Fic: The Sea After a Storm (17/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 17
Rating: R
Warnings: Little bit of 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 stops by the Hub to see what’s wrong with Jack…
Notes: Still catching up on comments. T hank you to everyone who’s left one - you really make my day!! 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 Seventeen
Ianto spent the rest of the night tossing and turning restlessly on the sofa. He could have gone to bed after Jack's abrupt departure, but the sofa still held lingering traces of Jack's scent and Ianto was loath to give that up. He'd buried his head in the cushions, feeling almost as bereft and pathetic as the first night Jack had vanished. He'd dozed off around dawn, exhausted from worrying and wondering what was wrong.
He took a long run around lunchtime to clear his head, meandering through the city with no clear direction. It was almost a surprise when he found himself standing on the Plass, staring at the water feature and nursing a stitch in his side. Typical, he thought as he tried to catch his breath. I'm like a fucking compass but instead of north, I point to Jack. He shook his head and made up his mind to head home straight away.
As soon as he'd cooled down a bit.
And had some water.
Snorting derisively at himself, Ianto jogged around to the Tourist Office entrance and headed down to the Hub, pausing only to grab a towel. As soon as the cog door had rolled back, Ianto headed to the kitchen area, resolutely not looking over at Jack's office. He took a long drink of water before glancing around. Myfanwy gave him a little squawk and then shuffled back into her den. Other than that, the Hub was silent.
Ianto frowned and listened again. Ah, not quite silent, he thought. It seemed that Jack was down in the shooting range, taking out his frustrations on paper targets again. Ianto hesitated, taking another sip from the bottle. When the faint popping sounds paused for a moment and then began again almost immediately, Ianto shook his head and started down the stairs to the lower levels.
He paused at the doorway, waiting for Jack to finish before entering. As he waited, he looked around, aghast at the vast quantity of casings that littered the ground at Jack's feet. He must've been down here for hours.
Jack fired the final round in the gun he was holding, finger clicking the trigger several times before he realised it was empty. He turned to toss it on the table behind him just as Ianto stepped forward. Jack jerked in surprise but set the gun down and then removed his ear and eye protection.
"What're you doing here?" he asked, panting slightly.
"Just out for a run," Ianto said casually. "Wanted to make sure you're okay."
"Why wouldn't I be?" Jack's chin raised defiantly.
Ianto stepped closer, moving around the table so he could stand next to Jack. "You bolted so fast last night, I just - I didn't get to say thank you for a lovely evening."
Jack held on to his frown for another ten seconds or so and then his face softened. "I'm glad you had a good time," he said.
"I did, right up until you ran out," Ianto said quietly. He reached out to touch Jack's shoulder. "What happened? Did… did I do something -"
"No!" Jack's reply was immediate and definite. He pulled Ianto into a quick hug and then let him go. "No, it wasn't you, I just didn't mean to fall asleep."
Ianto reached up and stroked the thin skin under Jack's eye with his thumb. "You don't look like you've been doing much of that lately."
"What’s that?" Jack asked as he pulled away and turned back to the table.
"Sleeping," Ianto said.
Jack shrugged one shoulder, the gesture half-dismissive, half-defensive. He picked up one of the many guns that littered the surface, popping out the clip and reloading.
Ianto sighed and tried a different tack. "So, are we expecting an invasion?" he asked brightly.
Jack chuckled and shook his head. "No," he said as he snapped the clip home. "Just need to make sure I didn't get rusty."
"Competing against yourself isn't any fun," Ianto observed. He gave his face one last swipe with the towel and then tossed it on the table. "What would you say to a little wager?"
"And just what would we be wagering, Mr. Jones?" Jack asked suspiciously.
Ianto picked up a .22 that was very similar to the first gun he'd ever fired at Torchwood Three. He smiled at the memory of his first time in the shooting range with Jack and loaded the gun, fetching some protective-wear from the booth when he was done. He fitted the earmuffs over his head and then glanced at Jack, tapping the mic.
Jack rolled his eyes and followed suit, huffing into the mic once he had it on. "Well?"
Ianto tilted his head and smiled at Jack. "Don't suppose you'd be willing to put your coffee privileges on the line?"
Jack snorted. "No way."
"Didn't think so. Why don't we just shoot and whoever has the best score can decide what they want when it's over?" Ianto almost held his breath.
Jack narrowed his eyes, obviously weighing the possibilities. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?"
Ianto laughed and chambered a round. "Beat me and you won't have to find out."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
An hour and several dozen rounds later, Jack finally had to concede.
"Dammit! All right, Ianto, what do you want?"
"Now there's a loaded question," Ianto murmured as he safetied the gun and removed the empty clip. He glanced at Jack who was almost swaying on his feet, looking as worn and tired as Ianto had ever seen him. Ianto sighed. He'd had a plan - after he beat Jack, he was going to make Jack tell him what was going on, but he found that he couldn't do it. He wanted Jack to want to tell him things, not to force his hand. Ianto sighed again and stepped closer to Jack. "Just take me to dinner again some time."
Jack's expression changed from wary to pleased at Ianto's words. "Yeah? I can do that."
"It’s a date, then,” Ianto said. He looped his arms around Jack’s waist and took a quick kiss. He glanced at the clock in the booth and groaned. “I better be going.”
“You have to?” Jack asked sadly. “Big plans?”
Ianto snorted. “Oh yeah, big exciting plans. Laundry, market, cleaning - just Sunday stuff.”
Jack leaned in and took a quick kiss of his own, and then a longer one, and then another. “You sure you have to go?” he whispered against Ianto’s mouth.
With a groan and a nod, Ianto gave Jack one last kiss and stepped back. “I really do. Did you want me to make a pot of coffee on my way out?”
His face lighting up, Jack nodded. “That would be great.”
Ianto smiled and grabbed his towel off the table before turning to head back upstairs. He turned back when Jack said his name. “Yeah?”
“Thanks for… well, just… thanks,” Jack said awkwardly.
Ianto smiled again. “Sure. You know, if you need anything or just want to talk or whatever, you can always just call me,” he added just as awkwardly.
Jack jerked his head in acknowledgment and busied himself with one of the guns on the table.
Ianto sighed and headed up to the Hub. He paused to start a pot of coffee brewing and tossed a handful of treats to Myfanwy when she glided down from her den. He reminded himself to check the hiding places in the morning to see if she’d found the treats in all of them yet. He still felt bad sometimes that she was trapped here, even though he knew that had anyone else found her she’d have been killed or sent to a research lab immediately. He made a mental note to ask Jack about letting her fly around the bay more often. She’d always returned well before dawn and they’d never seen any reports of dinosaur sightings so he was confident she just stretched her wings over the water, avoiding people.
When he reached the Plass, Ianto took a deep breath and did a few warm-up stretches before starting a slow jog home. He chose the most direct route, using the time to wonder if Jack would call, if he would ever really let Ianto get close to him. By the time he arrived at his flat, he was gripping his mobile in his fist, willing it to ring, but the phone remained stubbornly silent.
And it stayed that way all night long.
TBC in Chapter Eighteen