"Run! That way!" Jack Harkness shouted, pointing down the darkened street. "Go! I'll distract it!"
Ianto Jones hesitated, staring at the Weevil stalking towards them. "Jack, it'll tear you apart!" he cried.
"I'll recover! GO!" Jack insisted, shoving the younger man off in the direction he had pointed before. "RUN!"
Ianto turned and ran. The Weevil glared after him. Jack took a step towards the alien creature. "Nope, you're not going after him. It's just you and me n-"
The Weevil rushed him. Jack let out a cry as he was knocked down roughly, feeling a claw rip through his chest. The the alien set off running after the more interesting, moving prey: Ianto.
Jack struggled to his feet as quickly as he could. He grabbed his gun and set off sprinting towards the Weevil and Ianto. But the moment's disadvantage had caused him to lose sight of which side-street they had turned down. "IANTO!" he shouted.
"Jack!" came the reply. Jack followed the direction of the voice. He located the street that Ianto's response had come from, but he couldn't see anyone there. Off the street, however, led several small alleyways they could have gone into and Jack silently cursed that Ianto would have let himself get cornered.
Suddenly, there was a thud and a huge crash, and then a scream. Jack bolted down the alley where the sound had come from. He saw the menacing figure of the Weevil crouching over Ianto, who was on the ground covered in debris.
Without hesitation, Jack raised his gun and shot, once, twice, thrice, four times. He hit his target, the Weevil's head, cleanly all four times. He was running up to them before the alien had even hit the ground.
Shoving the Weevil out of the way, Jack knelt down next to Ianto. "Hey, hey, you okay?" he asked.
Ianto's eyes were squeezed shut. The expression of pain he had on his face was enough. Jack reached out and stroked the back of his hand against the young man's face, while simultaneously brushing off the dust and bits of wood and plaster that came from the wall he had slammed into. "Ianto, Ianto, look at me, hey. What hurts? Talk to me."
Gritting his teeth, Ianto's eyes found Jack's. "Shoulder," he muttered. "Left."
Jack's eyes widened. "Oh." Just over a month ago, Ianto's shoulder had gotten dislocated in the explosion that was to be the beginning of the worst few days in Jack's life. Or worst thousand years, depending on the perspective. "Okay, let me see." He placed his hand gently on the injured shoulder.
Ianto cried out even at that slight pressure. Jack winced. "Ah! Ah, Jack, stop!" Jack pulled back his hand immediately.
"Sorry!"
Ianto's breathing was shallow. "It's worse this time. Much worse."
"I know, I know. That's because the muscles and bones haven't healed completely yet, and when the Weevil threw you against the wall, all of those older injuries got re-aggravated," Jack explained softly.
"I know that, Jack!" Ianto snapped.
Jack took Ianto's right hand. "Shh, I know you do."
"Sorry," Ianto whispered. "Didn't mean to snap."
Jack shook his head. "It's okay, it's okay. Don't worry about it."
Then, Ianto's gaze focused on the front of Jack's shirt. "You're bleeding," he stated.
"It isn't bad at all, just a tiny scratch" Jack reassured him. "It's you I'm worried about. Can I fix it, or do we need to get you to a hospital?"
"You fix it, please," responded Ianto instantly.
"It's gonna hurt."
Ianto's grip tightened on Jack's hand. "Just do it," he said through gritted teeth.
"I'm so sorry, Ianto, I'll need both hands," Jack told him reluctantly.
Ianto released his hand. "Hurry. Please." Jack noticed that Ianto's hand was now clutched into a tight fist, with his nails digging into his palms.
"Okay. Three, two." Jack didn't wait until he got to one. There was a snapping sound, and Ianto let out an agonized cry and dry sob. Jack wrapped him in his arms, gathering him close. "It's over, it's over, I've gotcha," he murmured. Ianto went limp in Jack's hold. "It's over, it's done. Shh, I've gotcha. You're okay now, it's alright." The immortal captain found Ianto's right hand. In the faint light of a half moon, Jack could just barely see that Ianto's fingernails had bit so deep into his palm that he was now bleeding. He pressed his sleeve to the cuts to stop the bleeding.
The young man was only half-conscious. "Jack…" he whispered. "I think...we should probably not hunt anymore tonight."
Jack couldn't help laughing wearily at that. "Oh, you think?"
A hint of a smile played across Ianto's lips. The sight warmed Jack's heart. He bent over a little to press his nose against Ianto's. Ianto sighed and sank deeper into Jack's cradling hold. They sat there for another minute before Ianto said, "We need to leave, Jack, before more Weevils come because they smell this one. Help me up?"
Jack slipped Ianto's right arm over his own shoulder. "You really don't even have to ask," he replied, standing up and half-lifting Ianto to his feet. "Come on, I'm gonna take you back to the SUV, and then I'll come back to retrieve the Weevil's body," Jack informed him.
"I can help," Ianto started to protest.
Jack gave him an amused look. "No, you can't." Ianto rolled his eyes but didn't try to counter that. The two men made their way slowly along several blocks of Cardiff streets before they reached the spot they had left Torchwood's SUV. Jack unlocked it and helped Ianto into the passenger seat. "Be right back," he said.
"Be right here." Ianto smiled at him quickly. As soon as Jack had turned his back, though, his face fell back into pain. Jack's did the same, bringing his hand up to the slice across his chest. Even though it was already healing, he needed to hurry with the Weevil's body so he could clean the wound. If it got infected...well, that would be a nasty death. And Weevils' claws were anything but sanitary.
Jack found the alleyway again and dragged the Weevil's body back the the SUV, opening the back and shoving it into a body bag. He went back around to Ianto's side. "Hey, I'm back," he said. Ianto looked at him.
"I can see that," he said dryly.
"Good to know your eyesight wasn't affected," Jack tried to joke. "Come on, let's go home." He walked around to the right side of the car. He drove much more gently than normal, being incredibly careful not to jolt the SUV in a way that would cause the seat belt to press against Ianto's shoulder. He did so grudgingly, wishing he could get them both back to the Hub a little sooner.
Once they reached the Hub, finally, Jack dealt with the Weevil's body after telling Ianto to go and get ready for sleep. Ianto stumbled off towards Jack's office/bedroom. Jack joined him in a few minutes, carrying some supplies to clean off the cut on his chest. Ianto had put on pajamas and was curled up on his right side on the bed attached to the wall of the office in the back corner.
Jack handed him a glass of water and some painkiller pills. Ianto handed them straight back. "No thanks," he said. Jack rolled his eyes at the young man's stubbornness. Seeing this, Ianto protested, "I don't like them!"
"I know," Jack sighed. "But it really does help, I promise." Sometimes, Ianto acted like a young child, especially when he was tired or in pain. It always reminded Jack that he really was only twenty six years of age. Ianto shook his head, and Jack gave up. "Fine. They'll be here if you want them later," he said, placing the water and painkillers on his desk. Then, he sat down in his desk chair, flinging his lovely greatcoat across the back of it. He began to unbutton his pale blue shirt.
Ianto gasped when he saw the slash that Jack had covered up earlier. "You said it was just a scratch!" he scolded.
"It is!" Jack defended.
"No, it's not. Come here," Ianto told him, sitting up. "Your turn." Jack sighed resignedly. "Bring those," Ianto added, indicating the materials Jack had brought with him, the antiseptic liquid and the cloth to apply it with.
Jack handed the materials to him, sitting down on the edge of the bed. Ianto poured some of the liquid onto the cloth. The cut extended from Jack's right collarbone to about six or seven inches diagonally. Ianto winced sympathetically. "Ouch," he said.
"It's already healing," grumbled Jack.
Ianto raised his eyebrows. "Then I shudder to think what it looked and felt like before. Besides, the binding of the skin back together isn't going to clean it." He started to dab at the wound gently. Jack hissed at the sudden sting. Ianto met his eyes. "Sorry," he whispered.
"It's fine." Jack bit the inside of his lip to keep from yelping as the antiseptic touched a deeper part of the cut. The ever perceptive Ianto, however, noticed. He didn't say anything, just laid his left hand over Jack's right one.
It only took a couple of minutes to finish cleaning the clawmark, and Jack refused a bandage. "It'll be gone by morning," he insisted, and just pulled on a clean white cotton t-shirt. He flicked the lightswitch and climbed into bed. Carefully, so as not to hurt his shoulder, he wrapped his arms around Ianto. They were both much too tired to make love.
Nearly half an hour passed. Neither man had fallen asleep.
"Jack…?" Ianto whispered.
"Ianto?"
"This sounds silly…" Ianto started. His voice, again, sounded like that of a child.
Jack tightened his hold, squeezing the young man tighter. "What's up?"
"Will you sing?"
"What?"
Ianto sounded embarrassed. "Would you sing, please? I know you can, I've heard you occasionally. But I've never really heard you."
"You want me to sing you to sleep?"
Ianto shifted away from him. "It sounds stupid when you say it like-"
But he didn't have time to finish his sentence.
"Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years,
There was only you and me,
We were young and wild and free.
Now, nothin' can take you away from me
We've been down that road before,
But that's over now,
You keep me comin' back for more."
Jack was singing. He pulled Ianto closer again, rocking slightly to his song.
"Baby, you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm finding it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart.
It isn't too hard to see, we're in heaven."
Ianto closed his eyes. Jack's voice was beautiful. It was soft and sad and truthful, and the song he had chosen was perfect.
"Oh, once in your life you find someone
Who will turn your world around
Bring you up when you're feelin' down…"
Jack hesitated. Had he forgotten the words that came next? Ianto wondered. So Ianto began to sing softly, too. He didn't have a voice like Jack's but he could sing well enough, too.
"Yeah, nothin' could change what you mean to me
Oh there's lots that I could say,
But just hold me now,
Cos our love will light the way…" Jack joined in again at the chorus.
"Baby, you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms
I'm finding it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart.
It isn't too hard to see, we're in heaven."
They were both singing still, and their voices were soft. Even if there were someone else in the Hub, they wouldn't be able to hear.
"I've been waiting for so long
For something to arrive
For love to come along
Now our dreams are coming true,
Through the good times, and the bad
I'll be standing there by you…
Baby, you're all that I want,
When you're lyin' here in my arms
I'm finding it hard to believe,
We're in heaven.
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart.
It isn't too hard to see, we're in heaven."
Just Jack, now. Ianto was letting him finish.
"Oh, thinkin' about all our younger years…
There was only you and me...
We were young and wild and free…"
"I loved it," Ianto breathed. "Thank you, Jack." He took in a long breath of air and let it out slowly. "Thank you."
Jack kissed him. "You're welcome. Go to sleep, Ianto." Ianto nodded slowly, his eyes drifting shut. Before he fell asleep, however, he took a moment to realize that of all the songs Jack could have chosen, he chose this one, a song of a heaven they could never have, of an afterlife that Ianto didn't think Jack even believed in. And even if death wasn't just the blackness that Susie and Owen had described...Well, Jack was never going to be there, too. Ianto felt a pang of fear as he thought of eternity without Jack, and then he slipped into sleep. Jack, meanwhile, was nearly holding his breath as he irrationally attempted to slow down time: to keep this moment forever. Because this, this was heaven.
Well, this was originally two different ideas floating around my head...but then...I don't know. They sort of just attached themselves to each other and wouldn't let go. I'm not sure if this counts as a songfic, but I've always wanted to write something Janto about the song "Heaven". It's a beautiful song, and John Barrowman does an incredible cover of it; find it on YouTube, it's amazing. Seriously, get off this page and go to YouTube. (I know you have it open in another tab...Well, I'd bet at least three-quarters of you do.) Thank you so much for reading! I truly hope you enjoyed this. If you did...let me know? Love you!
~Clare
P.S. To those of you who also read my Supernatural Fanfictions, I'm sorry for not updating All We Are recently. I was rewatching Torchwood and got stuck here, so there will be a lot of Torchwood soon and not a ton of SPN. But I swear I will keep All We Are going until it is done. There is an end in sight-I have five more stories to write.
P.P.S. Huge shout out to tonicook15, my awesome friend IRL who reads all of my stories before posting them and who convinced me that this one was good enough to put out there. Love you, girl!