orifice | using the stars as guides

Entry tags:

using the stars as guides

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ 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?

[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.]

[ 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 ]

[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?]

[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ 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. ]

[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.]

[ Life is better than it's been for a long time. Even if the house runs on embarrassment and they're in Paris with no real way out beyond just walking through the slowly gathering snow and dim lights. The food is good and Jack's presence near his shoulder is warm, the company of another human being. ]

[He makes himself take it slowly, eating it one reasonable bite at a time. He's still practically hardwired to eat on the run, but he won't, not here, not when there's no danger and all he has to do is enjoy the night and the food and Isaac.

There's no danger here.

Rapture is gone.

He's got Isaac.

Everything will be all right.

He finishes the crepe and throws the wrapping in a nearby trashcan, turning to Isaac. Okay, what now? Just keep walking? He'd be okay with that.]

[ No danger. Nothing to run from or to hide from. It's the most relaxed Isaac has been in years. He finishes his crepe slowly, tossing the wrapper away as well and he's about to turn his head to say something when suddenly there is some.

Extremely loud.

Extremely fast.

Extremely... unexpected music coming from a building all of a sudden. It's enough to make Isaac jump out of his skin. ]

[The sudden noise causes Jack to yelp with surprise.

Except instead of a yelp, out of his throat comes some kind of strangled whale noise, short and keening and deeply pitched.

Jack's hand flies up to cover his mouth and he backs away from the source of the noise, every instinct in him fired up to full fight-or-flight mode, ready to turn tail and run or beat some heads in. Every nerve is on fire, and he's far too aware of everything around him and his heart is racing and the music is loud and fast and he just made the most inhuman sound he's ever heard himself make.

What is he?

God he just wants to run.]

[ Jack's immediate surprise is palpable, and Isaac turns at once. Every bit of him is raised at attention, on the offensive, but what's more, his concern bleeds out. The noise from Jack's throat is familiar and extremely rare--

Freaking out about it isn't going to do them much good, though.

Taking a look around, there aren't too many people on the street. Hell, hardly any are taking much of a second glance at them.

Good. ]

Jack--

[Jack squeezes his eyes shut, his hand still over his mouth, and he's trying to keep his breathing steady, trying to calm himself down. There's nothing wrong, there's nothing wrong, he knows this, but still every fiber of his being is on the alert and he can't calm down he can't.

He shakes his head slightly, no, he's not okay, he's not okay, and he clutches Isaac's hand tightly, so tightly.]

[ He squeezes his hand, pulls him a bit closer as they walk through the snow, far away from the loud music, until it becomes a very soft thud against the white and the lights and the people.

Isaac swears his heart is still racing, but he swallows it, moves to put his other hand on Jack's shoulder gently to turn him to face him. ]

Hey... it's going to be alright... just gotta take it a step at at time.

[Jack opens his eyes only so that he doesn't stumble as he walks. He's already embarrassed enough by his reaction to the music, any more right now it'd just be too much.

When Isaac stops and turns him, he looks up at Isaac, looks into his eyes, stares into them, reminding himself firmly that Isaac's here, it's okay, it's going to be all right, they just have to take it one step at a time.

He nods, finally removing his hand from his mouth, breathing through it, cold exhales wreathing around his face as he looks at Isaac.

Finally he steps forward, closing the distance between them, leaning his forehead onto Isaac's shoulder, forcing his breaths steady and deep.

It's going to be okay.

It's going to be okay.]

[ The weight against his shoulder brings him to breathe out. Good. Yes. Just stay like that. He rests his hand gently on the back of Jack's head, thumb stroking softly at his hair.

His other arm goes around him, keeps him supported and close to him as he presses his face into the side of Jack's. ]

I've got you, don't worry. You're not alone.

[It takes a long time, but his breaths slow naturally, until he doesn't have to force it. His heart gradually calms to a natural beat, and the whole time he only stands there, his head on Isaac's shoulder, his hands holding on to the front of Isaac's jacket.

It takes a long time, but he's stable again, at least physically.

He lifts his head from Isaac's shoulder but doesn't quite look at him.

He hates being like this. Hates it. But there's nothing he can do.]

[ It's understandable, all of it, though Isaac can't imagine... to lose your voice and have it replaced by... by that. He sighs and keeps his hand gently threaded through his hair. I'm here, I'm here, and I know you hate it, but.. but it's going to be alright.

He can see that far-off look in him, the kind that doesn't address him directly and he draws his hand from Jack's head down his jaw, nudges it slightly. Look up. ]

[Jack's gaze shifts, still not landing completely on Isaac before he lets out a quiet exhale and lifts his gaze to meet Isaac's. It's steady now, his panic having faded, but there's still a certain small degree of emptiness to it, his face sad as he tries not to think about the things that haunt him.

Rapture.

His humanity.

Little things like that.]

I'm not letting go... okay?

[ He finds Jack's hand and takes hold of it while the other moves to cup the side of his face, thumb trailing over his cheek. He can see how his eyes hesitate, knows that he's fighting the good fight and even still it tries to overtake him. ]

... Want to go home?

[Home.

Yes.

He wants to go home.

When did the house go from being "the house" to being "home?" Jack's not sure, and he doesn't really care. It's home now. And he wants to go back. Paris is lovely, but it's too unfamiliar, and he's exhausted, and he can't put up with this much longer.

He squeezes Isaac's hand and nods slightly. Don't let go. Let's go home. Don't let go. Let's go home.]

[ Isaac isn't so sure when the house gained some kind of "home" stature. Maybe in its warmth, or its contents... the people. The person. He presses a kiss to Jack's lips briefly before nodding.

He doesn't really know where home is or where it could be in this mess, but the best way to start is to maybe head back to the tower and go from there. He squeezes Jack's hand back and begins guiding him back. ]

[Jack follows a step behind, letting himself be led by Isaac because he doesn't have the energy he did when they arrived. He doesn't know if he'll be able to actually sleep when they get back, but he really hopes he will because he's ready for it now.]

[ The snow falls down a bit thicker now, enormous clumps from the dark sky and it crunches beneath their boots. The city feels almost silent, as if it's fading, and for a moment, Isaac hesitates, looks over to see a young woman. She walks up to them very quietly and holds out a card, which he takes--a little startled.

She leaves as quickly as she came and Isaac looks at it, turns it over in his hand.

Hm. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject