Vulgar Fictions of a Demented...uh...Fangirl

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (16/?)

2009-11-09T19:47:01Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 16

Rating: R

Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: I n which Jack and Ianto finish their date…

Notes: Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I hope to get caught up on all my comments tonight – sorry for the delay… Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Previous chapters of The Sea After a Storm found here. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Sixteen

"Oh, my God, this is good," Jack moaned as he took another bite of bruschetta.

Ianto chuckled and helped himself to a piece of the bread. His hum of delight matched Jack's exactly. The bread was crisp, the tomatoes fresh, and the balance of seasonings was perfect.

"How's your salad?" Jack asked.

"Just as good. Here," Ianto said, sliding his plate closer to Jack. "Try some."

They were only on the starters but the small table was already covered with food. They'd ordered the bruschetta, a caprese salad and the classic prosciutto wrapped melon for Jack.

Jack took a slice of the mozzarella and a tomato from Ianto's plate, insisting that Ianto eat some of his honeydew even if he wouldn't try the prosciutto.

"You don't know what you're missing," Jack observed as he ate the spare piece of ham.

Ianto rolled his eyes and popped the melon into his mouth. "I know exactly what I'm missing and, trust me, I'm not missing it."

"Do you think you'll ever eat meat again?" Jack asked.

"Don't know," Ianto shrugged. "It never sounds appealing. If that changes and I start to crave it? Sure, I'll try it again."

"God, I crave everything. I can't get enough since I got back. Except swede." Jack made a face. "If I never eat anything from the entire turnip family again, it'll be too soon."

"Swede?" Ianto inquired.

"That's all I had to eat on the Valiant," Jack said. "I think I dreamt of pizza as much as I dreamt of you," he added with a wink.

Ianto chuckled. "All you had to eat? I'm surprised you didn't starve."

"I did," Jack said casually, reaching for a stray tomato on the bruschetta plate.

"What?" Ianto reached across the table to grab Jack's other hand.

Jack nodded, popping the tomato in his mouth. "He decided early on to see how long it would take me to starve to death. Luckily he got bored waiting – it takes a long time, you know – and cut off my water as well." He shrugged. "That sped things along."

Ianto ground his teeth. He didn't need to ask who 'he' was. He wanted nothing more than to find the man in black from his visions and personally kill him six or seven times.

"Hey, he's dead, Ianto, I swear it," Jack said with that uncanny knack for reading his mind. "Dead and scattered to the four winds."

Ianto nodded and gripped Jack's hand harder.

"Should I not tell you these things?" Jack asked softly, covering Ianto's hand with his free one.

"No," Ianto said firmly. "No, it's fine." He didn't ever want Jack to keep secrets from him again, even if the truth was painful to hear. "I just hate to think of you dying like that, again and again."

Jack stroked his hand and gave him a reassuring smile. "I always come back."

"You still die," Ianto said sharply. "It still hurts, still takes something from you. I've seen you, Jack. Don't ask me to like it or dismiss it as nothing."

"I won't," Jack promised. He held onto Ianto's hand for another moment and then pulled away as the waiter approached the table.

"All finished?"

At their nods, Alessandro cleared the table, refilled their glasses and reset their places for dinner. Jack and Ianto reached for their glasses simultaneously, each of them taking a long drink of the wine before the waiter returned with their entrées.

"Penne arrabbiata," Alessandro said, smoothly placing the pasta dish, fragrant with basil, chillies and garlic in front of Ianto.

"And the bistecca alla piazzaola," he finished, setting the second plate in front of Jack. He waited for Jack to cut into his steak to make sure it was cooked to his liking and then left them to enjoy their dinner.

They each made a concerted effort to change the topic to something lighter, chatting easily about trivialities while they ate. They yielded to temptation when Alessandro mentioned dessert, choosing to share an order of tiramisu along with a demitasse of espresso for each of them. As they lingered over their coffee, Ianto idly let his hand fall over Jack's on the table. He stroked his thumb over Jack's, sliding his hand over Jack's warm skin. When his fingers touched the edge of Jack's wriststrap, Ianto rubbed the edge of the leather for a moment.

"What is it?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto realised he was frowning and tried to relax. "I was just thinking about all the places and times you can go, now that this is fixed. Do you think you'll want to be a Time Agent again? And just what is a Time Agent anyway?"

"Ianto…" Jack said regretfully.

"Sorry, is it one of those things you can't tell me about?"

"No, it's not that," Jack said. He turned his hand and wrapped it around Ianto's. He drew his thumb gently over Ianto's knuckles as he talked. "I know you don't believe me and I know it's my fault, but I really need to you trust that I'm not going anywhere. The Doctor offered to drop me anywhere in the galaxy that I wanted. I chose to come back here. Then, right before he left, we were standing on the Plass and he asked me to travel with him, be his companion again."

Ianto made a wordless little sound of protest. He heard John Hart's voice in his head, mocking him. How you've managed to keep him trapped in this primitive backwater for more than a week, is beyond me… You're not enough to keep him here and you know it. Ianto gripped Jack's hand, holding on while he could because deep down he knew that Hart was right.

"I turned him down because this is where I belong, Ianto," Jack continued.

"But you waited for him… all those years. How could you say no?"

Jack shook his head. "I wasn't waiting for him," he explained. "I was waiting to get my answers."

Ianto shot him a disbelieving look which made Jack chuckle.

"All right," Jack admitted. "I was waiting for him at first. But the longer I waited, the longer I had to think about everything? Trust me, all I've wanted from him for a very long time was an explanation." He shrugged. "And I got it. And this?" he added, gesturing to his wriststrap with his free hand. "The Doctor disabled the teleport and time-travel capabilities when I decided to stay."

"What?"

Jack squeezed Ianto's hand. "It's fine. I've gotten used to it being burned out."

"But why would he do that? It's yours!"

"I don't know, he's the one who fixed it – "

"So that just gives him the right to break it again?" Ianto sat back, pulling his hand from Jack's.

Jack sighed and rubbed in hands over his face for a moment. "Look, Ianto, when I met the Doctor I wasn't a good person. I was angry and out to make a buck. I was using anachronistic technology to swindle people and the con went wrong. Luckily, the Doctor and Rose were there to fix it. I think he’ll always see me as that conman."

"Well, then he's not as clever as everyone seems to think," Ianto said stiffly.

Chuckling, Jack gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you," he said quietly.

Ianto noticed Alessandro hovering discretely in the background and finished his last sip of espresso. Jack settled the bill and then escorted Ianto back to the car. The sun was just setting washing the city with warm golden light. Ianto turned and leant against the passenger side door.

"Do you need to get back to the Hub right now?" he asked.

Jack shook his head and stepped closer, resting his hands on the roof the car, one on either side of Ianto.

"We could – " Ianto swallowed hard as Jack kept moving until he was pressed against him. "We could go see a movie? Or get some coffee?"

"We just had coffee," Jack murmured.

"Oh. Oh, right."

"Did I tell you how great you look tonight?" Jack asked.

"Uh… I don't remember."

"Well, you do. I love this shirt. I remember the first time I saw it."

"I… you look nice too," Ianto said desperately trying to rein in his body's reaction to Jack's proximity.

"Thank you." Jack leaned forward and brushed his lips across Ianto's.

"Jack?" Ianto whispered.

"Hmmm?"

"Do you want to come back to the flat?"

Jack nodded. "I'd love to." He shifted, reaching behind Ianto to open the door.

Ianto practically fell into the seat, passing Jack the keys. Jack grinned and closed the door, hurrying around to the driver's side. It didn't seem like any time at all before they were back at the flat, Ianto opening a bottle of wine and Jack flipping through the channels looking for a film.

"Hey, what was that with Damian Lewis?" Ianto asked as he joined Jack on the sofa.

"Um…" Jack flipped back to the right channel. "Looks like a modern-day retelling of Much Ado About Nothing."

"Oh, I saw the beginning of this once, it was funny. Interested?"

"Sure," Jack said agreeably. He took the glass Ianto offered. "Ooh, cute blonde!" he teased as the woman playing Hero came on screen.

"Just your type, eh?"

Jack put his arm around Ianto and pulled him close. "Not at the moment," he said softly, dropping a kiss on Ianto's forehead.

Ianto chuckled and leaned against Jack, sipping his wine, watching the movie, perfectly content.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ianto tried to open his eyes.

Something was wrong.

He heard a strange noise, blinking against the blackness of the room as he tried to identify it.

Something moved next to him and he heard it again, a kind of strangled groan.

Ianto shook his head, trying to wake up. Jack, he thought suddenly. He'd been watching a movie with Jack on the sofa. We must have fallen asleep. He tried to sit up but was trapped by Jack's arms and legs.

"Jack," he said quietly.

The arms around him tightened almost painfully. Jack began to mutter but Ianto couldn't make out any words.

"Jack," he said again, more loudly this time.

With another strangled cry, Jack released him and scrambled off the sofa. Ianto sat up and fumbled for the lamp. Light flooded the room. Jack was standing a few feet away, shirt still unbuttoned from their rather energetic snogging session during the latter half of the film, his face hidden in his hands.

"Jack, are you all right?" Ianto asked.

After a shuddering sigh, Jack nodded and let his hands drop. "Sorry about that," he said with a dreadful parody of a smile.

"About what? Come sit down."

But Jack shook his head and started to button his shirt. "Didn't mean to fall asleep. I better get back."

Ianto followed him to the door, finally managing to catch Jack's arm as he reached for the doorknob.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ianto asked.

Jack just shook his head. He caught Ianto's face between his hands and kissed him for a long moment. He finally broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Ianto's for a quick second, and then he was gone.

TBC…

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (15/?)

2009-11-06T16:13:58Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 15

Rating: R

Warnings: Little language

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Jack and Ianto go on a date (not in an office)…

Notes: Sorry for not getting this posted yesterday! :( I swear, there is something wonky in the universe – stars out of alignment, the Nothing getting closer, I don’t know what – but everything that can go wrong is going wrong (from work to LJ to Photobucket to stupid birds pooping on my car). **sigh** At least it’s Friday!! Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Previous chapters of The Sea After a Storm found here. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adamsfor all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Fifteen

Ianto's mobile rang while he was getting ready for dinner. He figured it was Jack, ringing with an emergency or some reason he had to cancel. Stifling his disappointment, he just flipped the phone open without looking at the display.

"Hello?"

"Jones? You're actually taking my calls now?"

Ianto closed his eyes and mouthed the word 'fuck'. "Hey, Jamie. What do you want?"

"Nice manners," Jamie teased. "So have you forgiven me yet?"

"No. Seriously, Jamie. What would you do if I showed up and punched Mark in the face for no reason?"

Jamie chuckled. "Send you a nice bunch of grapes after Mark put you in hospital. And I had my reasons."

"Jack's never done anything to you," Ianto protested.

"Qui me amat, amat et canem meam," Jamie said in wise tones.

Ianto snorted. "Love me, love my dog?" he asked.

"Oh, shit, I thought that was the one about an injury to one is an injury to all or something like that. Do you remember that one?"

"Yeah, it was something about malum ut totus and – damn it, Jamie, did you need anything in particular? I'm about to go out."

"With Jack?" Jamie asked a little too casually.

Ianto sighed and stepped into his bedroom. "Yes, as a matter of fact. We're going to dinner. His idea, by the way."

"A proper date?"

"Yes, father."

"Are you sleeping with him?"

"None of your business."

"So you're glad he's back?" Jamie asked.

"Yes," Ianto said with a roll of his eyes. "Any other impertinent questions, Smith?"

"Of course! What are you wearing?"

Ianto laughed. "Right now? My dressing gown." He relaxed a bit, the relief in Jamie's voice matching his own. They hadn't spoken in the week since Jack's return. Ianto had rung Jamie from the hotel after Jack had gone back to the Hub and Ianto's consideration for the people in the next room was the only thing that had kept the conversation from disintegrating into a shouting match. Ianto had ignored Jamie's almost daily calls since then. He was glad he'd answered by mistake, however. He hated fighting with his friend.

"So where's he taking you?" Jamie asked.

"I don't know," Ianto admitted. "He just said dinner."

Jamie clicked his tongue, thinking out loud. "Okay, okay, Saturday night… dinner… somewhere in town, probably…"

There was a long pause.

"Smith?"

"Shut it, Jones, I'm visualizing your closet… Okay, wear the black shirt you wore when we went to The Tides and the olive trousers I picked out that I'm sure you haven't worn yet because you think they're too 'army'. And the Ferragamo's. And a black belt. That should work anywhere."

"How can you do that?" Ianto asked in wonder.

"I'm a genius. So… we… we're okay, right?"

Ianto sighed. "Yeah, we're okay, Jamie. Just lay off Jack, all right?"

"Will do. If you love him, I love him. Hey," Jamie exclaimed with a laugh. "Now I can say it and it'll make sense!"

"Say what?" Ianto was confused.

"Qui me amat – "

"Say goodbye, Smith," Ianto interrupted.

"Goodbye Smith," Jamie said with a chuckle. "Have fun tonight," he added and then rang off.

Ianto flipped his mobile closed and tossed it on the bed. He turned back to the closet and looked at it for a long moment. He shrugged and began pulling the items Jamie had mentioned off their hangers.

Who am I to question genius?

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Jack knocked on Ianto's door promptly at 7:30 just as Ianto was slipping into his shoes. He still couldn't believe Jamie had talked him into spending almost £300 on a pair of shoes, but he had to admit – they looked great and felt even better. He glanced at himself one more time in the mirror, hoping he was dressed right for whatever Jack had planned.

The look on Jack's face when he opened the door put all his doubts to rest.

"Hey," Jack said. Hungry eyes raked up and down Ianto's form.

"Hey," Ianto replied, doing some looking of his own.

Jack had left the greatcoat and braces at the Hub. He was dressed simply in black trousers and a deep blue shirt that was open at the neck. Jack had apparently left the undershirt at the Hub as well, the long line of his throat unbroken by the usual white cotton.

Ianto realised he was staring. "Sorry," he exclaimed. "Did you want to come in?"

Jack nodded and then glanced at his watch. "Actually we should maybe just go, if that's okay?"

"Of course." Ianto smiled and grabbed his keys from the table. He pulled the door shut behind him, making sure it was locked.

"So what are you in the mood for?" Jack asked as he guided Ianto across the street to the SUV, his hand at the small of Ianto's back. "We could do Indian – Cardamom's not far from here. Or Italian? We could go to Casanova's or maybe Giovanni's? Or how about French? There's that place by the Hub that's pretty good."

Ianto chuckled softly. He was distracted from the myriad of choices for a moment by a smudge on the chrome of the door handle. He clucked disapprovingly and rubbed at it with his finger.

"Hey, no working," Jack scolded. "I would have brought a different car but this is pretty much my only option."

"We could take mine," Ianto offered. "I'd even let you drive."

"Yeah?" Jack's face lit up. "Really?"

"Sure." Ianto tossed him the keys and led the way back across the street. "It's this one," he said stopping by his little blue BMW.

"Nice. Great colour," Jack said as he unlocked the car and slipped inside. "Oooh, very nice."

Ianto got in as well, enjoying the rich scent of leather as he always did. He ran his hand over the dash and then looked over at Jack. "I've never sat over here before," he explained.

Jack grinned. "I'm the first person you let drive?"

Ianto nodded but didn't reply, his eyes drawn to the unusual and tempting sight of Jack's throat. He swallowed hard and forced his gaze back upwards to find Jack's eyes twinkling with amusement. Flushing slightly, Ianto asked, "So… um… where should we eat?"

Jack shook his head. "Up to you. This is your night, Ianto."

"It is, is it?" Ianto said with a smile. "Okay, then, how about Giovanni's?"

Nodding, Jack pulled out into the road with extra care, making Ianto smother a grin. The drive to Giovanni's was short and mostly filled with Jack's exclamations over the smooth handling of the BMW and moans of delight as he fiddled with all the buttons and knobs in the dash. He found a parking place on The Hayes and handed the keys to Ianto before pulling him into a quick, tight hug.

"Love the car, Ianto," Jack murmured, dropping a quick kiss on Ianto's forehead. "Thanks for letting me drive."

Ianto smiled and gave Jack a squeeze. "Thank you for using third gear," he teased.

Jack laughed and took Ianto's hand. As they walked the few metres to the restaurant, Ianto fought an unexpected urge to pull away. The annoying little voice in his head (which sounded a lot like his father at that very moment) was scandalized. You're holding hands with another man in public! Ianto shook his head and twined his fingers more comfortably with Jack's. He received a warm smile from Jack which made him relax a little. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This is what I want. This is real, he told himself. No more hiding.

Despite the rather large crowd waiting in the foyer of the restaurant, they were seated immediately in a small, secluded booth. Ianto accepted his menu and thanked the hostess before narrowing his eyes and looking over at Jack.

"What?" Jack asked innocently.

"Did you make reservations?"

"It's possible," Jack hedged as he perused the wine list. "Do you feel like a red or should we decide what to eat first?"

Ianto closed his menu and regarded his Captain. "How did you know I'd pick Gio's?"

Jack mirrored his actions, setting down the wine list and crossing his arms on the table. "I didn't." A slight flush highlighted Jack's cheekbones. "I made a reservation here, at Casanova's, Cardamom, and Garçon, and I called the Packet just in case you wanted to go to the pub. I told you I wanted to do this right."

Ianto's mouth dropped open. Before he could say anything, the waiter appeared at his elbow.

"Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Alessandro. Would you care for a bottle of wine to start? Or do you need a few moments?"

"Ianto?" Jack cocked an eyebrow across the table.

Ianto closed his mouth and nodded. "Red's fine," he murmured and then promptly hid behind his menu. He listened as Jack discussed a few choices with the waiter, finally setting on a bottle of Amarone Valpolicella. He felt a foot slide along his calf and lowered the menu a bit to see Jack smiling at him.

"Starters?" Jack asked, blithely ignoring Ianto's embarrassment over the care he'd taken in planning the evening. "I'm starving."

TBC…

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (14/?)

2009-11-02T21:29:00Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 14

Rating: R

Warnings: Language and a slight descent into sappiness…

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Ianto muses over Jack’s return and Jack asks a question…

Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adamsfor all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Fourteen

Ianto groaned softly as the room brightened around him. He'd been woken up every morning at five for the past week. Damn summer sun. Sleeping at the Hub does have its advantages, Ianto thought drowsily. His mind was immediately flooded with visions of other advantages the Hub boasted which had nothing to do with the lack of outside light. His sleep-warmed skin flushed a little more and he groaned again. He buried his face in the pillow and let the thoughts and memories of Jack – holding him close in the little camp bed, soaking wet with a dirty grin on his face in the shower, surreptitiously squeezing his arse as Ianto handed him his morning coffee – wash over him.

Ianto sighed into his pillow. Jack had been back for a week. A week. And it's been… Ianto was hard pressed to come up with a suitable word for the atmosphere around the Hub since Jack's return. On the surface, it was business as usual, especially after Gwen finally stopped challenging every word that came out of Jack's mouth. Ianto chuckled at the memory of Gwen's face when Owen had finally snapped and given her what for…

Jack and Owen returned to the Hub from a visit with Chandler and Bell who were still hawking potentially dangerous tech on eBay to unsuspecting bargain hunters. Gwen started sniping at them before the cog door had even rolled closed, taking Jack to task for conducting an investigation without the full knowledge and go-ahead from the team, insisting that when she was running things, everyone had a say in what was done. Instead of arguing or simply telling her off, Jack pressed his lips into a thin line and retreated to his office.

Owen turned to Gwen with his arms crossed over his chest. "Don't you think it's about time you climbed down off that high horse?" he sneered. "Jack fucked up. He knows it. We know it. Everyone knows it. He's even apologised for it. What you seem to forget is that we all fucked up, too, so just let it go."

"What are you talking about?" Gwen asked, honestly confused.

Owen rolled his eyes at Tosh and Ianto who were standing nearby, watching the scene with interest. "A little matter of mutiny?"

Gwen flushed, but refused to back down. She gave a half-hearted laugh. "I hardly think the word mutiny is –"

"Ianto?" Owen called out without turning around.

Ianto stepped forward and clasped his hands behind his back, in perfect schoolboy form. "Mutiny: an open rebellion against authority, especially by soldiers or sailors against their officers."

"What do you think, Gwen? Do you think defying direct orders and shooting the boss qualify?" Owen asked.

Gwen opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out. She finished her guppy impersonation with a frown and a nod, stepping over to her desk and bending over her keyboard.

Ianto wasn't sure she really believed that turning on Jack was as deep a wound as his months-long abandonment, but at least she backed off and let Jack run Torchwood once again.

Ianto chuckled again, remembering how much fun it had been to tell Jack the story after everyone had left that night. Before he sent me home, too. He realised that falling back asleep was an impossibility and forced himself out of the bed. He ran a brush over his hair and cleaned his teeth before pulling on his running shorts and a light shirt. He'd shower at the Hub after his run.

After a few rudimentary stretches, Ianto took off at a slow jog, heading for the Taff Trail. As he ran, Ianto let his mind wander. Not surprisingly, it went straight to Jack.

Jack had been very careful around Ianto since he'd returned. Gone were the flirty comments, the innuendo, the casual touches and clandestine kisses. Jack had been all business, never mentioning their personal relationship or the date he'd suggested when they were searching the office building the night he'd returned. As much as he appreciated Jack giving him space and respecting his wishes that they not just jump back into bed, Ianto missed Jack. I miss him more now than I did when he was gone, Ianto thought mournfully as he quickened his pace. Before he was just gone, now he's here, right in front of me and I still can't touch him.

Ianto knew he was being overly dramatic but he couldn't help himself. He felt like there was a wall between the two of them and he had no idea how to break through it. And the knowledge that he'd been the one to erect the wall in the first place was killing him. Ianto shook his head and put on a burst of speed as he passed the Millennium Stadium. When he ran this particular route, he always sprinted the mile between the railway bridge just south of the stadium and the bridge at Clarence Road where the trail crossed the Taff, using the half-mile or so from there to the Hub as his cool down. As Ianto concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other as fast as he could, he felt his body begin to react as it always did on a good run, demanding his entire focus. He gratefully let all thoughts of Jack slip away, leaving him in peace for a few blissful minutes.

When he arrived at the Hub, Ianto was a sweaty mess. The temperature was climbing, even at this early hour and it promised to be another hot one. Ianto snagged a towel from his stash under the counter in the Tourist Office before making his way to the stairs. He was still blotting his face when he stopped at the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water.

"Ianto?"

Jack sounded surprised and… something Ianto couldn't quite identify.

Ianto swallowed his mouthful of water as he closed the fridge and turned to Jack. "Good morning. I was just on my way to the showers but I can start the coffee for you, if you like."

"No, I mean, yes, that would be great but you don't have to. I can… er... good run?" Jack asked uncomfortably.

"Fine. It's no problem to start the coffee."

"Okay, then. Thanks." Jack offered Ianto a tentative smile and then watched as Ianto went about the measuring and grinding. Once the brewing was underway, Jack spoke again. "Ianto, do you have any… that is, are you busy tomorrow night?"

Ianto raised his eyebrows. "I don't have any plans. Why?"

Jack shoved his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat. "I was wondering if you were still interested in dinner. With me, that is."

"Yes! I mean, yeah, I said I was, didn't I?" Ianto said, trying to cool down his initial reaction. "I guess, I thought maybe you'd changed your mind."

"No, not at all."

Ianto took another drink of water and stepped closer to Jack. "You've just been so by-the-book lately," he murmured, wondering where this playful confidence was coming from. "It seemed like you'd changed your mind."

Ianto stopped when he was standing toe-to-toe with Jack. Another inch and he'd be pressed up against him.

Jack's hands shot out of his pockets and grabbed Ianto's hips, almost as if he were holding him back. "I haven't changed my mind. I'm just trying to –" Jack swallowed hard. "I want to show you that I'm not taking you for granted or expecting anything. Although you're making it damn hard in that get-up."

"What's hard?" Ianto whispered, swaying forward against Jack's iron grip.

Jack let out a strangled laugh. "Ianto! You've been hanging around… well, me, too much."

Stepping back with a rueful grin, Ianto nodded. "Sorry."

"Don't be," Jack said softly. "I like it."

Ianto chuckled. "I think I missed you most in the mornings."

"Yeah?" Jack leaned against the nearest workstation, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah," Ianto admitted, picking at the label on his water bottle so he didn't have to look Jack in the eyes. "This time, when it was just us, before the day got started, before anything dire had happened." He shrugged. "I just like it," he finished.

"Good to know," Jack replied. He looked at Ianto for a long moment and then moved forward suddenly, cupping Ianto's face in both hands. "So? Tomorrow night? Dinner? I'll pick you up, make it all official?"

Ianto smiled. "Yes," he said simply.

Jack returned the smile and kissed Ianto gently. "Great. Now, go get out of those tempting clothes before I throw out all my good intentions."

Leaning forward to take a kiss of his own, Ianto nodded and headed for the showers. His steps were infinitely lighter than they had been only moments before. Jack didn't change his mind, Ianto thought happily as he stripped off his sweaty shorts and moved under the spray of the shower. Dinner tomorrow night, dinner, like normal people. Ianto laughed out loud and shook his head as he squeezed some shampoo into his hand. So maybe 'normal' wasn't in his grasp, not with a job like Torchwood and definitely not with a man like Jack, but it looked like 'happy' might just be in the cards after all.

TBC…

Org Post: The Sea After a Storm

2009-11-01T01:58:22Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm
Author: buttononthetop
Rating: NC-17 overall
Length: TBD
Summary: This is the sequel to Vizzini's Rule and To The Pain, my Ianto-centric gap-fillers. This story covers the events of Season Two.
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Warnings: Varies by chapter, please read carefully. Overall, I’ll give it a TV-MA (L for language, S for explicit sexual content, V for violence, and another S for slash)
Spoilers: ALL episodes of Torchwood Season One and Season Two. Also spoilers for Season Three of Doctor Who.
Author’s Notes: Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adamsfor all the help and support; any mistakes are mine. And a special thanks to cjharknessgirl for my supercool story banner and draw_yourworld for the supercool story icon!
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (13/?)

2009-10-30T01:25:59Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 13

Rating: R

Warnings: Little language

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which the big talk comes to a close…

Notes: Day. From. Hell. Apologies for the late posting, especially to my lovely UK readers! Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adamsfor all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Thirteen

"Jack?" Ianto asked softly. He wasn't sure his Captain was awake and he really didn't want to move to find out. He was finally where he'd longed to be for the last four months, wrapped in Jack's arms.

After their heated discussion and Ianto's confession, Jack had surprised Ianto with a kiss that was sweet with forgiveness and rich with promise. Jack had surprised Ianto even more by not taking the kiss any further. He had snogged Ianto senseless and then pulled him down onto the sofa, but where the old Jack would have immediately started tearing Ianto's clothes off, this new Jack just held him close and kissed him again. Ianto had drifted off to sleep at some point, the exhausting tension he'd felt from the moment he'd first seen Jack – pistol raised, shit-eating-grin firmly in place – had finally faded, leaving him drained.

"Jack?" Ianto whispered again, his lips soft against the skin of Jack's throat.

"Hmmm?" Jack hummed.

"Are you asleep?"

"Mmmmhmmm," Jack replied and then chuckled.

"What happens now?" Ianto asked. He shifted slightly, resting his head on Jack's shoulder.

Jack's arms tightened. "I vote for more of this," he murmured, pressing a kiss into Ianto's hair. "God, you smell good. I used to dream you were with me. I'd wake up and I'd swear I could smell you, that my arms were free and wrapped around you just like this. And then I'd remember…"

"You weren't – I mean, what I saw in the vision, when I… reached you – were you chained like that for a long time?"

Jack froze for a second. Ianto would have sworn his heart even skipped a few beats. "Yeah," he said roughly. "A long time. The man you saw, he figured out early on that I couldn't die. Had fun experimenting on me, finding out which deaths took me the longest to come back from, things like that."

"God, Jack, that's – " Ianto couldn't think of a word vile enough for that man in black. "How did you survive?" He flushed and buried his face against Jack's chest. "I mean, I know why it didn't kill you but how did you… endure, I guess is the best word."

"I thought about you, about Tosh and Gwen and Owen, about coming home. I thought about all the things I know are in store for the human race, things that could only happen if we kept fighting. I knew there was no way the Doctor would give up, so I just held on until we could stop the M– " Jack broke off. "What did you call him? The man in black?"

Ianto looked up. "Who was he?" he asked.

But Jack was already shaking his head. "No. No, I can't, I won't tell you anything more about that year. The year that never was," he said softly. When Ianto started to protest, Jack silenced him with a deep kiss and then said, "It's too dangerous. I don't know what would happen to you if you remembered anything that happened during that time."

"How could I remember it if it didn't happen for me?"

"How could you cross time and space into a parallel dimension and find me?"

"I… I don't know," Ianto admitted.

"Neither do I," Jack said brusquely. "So we're not taking any chances."

After a long silence, Ianto asked a question that had been on his mind since Jack had told him the visions were real.

"This connection between us, do you think… I mean, is it still there?"

"I don't know," Jack said pensively. He chuckled and pulled back, looking right at Ianto. He positively leered. "Can you tell what I'm thinking right now?"

"A blind monk could tell what you're thinking right now," Ianto said dryly. "I'm serious, Jack."

"I know, I just couldn't resist." Jack shifted them slightly, moving onto his back with Ianto held closely along his side. "Honestly? I don't know. Is it something you want to explore?"

Ianto hesitated, his fingers absently toying with a button on Jack's shirt. He answered as truthfully as he could, hoping he didn't hurt Jack's feelings. "No. No, I don't. I am glad I tried, glad I was able to find you. It – " Ianto laughed quietly. "To say it eased my mind is an enormous understatement."

"I'm sorry," Jack sighed. "I really fucked up and I know it. No matter what I planned, I should have guessed that anything involving the Doctor wouldn't go smoothly. I spent a good portion of that year kicking myself for not leaving a message somehow. It was stupid and thoughtless and I'm really sorry." Jack sighed again. "As for the psychic stuff? I think it's best to just leave it alone."

"It was… big," Ianto said.

"Too big," Jack agreed. "And too hard on you. It's something that becomes more common in the future as humanity evolves, but that time's a long way off."

"Is that why it worked? Because you're from the future?"

Jack shrugged and kissed Ianto's temple. "Possibly, but I never showed much aptitude for it. I never cared for anyone being in my head and it's hard to keep it a one way street. I was always better at shielding than sharing."

Ianto nodded. Sounds about right, he thought ruefully, wondering if Jack would be able to open up more in the future.

"So, tell me what you really want," Jack said softly.

"What do you mean?" Ianto furrowed his brow and pulled back to look at Jack.

"You asked me what happens now. What do you want to happen?"

"I want…" Ianto thought hard. "I want more of this, of being together."

"Sounds good to me. What about at Torchwood? You were slowly getting more involved in fieldwork when I left and it looks like you really stepped up these last few months. Did you want to keep on?"

"I… yes. Yes, I do."

"Good," Jack said. "Can I beg you to still make the coffee, though?" he asked with a laugh.

Ianto's chuckle mingled with Jack's. "Of course, sir."

"Good," Jack repeated. He tugged Ianto closer and fitted their mouths together for a long, lingering kiss.

When Ianto finally broke the kiss, it was with a regretful sigh. At Jack's questioning look, Ianto pulled away and sat up.

"What is it?" Jack asked. He ran a comforting hand over Ianto's back.

"I'm not, I mean, I really want to but I think, I mean – "

Jack rested his hand on Ianto's shoulder, giving him a little squeeze. "Hey, I'm not asking for anything here, Ianto."

"Yeah?" Ianto asked.

"Yeah. Tell you what. We'll go down and have a massage or a seaweed wrap or something. Okay? Indulge a little. Drink some cucumber water and not think for a bit."

Ianto smiled and heaved a little sigh of relief. He nodded. "Sounds great," he said.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Jack and Ianto spent the afternoon being pampered down in the spa. They ran into both Tosh and Owen at different times throughout the day as they did the same. At one point they saw Gwen and her fiancé in the restaurant when the rest of the team met for dinner, but they were luckily seated across the room from the happy couple so no awkward questions arose from Rhys.

After a long dinner with several bottles of wine, Ianto found himself in the hallway outside his room with Jack once again. He hesitated, fiddling with his door key as Jack said goodnight to Tosh. He didn't want to just bolt but he also didn't want to risk having to turn Jack down if he wanted to come inside. After the day's revelations, Ianto wondered if he was being conceited to even think that Jack might want to spend the night. He was so distracted by the thoughts tumbling around in his mind that he jerked when he heard his name.

"Ianto." Jack was suddenly right in front of him, a small smile hovering around his lips. "I can hear you worrying."

Ianto chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "Sorry," he offered. He took a deep breath. "Thanks for today."

"You're welcome," Jack said softly, moving ever so slightly into Ianto's space. "I'm glad we talked."

"Me, too. I – er – goodnight, Jack," Ianto said in a rush. He held his breath, wondering what was going to happen next.

Disappointment flashed briefly across Jack's face, but it was quickly replaced with a smile. "Goodnight, Ianto," Jack whispered. He brushed his lips over Ianto's in a feather-light caress and then stepped back. "Sleep well. I'll see you bright and early on Monday."

"Monday?" Ianto asked with a frown. It was only Saturday night.

Jack nodded. "Barring a full scale invasion, I should be able to manage the Hub 'til then. Enjoy the rest of your weekend."

Ianto watched Jack walk down the hall towards the elevators, torn between the knowledge that he was making the right decision and the mad desire to drag Jack through the door and into his bed. He called out. "Jack!"

His Captain turned and raised a questioning eyebrow.

Ianto bit his lip. The words to call Jack back were right on the tip of his tongue but he just couldn't bring himself to utter them. "Don't… um, don't touch my coffee maker," he finished lamely.

Jack grinned. "Yes, sir."

TBC…

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (12/?)

2009-10-26T19:02:36Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 12

Rating: R

Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which the boys discuss Jamie… and Brendan…

Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adamsfor all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Twelve

"Jack."

"Ianto, this is – "

"Jack, tell me what he said," Ianto insisted.

"No." Jack went back to the room service tray and stuffed half a cold waffle in his mouth.

Ianto narrowed his eyes. "Now, I know you can still talk. I've seen you carry on entire conversations with a lot more than that in your mouth."

Jack rolled his eyes and shrugged, still chewing.

"Jack, do you really think Jamie won't tell me everything if I ring him?"

"So ring him," Jack said thickly as he reached for some juice.

"I'd rather hear it from you. Without Jamie's colourful embellishments."

Jack swallowed again and finished his juice. "Why does it matter?"

"Because," Ianto explained with a frown. "I got very, very tired of people talking about me behind my back while you were gone."

He was given a long look by Jack, who finally heaved a great sigh and, after pouring himself another cup of coffee, joined Ianto on the sofa again.

"Fine," he capitulated. "Where should I start?"

Suddenly Ianto looked a little unsure. "Why… why did you go to my flat?"

"I told you, I wanted to see you. Try to explain things. You weren't at the Hub and your tracers said you were at home. Which reminds me, looks like you bought a car."

"Yeah, I finally bit the bullet."

"Not that yellow Mini, right?" Jack asked, eyes twinkling.

Ianto laughed. "No, that's Jamie's car."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Jack drawled. "I saw a black Audi on the block that seemed much more your style."

"Actually, I got a BMW. I just… couldn't get the A4 you picked out. I tried it, but I – I got in and had this vision of you, sitting in the passenger seat, dead and – "

"Hey, it's okay. I'm glad Ramsey had something on the lot you liked, that's all." Jack reached out to give Ianto's shoulder a comforting squeeze.

Ianto took a deep breath and nodded. "Yeah, he wanted me to get something else because the BMW doesn't have ATMOS but Brendan said – " Ianto bit his lip.

Jack nodded and said calmly, "Yeah, Jamie mentioned Brendan visiting. And I saw the report on the case he brought to you. That was some good work, Ianto. Not sure I would have been satisfied just handing him over to UNIT, but that dealer sounded like first-rate scum."

"Right, yeah, he was. So – Jamie. What did he say? What happened?" Ianto asked, colour high as he neatly turned the subject away from Brendan for the moment.

"Um, what happened. Well, I knocked on the door, he answered, called me a bastard and then clocked me."

"What?! Jack, I am so sorry!"

Jack chuckled. "No apologies necessary. No damage to the jaw line, so all is good," he said with a wink.

"Well, thank God for that," Ianto deadpanned.

"Hey, after he started listing off his grievances, I counted myself lucky to escape with a sock on the jaw. He was really worried about you, Ianto. He said you ignored his calls for months and when he finally came to check up on you, you were a mess."

"Yeah," Ianto said, looking down at his hands. "I, well it's like I said earlier, I got too focussed on trying to reach you. Everything else sort of… slipped for a while."

"Everything else – like eating and sleeping?" Jack asked softly.

Ianto nodded, not looking up.

Jack sighed. "He told me a little bit about the reservoir story, just what he'd heard from Tosh and… and Brendan. He blames me for you going out on your own. That you were trying to do my job."

Ianto's eyes flew to Jack's. "He doesn't know, what we do, so he doesn't understand. You can't blame yourself for what happened."

"Neither can you," Jack said firmly. He took Ianto's hands in his own. "You couldn't have saved that man, Ianto, not if he really wanted to die. And you can't stop the rift from taking him when it's time. I know that's crossed your mind but we can't interfere, it's too risky."

"Timelines and all that," Ianto said bitterly.

Jack nodded.

"So was that all?" Ianto asked.

"From Jamie? Basically," Jack said. He pulled away and ran a hand through his hair. "He… er… he also took me to task for outing you before I left."

"Oh, God," Ianto groaned. He buried his face in his hands.

"I realise how it must have sounded to him – me kissing you in front of everyone and then vanishing like that – but you have to believe me that I never meant to – "

"Jack, stop," Ianto said, dropping his hands. "I know. I… that was Jamie's take on things, not mine. I didn't feel that way, not then and not now."

Jack leaned forward and cupped Ianto's face between his hands. "After everything that happened with Abaddon and before, I was just so glad to see you that I didn't even think about the others being there. I didn't think at all, I just needed to kiss you." Jack's eyes darkened and he leaned forward, resting his forehead on Ianto's. "Kind of like now," he said breathlessly.

Ianto swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. Jack was so close and all Ianto wanted to do was close his eyes and lose himself in Jack's lips, his hands, that amazing scent. But there was still something between them and Ianto knew it would haunt him until it was out in the open.

"Wait," he whispered.

Jack stilled and sighed. He moved slightly, dropping a soft kiss on Ianto's brow before sitting back. "There's something else," he said. It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

"I meant what I said, Ianto. I left you with no word, no hint that I'd be back. Anything that happened while I was gone is none of my business."

"None of your – " Ianto's eyes flashed. "What do you want for us, Jack?"

"What?" Jack asked, clearly confused.

"Last night, you said you didn't want to go back to what we had. So. What do you want?"

Jack looked completely flustered. "I want… Christ, Ianto, I don't know. I guess I just want what I've always wanted. I want you."

"I need more than that now, Jack," Ianto said in a low voice. "I need to know this isn't just a… a hobby. Something fun to do when you're bored."

"It's never been that, Ianto," Jack said, his voice sure. "Never."

Ianto shifted on the sofa, looking into Jack's eyes. "If it's more, if I really mean something more to you than that, then I have to say this, you need to know."

"Tell me," Jack said immediately.

Ianto took a deep breath and let the words rush out of him. "I had sex with Brendan."

Jack winced but nodded and didn't drop his eyes. "Were you safe?" he asked, when Ianto waited for him to respond.

"Uh…" Ianto was thrown by the question. "Yes, of course, I mean, I… er… I kind of forgot, at first and… um… but then after that we were. And I've had Owen test me three times since then, to make sure I'm clean. I would never put you at risk like that."

The corner of Jack's mouth lifted in a half-smile. "Ianto, you couldn't hurt me if you had measles, malaria and syphilis all at once. I was concerned for you, not me."

"Oh."

"Is that it?"

Ianto's eyes got wide. "Is that it?" he repeated.

"Is there anything else? I… Look, what do you want me to say here?" Jack asked through clenched teeth.

"I don't know," Ianto said. "I thought… I… Are you mad?" he asked. <>Great, Ianto thought, cringing, now I sound like a whiny schoolgirl.

Jack took a deep breath and held it, almost as if he were counting to ten. "I don't have any right to be mad. I'm the one who left."

"But you – "

"What do you want from me, Ianto?" Jack said, springing up from the sofa. "Do you want me to say that thinking about the two of you together makes me want to beat someone bloody with my bare hands? Preferably that damn kid? Or do you want to hear that it's okay, that I understand?"

"I just want to know the truth," Ianto said.

"That is the truth!"

"Which one?"

"All of it!" Jack yelled, grabbing Ianto's arms and pulling him off the sofa. "I want to tear that kid's head off for even looking at you but – " He broke off and his hands gentled, stroking. "But I understand. I know what it's like to need someone like that."

"I am sorry, Jack," Ianto said quietly.

Jack sighed. "What do you want, Ianto?"

"I want… you. But I want something real, something I can count on."

"I came back for that. I spent a year dreaming of it," Jack murmured, his arms sliding around Ianto, pulling him close. "I came back for you," he whispered as he lowered his head and captured Ianto's lips with his own.

TBC…

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (11/?)

2009-10-22T18:46:58Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 11

Rating: R

Warnings: Language

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Ianto confesses something that has been weighing on his soul…

Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Eleven
Previously on The Sea After a Storm…
"I remember because it was right after – " Ianto broke off, a dull flush flooding his cheeks.

Jack went very still and pulled back so he could see Ianto's face. "After what?" he asked carefully.

Ianto sighed deeply and sat up. He stared at his hands for a long moment and then looked at Jack.

"I have to tell you something," he said.

Ianto pulled away from Jack, moving to one end of the sofa. Jack sighed and leaned back. He rubbed one hand over his face and then turned slightly, one arm along the back of the sofa.

"What is it?" he asked sounding wary.

"I… I messed up, Jack. I made a mistake and I'm not sure you'll ever be able to forgive me," Ianto said sadly.

Jack closed his eyes for a moment and then shook his head. "I left you with no word, no hint that I'd be back. I don't blame you for anything that happened while I was gone, okay? You don't even need to tell me if you don't want to."

"I have to," Ianto whispered.

Jack sighed and nodded. "I'm listening."

Ianto took a deep breath and started at the beginning. "A few days after you disappeared, I started trying to… to reach you. I would spend every night trying, every second I was alone really." Ianto felt the heat begin to creep up his throat and knew he'd be bright red by the time he was done. He swallowed hard and kept going. "I didn't sleep, I stopped eating, it was… it was like when I first started here. When Lisa was still alive," he whispered.

"Oh, Ianto," Jack said, reaching out to him.

Ianto flinched and pulled back, curling deeper into the corner of the sofa. "Don't, please. Let me… let me get through this?"

Jack clenched his fist, but nodded and sat back.

"The others saw and tried to help, but I just pushed them away," he admitted miserably. "Owen caught me in a trance one day when we were out in the field. I started slipping in and out of them, even when I wasn't trying. He – I wouldn't tell him what was really going on, but he gave me a bollocksing for falling apart. I couldn't stop trying to find you, but I tried harder to hide it. I started running more which gave me enough of an appetite that I could eat, started paying more attention to the others when they were around. I almost… I almost gave up but then I, uh." Ianto broke off, flushing even harder.

"What?" Jack prodded carefully.

"I was in the cells and I remembered what you said about the weevils having telepathic abilities."

Jack groaned. "You didn't."

Ianto nodded. "I tried and… and it worked, God help me. It was awful. I couldn't go near them for weeks without my headphones blaring something loud to try to block them." Ianto shuddered at the memory. "Never again," he said firmly.

Jack shifted on the sofa, as if he wanted to touch Ianto but was holding himself back. "What happened after the weevil experiment?" he asked.

"I kept trying, even harder. I couldn't give up. I was so weak and tired and, God, so stupid. I – Jack, I – it was all my fault."

"What happened? Just say it, whatever it is, we'll get past it, I swear."

"I…" Ianto forced himself to look Jack in the eyes. "I lost a rift victim, Jack. He killed himself right in front of me and I wasn't strong enough to stop him."

Jack looked stunned. "What? I mean… what?" he asked, obviously confused.

Ianto cringed. Oh, God, Jack can't even conceive of me doing something so awful. Ianto had dreaded this moment for months, ever since the other Jack had disappeared beneath the water of Llanishen Reservoir. "I'm sorry," he whispered, not trying make excuses, to defend his failure.

"You're…" Jack shook his head. "Ianto, what are you talking about?"

"Tosh brought me a report from the rift monitor," he explained, his voice flat and dead. "It was a spike, one that brought someone back. I drove out to the coordinates alone. There was a man. He… he was hurt, injured, burned, but still functioning. We talked about what had happened to him. He talked about creatures and fire and said that they'd hurt him, killed him. I told him I could help, that I had someplace for him to go but he just wanted to go home."

"God, Ianto – "

"I fucked up, Jack. He told me he was from 2012, talked about the Olympic Games in London. I – I froze. I couldn't think what to do. We'd never found anyone who had been taken from the future, I didn't know what tell him so I… God, Jack, I told him the truth," Ianto admitted. "About where he was, when he was. I was still trying to figure out what to do next when he hit me."

"What?" Jack exclaimed. He leaned forward, cupping Ianto's cheek. "Did he hurt you?"

Ianto squirmed away from Jack's hand. "He knocked me out cold. The punch wouldn't have even fazed you, he never would have gotten out of the clearing, but I was such a mess he got away from me and – " Ianto swallowed painfully. "I chased him but I was too slow, too late. He – his name was Jack, too. Did I tell you that? He was a doctor and his wife's name was Rhosyn. I did some research, and I found him, they live in Culverhouse Cross, I've been by their house, seen them, I don't – "

"Ianto, stop, just stop," Jack said firmly.

Biting his lip to keep the words from pouring out of him, Ianto stopped. He flinched when Jack reached out for him.

"Christ," Jack muttered under his breath. He pulled Ianto into his arms, holding the rigid body against his own until Ianto finally started to relax. "What did you think I was going to do to you?" Jack asked softly.

"I don't know." The words were thick with unshed tears.

Jack closed his eyes and held Ianto tighter. "What happened after he punched you?"

"He ran. I chased him. He got to the reservoir and… jumped. I couldn't find him. I kept diving but I couldn't find him. If I'd been faster or stronger or more on my game – "

"Stop," Jack told him again. "It's not your fault. Sometimes it just goes wrong."

Ianto sighed deeply. "I just kept thinking that if you'd been there it wouldn't have happened."

"Well, then that makes it my fault, not yours."

"I didn't mean it like that," Ianto said, sounding horrified. He pulled out of Jack's arms and sat on the sofa facing him again. "I just – you've never – "

"Yes, I have," Jack said in a rough voice. "Three times."

"What?"

"One woman died in my arms just minutes after I found her. Another died a few days after I got him settled at Flat Holm. The doctors said his injuries were just too severe. The third one…" Jack grimaced and looked away. "He told me to leave him to die, but I didn't listen. I took him to Flat Holm, thinking he would get better, change his mind. He hanged himself in his room the minute he was alone."

"Jack…" It was Ianto's turn to reach out, covering Jack's clenched fist with his hand.

They sat like that for a few minutes, just comforting one another, until Jack spoke up.

"When the team found you at the reservoir, did they ask you any difficult questions? I didn't see any reports that seemed to cover what you described, with or without mention of Flat Holm."

Ianto shook his head. "No, I wouldn't have told them, not after you asked me not to. But they were focussed on getting me back to the Hub and Gwen was worried about an argument we'd had earlier so no one ever asked me to fill out a – " Ianto broke off, his eyes narrowing. "How did you know the team found me by the res?"

Jack jerked and looked away. He pulled out of Ianto's grasp and stood up. "Um, well…"

"Did you talk to Owen or Tosh about it?"

"Not exactly," Jack hedged.

Ianto was starting to lose his patience again. "Jack, if you already knew, why did you make me go through it all again?"

"I didn't know, not the details." Jack ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I made a stop before I found you guys last night. I, well, I really wanted to see you. Just you. So I went to your flat."

"And?" Ianto said, not making the connection at first. "Ohhh," he breathed when it finally clicked. He crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. "He's a dead man."

"Now, Ianto – " Jack started.

Ianto turned the scowl on Jack. "Sit down. I want you to tell me everything Jamie told you. Right now."

TBC...

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (10/?)

2009-10-19T20:41:39Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 10

Rating: R

Warnings: Language

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01); References to Doctor Who (Utopia 3x11, The Sound of Drums 3x12, Last of the Timelords 3x13)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to He Who Must Not Be Named for situations borrowed from Doctor Who: Utopia, The Sound of Drums, Last of the Timelords. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Jack explains some of the Year That Never Was…

Notes: Hope y’all enjoyed yesterday’s bonus chapter! And now back to your regularly scheduled programming. :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Ten

Ianto stared at Jack.

"A year," he repeated.

Jack sighed and dropped onto the sofa behind him as he rubbed his hands over his face. "I'm sorry. I really didn't want you to know that."

"You were just travelling around with the Doctor?" Ianto asked coldly. "For a year?"

"No!" Jack looked up, his eyes meeting Ianto's. "I swear, it wasn't like that I…" Jack blew out a long breath. He motioned to Ianto, waving him over to the sofa. "Come on over here and get comfortable. This is going to take a while," he said.

Ianto stared at him for another long moment and then rose from the table. He filled both their coffee cups and crossed to the sitting area. He didn't join Jack on the sofa, choosing one of the armchairs instead. He handed Jack his coffee and settled himself with his own cup, looking at Jack over the rim.

"Thanks," Jack said with a nod. "Wish it was your coffee, though. God, I missed your coffee."

"I had to get a new machine for the Hub," Ianto said pleasantly, trying not to let his frustration show in his voice.

Jack read the steel behind Ianto's tone correctly and stopped stalling. "I wasn't travelling with the Doctor, not like you think. I went to him to get answers about the… the way I am. I had only planned to talk to him on the Plass when he came out, go with him for a few days if I absolutely had to, but by the time I got up there, the TARDIS was already starting to disappear."

Ianto nodded. He'd seen all this on the CCTV the day Jack vanished.

"Well, I did the only thing I could think of and I grabbed a hold of the TARDIS and didn't let go. Apparently she tried to shake me off, flew to the end of the universe, a place even the Doctor hadn't ever been."

"Good restaurant, I hear," Ianto said solemnly. Reliving Jack's departure hadn't improved his mood in the slightest.

"Yeah, not so much," Jack said drily. "We landed in the middle of… of some difficulties among the locals and then someone stole the TARDIS and came back here, the last place the Doctor had been. We followed him with my Vortex Manipulator," Jack said, tapping his wriststrap.

"You can travel through time with that?" Ianto asked. "But then why did you stay here all those years?"

"It was broken. I burned out the circuits getting back to Earth after the Doctor left me on Satellite 5 where I was changed. The Doctor fixed – "

Ianto sat up straighter in his chair. "He just left you?"

Jack nodded looking, of all things, ashamed. "That's why I had to find him again. I needed to know what had happened to me, why he left, if I can ever die."

With a pained smile, Ianto replied, "I think I can understand feeling like that."

"Yeah." Jack ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I got my answers but the price was too high."

"What do you mean?"

"It's my fault," Jack spat out. He stood up and started pacing again. "We only ended up at the end of the universe because – because I'm wrong. I'm a freak. That whole year, all those people, everything that happened, the TARDIS being stolen, the Doctor, Martha, her family, the – "

Ianto set his mug down on the coffee table with a sharp crack. "Jack! Stop it. Sit down and stop pacing and stop saying things like that. You are not a freak."

Jack sat back down on the sofa and dropped his head into his hands. Ianto wanted nothing more than to sit next to him and hold him close, but he could tell Jack needed to get this all out.

"Look," he said gently. "The twenty questions thing isn't working. Why don't you just tell me what happened, whatever parts of it you can. And I'll listen."

Jack's shoulders heaved as he sighed deeply. Without raising his head, Jack began to speak. He told Ianto about facing three Daleks, about the pain and the blackness, about waking suddenly and finding himself alone on a satellite outpost far across the galaxy in a future so distant Ianto couldn't even fathom it. He explained that he had 'hopped' using his wriststrap, but had ended up in the wrong century with no way out. He glossed over his years of waiting for the Doctor and working for Torchwood, some of which Ianto already knew from his forays into the archives. He told Ianto what the Doctor had said when he'd finally been able to ask his questions – that he was a fixed point in time, that he was wrong, and that it was going to last forever. Ianto shifted uncomfortably, wanting to argue that Jack was anything but wrong, but he held his tongue and let Jack exorcise his demons.

"After the TARDIS got stolen, we had to hop back here with this," Jack continued, motioning to his wriststrap again. "The Doctor had made sure the TARDIS could only travel to the last place she'd been, which was here and now. But we were too late again and spent a year trying to set things right. The M… the man who'd stolen the TARDIS used her to create a paradox machine. He changed the world, did… horrible things. We were able to defeat him and destroy the machine which… well, it reversed time to the moment the machine was turned on. Kind of like what happened with John last night when time jumped back, only on a much bigger scale. And that's why the Doctor wouldn't take me back to the moment I'd left." Jack looked at Ianto for the first time since he'd started talking. "I begged him to take me back to February, Ianto. He flat out refused, because it would mean crossing my own timeline. You have to believe me."

"I do," Ianto said softly. There was no mistaking the sincerity in Jack's eyes. Ianto leaned back in his chair and looked at Jack, speaking carefully. "Last night, when the bomb exploded in the rift, I… felt it."

Jack frowned. "What do you mean?"

"It's like a headache, a migraine, really – the worst headache you can imagine. I've felt it twice before. The first time was when you destroyed Abaddon," Ianto said slowly. He swallowed hard, remembering Jack laid out on the grass, so pale and still that Ianto was sure he would never wake up.

"And the second?" Jack prompted

Ianto cleared his throat. "The second time was the worst. It was a few days ago. We weren't anywhere near the rift, though. We were in Pakistan."

Jack nodded, his face showing no surprise.

"You know about that?" Ianto asked.

Jack nodded again. "I read through the reports on my desk this morning when I was at the Hub. Owen mentioned your, well, I think he called it an episode. He referenced some earlier reports and your medical file, but I didn't look those up yet. I wanted to get back to see you."

Ianto's fair skin betrayed him yet again and his cheeks pinked. He covered his response with a cough and shrugged his shoulders. "Owen said the episode in the Himalayas was something akin to psychic shock." Ianto met Jack's eyes. "So if it's not the rift, it must be – " He broke off, unable to complete the sentence.

"Time," Jack finished for him. "I destroyed the paradox machine and reversed time at almost the exact instant Owen's report said you collapsed."

"So," Ianto swallowed hard. "So I can feel – somehow I can sense when time, what? Resets? Changes? What?"

It was Jack's turn to shrug. "It sounds like it. Maybe being in Torchwood Tower when the Doctor opened the Void affected you. Maybe it was your training at Torchwood One. Maybe it's just you. I've always said you're amazing, Ianto Jones." This last sentence was almost a physical caress.

Ianto swallowed hard and looked away. Ask him! his mind screamed. He reached for his empty coffee cup, curling both hands around the mug to disguise their shaking. "There's something else," he started, speaking so softly he wasn't sure Jack would be able to hear him.

"What is it?" Jack asked, just as softly.

Ianto shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "While you were gone, I… we all tried everything we could think of to find out where you were, if you were okay. I tried, I mean, I think I – God!" Just say it, you fucking prat. He took a deep breath. "I tried to reach you… psychically."

Jack paled, his face going a careful blank. "What do you mean?"

"I… well, I tried to establish a psychic link with you, wherever you were. I just – I wanted to know you were alright and I couldn't think of anything else."

"That can be tricky, Ianto. Dangerous, if you don't know what you're doing," Jack said evasively.

Ianto nodded. "I know, I got a little out of control with it for a while," he admitted. "Every night for weeks, I would come up with some reason to stay after everyone had gone and I would go down to your bunk and try until I fell asleep or…" he trailed off.

"Or fell into a trance and couldn't get out?"

Ianto nodded again. "I kept dreaming about you, kept seeing you chained in a basement or a prison or some place like that." Ianto closed his eyes, lost in the memories of those visions. He barely registered Jack's surprised gasp as he continued. "There were soldiers and a man in black. I could never see his face but he was… he was hurting you and I couldn't get to you. I tried again and again, but the soldiers would stop me and… and… one night I got through, I talked to you… I touched you…" Ianto felt dizzy, the memories that night overwhelming him.

"Ianto!" Jack said sharply. He stood and pulled Ianto out of his chair with a little shake, the coffee mug falling to the carpet.

Ianto's eyes flew open. "I… I thought… it was just a dream," he whispered through numb lips. "Was it, Jack?"

"How can you remember that?" Jack asked wonderingly as he slid his hands up from Ianto's shoulders to cup his face. "You shouldn't remember."

"Was it real?"

Jack looked like he was being torn apart. "Ianto, I… You can't know…" He closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes," he finally said. "Yes, it was real."

Ianto felt his knees buckle. Jack's arms were around him in a flash, helping him over to the sofa where they both collapsed. Ianto was trembling, unable to process what Jack's admission meant.

"I don't understand how you remember," Jack mused.

"Why wouldn't I?" Ianto asked shakily.

"Because it happened during the time we erased when I destroyed the paradox machine," Jack explained gently, his arms still wrapped around Ianto. "What is it?" he asked when Ianto began to shake his head.

"No, it was before we went to Pakistan. You'd only been gone two months, I remember because it was right after – " Ianto broke off, a dull flush flooding his cheeks.

Jack went very still and pulled back so he could see Ianto's face. "After what?" he asked carefully.

Ianto sighed deeply and sat up. He stared at his hands for a long moment and then looked at Jack.

"I have to tell you something," he said.

TBC...

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (9/?)

2009-10-18T20:27:42Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 9

Rating: R

Warnings: Little language

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Helen Raynor for dialogue borrowed from Doctor Who The Sontaran Stratagem. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which The Talk commences…

Notes: Early posting for all those who make my day by asking for More! Now! Especially for monikkk who offered me cookies next time I'm in Warsaw and for cjharknessgirl who made me a gorgeous story banner. :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Nine

Ianto had just finished shaving when there was a knock at the door. He tugged the robe on over the towel he had slung around his hips and turned off the music before he went to let in the food.

"Good lord!" he exclaimed when he opened the door and saw the heavily laden cart.

"Too much?"

Jack was leaning on the wall across the hallway, arms crossed over his chest.

"Not if we're expecting another ten people," Ianto said drily and then looked around for the room service chap.

"I sent him away," Jack said, reading his mind. "With a nice tip," he added.

"Okay." Ianto hesitated for a moment and then started to pull the cart inside the room. "Did you want to come in?" he asked Jack quietly.

Jack smiled and nodded. He pushed the cart the rest of the way in and closed the door behind him.

"The table's over there," Ianto said with a wave towards the other side of the suite. He closed his robe and tied the belt.

"Oh, I brought you something," Jack said. He reached under the cloth that draped the room service cart and brought out a small bag which he tossed to Ianto. "Not that I don't love what you're wearing, but I thought you might be more comfortable in those."

Ianto opened the bag to find a t-shirt and some flannel pyjama bottoms that he often wore after hours at the Hub.

"I ran over this morning after the all-clear. Made sure there were no ripples from the temporal displacement, grabbed a few things," Jack explained as he began removing the covers on the food.

"Thanks," Ianto said. He stepped into the bath to change, not sure about just stripping off in front of Jack with things so up in the air between them. He left the door ajar, however, so he heard Jack's next comment clearly.

"I would have brought you a fresh suit, but I didn't see any of your clothes there," Jack said softly.

Ianto nudged open the door as he tied the drawstring. "Jack, I – "

"Coffee?" Jack interrupted with another of those bright, fake smiles.

"Thanks," Ianto said, taking the cup and sipping gratefully before he rushed to explain. "I don't want you to think we just left the Hub unguarded. I spent – "

"Hey, hold on, just… sit down. Have some breakfast. We can talk after you've eaten something."

Ianto flushed slightly and nodded. He didn't think he'd ever dreaded or wanted something so much at the same time in his entire life. For more than four months, he'd longed for the chance to talk to Jack. He'd played the conversation in his head so many times he had it memorized, but now that it was really going to happen, he was terrified.

Ianto looked at the feast spread out on the cart and looked at Jack. "Did you just order one of everything?" he asked as he began to serve himself some fluffy scrambled eggs topped with chives.

Jack grinned. "Yeah. It's easier than making a decision, plus most of it will keep if we don't eat it all."

"If?" Ianto exclaimed with a chuckle. He topped off his eggs with some sautéed mushrooms, added some potatoes, a grilled tomato, and a piece of French toast to his plate and took a seat. He took a slice of toast from the rack and buttered it, watching Jack as he loaded up his own plate. "Second breakfasts?" he murmured. He reached for the strawberry preserves and gave Jack a tentative smile.

It was returned and, Ianto was relieved to see, it actually met Jack's eyes.

"Yeah, I had a bite before I headed to the Hub. Ordered up carts for everyone so you and Tosh wouldn't just have coffee and a muffin. Or in your case, just the coffee."

Ianto rolled his eyes, his mouth too full to argue.

Blue eyes looked him over carefully. "Although, I guess it wasn't necessary. You don't look like you're skimping on meals anymore. You look a lot better than when… than before I left."

"Owen didn't give me much choice," Ianto explained drily.

Jack nodded and fiddled with his fork. "Sounds like you all really took care of each other," he observed.

"We had to." Ianto bit his lip. He hadn't meant to snap. "I'm sorry, Jack. It was just… it was hard, without you. For all of us."

"I am sorry, Ianto," Jack said solemnly. "I never intended to be gone that long. If I had, I would have told you."

Ianto nodded and reached for a croissant from the basket of pastries on the cart. "Should we… I mean, how do we even start talking about this?"

Jack sighed. "I can't tell you everything. I wish I could – well no, actually, I really don't. Most of it is irrelevant now anyway."

Ianto doubted the veracity of that statement, but knew better than to push. "So what do we do?" he asked.

"Why don't you just ask me what you want to know and I'll answer when I can," Jack offered.

"Our old standby?" Ianto teased.

"What?" Jack asked, obviously confused.

"I can't tell you everything but I promise not to lie," Ianto quoted.

"Oh, yeah." Jack laughed, the sound brittle. "I'd almost forgotten that," he added softly. He shook his head and shovelled a big bite of eggs and potatoes into his mouth. He raised his eyebrows at Ianto as he chewed, clearly inviting him to begin.

Suddenly Ianto's head was full of every single thing he'd wondered about while Jack was away. He was completely lost, unsure of what to ask, where to begin. He finally just blurted out the first thing that popped into his head.

"Why did you take that hand?" he asked.

Jack was gob-smacked. He stared at Ianto for a long moment and then he began to laugh. It started out as a soft snort of amusement but he didn't seem to be able to stop. The laughing turned to coughing as he choked on his mouthful of breakfast and took a long drink of juice. He was still chuckling when he was finally able to talk again.

"You want to know about the hand?" he asked incredulously.

Ianto flushed and shrugged his shoulders. "It's been a topic of discussion since I started at Torchwood. It was a hand. In a jar."

"Hardly the strangest thing in the Hub," Jack pointed out.

It was Ianto's turn to snort. "Close to it. Are those Belgian waffles?" he asked.

Jack nodded and passed him one off the plate that was suspended over a warmer. He watched Ianto butter his waffle and then said quietly, "It was the Doctor's hand."

Ianto dropped his knife. "He lost a hand?"

Jack nodded again. "Christmas before last."

"The Sycorax," Ianto said slowly, working out the dates. "Poor man."

"Oh, he grew it back."

"He what?"

Jack grinned. "You sound just like Martha."

"Who's Martha?"

"The Doctor's companion."

"Like you were."

"Yes."

"When?"

"Ahhh…" Jack hesitated. "That's a tricky one."

Ianto tilted his head. "Why?"

"Time doesn't exactly stay linear when you're travelling with the Doctor," Jack equivocated.

"Or when you're a Time Agent, I would imagine," Ianto added, thinking of the things John Hart had said. He glanced up at Jack before taking a large bite of his waffle.

Jack grimaced and shook his head.

Ianto swallowed and tried a different tack. "How long were you waiting for him?"

Jack shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "It's complicated."

Ianto was losing his patience. "Jack, if this is one of those things you can't tell me then just say it."

"No, I can, I just…" His voice trailed off.

"What?" Ianto asked. He reached across the table to put his hand over Jack's.

The touch seemed to reassure Jack and he smiled ruefully. "I don't want you to know how old I am," he muttered.

Ianto bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing out loud. "Is that all? I spent a lot of the time you were gone down in the archives," Ianto said.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I've found quite a few references to you in some very old files… what?" Ianto asked. Jack was shaking his head.

"I thought I destroyed everything they had on me when I took over after Alex."

Ianto smothered a laugh behind his coffee cup. "You missed a few," he said drily, thinking of the piles of documents in the archives with Jack's name on them. "Jack, we kind of assumed the resurrecting does something to you and you don't look a day over fort– "

Jack's brows drew together in a sudden scowl and Ianto revised his estimate quickly.

"Thirty… er, four," he finished lamely.

Jack glared for a moment but then his face softened and he chuckled. "Nice save. I was almost thirty-eight when… when I changed."

"What happened?" Ianto asked softly. "Did the Doctor do something to you?"

"No! No, it wasn't him. He was just my best shot at some answers. So I waited."

"How long?"

There was a pause and then Jack spoke. "A hundred and thirty-nine years give or take a few months."

"Christ," Ianto breathed. "So that makes you – "

"Old enough to be your ancestor."

Ianto took a long drink of his coffee and imagined the last four months of waiting stretching out for a hundred and thirty-nine years. He shook his head. "There've been sightings of the Doctor all throughout the twentieth century. Hell, he worked with UNIT for years during the seventies… or the eighties, I always forget. Why did you have to wait so long?"

"Karma?" Jack suggested ruefully. When Ianto raised an eyebrow, he continued. "Timelines, for one. I had to find my Doctor, the one who knew what had happened."

Ianto chose not to dwell on the way Jack said 'my Doctor'. He frowned. He could think of a dozen sightings of the Doctor in the last decade alone. "But surely – "

Jack pushed away from the table and began to pace. "Look, Ianto, I don't know what you want to hear. Bad luck, a broken ankle, traffic, a seriously creepy little cartomancer who practically cursed me – I don't know why. I just know that when I heard the TARDIS that day, I ran. I knew it was my one chance and I took it. And the fact that I didn't even think about what it might to do you ate at my guts for a year."

Jack stopped dead as Ianto's glance shot to him.

"A year?" Ianto asked in confusion.

"Oh, shit," Jack said. "I wasn't going to tell you that part."

TBC…

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (8/?)

2009-10-15T19:40:39Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 8

Rating: R

Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which the team get settled at the hotel…

Notes: Back to the Ianto!Verse. :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Eight

The team rode up in the elevator together, Gwen continuing on to the top floor by herself. Everyone was starting to fade, as if the mere proximity to so many beds had reminded them all that they'd been awake for more than thirty hours. Jack said a few words to Tosh and then to Owen before each of them went into their rooms. The sound of Owen's door closing seemed to echo in the quiet hallway.

Jack and Ianto were alone again.

Ianto stood outside his door and gripped his keycard as Jack turned and walked slowly towards him. He hadn't heard all of Jack's conversations with Tosh or Owen, but it seemed to be something along the lines of 'I'm sorry, good work, goodnight'. He swallowed hard, wondering if Jack would have anything more to say to him.

Jack stopped a few scant inches in front of Ianto. For a long minute he just stared, his blue eyes raking over Ianto's features. For his part, Ianto didn't waste any energy fighting the blood rising in his cheeks; he focused everything on trying to remember to breathe.

"Ianto, I…" Jack faltered. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I lied earlier."

Ianto furrowed his brow. "When?"

"When I said… when I said I came back for all of you. I mean, I did, of course, to some extent anyway. What we do, Torchwood, the team, defending the Earth," he said with an odd little smile. "It's important. But what I said first, that was the truth. I came back for you, Ianto, and I hope you'll give me the chance to prove it."

Ianto could feel his mouth drop open in surprise. He snapped it closed and tried to speak but nothing came out. He simply could not think of a thing to say so he did the next best thing. With a strangled sound somewhere between a groan and a sob, Ianto pushed forward into Jack's arms and kissed him.

Jack was surprised, but recovered quickly, wrapping his arms around Ianto and kissing him back. For several long moments, Ianto just floated on sensation – the feel of Jack's hands on his back, in his hair, touching his face, the taste of Jack in his mouth again, Jack's dizzying scent intensifying and surrounding them. How long they stood there, locked in each other's arms, Ianto couldn't say, but eventually a desperate need for air forced them apart.

Jack looked at Ianto with heavy-lidded eyes and whispered his name as he reached for him again, but Ianto's better sense suddenly prevailed.

"Wait," he said softly.

"Hmm?" Jack hummed as he nuzzled Ianto's neck.

"Jack… please… please stop."

At the word 'stop' Jack pulled back instantly. He looked adorably confused for a second and then he shook his head. "Right, stop. Sorry, I just got carried away."

"It's my fault," Ianto said as he shook his head. "I… I promised myself I wouldn't do this. I can't just go back to the way we were before… before you left. We – " He swallowed hard. "We need… I need to…"

Jack nodded slowly. "Talk," he finished for Ianto.

"Yeah. Yeah, we do. I… a lot happened while you were away and I'm not sure…" Ianto trailed off and then gathered up his courage. "I'm not sure you'll still want me when you know everything," he said miserably.

Jack reached up to cup Ianto's face. He stroked his thumb over Ianto's cheekbone and smiled. "I seriously doubt that," he said softly. "But you're right. We should talk, but not now. You need some rest. You look tired."

Ianto nodded and, after leaning into Jack's hand for a second, turned away to open his door. Jack took a few steps down the hall towards his own room and then looked back.

"Ianto?" he called softly.

"Yes, sir?" Ianto said with a half-smile.

"I don't want to just go back to what we had before either. I wanted you to know that. Sleep well," Jack murmured.

Ianto nodded, too overcome to speak. He let himself into the room and closed the door behind him. He leaned against it for support, his legs shaking. His whole body was shaking, every nerve tingling and aching for more. He shook his head and pushed himself off the door and into the room.

The suite was lovely, the king sized bed taking up one wall with a small grouping of armchairs and breakfast table arranged in a conservatory-like area near the balcony. Ianto pulled off his tie as he strolled around the room, peeping into the ensuite to admire the deep tub and huge shower as he slowly undressed. He pulled on the plush hotel robe and bundled his clothing into the proper bag and called down for laundry service before securing the door and turning off most of the lights. He decided to treat himself to a hot bath before turning in. As the tub filled, he perused the mini-bar and chose a one-glass-sized bottle of red that wasn't half bad for having a screw-top. Feeling deliciously decadent, Ianto added a bit of bath oil to the water and slipped into the tub.

His sigh of contentment bounced off the tile and made him chuckle. He sipped his wine and enjoyed a nice long soak until he realised he was falling asleep. He drained the tub and stepped into the walk-in shower for a quick rinse and then headed for the bed. Sitting on the edge for a moment, he made sure his mobile was on and within easy reach. He also plugged his iPod into the dock in the clock on the bedside table and scrolled through his music, looking for something to suit his mood. He finally settled on Elgar's cello concerto in E minor, the haunting strains of the music a perfect compliment to the turmoil of dread and desire that were warring in him whenever he thought of talking to Jack.

Jack. Ianto stroked his finger over his lips and snuggled down into the bed. Jack. The smile was still on his face when he fell asleep.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The first thing Ianto noticed when he woke up was that he was sleeping sprawled across his whole bed and yet he wasn't hanging off the edge anywhere. He stretched and tried to catch the edges of his mattress with his fingers but couldn't reach. Confused, he raised his head and looked around.

Oh, right, hotel, he thought hazily. God, this is a big bed.

The second thing he noticed was that he was starving. He shifted onto his side and curled around one of the many pillows scattered across the bed. He fought the hunger, closed his eyes and tried to drift off again.

His stomach growled.

Ianto sighed. So much for sleeping in, he thought. He rolled over and glanced at the clock. Or not. It was just after eleven which meant he'd been out for more than twelve hours. He stretched luxuriously and then pulled himself out of bed. Pulling on the hotel robe again, he checked the room service menu. It looked like he was probably out of luck for getting breakfast delivered since the cut off was 10:30 but he needed to eat something.

"Yes, this is room 603. I was wondering if there was any chance I could still get breakfast."

"Mr. Jones?"

Ianto was startled. "Yes," he said cautiously into the phone.

"Ah, good. Captain Harkness arranged for your breakfast early this morning, we were just waiting to hear from you. We will have the selections up to you in less than half an hour. Will that be sufficient?"

"Uh… yeah, yes, that should be fine. Um, wait – what do you mean by selections?" Ianto asked.

The room service manager chuckled. "I think you'll be able to find anything you want on the cart, Mr. Jones. Captain Harkness was very… thorough in his choices."

Ianto smiled. "I can just imagine. Thank you. I'm sorry to call so late."

"No trouble at all, Mr. Jones. One of my boys will be up shortly."

Ianto thanked the man again and hung up the phone. His hand hovered over his mobile for a long moment as he tried to decide if he was ready to talk to Jack. In the end, he sighed and reached for his iPod instead. He set it to shuffle all and turned up the volume. When the first notes of Snow Patrol's latest album filled the room, he smiled and headed for the shower. He and Jack could talk later, after he'd had some coffee and something to eat.

And if his annoying inner voice scolded him for delaying the inevitable, Ianto didn't listen.

TBC...

Fic: Candy Floss (A Happy Birthday Fic for cjharknessgirl)

2009-10-14T15:42:23Z

Title: Candy Floss (A Happy Birthday Fic for cjharknessgirl)

Rating: PG

Warnings: Unadulterated FLUFF!

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named.

Summary: Jack and Ianto's Day of Fun!

Notes: This is a fluffy little piece I started for cjharknessgirl this summer (and was unable to finish due to being in a totally non-fluffy place). Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

To cjharknessgirl: Happy Birthday, sweetie! I finished/polished this up and offer it here as a birthday prezzie and a thank you for all your lovely comments and icons and wallpapers and just for being your sweet self! I hope you have a wonderful day!
**hugs**
button

Candy Floss
Set vaguely during early season 2. This is a one shot and NOT part of my Ianto-Verse. :)

Ianto sighed.

He was blue.

Not a deep, dark, dangerous blue – he hadn't been that blue since… well, since Jack got back, he admitted to himself. But he was blue, nonetheless. It was a pale blue, tinged with grey, like a winter sky when the sun just wasn't strong enough to burn off the fog.

Ianto rolled his eyes at himself, wondering just when he'd become such a drama queen. I'm sure it's Jack's fault, he thought and then sighed again, opening another filing cabinet.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Unbeknownst to Ianto, he was under close observation. Jack narrowed his eyes, taking in the droop of Ianto's shoulders, the sad set of his mouth as he moved onto to a new stack of papers and began filing them.

Jack frowned. He hated it when Ianto was unhappy. He especially hated it when he was the cause of that unhappiness. He was fairly sure he hadn't done anything to hurt Ianto… well, recently, that is, he thought. Since he'd gotten back from his ill-fated trip with the Doctor, he'd been doing everything in his power to make amends to his young lover. He'd even done the one thing he'd never been good at – he backed the hell off. He chuckled as he remembered their one real 'date' together. Maybe Ianto has a point, he grudgingly admitted.

Jack had gone completely overboard on the date, picking Ianto up, bringing flowers, holding the door for him, pulling out his chair at the fantastically expensive (but not especially tasty) restaurant, peppering Ianto with questions about himself and trying very hard to just listen and not jump in with a story of his own. When they got to the part in the evening where Jack had arranged for a horse-drawn carriage ride, Ianto had balked…

"What the hell is this, Jack?" he asked, bemused.

"I'm just… I'm trying, here, Ianto."

"Trying to what? Recreate a scene from An Affair to Remember? You can, go," Ianto told the driver with a shake of his head. "Sorry for the inconvenience."

The driver just shrugged and clicked his horse, pulling away from the curb.

Ianto turned to Jack. "Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but it's not necessary. When I said I wanted more, I meant…" Ianto paused, searching for the right words. "I just meant more of you, who you really are." He moved forward and stroked Jack's cheek. "I don't need you to change, to be some huge romantic gesture type of guy. I don't want that, I just want you."

Jack blew out a long sigh of relief. "Really?"

"Jack," Ianto tsked. "That's all I've ever wanted."

Ianto had kissed him then, a soft press of lips that made Jack want to forget all of his resolutions about taking it slow and just drag Ianto back to his bed. But he behaved himself that night. And every night since, Jack thought as he slipped his hands in his pockets and tried to ease the fit of his suddenly too-tight trousers. He refocused on the monitor to see Ianto standing still, staring at the piece of paper in his hands meant for the file. He saw Ianto's shoulders heave in another giant sigh and then he started filing again.

"That's enough," Jack muttered. He flipped off he monitor and stalked back into his office to grab his coat. As he hurried through the Hub, he called to the rest of his team. "Early night, ladies and gent."

"What's up, Jack?" Gwen called.

"Who cares?" Owen said as he slung his jacket over his shoulder.

Jack grinned. "Everything's fine, there's just a nice lull so go home. Enjoy the afternoon, okay?" He didn't wait to see what happened, he was certain Owen would be able to get Gwen and Tosh to pack up. He sped down the stairs to the lower archives where Ianto was filing.

"Ianto! I need you, come on," he called as he burst through the door.

Ianto dropped his file and jumped about half a foot in the air.

"Christ, Jack! You nearly gave me a heart attack!" Ianto complained.

Jack just grinned. "Come on," he said again.

Ianto tidied up his papers and followed with a question. "What's wrong now?" he asked in a voice that clearly implied he was expecting the worst.

"There's just something I need you to do with me. Won't take long," Jack said. He tugged Ianto along, hurrying him back to the Hub and onto the invisible lift.

"Where'd everyone go?" Ianto asked, noting the empty workstations.

"Afternoon off."

Ianto narrowed his eyes at Jack. He swayed a little as the lift started to move, holding onto Jack's arm for balance. "Jack, I told you that I'm not ready to –"

"Relax," Jack said. He shifted so he could put his arm around Ianto's shoulders. "This isn't about sex."

"Oh." Ianto couldn't tell if he that made him happy or just a little more miserable. He sighed and leaned into Jack. Bit of both, he thought sadly.

Jack tightened his arm around his lover and grinned. This was going to be great.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~
"A carnival?" Ianto exclaimed in disbelief.

"Why not?" Jack asked.

They'd been driving for about forty-five minutes, leaving Cardiff behind them and heading out to the countryside. Jack had noticed the fair when he'd been out this way investigating a negative rift spike a few days before. Luckily the spike had been harmless, as they usually were this far out. When he'd been driving back, he passed the fair and slowed to check out the dates. It had been ages since he'd been to a carnival and it seemed like the perfect place to cheer up Ianto.

"You drove me all the way out here to… to eat candy floss and knock over milk bottles and – "

"And win a teddy bear. And ride the Ferris wheel," Jack added with a smile that was almost a caress.

Ianto glared at him for a moment and then laughed despite himself. The sound filled the SUV, happy and relaxed, a sound Jack hadn't heard since he'd left to follow the Doctor. Jack reached for Ianto, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

"See? It's already a good idea and we haven't even gotten out of the car."

Ianto smiled and squeezed Jack's hand in return. "Ok, Captain. Let's do this." He opened the door and then turned back to Jack. "But I am not carrying around a teddy bear all day, I do have some dignity."

Jack laughed and opened his own door, more determined than ever to win Ianto a dozen teddy bears.

They paid at the gate and received matching stamps on the backs of their hands. Ianto gave them the benefit of the doubt and assumed the image was supposed to be a clown, but it looked more like a melting ice cream cone someone had dropped on the pavement. It was also a lurid pink.

"So much for dignity," he muttered trying to blot the ink but only succeeding in imprinting a mirror image on the palm of his other hand.

Jack chuckled and pre-empted any more fussing with the stamp by taking Ianto's hand and threading their fingers together. "What do you want to do first?" he asked.

Ianto looked around at the brightly coloured tents and rickety-looking rides scattered around the grass. "I have no idea," he admitted.

"Let's just walk then," Jack suggested.

Ianto nodded and let Jack lead him through the fairgrounds. They circled the entire carnival slowly, talking easily with one another about trivialities. Jack noted the booths with the silliest looking prizes, intent on winning something for Ianto as soon as possible. He smiled, imagining the pink flush in Ianto's cheeks and the dangerous sparkle in his eyes as Jack presented him with a bright yellow smiley face pillow or a set of fuzzy purple handcuffs. Ianto tugged his hand free from Jack's and removed his suit coat.

"Nice day, should have left my jacket in the car, too," he noted as he unbuttoned his waistcoat and loosened his tie a bit. Jack almost moaned when he went a step further, rolling his sleeves up and undoing the top two buttons on his crisp white shirt. "What?" Ianto asked, flushing under Jack's heated gaze.

"Nothing, you just… God, you just look edible, that's all."

Ianto recognised the gleam in Jack's eyes and took a hurried step back, bumping into a pram. He apologised to the woman who smiled and manoeuvred around them and then turned back to Jack. "Stop that!" he hissed at his lover who was still looking at him with desire written plainly across his face.

"Stop what?" Jack asked innocently. "Can't I just like looking at you?"

"Not like that," Ianto said firmly. "Not in public."

Jack laughed. "How about when we're not in public?" he teased.

Ianto hooked his finger through the tag in his jacket and slung it over his shoulder. He reached down and slipped his free hand back into Jack's, much to the other man's delight.

"Hmmm…" Ianto pondered. "I suppose it's okay," he said, looking up at Jack from under his eyelashes.

Jack groaned. "Come on," he muttered, tugging Ianto over to the closest booth. "Let's play some games before you get me in trouble."

"Me!" Ianto protested as he followed.

"You! Now here," Jack said, handing Ianto a handful of darts. "Pop some balloons."

Ianto chuckled. "Yes, sir."

They both did well at the game, each winning a prize. Jack was disappointed that this booth didn't seem to have the fluffy, fuzzy prizes that he was dying to win for Ianto. He chose a decoder ring that just fit on the first knuckle of his pinky and Ianto picked a puzzle of linked metal rings that he slipped into his pocket. More determined than ever, Jack headed to a shooting range game, knocking over wooden ducks with a pellet gun as they "swam" back and forth on their little conveyor belts. He finally hit enough to win one of the big prizes and chose a three-foot high pale pink teddy bear with a red collar that spelled out "Sweetie Pie" in rhinestones, the i's dotted with little hearts. Ianto groaned and turned a matching shade of pink when Jack proudly presented him with the bear.

"You can't be serious," he muttered.

Jack just grinned. "Come on, sweetie pie," he teased. "Let's play something else."

Ianto smiled back, unable to resist Jack's infectious enthusiasm. He tucked the bear under his arm, promising himself that he'd get rid of it at the first opportunity. Luckily, that opportunity came quite soon. At the next booth, a little girl was on the verge of tears because her rubber frog hadn't landed on a lily pad but in the water instead.

"I'm sorry, honey, but you didn't win a prize," her father was saying. He looked a bit desperate as the little girl's bottom lip began to quiver. "We'll try again, okay?" he said, reaching for his wallet.

While Jack bought them some rubber frogs to play the game, Ianto squatted down so he was at eye level with the little girl. He put the teddy bear in front of her and smiled at her involuntary gasp.

"This is my friend… er… Sweetie Pie," Ianto said. "He needs a home. Would you like to have him?"

The little girl nodded and reached out for the bear. She hesitated and looked up at her father who was smiling at Ianto, relief written all over his face. He nodded and said, "It's okay, honey."

She squealed and grabbed the bear around the neck, hugging it to her. Ianto laughed – the bear was almost as big as she was. He got to his feet and smiled down as she bubbled over with thanks and promises to take extra good care of Sweetie Pie.

"Thanks, man," her father added, sotto voce as his daughter examined the sparkly stones on the bear's red collar.

Ianto chuckled. "No problem. I should be thanking you," he murmured.

The man laughed and turned back to his daughter. They wandered off, the little girl turning around to wave at Ianto one last time. He waved back, still smiling.

"And where is your bear, Mr. Jones?" Jack growled in his ear.

Ianto laughed and leaned back against Jack. "He left me," Ianto sighed, sounding as sad as he could with a grin plastered across his face. "Found someone younger."

Jack's breath tickled Ianto's neck as he chuckled and kissed the soft skin behind Ianto's ear. "Silly ol' bear," he murmured.

Ianto shivered. "I think that was Pooh."

"What was poo?" Jack asked, confused.

"Winnie the Pooh, he was the silly ol' – never mind." Ianto turned and kissed Jack, quick and hard on the lips. "What's next?"

"Leap frog," Jack said as he handed Ianto three rubber frogs. "Three tries to get the frog on the lily pad. Come on, I need to replace your bear."

Ianto just shook his head and stepped up to the tent.

They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering through the fair, playing games, sampling all kinds of unlikely food on sticks, chatting and just having fun. Every time Jack won a stuffed animal – teddy bears to snakes to a rather cute little hedgehog – Ianto would carry it around for a while and then find some disappointed kid to take it off his hands, much to Jack's amusement.

Jack spotted the line for the Ferris wheel as Ianto was slowly pulling mouthfuls of pink candy floss off a paper cone.

"You up for it?" he asked.

Ianto looked at the tall, rickety, wooden wheel for a moment and then shrugged and licked his fingers. "Sure. Don't see what the fuss is about, though. The one in London is a lot bigger."

Jack snorted. "That's not a proper Ferris wheel," he scoffed.

"Why not?"

Jack wrapped his arms around his lover from behind and rested his chin on Ianto's shoulder. "It's enclosed, for one thing. You can't feel the breeze, plus you can't rock the cars," he said with a grin.

"Jack, you're not supposed to rock the cars on any Ferris wheel," Ianto scolded.

"Spoilsport," he murmured, his lips busy with the skin behind Ianto's ear again.

"Jaaaack."

"Hmmm?" he hummed. He bit Ianto's neck gently.

"Stop that!" Ianto whispered.

"Why?"

"Because… because we're… people can see us, Jack."

Jack looked around as they moved a few steps forward in the line. "No one is looking at us, Ianto and even if they were, who cares? We're not doing anything wrong."

Ianto stayed stiff for a moment and then finally relaxed back into Jack's strong arms.

"That's better," Jack said approvingly. He stopped teasing Ianto and just held him close as he finished his candy floss. Jack gave Ianto a squeeze, promising himself he'd never take this for granted again.

Soon it was their turn to board the Ferris wheel. Jack got in first and rocked the car a little as Ianto stepped inside. He got a glare and a huff as Ianto joined him on the seat.

Jack laughed and slipped his arm around Ianto's shoulder. "I'll be good, I promise," he whispered with a kiss.

Ianto chuckled dryly. "I believe that’s a statistical impossibility, sir."

The wheel moved a bit, moving them off the boarding pad so the next people in line could have their turn. Jack sighed happily and Ianto leaned his head on Jack’s shoulder.

“Hey,” Jack said softly as he tightened his arm. “You still blue?”

Ianto shook his head. “Not at all, this has been wonderful.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“So… uh… what was wrong? Before?” Jack asked.

“Don’t know,” Ianto said with a shrug. “Just… blue, I guess. You never get like that?”

Jack chuckled. “Ianto,” he scolded softly as he reached up to stroke his lover’s cheek. “I’ve been around for a hundred and sixty-eight years. Sixty-nine, if you count the year I was gone. You think I’ve never been blue?”

Shrugging, Ianto let himself relax into the Captain a little more, almost purring at the cuddle. “You never show it,” he murmured.

“Years and years of honing my suppressing skills,” Jack said dryly. He slid his hand over Ianto's, chuckling when he realised how sticky his lover's fingers were.

"Sorry," Ianto said, flushing. "Hazard of candy floss."

He tried to curl his fingers into a fist to hide them, but Jack wasn't having any of that. He brought Ianto's hand to his mouth and slowly sucked the sugar off of each finger. Ianto was trembling by the second finger and moaning by the time Jack got to his thumb. Jack glanced around as he pulled back, letting Ianto's thumb fall free with a very suggestive pop.

They were at the top of the Ferris wheel.

"Look around, Ianto," Jack murmured.

Ianto forced his eyes open and tried to focus on the scenery and not on Jack. It was difficult, but the view was worth it – green, rolling hills, the hedgerows dividing the fields, the village nestled in the trees.

"It's almost a cliché, isn't it?" Ianto mused.

That got a chuckle from Jack. "I suppose it is," he agreed.

Ianto settled back in the seat again, pleased to find Jack's arm snaking around his shoulders. He sighed and tilted his face up to his lover's. "Thank you," he whispered.

Jack looked down and took Ianto's mouth in a gentle kiss. "So you liked my distraction?" he asked as the wheel began to move again.

Ianto nodded and kissed Jack again. "I think I might need some more candy floss, though."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah," Ianto said.

"You'll get all sticky again," Jack warned.

Ianto gave him a wicked smile. "That's the idea, Jack."

Jack's chuckle mingled with the breeze ruffling Ianto's hair, making him smile. Snuggled together in the little car, they slowly made their way back to Earth, both of them feeling in the pink.

~ * ~ end ~ * ~

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (7/?)

2009-10-12T19:21:30Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 7

Rating: R

Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which we say goodbye to John Hart…for the moment…

Notes: There is a bit of a time jump between Chapters Six and Seven – just didn't want anyone to think they missed a chapter! :) Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Seven

Ianto sat up and leaned against the SUV. He rubbed his head for a second, trying to ease the pressure and pounding that was beating at the inside of his skull. It feels like Abaddon all over again… or the Himalayas. What happened? He slithered gracelessly up the side of the SUV and looked around. What the hell? Why are we all…

Oh.

The whole night tumbled into place when he saw the man in the red coat – Captain Hart, the canisters which weren't really bombs after all, finding Gwen in the shipping container, the diamond that wasn't a diamond but really was a bomb, Hart handcuffing himself to Gwen, the mad dash for the rift. Jack. Ianto's eyes sought his Captain and found him standing a few feet away. Jack had just died last night, thanks to John Hart and Ianto was very glad to see the explosion hadn't killed him again. Dying would be a terrible way to start the day, he thought as he rubbed his head again. Wait. Day. It's dark again. What the hell?

"What the hell?" Jack said, his confusion echoing Ianto's.

"Jack, what's going on? Why's it gone dark?" Gwen asked as she put as much distance between her and Captain Hart as possible. Granted, it wasn’t much considering they were still handcuffed together.

Jack's answer sounded sceptical, as if he couldn't believe he was right. "The rift's reverted to the moment he came through. Everything's jumped back to the beginning of the night."

"Like you were never here," Gwen hissed at Hart with contempt.

"Now we've got to avoid ourselves, great."

Hart ignored Jack's complaint and grinned. "It's a temporal displacement. Makes your tongue tingle, doesn't it? Lovely."

Ianto rolled his eyes as he joined the rest of the team. He rubbed his head absently as he half listened to Owen's explanation of how he confused the DNA bomb. He had to admit, he was a little disappointed that saving Gwen had necessitated saving Hart as well. When Hart retrieved the key to the cuffs from the lining of his throat, Ianto shuddered and looked away. Okay, now that is disgusting, he thought.

Gwen looked amazed. "You had that all along?"

Hart shrugged. "You were my passport to survival. No hard feelings. Well, not in that sense," he teased.

Gwen wiped the smug grin off his face with a well placed right hook. As she fell back to join her teammates, Ianto murmured admiringly, "Remind me never to get on your bad side."

She gave him a little smile. Owen put his arm around her as Ianto gave her shoulder a squeeze, and then all of their attention was focused on Jack as he coughed significantly and held out his hand to Hart.

For a moment it looked like Hart was going to argue, but in the end he just handed over the stolen wriststrap. Jack fastened it around his wrist and quirked an eyebrow at Hart. "Definitely bigger."

Hart sidled closer to Jack and looked up at him. "If you need a new team member – " he started.

"No," Jack said firmly, not even letting him finish the sentence.

Hart actually seemed surprised. "Really? I could – "

"No."

"But – "

"No," Jack said for a third time, not unkindly. "Go now and you can harness the residual rift energy," he added quietly.

Go? We're just going to let him walk away, free as a bird? Ianto couldn't believe it.

Hart didn't seem to be in a hurry though. He was still trying to convince Jack to let him stay.

"Listen," Hart began again.

"Goodbye." The finality in Jack's voice was clear, apparently even to Hart who finally gave in.

"Okay," he said softly. He paused for a moment and then reached up to give Jack a lingering kiss.

Ianto caught his breath and clenched his fists. But then he met Jack's eyes over Hart's shoulder and he relaxed a bit. Jack really didn't look like he was enjoying himself. Anything to get Hart out of here. Ianto sighed. If a cold cell wasn't in Hart's future, Ianto would have to comfort himself with the idea of him wandering the stars alone. Without Jack.

Hart rested his hand over Jack's heart for a second and then turned to walk into the rift. Jack's eyes immediately went to Ianto again. Ianto tried to conjure up a smile for Jack but he just couldn't make his muscles cooperate. He was torn, not knowing if he had the right to be upset at seeing Jack kissing another man but hating the sight nonetheless. Jack kept watching him. He had to tear his eyes from Ianto when Hart spoke one last time.

"Oh!" he exclaimed as the rift began to swirl around him. "By the way, I meant to tell you… I found Gray."

Ianto couldn't see Jack's face, but he could tell from the tension that suddenly stiffened Jack's shoulders and neck that Gray – whatever, whoever that is – wasn't welcome news.

Hart finally disappeared and the team walked slowly to Jack who was still standing there, staring at the spot where Hart had disappeared, rooted to the ground.

"Who's Gray?" Gwen asked, once again putting the question on everyone's minds into words.

Jack took a shuddering breath and then said faintly, "It's nothing." Another breath and Jack was himself again. "Let's get back to work," he said in his usual commanding tones. He turned and stalked back to the SUV, the rest of the team falling into line behind him.

Ianto was struck with the sudden and inappropriate urge to giggle. I feel like we're in a Western, he thought, or some bad cop programme.

The desire to laugh got even worse when Jack suddenly stopped and said, "Crap."

Gwen bumped into Jack and then stepped back onto Tosh's foot. "Ah! Sorry, Tosh. What is it?" she asked testily.

Jack spun around, his big coat fanning out. "We can't go back to work. We're at work." He glanced at his watch. "Or we will be in a few hours. Dammit, I hate temporal shifts."

"So what do we do?" Owen asked.

"Well, we can't risk running into ourselves, that's just begging for a paradox. We need to hole up somewhere for the next ten hours or so. Just until we catch back up with our own time."

Tosh looked confused. "Can't we just go home? I mean, none of us have been there all night."

Jack shook his head. "Too risky. What if you get a phone call or someone drops by who wasn't supposed to find you there? No, we need some place out of the way, some place we wouldn't usually go…"

Jack fell silent, obviously turning over ideas in his head.

"Tell you what – how does everyone feel about a little room service and maybe a dip in the pool?"

"What do you mean?" Gwen asked.

"Come on," Jack said, turning back to the SUV.

Owen claimed the front seat with no argument from anyone. Ianto passed him the first aid kit to rebandage his side once they were all settled and then asked Jack, "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," Jack said. He sounded almost cheerful.

A flash of red caught Ianto's eye as Jack started the car. "Wait! What about the Crossfire?" he asked.

Jack glanced at Ianto, their eyes locking in the rear view mirror. Jack looked perplexed for a second and then smiled. "I'll make an anonymous call in the morning, report some kids joyriding through the neighbourhood. They'll find it eventually, assume it got nicked from the impound."

The ride was quiet apart from Owen asking for help now and then with his dressing. Jack asked him quietly if he needed his equipment in the Hub or a trip to A&E, but Owen shook his head, declaring that he would be just fine. When Jack pulled up in front of the St. David's Hotel, four sets of eyes turned to him.

"Here?" Tosh asked.

"You're serious?"

"Why not? We won't cross our own paths, room service, swimming pool, every spa treatment know to man, what's not to love? Look," Jack added seriously. "Consider it my official apology for running off. Okay?"

Tosh and Owen nodded but Gwen bit her lip.

"What is it, Gwen?" Jack asked patiently.

"It's just… Rhys got a promotion, I should be home with him celebrating, not hanging out in some posh hotel. Work comes first, I know, but we're not working now. Why can't I just go home?"

Jack sighed. "Did you talk to Rhys tonight?"

She nodded. "He called to tell me about the promotion."

"When?"

"Earlier. When I was…" Her voice faded as realization dawned. "When I was at the docks with John."

"Yeah, which hasn't happened yet. See what I mean about paradoxes?"

Gwen nodded reluctantly.

"Let me see what I can do," he said with a smile. He got out of the SUV and handed the keys to the valet.

The four of them followed in Jack's wake, Owen zipping up his jacket over his bloodstained shirt. They loitered in the lobby as Jack flirted with the concierge. He returned a few moments later with several envelopes in his hand. The first one he handed to Gwen. She reached out to take it from him, but he held on, looking serious.

"OK, here's the deal. This is a deluxe suite and it's yours for the weekend. I got you a late check out on Sunday. You can call Rhys – ah, ah, ah," he cautioned as Gwen bounced a little. "You can call him tomorrow morning after we catch back up to real time. You need to sleep anyway. The after effects of John's lip gloss are still going to hit you and sleep is the best thing for it. So… we have a deal?"

"Yes! Thank you, Jack!" Gwen squealed and threw her arms around him.

He chuckled and hugged her. "It's an engagement gift," Jack said dryly as he pulled back. He handed Tosh, Owen and Ianto envelopes as well. "Suites all around. Charge whatever you like to the room, just have a good time. Relax, have some champagne or something else horribly clichéd."

"What about you, Jack?" Tosh asked.

Jack waved the last envelope at her. "Taken care of. I could use a few days off."

"Typical," Owen snorted. "Just get back from holiday and you need another break."

Ianto saw a brief glimpse of pain in Jack's blue eyes before he was able to mask it with a smile and a wink.

He and Jack were going to have a conversation very soon.

TBC...

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (6/?)

2009-10-08T17:41:04Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 6

Rating: R

Warnings: Language

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Ianto rushes to rescue the rest of the team from Captain Hart's treachery…

Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Six

Ianto knew it was useless, but he kept trying the rest of the team on all comm channels as the lift sank slowly to the ground floor. Finally giving up, he ripped the comm from his ear as he sprinted through the lobby, out the doors and into the SUV. He sped off as he juggled his mobile and punched in the numbers for Jack's phone. He needed to warn him about Hart, tell him it was all a ruse and that the other 'Captain' was heading his way. The phone rang once and then cut off.

"Fuck!" Ianto shouted. He entered the coordinates of the canister that Tosh and Owen had tracked into the SUV's GPS. After a hair raising u-turn, Ianto was heading towards them with all due haste, blue lights running. He grabbed a fresh comm from the supply in the SUV and patched it through to Gwen's mobile. Nothing.

Ianto swore again and ran a red light, horn blaring as he sped through the intersection. He screeched to a halt outside a rundown warehouse.

"Tosh! Owen!" he called as he jumped out of the car.

No answer.

He checked the GPS again. Both Tosh and Owen's comms were registering inside the locked building. Ianto glanced around and found a crowbar, immediately prying the padlock off the door.

"Tosh! Owen!" he yelled again as pulled his weapon and ran inside.

"Ianto!"

"Tosh!" Ianto felt a wave a relief hit him. He flicked on his torch and swung it around, trying to find her.

"We're over here," Tosh cried.

She appeared halfway down the corridor and Ianto ran towards her. "What happened?" he asked when he noticed her bloody nose.

Tosh didn't even blink. "Where's Gwen? Have you heard from Gwen?" she asked worriedly.

"No," Ianto admitted. Tosh grimaced and hurried back to Owen. "I tried her mobile three times on the way here, it just rang. Hart disabled the comms."

"We know," Owen groaned.

"What happened to you?" Ianto asked as he helped Tosh get Owen to his feet.

"Bastard shot me. Took the canister. Why am I always the one getting shot?" Owen whinged.

Ianto snorted. "I suppose it would be impolite to say karma, now wouldn't it?"

Owen grinned at him.

Ianto returned the smile and then sobered. "What do you need? A&E?"

"Yes," Tosh said quickly, but Owen's negative reply drowned her out.

"No, we've got to find Gwen. Tosh patched me up. I'll be fine as soon as I can get a painkiller sorted. There're some in the SUV."

"It's right outside," Ianto said, leading the way.

"Wait!" Tosh called. " Ianto, where's Jack?"

"He… he was on the roof when Hart cornered me alone, sent me after you. He probably wanted me out of the way so he could have Jack to himself," he said bitterly.

"Well, at least he can't die," Owen pointed out. "Can't say the same for Gwen."

Tosh nodded. "Right, we'll find Gwen and then we can get Jack."

"And deal with Hart," Ianto added with a growl.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ianto set the coordinates for the third canister into the GPS while Tosh got the medical kit out of the back of the SUV for Owen. As soon as everyone was in the vehicle, Ianto headed for the docks. He drove as fast as he dared. Owen was tidying up the dressing on his side, messing about with scissors and needles and cursing every time he was jolted about on the seat.

"Sorry," Ianto called after a particularly nasty pothole he hadn't been able to avoid.

"Just drive," Owen ground out.

Ianto got them as close to the coordinates as he could in the SUV and then they all ran the rest of the way to the maze of shipping containers. The sheer number was completely overwhelming.

"If she's in one of these, we'll never find her. There's too many!"

"Just keep looking," Tosh ordered.

Ianto stared at the sea of metal doors and shook his head slightly. He reached in his pocket for his mobile and muttered, "I'll try her phone again." Come on Gwen, pick up. Give us some direction.

Gwen didn't answer, but the sound of her ringtone filled the air. Ianto took off at run.

"Over here!"

They closed in on the noise, but didn't find Gwen, only her phone.

"She must have dropped it," Owen said as he bent down to pick it up.

Tosh starting digging in her bag, pulling out her scanner. "Unless it's another one of Captain John's tricks," she said.

Ianto thanked the powers that be for Toshiko's brilliance once again when they found Gwen in seconds instead of the hours he'd been envisioning. It was a good thing too, because Gwen didn't have hours. The team fell into the rhythm they'd developed while Jack was gone, working seamlessly together to counteract the toxin Hart had poisoned Gwen with. Owen was still working on Gwen, who was feeling much better and threatening Hart with some very creative violence when Ianto's phone rang.

He stepped away from the other three and glanced down at the display.

"Jack! Are you okay? Did you stop Hart?" he said into the phone.

"No." Jack didn't waste any time with the pleasantries either. "Tell me you're alright. That you're all alright."

"We're all fine. Hart shot Owen, but it's just a graze and he poisoned Gwen somehow, but we found her in time."

There was a short silence and then Jack growled, "I told her not to let him kiss her."

"Kiss her?" Ianto said in surprise, glancing over at Gwen. She flushed a dark red.

"Is that Jack?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Well, you can tell him – "

He waved her off and turned his attention back to the phone. "Where are you, Jack? Are you okay?"

"I'm still at the office building."

Ianto could hear the exhaustion in Jack's voice and realized he knew exactly what it meant. "Jack, what did he do to you?" he asked softly.

Jack sighed. "Not now. He took my wriststrap. He must have gone back to the Hub."

"We're on our way to pick you up," Ianto said as he gestured at the others to get moving. "Does Hart have all three canisters?"

"He must. I found ours on the roof right before he came up."

"What do you think they really are?"

"I wish I knew. Just hurry, will you?"

"Will do," Ianto promised.

"Thanks, Ianto," Jack whispered.

Before Ianto could reply, Jack had ended the call.

"Come on!" Ianto hollered. He slipped an arm around Gwen who was still a little unsteady and Tosh helped Owen. The four of them hobbled as quickly as they could to the SUV and then sped off to retrieve their Captain.

TBC...

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (5/?)

2009-10-05T18:32:44Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 5

Rating: R

Warnings: Language

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Jack surprises Ianto with a question (a.k.a. The Office Scene)…

Notes: Thank you to everyone for the words of encouragement last week!! *hugs* And a special thank you to draw_yourworld for my fabulous story icon! *doublehugs* Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Five

The drive was silent, Ianto checking the GPS now and again to make sure they were heading in the right direction. He was hyperaware of the man sitting next to him. He could hear every breath, every sigh that escaped those perfect lips. Ianto wanted to reach across the seats and touch Jack, to reassure himself that it was real, that Jack was really there, but he held himself back. He didn't know where they stood, what Jack expected or wanted or needed from him anymore. He was equally confused about his own desires, knowing only that he wanted Jack to take him in his arms more than anything.

Ianto shook his head, mentally chastising himself for being so weak.

"What is it?" Jack asked quietly, startling Ianto.

"Huh? No, nothing, I just – " Ianto sighed. "It's nothing, sir."

Jack frowned again. "Ianto, do you think… That is, I wondered…" Jack's voice trailed off.

"Yes, sir?" Ianto prompted.

"Never mind," Jack muttered.

Ianto was relieved to realize they had arrived at the coordinates. He parked in front of a tall office building and set the handbrake. "This is it," he said.

Jack just sat for a moment and then nodded. "Let's go."

They wouldn't be reduced to breaking and entering, Ianto was pleased to see. The night guard let them in and barely glanced at their Torchwood IDs, much more interested in returning to the telly than finding out who they were.

"Top floor," Ianto directed as they stepped into the elevator.

The ride was short, the elevator shooting smoothly to the top of the building. There were two offices on the floor, one on each side of the elevator bay. Jack pointed to the right and led the way through the fire doors into a fine example of the everyday working world. Ianto could imagine the place filled with people, phones ringing off the hook, the copier clacking out page after page of paper, conversations taking place where everyone could hear. He shuddered. No thank you. Give me weevils and aliens any day.

Jack chuckled and looked around as well. "Oh, yeah, loving that officey feel." Jack walked through the open room, but his eyes never strayed far from Ianto who headed straight for the nearest desk and began searching. Jack kept blethering. "I always get excited in these places. To me, they’re exotic. Office romances… photocopying your butt… Well, maybe not your butt, although as we’re here, why don’t we photo–"

"The rift," Ianto interrupted, slapping his hands on the desk as he stood, "was active at these coordinates two hundred feet above ground. That means this floor or the roof." He needed to stop Jack's babbling, needed him to stop pretending that this was just another case, just another day, that everything was fine. He put his hands on his hips and stared straight ahead, not looking at Jack.

When Jack didn't speak again, Ianto walked around the desk, wondering just what the hell he was doing. There's no way we can find one little canister in all this mess, he thought, resolutely not looking at Jack.

"How are you, Ianto?" Jack asked quietly.

Ianto felt something inside him melt at the concern in Jack's voice, so different from his manic rambling a few moments before. He was overwhelmed with the urge to touch Jack again, to feel Jack's strong arms wrapped around him, holding him close. But he couldn’t, wouldn't let go yet. They had work to do and if he told Jack how he really was, they'd never find that damn canister. How are you? Such a simple question. Ianto fobbed it off as he walked away from Jack. The further away, the better.

"All the better for having you back, sir," he said glibly.

"Can we maybe drop the 'sir' now?" That note of uncertainty crept back into Jack's voice. "While I was away, I was thinking… Maybe we could – after this is all done… Dinner? A movie?"

Ianto turned and looked at Jack, hands on his hips again, trying to disguise their shaking. "Are…" he stalled and then forced himself to finish the question. "You asking me out on a date?" he asked, disbelief soaking the words.

"Interested?" Jack countered, sounding slightly defensive and very unsure about the answer.

Ianto wasn't too sure himself.

Part of him was screaming 'yes!' while another part of him was screaming 'why now?' and he just stared at Jack for a moment, completely unable to speak. Ianto could see his silence was torturing Jack so he tried to answer.

"Uh, well," he huffed. "As… long as it's… not in an office," he said, meeting Jack's eyes for a quick second before turning away again and striding across the office as he muttered, "Some fetishes should be kept to yourself."

Ianto could hear Jack moving, following him. He focused on the desk in front of him.

When Jack spoke again, his normal, playful tone was back. "Looks like we're gonna have to go through every drawer, bin and plant pot," he observed.

Suddenly Ianto felt like he was suffocating. It was too much, Jack's presence, his changing moods, the whole date thing – did that really happen? – Ianto needed some space.

"Right. Okay. I'll do this floor," he offered. "Don’t want you getting overexcited." He faced Jack and felt his stomach clench at the tentative smile on Jack's face. It was almost as if Jack was as tied in knots about this whole conversation as Ianto was. "You take the roof. You're good on roofs." The moment the words were out of his mouth, Ianto remembered the last time they were on a roof together, right after Ianto had found out about the real Captain Jack Harkness. Jack's grin faded and he turned to leave. Ianto kicked himself. He hadn't been trying to make Jack feel worse, he'd just – God, what a fucking mess, he thought.

"Jack!" he called, unable to let him go yet. It was the first time Ianto had called him by his name since he'd returned.

Jack stopped and turned to face him.

Ianto took a deep breath. "Why are we h-helping him?" he asked, knowing Jack would know that he meant John Hart. As soon as the words were out of his mouth he realised he wasn't really sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"He's a reminder of my past," Jack said candidly. "I want him gone."

Ianto nodded. He had just turned back to the desks when Jack spoke again.

"By the way… was that a yes?"

"Yes," Ianto said, the word tumbling from his mouth before Jack had finished. "Yes," he said again, cursing himself for giving in so easily, at the same time flying on the knowledge that Jack still wanted him. He caught a glimpse of Jack's smile as he turned away to hide his own grin. For the first time, Jack's smile looked genuine. Ianto heard Jack push through the swinging doors and let out a deep breath. Maybe… maybe there's a way we can get back to where it was good, Ianto thought happily. Maybe…

He remembered Captain Hart, stopped his musings and started searching again. He'd gone through most of the desks around him and was just about to move on to the next group when he heard the lift ding.

He looked through the window to the corridor, expecting to see Jack striding down the hall towards him. He heard the lift door open but no one appeared. He reached into his suit coat and pulled out his sidearm without dropping his eyes from the door. After cocking the weapon, he made his way cautiously into the corridor, keeping his gun at the ready.

He tried to control his breathing as he made his way to the farthest lift. He could see the doors were open and images of what he might find inside were slamming through his mind. He clutched the grip of the gun more tightly. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and faced the lift.

It was empty.

Thank God, but what – oh, fuck.

Ianto felt the barrel of a gun against the back of his head.

"Into the lift, eye candy," Hart ordered smoothly.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. Ianto slipped his finger from the trigger and spread his arms in supplication, offering up his weapon as he berated himself for being so stupid. After he was disarmed, he turned. Hart didn’t drop his weapon, simply pressed it into Ianto's forehead instead and pushed hard, encouraging him to step back into the lift.

"Your friends are bleeding and dying," Hart informed him. "And you barely have enough time to save them."

Tosh! Ianto thought. He engaged his comm. "Owen? Gwen?" he said through clenched teeth, checking in with each team.

Hart scoffed at him, gun unwavering. "What am I? A child? It's a primitive bit of technology, easily blocked. You should be embarrassed."

Oh, I am, Ianto thought. He quickly assessed the situation and realized that any move he made against Hart would unquestionably leave him with a gaping hole in his head.

"When you get to the bottom, run," Hart advised him. "You look like a man who enjoys a challenge. See if you can save them. Come back up here, I'll shoot on sight." Hart took his eyes off Ianto long enough to press the ground floor button. When the lift chimed 'going down' Hart echoed it. "Going down. Yes, please."

As soon as Hart dropped the gun, Ianto surged forward, slamming his hands into the lift doors, forcing them back open. Hart's eyes widened. He apparently hadn't been expecting any arguments.

"Why are you doing this?" Ianto practically growled. He didn't care that Hart had raised his gun and aimed it at him again.

Hart grinned. "We're a cosmic joke, eye candy. An accident of chemicals and evolution." He stepped forward, but this time instead of pressing the gun to Ianto's head, the man slid it lovingly down Ianto's cheek. "The jokes, the sex, just cover the fact that nothing means anything. And the only consolation is money." He spat the last word and jammed the gun into Ianto's skin so hard that Ianto fell back, certain that he'd have a mark on his face. "So run, Ianto Jones!" Hart yelled.

This time Ianto let the lift doors close. He saw Hart laughing at him as they slid shut and punched the wall in frustration as he fumed. What the hell do I do now?

TBC...

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (4/?)

2009-10-01T14:48:18Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 4

Rating: R

Warnings: Whining in the author's note, none for the story :)

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which John Hart arrives at the Hub…

Notes: As I am feeling extraordinarily beat down these days (by work, the muses, real life, et al.), I'm posting early in the hopes that lovely comments from all you lovely readers will cheer me up. I promise all comments will be huggled and squoze and cherished by a very blue button. Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Four

Ianto was glad they had gotten to the Hub before the taxi. He sorted some coffee and biscuits for everyone, just in case refreshment would be needed. He was about to load up the tray, but then pondered exactly where they would be talking to Hart. Should I head up to the Tourist Office? Surely if he’s as dangerous as Jack believes, he wouldn’t just let him –

That train of thought became moot when the motor for the invisible lift engaged. Gwen jerked her head at all of them and they took their places as discussed. Owen and Tosh were both armed and keeping Hart in sight at all times, Gwen had the scanner ready to make sure Hart didn’t have anything lethal hidden on him and Ianto had his tea tray.

As they expected, Jack asked Hart to disarm as soon as the lift came to a halt. Jack quirked a smile at Ianto as he placed the first two guns on the proffered tray. Ianto gave a minute shrug of his shoulders in response.

After Hart was fully disarmed, Jack turned to Ianto. "Would you take John up to the conference room and…" The request trailed off as Jack looked up to the glass room above them which was patently no longer a conference room as it was now filled with plants and flowers rather than chairs and tables. He glanced back at Ianto in confusion.

"It's a hothouse now, sir. We've taken to using the War Room on Archive Level One," Ianto explained.

"The what room?"

Ianto flushed slightly. "The boardroom with the pocket doors? It's at the end of hallway four."

"Oh, yeah. War Room?" Jack chuckled and smiled at Ianto and for a brief second it was almost like old times. "Okay, if you'll take John down there, I'll join you after I take care of a few things."

Ianto nodded and motioned to Hart to follow him.

"So you're Jack's new toy," Hart observed, practically skipping down the stairs.

"What?" Ianto said as he turned, startled. He cursed the flush that crept up his cheeks when he met John Hart's eyes.

"Can't fool me, I know him too well. Pretty little thing like you? Doesn't mind him ordering you about? Jack's wet dream."

Ianto drew himself up to his full height, using the few inches he had on Hart to his best advantage. "I'd advise you to stop talking right now."

"Oooo!" Hart grinned. He stepped closer, brushing his chest against Ianto's. "Not so little. And so forceful, too. I could just eat you up," he purred with a snap of his teeth.

Ianto curled his lip in disdain and pulled away to continue down the hallway.

"What? Not interested?" Hart teased as he followed. "Come on, live a little. Jack and I used to share plenty of – oh, wait. I think I understand. This is the 20th Century, isn't it?" he asked, his contemptuous tone speaking volumes.

"21st," Ianto snapped as he slid open the pocket doors and pointed at the table. "Sit."

Hart grinned again. "Woof."

Ianto rolled his eyes and stepped back out into the corridor, praying someone was coming to join them.

"You'll never be able to hold on to him, eye candy," Hart called. "A man like Jack? A boy like you? Classic city mouse, country mouse. How you've managed to keep him trapped in this primitive backwater for more than a week, is beyond me."

Ianto glanced back into the boardroom to see Hart sprawled across one of the chairs, hands behind his head as he leaned back, his filthy boot resting on the gleaming surface of the table. Ianto ground his teeth.

"He'll leave, you know."

Ianto flinched and looked at the floor where he was still hovering the doorway.

Hart tipped the chair forward again and stared at Ianto.

"Oh, gone once or twice already, has he?" Hart nodded to himself. "So you already know, when he's gone, he's just gone. No goodbyes, no notes on pillows, just – " he spread his hands, palms up like a magician at the end of a disappearing trick, " – no more Jack. I'm right, aren't I?" Hart smiled again but this time there was no amusement in his expression and his eyes were dark with fury. "You're not enough to keep him here and you know it."

"You don't know anything about it," Ianto postured.

Hart chuckled, relaxing once again and lounging in the chair. "Tell you what, sweet cheeks. Next time he goes, you give me a ring and I'll come running. Show you the stars, yeah?"

"I'd rather – "

Whatever dire act Ianto would have preferred to spending any time with John Hart had to wait. Tosh and Owen came around the corner at that moment, followed after another minute or so by Jack and then Gwen. Ianto stood back and watched as Jack and Gwen continued their subtle tug-of-war for control of the team. When they split up to search for the canisters, he wondered at Gwen's pairing of him with Jack, especially after she darted a conspiratorial glance his way as they were leaving the room. He decided to just let it go as he followed Tosh and Owen back up to the Hub. Owen offered to drive his own car and handed over the SUV keys to Ianto. They waited a few minutes for the rest of the team, all three curious about Jack and Gwen's private conversation, but Tosh pointed out that they should get moving. Ianto wished them luck and tossed the keys nervously between his hands, waiting.

Eventually the other three came up the stairs, Hart looking smug, Gwen looking pleased with herself and Jack… well, Jack was wearing one of those smiles that didn't reach his eyes. Ianto sighed.

"This way, Vera," Gwen teased as she grabbed her jacket and led Hart onto the invisible lift.

Hart hopped up beside her and stood a little closer than necessary.

Jack frowned. "Remember what I said," he admonished and flipped open his wriststrap to engage the lift.

Gwen rolled her eyes and nodded. Hart, for his part, chuckled and licked his lips.

Jack stood and watched them until the lift stopped moving. He jerked when Ianto cleared his throat.

"You, ah… you need a moment, sir?" Ianto asked politely, masking the turmoil inside him.

"Hm? No, no, sorry. Just… he better not hurt her," he muttered.

Ianto added his eyeroll to Gwen's. "She'll be fine. You know, she led the team while you were away. Did a pretty decent job of it, too," Ianto pointed out as they started walking to the garage.

"Yeah, so I've heard," Jack said shortly.

"What we're we supposed to do?" Ianto burst out. "You were gone and we had no idea if you'd ever come back and – and – " Ianto broke off suddenly. He straightened his suit jacket and handed the keys to Jack. "I apologize, sir. That was out of line."

Jack gave him a long look. He opened his mouth and then shut it again more than once before sighing and handing the keys back to Ianto. "You drive," he said quietly.

Ianto took the keys in surprise and watched as Jack walked around to the passenger side door. He was still standing there when Jack settled himself in the car. When he slammed the door, Ianto jumped and followed suit. He started the SUV and backed out of the garage carefully. Driving Jack around always made him nervous. Owen had taken over driving duties while Jack was away, so Ianto rarely drove the big vehicle at all. Twice in one night was unheard of. He just hoped he didn't get so distracted by Jack that he wrecked the SUV.

Rolling his eyes at himself, Ianto drove into the night.

TBC...

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (3/?)

2009-09-28T18:05:51Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 3

Rating: R

Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which the team meets John Hart…

Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Three
Previously on The Sea After a Storm:

Jack took a deep breath and said, "Stay here. Don't come after me." He turned and threw himself into the SUV, giving them one last look as he drove off and left them.

Ianto took a few steps backward as Jack peeled away from the curb. He could hardly believe his eyes. Jack was gone.

Again.

Not this time, Captain, Ianto thought fervently. He was running for the street before the others even had time to react. He whistled sharply as he spotted a cab. "Taxi!" he yelled, waving his arm.

The cab rolled up the street at a leisurely pace. As soon as it was close, Ianto ran over and hopped in the back, sitting in the jump seat.

"Around the corner," he directed with a nod. "Three more to pick up."

The cabbie nodded and crept forward.

"A little speed would be most appreciated," Ianto said tightly.

The driver grunted, but he did hurry it along. Ianto opened the door as soon as the locks disengaged and motioned to his teammates, noting that Tosh was furiously tapping her scanner. Owen climbed in first, followed by Gwen and then Tosh who gave the driver a destination as she settled on the seat.

They rode in silence for a long moment until Tosh reported that the police had just gotten a call about a bar disturbance at the same location they were speeding towards themselves.

"Tell the police we're dealing with it," Gwen ordered.

Owen finally asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "Okay, so who the hell was the bloke in the hologram?

"Looked like Jack recognized him," Ianto muttered.

Tosh glanced up from her scanner. "Why didn’t he let us go with him?"

"'Cause it’s typical Jack, isn't it?" Gwen complained. "He disappears, he comes back, then he runs away again. Shuts us out. We don’t even know his real name."

"Or which time he comes from," Tosh added quietly.

Ianto glanced at her in surprise but she was looking at her scanner again. Apparently they’ve decided I was making things up when I told them Jack’s from the 51st Century, Ianto thought, surprised at how much it hurt. He pressed his mouth into a thin line. Or they just forgot. Typical, he thought, I’m just the tea-boy, right? Why should anyone listen to me? He stared out the window as Gwen continued her tirade.

"It drives me crazy!" she hissed.

There was an uncomfortable silence in the cab for a moment after she finished.

"It is more fun when he’s around, though," Ianto observed, laughing to himself as the other three fell over one another to agree.

When the cab stopped, Ianto paid the driver and they all piled out. The streets were deserted; apparently the police had listened for once.

"Bar Reunion," Ianto read with a little laugh.

"Tosh and Owen, you take the back. Ianto and I will go in the front. Keep it quiet until we know what’s going on," Gwen ordered.

Tosh and Owen took off through the alley. Ianto drew out his weapon, snapping off the safety and chambering a round while he chuckled.

"What’s so funny?" Gwen asked as she pulled out her own gun.

Ianto nodded to the sign.

"What?" Gwen asked again.

"Never mind," Ianto said with a small sigh. He really didn't feel like explaining the joke to Gwen. "Just struck me as amusing. Come on."

They made their way cautiously through the open front door, taking turns covering one another as they crept through the entryway. Ianto could hear voices and then Jack’s laugh ringing out through the empty bar. Gwen and Ianto exchanged a look. They paused outside a set of double doors, just listening for a moment. The voices were muted, but Ianto could follow the conversation – well, he could have if it had made any sense.

"Time Agency?" Gwen mouthed at Ianto.

He shrugged and shook his head, just as lost. He risked a glance through the window in the door and saw Jack lean close to the man from the hologram, almost as if he were going to kiss him. Ianto felt his heart clench but then the other man exclaimed and pulled away. He was just about to nod to Gwen that he was going in when the glass exploded. They both stepped back from the door when a second shot sounded, but it seemed to be fired towards the rear of the bar.

"All right! Everybody out!" they heard an unfamiliar voice shout.

Ianto glanced at Gwen. She frowned and nodded, kicking open the door and covering centre while Ianto took left.

"Everything all right, Jack?" she called.

Jack hollered that everything was okay as the team crept closer to the two men, checking the room and not dropping their weapons for an instant. Ianto wondered briefly if they were just making fools of themselves since Jack didn’t seem to be concerned about the man at all. As Jack and the man in the red jacket bantered a bit about the name Torchwood, Gwen, Owen and Tosh relaxed, dropping their weapons when Jack introduced them all to Captain John Hart.

Probably as fake as Jack’s name, Ianto thought. He kept his gun trained on Hart not trusting him for a second. Before he could ask for clarification on just exactly who John Hart was, Jack summed it up in three words.

"We go back," he said, obviously irritated by Hart’s very presence.

"Excuse me! We more than go back." Hart shifted his glance from Jack towards Ianto. "We were partners."

"In what way?" The words were out of Ianto’s mouth before he could stop himself.

Hart smiled and darted his tongue out to soothe the cut on his lip. "In every way," he said caressingly, still looking right at Ianto. "And then some."

"It was two weeks," Jack clarified.

Hart rolled his eyes. "Except that two weeks was trapped in a time loop, so we were together for five years." Hart darted his glance back to Ianto. "It was like having a wife," he said in confiding tones.

Ianto thought he might be sick.

He finally lowered his gun while Jack and John were debating just who had been the wife in their relationship. He felt silly still holding it when even Tosh was joining in the witty banter. Finally it seemed that Jack had had enough.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Hart.

Hart sighed. "I was wondering when we’d get to that." He flipped open a brown leather wriststrap, identical to the one Jack always wore.

"That’s the same as yours," Tosh pointed out.

Jack gave Tosh a look. "A little smaller."

"But lasts much longer," Hart added. It was obviously a longstanding argument.

Jack smirked and stepped away from Hart, darting a quick, concerned glance at Ianto as he crossed the narrow room.

Hart was still talking. "Get two Time Agents in the same room together, it’s always about the size of the wriststrap."

"Uh, yeah, sorry. What’s a Time Agent?" Owen asked.

Ianto realized Tosh and Owen must have overheard the conversation Jack and John had been having when they first arrived as well. Well, Ianto thought philosophically, at least I'm not the only one the dark.

Hart looked honestly shocked. "What? He never told you about his past?" he asked incredulously.

"No, he hasn’t," Gwen said coldly.

Hart shot Jack a speaking look and then shrugged. "Anyway…"

He went on to explain that he’d followed some radiation cluster bombs which had fallen through the rift and landed somewhere in Cardiff. They sounded particularly nasty, but Ianto could tell from Jack’s expression that he wasn’t really buying the entire story. However, Jack must have decided there was enough truth in it to warrant a look, because before he knew it, Ianto was outside the club, hailing another taxi.

"I gave the keys to Owen," Jack said as he walked up behind Ianto. "You go with them in the SUV, I’ll take… John in the cab."

"Are you sure you don’t want a little backup, sir?" Ianto asked quietly. Hart and the rest of the team had joined them outside the bar.

Jack shook his head. "I can handle him better alone. But – " That odd, uncharacteristic uncertainty seemed to creep over him again. He tentatively reached out and put his hand on Ianto’s shoulder. "Thank you," he murmured.

Ianto nodded, not trusting himself to speak, not with Jack touching him for the first time in months. He opened the door of the cab, and stepped back.

"A taxi? Are you joking?" Hart protested. "Why don’t we just telep– "

"Get in," Jack ordered, grabbing Hart by the back of the neck and basically shoving him into the cab. He followed after giving Ianto another smile and gathering his coat around himself like a shield.

"Ianto!" Owen yelled from the SUV. "Waiting on you, mate."

TBC in Chapter Four

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (2/?)

2009-09-24T18:02:18Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 2

Rating: R

Warnings: A little bad language, implied violence

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Jack explains where he's been (sort of) and another crisis arises…

Notes: Sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adams for all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Two

The drive back to the Hub was awkward and quiet. Ianto was dying to ask Jack one of the millions of questions he had – Where did you go? Why did you leave? Did you really travel with the Doctor? What happened to you? Were my visions real? Do you remember them? – but there was an uncomfortable tension between them and he couldn’t bring himself to broach the subject. For his part, Jack stared out the window, sullen and silent.

Ianto compulsively straightened his tie at a stoplight. The silence was starting to wear on him but he literally couldn’t think of a thing to say that didn’t sound trite or meaningless. He sighed in relief as they neared the Plass. Jack glanced over at him and for a moment Ianto thought he was going to say something but then he furrowed his brow again and went back to his contemplation of the windscreen until Ianto pulled into the garage.

Jack was out of the car before Ianto had set the handbrake. He headed for the door and then checked, and turned to face Ianto.

"Do you need a hand?" he asked politely.

Ianto shook his head and replied, "Nope, under control, sir."

Jack nodded once and turned back.

"Thanks, though… sir," Ianto added quietly.

It may have been Ianto’s imagination, but he thought he saw Jack flinch when he called him sir.

Ianto got the blowfish set up in the med bay for any necessary testing before being relegated to cold storage or the incinerator and then fielded a call from Jack’s friend Skip. He had made the repairs to the Crossfire easily and was headed to the Plass at that moment. He confirmed with Ianto that he was to leave the car in the parking space Jack had designated. He also mentioned that the official line was that he’d taken it to the impound, just in case anyone asked. Ianto thanked him for his help and raised his eyebrows when Skip replied, "Anything for Jackie-boy." Ianto flipped his mobile closed, left wondering just how well this Skip person knew Jack.

When he finally joined the others, Gwen was in full-on boss mode, sifting through the night’s discoveries with everyone’s help. Everyone except Jack, who was watching them as he stood outside his office doors.

"Ianto?" Gwen called, not seeing him as he stepped past her, intent on making coffee.

"Hello!" he joked when she almost ran into him.

"Sorry," she said a bit breathlessly. She was obviously uncomfortable and trying not to show it. "Um, can you deal with the body when it’s cold?"

"My pleasure, unless you mean making sushi?"

"No, the morgue will do fine, thank you," Gwen chuckled. She patted his chest as they went their separate ways, a friendly gesture that made Jack frown for some reason.

"Got pretty organized without me," he observed.

"Yeah, well we had to," Ianto heard Gwen say as he began to walk down the steps to the med bay.

"Hey, did you decorate in here?" Jack asked.

Ianto rolled his eyes, but Gwen’s reaction was a little more severe. She shoved Jack hard, bouncing him off the door to his office as she yelled, "You left us, Jack!"

Ianto reversed direction and walked back up the steps.

Jack sighed deeply, leaning back into the door for support. "I know," he said quietly. "I’m sorry."

Gwen was still on the attack. "We knew nothing, Jack!"

"Where were you?" Tosh asked, cutting right to the heart of the matter.

Jack took a long moment to answer, a strange series of emotions flitting across his face. Finally, he smiled. "I found my Doctor."

No shock there, Ianto thought. But what does it mean?

Owen spoke up. "Did he fix you?" he asked.

"What’s to fix?" Jack said with a grin. "You don’t mess with this level of perfection."

Ianto bit his lip, but he couldn’t stop himself. He didn’t care what the others thought of him, he needed to know. "Are you going back to him?" he asked in an uncertain voice, forcing himself to meet Jack’s eyes.

Jack paused for a second, his eyes burning with an intensity Ianto never thought he’d see again. "I came back for you," he said, looking right at Ianto.

Ianto kept his face a careful mask but Jack’s words sent his heart racing.

Jack dropped his eyes and looked at the rest of the team. "All of you," he corrected himself.

Ah, Ianto thought as disappointment washed over him. Right. Nothing special, just part of the team. Right, I knew that. Well, then, there you go.

Before any of the team had a chance to react to Jack’s statement, the rift monitor went off and they were all on the road again.

Ianto spent the drive to the coordinates of this latest rift spike contemplating the back of Jack’s head. He was sitting directly behind his Captain with Gwen next to him in the middle of the back seat. Gwen was leaning forward and talking quietly with Jack. Ianto could hear her trying to get more information out of him about where he’d been and what he’d been doing, but Jack was fobbing her off at every question.

I came back for you. The words seemed to echo in Ianto’s ear. For about three seconds he thought Jack had really meant him. Just him. Ianto sighed heavily and saw the back of Jack’s neck stiffen almost as if he’d heard the sad sound. Impossible. Ianto dismissed the notion that Jack was that in-tune with him anymore. Once a fool, always a fool. Owen was right. Part-time shag, at your service, he thought bitterly.

As the SUV pulled up to the location of the rift spike, Ianto could see police lights flashing. The reason was apparent as soon as they’d stepped from the vehicle.

"Oh, shit," Owen said, hurrying past the officers to the body of a young man that was lying on the pavement. It had the oddly flattened look of someone who had been dropped off the side of a very tall building.

Ianto looked up, sizing up the surrounding structures as the police officers stringing up the yellow tape finally took notice of Torchwood.

"Ianto, can you?" Gwen asked as she jerked her head towards the police officers that were approaching.

Ianto smiled a little. It was funny how much things had changed in the months Jack had been gone. He and Gwen had developed a rapport he never would have expected. He nodded at her shorthand comment and stepped over to greet the officers.

"Excuse me, sir, I’m going to have to ask you to clear out," one sergeant huffed officiously. "This is a scene of crime."

"Yes, I’m aware," Ianto said politely. "Our medic is examining the body right now."

"And who the bloody hell are you?"

"He’s Torchwood," a very tall young man piped up before Ianto could speak. "That’s Gwen in there," he added, pointing.

"That’s correct. If you could just continue cordoning off this area, I'm sure we’ll be finished shortly."

"I’m Andy, erm, PC Davidson," Andy said, holding out his hand to Ianto. "I used to be Gwen’s partner." He dropped his voice and muttered, "Before you lot showed up, that is."

Ianto grinned and shook Andy’s outstretched hand. "Nice to meet you," he said in a friendly tone but not offering his own name in return. "I’ll just let Gwen know you have this all under control then, PC Davidson. Thank you."

Ianto returned to the team, but hung back while they worked, not sure where his place was anymore. Now that Jack’s back, he thought. Ianto was sure that the Captain’s return, while both longed for and welcome, would spell the end of his regular field duties. Back to being the teaboy, he thought miserably, making the coffee and ordering the pizza, archiving reports of cases I could have helped solve and washing the SUV after they’ve all gone home. He sighed. He had been content with his place at Torchwood for so long that his enjoyment of fieldwork was a complete surprise to him. Before Jack had run off, Ianto never would have guessed he’d have an aptitude for the more physical side of their investigations, but he did, and the thought of giving it all up made him feel slightly ill.

He listened as Gwen and Jack danced around the potentially awkward issue of who was in charge, smiling as Jack suggested naked wrestling to solve the problem. He gave Andy a smile as well as he passed the young man on his way past the police line and headed back to the SUV. They had just reached the vehicle when Jack's wriststrap began to beep.

Jack snatched his hand away from the car door and pushed a button that stopped the noise.

"Whoa," Ianto said. "That never beeps."

Jack glanced at him. "That's what I was thinking." He pressed another button on his wriststrap and a life-size blue hologram of a man appeared in front of them.

"I can't believe I got the answer machine!" the hologram complained. "What can you be doing that's more important than me?"

Ianto hated him instantly. He felt the same sick jealousy that Gwen used to inspire wash over him as the hologram smirked knowingly at Jack. He looked over at Jack to see how he reacted to the intimate tone. Jack's glare didn’t slip for a moment – in fact it deepened as the hologram admitted to throwing their victim off the roof and then told Jack where to find him for drinks.

Drinks? Who the hell is this guy? Ianto thought as the man mimicked a classic moment from Star Wars. Ok, he admitted reluctantly, that was kind of funny.

His amusement came to an abrupt end as Jack took a deep breath and said, "Stay here. Don't come after me." He turned and threw himself into the SUV, giving them one last look as he drove off and left them.

Ianto took a few steps backward as Jack peeled away from the curb. He could hardly believe his eyes. Jack was gone.

Again.

TBC in Chapter Three

Fic: The Sea After a Storm (1/?)

2009-09-21T23:51:05Z

Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 1

Rating: R (base rating)

Warnings: None really

Spoilers: Season Two thru Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2x01)

Pairings: Jack/Ianto

Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©’s to Chris Chibnall for dialogue borrowed from Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. No infringement, only worship intended!

Summary: In which Jack has returned and dispatched the blowfish…

Notes: And so we begin! This is my Season 2 Gap Filler - sequel to Vizzini’s Rule and To The Pain. Since it's been ages since I posted, if you'd like a quick refresher on the important points of To The Pain, you might want to read An Overdeveloped Sense of Vengeance – it leads right into Chapter One. Thanks to my amazing beta and wonderful friend thrace_adamsfor all the help and support; any mistakes are mine!

The Sea After a Storm: Chapter One

"Hey, kids. Did you miss me?" Jack asked, his smile turning into a grin as he laughed quietly.

Ianto stared at him, unable to believe his eyes. Jack. Jack is here. He repeated the words in his head, trying to make them make sense.

The rest of the team seemed to be suffering from the same problem, each of them frozen in place, staring at their Captain.

"Can I… help… please… God, it hurts," a ragged voice cried weakly.

"Robert!" the woman in the other room called out as she hurried to him, dragging their daughter in her wake. "Robert, can you hear me?" she asked as she dropped to her knees by her husband.

"Didn’t get shot in the ear, love," he whispered and then laughed, the noise sounding wet and painful.

Gwen snapped into action, flicking the safety on her gun and tucking it in the back of her jeans as she started barking out questions and orders. "Owen, is he stable? Can we wait for the paramedics or should we get him to A&E on our own?"

Owen prepped a needle and spoke as he filled the syringe. "He’ll be just fine."

"Good," Gwen said with a relieved sigh. "Good work. Tosh, if you’ll call 999 and get the ambulance on the way? You can report the shooting but tell them Torchwood is on the scene and that we'll handle the body."

"Gotcha," Tosh said, pocketing her gun and the scanner and flipping open her mobile.

Ianto finally tore his eyes away from Jack and spoke up. "I’ll deal with the… er, blowfish, then, shall I?"

Gwen nodded gratefully. "That would be wonderful. Oh, and on the way back from the SUV could you…?" she trailed off and tapped her temple with her index finger.

"Of course. Perhaps you could make some tea?" he suggested. "I’m sure a nice cuppa would make everyone feel better."

"Right," she replied with a smile. She headed for the kitchen at the back of the house, passing Jack along the way with a muttered, "Excuse me."

Ianto looked over at Jack again. He really couldn’t help himself. To say the man was a sight for sore eyes was an understatement of epic proportions.

Jack looked lost, watching the bustle around him, outside of it all somehow. Ianto wondered what would happen if he simply launched himself at his Captain and snogged him senseless. We’re going to Retcon these nice people anyway, he thought, suppressing slightly hysterical laughter. Instead of giving in to his baser instincts, he turned to the body of the blowfish and bent down to lift it over his shoulders.

"Here, let me help," Jack said quietly.

Ianto glanced up and met concerned blue eyes. He swallowed hard. "Thank you, sir," he replied just as quietly.

Together they hefted the blowfish’s surprisingly heavy corpse and manoeuvred it out to the SUV. While Jack secured the body in the boot, Ianto sorted out three light doses of Retcon. Jack joined him by the open passenger-side door as he finished updating the log. Ianto didn’t realize how close Jack was until he turned and found himself nose to nose with his… Friend? Lover? Ex-lover? Boss, Ianto told himself firmly. That part is still true no matter what else happens.

Jack looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to shove Ianto into the SUV and ravage him or simply burst into tears. Ianto understood exactly how he felt. They stood there, eyes locked, both of them breathing hard. A sudden sense of déjà vu struck Ianto. It was just over a year ago that he’d found himself in exactly the same position, a breath away from Jack, unable to move, to look away, overcome with the desire to press his mouth against those perfect lips. Of course, a year ago they’d been lying together on a grimy warehouse floor with an unconscious pterodactyl as the only witness. This time… Ianto felt his heart beat faster and his breath hitch in his throat as he swayed forward slightly. There it was, underneath the rain and the fresh cut grass and the increasingly strong smell of dead fish, there it was. Jack, Ianto thought blissfully as he breathed in the scent that had haunted his dreams for the last hundred and twenty-nine days. Jack.

"Ianto? Gwen said the tea’s ready," Tosh called from the front door. "We have to hurry, the ambulance is on its way."

Ianto jerked and stepped quickly away from Jack. He looked back as he hurried into the house to see that Jack hadn’t moved. He was still standing there, head bent, the picture of dejection. Part of Ianto yearned to take Jack in his arms and make him feel better, while another part, the less charitable part of him was experiencing a bit of schadenfreude at Jack’s obvious pain. You’re a horrible person, Ianto Jones, he thought to himself as he dosed the cups of tea Gwen had prepared.

"That should do it," he murmured. "I suggest we get the ambulance to take all three of them and when they pass out, it’ll be written off as shock. The police can explain the break in later, leaving out the blowfish, of course. Even if they do manage to remember something about their attacker, they’ll dismiss it as stress or an overactive imagination."

"Great. Thanks, Ianto. How… er, did he say anything?" she asked as she picked up the cups.

"No," Ianto said shortly. "And I didn’t ask."

Gwen looked like she wanted to say more but just nodded and took the tea to the distraught family. The women finished their cups of tea quickly and Owen had been able to slip the wounded man’s dose into the IV bag he had started before the ambulance and the police arrived. Gwen liaised with the police, giving them a highly edited version of the events which painted the wounded man as the hero of the night. Ianto smiled to himself as he listened. Gwen always felt so terrible whenever they had to resort to Retcon that she tended to go a bit overboard on the cover stories.

After they’d made sure that any traces of question-inducing evidence had been removed from the house, Gwen turned the scene over to SOCO and the team headed back to the SUV… and Jack.

Ianto realized as he stepped outside that Jack had never rejoined them in the house. He glanced around as he followed Tosh out the front door and spotted him over by the stolen Crossfire that the blowfish had been driving. Jack was on his mobile, talking animatedly with whomever was on the other end of the call. Ianto frowned and stepped closer, trying to overhear without interrupting.

"…back driver’s side tyre. Thanks, Skip. Yeah, I’d really rather get it back in one piece." Jack paused and smiled, but Ianto noticed it still didn’t quite meet his eyes. "Great. Great. And we’ll take it from there. Great. Thanks, Skip."

Jack flipped his phone closed and looked over at Ianto with a shrug. "Talked to one of the sergeants. He said the car was stolen by the blowfish? Well, you know, without saying blowfish." He waited for Ianto’s nod of confirmation and then continued. "I thought it would be nice if we could get it back to the owner without a blown out tyre, since I’m guessing we blew out the tyre?"

Ianto couldn’t get used to Jack's questioning, uncertain tone. He wondered again just where Jack had been and what had happened to him. Jack was looking at him expectantly and Ianto realized he hadn’t replied.

"Yes, yes, Owen’s handiwork," he said quickly. "That was nice of you, sir."

Jack just shrugged again and then cringed as Tosh’s angry cry rang out.

"Jack Harkness, you stole my bloody car?" she hollered.

"Not stole, borrowed," Jack said sheepishly. "I have a key so it can hardly be considered stealing."

Tosh didn’t seem to be impressed with his rationalization and stared at him, angrily tapping one very pointy boot. Jack didn’t miss the motion or its implication and flinched just a bit. Tosh huffed and then turned her back on Jack, striding over to the vehicle in question. She paused as she opened the door.

"Anyone who doesn’t want to ride with a rotting fish corpse is free to come with me," she offered and then dropped into the driver's seat, slamming her door behind her.

Owen glanced at the SUV and then at Tosh’s car. He tossed the keys at Ianto, who caught them just before they smacked him in the face. "I’m in," he called.

"Me, too," Gwen added. She was still avoiding even looking at Jack.

As she and Owen fought to get into Tosh’s small car, bickering about who had to sit in the backseat, Jack glanced over at Ianto.

"Well? Aren’t you going to join them?" he asked in clipped tones.

Ianto slowly shook his head. "No, I’ll take you back in the SUV."

Jack smiled hesitantly.

"It looks like Gwen won the front seat debate and the smell of dead fish is infinitely preferable to riding smashed up next to Owen," he finished.

The smile faded from Jack’s face to be replaced with an angry frown. Ianto realized that Jack had taken the joke the wrong way and was about to apologize, when Jack rasped out, "Well, let’s go, then," and stalked over to the SUV.

Ianto sighed. It was going to be a long night.

TBC in Chapter Two

Fic: Posting Update

2009-09-21T17:50:12Z

Hello my lovelies!!
*hugs*
I have missed you all!

Life has been…well…craptastic, to be honest. To illustrate? The only things I've had to look forward all year were Torchsong and Children of Earth. *insert Ianto-worthy eyeroll here*

However, thanks to some propping up when I just wanted to fall down (bless you thrace_adams and teachwriteslash in particular), I have gotten a good chunk of my next Ianto-Centric Gap Filler written and ready to post! Look for Chapter One later today.

My posting schedule will be a bit odd for this one. To make sure that I can post steadily and not ever leave you hanging on waiting for a new chapter, I will be posting two chapters per week, one on Monday and one on Thursday. If things lighten up for me in the real world and I get a chance to post more, I certainly will, but that's the plan for now.

This new story, The Sea After a Storm, will cover all of Season 2 with strict adherence to canon, just like Vizzini's Rule. After the closing moments of Exit Wounds, however, all bets are off. I have some (hopefully!) interesting AU ideas for what I'm going to do next and I may use some of the radio shows, but I will not be writing a Season 3 fic. Ever. I've never played around with AU's much but I've been inspired by teachwriteslash's gorgeous Emapth!Ianto and Un-Verse and the really cool, multi-author project going on over at Turn Left, Torchwood which is retelling all of Torchwood, one episode at a time with major "left turns" all over the place. Check it out!

Anyhoo, that's my State of the Button address. Hope y'all enjoy the new fic!

*hugs*
buttononthetop

Fic: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain (6/6) NSFW

2009-09-04T15:04:00Z

Title: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter 6 of 6
Author: thrace_adamsand buttononthetop
Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: lots of smut, spanking, mild D/s, and some ankle abuse
Spoilers: None really, slight reference to Adam (2x05)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: We don’t own Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness, or Ianto Jones. If we did there would be less talky talky and more kissy kissy. What you recognize belongs to RTD and the BBC, what you don’t belongs to us. Thrace is a full time Mom and Button is a lowly admin working on a 10% pay-cut so you won’t make any money by suing either of us.

Summary: Jack's in a mood; Ianto has a plan – but will an injury spoil their fun?

Authors' Note: So this is ALL John Barrowman's fault… Last chapter!! Hope you enjoyed reading this silliness as much as we enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for all the lovely comments. *blows kisses*

Catch Up:
Chapter One and full Authors' Note
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five

All New:

Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter Six

Ianto did just what he said he was going to do. He went back down to the kitchen to straighten up. He cleaned up from making Jack’s snack and then searched through the cupboards and the fridge to see what they might have that he could use to make dinner. He hated to make another pasta dish, but seeing as they seemed to have an abundance of that, he figured pasta was on the menu. He had the pasta, cheese, and butter, all the makings for the original Alfredo. He pulled out his mobile and dialed the cottage manager. After some advice and a brief phone conversation, he had arranged for the local grocery to make a delivery later on in the afternoon to help him round out the meal. It certainly hadn’t hurt when he’d told them his partner was injured and he was loath to leave him alone, even though Jack was currently alone and whining in the upstairs bedroom.

Ianto chuckled to himself, he could hear Jack talking to himself upstairs, knew he was complaining. Jack hated to be cooped up and this ankle injury was definitely going to cramp his style for a few days. Ianto shook his head. He had very little sympathy for Jack. A part of him felt that Jack deserved what he’d gotten for fucking around. But then that small guilt-ridden voice in the back of his head spoke up admonishing him for literally kicking Jack while he was down.

“Ianto,” Jack called from upstairs.

Ianto sighed. He still hadn’t brought any new firewood inside.

“What, Jack?”

“I’m bored.”

“There are some magazines in the bedside table. Why don’t you look at those? I need to bring in some more firewood.”

“Are you sure?” Jack asked petulantly.

“Yes, I’m sure. I’ll get some firewood, finish straightening up and then be up to check on you. You’ve got your mobile on you?”

“Yes.”

“Call me if you need something. Only if you need something important, understand Jack?”

“Fine,” Jack replied crossly.

Ianto had to laugh. Jack really was like a spoiled toddler when he was hurt. He put on his coat and gloves and went outside to grab some firewood. His breathed puffed into the cold air as he brought a load of firewood from the woodpile and stacked it next to the backdoor. When he had a sufficient amount piled up he started to bring it into the firewood holder next to the fireplace. When it was full, he hung up his coat, and went into the kitchen to brew a fresh pot of coffee. He checked his watch. The grocery delivery should be here momentarily, he thought, smiling with satisfaction.

Just about the time he was finishing the coffee, there was a knock on the door. He went to open it.

“Here’s your groceries, Mr. Jones.”

The delivery boy handed him the bags. Ianto paid the bill plus a generous tip, thanked him, and sent him on his way.

“Ianto? Who was at the door?”

“The groceries I ordered for dinner.”

“Did you get something chocolate for dessert?”

“Of course I did, you know better than to ask that.”

“I was just checking. Are you done down there? I’m still bored.”

“I need to put the groceries away and then I’ll be up with some fresh coffee. How’s that sound?”

“Heavenly. Is it time for more pain meds yet?”

Ianto checked his watch and noticed that it was indeed almost time for some more meds.

“I’ll bring some up when I come. Just give me a few minutes.”

“Okay. Hurry.”

Ianto rolled his eyes and sighed. Yup, Jack is a right pain when he's injured or sick, no doubt about that. He went back into the kitchen and unloaded the groceries. He’d ordered some mushrooms, tomatoes, scallions, and lettuce for a salad, and some garlic bread, along with a few more bottles of wine. They were the makings for the perfect pasta Alfredo à la primavera. Add in the salad and the garlic bread and they would be stuffed to the gills. He smiled though as he unloaded the last couple of items, strawberries and melting chocolate. The perfect dessert. Jack would be pleased.

He put all the food away and disposed of the sacks. He poured two mugs of coffee and then carried them upstairs.

“What took you so long?” Jack pouted.

Ianto sighed. Patiently he explained to Jack, “I had to clean the kitchen, go out and stack some firewood, and then accept the groceries and put them away. Plus, I bring freshly brewed coffee, your pain meds, and a fresh bag of frozen peas.”

Jack smiled with pleasure and growled, “Come here.”

Ianto stepped forward, but when Jack grabbed for him, Ianto neatly pressed the coffee into his hands and moved to the chair in the corner of the room. Jack grumbled until he’d taken a sip of the coffee. His moan of enjoyment turned into a startled yelp when Ianto swapped out his warm, mushy bag of peas for the one fresh from the freezer.

“Feeling any better?” Ianto asked mildly. He had decided there wasn't any point being mad at Jack.

Jack flexed his ankle gingerly, pointing his toes and then pressing his heel forward. “A bit,” he admitted. “Can I get up now?”

Chuckling, Ianto shook his head. “No, you need to keep it elevated and keep icing it every hour.”

“How do you know so much about sprained ankles?” Jack asked as he reluctantly settled back into the pillows with his coffee.

“Rugby.”

“You played rugby?”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Ianto said dryly.

Jack flushed. “I didn’t mean it like that, I just – most rugby players I’ve met are more, you know… well, you’re not…” His voice trailed off.

“A muscle-bound prick?”

Jack nodded.

“Jaaack,” Ianto scolded. “Stereotyping like that, you should be ashamed. I was a back and a damn good one.”

“I’ll bet you were.” Jack shifted on the bed, clearly taking this conversation in a different direction. “So is being a back anything like being a b– ”

“Shut it!” Ianto ordered.

Jack grinned and took another drink of his coffee.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes as they finished their warm drinks. Jack set his mug down and turned to Ianto with a speculative look in his eye. Ianto lowered his mug and choked on his last swallow of coffee when he caught Jack’s glance.

“What?” he asked, his voice rough from the cough and the desire that had suddenly suffused the room.

“C’mere?” Jack asked innocently.

Ianto snorted. “I don’t think so.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re injured.”

“It’s just my ankle.”

“That’s enough.”

“Come on, Ianto. I’m fine. Although,” Jack said with another grin. “Some parts of me are a little jealous about all the attention my ankle’s been getting.”

Ianto’s lips twitched but he held back his smile. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“And you think we need to fix that?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jack said with a little groan. He rolled his hips and reached behind him for the iron bars of the headboard, shifting under the covers as he arched his back, the offer blatantly obvious.

“Christ!” The exclamation was whispered, fraught with tension and passion.

Jack watched as Ianto fought with himself. He was practically vibrating off the chair, but was still holding himself back. Jack sat up and pulled his t-shirt off slowly. He let his hands roam over his smooth chest, tweaking his nipples as he lay back down. He could hear Ianto breathing hard across the room but not the sound of him leaving that damn chair.

Jack decided to bring out the big guns.

Pun intended.

Jack groaned and threw the covers off the bed. He slid his hands under the waistband of his boxers and used one to stroke the hard length of his cock as he fondled his balls with the other. He let go to push the fabric down over his legs, removing the bag of frozen peas long enough to take the boxers off and then carefully replaced it. He glanced at Ianto who was watching him with eyes darkened with lust and smiled again. He used the ends of the towel Ianto had draped over the pillow that was elevating his ankle to secure the bag of peas. He even gave it a little shake to demonstrate his skill. Of course, he had to bite his lip at the dull throb of pain in his ankle that accompanied the shake, but it was worth it when Ianto shifted forward in the chair.

Jack bent his good leg at the knee, spreading himself open to Ianto’s interested gaze. His hands returned to his cock, stroking gently, just keeping him ready for Ianto to change his mind.

“Wh– ” Ianto cleared his throat. “What are you doing, Jack?”

“What does it look like?” Jack asked. He slid one hand down to tease at the entrance to his body. “You won’t help so I have to do it all by myself.”

“Hardly seems polite,” Ianto said with a small smile. His hand strayed down his chest and toyed with the button on his jeans.

Jack nodded and then groaned as he slipped the tip of his finger inside himself. He glanced up when the chair creaked and saw Ianto standing by the end of the bed, undressing quickly. “Oh, thank God,” he moaned. He reached for the bottle of lubricant under the pillow set it beside himself.

Ianto climbed carefully onto the bed, not wanting to jostle Jack’s ankle, but there was nothing tentative about the way he swallowed Jack’s erection in one swift movement.

“God, Ianto!” Jack cried. He instinctively began to thrust into the wet heat of Ianto’s mouth and cried out in pain when he tried to brace both feet on the bed to do it.

Ianto was off his cock in a second. “Dammit, Jack, this is why I said no.”

Jack’s hand shot out to close around Ianto’s wrist. No way was he letting his lover get off this bed now. “My fault,” he gasped. “Stupid. Come on, come up here.”

Jack pulled Ianto to him, arranging them so Ianto was straddling his hips and he was lying flat on the mattress. Ianto still looked worried, his blue eyes tense, his mouth turned down. Jack tugged him down into a long, slow, deep kiss. It took some time, but Jack felt the instant that Ianto let go and lost himself in his lover’s arms, his lips, the soft stroke of hands over skin. Jack just kept kissing Ianto. At first it was to keep him off balance, keep him focused on their need and not Jack’s ankle, but then Jack was lost in it too, his senses thrumming with the taste and scent of Ianto all around him. He tightened his arms across Ianto’s back and buried his mouth even deeper in Ianto’s, kissing him with every drop of passion in his body. His hands slid over Ianto’s skin, moving down bit by bit until he had Ianto by the hips. He began to pull him forward gently as they kissed, moving Ianto slowly up his body until his knees hit Jack’s armpits and Ianto looked up in surprise.

“What’re you doing, Jack?” Ianto whispered. He leaned back down to kiss a path from the corner of Jack’s mouth to his ear, taking the lobe between his teeth for a moment.

Jack shuddered and slipped his hands over the curves of Ianto’s arse and tugged again. “Want you up here,” he whispered back.

“Where?” Ianto asked coyly.

“Here,” Jack insisted. He nudged his arms under Ianto’s knees so Ianto was straddling his shoulders.

Ianto gasped and grabbed the top of the wrought-iron bed frame to steady himself as he let Jack move him into position. He looked down at his Captain as Jack licked his lips and increased the pressure on Ianto’s arse, moving him forward the last few inches so he could capture Ianto’s straining cock with his mouth. Ianto groaned and threw his head back as Jack drew him in, stroking along Ianto’s cock with his tongue.

“God, Jack!” Ianto cried out, fighting his knees which had turned to water and wanted to let him collapse onto Jack. His thighs trembled with the effort, but he managed to keep himself upright as Jack wrapped his arms around and held onto Ianto’s hips, giving himself the space to move back and forth on Ianto’s cock. It didn’t take long before Ianto was moaning above him, his hands moving restlessly from Jack’s hair to his own nipples to the bed frame again.

Jack grinned and let Ianto slip from his mouth, licking along the shaft, slowly moving down until he could nuzzle and suck at the soft skin surrounding Ianto’s balls. He cupped Ianto’s arse in his hands and pushed gently upwards until he was able to reach his goal.

“Jack!” Ianto cried out again. “Jack – you – God – feels so – God!”

Pleased that he’d brought Ianto to the verge of babbling idiocy with just a few strokes of his tongue, Jack redoubled his efforts, making his tongue flat and soft and rubbing it directly over the entrance to Ianto’s body and then immediately firming it to a point and driving it inside. Ianto moaned and rocked over him as Jack licked and rubbed and feasted on him. Jack knew he wouldn’t last much longer and he wanted to be inside Ianto too much to just reach down and finish himself off. He bent his arm at an awkward angle and managed to add two fingers to the work his tongue was doing. Ianto gave a sobbing gasp and then struggled against Jack’s hands, trying to get away.

“Wha– ”

“Need you,” Ianto said breathlessly. He fumbled for the bottle of lubricant as he moved down Jack’s body. He fused their mouths together and flipped open the cap. Without missing a beat of the passionate kiss, Ianto managed to coat Jack’s fingers and his own palm with the slick. He raised up a bit and reached between them to slide his hand over Jack’s cock, transferring the lube as he stroked and teased.

Jack groaned and followed suit, reaching around Ianto and slipping two, then three fingers easily into his relaxed opening.

Ianto stroked Jack one last time and gripped the base of the shaft as he moved back. Jack realized what he was doing and hurriedly removed his hand, holding on to Ianto’s hips instead. Ianto eased himself back onto Jack’s cock. He took his time, lowering himself slowly, almost torturously so, until he was fully seated. Then he leaned down and kissed Jack again. He raised up and then let gravity pull him back down, making them both groan as he took Jack deep.

Jack’s hips seemed to move of their own accord, trying to thrust deeper inside. He moaned when he felt Ianto clench around him.

“Uh-uh,” he scolded. “You’ll hurt yourself again.”

“Ianto, you – ” Jack’s voice cut out with a gasp as Ianto squeezed him again.

“No, Jack. This is my ride,” he whispered.

With one last, lingering kiss, Ianto pulled himself upright and really began to ride. He flexed his thighs, raising up and down, up and down on Jack’s cock. Jack relaxed and let him take control, but he was anything but passive. He smoothed his hands over Ianto’s chest, teasing and tweaking his nipples, stroked his cock, his balls, his legs, alternately cupped and squeezed his arse, feeling the muscles clench and release under his hands. He rubbed the taut skin that stretched around his cock and reveled in the shudders that wracked Ianto as he touched the place of their joining.

Ianto cried out. His hand clenched on Jack’s chest and then quickly closed around his own cock, his skin flushed and shining with his efforts.

“God, yes, Ianto. Come for me, come on me. Do it, let me see you, beautiful. God, you’re so beautiful like this.” Jack was babbling but he couldn’t help himself. To see his buttoned-up lover just let go, impaling himself on Jack’s cock, hand jerking on his own cock, it never failed to send Jack right to the edge.

Ianto was panting now, his shallow little breaths indicating just how close he was. Jack would have given anything to flip Ianto over and fuck him into the mattress until he came. He moaned and cursed himself again for being so clumsy.

Ianto opened his eyes and looked down at his lover as he bit his lip. “Close, Jack,” he almost whimpered.

“Me, too,” Jack whispered. He bent his good leg and braced Ianto’s opposite hip. He thrust upwards, hard.

“Jack!” Ianto cried out. He arched and then froze for a second before he started to come. He rocked back and then thrust forward into his fist, coming hard across the smooth planes of Jack’s chest. He moaned and quivered on Jack as he came, his hips swiveling, moving, almost dancing on Jack’s cock.

The sight of Ianto’s orgasm nearly sent Jack tumbling over as well. He held back, wanting to see and feel every second of Ianto’s bliss. After Ianto’s cock had stopped pulsing and the death-grip of Ianto’s channel around his cock had loosened a fraction, Jack thrust again, making Ianto moan. It wasn’t perfect, but it was enough. A few more thrusts and Jack was coming as well, shouting Ianto’s name as he shuddered inside him.

Ianto let himself fall forward, unable to do anything for several minutes but breathe. He groaned as he lifted up and let Jack slip from his body. Jack’s answering groan made Ianto dart a glance upward.

“You okay? You didn’t hurt your ankle more, did you?” he asked quickly.

Jack just smiled and shook his head. “Told you it would be fine.”

Ianto snorted and curled carefully around Jack. He rested his head on Jack’s chest. “That was better than fine,” he murmured.

He felt Jack’s hand on his cheek, tugging him gently. When Ianto looked up again, Jack kissed him gently. “Way better than fine.”

Chuckling , slipped from the bed, returning moments later with a warm cloth. He cleaned Jack quickly and then snuggled up against his good side so he wouldn’t accidently bump Jack’s ankle.

“I should go make dinner,” he said reluctantly.

Jack shook his head and hugged Ianto to him. “Not hungry.”

Ianto laughed softly and glanced over at the bedside table and saw Jack’s pills still sitting next to the now empty mug.

“You didn’t take your pain meds,” he murmured while Jack kissed a random pattern over his forehead.

“Mmm…don’t need them, I’ve got you.”

Ianto snorted softly and turned his face for a kiss. “You’re sappy when you’re injured,” Ianto pointed out.

“I thought I was a whiny, pain in the ass when I was injured,” Jack said with a chuckle.

“I never said that!”

“You were thinking it, I could tell,” Jack said. He tightened his arms around Ianto and whispered close to his ear, “Thank you.”

“For thinking you’re a whiny, pain in the arse?” Ianto asked, confused.

Jack shook his head. “For kidnapping me for a weekend away, for bringing me juice and buying chocolate for dessert and for not telling me I’m a whiny, pain in the ass.”

Ianto’s cheeks pinked as he smiled. “I suppose I’ll just have to do a better job of keeping you entertained while you’re stuck in bed,” he teased.

“I can think of a few things that might keep me from whining,” Jack said.

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah, there’s quite a list. Give me half an hour and I’ll show you.”

“Half an hour?” Ianto scoffed. “You’re getting old, Jack.”

“I’ll show you old,” Jack growled and tumbled Ianto back into the sheets with a deep kiss.

It looked like dinner was going to be late.

~ * ~ finis ~ * ~

Fic: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain (5/6)

2009-09-02T14:11:21Z

Title: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter 5 of 6
Author: thrace_adams and buttononthetop
Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: lots of smut, spanking, mild D/s, and some ankle abuse
Spoilers: None really, slight reference to Adam (2x05)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: We don’t own Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness, or Ianto Jones. If we did there would be less talky talky and more kissy kissy. What you recognize belongs to RTD and the BBC, what you don’t belongs to us. Thrace is a full time Mom and Button is a lowly admin working on a 10% pay-cut so you won’t make any money by suing either of us.

Summary: Jack's in a mood; Ianto has a plan – but will an injury spoil their fun?

Authors' Note: So this is ALL John Barrowman's fault…

Catch Up:
Chapter One and full Authors' Note
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four

All New:
Chapter Five

Fic: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain (4/6) NSFW

2009-08-31T15:27:20Z

Title: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter 4 of 6
Author: thrace_adams and buttononthetop
Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: lots of smut, spanking, mild D/s, and some ankle abuse
Spoilers: None really, slight reference to Adam (2x05)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: We don’t own Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness, or Ianto Jones. If we did there would be less talky talky and more kissy kissy. What you recognize belongs to RTD and the BBC, what you don’t belongs to us. Thrace is a full time Mom and Button is a lowly admin working on a 10% pay-cut so you won’t make any money by suing either of us.

Summary: Jack's in a mood; Ianto has a plan – but will an injury spoil their fun?

Authors' Note: So this is ALL John Barrowman's fault… And special thanks to luvinthe88and20 for our shiny story icon!!

Catch Up:
Chapter One and full Authors' Note
Chapter Two
Chapter Three

All New:
Chapter Four

Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter Four

Ianto awoke to Jack twitching in his arms. He ran a soothing hand over Jack’s back, surprised to find the smooth skin was chilly. He opened his eyes and realized that they’d fallen asleep in front of the fire which had died down leaving Jack, who was naked, shivering and clinging to Ianto for warmth.

“Wake up, Jack,” Ianto whispered as he tightened his arms around his Captain.

Jack muttered under his breath and pushed into Ianto, burying his head against Ianto’s shoulder.

“Come on, cariad, come back to me.”

Ianto leaned down to capture Jack’s mouth, gently kissing him awake. Jack finally began to respond, one hand creeping up to cup the back of Ianto’s head as he deepened the kiss. Ianto groaned and rolled Jack onto his back.

“Ow!” Jack cried out, suddenly awake.

“Oh, sorry,” Ianto said, pulling Jack back onto his side. He kissed Jack softly. “I forgot,” he whispered apologetically.

Jack chuckled and stroked Ianto’s cheek with his thumb. “S’okay,” he mumbled sleepily.

“Let’s get you upstairs and into bed,” Ianto said. He put words into action as he rose smoothly and offered a hand to Jack.

Jack used the momentum to press his body flush with Ianto’s. He rubbed along his lover like a cat, enjoying the friction of Ianto’s clothes against his naked skin.

Ianto laughed softly and pulled away, taking Jack by the hand and leading him up the stairs. “None of that now, Captain,” he admonished.

“Why not?” Jack grumbled but he allowed Ianto to lead him to the bed without any real resistance.

Ianto pulled back the blankets and nudged Jack onto the bed. As Jack stretched luxuriously, pillowing his head on his folded arms, Ianto inspected his handiwork. There were no marks on the perfect curves of Jack’s arse, just a uniform redness fading to pink. He fumbled around in his bag for a moment until he found the aloe that he never traveled without.

Jack hissed as Ianto spread the cool gel over his heated cheeks.

“You’ll thank me in the morning,” Ianto said dryly as he continued his massage.

“I’d thank you right now, but you said – ” Jack interrupted himself with a huge yawn.

“And that’s why I said ‘not now’,” Ianto pointed out. He stepped into the bath to rinse off his hands. “Have you slept at all this week, Jack?” he called out as he turned off the water. He came back to the room, unbuttoning his shirt.

Jack had raised himself to his elbows and peeked over his shoulder at Ianto with a look of chagrin.

Ianto rolled his eyes. “I thought as much. You may think you don’t need to sleep like the rest of us mere mortals, Captain, but let me tell you – you’re a right cranky bastard if you skip it altogether.” Ianto punctuated this observation with a light smack on Jack’s arse.

Jack moaned and moved the tempting target away from Ianto. He snuggled down under the blankets and watched Ianto finish undressing with a little pout on his face, making Ianto grin. When he was finally naked, he crawled under the covers with Jack who cuddled close, making sure he didn’t roll onto his back again. After a long session of goodnight kisses, Jack finally admitted that sleep sounded like an excellent idea. They shifted, finding the most comfortable places on the unfamiliar mattress and in the other man’s familiar embrace. With one last kiss, Ianto drifted off.

Jack was awake a little longer, staring at the sleeping man in his arms, marveling at the strength and passion that lay under the quiet surface. He pulled the covers up and bit back a moan when the sheets rubbed against his throbbing arse. He chuckled as he tucked his head under Ianto’s chin and drew his fingers through the soft hair on Ianto’s chest. I really need to stop underestimating him, Jack thought as he began to fall asleep. Especially since he always wears a belt…

//////////////////////////

Ianto was dreaming about Jack’s mouth. He moaned and pushed his hips forward, reveling in the hot, wet suction around his cock. His hands drifted down of their own accord, wanting to take care of his morning glory while the dream still lingered. He jerked when his fingers encountered Jack’s hair.

“Mmmmm…” Jack hummed as he very, very slowly pulled off Ianto’s cock, pausing to rub his tongue on the underside of the head as he finally let it fall from his mouth. “Good morning.”

“Nyah,” Ianto gasped unintelligibly.

“My sentiments exactly,” Jack chuckled. He kissed his way over Ianto’s body as his hand took over for his mouth, leisurely stroking Ianto’s cock, keeping it hard. “I had big plans when I woke up. I was going to make you breakfast, but I figured foisting my undrinkable coffee on you wouldn’t be a very nice way to say thank you for taking care of me last night.” Jack paused there to run his tongue along the ridge of Ianto’s hip bone.

Ianto shivered and buried his hand in Jack’s hair, but whether it was to pull him close or push him away, Ianto couldn’t say.

“So,” Jack continued as he nuzzled Ianto’s belly. “I got back into bed, cuz let’s face it,” he chuckled. “It’s where I do my best work.”

“Jack,” Ianto scolded.

“Shush, my turn now.”

Ianto stroked his hand through Jack’s hair and nodded.

Jack dropped his mouth to capture one of Ianto’s nipples between his teeth. He tugged gently as he tongued the pebbled flesh making Ianto arch up and moan.

“Mmmm, love that,” Jack whispered darkly. “Now, where was I?”

“Best work,” Ianto murmured breathlessly.

“Oh, yes. So I got back in bed and you stubbornly refused to wake up,” Jack complained. He attacked Ianto’s nipple again, alternating sharp nips with soothing sweeps of his tongue and soft kisses. He moved his mouth just below the firm pink flesh and sucked hard, pulling the blood up to the skin as he marked Ianto with a dark love bite.

Ianto moaned. “S-s-sorry?” he offered.

“You will be when you hear what you missed.” Jack’s chuckle sent puffs of warm air across Ianto’s damp nipple, making it tighten even further.

“What’d I miss?”

Jack didn’t respond with words, he simply surged up and took Ianto’s mouth in a fierce kiss. Ianto held onto to Jack’s shoulders for dear life as his Captain devoured him. He was so focused on the kiss that he didn’t notice Jack straddling him and kneeling up. He did notice, however, when Jack’s hand disappeared from between his legs and Jack impaled himself on Ianto’s cock.

“Jack!” Ianto cried out as his lover continued to move down, not stopping until Ianto’s cock was as far up his arse as it had ever been.

“Wanna know what you missed?” Jack asked breathlessly, squeezing his powerful muscles around Ianto.

Biting his lip to keep from thrusting into Jack’s unprepared passage with his unlubed cock, Ianto nodded, eyes worried. He hated hurting Jack and, unlike last night, this would be real pain.

Jack moved easily above him, lifting himself almost off of Ianto’s cock and then sliding back down, making them both moan.

“You missed me, staring at you while you slept, stroking my cock, thinking about the way you took me last night in front of the fire, thinking about how empty I felt and how you filled me up. I wanted to come again but it wasn’t enough, my hand wasn’t enough. So I found the lube under the pillow – and can I say how much I adore you for having lube under the pillow in a rental? – anyway, I slicked up my fingers and tried to pretend they were your cock.” Jack came down hard on Ianto’s cock again. “But it still wasn’t enough,” Jack gasped. “I needed you, inside me, filling me, taking me, making me yours again.”

“Like this?” Ianto asked. He braced his feet on the bed and thrust into Jack, finally trusting that his lover had prepared himself enough that he wouldn’t hurt him.

“Yes!” Jack cried out, his head falling back as he continued to fuck himself on Ianto’s cock.

Ianto met every downward movement of Jack’s with a powerful thrust of his own, slamming them together.

“God, Ianto!”

“Feel me, Jack,” Ianto said in a voice rough with passion. “Feel what you do to me!” He pushed up into Jack’s silken heat, bracing his hands on Jack’s powerful thighs, loving the way the muscles strained as Jack raised and lowered himself again and again.

Jack forced himself to open his eyes before the pleasure coursing through him just carried him away. He wanted to savor this, to see Ianto as he’d pictured him in his mind. He caught his breath as he looked down.

It was even better than he’d imagined.

Ianto was spread out beneath him, flushed with passion. His hands moved restlessly from Jack’s thighs to his own nipples to the headboard behind him, gripping the wrought iron for leverage as he pounded into his lover. Jack groaned as a particularly savage thrust slid the entire length of Ianto’s cock across his prostate and then groaned again as Ianto’s hand moved back down his chest, pausing to tease the hard peaks of his nipples. Ianto answered his moan as he let his thumb press into the love bite Jack had left there.

Jack covered Ianto’s hand with his own, growling, “Mine!” as he leaned down for a long, wet, deep kiss.

“Mine!” Ianto echoed as he thrust into Jack.

"Yours," Jack groaned against Ianto's lips.

“God, Jack! Touch yourself! I want to feel you come around me. Want to see you.”

“Yes, sir,” Jack whispered against Ianto’s lips before stealing another kiss.

He sat back up, driving Ianto deep inside him as he leaned back slightly to give himself room. He palmed his erection, smoothing the copious precome over the head and down the shaft for lubrication. Looking right into Ianto’s eyes, Jack began to stroke himself roughly, adding a practiced twist whenever he reached the tip.

“Yes, Jack, yes, come for me!” Ianto ordered breathlessly, holding himself back with a herculean effort. He redoubled his efforts, his feet planted firmly on the mattress, thrusting into Jack with wild abandon.

Jack cried out, his hand fisting his cock even tighter as his balls drew up tight and he came hard, painting Ianto’s belly and chest with long streaks of come. He continued to stroke himself as Ianto continued to thrust into him, drawing out his pleasure as long as he could. He was about to collapse onto Ianto when he felt the other man move.

Ianto tipped Jack backwards, pushing him down onto his back without losing their connection. He pushed Jack’s legs up and apart with his arms and began to drive into him again.

It was Jack’s turn to be sprawled out on the bed and he looked beautiful, sated and utterly debauched. Still flying from his own orgasm, all Jack could do was lie there and take what Ianto gave him, clenching around his lover as he chased his own pleasure. It didn’t take long. Fewer than dozen hard thrusts and Ianto was lost, calling out Jack’s name in a low, rough voice as he emptied his cock, pulsing inside Jack as came long and hard.

Ianto fell slowly on to Jack’s chest until his cheek was resting over his lover’s heart. They lay there, letting their breathing return to normal and savoring the closeness. With a quiet groan, Ianto shifted his hips and began to withdraw from Jack’s body.

Jack immediately tightened around him and whispered, “Stay.”

Ianto raised his head and caught his breath at the expression in Jack’s blue eyes. Everything Jack had never said, never would say, was in that look. Ianto leaned up and kissed Jack gently, moving his mouth against soft lips that parted and welcomed him inside. As Ianto deepened the kiss, he slowly pulled his cock from Jack’s protesting body. When Jack whimpered at the loss, Ianto smiled against his lips.

“You’ll cramp and I don’t want to hurt you,” Ianto whispered.

“I can take it,” Jack said defensively.

Ianto shook his head. “But I can’t.” He stroked his hand over Jack’s dark hair and kissed the corner of his mouth. “Never want to hurt you, Jack.”

“My bum might argue with you,” Jack teased.

Ianto rolled his eyes. “That wasn’t about hurting you and you know it.”

Jack tightened his arms and rolled them until he was back on top. “I know,” he said softly as he kissed Ianto again.

Once his mouth was free, Ianto asked, “So, no more underestimating me?”

“I swear, you can read my mind sometimes,” Jack said with a gasp of laughter.

“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Ianto said dryly. “At least until something else happens and you get all overprotective again, right?”

Jack grunted. “Probably,” he admitted.

Ianto chuckled. He reached up to stroke Jack’s face, tracing his fingers over the dark brows, the little lines at the corners of those blue blue eyes, down the straight nose, over lips, cheekbones, jaw line, finally coming to rest on the dimple in Jack’s chin.

“See anything you like?”

Ianto nodded, any flippant replies arrested by the emotion still lingering in Jack’s eyes. “Everything,” he whispered as he leaned up to press his lips to Jack’s.

After several long minutes, Jack finally broke the kiss and rolled off of Ianto and out of the bed. He tugged his lover up along with him and into the ensuite bath.

“Shower,” he said succinctly when Ianto raised an enquiring eyebrow at him. “Food. More sex.”

As the bath filled with steam, Jack reached for Ianto with his own look of intense concentration and pulled him close. “Maybe not in that order,” he mused as he crushed his mouth to Ianto’s once again.

TBC on Wednesday...

Fic: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain (3/6)

2009-08-28T23:53:31Z

Title: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter 3 of 6
Author: thrace_adams and buttononthetop
Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: lots of smut, spanking, mild D/s, and some ankle abuse
Spoilers: None really, slight reference to Adam (2x05)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: We don’t own Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness, or Ianto Jones. If we did there would be less talky talky and more kissy kissy. What you recognize belongs to RTD and the BBC, what you don’t belongs to us. Thrace is a full time Mom and Button is a lowly admin working on a 10% pay-cut so you won’t make any money by suing either of us.

Summary: Jack's in a mood; Ianto has a plan – but will an injury spoil their fun?

Authors' Note: So this is ALL John Barrowman's fault…

Catch Up:
Chapter One and full Authors' Note
Chapter Two

All New:
Chapter Three

Fic: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain (2/6)

2009-08-26T16:04:19Z

Title: Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter 2 of 6
Author: thrace_adamsand buttononthetop
Rating: NC-17 overall
Warnings: lots of smut, spanking, mild D/s, and some ankle abuse
Spoilers: None really, slight reference to Adam (2x05)
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: We don’t own Torchwood, Captain Jack Harkness, or Ianto Jones. If we did there would be less talky talky and more kissy kissy. What you recognize belongs to RTD and the BBC, what you don’t belongs to us. Thrace is a full time Mom and Button is a lowly admin working on a 10% pay-cut so you won’t make any money by suing either of us.

Summary: Jack's in a mood; Ianto has a plan – but will an injury spoil their fun?

Authors' Note: So this is ALL John Barrowman's fault… Chapter One and full Authors' Note here.

Take It Like a Bitch…Captain, Chapter Two

Jack was getting impatient.

“Just how far out is this weevil attack, anyway?” he asked.

Ianto chuckled. “Anxious to do some pummeling, sir?”

Jack grunted and looked out the window.

“Might do you some good. Work out a little aggression?” Ianto suggested as he made a left turn.

“What do you mean?” Jack retorted defensively.

“I mean that you’ve been snapping at everyone for days. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Jack muttered.

“Bollocks. What’s going on, Jack?”

“Nothing,” Jack insisted. He looked out the window again. “You know, we’re way past normal weevil territory. Wonder what made this one wander out so far.”

Ianto sighed. He figured it was confession time. “There’s no weevil, Jack.”

“What?”

“No weevil, no rift alert.”

Jack fixed Ianto with a glare. “Then what,” he asked carefully, “are we doing out here?”

“I just wanted to get you away for a few days,” Ianto explained, loosening his tie a bit.

“And you figured kidnapping was your best option?”

Ianto flushed. “I was afraid if I asked you straight out, you’d just blow me off.”

“You were right. Turn the car around, Ianto. We’ve got work to do, we can’t just skip town for a long weekend and leave the Hub unmanned.”

Ianto shook his head. “It’s not unmanned, Tosh is there.” He chuckled. “It’s womanned.”

Jack did not share in Ianto’s amusement. “I’m serious, Ianto. Turn the car around and take me back to Cardiff right now.”

Ianto shook his head again and pressed the child-safety locks, effectively trapping Jack inside the car.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Jack muttered.

“Nope. You wanted a reward and this is it.”

Jack huffed. “This isn’t really what I had in mind.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m sorry if the prospect of a weekend alone with me doesn’t live up to your expectations.”

“That’s not what I meant,” Jack protested. “It’s just… oh, never mind.”

Glancing over at his sulky companion, Ianto asked, “Just what? Come on, Jack, talk to me.”

But Jack crossed his arms and shook his head.

Ianto sighed and pressed down a little harder on the accelerator. The sooner they got there the better.

/////////////////////////////

Ianto turned down the lane and rolled to a stop in front of the cottage Tosh had helped him reserve. He got out and checked the letterbox. The key and his receipt were in an envelope as promised. Without bothering to see if Jack was following, Ianto let himself inside.

The cottage was pleasantly, if sparsely furnished. A large sofa and one chair faced the enormous wood burning fireplace that took up most of one wall. There was a small stairway leading up to the bed and bath under the eaves and the kitchen was through a doorway across from the entrance. Ianto had studied the floor plan online and was pleased to see the reality was exactly what he’d imagined. There wouldn’t be any place for Jack to hide from him in here.

“Cozy,” was Jack’s summation as he closed the door behind him.

“That was the general idea,” Ianto said dryly. “I’m sure one of us will fit on the sofa if spending the weekend with me sounds so repugnant.”

Jack frowned. “Why on earth would you think that?”

Ianto shrugged. “You’ve been avoiding me all week, you were angry in the car, you won’t tell me what’s wrong. What am I supposed to think?”

Jack clenched his fists, but didn’t speak.

Ianto muttered something unflattering in Welsh. “Look, Jack. We can spend the weekend dancing around the issue or we can talk and then fuck each other’s brains out. Which would you prefer?”

“Do we have to talk before the fucking?” Jack asked sullenly.

Ianto sighed. “I’m going to make dinner. You get some logs for the fire. I saw an axe hanging by the door.”

Jack just stared at him for a moment. “An axe?” he questioned.

“Yes,” Ianto said. He stepped forward and cupped Jack through his trousers. “The log pile is on the side of the cottage. Come back with some wood,” he murmured suggestively. “And something to burn in the fireplace.”

//////////////////////////

Jack pouted as he swung the axe. He felt like a child being punished, sent out to the woodpile instead of the woodshed. He knew Ianto wanted to talk but he wasn’t sure Ianto wanted to hear what he would have to say. He knew he should leave Ianto, end it between them, for Ianto’s sake. The younger man deserved better than him, someone he could share his life with, someone who wouldn’t cause him pain at every turn. The look on his face when Jack gasped back to life was proof enough of that.

Jack swung the axe again. He knew what he should do was go back into the cottage and tell Ianto it was over, but he wasn’t sure he was strong enough to walk away. He turned around and looked at the pile of wood in front of him, surprised at how much he’d actually chopped. He swung the axe a final time and left it in the chopping block. He bent over to grab up an armful of wood and as he stood up he caught sight of Ianto through the kitchen window. Ianto had removed his suit coat and rolled up his sleeves. He was making dinner with that look of intense concentration on his face that always drove Jack crazy. Well, he thought ruefully, as he felt his body respond, there’s the other thing I was supposed to bring back. He shifted uncomfortably at the sudden tightening of his trousers and headed back inside.

Ianto was dishing up the pasta as Jack opened the back door.

“Hungry, Captain?”

Jack nodded and went over to put the logs in the fireplace. He spent a few minutes getting the fire started. Standing up he brushed his hands off and turned to see Ianto setting the food on the table.

“I’ll just go wash up and be right out,” he said quietly.

Ianto poured the wine while Jack was in the bathroom and was already seated when he returned. Jack joined him at the table and an uncomfortable silence settled over them. Awkwardly, they began to eat. Jack was waiting for Ianto to say something but Ianto merely smiled at him and took another bite of his pasta. Finally, the silence was too much for Jack and he started to speak.

“So you’re giving me the silent treatment now?”

“No, sir, you said you didn’t want to talk.”

Jack bounced his leg nervously under the table, bumping the table leg, causing the wine in their glasses to slosh.

“Something the matter, sir?”

“Can we maybe drop the sir?”

“Well, you stop treating me like just your employee and I’ll stop calling you sir. Sir.”

Jack growled in frustration. “What do you want from me, Ianto?”

“I thought I made that perfectly clear.”

“Fine, you want me to talk, I’ll talk,” Jack said angrily, “but you may not like what I have to say.”

“Try me,” Ianto said mildly.

“I’m not good enough for you.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Are we having this same conversation again? I’ve told you before, I’m a big boy, I can make my own decisions, and my choice is to be with you. Why can’t you accept that?”

Jack sighed. “I don’t want to hurt you, anymore than I already have.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I saw your face the other day when I came back.” His voice broke, “I don’t want to be the person that puts that look on your face – like your heart’s been broken.”

Ianto took a long drink of wine, thinking carefully about what to say next. He put down the glass and looked Jack in the eye. “It bothers me when you die. I won’t deny that. There’s a part of me that’s afraid each time you won’t come back. But I don’t want to let the possibility of losing you ruin the certainty of what we have right now. I don’t need you to protect me, Jack.”

Jack watched as Ianto stood up and grabbed his wrist. He let Ianto lead him into the lounge, stopping in front of the now roaring fire. Ianto leaned forward and kissed Jack softly on the lips. “Do you trust me,” he whispered.

“Always,” Jack replied.

“Well then, on your knees, Captain.”

Jack allowed himself a small smile as he dropped to his knees. He had a feeling he was in for a demonstration of just how well Ianto could take care of himself. And if he knew Ianto, he would take care of Jack as well.

Ianto unbuckled his belt, his eyes never leaving Jack’s face. He slowly pulled his belt from the loops and doubled it over, giving it a snap that made Jack flinch.

“Oh, we’ll get to that later, Captain,” Ianto promised. He tossed the belt on the settee and moved his hands to his tie. He loosened the knot and then unbuttoned his shirt slowly. Jack groaned and reached up to run his hands over Ianto’s firm stomach, dipping his thumbs into the waistband of his trousers.

“No,” Ianto said gently. He pulled the tie from his collar and swiftly bound Jack’s hands behind his back. “No touching unless I say.”

Jack grinned. Ianto was in fine form and he couldn’t help the small moan that escaped from his lips as Ianto freed himself from the confines of his trousers. He didn’t pull them all the way down, just far enough for Jack to get an eyeful that made him lick his lips.

“Do you want me?” Ianto asked, stroking himself lazily.

Jack nodded.

“That’s good, because I want that mouth.”

Jack whimpered softly as Ianto reached out to stroke a thumb across his lips. He followed the path with the tip of his cock, making Jack’s lips shine. Jack opened his mouth and darted his tongue out to capture some of the saltysweet fluid, moaning again when Ianto pushed forward, allowing Jack to begin sucking.

Ianto thrust his hips carefully, sliding in and out of Jack’s warm mouth. Jack behaved himself, keeping still and taking only what Ianto would give him. He sucked Ianto’s cock eagerly into his mouth on the forward thrusts, running his tongue along the hardening length and teasing the tip as Ianto pulled out. Ianto kept the pace slow for as long as he could, savoring the feel of Jack’s mouth on him again, making him hard enough to ache.

“Captain?” Ianto whispered darkly as he drew his hips back, pulling his cock from Jack’s mouth with a soft pop.

Jack looked sulky at the loss but looked up obediently. “Yes, sir?” he asked.

Ianto suppressed a smile at the moniker, and replied, “I’m going to fuck your mouth now.”

Jack licked his lips eagerly. “Yes, sir,” he repeated.

Ianto fed his cock into Jack’s mouth, letting Jack take him deep as he began to thrust in earnest. He braced his hands on Jack’s shoulders, balancing himself and making sure he didn’t hurt Jack whose hands were still secured behind his back.

Jack moaned and leaned into Ianto. He tried to take Ianto even deeper, sucking hard enough to hollow his cheeks and draw desperate moans from Ianto. Unable to use his hands to pull Ianto closer, he simply relaxed his jaw and opened his throat and let Ianto do all the work.

It wasn’t long before Ianto was snapping his hips forward, burying himself to the hilt in Jack’s mouth again and again.

“God… Jack… gonna… unh…” Ianto moaned, bucking wildly against Jack’s face as his orgasm washed over him sending wave after wave of pleasure through his body. He emptied his cock down Jack’s throat as Jack swallowed furiously to catch every drop. He kept sucking even after the tremors pulsing through Ianto’s cock had ceased, enjoying the flavor of his lover on his tongue.

Ianto felt his cock soften inside the warm confines of Jack’s mouth. He rested his hands on Jack’s shoulders trying to regain his control and his balance. His breath came in short little bursts until he felt his heart rhythm return to normal. When he felt a bit more under control he opened his eyes to look down into Jack’s smug ones.

He trailed his index finger down Jack’s cheek. “You know you’re going to pay for that don’t you?”

Jack pouted. “For what?”

Ianto smiled mischievously, “For that cheeky, smug-looking grin on your face. Just because you’ve satisfied me once, doesn’t mean you’re done.”

Jack cast his eyes downward and said in a proper submissive tone, “Yes, sir.”

Ianto smiled, before tucking himself back into his pants and zipping his fly.

“Stand up, Captain.”

TBC on Friday...

Rambling: What Planet Does Your Name Come From?

2009-08-26T03:33:43Z

Lifted from thrace_adams for a bit of fun...

Your Name Comes from Mars

You have a lot of fire in your heart, and you are highly competitive as a result.
You need to stay active and productive to be happy. You like to depend on yourself and yourself alone.

You can be jealous at times, and you don't trust others easily. You've been burned in the past, and you still feel it.
You tend to overwhelm people at first. You put it all out there, and your personality is a bit intimidating.

What Planet Does Your Name Come From?

And that's just eerily accurate. :o)