Title: When You Kiss Me On That Midnight Street
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Jack/Ianto
Word Count: ~600
Summary: For the first time in almost a month, Ianto was home – and he couldn't sleep.
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood, though I wouldn't say no to a pet pterodactyl. Title taken from the David Gray song 'This Years Love.'
When You Kiss Me On That Midnight Street
Ianto hated October. Summer had become a long distant memory and the weather always seemed to be cold and wet. He felt like a stranger in his own home, on the rare occasions he managed to get away from the Hub.
Naked hide-and-seek was replaced with spot-the-difference between a teenager in a tacky mask and a hostile alien trying to blend in with the crowds. Regular sleep was exchanged for two-hour catnaps on the sofa in the Hub, or four hours alone in the small room underneath Jack's office. On more than one occasion, Jack had snuck out to deal with a weevil on his own, leaving an exhausted Ianto behind. He wore the same suits every day, unable to find the time to get them all dry-cleaned- he'd even had to borrow one of Jack's shirts once, after Owen had gotten Weevil blood on his only clean shirt.
The smirks and coy looks from Gwen, Owen and Tosh had been surprisingly easy to ignore. Harder had it been, to ignore the small grin that kept breaking out on Jack's face every time he walked past the office, or the one on his own face that was visible in every painstakingly polished surface he walked past.
Now, for the first time in almost a month, Ianto was home – and he couldn't sleep. He was tired, but no matter how much he tossed and turned, nothing felt right. The pine-fresh softener he used on his quilt felt over-powering in the small room, and the window rattled in its frame if he left it open.
He stood in only a t-shirt and boxers, staring out of the large living room window, his hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate. He could see the clock on the DVD player reflected in the window, the bright green lights telling him it was 2.15 am. He looked down on Cardiff from the eighth-floor window. A yellow light flickered as the bulb in one of the streetlights died, a lone car drove down the street before heading out of Cardiff, the trees swaying and bending in the fierce wind that was racing through the city.
Ianto didn't turn when he heard a key gently inserted into the lock, or when the key was dropped next to his own, into a small bowl on a wooden table next to the door. Through the glass, he watched Jack remove his coat and hang it over the back of the sofa. He continued to watch Jack's reflection as it walked towards him.
Jack stopped just behind Ianto, reaching around him to remove the now empty cup from Ianto's hands, before placing it on another small wooden table. He then wrapped both of his arms around Ianto's waist, pulling the younger man flush against his chest.
"You okay?" Jack asked Ianto, mumbling the answer into the Welshman's neck.
"Hmmm," Ianto replied, resting his arms on Jacks. "Couldn't sleep."
"Nightmares?" Jack asked, kissing the side of Ianto's neck.
"No. Just…" Ianto shrugged, "Couldn't sleep." Jack placed his head on Ianto's shoulder, smiling softly when Ianto leant his own against it.
"Come on," Jack said after a few minutes. He stepped away from Ianto and held his hand out. "Come to bed."
Ianto took the offered hand and allowed himself to be gently led back to his bedroom. This time he couldn't smell pine-trees. He could smell Jack, and instead of being suffocating like the softener, it was comforting. Jack quickly stripped himself out of his clothes and slid into bed behind Ianto, wrapping one arm around his waist and pulling him close.
Ianto smiled as he closed his eyes, before quickly falling asleep.
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