Logan

[im_torchwood]

It had been days and Jack had been keeping track of Logan. The young man had no money, no access to his accounts, no key card to the penthouse, no car, no resources, and he didn't even know how to use his phone. But Jack knew and while he gave Logan time he watched him on CCTV to make sure he was safe. Relatively.

But days had passed and he knew Logan had to be hungry, had to be exhausted trying to be homeless on the streets of London, and when he saw a dispatch for police to Logan's location Jack bolted to the SUV and he got there just as the police arrived.

"Torchwood," he said, flashing his ID. "I'll handle it."

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[im_torchwood]

Jack flopped back into the sofa and pressed his hands over his eyes, wondering what he must have done to deserve this. Things had been going so well. And now...what a mess.

"So we fought a lot?" he asked, hands still on his eyes.

[logan_echolls]

"We've thrown more punches than we've had conversations," Logan snorted. "Sometimes we get on okay, then one of us says something shitty and it ends badly.

"Last time we really fought..."

He trailed off, wondering if he really wanted to share what had happened. Then decided he might as well.

"...Last time we fought, I stopped fighting back. I told you- Uh... I told you that I tried to kill myself. Three times, actually. I tried to kill myself three times, and we- I dunno, we called a small truce and shared a joint, and... You, uh. You kissed me. I told you I didn't want to fuck up what you had with your boyfriend, and that I couldn't- I dunno, I couldn't do that to Neil. Things with me and him were going to shit, but it wasn't over yet, you know?"

[im_torchwood]

Jack listened and nodded, his hands falling away. He looked at Logan for a long moment.

"For what it's worth- I don't feel the need to punch you right now," he said. And he thought better of mentioning kissing...or the fact that there were no boyfriends or husbands here.

[logan_echolls]

"Give it time, man," Logan snorted, eating another slice of pizza, then finally stopping.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now," he admitted, making his way over to the table to look at the items Jack had laid out. "I don't know how to transition back into the real world."

[im_torchwood]

"What year was it when you were on the island? That phone you have is ancient," he said, wondering just how much he'd have to fill Logan in on.

[logan_echolls]

"It was 2005 when I got dumped there," Logan replied, picking up his drivers licence, and squinting at the picture as he sat down beside Jack.

[im_torchwood]

"That's ten years ago," he said, stating the obvious. Jack sighed. "Well, okay, um...you've bathed and eaten, once you get some sleep I'll get you online and we can see about getting you up to speed so it doesn't seem like you've been under a rock for a decade."

[logan_echolls]

Logan shrugged, then frowned slightly as he realized something.

"Do you live here? Are we, like, room mates or something? There were two toothbrushes in the bathroom. ...Why were you going to walk out if you live here? I'm not a total asshole, Jack. I wouldn't demand you move out, man."

[im_torchwood]

"I stay sometimes, but I don't live here. I actually have a cot in the Hub so I can stay on top of monitoring...everything," he said, realizing it sounded a bit...sad.

[logan_echolls]

"Shit, man- How the mighty have fallen. The Jack I knew lived in a fucking tree house with half the damn island," Logan replied, eyeing Jack curiously as he spoke.

[im_torchwood]

"I used to have a team," Jack said. "A family. But not long ago two of them were killed and the survivors...it fell apart. So I came to London for a fresh start. And, I know it sounds crazy, but assembling a team of crack alien hunters isn't the walk in the park you might think it'd be."

[logan_echolls]

"Back on the island you just made jewellery and whatever. Hunted sharks, I guess. Which was crazy," he added.

[im_torchwood]

"The more you tell me about this life I lead the more confused I get because...I was a Time Agent and a con man on Satellite 5. I didn't make jewelry and I didn't do boyfriends. That's something I've learned since I came back to Earth."

He paused.

"But I know you're right. I had you. And I remember other things. Little things."

[logan_echolls]

"I just want to make it really clear right now, that you have not 'had' me," Logan said flatly. "What else do you remember though?"

[im_torchwood]

He closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

"I remember the Doctor. And a woman with thick, dark hair with scars down her back. I remember a really ugly concrete building. Heat. Humidity. Jungle. I remember you in a tree in the rain. I remember...us. I have a very vivid memory of fucking you in the snow. Of the way we slept. I remember a cat. And marijuana. And pearls?"

[logan_echolls]

Logan squirmed uncomfortably, looking away.

"You never- You didn't do me in the snow. We've never... I mean, I think we came close once, but, we didn't."

[im_torchwood]

"But I remember it. That's what I remember most. Being home with you. Being naked with you. You sleeping on me. Sex. Sex a hundred ways. And...love. I remember being in love," he said softly.

"I'm not asking you for that. I don't expect it. Whatever happened in that time line, in that dimension, it can't happen here. Not the same way. Maybe not at all."

[logan_echolls]

Logan looked uncomfortable, then sighed as he flopped back against the sofa cushions and looked over at Jack.

"Man, I wish I had a joint right now. Even just some island skunk weed."

[im_torchwood]

"I have no idea where to get any spliff here in London," Jack said. "That's the slang here if you want to fit in. So you know."

[logan_echolls]

"Thanks gramps, gotta be hip to the lingo," Logan snorted, offering Jack a faint smile.

"Fine then, it's totally your job to get me wasted tonight then. Let's drink."

[im_torchwood]

"Okay but the last time I got you drunk you turned into this," Jack reminded him. "Maybe drinking is a bad idea."

[logan_echolls]

"Well then maybe you'll get the version of me you actually like back then," Logan replied with a scowl.

[im_torchwood]

"That's not fair," Jack said and got to his feet. He tossed the remnants of the muffin he'd been picking at onto the tray.

"Come on. I know a pub," he said, his expression stony and his eyes hard.

[logan_echolls]

Logan didn't like that look though, it was darker than any looks the Jack he'd known had ever given him. In fact, this Jack seemed, well, darker overall. Older, way more bitter.

"Forget it," Logan replied quietly, and though he tried to sound like he'd just changed his mind, the fact that he was nervous- Scared even- Was apparent.

Pulling the sleeves of his shirt down over his fingertips, he sank back down on the couch, wrapping his arms around himself and looking out the window.

[im_torchwood]

"Why? You've been on the streets for days. You ate, you're clean, why not go get wasted and then you can forget you're stuck here with me instead of wherever you'd rather be," he shot back, just as caustic as Logan could be.