John "Three Galaxies" Watson
Summary: John was perfectly happy for everyone to believe that he was an ordinary man. An ordinary man who just happened to be good in bed. Very good in bed. No one needed to know that his dad was immortal, had grown up on another planet and now chased down aliens for a living. That got complicated.
Disclaimer:I do not own Sherlock, Torchwood, Doctor Who or anything related to either of them, that goes to the BBC, the lucky things.
Author's Note:In the Torchwood universe, this is set after series two, but before series three. Perhaps a little after the episodes 'The Stolen Earth' and 'Journey's End' in series four of New! Who. In terms of the Sherlock universe, this is set after Hounds, but before Reichenbach. Enjoy.
Chapter One
"I get it, John. Really. I knew it wasn't serious from the beginning, you don't have to keep explaining. I made it perfectly clear I was just up for some fun too."
John smiled lightly at the woman, Jenny, sat opposite him in the café where they'd agreed to meet up for lunch and reached over to squeeze her hand, "You're brilliant, d'you know that?"
She laughed with a cheeky grin, tapping the back of his hand with her manicured nails and flicking some of her red hair out of her eyes, "I do, yes. As you've mentioned a fair few times before. Now go back to that handsome man of yours and just give him a good shag. I could feel the need for it practically radiating off of you for the past three weeks."
John glanced away, his jaw clenching a little as his thoughts turned to Sherlock and he sighed inwardly. There was no way he could ever give into that temptation with his best friend, even if said best friend wanted the same in return – not given the consequences of what could happen anyway.
"John, I know that you're not like any other guy I've met, and that's not a line. You know it's not. I've been with you, I've felt what it's like and there's no one on Earth who could possibly make anyone feel just a fraction of that. You shouldn't be scared. Your dear Sherlock should consider himself a lucky man to be on the receiving end of your desires."
Smiling just a little, John looked back to her and leaned over to kiss her cheek, "Thanks, Jenny. That's kind of you to say, but it's so much more complicated than you think. I hope you have a good life, you really are an amazing woman." And with that he was off, heading out of the café and onto the street outside. Zipping up his coat and burying his hands in the pockets he sighed quietly to himself, allowing his thoughts to roam as he walked slowly back to Baker Street.
He hadn't lied at all when he'd told Jenny that it was a lot more complicated. Of course she couldn't tell what he was talking about, nobody could. Well, no one except for a select few that he could count on one hand, and that didn't even include the great Sherlock Holmes. There was a reason as to why he could never be with someone for more than a few weeks and why it could never be serious. There was a reason why people were drawn to him, something that Sherlock didn't seem to notice, and wouldn't ever be able to give a reason for. There was a reason why, in the end, John would always end up alone and that's how it would have to be.
Pulling out his phone he looked through his contacts, searching for a name that he didn't often look for as there was never much reason to try and talk to him. It's not because they didn't get on, it was simply because they knew that they led very different lives and if they needed to get in contact then they would. Once they met up again, every time, it was always just like they'd never spent any time apart. Swallowing down a sudden rush of anxiety, he pressed dial when he'd brought up the contact on his phone, pushing it to his ear as he continued his walk.
Across the country, crossing into another entirely, a phone rang in the Torchwood base of Cardiff. After a couple of rings Captain Jack Harkness reached it and he picked up, the usual charm evident in his voice as he answered, "Hello, Captain Jack Harkness speaking."
John smiled to himself at the familiar voice, which no one could ever forget, as he gave his reply, "Hello dad, it's me."
"Johnny boy! Long time, no speak. How's my handsome little devil?" the man answered as he sat in the chair at his desk, reclining back lazily and resting his feet up on the cluttered surface.
"Been good thanks. Listen, I just... is there any way I could talk to you? In person? I know you don't do this kind of thing, I know that, but I need this." John knew it was a big ask to request of his dad, he could remember all the times that he'd tried to have meaningful conversations with the man only for him to laugh it off and distract John with some other amusing reference.
There was silence on the line for a few moments before a quiet reply, something unusual of the outwardly-confident man, came through, "Okay, Johnny. I'll meet you in that little café beside your flat in fifteen minutes. See ya, kid."
Before John had a chance to object at meeting him so close to home, the line went dead and he sighed, stuffing his phone back into his coat pocket. Someone should take that vortex manipulator off him for good, that'd teach him for popping up all over the world whenever he felt like it. There was no way out of this, so he just went with it. Sherlock was out on a case anyway, and Mrs Hudson at her sister's, so it wasn't likely that his charming father would run into them. John really didn't want to know what would happen if he did. When he finally arrived at Baker Street he spotted the figure in a long trench coat, not so different from the one Sherlock wore. He took a deep breath and slowly approached, smiling when he got closer, "Hey."
Jack beamed at him, "C'mere, Johnny, look at you!" He engulfed him in a big hug and held him close whilst John patted his back and hugged him back as best he could. Pulling away, the taller man grinned down at him and took his arm, leading him into Speedy's, "Lookin' good, kiddo. You got someone on the go?"
John stared resolutely forward and shook his head, getting them a table and sitting down, draping his coat on the back of the chair, "I just let someone go today actually. Which is sort of what triggered me wanting to talk to you..." He sent a cautious gaze at his dad as the man sat down, meeting John's gaze with his own careful one. He sighed and glanced away for a moment, looking to the floor.
"I know what you're going to ask. How can you go on living like this, never being able to settle down with someone? How are you supposed to cope without that reassurance that you'll always have someone there? I can't tell you how to live your life, Johnny. Don't have much right to either, going by the amount of time we actually spend together. But I don't want you to do what I've done. I can never get too attached, it just leaves pain in its wake."
"What about Ianto? I thought you had something going with him?"
Sighing, he rubbed a hand over his face before looking back up to John, "That's different. What I've got going with Ianto.. It doesn't matter. This is about you, Johnny. You've still got the chance to find someone whereas I've gone too long without trying. I can't do that, but you can."
John snorted, this time it was his turn to look away, "Yeah, that's going to be a great conversation. Hey, I was thinking about settling down with you, but oh right, I forgot to mention that by doing so you'll get to live hundreds of years longer than other people and you'll age slower, just like me! So what do you say?"
Looking a little hurt, Jack reached over to pat John's hand, "I'm sorry, Johnny. I'd give you a normal life if I could, but I can't. Just be grateful that you're not immortal like me."
"Immortal? That's what seemed so odd about you." Both men turned to stare up at Sherlock who had just then appeared at their table, looming over the both of them.
