Fic-The PlayList Challenge-Ache;Everything's Bad
Approximately a million years and at least one laptop ago, iugularemortuos gave me a rather awesome challenge; combine a prompt with a song I love and write a fic inspired by both.
Title: Ache; Everything's Bad
Fandom: Torchwood
Prompt: Ache
Song: Everything's Bad by The Tossers
Summary: Jack's not doing so well after COE.
Jack woke up with a gasp, wet with dew, looking up into a cloudy and distant sky. The weather had been most indulgent lately. There had been no bright sunshine to burn through the haze of his mind. He slept outside these days and last night it had killed him.
He clambered to his feet, stretching dully, and patting his pockets. Someone had relieved him of his wallet, but his gun was still there, heavy and unnecessary by his side. He gazed blearily at the sun, trying to make a guess at the time.
It was either unfathomable or Jack just couldn't bring himself to care enough, so, presently, he gave up and began a slow walk out of the alley he'd dropped in last night, down past the coffee shops and clothing stores, the pubs and the restaurants, with the living people inside.
Vaguely, he remembered he was supposed to do something today.
Picking a building at random, a book shop as it turned out, he walked inside, found the men's room and went in. The water from the faucet was cold and he let it run through his fingers a while, watching it pool and slip away. Cupping it in his hands, he splashed it over his face and hair, letting it drip down his collar and onto the front of his shirt.
Meet Gwen.
He was supposed to meet Gwen. At the park.
He strained his memory, and managed to feel slightly frightened by how much energy it took.
At 3.
He looked around, found a clock, and discovered it was 2:30.
Alright then.
-
"Jack."
She'd spread a blanket on the ground, laid out some sandwiches, chips and fruit. The smell turned Jack's stomach.
"You can't keep doing this, Jack."
Jack watched the little river, trickling through the park. They were sheltered from view by a cluster of small, low-hanging trees, but Jack could still hear birds, distant cars, the nearly unendurable sound of children playing.
"Please, Jack." There were tears in her voice now. "I can't do this by myself. Rhys wants me to be so happy, all the time and sometimes..."
He looked at her. She was beautiful.
"It's like it's all used up. Sometimes I can't feel anything at all."
He reached for her, pushed a strand of her hair away and gently kissed her neck.
She flowed into him, like the water below, coming into his arms like she'd always wanted to. He took time to slowly, reverently, spread his new coat, mud stained and smelling of sweat though it was, over her blanket. Her skin was soft under his fingers and the gentle swell of her belly reminded him of something old and good.
She put her fingers into his greasy hair and they kissed, the soft, exploratory kisses of new lovers. It seemed easy and natural to pull her on top of him, kicking off her boots, sliding her clothes down, up, off, until she shone, naked, in the sunshine.
"Please, Jack," she said and then again, "Please, Jack. This has to..."
It didn't take long to stop her talking. She arched against him, his hands found the firm muscles of her back and she quickly lost her speech, like Jack often did , like so many did, like he never had. Jack's coat did little against the hard ground.Her hands went into her own long hair and she pulled. Her hips pushed. Her face flushed. It continued until she shook and cried and came, beautiful and awful. Everything was beautiful and awful and the same, for ever and ever, stuck and static and the the same.
She tumbled off of him, lay next to him, caught her breath with her tears dripping into her ears, turning her face from him and crossing her pale arms over her breasts.
"Please Jack," she said after a while. "Please, can you just tell me you'll be okay?"
She looked at him and he paused to seriously consider the question. The birds sang. The cars drove by. The world continued and nearby children played. When he couldn't give her the answer she wanted he leaned to her again, cupping her face in his hand and rolled her back into the cold, wet grass.
-
The cold ground was my bed last night,
With a breeze so hard it could kill
With friends like these, who needs to die?
So I stay here for the thrill
My last five pounds to get me home
Well, get me some bacon and whiskey
I'll meet her there in all my stinkin' glory
Drunk or Sober
I went down by the roses
Cause me hope, she did call
She said she had to see me soon
It was sadness on her mind
And I took with me my fiddle
And the worst, the best of my wine
And I met her there in sadness
Drunk or Sober
She sat under the tree,
And she smiled at me
And we watched the river roll
So I broke out with my fiddle
And I began to fiddle a reel
And she said no matter how funny
It hurts so bad I can't feel
I feel nothin'
I feel nothin'
Drunk or Sober
And I began to play my reel
For I did not know what to say
You worry me so, I hate this
I will not stand to see you this way
and sometimes it's just too much
How everything turns out so sad
Oh, Danny don't you ever stop playin' for me
Oh, Danny don't you ever stop playin' for me
You always make me happy while whenever you play
Oh, Danny don't you ever stop playin' for me
And i began to play me reel
For I did not know what to say
Title: Ache; Everything's Bad
Fandom: Torchwood
Prompt: Ache
Song: Everything's Bad by The Tossers
Summary: Jack's not doing so well after COE.
Jack woke up with a gasp, wet with dew, looking up into a cloudy and distant sky. The weather had been most indulgent lately. There had been no bright sunshine to burn through the haze of his mind. He slept outside these days and last night it had killed him.
He clambered to his feet, stretching dully, and patting his pockets. Someone had relieved him of his wallet, but his gun was still there, heavy and unnecessary by his side. He gazed blearily at the sun, trying to make a guess at the time.
It was either unfathomable or Jack just couldn't bring himself to care enough, so, presently, he gave up and began a slow walk out of the alley he'd dropped in last night, down past the coffee shops and clothing stores, the pubs and the restaurants, with the living people inside.
Vaguely, he remembered he was supposed to do something today.
Picking a building at random, a book shop as it turned out, he walked inside, found the men's room and went in. The water from the faucet was cold and he let it run through his fingers a while, watching it pool and slip away. Cupping it in his hands, he splashed it over his face and hair, letting it drip down his collar and onto the front of his shirt.
Meet Gwen.
He was supposed to meet Gwen. At the park.
He strained his memory, and managed to feel slightly frightened by how much energy it took.
At 3.
He looked around, found a clock, and discovered it was 2:30.
Alright then.
-
"Jack."
She'd spread a blanket on the ground, laid out some sandwiches, chips and fruit. The smell turned Jack's stomach.
"You can't keep doing this, Jack."
Jack watched the little river, trickling through the park. They were sheltered from view by a cluster of small, low-hanging trees, but Jack could still hear birds, distant cars, the nearly unendurable sound of children playing.
"Please, Jack." There were tears in her voice now. "I can't do this by myself. Rhys wants me to be so happy, all the time and sometimes..."
He looked at her. She was beautiful.
"It's like it's all used up. Sometimes I can't feel anything at all."
He reached for her, pushed a strand of her hair away and gently kissed her neck.
She flowed into him, like the water below, coming into his arms like she'd always wanted to. He took time to slowly, reverently, spread his new coat, mud stained and smelling of sweat though it was, over her blanket. Her skin was soft under his fingers and the gentle swell of her belly reminded him of something old and good.
She put her fingers into his greasy hair and they kissed, the soft, exploratory kisses of new lovers. It seemed easy and natural to pull her on top of him, kicking off her boots, sliding her clothes down, up, off, until she shone, naked, in the sunshine.
"Please, Jack," she said and then again, "Please, Jack. This has to..."
It didn't take long to stop her talking. She arched against him, his hands found the firm muscles of her back and she quickly lost her speech, like Jack often did , like so many did, like he never had. Jack's coat did little against the hard ground.Her hands went into her own long hair and she pulled. Her hips pushed. Her face flushed. It continued until she shook and cried and came, beautiful and awful. Everything was beautiful and awful and the same, for ever and ever, stuck and static and the the same.
She tumbled off of him, lay next to him, caught her breath with her tears dripping into her ears, turning her face from him and crossing her pale arms over her breasts.
"Please Jack," she said after a while. "Please, can you just tell me you'll be okay?"
She looked at him and he paused to seriously consider the question. The birds sang. The cars drove by. The world continued and nearby children played. When he couldn't give her the answer she wanted he leaned to her again, cupping her face in his hand and rolled her back into the cold, wet grass.
-
The cold ground was my bed last night,
With a breeze so hard it could kill
With friends like these, who needs to die?
So I stay here for the thrill
My last five pounds to get me home
Well, get me some bacon and whiskey
I'll meet her there in all my stinkin' glory
Drunk or Sober
I went down by the roses
Cause me hope, she did call
She said she had to see me soon
It was sadness on her mind
And I took with me my fiddle
And the worst, the best of my wine
And I met her there in sadness
Drunk or Sober
She sat under the tree,
And she smiled at me
And we watched the river roll
So I broke out with my fiddle
And I began to fiddle a reel
And she said no matter how funny
It hurts so bad I can't feel
I feel nothin'
I feel nothin'
Drunk or Sober
And I began to play my reel
For I did not know what to say
You worry me so, I hate this
I will not stand to see you this way
and sometimes it's just too much
How everything turns out so sad
Oh, Danny don't you ever stop playin' for me
Oh, Danny don't you ever stop playin' for me
You always make me happy while whenever you play
Oh, Danny don't you ever stop playin' for me
And i began to play me reel
For I did not know what to say