Fic: The Sea After a Storm (31/?)
Fic: The Sea After a Storm (31/?)
Title: The Sea After a Storm, Chapter 31
Rating: R
Warnings: None really, just don’t feel like changing the rating :)
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. No infringement, only worship intended!
Summary: In which Ianto has a conversation with Brendan…
Notes: Hope everyone is thawing out!! 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!
Previously on The Sea After a Storm:
Jack and Ianto's car wash fun was interrupted by a phone call from Brendan...
The Sea After a Storm: Chapter Thirty-One
Ianto took a deep breath and avoided Jack's curious gaze. "I must have lost track of the days. Sorry about that, Brendan."
"So you're okay, not stuck in a quarry out on a job somewhere?" Brendan asked, relief plain in his voice.
"No, I'm fine, I'm… kind of in the middle of something, though. Can you give me a half hour? There's a Starbucks up at the shops if you want to grab a coffee." Ianto risked a glance at Jack who had leant back against the SUV, arms crossed in front of his chest, an unreadable expression on his face.
"Yeah, okay," Brendan said. "I'll just wait for you there?"
"Great, thanks, Brendan. And I'm really sorry for the confusion. There's been… a lot going on here."
"There always is," Brendan laughed. "I can't wait to hear about it. See you soon!"
"Yeah. Bye," Ianto said quickly and snapped his phone shut.
There was silence for a long moment and then Jack spoke. "Rain check?" he asked mildly.
Ianto flushed and nodded miserably. "Yes, I'm so sorry, Jack. I haven't been on my computer the last few days and with everything going on I just, I must have forgotten that it was time for - "
"Ianto, it's okay," Jack said, pushing off the SUV and coming over to clasp Ianto's shoulders. "What's wrong?"
"It's just - I haven't - I mean, it's the first time…" Ianto bit his lip.
Jack's gaze sharpened. "Is this the first time you've seen him since you had sex?" he asked bluntly.
Ianto shook his head and then dropped it with a sigh. "No," he whispered. "Just the first time since you've been back."
"So… he knew I was gone, then?"
"Yes, yes, of course," Ianto said. He looked up at Jack again. "Did you really think I would - or that Brendan - if you weren't - "
Jack stroked his hands down Ianto's arms. "Relax, I just mean that there weren't any panicked messages from Whitehall or UNIT from when I was gone, so I didn't think you were exactly broadcasting that I'd disappeared. That's all."
"We weren't, we didn't. None of us wanted to believe you wouldn't come back so we agreed to keep it a secret for six months," Ianto explained. "If you didn't come back by then… then we'd have to figure out what to say. I only told Brendan because… well, he was here, working with us on that case." His lips twisted into a pained imitation of a smile. "It was pretty obvious you were gone."
Smoothing his hands up and down Ianto's arms, Jack leant forward to place a soft kiss on his forehead. "And that six months is almost up," Jack mused quietly.
Ianto frowned. "What?"
"August is just two weeks away, Ianto. And somehow I don't think Brendan is going to be very happy that I'm back."
"He…" Ianto trailed off, unable to say just what Brendan would feel. He shook his head. "I just don't know what I'm going to tell him," Ianto said softly.
Jack grimaced and stepped back, shoving his hands in pockets. "Well, I guess that depends on what you want."
Ianto's head jerked up, his eyes shooting to Jack. "I know what I want, Jack," he said firmly. "That hasn't changed. I just don't want to hurt him, that's all."
Jack nodded, a hesitant smile flirting with the corner of his lips. "Okay, then," he said.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
After a quick shower, Ianto tugged on a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. He shoved his feet into his trainers and ran a brush over his still damp hair. Part of him longed to put on a suit, to give himself a bit of armour against what could very well turn into an unpleasant conversation but he refrained. He and Brendan were equals in this whole mess and pretending otherwise wasn't fair to anyone.
Ianto clambered up the ladder, wondering where Jack had gone. He spotted him almost instantly, sitting on the sofa with his greatcoat spread across his lap. It took Ianto a few steps to realise just what Jack was doing.
"You sew?" Ianto asked incredulously.
"How do you think I kept my coat in one piece before you showed up?"
"I… I guess I never thought about it," Ianto admitted.
Jack snorted and threaded the needle he was holding. "It needed mending and I needed something to keep me occupied."
Ianto flushed. "I'm so sorry, Jack. I promise I'll be quick. I'll - "
"Hey, no, that's not what I meant," Jack said. He pushed his coat off his lap and stood. Stepping across the few feet between them, Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto. "You take all the time you need. I'm just… I'm fighting my baser instincts which would really enjoy knocking a few of that kid's teeth loose, that's all."
"That doesn't sound very 51st Century 'I'm so enlightened' of you, sir," Ianto said, risking a bit of a tease.
Jack chuckled and hugged Ianto tighter. "No, it doesn't," he agreed. He cut off Ianto's own chuckle with his mouth, kissing Ianto deeply, almost desperately. "There," he said roughly when he raised his head. "Now you can go."
Ianto stumbled a little when Jack released him and brought a hand to his lips. "What was that?" he asked shakily.
"A little 14th Century," Jack said with a satisfied smile as he sat back down and picked up his coat. "All's fair in love and war."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Ianto was still pondering Jack's comment when he walked into the Starbucks at the Mermaid Quay shops.
"Ianto!"
His gaze shot to Brendan, waving happily from a little table by the window. Ianto raised his hand in greeting and then pointed at the counter. Brendan smiled and nodded. Ianto used the few minutes it took to order his espresso to get his mind off of Jack and onto the matter at hand. He took a deep breath when they called his name and walked slowly over to join Brendan.
"Hey, you look great! Holiday today? I didn't interrupt anything big, did I?"
Ianto shook his head. "No, the big was yesterday. Today we're just sort of… recovering. It's why I wasn't on my computer. I'm sorry I missed your email."
"Is today still okay for the SUV service?" Brendan asked, biting his lip. "I can always come back."
"No, no need to do that. It's fine," Ianto said. He felt incredibly awkward and was sure Brendan could tell.
"Oh, good. Not a wasted trip then. Not that any trip to see you could be wasted," he added with a shy smile.
Ianto cleared his throat and took a sip of his espresso. "So how have you been? How's your family?" he asked abruptly.
Brendan rolled his eyes. "Fine. Work's been mad with all the retrofits for the AMTOS systems. My uncle just made Brigadier so he's been even more insufferable lately. Britt and Jenny finally got past that arsehole in Intelligence and set a date for the wedding. Don't suppose you'd want to be my date?" he asked hopefully.
"Brendan, I… " Ianto started but found he had no idea what to say next.
"Don't say no now, it's months away. Let me work on you," he said with a wink, his green eyes twinkling. "I did have an idea though. It's almost August," he said casually. "What would you say to spending the bank hols together somewhere? We could get a caravan or a cottage or something?"
Ianto tried again. "Brendan, I… that sounds nice, but… I…" He blew out a frustrated breath.
Brendan reached for his hand, concern replacing the merriment in his eyes. "Ianto, what is it?" he asked softly.
"Jack's back," Ianto blurted out. He felt his cheeks go red as Brendan stared at him without speaking. "He… came back," he added lamely.
After a long, still silence, Brendan carefully let go of Ianto's hand and sat back in his chair. "He came back," Brendan echoed.
Ianto nodded, unsure where to start.
"Did he… did he explain things? Why he left?" Brendan asked curiously.
With a nod, Ianto finally found the words. "He did. He… It was… He got caught up in something, he never intended to be gone for more than a few hours, that's why he didn't leave me a message."
"And you believe him?"
Ianto stiffened and nodded again. "Yes," he said in clipped tones.
Brendan reached for his hand again. "God, Ianto, I'm - I'm sorry, that sounded… God, I just… I don't want to see you get hurt again. I was - " He broke off and chuckled, though the sound held little amusement. "I've been building it up in my head. You and… and me. How good it would be. My fault."
"Brendan, I'm so sorry for everything," Ianto said miserably. "I've been trying to figure out how to tell you ever since he got back."
"How long's that been?"
"About a month. Right after that mess with Saxon."
"Saxon? Really," Brendan said thoughtfully. "I wonder… maybe I wasn't imagining things."
Ianto cocked his head curiously. "What things?"
Brendan took a drink of his coffee and then looked up at Ianto again. "Barrett, my brother, was working on analyzing the security footage from the Valiant a few weeks ago. His department is updating the defence systems after -" he waved his hand in the air "- all that. I stopped by to pick him up for lunch and I could have sworn I saw Jack on one of the frames." He shrugged and toyed with the cardboard triangle on the table that was advertising a Raspberry Blackcurrent Frappuccino.
"You weren't imagining it," Ianto said slowly.
"So… he didn't just come back, he came back a hero." Brendan shook his head. "How can I compete with that?" he added softly.
"It's not like that," Ianto said in a low voice.
"I know," Brendan answered in the same tone. "I do. It's just… hard. You're happy, though? He's making it up to you?"
Ianto allowed himself a small smile. "He… It's different from what we had before he left. Better."
"I'm… you deserve the best, Ianto," Brendan said with a small shrug. "I just hope Jack appreciates that."
Flushing slightly, Ianto sipped the dregs of his espresso, not knowing how to respond.
Brendan sort of shook himself and then smiled. "Well, I think I better get to work and get out of your hair. SUV?"
Ianto wanted to protest, to tell Brendan that nothing had changed, that they were still friends, but in the end he simply nodded and with a whispered 'thanks', led Brendan out of the shop.
TBC in Chapter Thirty-Two