[Theatrical Muse] A drink with Jack.

[his_sarah_jane]

Sarah Jane wasn't nervous, not really. So the Doctor gave her a suspicious look when she asked if they could visit the near future, talking on and on about how she wanted to see England shortly after the millennium passed. She got another funny look when she mentioned Cardiff, but he reluctantly agreed.

And so here she was, waiting for Jack within distance of the city's center at Bute Park. The Doctor had actually done well this time, getting (as far as Sarah knew) the year (and month, if this chill meant anything) spot on. She shivered, hugging the blue jacket she wore as she waited on the park bench.

Hopefully, Jack would show up soon enough -- and the Doctor would remain none the wiser.

Comments

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

Reaching for his water again, Jack took a small sip, brows furrowing in an overly dramatic yet nevertheless thoughtful frown, "I dunno, I'm not a journalist. Maybe something like 'Jack, why are you so attractive? Is it a) You were born that way, 2) You just are, or all of the above?'.. See, I could answer a question like that. And for the record, the answer would be 'all of the above.'"

Placing his drink back down, arms now folded and never dropping that frown of his, he added quickly, "Or maybe something like 'Do you want to take me out on another date?'.. that answer would be 'yes', by the way."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Her lips quirked into a small grin, much to her dislike. He wasn't supposed to be this charming, or this tough to crack. But face it, Jack Harkness was truely an enigma.

And Sarah Jane Smith had always been attracted to mysterious men.

She lifted her wine glass to her lips again, serious and thoughtful in demeanor. If this was the way he wanted to play it, alright then. She could do this.

"Alright, Jack. I'll play by your rules for a small bit."

Sarah took another sip before allowing the grin to grow. "Do you want to take me out on another date?"

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

Happy to be getting his own way, if only for a little bit, the Captain grinned broadly in return, "Oh, absolutely. If you'll let me, of course. Though if you turn me down, I'll have to warn you.." He leaned in once more, grin never faltering as he muttered, quoting her earlier words, "I'm rather persistent."

Though honestly, if Jack got nothing more than todays meeting, he was still happy enough to meet her. All congratulations went to her in managing to deal with his childish and constantly frustrating mannerisms and still play along after it all.

Sarah Jane was certainly the type of woman he could enjoy his time with.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Rather persistent, eh?" Sarah grinned in return, a grin that mirrored the amusement and pride (those were her words to begin with, after all) and even that bit of nervousness inside. Overall, it was a rather pleased sort of grin.

She leaned foward, careful this time not to stumble off her barstool, and rested her elbow on the counter while gazing up at him. "For some reason, that doesn't surprise me at all. I suppose you'll miss the pursuit if I say now that I'll let you."

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

"Well, it'd save me a lot of time if you just agreed. I love a chase as much as the next male, but to be honest, you're enough of a handful as it is," he chuckled lightly, a cheeky smirk on his features, his inner-child happily on show.

Jack was quite the man of opposites, but at least knew business and leisure to be two different things. He was an introvert who loved to show off, or an extrovert who kept to himself, or one of the other many conflicting words.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

A handful. Sarah really liked the sound of that one. She had been called many things in the past - plucky, brave, curious (too curious for her own good), excitable, smart - but never a handful.

It made her feel important.

"Well then, as much as I'd hate to contradict this whole handful business, you see, I--"

There was a pause as she considered her next action. But only momentarily before quite suddenly, Sarah stepped out of her chair and titled her head up to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"--I think I'll agree without a fight."

He was a very intriguing man, after all.

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

If her words weren't enough, her quick kiss certainly had him beaming.

"Best news I've heard all night," he said, reaching for her hand and grasping lightly, fingers toying with hers before lifting to place a chaste kiss to the back of it.

"Now see, this is why simple questions are the best. They get fantastic results."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She giggled despite herself when he kissed her hand. It was a rather gentleman-like act, unlike her quick kiss from before. Well, she decided, someone had to take initiative, and perhaps Jack was right.

They do get fantastic results.

"But it does help most when you have a willing partner," she pointed out, slipping her hand back into his. "And I simply happened to chose, this time, a question that you would be most agreeable in answering."

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

Her hand in his was accepted and kept as he drew her closer with a soft pull, slipping off his own chair as he did so. It had been some time since he'd met anyone quite like Sarah-Jane, and even armed with her barrage of questions, he found it far too easy to like her.

"I'm always a willing partner. I'm just not so good at answering questions, especially when I've heard them all before." Taking a moment to peer around the bar, Jack shrugged his shoulders heavily as though this was all a huge effort for him, "I guess I could take another shot at your inquiring.."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Not even fully realising what she was doing, Sarah Jane leaned her head against Jack's chest, grinning slightly at the feel of the buttons against her cheek. It wasn't like any of the spontaneous, rescue from death hugs she and the Doctor always shared, but that wasn't such a bad thing.

It was warm...safe even. She had to hand it to him, he knew his stuff.

"Could you?" Sarah looked up at him, her face hopeful. "We could go someplace more private than a pub if that would make you more comfortable."

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

An arm wrapped around her, firm but comfortable in it's embrace as he peered at her with an arched brow, "Private sounds good. Though I can't promise I'll be anymore willing to cooperate."

Drawing away smoothly and with an obvious reluctance, Jack gave up on the bar stool, choosing to stand and lean as he finished off the rest of his drink, "I can't take you back to mine. Well, I mean, there's not really any place to take you back to, it's all work related and.. well, the TARDIS is out of the question.."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"I don't want to have to explain you to the Doctor. I'd hate to think of the time paradox that could cause," Sarah replied thoughtfully.

She frowned, looking in to her wine as she considered the dillema. Whereever he lived, it was obviously part of the information he was hiding from her. But the bar, well, Sarah had met with enough other reluctant interviewees in her past before the Doctor to know that sometimes they were too...too paranoid to be cooperative in a public place.

"It looks like I will have to take you up on that offer of a motel room, Captain Harkness. But bear in mind that this is for questioning purposes only, whatever you may think." It's said with a grin though.

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

The mention of a Motel had obviously been a suggestion he'd wanted, if the glimmer of a smile in his eyes was anything to prove by it, though he remained surprisingly straight faced, giving a noble sort of nod, "Questioning only. Understood."

As if innocent Captain Jack would even consider anything more. Really now.

"Shall we?" Jack queried as he reached behind for his beloved RAF coat.

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah took one more sip of her wine before slipping an arm in his. She briefly hoped he didn't mind, but then decided against it. Mind or not, he would have to deal with it. After all, it was much more fun to walk out of a pub linking arms with a man than not.

"I'm sure you know of a place around here that we could go to?"

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

Slinging his coat on and hitching the collar up whilst Sarah-Jane took a final sip of wine, Jack accepted her arm happily, leading her out of the pub with the usual well-behaved manners, holding the door open for her again and all of that. He could be quite the gentleman when he wanted to be.

"As a matter of fact, I do. Small B&B not far from here, nice and quiet," he pointed down the road to emphasize his point before heading off in that direction, Sarah-Jane at his arm. "So, you ever been to Cardiff before?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She looked down the road he gestured too and shrugged. He was the native, after all. In a way. She grinned and moved her arm out of his, stopping just when her hand was at the crook of his elbow, holding that tightly.

"Once, if I remember correctly. Aunt Livinia came here for a conference and oh, I hated to be left with a neighbor," Sarah said, smiling up at him briefly before looking around the street they walked down. "Travelling was always much more fun."

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

"Aah, yeah, travelling.. the best times of anyone's life," he agreed with a vaguely wistful tone, eyes lifting skywards. "Suppose we all gotta settle down sometime or another though, whether we like it or not."

It wasn't long before they'd reached the place he'd mentioned, a comfortable looking Bed and Breakfast that certainly looked as quiet as he thought it would be. To keep up with his well-behaved act, he obtained a room with one double bed and a sofa bed, should the interview go on for a while..

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

Sarah Jane had been mostly quiet for the rest of the walk, thinking of his words instead. Settling down...that had never been her. Which was part of the reason she loved travelling with the Doctor so much.

But oh, how could anyone just simply settle down after all the things she had seen?

When they finally walked into the room (Sarah quite pleased and amused at Jack's request for a sofa bed), she smiled. The floral decoration wasn't ornate, only simple and homely. The room was pleasant, comfortable. The perfect place for an interview.

She walked over to a small table near a window and placed her purse on top. Then, Sarah Jane took a seat on the edge of the bed and smiled up at Jack. "It's lovely."

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

Jack's entrance to the room had consisted of peering around at the interior as he removed his coat, slinging it neatly onto the back of a chair set in the corner of the room and generally acting like he owned the place. It was apparent that Jack Harkness could get comfortable pretty much anywhere. But then, that's what happened to many seasoned travellers.

"Yeah, it ain't bad," he responded with a satisfied sort of shrug, slumping down onto the bed beside her though keeping a respectable distance, close enough to chat, though not close enough to freak her out before he even started. "Want anymore drink? I could probably call for some.."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

"Honestly?" Sarah looked over at him and gave him a small grin. "I could murder a cup of tea right now. It's been so long since I had a proper cup of Earl Grey. The Doctor, well, he has some interesting stuff on board the TARDIS, but it's nothing like a good old fashioned cup of Earl Grey."

It was clear from all expressions that really, a cup of tea would be amazing. Amazing and wonderful, and quite possibly cause Jack to earn all of Sarah's respect if he were to order some.

"Maybe a snack as well. If you're up to it, that is."

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

"Alright then, Earl Grey tea it is," Jack said with an amused smile at the corner of his lips, laying back to sprawl across the bed and twist around onto his front as he reached for the phone on the bedside table. He ordered a pot for two, sound somewhat bizarre as he casually ordered Earl Grey with that half-American accent that he possessed.

With that done, and simply awaiting for whatever a B&B's equivalent of room service was, Jack rolled onto his back once more, arms folding behind his head as he lazed on the bed, "No where can ever do tea quite like Britain. You know you can even have exactly the right ingredients, but it'll never taste the same as home."

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

She smiled as she crossed her legs and turned to better look at him. He was rather much like the Doctor in some ways, wasn't he? Making himself comfortable no matter where she was. It was an ability Sarah often wished she possessed. Still, she supposed, she handled everything she had come across remarkably well.

So. So there.

"It's true," Sarah agreed, unconciously fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "It's always a homecoming of sorts whenever I have a cuppa. A reminder that no matter how odd my life becomes, there's one thing that will always remain in order."

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

"Nothing much better than a cup of tea, or a well-made coffee. None of that cheap truck-stop style coffee though, gotta be the real deal. Strong too," he agreed, sound rather passionate about his coffee, but then he was somewhat spoilt when it came to being supplied with coffee and tea at his work.

A light tap at the door had him suddenly jumping off the bed, stating an "I'll get it," as he bounded over, opening it to reveal a frail looking woman with greying hair, holding out a tray with teapot and pastries on it, prompting Jack to bow his head respectfully and take it from her, "Thank you, ma'am."

Door closed and all that, he placed the tray down on the bed as he sat back on the edge, placing it carefully between him and Sarah-Jane and peeking inside the tea-pot before snatching a pastry from the plate and taking a bite, "So, does it reach your approval?"

[his-sarah-jane.livejournal.com]

There's a murmur in reply as she busied herself with pouring a cup of tea, adding in a teaspoon of sugar and a small amount of milk. Sarah stirred the mixture carefully before placing the spoon back on the tray.

She lifted the cup to her noise and took a deep breath. "Oh, it certainly smells like the real thing." Then came the testing sip. "And tastes like it too."

Sarah beamed up at Jack. Her knight with shining tea-pot.

[flexibledancer.livejournal.com]

And he beamed right back, between mouthfuls of pastry, that was, because sweet tasty things were clearly as important to him as being the saviour of a tea crisis.

"Do I get a reward then? Or is my reward simply your tea drinking company? Don't get me wrong, that's plenty for me but.. you know.. anything extra is welcome." With a cheeky little smile, Jack brushed his hands together after finishing his snack, lounging back on the bed again careful to avoid disturbing the tray and causing spillages.