parked | IC CONTACT POST

[Jack's look does nothing to change as he regards Sulu for the moment. Take deep breaths indeed...] You do work in the military, don't you? You do know that stubbornness is almost a requirement for the job of captain, right? It's not exactly something that I can just turn on and off...

Stubbornness when it's appropriate is useful. But, that's called tenacity. [Sulu's on the career path most likely to take him to captaincy, after all. He knows this sort of stuff is important.] But knowing how to cooperate and show leniency and patience is important to the job, too. And even then, I know there's more to you than just your captaincy.

[A muscle in Jack's jaw tightens. He knows how to cooperate and show leniency and patience on the job, it's when it comes to his personal life that he starts to struggle]

[Sulu sees that and frowns.] ...I don't know what you want me to tell you, Jack.

[Jack makes a noise of frustration and sits back in his chair] ...that's fine. I'm not even really sure what I'm doing here.

[Going back to the Hub was out, and staying with Ianto was out, and Scotty wouldn't understand where he was coming from, so. That left Sulu. Either that, or brooding somewhere in Cardiff for a while, and Jack doesn't feel much like being alone at the moment]

Taking comfort in the fact that someone else knows Ianto can be a little overdramatic, maybe? [He grins a little, to show that he's joking.] I don't mind you being here, or anything. I just wish I could offer something better than what I have.

[Jack shrugs] It's not your problem. You're not the one who pissed him off this time. I guess it does help to know that I'm not completely in the wrong like he tries to make me out to be. That's got to count for something.

You were trying to have a real discussion. I told him to try and listen, but I guess that didn't really help...

Like I said. I'm not the only one who can be stubborn. I guess it didn't help that he was tired. I probably should have noticed that a long time before you texted me to let me know. [It turns out that Ianto isn't the only one that's tired. Not that Jack would ever admit to that fact...]

You were both working for... what, fourteen hours, right? [It occurs to him that Jack might be tired too, but he's not going to mention it quite yet.]

Well. I called him in fourteen hours ago... [Which is Jack's way of avoiding the question. Avoiding mentioning that he'd been on the job for the entire night before he'd called Ianto in]

[Sulu catches on to that pretty quickly.] And how long before that had you been working?

[Jack shrugs. It may seem that he's trying to play it cool but the reality is that he can't remember when he last slept. Sometime earlier that week. It might have been a day ago. Possibly two or three]

... [Sulu gives Jack a Look.] You should probably get some sleep

I don't need sleep. I'll be fine. [LIES]

[Jack Harkness you go to bed right now.]

Either you're not telling me how long you were working because you know I'll be irritated by it or because you don't know how long it's been. Either way, you need to get at least a few hours. [Pause.] You can sleep in my cabin.

You don't have to do this. I can leave. You have better things to do than babysit me in your time off.

I'm not babysitting you. [Sulu offers a wry grin.] I'm not getting paid for it, for one. And for two, I'm offering because I know if you don't stay here, you'll go back to the Hub and keep working, which won't help matters. Sleep sort of acts as a fuse; the longer you go without it, the shorter your fuse gets.

[Jack sits back in the chair that he's taken up residence in and looks at Sulu for a moment, weighing his options. It sounds tempting, it really does, but he doesn't want to be a burden on Sulu. He's already made him beam him up to talk about his relationship mishaps, now he's making him put him to bed? And yet]

...you know, you're awfully good at this.

[Sulu just smiles in self-satisfaction, quirking a brow.] Is that you accepting my offer?

[Jack leans back, shutting his eyes and sighing defeatedly] I think it's more you using enough logic on me to push me into accepting your offer, but...yes. Yes, it is.

Close proximity to Vulcan culture's made me pretty good at this logic thing, I guess. [He taps a few things on a readout, then turns to Jack.] I'll walk you up there so nobody stops you. I'm not going to stick around, anyway, I've got some stuff I have to work out here first. [He smiles,] When I need my bed, you're out. [He says it mostly to make sure Jack knows he's not being put out by offering his cabin to the other man.]

[Jack quirks an eyebrow and a bit of a mischievous twinkle appears in his eyes] We could share. We've done it before, after all.

We have, but this situation is a little different. [He grins a bit,] And Murphy's law dictates that if I crash in the same bed as you, Scotty is bound to walk in and get an entirely wrong idea of the situation.

Well. I don't know about you Lieutenant, but I was planning to actually keep my clothes on and sleep. If I wanted anything more, it's like you said. I could just wander down to a certain other Starfleet officer's quarters for that... [He's joking around, but there's an odd note to the jokes. He really is tired, and not feeling quite as punchy as he's making it appear that he is]

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