Title: Tied
Fandom: Eureka
Rating: PG
Length: 300
Content notes: Longing, character who imagines his feelings are one-sided
Author notes: For fan-flashworks for the prompt "Fancy"
Summary: Jack hates wearing a tuxedo. Jack/Nathan pre-slash.



Jack stands at the mirror in the men’s room, trying for the eighth time to make his bowtie look more dapper. Okay, actually just making it look like it wasn’t tied by a five-year-old would suffice.

Naturally, Nathan Stark comes in right then, looking obnoxiously perfect in his designer tuxedo and flawless bowtie and diamond cufflinks. And naturally, he ignores Jack and goes to take a piss at the urinal.

After, Nathan washes his hands, at the sink right next to Jack for some reason.

“Hey, Stark,” Jack says, trying not to seem like he is suffering a rather humiliating loss in a battle with an article of clothing.

“Hey.”

Nathan spends a ridiculously long time drying his hands, then comes over and swats Jack’s hands away from his bowtie. He’s standing close to Jack, close enough for Jack to smell his cologne, and he stares at the tie as he quickly forms a perfect bow. Nathan’s lower lip scrunches over just a little to the left as he concentrates on the knot, and Jack tries not to stare at Nathan’s mouth.

“Thanks,” Jack mutters, waiting for the mockery about not being able to properly dress himself (which, Jack would like to point out, has nothing to do with his not being a genius since there are plenty of scientists at the gala looking far more less put together than Jack does).

But Nathan just flashes him a smile, winks at him, and says, “You clean up nice, Carter.” Then he walks out the door, a little more swagger in his step than Jack would like.

Jack looks in the mirror and sighs. He’s not sure if Nathan has read his desire somehow, if Nathan is just fucking with his head.

But it wouldn’t really be a surprise.