Looking for Ianto in All the Wrong Places: Monuments and Moments, Chapter 2/4
Title: Monuments and Moments: Chapter 2
Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Alice Carter (well, sort of)
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Implied slash, mention of character death.
Summary: Who are Saket and Yannis and what's their story?
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood.
Chapter 2
Saket felt numb as he heard his lover's words fly through the space between them. It was true that he could never truly understand Yannis' situation. How could he possibly hope to comprehend what his lover went through every time he saw someone - a friend, a lover, even an acquaintance - die while knowing that he would live on? No matter how many times he grew ill and died, he could never have the knowledge that one day he would join them. He would never be able to rest in peace.
Even now, Saket knew that his lover still had nightmares of all the people he'd lost; all the friends and lovers he'd seen die in his arms or in some strange hospital bed, struck down by some illness or other, since war was so rare on Tyrennis, considering no one even came there. He remembered all those nights of chilled silence when not even the cirdanas would chirp, and when Yannis would just lie next to him in their bed, still and silent, but with his eyes wide open, though it was clear that he saw nothing except those dead faces.
He also realised that his partner was having to live with the knowledge that, one day, Saket himself would die. He hoped it wouldn't happen for several years now, but there was always a sense of inevitability hanging over them that would never go away. He understood that, and he knew that the thought haunted Yannis every day. It haunted him as well and, frankly, it terrified him.
He understood. But that didn't mean he wanted to be treated like a child and it certainly didn't mean that he was going to let anyone, not even his lover, keep him locked up like a prisoner, no matter how dangerous fighting in that Colosseum was. Sighing, he pressed his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes, breathing out sharply, his breath steaming up the window opposite them.
“I know that it's dangerous,” he whispered, rubbing his forehead as he paced around. “But I've wanted to do this for a very long time, Yannis. I know how frightening it is, but I have to make some decisions myself, you know?” He came over and clasped their hands together. “And part of the reason I want to do this is because of the number of times I've seen you do it and...and the pride I feel when I see you go out there and show how strong you are, and...and I want you to feel that pride in me.”
For several long moments, silence reigned as Yannis attempted to digest Saket's words. “It's different for me,” he eventually whispered. “When...when something happens to me...I will come back. You won't.”
“How do you know that?” Saket lowered his voice. “You know, I said I feel so proud of you when I see you out there and believe me, I do. But do you know what else I feel? I feel nothing short of sheer terror watching you out there. You say that you can't die, but how do you know that? How do you know that one day, you will go out there and get yourself killed and you won't come back? How do you know that your next adventure in that arena won't actually end up being your last?”
Another long silence followed as both men stared at each other, each of them shocked by Saket's words. But before either of them could speak - presumably, Yannis would be about to defend himself or Saket to continue his ranting - a sound in the nearby corridor distracted them.
“This conversation is not over,” he said sternly to Yannis before turning back towards the source of the sound. “Who's there?” he asked, glancing around just as the shadow of a tall man disappeared quickly around the corner. “Hey - hey!” he shouted, his voice echoing as he ran down the corridors, following the direction that he had seen the man disappearing in. “Come back - come back here and we can talk properly! I'm not going to...hurt you...” His voice trailed off when he finally turned another corner and skidded to an abrupt halt at the sight beside him.
Yannis' footsteps echoed behind him. “Saket, what's going...on?” His voice trailed off as he too noticed the scene in front of them. “Who's...who's he? He looks exactly...”
“Exactly like me,” murmured Saket, still without taking his eyes off the man who was leaning against the wall, his face pale and his eyes wide with shock as he looked at them. However, on closer inspection, Saket noticed that, while they may be virtually identical in terms of colouring, build and hairstyle, there were still a few differences. For one thing, the other man was dressed in dark trousers, a pale blue shirt and what appeared to be an army greatcoat that was at least forty-five centuries old. From that, he deduced that the man probably had distant relatives who been involved in the Great War, as it was still known even now.
The second distinction, however, almost instantly proved him wrong. It was not something that Saket instantly noticed. It was not something that could be seen with a cursory glance at the man, but something that was only clear upon looking into his eyes. Initially, Saket had believed that his doppelgänger had only been his age, or a couple of years older at the most, but after looking at him closer, he realised that there was a look in his eyes that no man his age had. It was a look of someone who tried over and over again to hold an aura of cheerfulness and laughter, someone who had tried to keep a permanent sparkle in those beautiful - even if Saket did say so himself - blue eyes, but in the end, he had seen so much pain and suffering in his life that the bright fire was slowly being extinguished with each new blow his life dealt him.
It was an expression he had seen on the face of his lover far too many times when Yannis thought he wasn't watching him.
However, before he could say anything, he heard something, a strange sound, possibly even a word. He looked around the tunnel, but they were the only people in sight. However, he also noticed that Yannis was staring at the new arrival with a strange mixture of shock and confusion on his face.
“He spoke to me,” he said, his voice shaking. “He called me...”
“Ianto,” the other man whispered.
Saket frowned. “Who...who's Ianto?” he asked, his gaze flickering between the stranger and his lover. It was several moments before he noticed that the other man was holding something out to him. “What's this?”
“Look,” said the man quietly. He was rapidly regaining some colour in his cheeks, although he was still shaking. “That's...that's m - that's Ianto.” He smiled slightly. “And I'm Jack, by the way.”
Saket raised an eyebrow at him and then glanced down at the photograph and felt his mouth drop open in shock. Looking at the picture was like looking in the mirror, except that the two men in the picture looked, if not relaxed, then happy. Even though Jack's eyes still held that haunted look that was so clear now, it was plain to see that he was, at least temporarily, happy and at peace with his life - that he was with someone he could cherish and love, for however long they had.
“What...what happened to him?” he asked as soon as he found his voice.
“He died,” said Jack. “About three weeks after that was taken.” He didn't volunteer any information on how it had happened and neither Saket nor Yannis decided to ask.
Suddenly, Jack cleared his throat. “Lord Yannis, I presume?” he asked, forcing his voice to take a tone that vaguely resembled normalcy, though it was a little high-pitched. “Your daughter told me you'd be here.”
“You met Alexis then?” said Yannis with a rueful grin. “She's expecting and getting tired of me insisting that she take it easy. No fighting or arguing until the baby arrives.”
Jack laughed for the first time at that. “I bet that went down well. She is - I mean, she doesn't seem like the type to want to be confined to bed rest!” He glanced between the two men. “Is she...I mean...”
“Mine and Saket's?” Yannis shook his head. “No. Her mother was Saket's sister, Liath. She was a remarkable woman, full of life and vigour and always ready with a smile. But then, a few years after Alexis was born, we hit a time of poverty and several people had to resort to desperate measures. Liath was a descendant of Helgira, and people would say that she had the same healing hands as her ancestor. She could make a medicine out of almost anything, which was very fortunate, since people had very little money for such things at the time.”
Saket took up the story as he led the other two men out of the tunnel. “One day, though, she came home from treating someone and I could tell straight away that something was wrong. She was pale and shaking and you could see the veins in her face and arms as clearly as if her skin was made of glass. The doctors tried everything in their power to make her well, but it seemed that she had contracted too many infections from her time treating the sick. A n antibiotic could cure one, maybe two, of her ailments, but there was nothing that could cure everything in time. She died a few weeks later.”
Jack swallowed hard. “Did...did you and Saket grow closer while she was ill?” he asked.
“Saket and I had always been close friends, even before I married his sister,” said Yannis with a small smile. “But yes. He was the one who supported me through Liath's illness and who helped me to raise Alexis after she died.” He opened the door and led them back outside. All of them blinked slightly; even though it had almost set, the sun was still casting a bright light over the landscape and the cirdanas were also shining brightly against the darkening sky. “We've now been together for nearly ten years.”
“It took us a while, but we did finally get there,” Saket half-joked as they walked into the palace.
“Why did you design your palace to look like the Acropolis?” asked Jack as he looked around, taking in the simple stone columns and the brightly painted scenes on the walls and the friezes surrounding the ceiling.
“I've always been fascinated by ancient history, ever since I was a child,” explained Yannis. “You might also have noticed the Colosseum at Rome and the Pyramids of Giza, though there are many others.” Jack nodded. “I firmly believe that, while we shouldn't live in the past, there's a lot we can learn from it.” Then, he chuckled. “Plus the Greeks really did have some wonderful architecture.”
Saket clapped his hands. “There's a feast to congratulate the winners of today's tournaments starting in the banqueting house in ten minutes,” he announced to the others. “'Jack, as current leaders of Tyrennis, Yannis and I are expected to attend and, if you want to, you're welcome to join us, but I can't necessarily guarantee that it'll be much fun, although the food is always good.”
Jack smiled politely. “I appreciate your hospitality, but I'm really not hungry. In fact, I think I should probably go now; I'm getting a little tired and...”
But he didn't get any further before Saket interrupted him. “You're not going anywhere tonight. If you're really not hungry, then we are going to put you up so you can get a good night's sleep - a good few nights if that's what you want.”
Jack blinked. “Oh! Oh...no, thank you, but that's really not -“
“Nonsense.” This time, Yannis was the one who spoke. “It's our duty to treat any guests with the greatest hospitality - although, until today, I can't say that we've actually had any guests.” He extended his hand towards Jack. “I'll take you to your quarters.”
Jack started to make a token protest, but a deep yawn stopped him before he could finish it and he realised just how tired he was. “Thank you,” he eventually said. “You are both very kind.”
TBC...
Characters: Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones, Alice Carter (well, sort of)
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Implied slash, mention of character death.
Summary: Who are Saket and Yannis and what's their story?
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood.
Chapter 2
Saket felt numb as he heard his lover's words fly through the space between them. It was true that he could never truly understand Yannis' situation. How could he possibly hope to comprehend what his lover went through every time he saw someone - a friend, a lover, even an acquaintance - die while knowing that he would live on? No matter how many times he grew ill and died, he could never have the knowledge that one day he would join them. He would never be able to rest in peace.
Even now, Saket knew that his lover still had nightmares of all the people he'd lost; all the friends and lovers he'd seen die in his arms or in some strange hospital bed, struck down by some illness or other, since war was so rare on Tyrennis, considering no one even came there. He remembered all those nights of chilled silence when not even the cirdanas would chirp, and when Yannis would just lie next to him in their bed, still and silent, but with his eyes wide open, though it was clear that he saw nothing except those dead faces.
He also realised that his partner was having to live with the knowledge that, one day, Saket himself would die. He hoped it wouldn't happen for several years now, but there was always a sense of inevitability hanging over them that would never go away. He understood that, and he knew that the thought haunted Yannis every day. It haunted him as well and, frankly, it terrified him.
He understood. But that didn't mean he wanted to be treated like a child and it certainly didn't mean that he was going to let anyone, not even his lover, keep him locked up like a prisoner, no matter how dangerous fighting in that Colosseum was. Sighing, he pressed his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes, breathing out sharply, his breath steaming up the window opposite them.
“I know that it's dangerous,” he whispered, rubbing his forehead as he paced around. “But I've wanted to do this for a very long time, Yannis. I know how frightening it is, but I have to make some decisions myself, you know?” He came over and clasped their hands together. “And part of the reason I want to do this is because of the number of times I've seen you do it and...and the pride I feel when I see you go out there and show how strong you are, and...and I want you to feel that pride in me.”
For several long moments, silence reigned as Yannis attempted to digest Saket's words. “It's different for me,” he eventually whispered. “When...when something happens to me...I will come back. You won't.”
“How do you know that?” Saket lowered his voice. “You know, I said I feel so proud of you when I see you out there and believe me, I do. But do you know what else I feel? I feel nothing short of sheer terror watching you out there. You say that you can't die, but how do you know that? How do you know that one day, you will go out there and get yourself killed and you won't come back? How do you know that your next adventure in that arena won't actually end up being your last?”
Another long silence followed as both men stared at each other, each of them shocked by Saket's words. But before either of them could speak - presumably, Yannis would be about to defend himself or Saket to continue his ranting - a sound in the nearby corridor distracted them.
“This conversation is not over,” he said sternly to Yannis before turning back towards the source of the sound. “Who's there?” he asked, glancing around just as the shadow of a tall man disappeared quickly around the corner. “Hey - hey!” he shouted, his voice echoing as he ran down the corridors, following the direction that he had seen the man disappearing in. “Come back - come back here and we can talk properly! I'm not going to...hurt you...” His voice trailed off when he finally turned another corner and skidded to an abrupt halt at the sight beside him.
Yannis' footsteps echoed behind him. “Saket, what's going...on?” His voice trailed off as he too noticed the scene in front of them. “Who's...who's he? He looks exactly...”
“Exactly like me,” murmured Saket, still without taking his eyes off the man who was leaning against the wall, his face pale and his eyes wide with shock as he looked at them. However, on closer inspection, Saket noticed that, while they may be virtually identical in terms of colouring, build and hairstyle, there were still a few differences. For one thing, the other man was dressed in dark trousers, a pale blue shirt and what appeared to be an army greatcoat that was at least forty-five centuries old. From that, he deduced that the man probably had distant relatives who been involved in the Great War, as it was still known even now.
The second distinction, however, almost instantly proved him wrong. It was not something that Saket instantly noticed. It was not something that could be seen with a cursory glance at the man, but something that was only clear upon looking into his eyes. Initially, Saket had believed that his doppelgänger had only been his age, or a couple of years older at the most, but after looking at him closer, he realised that there was a look in his eyes that no man his age had. It was a look of someone who tried over and over again to hold an aura of cheerfulness and laughter, someone who had tried to keep a permanent sparkle in those beautiful - even if Saket did say so himself - blue eyes, but in the end, he had seen so much pain and suffering in his life that the bright fire was slowly being extinguished with each new blow his life dealt him.
It was an expression he had seen on the face of his lover far too many times when Yannis thought he wasn't watching him.
However, before he could say anything, he heard something, a strange sound, possibly even a word. He looked around the tunnel, but they were the only people in sight. However, he also noticed that Yannis was staring at the new arrival with a strange mixture of shock and confusion on his face.
“He spoke to me,” he said, his voice shaking. “He called me...”
“Ianto,” the other man whispered.
Saket frowned. “Who...who's Ianto?” he asked, his gaze flickering between the stranger and his lover. It was several moments before he noticed that the other man was holding something out to him. “What's this?”
“Look,” said the man quietly. He was rapidly regaining some colour in his cheeks, although he was still shaking. “That's...that's m - that's Ianto.” He smiled slightly. “And I'm Jack, by the way.”
Saket raised an eyebrow at him and then glanced down at the photograph and felt his mouth drop open in shock. Looking at the picture was like looking in the mirror, except that the two men in the picture looked, if not relaxed, then happy. Even though Jack's eyes still held that haunted look that was so clear now, it was plain to see that he was, at least temporarily, happy and at peace with his life - that he was with someone he could cherish and love, for however long they had.
“What...what happened to him?” he asked as soon as he found his voice.
“He died,” said Jack. “About three weeks after that was taken.” He didn't volunteer any information on how it had happened and neither Saket nor Yannis decided to ask.
Suddenly, Jack cleared his throat. “Lord Yannis, I presume?” he asked, forcing his voice to take a tone that vaguely resembled normalcy, though it was a little high-pitched. “Your daughter told me you'd be here.”
“You met Alexis then?” said Yannis with a rueful grin. “She's expecting and getting tired of me insisting that she take it easy. No fighting or arguing until the baby arrives.”
Jack laughed for the first time at that. “I bet that went down well. She is - I mean, she doesn't seem like the type to want to be confined to bed rest!” He glanced between the two men. “Is she...I mean...”
“Mine and Saket's?” Yannis shook his head. “No. Her mother was Saket's sister, Liath. She was a remarkable woman, full of life and vigour and always ready with a smile. But then, a few years after Alexis was born, we hit a time of poverty and several people had to resort to desperate measures. Liath was a descendant of Helgira, and people would say that she had the same healing hands as her ancestor. She could make a medicine out of almost anything, which was very fortunate, since people had very little money for such things at the time.”
Saket took up the story as he led the other two men out of the tunnel. “One day, though, she came home from treating someone and I could tell straight away that something was wrong. She was pale and shaking and you could see the veins in her face and arms as clearly as if her skin was made of glass. The doctors tried everything in their power to make her well, but it seemed that she had contracted too many infections from her time treating the sick. A n antibiotic could cure one, maybe two, of her ailments, but there was nothing that could cure everything in time. She died a few weeks later.”
Jack swallowed hard. “Did...did you and Saket grow closer while she was ill?” he asked.
“Saket and I had always been close friends, even before I married his sister,” said Yannis with a small smile. “But yes. He was the one who supported me through Liath's illness and who helped me to raise Alexis after she died.” He opened the door and led them back outside. All of them blinked slightly; even though it had almost set, the sun was still casting a bright light over the landscape and the cirdanas were also shining brightly against the darkening sky. “We've now been together for nearly ten years.”
“It took us a while, but we did finally get there,” Saket half-joked as they walked into the palace.
“Why did you design your palace to look like the Acropolis?” asked Jack as he looked around, taking in the simple stone columns and the brightly painted scenes on the walls and the friezes surrounding the ceiling.
“I've always been fascinated by ancient history, ever since I was a child,” explained Yannis. “You might also have noticed the Colosseum at Rome and the Pyramids of Giza, though there are many others.” Jack nodded. “I firmly believe that, while we shouldn't live in the past, there's a lot we can learn from it.” Then, he chuckled. “Plus the Greeks really did have some wonderful architecture.”
Saket clapped his hands. “There's a feast to congratulate the winners of today's tournaments starting in the banqueting house in ten minutes,” he announced to the others. “'Jack, as current leaders of Tyrennis, Yannis and I are expected to attend and, if you want to, you're welcome to join us, but I can't necessarily guarantee that it'll be much fun, although the food is always good.”
Jack smiled politely. “I appreciate your hospitality, but I'm really not hungry. In fact, I think I should probably go now; I'm getting a little tired and...”
But he didn't get any further before Saket interrupted him. “You're not going anywhere tonight. If you're really not hungry, then we are going to put you up so you can get a good night's sleep - a good few nights if that's what you want.”
Jack blinked. “Oh! Oh...no, thank you, but that's really not -“
“Nonsense.” This time, Yannis was the one who spoke. “It's our duty to treat any guests with the greatest hospitality - although, until today, I can't say that we've actually had any guests.” He extended his hand towards Jack. “I'll take you to your quarters.”
Jack started to make a token protest, but a deep yawn stopped him before he could finish it and he realised just how tired he was. “Thank you,” he eventually said. “You are both very kind.”
TBC...