Fic- A Cat's Goodbye
Title: A Cat's Goodbye
Fandom: Torchwood
Author's Note: So, what with the events of COE, this little ficlet is far less perceptive or, you know, interesting, then it was five days ago when I scrawled it into a notebook. Ah well, missed it by this much.
It was in the early part of the morning, when the sky is not quite bright and lovers lay in bed together and talk about things they could not say in the full light of day.
"How many have there been?" Ianto asked. He spoke mostly to the pillow, but Jack heard and he stroked the warm skin of Ianto's back with a wide spread hand.
"Is that important?" Jack asked.
"I don't know," Ianto said. "Maybe."
Jack dropped a distracting kiss on the back of Ianto's neck.
"It's important," Ianto said. "But not for the reason you think it is."
Jack kissed the back of his neck again, rubbing his nose into the short hairs at the nape of Ianto's scalp. "I don't know. I never counted."
"You never counted or you've forgotten?"
Jack sighed against him.
"I don't forget," Jack said, shifting down to lay on his side, one hand still pressed against the small of Ianto's back. Ianto turned his head, rearranged his arms to clear his view. "Is that what you want? A list of names? Mug shots? Cups sizes? Cause of death?"
"No."
"What then?"
Ianto turned under Jack's hands, letting his shoulders sink into the mattress. "Someday I'll be gone."
"And?"
"And nothing. Just, someday I'll be gone."
"But I'll be there," Jack said, comfortable in his martyrdom. "I promise."
"I don't want you to be. I don't even want you to know." Ianto had a far away look in his eyes. "I want you to always think I'm around the next corner. I want you to hear my breath when you answer the phone and get confused when someone else starts speaking. I want you to see me in newsreels and chase me through parking garages and have your ears prick up when someone calls out Ianto across a crowded room. Forever." He sighed and found a bit of Jack's skin to put three fingers against and rub softly. "That's selfish, I guess."
"That's alright."
"I don't care that you'll outlive me, Jack, I really don't. It's just...I don't want to be one of them. Name, rank, cause of death."
Jack could think of no meaningful thing to say, so he made due with cliche. "You're special, Ianto."
Ianto smiled, just a little and climbed over Jack, smooth and knowingly, until his body settled just so against Jack's and he could look down into Jack's face with a gentle, calm smile.
"I bet you say that to all the boys."
Fandom: Torchwood
Author's Note: So, what with the events of COE, this little ficlet is far less perceptive or, you know, interesting, then it was five days ago when I scrawled it into a notebook. Ah well, missed it by this much.
It was in the early part of the morning, when the sky is not quite bright and lovers lay in bed together and talk about things they could not say in the full light of day.
"How many have there been?" Ianto asked. He spoke mostly to the pillow, but Jack heard and he stroked the warm skin of Ianto's back with a wide spread hand.
"Is that important?" Jack asked.
"I don't know," Ianto said. "Maybe."
Jack dropped a distracting kiss on the back of Ianto's neck.
"It's important," Ianto said. "But not for the reason you think it is."
Jack kissed the back of his neck again, rubbing his nose into the short hairs at the nape of Ianto's scalp. "I don't know. I never counted."
"You never counted or you've forgotten?"
Jack sighed against him.
"I don't forget," Jack said, shifting down to lay on his side, one hand still pressed against the small of Ianto's back. Ianto turned his head, rearranged his arms to clear his view. "Is that what you want? A list of names? Mug shots? Cups sizes? Cause of death?"
"No."
"What then?"
Ianto turned under Jack's hands, letting his shoulders sink into the mattress. "Someday I'll be gone."
"And?"
"And nothing. Just, someday I'll be gone."
"But I'll be there," Jack said, comfortable in his martyrdom. "I promise."
"I don't want you to be. I don't even want you to know." Ianto had a far away look in his eyes. "I want you to always think I'm around the next corner. I want you to hear my breath when you answer the phone and get confused when someone else starts speaking. I want you to see me in newsreels and chase me through parking garages and have your ears prick up when someone calls out Ianto across a crowded room. Forever." He sighed and found a bit of Jack's skin to put three fingers against and rub softly. "That's selfish, I guess."
"That's alright."
"I don't care that you'll outlive me, Jack, I really don't. It's just...I don't want to be one of them. Name, rank, cause of death."
Jack could think of no meaningful thing to say, so he made due with cliche. "You're special, Ianto."
Ianto smiled, just a little and climbed over Jack, smooth and knowingly, until his body settled just so against Jack's and he could look down into Jack's face with a gentle, calm smile.
"I bet you say that to all the boys."