Work Text:
It was fitting. The first time they’d met was at a bar. The one back then had been dimly lit, yet lively with conversation and music. Soldiers trying to live every moment they could and make the most of it.
***
Captain Steve Rogers was sitting by himself at the bar, nearly empty drink in one hand. Bucky had fucked off to who knows where with some gal after he’d ruffled Steve’s hair and went off to flirt.
“What’s a good looking guy like you doing drinking all on your own?” Steve had been hit on before. He’d even been hit on by men before, but in a very different environment. Instead of being in some unknown queer bar no one talked about, they were practically out in the open.
“Do you have any sense of self preservation?” Steve spoke quietly but bluntly.
“Most people say no.” The man helped himself to the stool next to Steve. “Captain Jack Harkness, and who might you be?” The introduction itself felt like a proposition, especially with the way Jack Harkness looked him up and down.
“Captain Steve Rogers.” Jack grinned at Steve, then flagged down the bartender.
“Two more of whatever he’s having.”
***
Steve pressed Jack against the alley wall a few streets away from the bar. He put one hand on the brick behind the slightly shorter man and leaned over him. Jack smirked. “What was that you said about self preservation?”
“Shut up, Harkness.”
“Make me.” So he did.
***
This time it was a well lit room, less dingy, but the atmosphere was different. Instead of people enjoying the rest of their lives, it was people mourning, filled with regrets. Steve was one of those people.
***
He’d given up on trying to get drunk, he knew by now that there was no point to it. He’d been out of the ice for a good few weeks now, and things were finally starting to settle in. He had no friends, no family, and the only people he was in contact with were people who decided it was a nice idea to dig him out of a block of ice and drag him back into the shitshow that is humanity.
“What’s a good looking guy like you doing drinking all on your own?” Steve choked on whatever brightly colored fruity drink he got to fuck with people who thought men should only drink hard liquor. There was no way in hell that was who he thought it was.
“You’re not dead?”
“You too!” There was that grin. “I’ll tell mine if you tell yours. Wanna get out of here? I’ve got an apartment a block or two away, we can catch up.” And there was that look. Steve downed his drink, threw some cash down on the bar and led the way out, Jack following closely behind.
***
As soon as they were in Jack’s apartment, Steve pulled Jack forward into a deep kiss by the front of his shirt. Jack enthusiastically participated until he reluctantly pulled away. “As much as I’d love to keep going, we do need to talk. Take a seat Stevie.”
Steve sighed, knowing the man was right. He made his way to the sofa in the main part of the apartment and sat down. “You know about the crash?”
“You mean your damn suicide mission? Yeah, Peg told me about it.” Steve winced. He felt like he was being scolded for taking a cookie before supper, not for getting himself nearly killed.
“I don’t remember anything after I hit the water. I was frozen in a block of ice for 70 years, the super soldier formula was what kept me alive. An organization called S.H.I.E.L.D found me and thawed me out.” Steve toed off his shoes and pulled his legs up onto the couch.
“I had hoped you’d somehow taken the long way around. How’s the culture shock?” Jack wasn’t sure what his face looked like, but he was sure he didn’t look happy.
“Getting passed it, now I’m just getting used to the fact that nearly all my friends are dead. That brings us to you. Why haven’t you aged? Did you... Did you find your Doctor again? Travel with him?”
“I can’t stay dead, or age.” Jack adjusted himself so he was cross legged, facing the super soldier. “I took the long way around. Something happened to me, and I won’t ever stay dead. I’ve seen the Doctor once or twice but... It won’t ever be the same. He’s scared of what I became, that I won’t ever die. He left me alone in the future, the very first time I died.”
“I’m sorry Jack.” The pain and softness in Steve’s eyes made Jack want to hide him away from the rest of the world.
“I really wish I’d let you have your way with me first, I’m not in the mood anymore.” Jack pouted.
Steve rolled his eyes at the obvious subject change, and stood. He pulled Jack up off the couch as well, then nudged him in the direction of where he thought the bedroom was. “How about just sleeping?”
“I can do just sleeping.” Jack grinned, pulling his shirt off as he entered his room.
“Never would have guessed.” Steve raised an eyebrow.
“I can!” Jack yanked his pants down. “Now take off your clothes.”