Cast a Doubt Like a Shadow (Jack/Ianto)
Title: Cast a Doubt Like a Shadow
Fandom: Torchwood.
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG.
Summary: Jack is worried and Ianto is, as per usual, dismissive. Coda to Fragments.
Author's Notes: Written by a prompt on tumblr. I hope you guys enjoy it!
We got lucky, and so did John. Because if he’d killed anyone - if he had hurt Ianto - I would have slowly ripped him limb from limb.
- The Captain's Log (Fragments)
“I’m fine, Jack!” Ianto snapped at the Captain’s forth attempt to check for any other injuries he could have missed. “Stop fussing.”
Jack clicked his tongue. “You have no idea how close and how lucky you were today,” he said, insistently tugging Ianto’s shirt over his head. He realised that it might end up being more painful that way and gave up, reaching for the buttons again. “I can’t let it happen again.”
“And how exactly are you planning on doing that?” Ianto retorted, clearly irritated. “Things like that happen in our line of work often enough, Jack. It’s inevitable. Everyone is fine and that’s all that matters, right?”
“No, Ianto.” Jack threw the young man’s shirt to the side and stopped undressing him long enough to look in his eyes. “It’s not right at all. You’re supposed to be under my protection.”
“I’m supposed to take care of myself just like every other person on this planet.” Ianto looked rather offended and Jack took a step back as if it would save him from his lover’s burning gaze. “You’re not my father, Jack. And for as long as I’m in this team - and just so you know, I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon - I will keep doing my job. I love it, Jack. The risks, the thrill of the chase, everything. I adore it and there’s nothing you can do to take that away from me.”
Jack gulped nervously. He hadn’t expected things to end up quite like they did, but he wasn’t really surprised, either. It was typical - he’d try to express genuine worry and ended up being ridiculed and shouted at for it. “I’m not saying that you should stop doing your job,” he said at last, bringing Ianto closer with him hand until they ended up lying on his bed, his lover on top of him. “I worry about you and there’s nothing I can do to make it stop. You have to accept that. Come on now,” he urged gently. “Let’s go to sleep.”
“It’s two in the bloody afternoon,” Ianto grumbled without any real heat in his words left and then shifted a bit to find a more comfortable position. He ended up with his head on Jack’s chest, his hair tickling his skin.
“Doesn’t matter,” Jack said, patting the young man’s shoulder. “It’s not like we slept much last night, anyway. And we’ve got work to do tonight. We have to find out what John wants.” And what he’s done with my brother, Jack added mentally. “We have to rest now.”
Ianto gave a nod - ever the good soldier, even when he constantly questioned all of Jack’s decisions - and closed his eyes. “Anything I can do to help?”
Jack chuckled. “My stomach hurts. Kiss it better?”
Ianto swatted at him half-heartedly. “Be serious!”
Jack reached down and let his palms frame Ianto’s face. “Ianto. The best thing you can do for me right now is go to sleep.”
Another nod and just a few seconds later, Ianto’s breathing had already evened out. Jack envied him for that sometimes; how easy it was for him to just turn off. His fingertips kept stroking Ianto’s cheekbones absently as he sank even deeper in thought.
He would have murdered John in cold blood. He could feel the fury still racing through his veins when even something as small as Ianto’s dislocated shoulder had made him want to do something incredibly violent and particularly bloody to whoever was responsible for this, and he was scared of himself for it. It wasn’t like Ianto had complained too much - none of them had - but the urge was still there; the urge to hurt everyone who had tried to threaten him them all.
“I would keep you locked up for the rest of your life if you’d let me,” he confided to Ianto’s sleeping form. “I would take you off this planet, call the Doctor, tell him to take you away to keep you safe. But you won’t let me, and I wouldn’t really do it anyway, because then it wouldn’t be you. And what’s left to love if your essence is gone?”
There was no response. Not that Jack had wanted or anticipated one, but it was still liberating to say it all.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes too and was soon lucky enough to follow his lover into a dreamless sleep.
Fandom: Torchwood.
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG.
Summary: Jack is worried and Ianto is, as per usual, dismissive. Coda to Fragments.
Author's Notes: Written by a prompt on tumblr. I hope you guys enjoy it!
We got lucky, and so did John. Because if he’d killed anyone - if he had hurt Ianto - I would have slowly ripped him limb from limb.
- The Captain's Log (Fragments)
“I’m fine, Jack!” Ianto snapped at the Captain’s forth attempt to check for any other injuries he could have missed. “Stop fussing.”
Jack clicked his tongue. “You have no idea how close and how lucky you were today,” he said, insistently tugging Ianto’s shirt over his head. He realised that it might end up being more painful that way and gave up, reaching for the buttons again. “I can’t let it happen again.”
“And how exactly are you planning on doing that?” Ianto retorted, clearly irritated. “Things like that happen in our line of work often enough, Jack. It’s inevitable. Everyone is fine and that’s all that matters, right?”
“No, Ianto.” Jack threw the young man’s shirt to the side and stopped undressing him long enough to look in his eyes. “It’s not right at all. You’re supposed to be under my protection.”
“I’m supposed to take care of myself just like every other person on this planet.” Ianto looked rather offended and Jack took a step back as if it would save him from his lover’s burning gaze. “You’re not my father, Jack. And for as long as I’m in this team - and just so you know, I’m not planning on leaving anytime soon - I will keep doing my job. I love it, Jack. The risks, the thrill of the chase, everything. I adore it and there’s nothing you can do to take that away from me.”
Jack gulped nervously. He hadn’t expected things to end up quite like they did, but he wasn’t really surprised, either. It was typical - he’d try to express genuine worry and ended up being ridiculed and shouted at for it. “I’m not saying that you should stop doing your job,” he said at last, bringing Ianto closer with him hand until they ended up lying on his bed, his lover on top of him. “I worry about you and there’s nothing I can do to make it stop. You have to accept that. Come on now,” he urged gently. “Let’s go to sleep.”
“It’s two in the bloody afternoon,” Ianto grumbled without any real heat in his words left and then shifted a bit to find a more comfortable position. He ended up with his head on Jack’s chest, his hair tickling his skin.
“Doesn’t matter,” Jack said, patting the young man’s shoulder. “It’s not like we slept much last night, anyway. And we’ve got work to do tonight. We have to find out what John wants.” And what he’s done with my brother, Jack added mentally. “We have to rest now.”
Ianto gave a nod - ever the good soldier, even when he constantly questioned all of Jack’s decisions - and closed his eyes. “Anything I can do to help?”
Jack chuckled. “My stomach hurts. Kiss it better?”
Ianto swatted at him half-heartedly. “Be serious!”
Jack reached down and let his palms frame Ianto’s face. “Ianto. The best thing you can do for me right now is go to sleep.”
Another nod and just a few seconds later, Ianto’s breathing had already evened out. Jack envied him for that sometimes; how easy it was for him to just turn off. His fingertips kept stroking Ianto’s cheekbones absently as he sank even deeper in thought.
He would have murdered John in cold blood. He could feel the fury still racing through his veins when even something as small as Ianto’s dislocated shoulder had made him want to do something incredibly violent and particularly bloody to whoever was responsible for this, and he was scared of himself for it. It wasn’t like Ianto had complained too much - none of them had - but the urge was still there; the urge to hurt everyone who had tried to threaten him them all.
“I would keep you locked up for the rest of your life if you’d let me,” he confided to Ianto’s sleeping form. “I would take you off this planet, call the Doctor, tell him to take you away to keep you safe. But you won’t let me, and I wouldn’t really do it anyway, because then it wouldn’t be you. And what’s left to love if your essence is gone?”
There was no response. Not that Jack had wanted or anticipated one, but it was still liberating to say it all.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes too and was soon lucky enough to follow his lover into a dreamless sleep.