using the stars as guides

[unkindly]

who jack + isaac
what insomnia and... going places...
rating probably no more than PG
warnings Whale Noises? Feels? Adorables? Men questioning their sanity?

[It's late.

Jack lies awake next to Isaac, looking at him in the darkness, wishing he could sleep.

Not too long ago, he could. He was sleeping just fine, hardly any dreams or anything. Just a nice long night of refreshing slumber.

But ever since he woke up with scars on his neck and his vocal chords mangled so that the only sounds he can make are inhuman moans... well. He's gone back to square one.

Square one being frequent nightmares and nights of complete sleeplessness.

Tonight he just can't sleep at all. He's tried. He's tried too many times. He's tried with his head on Isaac's chest, listening to his heartbeat and the slow rhythm of his breaths, he's tried with his arms wrapped around him and his face buried in his hair, he's tried lying without touching him at all.

None of it works. Every time he closes his eyes the abyss, echoing with the cacophonous symphony of Rapture, reaches through his mind to grasp his consciousness and he has to shake himself back to reality with a gasp.

There'll be no sleep for him tonight.

So he watches Isaac sleep, the man's face turned toward him so that their noses are a mere centimeter away from each other, his breath tickling Jack's face. Jack reaches up and runs a finger along Isaac's jawline, then turns his head to look out the window. The curtain is open, revealing a cold winter night outside. There's no cloud in the sky, and the stars and moon shine crisply against the black backdrop of sky, the freezing air making the silver shapes sparkle like they never do in summer.

Jack turns his head back to Isaac.

Maybe a walk would help.

But he doesn't want to go alone.

...but he doesn't want to interrupt Isaac's sleep.

He sighs slightly and puts his hand on Isaac's arm, shaking it ever so gently.

Wake up, Isaac.]

Comments

[unkindly]

[The absolute worst part of having no voice, Jack has decided, is not being able to say those words back to Isaac. But there are other ways he can express it. He smiles, just a little, nudging Isaac's nose gently with his. Jack leans in and kisses him, softly, gently.

I love you too.]

[stomped]

[ He knows too well what it means, brings his hands up to gently cup Jack's face and kiss him in full, the contact light, but whole. His bare hand against his skin is nice, stroking his cold cheek with a slightly warmer thumb before pulling from the kiss very softly. ]

[unkindly]

[His face follows Isaac's just a fraction, a little unwilling to end the kiss. But he pulls back and just looks at Isaac, smiling that small, sad smile.]

[stomped]

[ He sees that, continuing to just gently stroke Jack's cheek with his thumb.

He kisses him--once on the forehead, once on the bridge of his nose, once more on the mouth. Just to punctuate. I. Love. You. ]

[unkindly]

[Jack sighs, a breath edged with a soft rumble from his throat that makes him frown, his hand twitching upwards as if to grab at his neck but he stops it, covers the action by pulling his glove on again.

It's okay.]

[stomped]

[ Isaac hears that, but says nothing, watches the motion that Jack makes, hand up--glove going on. He says nothing, but takes Jack's hand again, squeezes it. ]

Want to keep walking?

[unkindly]

[He stills as Isaac takes his hand, takes a breath and nods.

Yes. He'd like that. Keep walking. Get his mind off of. Everything.

He squeezes Isaac's hand back.]

[stomped]

You know, if we're in Paris, that means the food's got to be good, right?

[ He nudges his shoulder. ]

[unkindly]

[He raises his eyebrows slightly, considering that.

Yeah, probably.

He lifts his free hand and rubs his fingers and thumb together in the little gesture for "money." He doesn't have any. Do you?]

[stomped]

[ Isaac frowns.

Repeats the motion.

What the hell does that mean? ]

[unkindly]

[Jack blinks.

He doesn't... know that one. Okay. Right.

He releases Isaac's hand and reaches for his notebook again.]

money

[stomped]

[ Isaac frowns. ]

... I'm the last person to have paper money on me.

[ He puts one hand in his pocket and frowns--what... ]

Huh.

[ Pulling out a few bills of the proper currency. ]

Or maybe I do.

[unkindly]

[Jack blinks again.

Well. Would you look at that.

He puts the notebook back in his pocket and, out of curiosity, checks his other pockets.

He also pulls out some bills.

Huh.

Guess embarrassment house isn't bad all the time.]

[stomped]

[ Embarrassment house sometimes likes to let them have fun. Isaac can't complain about it this time as he slips the bills back into his pocket and looks around. ]

So. Food's a good plan then?

[ He grins a bit. ]

[unkindly]

[Jack mirrors the motion, nodding, a little bemused.

Yeah. Food's a good plan, definitely.]

[stomped]

[ Isaac once again takes Jack's hand (it's a source of comfort, for the both of them it seems) and begins to head up the street. There are a number of people who are vending food off to the side, all that matters now is going about picking one. ]

[unkindly]

[It's definitely a source of comfort, and also something of a way to keep close when there's a lot of people around. Maybe it's a little silly and childish, but that's not bothering Jack at all.

It's hard to decide between the vendors. It all smells good, and from a distance it's nearly impossible to tell what they're selling since he doesn't understand the signs.]

[stomped]

[ It is--Isaac hums a bit as they walk and hey there's a dude selling crepes.

Isaac doesn't know what the fuck a crepe is tbh :| he eats vacuumed space food. But he assumes that since they look like pancakes, they have to taste like pancakes, right? ]

How about that?

[unkindly]

[Jack looks at where Isaac's referring to and considers the vendor and his wares.

It does look a little like pancakes. He glances over at Isaac and shrugs and nods.

Why not? Looks good.]

[stomped]

[ Pretty much, so he'll head over there with Jack in tow and it's a lot less harder than he thought it'd be to order something eat. The guy doesn't even seem to really need a direction beyond "two please" because he's already making some and the sound of the thin batter hitting the pan is rather exciting :D ]

[unkindly]

[He follows along behind, stands at Isaac's side and watches as the vendor makes some of the thin pancakes. It takes only a minute to cook them up and the vendor says something in French, possibly asking what they'd like for fillings, but it's not like Jack can understand. Jack glances at Isaac.

...any idea what he's saying? At all?]

[stomped]

[ Lol no.

Not

at all

to be quite honest.

But pointing gently at what's available seems to work for Isaac and on the plus side it doesn't require talking, so once he's through, he'll step a bit. ]

You can just show him.

[ Look he won't even let go of your hand. ]

[unkindly]

[Jack just kind of gives Isaac a look because good lord he's not a kid okay. He was just deferring to you as the one who can talk between them.

Whatever. He'll be pointing at what he wants as well (chocolate and whipped cream). The vendor fills their crepes and puts his hand out for money. Jack pulls a couple bills out of his pocket and offers them to the vendor, who helpfully gives back what Jack hopes is the right amount of change. He sticks it back in his pocket and takes the crepe offered to him.]

[stomped]

[ You know, that could have gone a lot worse. Isaac pays for his own and they're back off into the streets, crepes in hand.

For some reason, having food makes it even better, if that were possible.

Mainly because Isaac is hungry so he'll take a bite and smile like a fool. ]

[unkindly]

[Well it is a little difficult to eat one-handed, but they seem to be... managing. The crepe is good. It's very good. Not exactly filling, but definitely tasty and just right for a midnight snack kind of thing. And right now, with food in one hand and Isaac in the other, walking the streets of Paris, life is... life is all right.]