54.2.c oncoming_storms
Ianto exhales slowly as he rearranges Jack's tangled sheets so they can lie under them. "Well, that was--"
"If I hear you say 'one hell of a day' one more time," Jack cuts in, raising his eyebrows. "I will make you leave."
"--exhilarating." He finishes smoothly, face the picture of innocence. Jack grins, holding out a beckoning arm. Ianto shifts willingly, curling up against Jack's side with a sigh.
"Maybe I should send you home, anyway..." Jack muses jokingly, stroking a hand up Ianto's arm absently. "I think we both know 'exhilarating' wasn't what you originally planned on saying."
Ianto refuses to look guilty, even though Jack had been right. Okay, so maybe he'd overused the joke a little bit. But it was funny. They'd all found it at least mildly amusing when he'd first cracked it in a toast during their first round of drinks. Even Gwen, who had pointed out to him that it was a little distasteful.
Instead he glances over at the clock. Almost 2am. "At least I'll have missed the rush hour," he comments around a yawn. Jack shakes his head, turning the light out and casting the room into darkness.
"Nah. Stay here. You look tired." Ianto feels himself tugged closer, and Jack placing a soft kiss on his head. He curls up again, dozing against Jack's shoulder.
He wonders if Jack perhaps needs the closeness tonight as much as he does. Just hours ago he'd thought he'd lost Jack forever. It hadn't felt real. He hadn't felt real. The utter helplessness he'd felt had been terrifying. Even more so than the knowledge there was nothing he wouldn't have done to get Jack back. If Tosh hadn't worked out a way to bring Jack back, Ianto knows he probably would have lost his life tonight. He jumps as Jack chooses that moment to speak, almost as though he knows what he was thinking.
"Tosh tells me she never got the chance to tell you what her plan was."
He reluctantly makes a sound of agreement. Jack's tone is unreadable. He can't tell if he's angry, concerned, or pleased with him, though he's fairly certain it's not the latter.
"So... what made you come after me?"
Ianto doesn't answer straight away, and when he does he speaks slowly. Uncertainly. "I thought that maybe, because Jefferson punished you... if I forgave you... you'd be able to come back."
Jack doesn't respond, but Ianto doesn't need to hear him to know that he's thinking. Even in the dark he can picture his face. Distant, stoic, staring up at the ceiling even though there's no way he can see it. Ianto takes a deep breath, and continues.
"Jefferson said that God had told him to punish sinners. But when I was growing up I was always taught that God thought sinners should be forgiven..."
He trails off, a little embarrassed. The idea that simply forgiving Jack would be enough to bring him back seems ridiculous now. He'd been thoughtless. Reckless. He'd been lucky Tosh's own plan was so similar his own, albeit more scientific. Jefferson had clearly been psychotic. Ianto didn't even have that excuse for his own actions.
"I suppose it's lucky Tosh came up with her plan when she did," he ventures in an attempt to break the silence. It's infuriating. Maddening, even.
"Guess so."
Jack's voice is distant. Distracted. Is he even listening?
Ianto sighs, and closes his eyes. It's been a long day, and he really does need the sleep.
"You know," Jack begins after long period of silence. Ianto's been asleep for a while, but the circular motion of Jack’s thumb on his side is enough to wake him. "When I was in Hell... when I really realised I was in Hell... I remember thinking about you. That if I could just find you... if you'd just tell you forgave me, then... then everything would be alright."
Ianto sighs blearily, attempting to wake up slightly. "What did you want me to forgive you for?" he yawns.
There's a long pause. Ianto's almost nodded off again when he speaks. It's getting to be an annoying habit, but Ianto tries not to seem too irritated. "I don't know. I... I know it was bad. I'd done something terrible... but if you forgave me..." He hears Jack swallow thickly, getting his emotions back in check. "By the time you came I couldn't even remember what I needed forgiving for."
He tries not to think of the implications of that. Jack doesn't age, so it's difficult to say how long he was trapped there for. The other victims were trapped there for the rest of their natural lives. Jack could have been there even longer. He hopes not. He doesn't dare ask.
"I'm sorry. I should've got there sooner."
Jack's grip on him tightens, and he's fairly certain he feels him shake his head. "No. Don't be." He sighs, trailing his hand up Ianto's back and into his hair. It reminds Ianto of how he was when he came back from the Doctor. Almost as though he's familiarising himself with him again. "When you showed up... I thought you were an angel. I'd been alone so long. I didn't know what else you could be."
He can hear the faint smile in Jack's voice, and manages a faint one in return although he knows Jack won't see it. "You didn't know before?" It's a weak joke, but he feels the need to make the conversation a bit more light-hearted. Jack's laugh is short-lived, but there's affection there. And it's real laughter; not just for his benefit. Ianto's glad for that. It takes a lot to break Jack. He knows that first hand. But he'd seen Jack face down in the pool... drowning himself even though he must have known it was useless. How many times had he done that before? How many times would he have done it again if they hadn't saved him? It had scared him more than he'd be willing to admit. And he suspects that Hell would be enough to break anyone. Even Jack Harkness.
"It's a pity you don't have wings," Jack teases. Ianto can practically hear the smirk in his voice. "I bet they'd make you look hot."
Ianto snorts, giving him a half-hearted shove. "You'd probably say the same about me having scales."
"Well, they would!" Jack insists, almost laughing now. Ianto yanks the pillow from under his head and hits him with it, turning away to lie back down. He realises his mistake almost immediately, and turns back just in time to avoid being pinned face down. Jack growls in mock anger, grabbing his wrists and leaning to whisper in his ear. "Oh, you're so gonna pay for that."
Somewhere along the line playful shoves turn into desperate kisses. Sloppy, messy, brutal, and grounding. More to reassure themselves the other is there, than to comfort the other. Ianto eventually shoves Jack off him, panting heavily. Somehow he's even more exhausted than he was before; something he hadn't thought was possible.
Jack laughs, tossing the pillow back into its proper place, before tugging Ianto back to his chest. "Come on, then. Sleep. Promise I won't wake you this time."
Ianto glances up sharply. "You knew I was sleeping?"
Jack keeps his voice calm, encouraging him to lie back down. "I needed you to know. If I'd waited until morning, then... I wouldn't have been able to tell you all that."
He's still a little irritated, but he is glad Jack trusted him enough to share what he had. Even if he had felt the need to wake him up first. He nods, relaxing against him.
He seeks out his hand under the covers, and squeezes lightly. "Thank you."
He knows Jack shakes his head this time, and feels his own hand squeezed back. He's almost certain Jack is smiling. "No. Thank you. You saved me, Ianto. You all did."
"It's what we're here for," Ianto replies faintly, keeping Jack's hand in a loose grip. It's what he's here for.
That night Ianto pays more attention to the rise and fall of Jack's chest more than he ever has before. His heartbeat, his warmth... for once Jack seems just as mortal as the rest of them, and makes this moment that much more precious.
Jack's so warm, and real, and... here.
He doesn't need the closeness anymore. But he wants it. And he appreciates every second of it.
Muse: Ianto Jones
Word Count: 1,419
Prompt: Death
Notes: Set post In the Shadows (audio book), so there will be spoilers for that if you're planning on listening. And please don't eat half my post this time LJ. :|
"If I hear you say 'one hell of a day' one more time," Jack cuts in, raising his eyebrows. "I will make you leave."
"--exhilarating." He finishes smoothly, face the picture of innocence. Jack grins, holding out a beckoning arm. Ianto shifts willingly, curling up against Jack's side with a sigh.
"Maybe I should send you home, anyway..." Jack muses jokingly, stroking a hand up Ianto's arm absently. "I think we both know 'exhilarating' wasn't what you originally planned on saying."
Ianto refuses to look guilty, even though Jack had been right. Okay, so maybe he'd overused the joke a little bit. But it was funny. They'd all found it at least mildly amusing when he'd first cracked it in a toast during their first round of drinks. Even Gwen, who had pointed out to him that it was a little distasteful.
Instead he glances over at the clock. Almost 2am. "At least I'll have missed the rush hour," he comments around a yawn. Jack shakes his head, turning the light out and casting the room into darkness.
"Nah. Stay here. You look tired." Ianto feels himself tugged closer, and Jack placing a soft kiss on his head. He curls up again, dozing against Jack's shoulder.
He wonders if Jack perhaps needs the closeness tonight as much as he does. Just hours ago he'd thought he'd lost Jack forever. It hadn't felt real. He hadn't felt real. The utter helplessness he'd felt had been terrifying. Even more so than the knowledge there was nothing he wouldn't have done to get Jack back. If Tosh hadn't worked out a way to bring Jack back, Ianto knows he probably would have lost his life tonight. He jumps as Jack chooses that moment to speak, almost as though he knows what he was thinking.
"Tosh tells me she never got the chance to tell you what her plan was."
He reluctantly makes a sound of agreement. Jack's tone is unreadable. He can't tell if he's angry, concerned, or pleased with him, though he's fairly certain it's not the latter.
"So... what made you come after me?"
Ianto doesn't answer straight away, and when he does he speaks slowly. Uncertainly. "I thought that maybe, because Jefferson punished you... if I forgave you... you'd be able to come back."
Jack doesn't respond, but Ianto doesn't need to hear him to know that he's thinking. Even in the dark he can picture his face. Distant, stoic, staring up at the ceiling even though there's no way he can see it. Ianto takes a deep breath, and continues.
"Jefferson said that God had told him to punish sinners. But when I was growing up I was always taught that God thought sinners should be forgiven..."
He trails off, a little embarrassed. The idea that simply forgiving Jack would be enough to bring him back seems ridiculous now. He'd been thoughtless. Reckless. He'd been lucky Tosh's own plan was so similar his own, albeit more scientific. Jefferson had clearly been psychotic. Ianto didn't even have that excuse for his own actions.
"I suppose it's lucky Tosh came up with her plan when she did," he ventures in an attempt to break the silence. It's infuriating. Maddening, even.
"Guess so."
Jack's voice is distant. Distracted. Is he even listening?
Ianto sighs, and closes his eyes. It's been a long day, and he really does need the sleep.
"You know," Jack begins after long period of silence. Ianto's been asleep for a while, but the circular motion of Jack’s thumb on his side is enough to wake him. "When I was in Hell... when I really realised I was in Hell... I remember thinking about you. That if I could just find you... if you'd just tell you forgave me, then... then everything would be alright."
Ianto sighs blearily, attempting to wake up slightly. "What did you want me to forgive you for?" he yawns.
There's a long pause. Ianto's almost nodded off again when he speaks. It's getting to be an annoying habit, but Ianto tries not to seem too irritated. "I don't know. I... I know it was bad. I'd done something terrible... but if you forgave me..." He hears Jack swallow thickly, getting his emotions back in check. "By the time you came I couldn't even remember what I needed forgiving for."
He tries not to think of the implications of that. Jack doesn't age, so it's difficult to say how long he was trapped there for. The other victims were trapped there for the rest of their natural lives. Jack could have been there even longer. He hopes not. He doesn't dare ask.
"I'm sorry. I should've got there sooner."
Jack's grip on him tightens, and he's fairly certain he feels him shake his head. "No. Don't be." He sighs, trailing his hand up Ianto's back and into his hair. It reminds Ianto of how he was when he came back from the Doctor. Almost as though he's familiarising himself with him again. "When you showed up... I thought you were an angel. I'd been alone so long. I didn't know what else you could be."
He can hear the faint smile in Jack's voice, and manages a faint one in return although he knows Jack won't see it. "You didn't know before?" It's a weak joke, but he feels the need to make the conversation a bit more light-hearted. Jack's laugh is short-lived, but there's affection there. And it's real laughter; not just for his benefit. Ianto's glad for that. It takes a lot to break Jack. He knows that first hand. But he'd seen Jack face down in the pool... drowning himself even though he must have known it was useless. How many times had he done that before? How many times would he have done it again if they hadn't saved him? It had scared him more than he'd be willing to admit. And he suspects that Hell would be enough to break anyone. Even Jack Harkness.
"It's a pity you don't have wings," Jack teases. Ianto can practically hear the smirk in his voice. "I bet they'd make you look hot."
Ianto snorts, giving him a half-hearted shove. "You'd probably say the same about me having scales."
"Well, they would!" Jack insists, almost laughing now. Ianto yanks the pillow from under his head and hits him with it, turning away to lie back down. He realises his mistake almost immediately, and turns back just in time to avoid being pinned face down. Jack growls in mock anger, grabbing his wrists and leaning to whisper in his ear. "Oh, you're so gonna pay for that."
Somewhere along the line playful shoves turn into desperate kisses. Sloppy, messy, brutal, and grounding. More to reassure themselves the other is there, than to comfort the other. Ianto eventually shoves Jack off him, panting heavily. Somehow he's even more exhausted than he was before; something he hadn't thought was possible.
Jack laughs, tossing the pillow back into its proper place, before tugging Ianto back to his chest. "Come on, then. Sleep. Promise I won't wake you this time."
Ianto glances up sharply. "You knew I was sleeping?"
Jack keeps his voice calm, encouraging him to lie back down. "I needed you to know. If I'd waited until morning, then... I wouldn't have been able to tell you all that."
He's still a little irritated, but he is glad Jack trusted him enough to share what he had. Even if he had felt the need to wake him up first. He nods, relaxing against him.
He seeks out his hand under the covers, and squeezes lightly. "Thank you."
He knows Jack shakes his head this time, and feels his own hand squeezed back. He's almost certain Jack is smiling. "No. Thank you. You saved me, Ianto. You all did."
"It's what we're here for," Ianto replies faintly, keeping Jack's hand in a loose grip. It's what he's here for.
That night Ianto pays more attention to the rise and fall of Jack's chest more than he ever has before. His heartbeat, his warmth... for once Jack seems just as mortal as the rest of them, and makes this moment that much more precious.
Jack's so warm, and real, and... here.
He doesn't need the closeness anymore. But he wants it. And he appreciates every second of it.
Muse: Ianto Jones
Word Count: 1,419
Prompt: Death
Notes: Set post In the Shadows (audio book), so there will be spoilers for that if you're planning on listening. And please don't eat half my post this time LJ. :|