Waiting in the Wings (Jack/Ianto | G)
Title: Waiting in the wings
Author: santousha
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto and Ianto/Lisa
Rating: G
Summary: After the team has left, Ianto remains in the information centre. A cat keeps him company and Jack makes his move.
Word Count: ~1000
Original Story: The Cat in the Plass, and the Robot Below by kayliemalinza
Notes: Much love for my ever patient beta misswinterhill
The day was drawing to a close as Ianto lingered at the desk in the Tourist Information bureau, entertaining himself by watching a kitten that had found its way inside his small office. The kitten meowed at him as it sniffed the books and the pamphlets, seemingly taking it all in slowly as it stalked around the room. Looking for something, maybe food Ianto thought.
The others had gone already and save for the captain, who Ianto had last seen going through files in his office, Ianto was now alone. He was waiting for the proper time to go down below to Lisa’s room.
Suddenly the wall near the desk vanished, revealing a tall, well-built man, dressed in a large greatcoat, and the most flirtatious smile that Ianto had ever seen playing on his lips.
“Why are you still here so late?” Jack asked, from his position in the doorway. He rested one hand upon the wall and used the other to stuff a small canister of Weevil spray into the pocket of his greatcoat.
“I wasn’t aware it was that late, sir.” Ianto greeted him with a practiced smile and watched closely as Jack walked towards him and then stopped a few steps away from the desk. Ianto followed Jack’s gaze to the cat that now stood purring at the leaflets they had on display within the office. The cat--correction, kitten--either had not yet noticed Jack, or did not much care about his presence. Not once did it look up to acknowledge the intruder, but continued to rub its body against the metal bars of the display-rack while gently purring, and closing its eyes in utter content.
“Yours?” Jack asked, finger pointed towards the small cat. “I’m not so sure Torchwood is a safe place for pets.”
The kitten arched its back as Jack reached out carefully to stroke its fur. It let out an aggressive hiss and bared its teeth and claws.
“There, there. I won’t hurt you. I just want to play,” Jack cooed in its direction, but also lifted his head momentarily to wink at Ianto. The kitten sniffed inquiringly at Jack’s fingers, flicked its tongue at his fingertips, and after a moment, to Ianto’s surprise, the cat settled into the palm of Jack’s hand. Jack picked up the stray, and held it close to his chest while he stroked at its brown fur with his one free hand.
“She’s not mine actually, though she does seem to like you. Do you like cats, sir?” Ianto asked lightly.
Jack held the cat above his head, he seemed to study it; the kitten meowed gently in Jack’s direction, its paws and tail swinging in the air. “Well, I don’t hate them. They’re harmless enough.”
He gently placed the kitten on the office floor and both men watched as it first licked at its own fur, before running out to the door, disappearing into the deepening twilight.
“Why are you still here, Ianto?”
The question caught Ianto off guard, but he hid his discomfort behind that practiced smile. “Like I said before, I wasn’t aware that it was all that late.” Ianto responded with proficient ease, with his index finger he traced around the large letters of a pamphlet that lay open upon the table.
“You should be home relaxing, like the rest of the team.”
“Like you?” Ianto asked, placing a slight emphasis on the ‘you’ and cocking his head to the side. “I don’t mind staying late,” he said, and then paused deliberately. He’d learned that trick from Lisa “It’s calming.”
Jack’s hand brushed against his, ever so slightly, lingering far too long; hovering above the skin before settling on top. “I have to go out now.” There was an alarming intensity in Jack’s gaze. Fighting the urge to pull away, Ianto nodded, and then tried to smile.
Jack’s gaze seemed expectant, eager, excited even. “When I come back will you still be here?” Jack lowered his voice and moved in closer, entwining his fingers with Ianto’s.
Ianto cleared his throat and was suddenly aware that he had stopped breathing, breaking eye-contact he stared resolutely at the large buttons on the captain’s coat. “That’s likely,” he said breathlessly. He could feel Jack studying his response as they both fell into a silence that lasted until Ianto lifted his gaze in an attempt to reassure his captain.
“Good. We can...” Jack paused and to Ianto it seemed too reminiscent of his own attempts at manipulation. Inwardly Ianto cursed himself, Jack and even the kitten that was now nowhere in sight. “...talk,” Jack finally added and slowly pulled out of Ianto’s personal space.
He backed away slowly with that stupid smirk on his lips, before turning dramatically and heading out through the door.
The moment Ianto saw the door slam shut, he sprang into action, closing down the Tourist Information bureau and running into the Hub like death was on his heels. The Hub was quiet and bathed in darkness; the red lights that announced the arrival of whomever stepped through the cog door blinked above his head while the proximity alarm blared.
Ianto went through the passageways, down the steps, further and further until he reached her room --Lisa’s room.
There he stood stock still in her doorway, hands frozen in midair as he watched the gentle rise and fall of Lisa’s chest, the peaceful look on her face, the smile --he was sure of it-- on her lips.
“This will be over soon,” Ianto whispered into the room, but did not dare enter it fully, but brushed his fingers over the spot on the back of his hand where Jack had first touched him, “Soon you’ll be okay, and we’ll be gone from here.”
Author: santousha
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto and Ianto/Lisa
Rating: G
Summary: After the team has left, Ianto remains in the information centre. A cat keeps him company and Jack makes his move.
Word Count: ~1000
Original Story: The Cat in the Plass, and the Robot Below by kayliemalinza
Notes: Much love for my ever patient beta misswinterhill
The day was drawing to a close as Ianto lingered at the desk in the Tourist Information bureau, entertaining himself by watching a kitten that had found its way inside his small office. The kitten meowed at him as it sniffed the books and the pamphlets, seemingly taking it all in slowly as it stalked around the room. Looking for something, maybe food Ianto thought.
The others had gone already and save for the captain, who Ianto had last seen going through files in his office, Ianto was now alone. He was waiting for the proper time to go down below to Lisa’s room.
Suddenly the wall near the desk vanished, revealing a tall, well-built man, dressed in a large greatcoat, and the most flirtatious smile that Ianto had ever seen playing on his lips.
“Why are you still here so late?” Jack asked, from his position in the doorway. He rested one hand upon the wall and used the other to stuff a small canister of Weevil spray into the pocket of his greatcoat.
“I wasn’t aware it was that late, sir.” Ianto greeted him with a practiced smile and watched closely as Jack walked towards him and then stopped a few steps away from the desk. Ianto followed Jack’s gaze to the cat that now stood purring at the leaflets they had on display within the office. The cat--correction, kitten--either had not yet noticed Jack, or did not much care about his presence. Not once did it look up to acknowledge the intruder, but continued to rub its body against the metal bars of the display-rack while gently purring, and closing its eyes in utter content.
“Yours?” Jack asked, finger pointed towards the small cat. “I’m not so sure Torchwood is a safe place for pets.”
The kitten arched its back as Jack reached out carefully to stroke its fur. It let out an aggressive hiss and bared its teeth and claws.
“There, there. I won’t hurt you. I just want to play,” Jack cooed in its direction, but also lifted his head momentarily to wink at Ianto. The kitten sniffed inquiringly at Jack’s fingers, flicked its tongue at his fingertips, and after a moment, to Ianto’s surprise, the cat settled into the palm of Jack’s hand. Jack picked up the stray, and held it close to his chest while he stroked at its brown fur with his one free hand.
“She’s not mine actually, though she does seem to like you. Do you like cats, sir?” Ianto asked lightly.
Jack held the cat above his head, he seemed to study it; the kitten meowed gently in Jack’s direction, its paws and tail swinging in the air. “Well, I don’t hate them. They’re harmless enough.”
He gently placed the kitten on the office floor and both men watched as it first licked at its own fur, before running out to the door, disappearing into the deepening twilight.
“Why are you still here, Ianto?”
The question caught Ianto off guard, but he hid his discomfort behind that practiced smile. “Like I said before, I wasn’t aware that it was all that late.” Ianto responded with proficient ease, with his index finger he traced around the large letters of a pamphlet that lay open upon the table.
“You should be home relaxing, like the rest of the team.”
“Like you?” Ianto asked, placing a slight emphasis on the ‘you’ and cocking his head to the side. “I don’t mind staying late,” he said, and then paused deliberately. He’d learned that trick from Lisa “It’s calming.”
Jack’s hand brushed against his, ever so slightly, lingering far too long; hovering above the skin before settling on top. “I have to go out now.” There was an alarming intensity in Jack’s gaze. Fighting the urge to pull away, Ianto nodded, and then tried to smile.
Jack’s gaze seemed expectant, eager, excited even. “When I come back will you still be here?” Jack lowered his voice and moved in closer, entwining his fingers with Ianto’s.
Ianto cleared his throat and was suddenly aware that he had stopped breathing, breaking eye-contact he stared resolutely at the large buttons on the captain’s coat. “That’s likely,” he said breathlessly. He could feel Jack studying his response as they both fell into a silence that lasted until Ianto lifted his gaze in an attempt to reassure his captain.
“Good. We can...” Jack paused and to Ianto it seemed too reminiscent of his own attempts at manipulation. Inwardly Ianto cursed himself, Jack and even the kitten that was now nowhere in sight. “...talk,” Jack finally added and slowly pulled out of Ianto’s personal space.
He backed away slowly with that stupid smirk on his lips, before turning dramatically and heading out through the door.
The moment Ianto saw the door slam shut, he sprang into action, closing down the Tourist Information bureau and running into the Hub like death was on his heels. The Hub was quiet and bathed in darkness; the red lights that announced the arrival of whomever stepped through the cog door blinked above his head while the proximity alarm blared.
Ianto went through the passageways, down the steps, further and further until he reached her room --Lisa’s room.
There he stood stock still in her doorway, hands frozen in midair as he watched the gentle rise and fall of Lisa’s chest, the peaceful look on her face, the smile --he was sure of it-- on her lips.
“This will be over soon,” Ianto whispered into the room, but did not dare enter it fully, but brushed his fingers over the spot on the back of his hand where Jack had first touched him, “Soon you’ll be okay, and we’ll be gone from here.”