Val

[im_torchwood]

There had been a flurry of activity on the solstice, but everything had died down. Jack had stopped monitoring and turned off the alerts. It was a beautiful day. Too beutiful to think about work.

"Hey," he said to Val, smacking the door jamb to get the man's attention. "It's too good outside to be cooped up down here. Fancy getting some lunch with me?"

He already had his coat on, ready to go. He reached in the pocket and pulled out his keys, jingling them.

"Come on, you know you want to."

Comments

[hollow_moon]

Val had been combing through the archives again, his hair a bit flat on one side where he'd drifted off during a three-hour reading marathon, and his eyeliner slightly smudged beneath his right eye.

"Hmm, well, I was..."

He trailed off though, then shook his head. "Sure, sounds like a laugh. Let me log off and I'll be right there."

[im_torchwood]

"I'll meet you out by the rig, Jack grinned, heading for the exit. He had his phone out to look through restaurants that he'd not tried yet. He decided on a rather nice looking bistro. Val deserved good things, and Jack wanted to treat him today.

[hollow_moon]

Val watched him go, before snapping out of it and starting to put his work away. Jack could be such a distraction. ...Such an excellent distraction. Leaving his coat behind, Val hustled a bit as he caught up to the other man.

"You're in good spirits," he grinned. "Care to share what's got you in such a good mood, Jack?"

[im_torchwood]

"Just the day. Summer. You," he replied, smiling brightly. "I keep you cooped up too much. Today let's let work take care of itself. We can pretend we're tourists. Eat, go to the sights, just do whatever we feel like. It's been too long since I skivved off work just for the hell of it."

[hollow_moon]

"You don't keep me cooped, I'm here because it's where I want to be, Jack. A day off does sound fun though. Any time spent with you is a good time," Val said, climbing into the rig.

[im_torchwood]

Jack smiled at that.

"Glad to hear it," he replied. "So, ok, first I'm going to feed you. Mostly because I'm starving," he said, and gave Val a sly wink.

[hollow_moon]

"And what will we have? Fish and chips?" Val suggested with a grin. "We could take a trip down the shore you know. It's not a far run from here."

[im_torchwood]

"You in the mood for fish?" Jack asked. "I was thinking a steak. Nice and bloody. Some good wine. Something a bit more than we usually get..."

[hollow_moon]

"A date, you mean, Jack. You're describing a date," Val chuckled.

[im_torchwood]

"Yeah, I guess I am," Jack grinned. "I was thinking we deserved one. Something nicer than pizza or Chinese."

[im_torchwood]

"Yeah, I guess I am," Jack grinned. "I was thinking we deserved one. Something nicer than pizza or Chinese."

[hollow_moon]

"I'm not protesting," Val assured her. "I'm all for a real date. Romance me, Captain, I'm game."

[im_torchwood]

"I think I just might," Jack said, his smile growing. "Candlelight, good wine...a walk by the river. I'll do my best to impress you."

[hollow_moon]

'You don't have to impress me, Jack- I'm already smitten," Val assured him. "I'll do you one better, how about a trip to the country club? Let's swing by the house, get our best suits on, and I'll show you what it means to date a Collingwood."

[im_torchwood]

Jack turned to look at him, a brow arched.

"You sure I can clean up good enough for that?" he asked. "To be your arm candy at the club?"

[hollow_moon]

"I think you look divine now- Scrubbed up I'm certain I'll be fighting for your attention," Val grinned.

[im_torchwood]

"I do scrub up pretty good," he chuckled, taking a turn to head for Val's home. Their home, though Jack had a hard time thinking of it like that. He had no home. Not really. He hadn't in a very long time. Once at the stately house, through the gate and secure inside, Jack gave Val a pat on the bum. "Do we need reservations or anything?" he asked as he peeled off his coat and undid his shirtfront so he could grab a quick shower and put on something a bit more fitting of a country club date.

[hollow_moon]

"My family has a standing reservation, and since I'm the only one in town this week, it's all ours," Val assured him with a smile, heading to the closet and picking through until he found something a bit more club friendly than his usual attire. ...Not that they'd ever turn him away.

Trading a leather coat for something a bit softer, he turned to give Jack a good look.

"What do you think?" he asked. "Little less black sheep, a bit more black tie, hmm?"

[im_torchwood]

Clean and fresh, Jack had pulled on a rather nice 3 piece suit himself, though he wasn't sure he cut quite the figure Val did.

"You look good enough to eat," he said appreciatively. "How'd I do?"

[hollow_moon]

"You... Are perfection," Val grinned, crossing the room and tugging a little on Jack's suit jacket. "I'm half tempted to say fuck the club and just see how long it takes to peel this back off you..."

[im_torchwood]

Jack chuckled softly.

"As fun as that would be...I think I'd like to romance you a bit more than just unwrapping you like the gift you are," he purred. He leaned in and stole a kiss. "Let's go show the club how it's done."

[hollow_moon]

Grinning into the kiss, Val nodded as it broke.

"Mmm, fine. I can wait I suppose. ...Maybe. Let's take my car, hmm? The jaguar feels a bit more fitting, don't you think?"

[im_torchwood]

"I think that sounds perfect," Jack replied. His eyes sparkled with his smile and he wrapped an arm around Val to lead him out to the car. "You drive."

[hollow_moon]

"You think I was going to let you have the keys?" Val teased, leaning over and kissing Jack's cheek. "I've seen how you take corners, captain. You do it on two wheels."

[im_torchwood]

"I don't see anything wrong with that!" Jack laughed as he slid into the passenger seat and buckled up.

"Sometimes you just have to take corners fast."

[hollow_moon]

Val laughed, revving the engine and flashing a smile.

"It's a bit of a trek, you don't mind though, right?" he asked as the gates opened and he headed out into the busy streets of London.

[im_torchwood]

"Not a bit. I think a nice drive and a nice dinner with you sounds like a fantastic way to spend the evening," Jack replied, laying his hand on Val's thigh and rubbing slowly.

[hollow_moon]

Val smiled at that, covering Jack's hand with his own, but keeping his full attention on the road as he started to drive them out of the city.

"Why don't you put on some music?" he suggested.

[im_torchwood]

Jack nodded and began to fuss with the radio. Talk, classical, screaming rock, German EDM... Enough of that. He pulled out his phone and paired it, then put on Glenn Miller.

"That's more like it," he smiled.

[hollow_moon]

"Oh my god, it's like dating someone's grandfather," Val laughed, his smile bright and wide. "One day I'm going to get you into modern music, Jack. One day."

[im_torchwood]

"I like what I like, okay?" he laughed. "You can't go wrong with music like this. Modern music doesn't have this kind of romance."

[hollow_moon]

"Now you really sound like a granddad," Val laughed, shaking his head and grinning. "Modern music's not all bad."

[im_torchwood]

"Oh yeah? Then I challenge you to find me one song, just one, with some romance in it," Jack chuckled.

[hollow_moon]

"I'm sure I could find several," Val countered. "It's fine though, grandad. I won't ask you to turn off your music."

[im_torchwood]

Jack smiled for another long moment, but it slowly began to fade. A question caught in his mind and he couldn't let it go.

"Does it bother you, Val? That I'm older than you?" he asked.

[hollow_moon]

"Saying you're older than me is a bit of an understatement, isn't it?" Val replied, glancing over briefly and noting the look on Jack's face. "It doesn't bother me, but pretending it's not true doesn't do us any good, does it? You've lived several lifetimes more than me. You'll live many more once I'm gone. It's part of who you are, just as being the wolf is part of who I am. We have to let those things all be part of us as a whole, wouldn't you agree?"

[im_torchwood]

"Yeah. It's not like I can change it. I just wanted to know if it's something you can see yourself living with for a while. A long while, I'd hope," Jack said softly.

[hollow_moon]

"Jack, if I had an issue with your age, I promise you, it would have come up much sooner than now. ...I enjoy your company. I enjoy us. I'm happy, and a long while doesn't seem long enough," he assured the other man.

[im_torchwood]

Hearing that made him relax and settle back into the seat. He could handle watching a partner age, but he had a hell of a time when someone left his life after only a short time.

"That's good to hear," he said with a soft smile. "I was hoping you'd say that, actually. Because I'm with you to the end, Val. Whatever comes."

[hollow_moon]

Val smiled on that, eyes on the road as he reached over and gave Jack's leg a squeeze.

[im_torchwood]

Jack covered Val's hand and rode like that in silence for quite a while as Glenn Miller and his band played Moonlight Serenade.

"What's the menu like at the club?" he asked after quite some time.

[hollow_moon]

"This time of year there's a lot of shellfish," Val replied thoughtfully. "Steak, always. The new chef is french, so I imagine there'll be some French delicacies on the menu as well," he added, smiling as they cruised through the countryside.

[im_torchwood]

"That sounds so good. I wish I could eat everything. All of it," Jack said. He had a tremendous appetite and could probably devour anything put in front of him, but what he was really interested in was...

"We should eat dessert first."

[hollow_moon]

"Oh? Alright, lover, whatever you desire," Val chuckled, nodding as the club came into view up ahead.

[im_torchwood]

The grounds were well manicured and the club itself was a posh building of grand architecture. Jack, who was no stranger to the finer things in life, was duly impressed nonetheless.

"Be careful, Val. I could get used to this," he said, flashing a smile as they pulled to a stop for the valet to take the car.

[hollow_moon]

"I'd be more than happy to spoil you," Val assured him, before handing the keys off to the valet and offering Jack his arm.

[im_torchwood]

Jack took his arm and headed inside.

"Yeah, I could really get used to this," he said, taking in the opulent decorating and classic architecture. "I'll be your arm candy every night."