Now You Listen To Me
Summary: He told them he couldn't remember anything, but he lied. He heard every word that was said, but it was only his lover's voice that pierced the silence that surrounded and condemned him. Janto Drabble, Spoilers for The Dead Line.
A/N: I wanted more Janto moments than I got from this Audiodrama, so I decided to write one.
Enjoy the Story.
Jack watched as Gwen escorted Stella from his hospital room. The room was quiet, almost too quiet. He almost didn't notice that someone else was in the room with him until he felt a light pressure of soft fingertips caressing the back of his hand. Jack turned his head towards the cause; towards the person giving him the small bit of comfort he needed and so desired. It was his Ianto, sitting in the chair next to him.
Jack noticed immediately that Ianto wasn't looking at him, but was looking out the window. Rivets of rainwater cascaded across the glass, but a blank expression adorned Ianto's face. A mask in place to hide his emotions beneath. Jack considered speaking, to ask Ianto if he was ready to leave; only Ianto's lips parted first. His lover let out a shuddering breath before he softly spoke.
" So, you don't remember anything about the trance?"
" No... did you talk to me while I was out of it?" Jack knew that he did, Ianto was the only one he could hear clearly amongst all the other jumbled murmurs. His Ianto had found someway through the silence that surrounded him. " They say that's what you should do."
" I talked... a little." Ianto replied, turning his gaze from the window and looked at Jack, letting a tiny smile grace his features. " But, I'm not really much of a talker."
" I know." Jack paused, grabbing Ianto's hand in his and weaved their fingers together. " But I know I heard you."
" Jack..."
" No deal, Ianto." Jack held on tighter to Ianto's hand, to keep his lover from pulling it away and running. " No pulling away. No running. I listened to you, now you listen to me."
" Jack, I can't." Ianto responded, sounding heartbroken. He kept trying to pull his hand away from the immortal, but Jack wasn't having it. He yanked Ianto forward into his arm and held him tight. " Jack..."
Jack could feel warm tears soaking through his shirt as Ianto's shoulders started to shiver. Jack buried his fingers in Ianto's hair, massaging the back of his head. " Please, just listen to me."
Ianto gripped Jack's shirt tightly in his fists, as much as he wanted to just tune out the words of rejection Jack was going to tell him. Ianto knew he'd never be able to.
" Ianto, while I was in that trance. I could hear whispers of the real world trying to break through, but you're the only one I could hear clearly. Don't take that away from me."
Ianto pulled back just a bit to look into Jack's eyes and he could see the emotions racing around, but not one of them were clear. " Jack... I don't..."
Jack cut him off. " I know what you said, but I told you this once so let me tell you again. I came back for you. I know this situation is different and I have closed myself off since Owen and Tosh, but I refuse to let you think that I would just leave you again."
" You can't promise that you won't." Ianto muttered. " I won't make you promise it either."
Jack let a single tear escape and Ianto caught it before it even hit his cheek. He needed to make Ianto understand. " You don't need to make me promise anything, Ianto, the only reason I would leave is if you had left me."
" Why are you telling me this?" Ianto asked, wishing he had never said anything. Wishing that Jack hadn't heard him. Wishing...
" I came back to you, for you and you will never just be a blip in time Ianto Jones. Not for me."
... wishing that they had forever.
END