donutsweeper (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
donutsweeper) wrote2009-01-09 08:15 pm
donutsweeper) wrote2009-01-09 08:15 pm
Marks of a Hero
Title: Marks of a Hero
Pairing/Warning/Rating: none, rated PG
Word Count: 509
Beta: _medley_
Summary: None of Jack's injuries ever leave a scar.
Author's Note: Written for karaokegal's Song Lyric Prompt-a-Day-2008- Day 6
Jack examined himself in the mirror. He looked no different. There was no change whatsoever.
“Jack?” Tosh called, softly from the doorway. “Everything all right?”
Jack steeled his face before turning towards her. “Oh, sure. You know me, Tosh. I’m always all right.” He nudged the pile of ripped and bloodstained clothes out of the way to grab a clean pair of trousers. “Just getting dressed after the latest fiasco.”
Tosh stepped into the room gingerly. “I wouldn’t quite label it a fiasco. Not a rousing success, by any means, but not a fiasco. We saved the planet.”
“There is that.” Jack nodded slowly, not meeting her gaze as he buttoned up his trousers.
“I’d label that one for the win column then, right?” She reached out, lightly brushing her fingers over his wrist when he didn’t respond. “Jack?”
He was staring in the mirror again. “Hmmm?”
She stood next to him, catching the reflection of his eyes with hers. “What do you keep looking at?”
“Nothing. And that’s the problem.”
“Nothing? I don’t understand.”
“There are no marks. No scars. Nothing, other than that,” he gestured to the heap of ruined clothing, “to show what happened. It’s like it didn’t matter.”
“It mattered, Jack. It did. But I can tell being told that isn’t going to be enough. You need something so you can remind yourself.” She grinned and held up her hand. “I’ve a great idea.”
“Tosh,” Jack said, his tone wary. “I’m not sure I like that look on your face. What are you,” but he trailed off when slapped his arm and then ran off. “And... Ow!” He rubbed the red mark left behind by her slap. “What was that for?”
“Just wait,” she yelled over her shoulder. “And don’t put on your shirt!”
“You know, usually, I like those sorts of orders,” he called back, “but this time, I’m not so sure.”
She was laughing when she returned. “That’s because you’re smart.”
“See, it’s comments like that,” he waggled a finger in her face, “that make me wonder about you.”
“Wonder or worry?”
“Would you be mad if I said both?”
“No, not at all.” She stepped between him and the mirror. “Now, close your eyes.” She smacked him lightly on the chest. “Just close them.”
“Tosh?”
“And no peeking,” she admonished. “Now, let’s see.”
Jack flinched when he felt something cold on his chest. “What are you doing?”
“There! You can look now.”
Jack opened his eyes as Tosh moved to his side and turned him to the mirror. She’d drawn on his chest with a purple sparkly marker.
“Sorry about that, it was the only permanent one I could find.”
His fingers traced the two Japanese symbols over his left pectoral.
She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, “It means hero.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and walking out. “Just so you won’t forget,” she added from the doorway.
Jack smiled after her. “Hero,” he said, grabbing his shirt. “I like the sound of that.”
Pairing/Warning/Rating: none, rated PG
Word Count: 509
Beta: _medley_
Summary: None of Jack's injuries ever leave a scar.
Author's Note: Written for karaokegal's Song Lyric Prompt-a-Day-2008- Day 6
Jack examined himself in the mirror. He looked no different. There was no change whatsoever.
“Jack?” Tosh called, softly from the doorway. “Everything all right?”
Jack steeled his face before turning towards her. “Oh, sure. You know me, Tosh. I’m always all right.” He nudged the pile of ripped and bloodstained clothes out of the way to grab a clean pair of trousers. “Just getting dressed after the latest fiasco.”
Tosh stepped into the room gingerly. “I wouldn’t quite label it a fiasco. Not a rousing success, by any means, but not a fiasco. We saved the planet.”
“There is that.” Jack nodded slowly, not meeting her gaze as he buttoned up his trousers.
“I’d label that one for the win column then, right?” She reached out, lightly brushing her fingers over his wrist when he didn’t respond. “Jack?”
He was staring in the mirror again. “Hmmm?”
She stood next to him, catching the reflection of his eyes with hers. “What do you keep looking at?”
“Nothing. And that’s the problem.”
“Nothing? I don’t understand.”
“There are no marks. No scars. Nothing, other than that,” he gestured to the heap of ruined clothing, “to show what happened. It’s like it didn’t matter.”
“It mattered, Jack. It did. But I can tell being told that isn’t going to be enough. You need something so you can remind yourself.” She grinned and held up her hand. “I’ve a great idea.”
“Tosh,” Jack said, his tone wary. “I’m not sure I like that look on your face. What are you,” but he trailed off when slapped his arm and then ran off. “And... Ow!” He rubbed the red mark left behind by her slap. “What was that for?”
“Just wait,” she yelled over her shoulder. “And don’t put on your shirt!”
“You know, usually, I like those sorts of orders,” he called back, “but this time, I’m not so sure.”
She was laughing when she returned. “That’s because you’re smart.”
“See, it’s comments like that,” he waggled a finger in her face, “that make me wonder about you.”
“Wonder or worry?”
“Would you be mad if I said both?”
“No, not at all.” She stepped between him and the mirror. “Now, close your eyes.” She smacked him lightly on the chest. “Just close them.”
“Tosh?”
“And no peeking,” she admonished. “Now, let’s see.”
Jack flinched when he felt something cold on his chest. “What are you doing?”
“There! You can look now.”
Jack opened his eyes as Tosh moved to his side and turned him to the mirror. She’d drawn on his chest with a purple sparkly marker.
“Sorry about that, it was the only permanent one I could find.”
His fingers traced the two Japanese symbols over his left pectoral.
She leaned closer to whisper in his ear, “It means hero.” She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before turning and walking out. “Just so you won’t forget,” she added from the doorway.
Jack smiled after her. “Hero,” he said, grabbing his shirt. “I like the sound of that.”