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."

Comments

[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.

[logan_echolls]

Logan laughed, a sharp and bitter sound.

"Where I'd rather be? Where the hell do you think that is? Neptune? Back to my father and endless bullshit? The island? Where I get to deal with getting a fucking divorce? Yeah, both of those sound like great options," he said, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "I don't want to be anywhere, man. I don't want to, like, exist, alright? So just- Fuck off, Jack. You don't know what the hell you're talking about."

[im_torchwood]

Jack turned slowly to face him and a flash of memory hit him hard. So hard he almost felt a weight around his neck.

"You're going to try to kill yourself again, aren't you?" he said. "And this time I'm not wearing the bullet around my neck. You gave it to me. I remember...Joe stopped you and you gave me the bullet..."

[logan_echolls]

Logan was silent, swallowing hard, then shaking his head as he got to his feet.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said finally. ...Though he kind of did. Ray had caught him, in the woods, with his gun. Joe had taken care of him, and he had, in fact, saved the bullet. He hadn't given it to anyone though.

Quietly he reached for his jacket. "I'm going for a walk."

[im_torchwood]

Jack crossed to him then and tucked the charged phone into his pocket.

"When you come back I'll take you and show you where I live," he said. His expression was so cold but as he looked into Logan's eyes the bitterness, the cynicism and reticence, it thawed within him and his gaze softened.

"Come back soon. And don't forget your keycard."

[logan_echolls]

Logan seemed genuinely startled by the fact that Jack even seemed to care, and after a moment he nodded dumbly and picked up his wallet- Well, the other Logan's wallet- and headed out the door.

He was gone for ages. Nearly two hours. Though he didn't go very far. There were shops close by, a few still open, and he'd found a strange sort of calm wash over him as he did a little shopping. ...He'd forgotten what it was like to be able to have anything you wanted with just a swipe of a card.

When he returned he was carrying some shopping bags, and he dumped them onto the coffee table before sitting down in front of them, wondering if Jack was still here.

"Harkness?" he called out curiously, pulling out a few of the things he'd bought to admire them in a way he never would have before finding himself on the island.

[im_torchwood]

The toilet flushed and the faucet ran, then Jack came out to join Logan.

"You were gone forever," he said. "I ate your cheeseburger."

He looked at the bags, then turned his attention to Logan, relief clear on his face.

[logan_echolls]

Logan shrugged, holding up one of the t-shirts he'd bought. The bags were from everything from clothing stores to the local Tesco.

"I forgot what it's like to exchange actual money for goods," he admitted. "Guess I got caught up in it, or whatever."

Digging through another bag he pulled out a pair of crew socks that were printed with an image of what looked like a galaxy.

"Got you those, spaceman," he said, tossing them Jack's way.

[im_torchwood]

"You...bought me a gift?" he asked, looking from the socks to Logan and back. He was quiet for a moment and then he smiled.

"Thank you."

[logan_echolls]

"They're just socks, not matching friendship bracelets. Don't get too excited man," Logan replied with a snort.

[im_torchwood]

Logan's quip did nothing to take the smile away. He tucked the socks in his pocket then moved to sit on the sofa.

"So you liked shopping," he said. "Good to know."

[logan_echolls]

"It's alright," Logan shrugged. "I think it was just cool not to have to depend on the island. Like, I bought a book. I never buy books, but I bought one, because there was this whole store full of them, not just a shelf full of whatever the island wanted to torture me with. Ditto on the clothes, you know?"

He picked at a tag hanging from one of his new purchases, then glanced at Jack.

"I never told anyone about trying to shoot myself. Joe knew, because they made me stay with him after. Ray knew, 'cause he found me, and Dale knew- Because he kept it quiet."

[im_torchwood]

Jack was quiet for a minute, then got back up off the sofa and moved to Logan, taking hold of him and looking into his eyes.

"I don't remember everything, and none of it is in order...but I know you told me that. I know you put that bullet on a cord and I wore it. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. For that...I apologize."

[logan_echolls]

"It's fine. It's- Whatever, you know? I'm amazingly used to shit not making any sense any more," he assured Jack, slumping lower in his seat and watching the other man.

"I guess I just- It's just strange that you know. I mean, we hated each other, and you- God, you wanted everyone on that island who wasn't me. And it wasn't just because I was young, I saw you flirt with people younger than me. ...And I'm not some seventeen year old any more anyway."

He trailed off, not sure why he even cared- He just new he did. He'd always been bothered by how easily Jack could blow him off.

"It's kind of hard to believe that one day you just woke up and decided I was worth your time or something."