Fic: The Sea After a Storm (29/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 29
Rating: R
Warnings: Just some kissin'
Spoilers: Season Two thru Sleeper (2x02)
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to the Mighty Beeb and He Who Must Not Be Named. All ©'s to James Moran for situations and dialogue borrowed from Sleeper. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which Jack and Ianto deal with the fallout from Beth's final attack…
Notes: Sorry so late, my lovelies, week from hell. *crawls back in corner to resume sniveling* Previous chapters found here. 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!
Previously on The Sea After a Storm:
Just before the team was about to re-freeze Beth, she took Gwen hostage and threatened to kill them all…
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Twenty-Nine
"Ianto. Ianto!”
Ianto could hear a voice but he couldn’t make himself respond. All he could hear were the shots being fired, all he could see was Lisa's body on the stone floor, Annie's body with Lisa's mind Oh God! jerking as the bullets hit her. There were warm hands on his shoulders, shaking him gently. A strong arm pulling him close. Jack. Ianto shuddered and then dropped is arms and relaxed into Jack’s embrace.
"Come on,” Jack said quietly, leading him to his office.
"Sorry,” Ianto apologised in a rough voice. "Just… for a second I… it wasn't Beth, it was - " He broke off and shook his head.
Jack gave him a sympathetic look and gently tugged the gun from his grip. He safetied it and set it on his desk as he nudged Ianto down into the chair. Jack perched on the edge of his desk and ran his hand soothingly over Ianto's back.
"Bad memories," he said softly.
Ianto nodded. "Yeah, I just… when she raised her arm, I knew what I… what we had… had to do. But… God, you must think I'm completely soft," he groaned and leant forward, elbows on his knees, face buried in his hands.
"No. Hey," Jack said in that same quiet voice. "No, Ianto. You did what you needed to do, what Gwen needed you to do to keep her safe. You held it together in a tough situation and you did your job."
"And then I fell apart," Ianto whispered.
"So?"
Ianto looked up at that, confused.
"So?" Jack repeated. He slid off the desk and crouched in front of Ianto, his hands on Ianto's knees. "Yeah, you froze up for a second, after the crisis was past. You didn't hesitate when it mattered, when the team was in danger. You were right there behind me, backing me up. I saw you move into my place, covering with Tosh while Owen and I went up to make sure she was dead. You didn't drop your gun once. That's the part that matters."
Ianto felt his cheeks heat at the praise but shook his head. "But none of the rest of you froze, it was just me," he whispered miserably.
Jack reached up cup Ianto's cheek. "None of us have been on the other side of the guns before," he pointed out. He paused and then added, "Except now… Gwen. Can I ask a favour of you?"
"Of course, sir," Ianto said immediately.
"If she needs someone to talk to about this, a sympathetic ear, I want to send her to you. I know the situations aren't exactly identical, but… I think you could help her more than me or anyone else."
Ianto nodded.
"Thank you," Jack said. He surprised Ianto by leaning forward for a quick, soft kiss before he stood. "Now, I want you to head down to my quarters and take a nice long shower and then get some rest," Jack ordered.
"But - the body, the - and I need to clean the SUV - " Ianto's protests were cut off by Jack pulling him out of the chair and pushing him inexorably toward the hole in the floor.
"We'll take care of the body. Owen will need to do the majority of the work anyway. And the SUV can wait. Hell, you should tell me to clean it up. I'm the one who made the mess after all," Jack said with a wink.
"True, but I think we'd all prefer that it be cleaned properly, sir," Ianto said with a hint of his usual self.
Jack's eyes lit up with his grin. "You wound me," he teased. "Go on. I'm going to send the others home for a few days off just as soon as we're done here."
Ianto caught Jack's hand as he turned away. "And then…?" he asked.
Tightening his hand around Ianto's, Jack stepped closer and murmured, "And then… maybe we can pick up where we left off when D.I. Swanson called yesterday. Or was it just this morning?"
"Either way, sounds good," Ianto said.
"Good." Jack swayed forward like he was going to kiss Ianto, but pulled back with a regretful shake of his head. "Later," he promised, "when I don't have to stop."
Something about Jack's tone made Ianto shiver which Jack noticed, his eyes going dark. He gave Ianto a long look and then turned quickly, striding out of his office without a backward glance. Ianto let out the breath he didn't realise he'd been holding and hurried down the ladder to Jack's quarters.
Once there, he toed off his shoes and stripped off his suit, not bothering to fold or hang anything. He'd been wearing the same clothes since six a.m. on Monday morning and just wanted them off. He padded into the bath and flipped the water on as hot as it would go. He cleaned his teeth while the room slowly filled with steam and then stepped into the hot spray. He just stood there for a few minutes, letting the water beat down on him, easing his tense muscles as it washed away the worst of the rank sweat from his panic attack. He washed his hair twice and even used some of Jack's special conditioner for a change. After he'd scrubbed himself clean he went back to just standing under the water. When he realised he was swaying slightly, almost asleep on his feet, he shut off the water and hurriedly dried himself off.
He contemplated disobeying Jack and just getting dressed to go back upstairs and help, but the small bed looked too tempting to resist. He hung up his towel and crawled naked between the soft sheets with a sigh of contentment. He snuggled into Jack's pillow and waited for his mind to start dissecting his panic attack. But before he was able to bring Lisa's face to mind, Ianto was already asleep.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ianto woke suddenly a few hours later. His eyes were no longer gritty with exhaustion, but he wasn't inclined to hop out of bed. He stretched luxuriously, careful not to scrape his knuckles on the cement wall behind Jack's bed. He wondered why Jack hadn't joined him yet, but then realised that he could hear voices coming from Jack's office. Someone's still here. Sighing, Ianto pulled back the covers and rooted around in Jack's dressing table to find a pair of his pyjama bottoms and a t-shirt. He climbed up the ladder to find Jack at his desk, brooding over the blade that had broken off of Beth's arm during her attack on Gwen.
"Were you just talking to a pirate?" Ianto teased sleepily as he cleared the hatch.
Jack started and then grinned at him, setting down the blade. "Nah, just Gwen. She's the last to go."
Ianto walked behind Jack and rubbed his shoulders. "She okay?"
"I think so. She was going on about wedding plans."
"Good," Ianto said. He would do anything to help his teammates but he hadn't been looking forward to talking to Gwen about his ordeal with Lisa. "Coming down?" he asked, sliding his hands over Jack's chest until he could rest his chin on Jack's shoulder.
Jack nodded and leant his head against Ianto's. "Yeah," he sighed. "Just… thinking things over."
"Long day," Ianto said knowingly.
"Days," Jack corrected. He turned his head and kissed Ianto's cheek. "I could use some shut-eye. You've got me spoiled now."
"Spoiled?" Ianto asked, standing up so Jack could get out of the chair.
"Getting me used to a full night's sleep."
Ianto rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, that makes you spoiled, sleeping being such a luxury. It's not a basic essential at all."
"Didn't used to be," Jack said, only partially teasing. "You've made it much more appealing, though."
"How's that?" Ianto asked, following Jack down the ladder. He turned when he reached the bottom and found himself suddenly wrapped in Jack's arms.
Jack pulled back to kiss him lightly on the lips. "By adding yourself to the equation," Jack said in caressing tones.
Ianto smiled and opened his mouth to reply, but he didn't get the chance. Jack stepped forward, pushing Ianto against the ladder as he pressed their mouths together. Ianto moaned softly and opened to Jack, thankful for the ladder as his knees went weak from Jack's kiss.
Jack seemed to be in no hurry, lingering kisses flowing into one another as his hands stroked Ianto's hair, his face, his arms, finally slipping beneath his worn t-shirt to find skin. Ianto was anything but passive, trailing his own hands over Jack's shoulders and back, fumbling with the buttons on the dark blue shirt. He was derailed when Jack's fingers found his nipples, pinching and tugging and rubbing until Ianto was lightheaded from trying to catch his breath. He let his arms fall to his sides, which Jack apparently took as an invitation. He pushed Ianto's t-shirt up his chest as he bent and replaced fingers with mouth. Ianto found himself gripping the ladder behind him, losing himself in pure sensation as Jack teased him.
"Jack," he murmured just for the sheer pleasure of saying his lover's name.
The hum of Jack's reply vibrated over Ianto's skin, making him shiver. He could feel Jack's grin against his chest just before teeth closed on his nipple. Ianto gasped and Jack surged up to claim his mouth in another bruising kiss. Jack pulled away after a minute, tugging Ianto's shirt over his head. Ianto obediently raised his arms, but Jack didn't pull the shirt off. Instead, he twisted the fabric around Ianto's wrists and pinned them to the ladder.
"Look at you," Jack said softly as he did just that with heavy-lidded eyes. "God, you're beautiful."
Ianto felt his face, already flushed with passion, redden further at Jack's frank admiration. He arched his back, trying to get closer to Jack. Jack groaned and kissed him again. He slid his mouth over Ianto's jaw and down his neck, breathing deeply.
"And you smell so good. Like my soap and sleep and something that's all your own." Jack breathed in again and then chuckled. "And I smell like I've been running all over Wales for the last twenty-four hours," he added ruefully. He let Ianto's arms go and tossed the t-shirt on the dressing table.
After taking another long kiss, Jack jerked is head towards the bed. "Wanna get the sheets warm and we can continue this after I shower?"
Ianto pulled Jack's arms back around his waist and leant into the broad chest. "You smell fine to me," he said as he tightened his own arms around Jack, not wanting to let go.
Jack hugged him and then pulled back with a grimace. "I… there's still… I just changed my shirt, after I got stabbed. I didn't have time to wash. Sorry," he said quietly.
"Oh. No, I'm sorry, I didn't realise - " Ianto broke off and ran a hand through his hair. "Sorry," he echoed.
Jack shook his head and dropped a kiss on Ianto's lips. "Don't be, it's just the way it is. I'll be out in a bit."
Ianto nodded and, after another long kiss, Jack headed for the bath while Ianto slipped off his pyjama bottoms and crawled back into bed. He lay there for a while, listening to the water and the occasional clatter from the shower, trying to wrap his brain around what Jack went through every time he died. After a few minutes, however, his eyes got heavy and he found himself drifting off. He roused slightly when Jack climbed into bed, but before he could wake completely, Jack murmured, "Just sleep." Ianto felt a soft kiss on his forehead and Jack's arms pulling him close. He was asleep before he could argue.
TBC in Chapter Thirty