Timestamp Meme

[jadesfire]

Just in case there's anyone out there apart from topaz_eyes and myself not engrossed in fandom implosion...

As I said yesterday, I'm NOT reading the latest Harry Potter, so you can assume this journal to be a spoiler free zone. As well as very, very quiet as everyone flees LJ in fear of spoilers.

I'm tied to the computer, attempting to study for most of day so if anyone does want to drop in and say hello, I'd be very happy to see you.

I'll even write you a ficlet :) It's a while since I did a drabble-fest, and I thought I'd try something different this time...

Timestamp meme
Give me one of my own stories, and a timestamp sometime in the future after the end of the story, or sometime in the past before the story started, and I'll write you at least a hundred words of what happened then, whether it's five minutes before the story started or ten years in the future.

(Meme cross-posted to heretoutopia)

Comments

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

Am on page 180 and have surfaced for a breather! Also because, for some insane reason, the smaller members of the household seem to think that food should be available when they are hungry.

Where is Hugh?

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*giggle* I'm having a few problems with his grandson, but he's next on the list... miss_zedem and I just thrashed out a plot (I love Yahoo messenger!) so I know what I'm doing now *rubs hands together*

Go feed small children and I'll try to have something for you by the end of your day, or first thing tomorrow :D

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to see your take on Ianto, eventually. I think he'd have to be a lot like Hugh, only with a tad too much of Hywel's impetuosity (is that even a word?) mixed in.

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*g* It's a word and I think you spelt it right... I'm still working on what I think of Ianto, but I suspect you're right. We'll see when he decides to talk to me :)

Enjoy the other 120? pages!

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Enjoy the other 120? pages!

I wish! The other 580 pages, more like. ::collapses::

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

oh good grief...

I was thinking of taking it to Menorca but it sounds like luggage weight could become an issue...

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Yes, it's a bit like a concrete block. I'm convinced they don't put them out in paperback right away as a contribution to the fight against childhood obesity. Get exercise just by reading a book!

Here is Hugh (part one)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

With thanks to miss_zedem for plot help :)

Personal Space

Two months after "Shangri-La" and two months before "Ar Hyd Y Nos"

Whatever Hugh was working on, it was clearly fascinating. He was leaning over the office's central table, brows furrowed and tongue just protruding from between his lips, as it always did when he was concentrating. Bored with his own work – the regular expenses sheet or, as he preferred to think of it, the monthly creative writing exercise – Jack drained his mug of the lukewarm coffee and nonchalantly wandered over to the hotplate to refill it. His stroll, not incidentally, took him round the table behind Hugh, who carried on working, apparently oblivious to Jack's movements.

Disappointingly, when Jack turned back from adding milk, Hugh was sitting down, head still bent over the papers in front of him. Making a conscious effort not to sigh, Jack took a mouthful of coffee instead, savouring the taste. Their department's coffee was the envy of Torchwood One, and had proved useful more than once when feathers were ruffled or cogs needed oiling. There had also been the incident where Jack and Jerry from Accounting had decided to take the new wheelie chairs for a test drive down the central corridor. It had taken a month's worth of coffee and some rapid string-pulling to get the caretaker to stay quiet about that one.

Grinning to himself, Jack carried on watching Hugh over the rim of his mug. The other man appeared to be concentrating hard, but the back of his neck was starting to go an interesting shade of pink and there was a definite stiffness in his spine. He was going to strain something if he wasn't careful, and Jack couldn't let that happen.

Drifting towards the table, he craned his neck, trying to see over Hugh's shoulder.

"Whatcha doing?" It was with some satisfaction that Jack saw Hugh start, head jerking up at the sound of Jack's voice. Shuffling the papers a little, he cleared his throat before answering.

"Trying to plot some of these alleged alien sightings on the map to see if there's a pattern."

"Is there?" Leaning forwards, Jack put a hand on the table to steady himself, incidentally bringing him that much close to Hugh, who fidgeted a little but didn't move away.

"I can't tell yet." There was a slight strain in Hugh's voice and the flush had spread from his neck, up the sides of his face and was turning the tops of his ears a wonderful shade of red. Jack had noticed the reaction more and more over the last few months, the way Hugh shifted when Jack came close, but not enough to actually reclaim his personal space. It was intriguing.

Jack put his mug down on the table, well away from the maps and documents, and reached across Hugh to pick up the file, brushing against the other man's shoulder as he did so.

"How many more of these do you have to go through?"

"Er…" The colour was in Hugh's cheeks now and he looked as though he wanted to reach up and adjust his tie. Instead, he coughed again. "Most of them. Some of the accounts are very vague."

"Do you need a hand?" Putting the file back down on the table, Jack moved closer, resting against the back of the chair so that he could lean closer to Hugh. He could almost feel the heat rolling off the man and he stamped hard on the urge to laugh.

"I think I can manage, sir," Hugh replied, his voice carefully controlled as Jack leaned further forwards, ostensibly to get a better look at the maps.

Here is Hugh (part two)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

"If you're sure." The words were little more than a gentle murmur, but with his lips this closer to Hugh's ear, Jack didn't doubt that they'd been heard. It was possibly cruel and definitely unfair but so much fun that he couldn't seem to stop himself.

"Quite sure, thank you, sir." Something in the certainty of the tone made Jack turn his head. He caught a glimpse of a smile and a fractional nod before Hugh suddenly stood up, pushing the chair backwards, hard and fast. The back support slammed into Jack's midriff.

Or, to be strictly accurate, just below Jack's midriff.

It took a few moments for the world to return to colour and Jack spent them gripping the back of the chair and trying to breathe. When he finally managed to lift his head, Hugh was watching him, caught between amusement and concern, although it looked like amusement was winning out.

"Sorry, sir," he said calmly.

"It's fine," Jack gasped, waving a hand vaguely and trying to straighten up. "Not a problem."

"Would you like a glass of water?"

This time, Jack just nodded, still trying to clear some of the stars from the edges of his vision. As Hugh's footsteps retreated down the corridor, Jack spun the chair round and gingerly lowered himself onto it, blinking and wiping tears from his eyes as he did so. Well, that had been unexpected. Despite himself, Jack laughed. He'd been right.

This was going to be fun.

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[crystalshard.livejournal.com]

*winces* Ow. Poor Jack. He did deserve it, though :)

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

*evil grin* He totally deserved it. Hugh's having too much fun

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[travels-in-time.livejournal.com]

*is still giggling*

Poor Jack. Serves him right, though, deliberately trying to rile up Hugh. I like that Hugh knows exactly what's going and isn't defenseless.

the way Hugh shifted when Jack came close, but not enough to actually reclaim his personal space.

I like this line particularly. Shows exactly what Hugh's feeling in just a few words.

*loves Jack and Hugh*

*also loves your icon, and agrees whole-heartedly*

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Yay :D Glad you liked it, thanks. It ended up slightly different to what I'd intended, but the mental image amused me too much not to write it... Somehow Hugh always manages to speak volumes without saying very much. It's a gift. ;)

I love that icon too! It's by indiefairy at indiexicons = most of my icons are by her or laurab1. It just...spoke to me :D

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[miss-zedem.livejournal.com]

*splorfle* Perfect, just exactly what I had in mind. Love Hugh getting steadily redder and Jack getting exactly what he deserved :D

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

I was going to let Jack disconcert him even more, but Hugh wouldn't let me :D I possibly had too much fun with this one...

Thanks!

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[rustydog.livejournal.com]

Hee! This is great. Oh, Hugh. He is a match for Jack in his own way, which is what makes them so good for each other.

This might sound strange, but Jack feels very catlike to me here. (I saw you discussing his feline qualities with someone recently.) I'm thinking of my cat, who will sit on the couch arm, face inches from mine, gazing into my eyes, and put his paw right into my mug of cereal to pull it toward him and get a taste of the milk; or turning around, lashing his tail right across my face. I'm sure he does it for fun, and because he can. Cats protect their own personal space with casual imperiousness, but they seem to recognize no space for others. Everywhere the cat wants to be is where he belongs.

So yes, I too think Jack deserved it. :) And I also think it emphasizes how much Jack valued his relationship with the Jones family later that he was so respectful of Hywel's personal space. (Not that Hywel wanted that!)

Re: Here is Hugh (part two)

[jadesfire2808.livejournal.com]

Thanks! One of the things Jack definitely likes about Hugh is that he's not a pushover. And he tries his best with Hywel... ;)

I've seen the Jack/cat comparison a few places late - it does seen to suit him! :D