Disclaimer: Nope, don't own
Pairing: Jack Carter/ Nathan Stark
Established (sort of), K+, Prompt: Secret Smile
Word Count: Approx. 950
There are bags under his eyes; his face is pale, hell- he's not even sure when the last time he ate or slept was. The nap that Henry forced him to take earlier didn't count; his dreams haunted by equations and he woke feeling worse than before.
Part of him knows that he has to be more careful or they'll figure it out. Then Nathan Stark looks down at the person lying in the infirmary, as pale as the sheets below him and a small part of him says screw it- let everyone know that he's in love with Jack Carter. But if they were to figure it out, then Jack would find out. He's not sure how he feels about that. Sex is one thing, loving someone puts you on the line to be burned.
Hours later Nathan is hovering, waiting (praying- though he's not religious) that this treatment will work. His data pad is clutched tightly in his hands, working as a shield from his own demons.
Henry and Fargo are tense next to him; Allison having left a little while ago to take care of Kevin. He understands, but still something nags at him that if she felt for the Sheriff like she claimed she did- she would not have left.
Nathan doesn't even technically work at Global anymore, but as soon as he had heard what had happened, he had been there, demanding to help. He didn't trust anyone else to bring their Sheriff back. He chooses not to think about when he apparently had joined the Sheriffs fan club; the club that was currently gathered in the waiting room, holding a collected breath.
Something that has been sitting, pressing down on his chest, unclenches at the low groan coming from their patient. Nathan allows himself to be pushed back from the bed slightly as Henry explains to Jack what happens; but he doesn't let the awake, albeit irritated man out of his sight. Belatedly he discovers a wide grin on his face and has to stifle it slightly, make it smug- but he suspects that Henry already caught it.
He tinkers with his data pad, wanders around checking Jacks vitals, but can't bring himself to leave just yet. Not like the other times when he left Jack with Zoe, or even Abby or Allison. None of them are there now.
"Hey scientist." Nathan's head shoots around at the nickname. Henry has left presumably to get Zoe and the others and Fargo has gravitated to the other side of the room. He has maybe a few minutes before the others come rushing in, like always and he has to share this man again.
"Sheriff." Nathan replies, the word coming out gruffer than he had intended. The bright smile is threatening to make reappearance again as he moves to stand next to the bed.
"I hear I have you to thank again." Nathan frowns slightly, but tries not to let it show by passing Carter the glass of water next to his bed.
"Quite a few people would have been heartbroken had you died, Carter." Like me. He falls easily into a disinterested façade. He has perfected it over the years.
"Oh, really?" A small smile is directed at him and he can feel his walls crumbling around him. He needs to get out of there- fast, before he is found out.
"Your fan club will be in, in a minute." He tells the man, stepping back from the bed slightly, his data pad once again a shield from everything around him; from this man. "I have some work to do."
Jack doesn't mention the fact that Nathan doesn't work at Global anymore, at least not at the moment. Instead he reaches out, his limbs still weak from the virus, but he pushes until his arm is outstretched- for Nathan.
"Don't go." Jack commands. Normally an insult would be on the tip of his tongue, but they had come so close this time to losing this man; he has no witty come back. Nathan can feel his feet pulling him back over to the bed, his hand hesitantly reaching out and threading with the Sheriffs. He's putting himself on the line, something he swore he would never do again- it's too easy to get hurt; but he can't stop himself.
"You'll be fine now." The relief is obvious in his voice; if Jack can't figure it out now, then he's been giving the man too much credit.
"Henry said you forced them into letting you work on the serum." Nathan opens and closes his mouth a few times; the great Nathan Stark is speechless, who would have thought it possible? "Thank you." It's so sincere and the blue eyes seem to be trying to tell him something, but he's not sure what. Nathan squeezes the hand in his instead, slightly surprised when he's insistently pulled closer to the man on the bed.
"Zoe will be here in a moment." He reminds Jack, but he's just tugged closer.
"It'll be fine." Nathan wonders for a moment if he can do this, if he can just out himself to Eureka like this, for this man. If he can just let the entire town see that he's not as cold and calculated as he makes himself out to be. "Come here."
Maybe it's worth it, Nathan decides, allowing him to be pulled onto the bed to tangle his limbs with the blonde mans. He carefully wraps his arms around Jack; head pillowed on the Sheriffs shoulder and forces himself to relax. He's not sure what he's signed himself up for, or if he's even ready for it- but he's willing to face it head on.