Series: Tear-Filled Trails of Blood
Title: A Parallelogram of Drabbles
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: All, including OCs.
Rating/Warnings: PG-15 for dark themes
Word Count: 2,000 (2,040 including titles)
Summary: A series of drabbles based off my fic Tear-Filled Trails of Blood. Twenty drabbles that are mostly possible futures that may or may not happen. Mostly this is me indulging all my plot-bunnies.
A/N: I didn't beta these, and I was trying out at some new styles, so they might not be great. But have a bit of fun with them and see if you can spot the real ones that I'll be using and which ones you'd like to see. A few can be taken out of Tears context too, so hopefully everyone will find something they like.
1. Greek
He gives him coffee, he straightens his coat.
He knows when he's far away, or when he's real nearby.
He can sneak up behind him and touch the small of his back.
He can give him a look and that is all he needs to say. He can give a sharp quip and he knows he's said too much.
He can draw him in with a brush of his fingers, or banish him to a metaphorical and literal couch with a push of his hand.
He can drive him wild, or rein him to calm.
Ianto is Alpha and Omega.
13. Loss
It's Owen who catches them.
It's their own fault. They weren't careful enough. Really, the shooting range was a stupid place for them to go. But they'd stopped thinking the moment she'd kissed him.
Owen catches them fucking on the table. He's disgusted.
"What the fuck!?"
Jack grunts in surprise, straightening up. He has the decency to look ashamed, even embarrassed by his nakedness. But she is unrepentant as she hops off the table.
"You've got shit timing."
"Gwen…"
"Oh come off it Owen. Didn't you see this coming when Ianto died?"
Maybe, since Rhys shouldn't have died with him.
12. Punishment
"I'm sorry Mrs. Jones. You've miscarried."
All Elen feels is bitter disappointment. And guilt. The tangible guilt. Her fourth lost baby.
Ivor holds her hand, kisses her, tells her its all ok. But Elen's mind replays the image of her barren womb over and over. Her heart aches and she pulls her baby boy into her arms. Ianto holds her tight, his dark curls brushing her face. But there is a space Elen's arms, big enough for an eighteen year old boy who will not see her.
Elen knows she keeps loosing children because she threw away her first baby.
17. Astronomy
Torchwood is like the Jovian System.
Gwen is Io. Burning and erupting and active all the time. She's fascinating, but irrepressible, and cannot be stopped.
Owen is Callisto. Harsh and pockmarked from years of batterings, unflinching in his cynical and unrelenting exposure to the Solar System.
Toshiko is Europa. She's porcelain smooth in her beauty and under her cold computers lies a warm heart which softens her to all.
Ianto is Ganymede. His young face and adult suits are a strange enigma. And underneath them lies a burning hot passion that can melt anything in its path.
Jack is Jupiter.
3. Value
She sits and watches, her hair all around her face as Ianto slowly makes her tea, making sure he gets it perfect. Two and a half sugars, a lot of milk. He allows it to cool and little and then presses the cup into her small hands. Her green eyes follow him as he moves away, judging him for pulling away. But he has to. He has to check on the baby. He can feel her gaze, burning hot with bitter, waiting instability. Ianto turns and looks at her. She will not drink. All is bitter.
The baby is fine.
4. Fortitude
Tears of frustration are on Owen's face as he struggles on the bars, every step complete agony. But he wouldn't accept help. Not even from his brother.
Ianto watches him with clenched fists at his sides. He wants to help, wants to do something, wants to fix this, because it's his fault.
Owen reaches his wheelchair and drops into it. He's panting and red-faced. He looks up at Ianto and they both know he's trying to make up for his losses.
But as Ianto wheels Owen into the kitchen, Señor climbs into his damaged lap. Owen finds he doesn't mind.
11. Plait
They look like sleeping puppies, curling around each other in their natural nakedness. Ianto holds Michaela's thigh possessively and her arms encircle his head.
Debauched angels. Jack's own handiwork. Wide eyed and delighted by his gift of freedom to love. Eager to show their gratitude. Jack had been delighted to receive those sweet mouths, open bodies and adaptive minds.
He could love them both, they loved him and each other and Jack wants to explore them. He's already learned she's very vocal and he likes to watch. What else could he learn?
They'd better get enough sleep. Busy day tomorrow.
5. Quanity/Quality
Jack wishes there was another way.
He wishes that there was a possibility for him to embrace Ianto, kiss him and swear they can pull through this. But he'd be lying. He's not even sure if he really wants to. Because despite his reassuring words to the contrary, blame niggles.
So while Rhys rants on Gwen's behalf, while Owen crawls the walls of his tiny cell, while Tosh's screams echo in their heads and Michaela's body is beginning to decompose Jack stares into Ianto's broken eyes and acknowledges that he loves him and cannot stop.
But that's just not enough.
8. Black-Ice
She puts the dog out.
Team Cardiff rejoices, revealing in their continued freedom. But they are downstairs. She is alone.
Always left alone.
A whine and scratch at the door.
No team. No lover. No family. No friends. Just scars, nightmares and pills.
So many pills… like snowflakes.
A yelp at the door.
She's done her job. They're free.
They have forgotten her.
A shadow in the room. She is haunted and hunted.
Surrounded.
A bark at the door.
Like snowflakes… so many pills.
Her hands shake. She is so afraid.
Tired.
Gather the snowflakes.
She puts the dog out.
20. History
UNIT bows before them. The Brigadier holds out a sceptre. Jack is magnanimous in his victory. Ianto, in his grand robes, stands beside his husband's side.
Owen attends his brother, with his heavily pregnant wife, Princess Toshiko at his side with her mechanical weapons.
Priestess Gwen praises the spirits as Priest Rhys lifts wine to the sky. Chief Scribe Archie watches Scribe Michaela record everything.
The battle was long and hard, but now as the twin suns rise over the horizon, revealing the beauty of their planet Wales, King Jack of Cardiff could finally live in peace with his husband.
7. Reality
Ianto does love her. He really does. And she looks so beautiful in her classy white dress, which hides her secret bump, their secret bump. He hopes their secret will have her auburn hair.
Michaela gives him a sweet smile. Ianto can see the worry in her eyes. She's not sure this is right. Ianto had insisted, because he loves her, loves their secret and wants to be a good man.
They walk down the aisle and Ianto catches Jack's eye. Jack claps and smiles bitter-sweetly. Ianto silently thanks him. Jack knows their secret.
It's why he officiated their wedding.
2. Tongues
Ianto is Welsh. Jack is immortal.
Like his language, Ianto is fading, always endangered.
Jack is as stubborn and permeating as his American accent.
Ianto holds on like he's hanging onto a cliff.
Jack is everywhere.
Like his country, Ianto is quiet, and ruffles no feathers, until his passion is aroused and then he can be loud and strong Jack is always talking, throwing people off, but when he is threatened, he withdraws and becomes silent.
Jack's voice is a coincident. Everyone forgets this.
Everyone forgets America was named for a Welshman.
Jack won't forget what he got from Ianto.
9. Magic
Ianto grins at Toshiko smushes cake into Owen's face. Jack gives a belly laugh, his arm around Ianto's waist. Gwen giggles and applauds, the feathery hair piece that has replaced the traditional hat bouncing precariously.
Toshiko's smile could power a solar system, and Owen can't take his eyes off her. And why should he? She's the most beautiful sight in all the world. Her wedding dress makes her a perfect pearl. The glass slippers on her feet make her a princess. And she's all Owen's.
Jack catches the bouquet by 'accident'. Ianto deliberately catches the garter. Owen thanks his brother.
15. Conclusions
He'll never be clean.
He scrubs and scrubs but even with his wounds screaming in agony he still feels dirty.
Why did he do it? Why? Bad enough he's beaten him more times than can count, but this? Why this? Why'd he have to go and shove his ugly cock-
He can't even looked at his own. God he touched himself last night as he fantasised about a girl in his class. It was the same. It was foul. It hurt everyone. It killed his mother. That cock and it's weak seed that broke her heart.
He'll never be clean.
16. Hedonistic
Look at her.
Snivelling and trembling in the corner, the tears and snot running into her gag. She's trying to stay quiet, as if he might forget she's there. She can't see him, the tape over her eyes ensures that.
His eyes skim over her naked body and rest on the rope binding her wrists. A thrill of pleasure courses through his body and he's hard.
He moves to her silently and pinches her cheek. She screams and then whimpers, recoiling. But she's trapped between the corner and him. She's purple-bruised and bloodied-red.
Maybe he'll buy a cage for her.
6. Sacrifice
Owen still refuses to accept this is really happening. He knows it's right in front of him, but nope, not happening.
And yet somehow here he stands in a suit, a daffodil in his lapel, as his little brother grins daftly and enjoys the vows Jack is reciting to him.
Michaela's crushing Owen's arm, a smile that is desperate to be sincere on her face. She is the bridesmaid and her dog is the ring-bearer. Owen admires her desire for Ianto's happiness.
As the ceremony ends and Jack snogs Ianto stupid Owen squeezes her hand.
He knows how she feels.
19. Pack
I smell She-Alpha. I smell her Happiness Male. I smell her Mating Male. I smell… prey.
I call out in excitement and start forwards. But my scent band is pulled and I stop. I smell Mating Male. He caws at me. Then he barks "No!" and I know I must not hunt this prey. She-Alpha submits to him, he has proven his dominance, therefore I am obedient.
Happiness male lops over and I smell his sad. Then, as he caws at Mating Male, I smell She-Alpha. The prey is not needed, not when I smell her fear.
She-Alpha is all.
10. Heat
Jack strokes soft pale skin.
"You're beautiful." he swears.
"Your eyes lie."
"Let me kiss you."
"Whores don't kiss."
"There are no whores in this bed."
"I knew you imagined fucking someone else."
"We made love."
"Love is not for betrayers."
Jack kisses the white back. "He understands. He knows it's what you need."
"Irrelevant."
She glares at him, hair over her face angry green eyes and a pouty lip. She is so sweet, so tender, broken, and Jack has to kiss her. She pulls away and presents like an animal. It hurts her too much to be human anymore.
14. _________
"Will you talk to me?"
Nothing.
"Can you even hear me?"
Nothing.
"Please 'kaela, answer me. I don't care if you do hate me. I just need you to say something."
Ianto reaches out and starts running his fingers through her hair. Michaela doesn't react. She stares at the wall, curled up on the bed.
Desperate, Ianto presses his lips to hers. He wants her to hit him again. Then at least she'd be moving. But she just lies there, pliant and unresisting.
She's here, he has her all to himself, and Ianto just wishes she would fight with him.
18. Noise
He wouldn't leave me alone.
I ignore the screams and howls around me as I kneel in the blood that's spreading out around me. The gun has slipped from my fingers His shocked, lifeless eyes stare up at me. I cannot care.
Like a physical battering his voice got into my head and rolled around inside my mind. It was relentless, endless.
Someone is shaking me. Jack. Oh God Jack! What have I done to you? And Owen… Owen is screaming and screaming. I didn't mean to kill him. He just wouldn't stop I needed him to stop.
Oh… Ianto.
So which did you like? Which did you hate? Which made you go wtf (my money's on 20, lol)? Let me know. I might do more if they're wanted and if more plot bunnies appear.
Night's Darkness