Whatever You Want It To Be (1/1)
Title: Whatever You Want It To Be.
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood
Pairing: Jack/Martha
Rating: PG-13, for sexin' and Jack cursing a blue streak at one point.
Spoilers: Casting spoilers for TW S2.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: The most unusual phone calls always come on the most ordinary of days. Jack has a proposition for Martha--actually, several.
She was taking a well-deserved lunch break when her cell phone rang. Up until then it had been a nice, normal, completely ordinary day. Absolutely nothing bizarre or unnatural. And then her cell phone rang.
Her coworkers gave her interested looks as she dug in her pocket for it. She didn't recognize the number and frowned as she flipped it open and lifted it to her ear. "Hello?"
A male voice she hadn't expected to hear again responded. "Hey there, Doctor Jones."
She almost spilled her coffee. "Jack? Jack Harkness?"
He sounded smug. As usual. "You sound shocked. Should I be hurt or flattered?"
Martha almost laughed out loud with delight. "I just never expected to hear from you again."
"That wouldn't be very gentleman-ly of me, now, would it? We're on the same planet, I figured on looking you up when I was in town."
"Are you?" Martha asked, feeling her heart do a little flip at the thought.
"Yeah. I'm coming up to London on...business." He sounded a little evasive, and she figured Torchwood. "I have to meet some people, and it's going to be a bunch of long and tedious meetings, but I'd be free for...oh, say, dinner?"
Martha chuckled. Jack was Jack and would always be Jack. She could hear his grin over the phone. "Sure."
"Great. I'll call you when I get out of the cabinet meeting and we'll pick a place."
Martha stared at her phone as it clicked off. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not.
- - -
She smoothed her hair nervously as she waited in the restaurant and adjusted her leather jacket. Irrationally she wondered if she should have put on something nicer. But, no, this was Jack. He'd already seen her messy as hell, he probably wouldn't care. But then again, this was Jack. Intimidatingly handsome Captain Jack.
Martha smoothed her hair again. Oh, come on, she chided herself, this was ridiculous. It was dinner with an old friend. It wasn't a date or anything.
A sleek black town car pulled up outside, and Martha watched through the glass as a tall man in a long, navy blue coat jumped out and handed the keys to the valet. It was raining outside, the light shower visible in the glow of the streetlights and headlights, and the man ducked inside quickly. Once inside, he shook the water out of his hair with one hand and looked around.
Martha waved at him. Jack grinned. "Hey, there, Martha Jones," he called as he worked his way through the tables towards her.
"Hey yourself," she replied with a smile, giving him a hug despite his wet coat. "Why'd they let a scoundrel like you in a nice place like this?"
Jack's grin turned wicked as he hung his coat on the back of his chair and sat down opposite her. "Even scoundrels get into nice places if they turn up in government cars."
"So you were telling the truth about the cabinet meeting?"
Jack shrugged, trying and failing to look modest around his grin. "After the Saxon debacle, alien life's gone up in the government's priorities." His blue eyes dimmed slightly. "How's your family?"
Martha shrugged, toying with the straw in her glass of water. "They're okay. A little PTSD maybe."
"Say hi to Tish for me. Tell her I miss seeing her smiling face over breakfast every morning."
They both laughed as the waiter came with the wine list. Jack glanced at it and picked what Martha supposed was the most expensive one, knowing Jack. When the tall man had gone, Jack leaned back in his chair and smiled fondly at her. "Doctor Martha Jones."
"Finally passed my exams," Martha said, grinning, miming punching the air in delight.
"I know. I would have called when I found out, but..." Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You have no idea how hectic it's been. I don't know if I've slept in... Well, a week might be an exaggeration. And the team's starting to bitch at me about the hours."
"Sounds like you need another pair of hands on this team of yours," Martha remarked casually, looking up as the waiter brought the wine. She hadn't meant anything by it. She'd swear that, later. She really hadn't.
She didn't look at Jack again until he'd gone, and was surprised by the expression on his face. He was watching her with narrowed eyes, as if he was calculating, sizing her up. She felt a nervous twitch in her stomach. "Jack?"
"We might need another pair of hands." He took a sip of his wine, still giving her that almost predatory look over the top of his glass. "You interested?"
Martha almost choked on her wine. "What? Come and work at your Torchwood?"
"Aliens, danger, excitement. None of the traveling, but it's the next best thing." She knew what he was referring to. Jack's blue eyes gleamed in the candlelight as he leaned forward. "I need more people like you. How about it?"
It was tempting. God knows it was tempting, but... She flashed him a grin to cover her indecision. "Dunno. I'd have to move to Cardiff." Jack laughed, but he was still eyeing her. Martha sighed and set her wine glass down. "I'll think about it, Jack. Can we not talk about business, please?"
He shrugged. "Fair enough." But his eyes told her he was still going to think about it.
- - -
The rain had stopped, but the streets still glistened as they stepped out into the glow of the streetlights. "How'd you get here?" Jack inquired as they waited for his car.
"Walked; it's not that far. Suppose I'll take the bus home; I don't fancy stepping in any puddles--"
"Don't be stupid," Jack said firmly, steering her towards the glossy black car as it pulled up.
"Driving me home, Captain, how gallant." But Martha hesitated before climbing into the passenger seat.
Jack grinned as he held up the keys. "What? You wanna drive?"
"No, thanks. I..." She turned back to him, ignoring the open car door. "You heading back to Cardiff tonight?"
He shrugged, leaning on the car and giving her a disconcertingly direct look reminiscent of the Doctor. Martha's insides gave another slightly guilty squirm at the thought of him juxtaposed with what she was currently thinking about doing. "Probably."
"It's late."
"Doesn't matter. I don't really sleep." Jack smiled at her, expression softening slightly. "I had a good time."
"Me, too." Martha looked up at him, debating the merits of boldness inside her head.
"Next time I'm in town we should definitely--"
She interrupted him with a kiss, reaching up and pulling his head down to hers. Jack made a small sound of surprise, but swiftly recovered, his hands coming to rest on her waist as he tugged her closer. Boldness was good, Martha decided as she pulled back and looked up at him. "Come back to mine?" She hadn't even realized she said it until she saw the surprise in his eyes.
Jack appeared to debate for a split second, then leaned down and kissed her again, a little harder this time. He broke off to kiss her cheek, and said in a low voice in her ear, "Get in the car."
They drove in silence, Jack staring determinedly ahead at the road, breathing slightly harder as Martha's hand rested on his knee. He pulled up in front of Martha's building and killed the engine, and for a moment they sat in silence, Martha watching him as he stared at the steering wheel.
Finally Jack looked up at her and spoke, voice quiet and slightly hoarse. "I'm not him, you know."
Martha gave him a wry, half-smile. "Neither am I."
A slow grin spread over his face. "Oh, I can tell." Martha grinned back, and as suddenly as if someone had shot a starting pistol they both scrambled out of the car.
The elevator was too damn slow, Martha decided as her back hit the wall, one hand tangled in Jack's hair and the other fisted in his coat. He tasted like wine and something fiery that she suspected was immortality, and it was a fairly intoxicating combination.
They both heard the faint ding as the doors opened and Martha dimly remembered to be thankful that it was so late none of her neighbors were around. She pushed Jack back out into the hallway, one hand tugging on his as they half-ran down the hall to her room. She fumbled in her purse for her key as he pushed her up against the door and caught her in another heated kiss, unlocking it behind her back and giving the knob a good hard turn. They half-fell in with startled yelps, and Jack slammed the door behind them.
- - -
Sunlight. Warmth. Body next to her.
Martha's senses slowly began to reboot, and she stretched beneath the thin sheet, turning towards the warmth. She opened her eyes, and clear blue looked back at her. "Mmm... Morning, Jack."
"Morning, Martha." No 'doctor Jones,' no clever remark. Jack smiled at her and kissed her forehead, then her nose, then finally her lips, gently and tenderly.
"I thought you'd be gone when I woke up."
Jack actually looked a little hurt. "Never."
Her eyebrows lifted. 'Never' implied that there would be other times as well. "Are we assuming something here, Jack?"
He looked steadily back, one arm slipping around her bare waist beneath the sheet. "Martha. This can be whatever you want it to be." Idle fingers traced patterns on the arm she'd slung over his chest, dark brown skin against his pale. "A one-time thing; something more permanent..."
"You won't always be here," she pointed out.
"Then take me up on my offer. Come to Cardiff."
She rested her head against his chest. "Maybe. I still have to think about it."
Jack kissed her hair. "Okay," he said simply. "It'll still be there when you're ready to take it." He was so sure of himself. Smug bastard. There was a grin in his voice when he spoke again. "But you didn't say. Can I stay for breakfast or do you want me to take my pants and get out?"
Martha smiled mischievously up at him. "Oh, you're leaving the pants, Captain." She rolled over to lie on top of him, both of them grinning through a kiss. "You can pick them up next time you stop by," Martha murmured against his lips as his hands slid down her back, tracing her spine.
Jack's cell phone rang. Mockingly.
Jack groaned loudly, head falling back into the pillows as Martha buried her face in his shoulder. "Bloody fucking damned fuck..." Jack grumbled as he propped himself up on one elbow, grabbing for his trousers, strewn by the side of the bed. The damned ringing thing was in one of the pockets, and he snatched it out, flipping it open. "Ianto, I swear to God--"
Martha propped her head up on one arm, still lying stretched out on him, one foot trailing up and down his leg. "Ja-a-ack...hang up."
He gave her a pained look. "...I know. No, I know. ...Ianto, what are you, my mother?"
Martha leaned forward and kissed his neck. Jack made a low noise in his throat, covering up the mic with one hand. "Martha--do not-- No, Ianto, tell Owen to--fuck, Martha, cut that out-- Ianto. I'll be on the road in a bit. No, it's just--"
She stretched up and kissed him, cutting off his sentence. He kissed her back for one long moment and then broke away to murmur, "See you later, Ianto," into the phone before snapping it shut and throwing it away.
"You have no respect for important conversations," he murmured teasingly.
"And you do not talk on the phone while you're in bed with me."
"Fair enough," Jack murmured before they lost the thread of the conversation entirely.
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood
Pairing: Jack/Martha
Rating: PG-13, for sexin' and Jack cursing a blue streak at one point.
Spoilers: Casting spoilers for TW S2.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: The most unusual phone calls always come on the most ordinary of days. Jack has a proposition for Martha--actually, several.
She was taking a well-deserved lunch break when her cell phone rang. Up until then it had been a nice, normal, completely ordinary day. Absolutely nothing bizarre or unnatural. And then her cell phone rang.
Her coworkers gave her interested looks as she dug in her pocket for it. She didn't recognize the number and frowned as she flipped it open and lifted it to her ear. "Hello?"
A male voice she hadn't expected to hear again responded. "Hey there, Doctor Jones."
She almost spilled her coffee. "Jack? Jack Harkness?"
He sounded smug. As usual. "You sound shocked. Should I be hurt or flattered?"
Martha almost laughed out loud with delight. "I just never expected to hear from you again."
"That wouldn't be very gentleman-ly of me, now, would it? We're on the same planet, I figured on looking you up when I was in town."
"Are you?" Martha asked, feeling her heart do a little flip at the thought.
"Yeah. I'm coming up to London on...business." He sounded a little evasive, and she figured Torchwood. "I have to meet some people, and it's going to be a bunch of long and tedious meetings, but I'd be free for...oh, say, dinner?"
Martha chuckled. Jack was Jack and would always be Jack. She could hear his grin over the phone. "Sure."
"Great. I'll call you when I get out of the cabinet meeting and we'll pick a place."
Martha stared at her phone as it clicked off. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not.
- - -
She smoothed her hair nervously as she waited in the restaurant and adjusted her leather jacket. Irrationally she wondered if she should have put on something nicer. But, no, this was Jack. He'd already seen her messy as hell, he probably wouldn't care. But then again, this was Jack. Intimidatingly handsome Captain Jack.
Martha smoothed her hair again. Oh, come on, she chided herself, this was ridiculous. It was dinner with an old friend. It wasn't a date or anything.
A sleek black town car pulled up outside, and Martha watched through the glass as a tall man in a long, navy blue coat jumped out and handed the keys to the valet. It was raining outside, the light shower visible in the glow of the streetlights and headlights, and the man ducked inside quickly. Once inside, he shook the water out of his hair with one hand and looked around.
Martha waved at him. Jack grinned. "Hey, there, Martha Jones," he called as he worked his way through the tables towards her.
"Hey yourself," she replied with a smile, giving him a hug despite his wet coat. "Why'd they let a scoundrel like you in a nice place like this?"
Jack's grin turned wicked as he hung his coat on the back of his chair and sat down opposite her. "Even scoundrels get into nice places if they turn up in government cars."
"So you were telling the truth about the cabinet meeting?"
Jack shrugged, trying and failing to look modest around his grin. "After the Saxon debacle, alien life's gone up in the government's priorities." His blue eyes dimmed slightly. "How's your family?"
Martha shrugged, toying with the straw in her glass of water. "They're okay. A little PTSD maybe."
"Say hi to Tish for me. Tell her I miss seeing her smiling face over breakfast every morning."
They both laughed as the waiter came with the wine list. Jack glanced at it and picked what Martha supposed was the most expensive one, knowing Jack. When the tall man had gone, Jack leaned back in his chair and smiled fondly at her. "Doctor Martha Jones."
"Finally passed my exams," Martha said, grinning, miming punching the air in delight.
"I know. I would have called when I found out, but..." Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You have no idea how hectic it's been. I don't know if I've slept in... Well, a week might be an exaggeration. And the team's starting to bitch at me about the hours."
"Sounds like you need another pair of hands on this team of yours," Martha remarked casually, looking up as the waiter brought the wine. She hadn't meant anything by it. She'd swear that, later. She really hadn't.
She didn't look at Jack again until he'd gone, and was surprised by the expression on his face. He was watching her with narrowed eyes, as if he was calculating, sizing her up. She felt a nervous twitch in her stomach. "Jack?"
"We might need another pair of hands." He took a sip of his wine, still giving her that almost predatory look over the top of his glass. "You interested?"
Martha almost choked on her wine. "What? Come and work at your Torchwood?"
"Aliens, danger, excitement. None of the traveling, but it's the next best thing." She knew what he was referring to. Jack's blue eyes gleamed in the candlelight as he leaned forward. "I need more people like you. How about it?"
It was tempting. God knows it was tempting, but... She flashed him a grin to cover her indecision. "Dunno. I'd have to move to Cardiff." Jack laughed, but he was still eyeing her. Martha sighed and set her wine glass down. "I'll think about it, Jack. Can we not talk about business, please?"
He shrugged. "Fair enough." But his eyes told her he was still going to think about it.
- - -
The rain had stopped, but the streets still glistened as they stepped out into the glow of the streetlights. "How'd you get here?" Jack inquired as they waited for his car.
"Walked; it's not that far. Suppose I'll take the bus home; I don't fancy stepping in any puddles--"
"Don't be stupid," Jack said firmly, steering her towards the glossy black car as it pulled up.
"Driving me home, Captain, how gallant." But Martha hesitated before climbing into the passenger seat.
Jack grinned as he held up the keys. "What? You wanna drive?"
"No, thanks. I..." She turned back to him, ignoring the open car door. "You heading back to Cardiff tonight?"
He shrugged, leaning on the car and giving her a disconcertingly direct look reminiscent of the Doctor. Martha's insides gave another slightly guilty squirm at the thought of him juxtaposed with what she was currently thinking about doing. "Probably."
"It's late."
"Doesn't matter. I don't really sleep." Jack smiled at her, expression softening slightly. "I had a good time."
"Me, too." Martha looked up at him, debating the merits of boldness inside her head.
"Next time I'm in town we should definitely--"
She interrupted him with a kiss, reaching up and pulling his head down to hers. Jack made a small sound of surprise, but swiftly recovered, his hands coming to rest on her waist as he tugged her closer. Boldness was good, Martha decided as she pulled back and looked up at him. "Come back to mine?" She hadn't even realized she said it until she saw the surprise in his eyes.
Jack appeared to debate for a split second, then leaned down and kissed her again, a little harder this time. He broke off to kiss her cheek, and said in a low voice in her ear, "Get in the car."
They drove in silence, Jack staring determinedly ahead at the road, breathing slightly harder as Martha's hand rested on his knee. He pulled up in front of Martha's building and killed the engine, and for a moment they sat in silence, Martha watching him as he stared at the steering wheel.
Finally Jack looked up at her and spoke, voice quiet and slightly hoarse. "I'm not him, you know."
Martha gave him a wry, half-smile. "Neither am I."
A slow grin spread over his face. "Oh, I can tell." Martha grinned back, and as suddenly as if someone had shot a starting pistol they both scrambled out of the car.
The elevator was too damn slow, Martha decided as her back hit the wall, one hand tangled in Jack's hair and the other fisted in his coat. He tasted like wine and something fiery that she suspected was immortality, and it was a fairly intoxicating combination.
They both heard the faint ding as the doors opened and Martha dimly remembered to be thankful that it was so late none of her neighbors were around. She pushed Jack back out into the hallway, one hand tugging on his as they half-ran down the hall to her room. She fumbled in her purse for her key as he pushed her up against the door and caught her in another heated kiss, unlocking it behind her back and giving the knob a good hard turn. They half-fell in with startled yelps, and Jack slammed the door behind them.
- - -
Sunlight. Warmth. Body next to her.
Martha's senses slowly began to reboot, and she stretched beneath the thin sheet, turning towards the warmth. She opened her eyes, and clear blue looked back at her. "Mmm... Morning, Jack."
"Morning, Martha." No 'doctor Jones,' no clever remark. Jack smiled at her and kissed her forehead, then her nose, then finally her lips, gently and tenderly.
"I thought you'd be gone when I woke up."
Jack actually looked a little hurt. "Never."
Her eyebrows lifted. 'Never' implied that there would be other times as well. "Are we assuming something here, Jack?"
He looked steadily back, one arm slipping around her bare waist beneath the sheet. "Martha. This can be whatever you want it to be." Idle fingers traced patterns on the arm she'd slung over his chest, dark brown skin against his pale. "A one-time thing; something more permanent..."
"You won't always be here," she pointed out.
"Then take me up on my offer. Come to Cardiff."
She rested her head against his chest. "Maybe. I still have to think about it."
Jack kissed her hair. "Okay," he said simply. "It'll still be there when you're ready to take it." He was so sure of himself. Smug bastard. There was a grin in his voice when he spoke again. "But you didn't say. Can I stay for breakfast or do you want me to take my pants and get out?"
Martha smiled mischievously up at him. "Oh, you're leaving the pants, Captain." She rolled over to lie on top of him, both of them grinning through a kiss. "You can pick them up next time you stop by," Martha murmured against his lips as his hands slid down her back, tracing her spine.
Jack's cell phone rang. Mockingly.
Jack groaned loudly, head falling back into the pillows as Martha buried her face in his shoulder. "Bloody fucking damned fuck..." Jack grumbled as he propped himself up on one elbow, grabbing for his trousers, strewn by the side of the bed. The damned ringing thing was in one of the pockets, and he snatched it out, flipping it open. "Ianto, I swear to God--"
Martha propped her head up on one arm, still lying stretched out on him, one foot trailing up and down his leg. "Ja-a-ack...hang up."
He gave her a pained look. "...I know. No, I know. ...Ianto, what are you, my mother?"
Martha leaned forward and kissed his neck. Jack made a low noise in his throat, covering up the mic with one hand. "Martha--do not-- No, Ianto, tell Owen to--fuck, Martha, cut that out-- Ianto. I'll be on the road in a bit. No, it's just--"
She stretched up and kissed him, cutting off his sentence. He kissed her back for one long moment and then broke away to murmur, "See you later, Ianto," into the phone before snapping it shut and throwing it away.
"You have no respect for important conversations," he murmured teasingly.
"And you do not talk on the phone while you're in bed with me."
"Fair enough," Jack murmured before they lost the thread of the conversation entirely.