Some Other Beginning's End
He was quiet, voicing his pleasure in soft grunts and sighs, if he voiced it at all. Not like Jack; Jack talked, not loudly, but constantly. His brain translated the overwhelming sensation to a stream of meaningless words. It was with a certain fascination that he watched through the afterglow of his own orgasm as his boyfriend silently came undone, wide-eyed and panting above Jack.
Afterward Jack reached for him, meaning to take him in his arms and hold him until dawn as he often did, but Alonso lay still and unreceptive. Perplexed, Jack lay back too and waited, rapidly cooling sweat raising goosebumps on his skin.
"How did you meet the Doctor?" Alonso asked. He didn't look at Jack as he spoke.
The question took Jack by surprise. "What?" He watched Alonso watching the ceiling.
"The Doctor. You said his name." The other man's voice was measured and calm.
He tried to remember when he'd mentioned the Doctor to Alonso, and drew a blank. "When?"
"Just now," Alonso said evenly.
Oh. "Oh." Jack winced.
"He saved my life," Alonso said. "When I met him. It was my first trip out. Earth would have been destroyed if not for him."
"Yeah," Jack agreed, smiling. "He tends to do that. Save the world, I mean, and me too for good measure."
Alonso sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Jack," he said, and his voice sounded constricted. Jack couldn't see his face. "It's okay. I get it." He stood and reached for his clothes.
"What? Wait, where are you going? It's the middle of the night!" Alonso was getting dressed, and that simply did not make sense.
Alonso turned around to face him, and Jack was startled to see his eyes shining with tears. "You don't fall out of love with someone like the Doctor," he said, and Jack could not think of anything to say that could possibly counter that argument. "I don't hold it against you," Alonso continued. "I'm sorry I can't be what you want."
"But you are!" Jack protested. Alonso shook his head, and Jack recognized the finality in the gesture. Something twisted in the pit of his stomach. "You're breaking up with me." His voice broke a little. Alonso nodded, not meeting Jack's eyes.
Jack crossed the room in two strides and kissed Alonso firmly, just once. "It's been fun," he murmured. "I'll have to thank the Doctor for telling me your name in that bar." He moved to gather up his own clothing as Alonso stared at him, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Goodbye, Jack." He turned away again as he said it. Jack was glad, in a way; he didn't want the sadness in Alonso's eyes to be the last he saw of him. He sighed and activated his vortex manipulator.
The cold, impersonal voice of his ship's computer greeted him. "Welcome back, Captain Jack Harkness."
"Thanks," he said bitterly.
"Intruder alert," the computer continued. "Unauthorized lifeform aboard."
"What?!" How had someone else gotten aboard?
"Intruder--"
"Shut up! I heard you the first--"
A most unpleasant retching sound interrupted his rebuke. Jack spun around. "You."
"Me." The last person Jack wanted to see grinned up at him from the deck. "Did you miss me?"
Afterward Jack reached for him, meaning to take him in his arms and hold him until dawn as he often did, but Alonso lay still and unreceptive. Perplexed, Jack lay back too and waited, rapidly cooling sweat raising goosebumps on his skin.
"How did you meet the Doctor?" Alonso asked. He didn't look at Jack as he spoke.
The question took Jack by surprise. "What?" He watched Alonso watching the ceiling.
"The Doctor. You said his name." The other man's voice was measured and calm.
He tried to remember when he'd mentioned the Doctor to Alonso, and drew a blank. "When?"
"Just now," Alonso said evenly.
Oh. "Oh." Jack winced.
"He saved my life," Alonso said. "When I met him. It was my first trip out. Earth would have been destroyed if not for him."
"Yeah," Jack agreed, smiling. "He tends to do that. Save the world, I mean, and me too for good measure."
Alonso sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "Jack," he said, and his voice sounded constricted. Jack couldn't see his face. "It's okay. I get it." He stood and reached for his clothes.
"What? Wait, where are you going? It's the middle of the night!" Alonso was getting dressed, and that simply did not make sense.
Alonso turned around to face him, and Jack was startled to see his eyes shining with tears. "You don't fall out of love with someone like the Doctor," he said, and Jack could not think of anything to say that could possibly counter that argument. "I don't hold it against you," Alonso continued. "I'm sorry I can't be what you want."
"But you are!" Jack protested. Alonso shook his head, and Jack recognized the finality in the gesture. Something twisted in the pit of his stomach. "You're breaking up with me." His voice broke a little. Alonso nodded, not meeting Jack's eyes.
Jack crossed the room in two strides and kissed Alonso firmly, just once. "It's been fun," he murmured. "I'll have to thank the Doctor for telling me your name in that bar." He moved to gather up his own clothing as Alonso stared at him, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Goodbye, Jack." He turned away again as he said it. Jack was glad, in a way; he didn't want the sadness in Alonso's eyes to be the last he saw of him. He sighed and activated his vortex manipulator.
The cold, impersonal voice of his ship's computer greeted him. "Welcome back, Captain Jack Harkness."
"Thanks," he said bitterly.
"Intruder alert," the computer continued. "Unauthorized lifeform aboard."
"What?!" How had someone else gotten aboard?
"Intruder--"
"Shut up! I heard you the first--"
A most unpleasant retching sound interrupted his rebuke. Jack spun around. "You."
"Me." The last person Jack wanted to see grinned up at him from the deck. "Did you miss me?"