Author's Notes: Hello there! So as you can see, I decided to try myself with the 30 Day OTP Challenge. I will try to post one every day, but there might be two at a time sometimes if needs must.
Warnings/Spoilers: This mostly takes place in my Time Lord!Ianto universe (which is the only one I see as the truth at this point, really) and it won't be addressed at all times, but it will be mentioned sometimes. Spoilers: mild for things that have aired years ago, so I'll just trust that you have already watched them.
Now, I know that this was supposed to be a drabble (it's not) but I couldn't resist so enjoy and feel free to let me know what you think! This is the first pairing I'm trying this challenge with and feedback would be awesome.
Day One: Holding Hands
The world was spinning around him with enough speed that he couldn't see a single thing, but he could still hear the voices.
"What's going on?" Gwen 's voice was panicked and for a moment Jack couldn't remember why would that be.
Oh. He'd been shot. Right.
"Wish I had a clue," Owen, the Captain's mind supplied. "Something hallucinogenic, probably. It wasn't even a weapon; that thing shot its venom at him."
"It's hallucinogenic all right," Ianto picked up the medic's train of thought and Jack could hear his well-polished shoes crunching on the pebbles - which were currently digging into every bit of skin that Jack possessed - as he approached.
"You've seen them before, then?" Gwen asked and Jack managed to open his eyes - just a little - to see Ianto nodding distractedly.
"It's not exactly hallucinations it causes, though," he continued. "These creatures - they feed off Rift energy and if they poison you, they show you things you should never see."
The wording was a bit strange but Jack paid it little mind as Ianto kneeled next to him, a cold hand reaching to check Jack's pulse.
Their eyes met and suddenly pictures were dancing in front of the Captain's eyes, one of them sticking as suddenly, Ianto's skin started glowing softly, golden light surrounding them both.
"Ianto-" Jack managed to gasp out, gesturing wildly as the glowing intensified. "What's going-"
"Shhh." Ianto's usually guarded expression was even more tense and distant now. "It's okay. You'll be fine."
"Your whole body is on fire,"Jack objected and Ianto chuckled quietly. "We only see starlight because all the stars are bleeding, eh?"
"What?" Jack could feel his own face morphing into a grimace of cofusion as he heard Gwen ask, "What was that?" at the same time.
"'The Raw Shark Texts,'" Ianto said, standing up and leaving Jack to Owen's tender mercies with a few words to the man in question. "Steven Hall."
"Never heard of it," Gwen commented as their voices and footsteps were getting kind of far away now and Jack tried to lift his head to see where they had gone, only to fail miserably.
"It'll come out in two months," Ianto responded. Gwen gave a small sound of disbelief and Ianto kept going. "No, really. It fell through the Rift half a year ago and-" Jack could imagine him all too well right this instant - shrugging like a schoolboy that had been caught doing something that he shouldn't have done in class. "I sort of kept it."
"Lucky for you Jack's not at his best, or we would be getting a 'what did I say about taking things out of the Hub' speech right now," Gwen said and Jack heard them walking about, taking things in and out of the SUV, and started wondering just what they were up to. He made another attempt to look up and craned his neck and was pushed down firmly by Owen once again as the man swore under his breath.
"Owen-" he began angrily, but one single glance at him shut him up.
Just like it had happened with Ianto, Jack could see scenes flashing before his eyes but while with Ianto they didn't seem to end, with Owen they stopped abruptly and the last one seared itself onto the Captain's brain - a room and Owen in it and the terror of what was to happen...
"Where's the water bottle?" He heard Ianto's voice as if it were coming from underwater and then came the sound of someone - presumably Gwen - throwing it at him. Seconds later, Owen was pushed aside hastily and Ianto and Gwen came into view, similar expressions of anxiety and - was that guilt? - on both their faces. Gwen passed something small and white to Ianto and only when it was pressed against Jack's lips did he realise what it was.
"Sorry," Ianto said gently. "No one's meant to see the future, Jack, no matter what. The venom's effect is bound to have passed by the time you wake up."
Everything went white as the bitter taste of Retcon spread itself in Jack's mouth and the pictures around Ianto started appearing again, this time focusing Jack's attention on things he hadn't noticed the last time.
"Stay with me," Jack tried as the drug started taking hold and he felt Ianto's strong grip on his hand as the world slowly faded out of existence.
