Jack chuckled. "It e'n't too bad, once ye know all th'ropes," he answered. "Ye just have t'be a bit o' a businessman, then ye'll be sittin' pretty. But ye, ye're tryin' so hard t'behave yerself these days, e'n't ye? Ye wouldn't have t'worry yer pretty little arse about it."

And he gave the pretty little ass in question a firm pinch before following Jochy's swig with one of his own. "Maybe if ye're not sure what ye want with me, ye'd better not be drinkin' anymore," he said, offering the flask again.

Jochy didn't exactly blush about the comment and the pinch, but it was obvious that it wasn't missed. But this time he didn't step back, if nothing else because he knew that Jack would follow, and then there would begin that dange again. He didn't intend being pressed against another wall.

"I rarely does things that's better for me." Jochy grabbed the bottle for another drink. "I have my reasons. The quiet was getting on my nerves, amd the dwarves yammering away in their own language didn't make things better. Yer a distraction." Yeah, that seemed to be it.

Just a distraction.

"And I never had a head for buiness."

The older man's eyes glinted, and he slid a finger over Jochy's collar. "Ye got a head fer anythin' else, mate?"

Right now Jochy was kicking himself mentally. He had hoped that the charge would be gone, that he would have worked through that fear-tainted desire that screamed at him that yeah, Jack would be such a very good fuck, just what he needed. Just what he wanted.

He had told himself that no, he could deal.

And then one finger to his collar made his knees weak and his heart skip more than a couple of beats. Bastard.

"I thought we had agreed to stop that." Breathless...

Damn right.

"I agreed not t'come on t'ye if ye said nay," Jack pointed out. His finger trailed down the front of Jochy's shirt, toward his navel. "Are ye tellin' me t'stop?" he asked, taking a step closer to the younger man.

For a moment there Jochy found it hard to think. It didn't make it easier that if he said no, then he wanted the man to continue, and if he said yes then it might be taken that he wanted it. Even as distracted as he was he admired the beauty of that.

But... "Stop." The word was sharp and breathless as he stepped back, followed by a slightly begging "Please."

The truth was, he wanted this.

But yeah they had both known the truth for a long time.

Jack raised both eyebrows, but was true to his word and took his hand away. "I should've let ye take another swig 'afore I asked, eh?" he asked, teasingly. "Ye sure yer little girl is worth all this fuss?" he asked. "Ye know it's goin' to be a long trip. A long, dark, lonely trip."

Jochy took a deep breath, running both hands through his hair. "Yeah. Yeah she is." He slowly let the air out, silently regarding the man for a moment.

"It's gonna be a long trip. I know that. That's why I came down here. To see."

"T'see what?" Jack asked, his eyes crinkling around the edges. "If I was still interested? Ye know I am, mate," he said, and he gave Jochy's rear another little pat. "And I know ye are. Ye know I can do things fer ye she can't. Who'd tell the lass?" he asked. "It e'n't as if she'd e'er know."

"To see if I could say no." Jochy let out a breath at that pat, but didn't exactly brush it away.

"And my conclusion to that is that I ain't gonna go down here for the rest of the trip." Because he wasn't sure he'd manage to say no after a few weeks on this crate.

"So best of luck to you."

And then he turned and made to walk away, trying his damndest not to imagine everything the other man could do for him that Elaine couldn't.

Or wouldn't.

Fuck, his life sucked.

((Thought we might pick up another one longer in the travel if you fancy later))