Love Though Any Time (21/?) Torchwood NC-17
Chapter Twenty
Emmett
I was nervous when I entered through the cog door with my head down. To finally have the discussion with Jack felt relieving but I wasn’t sure if it would lift the weight from my shoulders. I loved James with all my heart but I didn’t think that I deserved him. James was a man living in the 21st century, was I allowed to fall in love with him? Today’s dance in the corridor had sparked that need to finally talk to Jack.
“Hello Emmett,” Jack said and I looked up to see him standing there. It seemed that he had decided to wait for me at the entrance.
I started to smile, “Hello Jack, um this is going to be hard for me to ask but....” I began to say but started to falter quite badly. Jack stepped forward and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes trying to remember the last time I had felt his lips on mine. We weren’t lovers that I knew quite clear. I pulled back.
“Any more secrets you like to tell me?” I asked with a smile. Jack started to laugh.
“No, I thought it would loosen your tongue,” He replied with a grin, “Though you were brave to turn me down.”
I nodded, “Still why you told me all those things after I rejected you?” I asked. It had been one of those things that were still weighing on my mind since he had told me back in April. Jack started to sigh.
“For some reason I trusted you because you could keep a secret,” Jack replied, “Still it doesn’t matter now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
I took a long deep breath and started to speak, “At the airfield I met a handsome young man by the name of James Elton. He started to flirt with me since I flirted with him. I was instantly attracted to him but I turned him down one night at his flat,” I paused to cough before going on, “I’m the one who caused his sex binge Jack.”
Jack put his head down, “I knew I should have asked him but I was just so angry,” He replied before looking up at me, “Please continue.”
“Should I be ashamed that I love him?” I asked finally getting to the point I was here for. Jack took both of my hands.
“Not at all Emmett,” He replied with a friendly smile, “Those laws were changed in 1967, letting male homosexuality legal again, ok it will take you awhile to understand this but it’s the truth.”
“Thanks, it’s lifted a little weight from my shoulders,” I confessed, “But I want to talk about him with you, like it might make me feel better.”
“Of course, come to my office, we’ll talk over a game of cards and scotch,” He said with a laugh, “I drink water these days but tonight I’m willing to drink scotch like I used to.”
“Ok, if only you would put on Glenn Miller,” I begged with a smile.
Jack smiled and opened up his wrist strap.
James
“I might be moving to Cardiff because of work,” Damien said when our dinner arrived.
“Really, how does Olivia feel about this?” I asked rather serious but at the same time I couldn’t help but grin.
“She’s alright with it actually,” Damien replied as he dipped his fork into the ravioli, “She says if it’s to do with my job then she won’t complain.”
I nodded, “Sorry I wasn’t sure because.....”
“Oh she hates the fact that you live here but as she says I’m entitled to have friends,” He interrupted with a laugh, “Oh David’s getting married in Canada to that great man of his.”
“Is he? That’s fantastic! So Matthew finally proposed then?”
“Yes, still it’s good to know he can get married, good old Canada,” Damien replied with a smile and picked up his beer, “I’d love to see the day when you enter a civil partnership.”
“It might not happen,” I replied looking down at my spaghetti.
“It might, if things go well with Emmett,” He said quite convincingly, “You just have to think positively.”
“You just want to be best man,” I accused him amusingly.
“Hey, I’m being supportive aren’t I?” He asked with a smile, “All I want is to see you happy.”
I wrapped some spaghetti around my fork, “I hope you’re right,” I replied before stuffing it into my mouth.
Emmett
I was nervous when I entered through the cog door with my head down. To finally have the discussion with Jack felt relieving but I wasn’t sure if it would lift the weight from my shoulders. I loved James with all my heart but I didn’t think that I deserved him. James was a man living in the 21st century, was I allowed to fall in love with him? Today’s dance in the corridor had sparked that need to finally talk to Jack.
“Hello Emmett,” Jack said and I looked up to see him standing there. It seemed that he had decided to wait for me at the entrance.
I started to smile, “Hello Jack, um this is going to be hard for me to ask but....” I began to say but started to falter quite badly. Jack stepped forward and pressed his lips against mine. I closed my eyes trying to remember the last time I had felt his lips on mine. We weren’t lovers that I knew quite clear. I pulled back.
“Any more secrets you like to tell me?” I asked with a smile. Jack started to laugh.
“No, I thought it would loosen your tongue,” He replied with a grin, “Though you were brave to turn me down.”
I nodded, “Still why you told me all those things after I rejected you?” I asked. It had been one of those things that were still weighing on my mind since he had told me back in April. Jack started to sigh.
“For some reason I trusted you because you could keep a secret,” Jack replied, “Still it doesn’t matter now, what was it you wanted to talk to me about?”
I took a long deep breath and started to speak, “At the airfield I met a handsome young man by the name of James Elton. He started to flirt with me since I flirted with him. I was instantly attracted to him but I turned him down one night at his flat,” I paused to cough before going on, “I’m the one who caused his sex binge Jack.”
Jack put his head down, “I knew I should have asked him but I was just so angry,” He replied before looking up at me, “Please continue.”
“Should I be ashamed that I love him?” I asked finally getting to the point I was here for. Jack took both of my hands.
“Not at all Emmett,” He replied with a friendly smile, “Those laws were changed in 1967, letting male homosexuality legal again, ok it will take you awhile to understand this but it’s the truth.”
“Thanks, it’s lifted a little weight from my shoulders,” I confessed, “But I want to talk about him with you, like it might make me feel better.”
“Of course, come to my office, we’ll talk over a game of cards and scotch,” He said with a laugh, “I drink water these days but tonight I’m willing to drink scotch like I used to.”
“Ok, if only you would put on Glenn Miller,” I begged with a smile.
Jack smiled and opened up his wrist strap.
James
“I might be moving to Cardiff because of work,” Damien said when our dinner arrived.
“Really, how does Olivia feel about this?” I asked rather serious but at the same time I couldn’t help but grin.
“She’s alright with it actually,” Damien replied as he dipped his fork into the ravioli, “She says if it’s to do with my job then she won’t complain.”
I nodded, “Sorry I wasn’t sure because.....”
“Oh she hates the fact that you live here but as she says I’m entitled to have friends,” He interrupted with a laugh, “Oh David’s getting married in Canada to that great man of his.”
“Is he? That’s fantastic! So Matthew finally proposed then?”
“Yes, still it’s good to know he can get married, good old Canada,” Damien replied with a smile and picked up his beer, “I’d love to see the day when you enter a civil partnership.”
“It might not happen,” I replied looking down at my spaghetti.
“It might, if things go well with Emmett,” He said quite convincingly, “You just have to think positively.”
“You just want to be best man,” I accused him amusingly.
“Hey, I’m being supportive aren’t I?” He asked with a smile, “All I want is to see you happy.”
I wrapped some spaghetti around my fork, “I hope you’re right,” I replied before stuffing it into my mouth.