Title: Friendship
Characters: Gwen and Ianto. A little dose of Jack.
Summary: " "C'mon, it's not like I'm some horny teenage looking for a bit of, well y'know."
Word Count: 900-ish
Spoilers: "exit wounds"
Disclaimer: I don't own them.. But a girl can want, right?
A/N: Thanks to Bardlover6 who beta-ed this... I hope everybody enjoys is :)
"Jack? … Please somebody help me! It hurts so much" Ianto sobbed, lying on the floor of the autopsy bay, blood trickling from his stomach. Knock, knock, knock… Ianto looked around, hoping to see somebody, anybody coming to rescue him, to comfort him. Knock, knock, knock…
Ianto woke with a start as a loud, consistent knocking tore him from a recently recurring nightmare. It had started off as always, he had been the one shot by Grey, but nobody was there to cradle him as he lay dying on the floor. He looked at the alarm clock beside his bed, 2.30 A.M, it flashed.
"So help me God, if this is Jack…" , Ianto mumbled, trailing off as he slipped off his vest top, which had become drenched with sweat, and made his way to answer the unrelenting knocking.
Without looking through his peep hole, he ripped the door open only to recoil in shock as he saw who was stood there. Gwen stood, clad in pyjamas, holding a sleeping bag under one arm whilst running her hand through her hair with the other. She flashed Ianto a cheeky grin, which soon turned into a grimace as she saw his bemused expression.
"Sorry Ianto, I know it's late but it's just that uh, Rhys is out of town and well, I know it sounds stupid and all, but I really didn't want to be alone.. So uh, I mean if it's not too much trouble do you mind if I crash here? If you're not busy or anything," Gwen finished quickly, blushing as she realized Ianto's apparent lack of clothing.
Ianto, ever the gentlemen, grinned in response and motioned for her to come in before silently closing the door behind them.
"You're always welcome here Gwen, you know that. Would you like anything to drink? Coffee maybe?"
Gwen smiled. "No thanks Ianto, I just really need to sleep. I uh, I had a nightmare…" She looked at her slipper encased feet, seemingly ashamed, her eyes filling with tears.
"C'mere" He held out his hands and motioned for her to come to him and she did willingly. "I know what it's like cariad, just before you came I was having the worst nightmare, in fact I've been having it for days, we all get them it's natural after an event like… Well you know… Don't cry now or you'll set me off." He grinned crookedly down at her and wiped her tears away. "Shh, c'mon now lets both get some sleep." He added releasing her.
Gwen nodded wiping her face, feeling thoroughly embarrassed with herself. "I didn't know whether you had an extra duvet, so I just brought my sleeping bag", she looked around, feeling unsure. "I'll just crash on the couch. If that's okay?"
Ianto looked absolutely mortified. "What kind of man am I, if I just let you sleep on my lumpy old couch?" He grinned at her, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"A typical one?" Gwen muttered. Ianto made no show of hearing her and instead carried on speaking, although suddenly looking anywhere and everywhere but Gwen.
"Well," he cleared his throat. "You can, y'know obviously stay uh with me." He blushed and fixed his gaze on his toes, before looking up at Gwen's face. She raised an eyebrow.
"C'mon, it's not like I'm some horny teenage looking for a bit of, well y'know." He smirked and grabbed Gwen's hand, not waiting for an answer, pulling her towards his bedroom.
"Yeah we can't all be Jack." Gwen muttered and Ianto turned and winked at her, all but pushing her into his bedroom. "Wow. Ianto this is, well really nice. The bed is huge, what is that a queen size? Sorry it's just I kinda expected something more… Manly. No offence of course." She smiled, and turned to the bed. "So which side is mine?" She asked casually.
"Take whatever side you want, I'm fine whichever way." He smiled as Gwen got into the left side of the bed, next to his alarm clock and phone. Ianto turned off the lights, set both the alarm on his phone and his clock and climbed into bed next to her.
"Thanks Ianto. Really." Gwen mumbled sleepily, burrowing her face into his pillow. Ianto stifled a yawn, smiling and patted her shoulder.
"It's fine cariad, just sleep." He smiled, drifting off into a dreamless sleep, knowing that he was not alone and he, Gwen and Jack would make it through the next couple of months. Together.
A couple of hours later, in the hub.
Jack woke with a start. His mind filled with images of blood and death and hell. He wiped his face and tried to rid the images of Ianto and Gwen, being dragged down to hell that had started to engulf his dreams every time he slept. He got up, dressing quickly and made his way to his favourite roof.
He stood, with the cool breeze whipping at his face, on top of the roof. He knew that this was just another kink in his armour and knew that he'd get through this. As always.