Understanding

Pairing: Jack/Ianto (obviously), mentions of Gwen/Owen
Spoilers: Erm... Countrycide, just a little
Rating: R (naughty kisses)
Summary: After Countryside Ianto finds his captain drunk and bleeding. But when he decides to tidy his boss up he gets a little more than he bargained for...
Slight hurt/comfort, but mostly just fluff :D

A/N: I'm not too sure about the ending... if you have any thoughts please tell me :D

Please enjoy!

"Sir I'm goin…" Ianto looked at his boss suspiciously as he noticed the bottle on the desk and the glass in his hand, "Jack, are you drunk?" He asked cautiously. His captain looked up at him and grinned devilishly before looking back at his hand.

"I should hope so, else that was a waste of some bloody good whiskey." Jack replied, not taking his eyes from his hand, which was curved away from Ianto. His curiosity getting the better of him Ianto stepped forwards to see what fascinated his leader. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the blood pooling in the middle. A quick look at the corner of the desk proved his theory. "I think these metal desks might be slightly hazardous." Jack admitted, still grinning.

"I'll get some bandages, sir." Ianto inwardly sighed, glad for an excuse to stay at work.

"No need Ianto. You go on home, you could do with some rest- you look like death warmed up." The older man told him'.

Ianto turned to face him, "thanks" He replied sarcastically before leaving the office. Jack sighed as he was once more left alone and stared back at his hand.

Jack frowned when the expected sound of the door into headquarters opening didn't come. A quick check of his watch told him that the young Welshman had not gone home but was instead in autopsy. Despite the slither of guilt for taking up Ianto's free time Jack still grinned. He allowed himself some, slightly bittersweet, amusement at Ianto's persistence of cleaning everything up before he left- including his boss.

He was still grinning when Ianto returned. The unofficial butler of the group eyed his leader warily before making his way over to him. Jack stretched out his hand to him palm up. Ianto took it gently and pursed his lips as looked over it. Taking one of the pads he'd brought up he delicately mopped up most of the blood. Taking a second he dipped it in a mug of steaming water, squeezed out the excess, and began wiping off the blood that had been left behind. Once he'd finished cleaning he secured a bandage in place.

"All done, sir." He told him promptly

"Ianto, what would I do without you?"

"Live in a pigsty I expect, sir" Ianto replied without hesitation.

"Most likely, after all, who else would tidy up after us?"

"A maid, perhaps, sir?" Jack frowned at him and persisted.

"Or make the perfect coffee just when you need it?"

"I don't know about perfect sir." Ianto admitted, but Jack ignored it in favour of continuing his ramblings.

"And who else would make sure Tosh remembers to eat? Or clean up after Owen and Gwen when they've relieved their frustrations in the bathroom?" Ianto blinked in surprise and open his mouth to reply but was again ignored. "And who else am I meant to imagine bending over the table in the conference room when the meetings start to drag?"

"What?" Ianto exclaimed, his mouth was left open in shock, Jack seemed oblivious to the Welshman's surprise and continued.

"It's hardly going to be Owen is it? Gwen's far too tied up in her own little soap opera to be useful even as a fantasy and, don't get me wrong, Tosh is a lovely girl, but she's just that little too uptight for the conference table don't you think?" Ianto didn't reply, still too surprised at his boss's sudden confessions. Jack finally looked over at him, a wicked grin stretched across his features, "whereas you…" Jack left the words hanging letting the younger man use his imagination, which could be very creative if the blush was anything to go by.

"I think you've drank too much, sir, perhaps you should sleep it off." Ianto suggested a little coldly, his polite demeanour harshened slightly and it was clear that Jack had over stepped some boundary.

"You always know best." Jack replied, a minor flippant, "You should take tomorrow off Ianto, I'm not blind, I can see you wince every time you sit down."

"It's nothing, sir." Ianto answered, "Just bruises; they won't interfere with my work."

"I know." Jack told him, "It's not your efficiency I'm worried about, it's you." Ianto eyes widened slightly before looking away from the captain's knowing gaze.

"I'm fine." He reported softly

"No you're not- you were nearly killed and eaten, how can you be fine?" Jack exclaimed, "You weren't meant to be in today, I told you to stay at home, rest up. Why did you come in?" Ianto went quiet for several minutes, until the silence grew uncomfortable.

"Because I have nothing else left…sir." The Welshman finally admitted. Jack stared at him for several moments before pushing himself up and striding over to him as steadily as he could. He grabbed Ianto around the waist before he could protest and pressed his lips against the younger's. Ianto squirmed in his arms in the attempt to break free but all he managed was a delicious friction that Jack's body found hard to ignore.

It was hard for Jack to discern exactly when Ianto went from pushing him away to pulling him closer, or when his lips went from resistant to forceful but it was what he'd been waiting for. Finally everything that Ianto had been bottling up inside himself came pouring out: his anger, his loneliness, his pain, his fear- Jack swallowed them all, trying to easy it away with steady lips and a caressing tongue.

This night was so different to the one he'd planned: get drunk, wallow in self-pity and disgust and try to forget that he nearly lost his whole team yesterday. Instead he was sucking pouty lips and trying to stroke away someone else's suffering. Except Ianto's movements were becoming a little less desperate and Jack could almost feel him detach himself from his emotions. Ianto pulled back and released Jack's hair and shirt from his vice-like grip. His breathing was short, ragged gasps against his cheek as he stared into his captain's eyes- head still reeling from his loss of control.

Jack saw it in his eyes before he did anything- his intent to leave- and the ex-pilot was hit with a sudden irrational fear of being left alone tonight, and somehow he couldn't just push that fear aside like he always did. Not when there was this beautiful body in his arms and his breath was still being shorn from his chest in fast, almost brutal, pants. Not when he could feel how swollen his lips were and his body was aching for more.

So before Ianto could say anything that would appeal to his better nature he pulled the younger man closer and buried his face in his neck, tasting the skin there.

"Sir!" Ianto gasped in surprise and Jack thought that it was possibly one of the most beautiful sounds his lilting accent had ever made. Ianto's head fell back on reflex and Jack worshipped the smooth expanse of pale skin left on show.

"Stay with me." He beseeched against that skin and Ianto's dazed mind could only nod in reply, all other thoughts lost in how much he needed this right now, no matter the consequences. But it wasn't enough, Jack needed to hear him say it. "Please say you'll stay." He kissed a line up Ianto's neck and Ianto had never realised how much of erogenous zone it was for him until Jack had kissed him there and left a trail of fire emblazoned on his skin, "say it for me Ianto, please say it." It was almost like a mantra, but then the similar syllables all started to roll into one. "Please please please…" and how could Ianto refuse? Refuse the liquid whispers in his ears, refuse the growing need in the pit of his stomach, refuse the way Jack's hips were grinding into his ever-so-slightly, refuse the way that made him arch and gasp softly? This subtle seduction was slowly driving his body higher and higher into a desperate need and Ianto didn't think he could afford to lose it, not now.

"I'll stay." He exhaled; the taunting tension in their bodies was exhaled with his words. The burning kiss he received in return said thank you in a way words never could and all he could do was try keep up with the rapid movements of his captain's mouth.

Jack felt his constraint rend like a dam and his need burst forward through his kiss. It was frantic, messy and careless and Ianto matched him step for step. He grinded himself desperately into the compliant body that he held on to so tightly. His groans were rough and his breathing uneven and his eyes were bright with lust. When Ianto groaned it sounded like it was being wrenched from his throat and his own breathing was so ragged you could almost believe he'd been running for miles.

Jack pulled back from the kiss and his head arched back as Ianto pulled neatly trimmed nails down his back, leaving marks the Jack was sure would still be there in the morning- despite the layer of clothing between his skin and Ianto's fingernails. He looked back down and Ianto hissed at him his pupils wide with lust mixed with pain. Jack realised with a jolt that he'd forgotten completely about the Welshman's injuries. He slid his arms loose from their previous grip around Ianto's waist and pressed an apologetic kiss to his lips.

He brought hands up to push Ianto's jacket off, Ianto caught it and draped it smoothly over the back of a chair; Jack watched him with a smile flickering around his lips. When Ianto turned around Jack undid all the buttons on his shirt and helped shrug that off as well. It was given the same treatment as Ianto's jacket and it gave Jack time to study the welts and bruises covering the younger man's body. He remembered, with a shot of guilt, that he'd left Tosh and Ianto- thought they'd be fine, didn't want to think that they might not be. Ianto with just about no field experience and Tosh, the mathematics genius- what had he been thinking?

Ianto turned to face him again, his eyes diverted to the floor, his hands fidgeting uneasily at his sides. Jack took at step closer to him and pressed a chaste kiss to the nearest bruise: one on the top of his left arm- could have shattered his bone if it had been one inch higher. Two small ones on his right collar bone and one just below.

"I'm sorry." He whispered

"S'not your fault." Ianto replied thickly

"I never should have let you go off alone."

"You couldn't have known."

"I should have, I knew it was trap. The SUV was obviously the bait and I let you two go off alone."

"It's okay." Ianto tried to reassure him, pressing closer to his boss

"It's not, I'm meant to be you leader, what good am I if I get you all killed?"

"But you didn't, we're still here… I'm still here." Ianto grasped his hand and pressed it to his heart, "see? Still beating." His welsh lilt gave his words just the right lift to set a small smile flickering on his lips. Ianto pressed even closer to him and pressed his lips against his. Feeling him shivering slightly from the cold Jack slipped his arms back around Ianto's waist- feeling surprised at how easily it came and how natural it felt. A welsh tongue lapped gently at his lips until he opened up and then slid in languidly- their earlier speed forgotten. Jack let himself be kissed for a moment, just revelling in the body in his arms, before pulling away. He smirked down at his partner before nodding his head over to the trapdoor that led down to his bedroom.

"Shall we?" He asked teasingly and it coaxed a smile to Ianto's lips.

"Of course, sir." He replied, his welsh lilt softened his husky voice but couldn't hide it completely. Jack's smirk grew and he pressed another kiss to the secretary's lips before the two of them slowly made their way over to Jack's quarters, stopping for another kiss at every other pace.

Neither spoke, but they both knew the other understood their loneliness.