened like that.” Gwen’s steady gaze was questioning.
Jack shrugged, wincing as it sent a wave of pain up his arm. “It was an accident.”
“All right, Jack. Just…be more careful next time, yeah?” She still looked unsure, but she wasn’t going to question him further. She wanted to trust him, and that made him feel a little guilty.
“Yeah. I’ll be fine. Now, what did you need, Gwen?”
“I just…forgot my mobile. I’m expecting a call.”
“I see. Well, just grab it and head on home. Give my best to Rhys.”
“Sure, Jack.” She gave him one last searching look before heading back up to the Hub proper.
Once he had heard the door roll closed behind her as she left, Jack slumped back against the wall with a sigh. That had been too close. He knew that only Gwen’s unwavering faith in him had kept her from questioning him further.
What he didn’t know was if this would stop him from trying it again.