Dinner Party?

“Moderation is a good thing. Too much Jack all at once could be a bit much.” the captain jokes lightly. He hopes this is going well. It’s all so much still, a hallow pain still deep in his gut of the past that makes everything so hard. It’s a hope beyond hope that something—anything—will bloom into a friendship of sorts. He wants to mend it any way he can because he doesn’t want to lose Ricky again. It would destroy Jack.

Jack and Coke. The quick flash of something familiar brings him back decades—Ricky sitting at the bar with such a drink smiling and laughing with the glass in hand. His heart clenches a moment as he blinks his eyes to refocus on returning to the present. The man before him is so different from all those years ago. Time hasn’t been easy on either of them.

“I could go for a Jack and Coke, for old time’s sake.”

Understandable. It had been awkward—still awkward if the captain was honest with himself. Though now the uncomfortable emotions between the pair had begun dwindling it felt okay. Not comfortable like when they first met but they could at least outwardly joke with and tease one another. “No going overboard—got it.” Jack states respectfully. There were still bound to be eggshells to walk on though this was the start to something good. 

“I’m not too picky.” he replied. He doesn’t know exactly what to have. It had been several years since he touched alcohol…about as long as he had been gone. There never was a preference in the past—anything that could get him drunk to forget was his poison to pick from. “What would you like?”

The smile is bashful while he rubs the back of his neck and laughs. Playful banter? He must be out of practice if it’s so easy to cause his face to warm up so quickly. Or maybe seeing Ricky after so many years with all these emotions coming to the surface was the culprit. He feels so stuck in his head right now, reminiscing about the past when he should be in the present talking to his old friend. “If you’re wishing for a tease then I can sure be just that.” the captain hums. Chocolate brown eyes glint with playful intention while he leans forward with elbows on the table and chin resting on top of his clasped hands. “Though would there be a possibility that we could have a drink? For old time’s sake?”

A soft blush tints his cheeks as eyes cast down to the table. He feels silly to be embarrassed in such a way. This was Ricky—there was no reason for him to feel so bashful. “Well I try not to be too cheeky when meeting back up with an old flame.” It’s easy to fall back into their groove. This comfortable, almost natural banter that had enough hint of flirting that you wouldn’t pick up unless you were the pair. He missed it. “Don’t want to seem to playful.”

The captain smirks at the compliment. It wasn’t expected though he did like to hear his old flame saying something sweet about him. “I don’t know, I think you look good the way you are.” he counters. To say this wasn’t one of the weirdest interactions he’s had in some time was an understatement. A lot of bizarre things happen in Jack’s life and being cheeky with an ex was not new on the list. Not even an immortal lover—they’ve been far and few between—but meeting up with Ricky, a human-turned-immortal ex lover was number one of the weird checklist of the day. “Sorry——if that was too forward.”

All that running manages to bring you back here. Ricky had no idea how right he was. There was little familiarity left in the world for someone who has walked it for hundreds of years. When all you have is time one tends to travel everywhere that was easily manageable with no worry for time wasted. He clung to the few places that held precious memories and this town had an almost supernatural pull on him. Was it the guilt of leaving one of the last people who had been able to break down the walls around his heart? Or the curious heart wondering what the life of an old flame would have been? “Too mad really.” Jack sighs as his shoulders slump. He squeezes the bridge of his nose to ignore the snarky thoughts cropping up in his head. Self deprecation wouldn’t help the situation. “Leads you down some rabbit holes you don’t want to visit. It’s a very sad, difficult existence—one that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemies.” There’s nothing that can change the past. He doesn’t presume a rekindling—it’s not realistic. In a selfish standpoint the captain does wonder if maybe he could be friends again in the future. Brown eyes trail back up to Ricky as his hand falls to his side. “You look good Ricky.”

Purpose? Many, many years ago there was one. He was meant to save the world and keep it protected from the aliens that meant to do harm to humanity. There were so many different things that he was meant to do and they all went wrong. One thing or another came up—it was utterly inevitable in his life for something to get screwed up. Be it the fault of Jack or karma deciding to rear their head he just went through the motions.

“I didn’t, not for a very long time.” the smile that spread across his lips is filled with sadness. He remembered when his life was just being the loyal soldier taking control of the safety of Earth. The centuries being on the front lines to fight his way through the enemy, die, then get right back up to do it all again. “I was lost. Then when I met you I wasn’t anymore. When I felt settled, finally secure and safe, I was afraid. There weren’t any stakes—I didn’t have to fight or survive and I got scared. I ran away like a coward and I didn’t stop running.”

Jack was grateful to know that. It was a cruel fact of his life—he had tried everything you could think of to test the limits of his immortality. That was the one thing that he hoped no one would ever have to become familiar with. “I don’t think you should. It’s…just don’t test.” would he expect Ricky to actively listen to that advise? Not especially though he hoped that the severity in his tone was enough to ward the other away from trying out how immortal he was. “Maybe. Life is funny that way—you think you have a specific purpose but really you haven’t found it yet. Almost like a wild goose chase.“