Work Text:
Category: Without a Trace fic - hurt/comfort, angst, friendship
Characters: Jack/Martin
Rating: FRT-13 just to be safe
Series: Yes - Part One
Summary: Martin needs to know it's okay to feel that way.
Additional `stuff': Post-ep/spoilers for Legacy.
Title: Targeting the pain
Martin banged on the door, hearing the angry shouts on the other side and not caring.
Jack pulled the door open sharply. 'Martin?!'
Martin pushed past Jack, a screwed up sheet of paper in his hand. 'I shouldn't be able to do this! Not now!'
Jack took a deep breath, frowned, closed the door and turned to see Martin pacing frantically across his apartment floor. 'Let me see.'
Martin shoved the fistful of paper at Jack. 'Go ahead.'
Jack unfurled the large sheet and whistled softly at the close grouping of the holes in the target. 'Martin...what is this?'
'It's my sheet from the range.' Martin snapped, surprised that Jack even had to ask the question.
Jack sighed. 'I know what it is. I meant...what *is* it?'
Martin stopped pacing for just long enough to whisper: 'I finally learned to put my emotions in a box. My father would be *so* proud.'
Jack heard the hollow laugh which followed Martin's bitter words and walked across, dropping the target on the couch on his way. He reached out tentatively and Martin jerked as if he had been struck. 'Hey...c'mere.'
Martin wasn't conscious of walking into Jack's embrace, and he felt nothing of Jack's strong arms around his shoulders. He didn't hear his own angry sobs and couldn't feel his hot tears flowing down his cheeks.
Jack held him, self-consciously whispering reassurances, stroking Martin's back in slow, gentle, wide circles.
Finally Martin's sobs tailed off and he gasped for breath, sniffling, shoulders jerking, exhausted, emotionally drained.
After a few seconds, he added to his myriad emotions by being horrified at his current position. In his boss's arms. 'Oh no...'
Jack held him at arm's length. 'So...you wanna go get a pizza or something?'
A moment later, Martin's laughter filled the room and Jack chuckled softly, relieved to see a smile, shaky and tentative, finally work its way onto Martin's face.
Continued in Part Two...soon