Eye Opening
By Hellabvd
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Jack/Gwen, Jack/John
Rating: T
Warning: bit of smut.
Spoilers: 2x1 only for Captain John Hart
Summary: Jack receives some home truths.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood.
"You know you're an idiot right?" Captain John Hart asked as he poured himself another tumbler full of scotch.
Jack frowned at him and continued to look a Gwen across the hub. He would have watched Ianto but the young man had disappeared into the archives four hours ago.
"You sit there watching her with that look that just screams 'I love you'. She's not yours Jack. She's no good for you." John said downing the scotch without so much as a wince. "You could love her and she would love you but she isn't the one for you."
"What are you talking about?" Jack asked bluntly.
"She wants to change you Jack. I know better than anyone that changing you is not the way to love you. It would be fiery and passionate but ultimately she would realise that she can't change you and that would be it. And you would resent her for needing you to change." John said in a wise way that Jack hadn't heard from him in centuries. It was his bar talk slightly drunk way of analyzing everything. John was incredibly smart when he let himself be even though most of the time he seemed content to be an idiot.
"Get to the point." Jack said thoughtfully. He knew that John was right and Gwen and he would be one long conflict but what a conflict it would be.
"Eye-candy." John stated simply. Jack looked up sharply. John laughed lightly. "He scares you Jack I see it every time you look at him. He's strong, quiet granted but I bet he isn't between the sheets." John smiled wistfully, Jack coughed. Which told John everything he needed to know. "He's loyal. Not entirely what is advertised. Got a temper on him. I have to say he's stunning which doesn't hurt. And those legs…" John looked seriously thoughtful for a moment. "Point is that Gwen doesn't scare you because she's all about the image but not Eye-candy. He can see straight through you and that's what scares you. There's no hiding with him. He see's you and accepts you. And you are an idiot because you're pulling away from him. You don't want to care when he dies but here's a little something I think you should know Jack, you do care. And you're always going to care about him because for once in your life you've found someone who doesn't push or pull he simply stands and takes everything that can be thrown at him. Who doesn't care that you've done this or that because he isn't innocent Jack. No one can threaten the way he threatened me or reacted the way he did when I held a gun to his head without going through a good number of shit things." Jack looked down John was so right it was painful. "He only gets one lifetime. You only have however long he has left. Do you really want to miss that opportunity to have a real relationship with someone who knows about you? Who knows that you're a time traveler from the fifty-first century. Who knows about aliens and the possibilities instead of someone who you lie to every day?"