Guilt - 36/70ish
Title: Guilt
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Torchwood is not mine. No matter how much I sometimes wish it was.
Spoilers: Better say everything through s2, just to be sure, although it takes place pre-S1.
Summary: Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. - Well, what if he did?
This chapter: Ianto wakes up in a strange place...
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy for all her wonderful work, and my cheerleaders angelzbabe1989 and piper08 for putting up with me when I whine about being stuck.
Fic starts here
Previous chapters at my master list
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ianto woke up, groggy, with a serious bout of disorientation. This wasn’t his bed - his pillow didn’t smell quite like that - wasn’t his room, wasn’t even his flat.
It was several moments before he was fully awake enough for it to start coming back to him. The conversation with Jack a scant three hours previously, the older man persuading him off the sofa and down into his bunk.
At the time, he’d been too sleepy to question Jack’s explanation that he ‘didn’t sleep much’, but with the benefit of a few good hours of rest, he couldn’t see how it could possibly be true. They had all been on their feet for at least twenty hours, and everyone needed some sleep.
The only rational explanation he could think of was that Jack had lied to him to make him feel better, and had taken the uncomfortable sofa for himself. The thought made him feel slightly guilty, and he resolved to make a point of thanking Jack for his kindness.
He quenched the small part of his brain that wondered why Jack had deemed him worthy of such care. ‘I’m part of his team, that’s all,’ he told the little voice firmly, pushing it resolutely to the back of his mind.
Pushing up and out of the small bed, he made his way to the tiny bathroom adjoining the sleeping quarters, splashing some cold water onto his face to clear his head and using a cloth to have a brief wash.
Returning to what he supposed Jack would call his ‘bedroom’, he picked up his suit from the day before, looking at it in dismay. It was a little rumpled from the long day, and from falling asleep on the Hub sofa. It would have to do, though.
Hopefully he’d have time to go home and grab a shower and a change of clothes after he’d been to see Lisa.
Once he was dressed, and as presentable as he could manage, he made his way back up through Jack’s office. As he made his way through the Hub, he noted that there was no sign of Jack. The sofa didn’t look like it had been slept on either.
Ianto was puzzled, but made a conscious decision not to think on it any further. What business of his was it where his boss slept anyway?
Unusually, Lisa was already stirring as he made his way into her room.
“Morning,” he murmured softly, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips as her eyes fluttered open.
“Morning.” Her gaze turned sympathetic as she took in the bags under his eyes that he’d been unable to hide. “Late night, Ianto?” Drifting her eyes down his body she also noticed the crumpled suit, correctly guessing that he hadn’t had a chance to make it home yet.
He nodded, perching on the stool and dropping his hand to grip hers in his now familiar position. “Yeah, it was.”
“They catch that Belacki thing then?” she asked, hesitating over the name of the species. Ianto had related the tale of his little trip the previous day, and had, at her request, fed her further information on the case as it came in.
Seeing her eyes light up as he related stories of various theories the team had expounded upon, he realised just how much she missed this. She was an intelligent woman, and had done wonderful work for Torchwood in London, and most of the time now she was relegated to listening to music or audio books, while the people around her did the work she had so loved.
He resolved to keep her in the loop more about what was going on around the Hub. It wasn’t the same as doing the work herself, but it was something, and it would give her things to think about when he was busy and couldn’t be there to keep her company.
Who knew, maybe she’d even help them solve a problem.
“Bleqaxi, and yes, they caught it.” He sighed, thinking back to the night before. “Not until half past three though, and it got Tosh.”
Lisa’s grip tightened a little around his hand and her eyes went as wide as they could. “Got? Not got as in…?” She’d worked for Torchwood. She knew the life expectancy statistics for its employees.
“No, no,” he was quick to clarify. “Not like that. She’s got a pretty nasty gash on her arm though.”
Although her grip loosened, Lisa’s eyes remained wide and concerned. She liked Tosh, from the little contact she’d had with the Japanese woman, and she knew from Ianto’s stories that he considered her a good friend.
“She’ll be okay though?”
Ianto blew out a breath and nodded, his chin dropping to his chest. “Yeah. Probably in pain for a while but she’ll be fine. Anyway…” He lifted his head again, meeting Lisa’s gaze. “How are you feeling? Anything worse than last night? Anything better?”
“No, pretty much the same.” Even though he knew it was irrational, almost like wishing for the moon, every time he asked he hoped that she would say that something was better, that something had miraculously healed itself.
“And the doses are all still fine?”
“Yes, Ianto, they’re still fine,” she told him, her tone betraying the tiniest hint of good-natured frustration. “Stop fussing.”
“Okay, okay,” Ianto surrendered. “I will. I just worry is all. But I promise, no more fussing. At least not this morning.” The affectionate smile he got in return, with just a trace of an affected long-suffering air, couldn’t help but bring a soft smile to his own lips.
“So,” he started, picking up a battered paperback from the table, “where were we?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
All comments and concrit welcomed! (Comments = Love <3)
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Torchwood is not mine. No matter how much I sometimes wish it was.
Spoilers: Better say everything through s2, just to be sure, although it takes place pre-S1.
Summary: Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you. - Well, what if he did?
This chapter: Ianto wakes up in a strange place...
Thanks to: My beta cazmalfoy for all her wonderful work, and my cheerleaders angelzbabe1989 and piper08 for putting up with me when I whine about being stuck.
Fic starts here
Previous chapters at my master list
Chapter Thirty-Six
Ianto woke up, groggy, with a serious bout of disorientation. This wasn’t his bed - his pillow didn’t smell quite like that - wasn’t his room, wasn’t even his flat.
It was several moments before he was fully awake enough for it to start coming back to him. The conversation with Jack a scant three hours previously, the older man persuading him off the sofa and down into his bunk.
At the time, he’d been too sleepy to question Jack’s explanation that he ‘didn’t sleep much’, but with the benefit of a few good hours of rest, he couldn’t see how it could possibly be true. They had all been on their feet for at least twenty hours, and everyone needed some sleep.
The only rational explanation he could think of was that Jack had lied to him to make him feel better, and had taken the uncomfortable sofa for himself. The thought made him feel slightly guilty, and he resolved to make a point of thanking Jack for his kindness.
He quenched the small part of his brain that wondered why Jack had deemed him worthy of such care. ‘I’m part of his team, that’s all,’ he told the little voice firmly, pushing it resolutely to the back of his mind.
Pushing up and out of the small bed, he made his way to the tiny bathroom adjoining the sleeping quarters, splashing some cold water onto his face to clear his head and using a cloth to have a brief wash.
Returning to what he supposed Jack would call his ‘bedroom’, he picked up his suit from the day before, looking at it in dismay. It was a little rumpled from the long day, and from falling asleep on the Hub sofa. It would have to do, though.
Hopefully he’d have time to go home and grab a shower and a change of clothes after he’d been to see Lisa.
Once he was dressed, and as presentable as he could manage, he made his way back up through Jack’s office. As he made his way through the Hub, he noted that there was no sign of Jack. The sofa didn’t look like it had been slept on either.
Ianto was puzzled, but made a conscious decision not to think on it any further. What business of his was it where his boss slept anyway?
Unusually, Lisa was already stirring as he made his way into her room.
“Morning,” he murmured softly, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips as her eyes fluttered open.
“Morning.” Her gaze turned sympathetic as she took in the bags under his eyes that he’d been unable to hide. “Late night, Ianto?” Drifting her eyes down his body she also noticed the crumpled suit, correctly guessing that he hadn’t had a chance to make it home yet.
He nodded, perching on the stool and dropping his hand to grip hers in his now familiar position. “Yeah, it was.”
“They catch that Belacki thing then?” she asked, hesitating over the name of the species. Ianto had related the tale of his little trip the previous day, and had, at her request, fed her further information on the case as it came in.
Seeing her eyes light up as he related stories of various theories the team had expounded upon, he realised just how much she missed this. She was an intelligent woman, and had done wonderful work for Torchwood in London, and most of the time now she was relegated to listening to music or audio books, while the people around her did the work she had so loved.
He resolved to keep her in the loop more about what was going on around the Hub. It wasn’t the same as doing the work herself, but it was something, and it would give her things to think about when he was busy and couldn’t be there to keep her company.
Who knew, maybe she’d even help them solve a problem.
“Bleqaxi, and yes, they caught it.” He sighed, thinking back to the night before. “Not until half past three though, and it got Tosh.”
Lisa’s grip tightened a little around his hand and her eyes went as wide as they could. “Got? Not got as in…?” She’d worked for Torchwood. She knew the life expectancy statistics for its employees.
“No, no,” he was quick to clarify. “Not like that. She’s got a pretty nasty gash on her arm though.”
Although her grip loosened, Lisa’s eyes remained wide and concerned. She liked Tosh, from the little contact she’d had with the Japanese woman, and she knew from Ianto’s stories that he considered her a good friend.
“She’ll be okay though?”
Ianto blew out a breath and nodded, his chin dropping to his chest. “Yeah. Probably in pain for a while but she’ll be fine. Anyway…” He lifted his head again, meeting Lisa’s gaze. “How are you feeling? Anything worse than last night? Anything better?”
“No, pretty much the same.” Even though he knew it was irrational, almost like wishing for the moon, every time he asked he hoped that she would say that something was better, that something had miraculously healed itself.
“And the doses are all still fine?”
“Yes, Ianto, they’re still fine,” she told him, her tone betraying the tiniest hint of good-natured frustration. “Stop fussing.”
“Okay, okay,” Ianto surrendered. “I will. I just worry is all. But I promise, no more fussing. At least not this morning.” The affectionate smile he got in return, with just a trace of an affected long-suffering air, couldn’t help but bring a soft smile to his own lips.
“So,” he started, picking up a battered paperback from the table, “where were we?”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
All comments and concrit welcomed! (Comments = Love <3)