Takes place between Close Encounters and Cracking Heads (my version of They Keep Killing...). The times frames mentioned are from the end of CE. Don't own, wish I did.
Conversations and Confrontation
Jack and Gwen- two days after
"Jack?"
He looked up from his paperwork and bit back a sigh. "Yes, Gwen?"
"Could I talk to you?" She didn't wait for him to answer, instead coming into his office and shutting the door behind her. She took the seat in front of his desk and moved it closer, allowing her to rest her folded arms on his desk once she had settled in the seat. In doing this, her arm nudged the piece of coral that sat under the constant light of the lamp and Jack winced. Seeing that, Gwen shifted slightly to avoid any more contact with whatever that thing was that always sat there and he seemed so protective over.
"Gwen, I know you have work to do and I know I certainly have work to do so let's get this out of the way so we can both get back to it. What did you want to discuss?"
"First of all, I would like to say that while I understand Tosh has feelings for Owen, her attitude toward me has been horrible! It's not my fault that Owen doesn't think she's good enough!" Gwen crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing them upwards so even more of her cleavage was on display. "What I do, and the people I chose to do it with, is not her business. It isn't Ianto's either, and honestly I can't see where it is any of yours, Jack! Owen and I have been completely professional and..."
"So the CCTV footage Ianto deleted of you and Owen having sex on the table in the autopsy bay while Tosh, Ianto and I were out is keeping it out of here? You on your knees sucking his..."
"How dare you! And how dare Ianto! That is none of your business!" Her cheeks were bright red with anger and embarrassment.
"Gwen, this is your workplace. I am your boss. Ianto only told me because he was so angry that it normally would have been Tosh who found that as it is part of her job to randomly screen the CCTV recordings. And again, before you make any comment about Ianto and me, keep in mind that while we work here I actually live here and so what we do in my home when only the two of us are here is none of your concern." And what we do when you are here you don't need to know about. "However, on that subject as well, we need to have a talk about what Mary heard in your mind."
Gwen squirmed in her seat. "She took it out of context!"
Jack slammed his pen down. "Do you think I'm stupid? Do you think I don't have any idea of how you honestly feel about Ianto? Or me? Gwen, despite the fact I am a flirt, and keep in mind I flirt with pretty much everyone, and I have a reputation of sleeping with anyone I fancy..." He stopped and shrugged. "There is some truth to that. However, I am also perfectly capable of being committed to a single person. I have strong feelings for Ianto, and have had those feelings since the first night I met him. Officially met him. The encounter at One I don't really recall most likely because I was so furious with Hartman that I couldn't see anything else. And believe me, despite the fact that I don't remember I regret the way I treated him. Was I angry at him about keeping that parody of Lisa in the basement? Of course. But even more than angry I was hurt, Gwen. I was hurt because I liked him, I cared about him, and I thought he didn't really give a damn about me." He braced an elbow on his desk and pointed his finger at her. "As for Tosh? Keep in mind she has been here the longest and as such is your superior here. Owen's too. Ianto has been with Torchwood longer than any of you. You are the low man here, Gwen. You do not outrank anyone. The attitude you give me would be enough to have you fired from most places but I admit a lot of this is my fault. I have given you far too much leeway. This is your final warning. Stuff the attitude and the opinion you know more than anyone else. Stop thinking you are better than anyone else because I can promise you that you aren't. As far as experience and technical knowledge, you are far below Tosh and Ianto. A far as medical knowledge, you are far below Owen, Tosh and Ianto. As far as general knowledge about who we are and what we do? You know nothing." He sat back and narrowed his eyes. "So, with all that covered was there anything else you wanted to discuss, Gwen?"
"I don't understand!" She widened her eyes, tears forming. "I thought I was special! You told me you needed my heart and my humanity to remind you want you were fighting for! You talked to me, we had moments that meant so much to me! I can give you so much more than he can, I can give you...!"
"Stop!" Jack leapt to his feet and leaned over the desk. "I don't want to be cruel but you leave me no choice. Listen, and listen well. I. Do. Not. Want. Anything. You. Have. To. Give. Gwen. Cooper. Do you get that? Do you hear me? There is nothing you have that I want. So change your attitude little girl and start behaving as an employee rather than a scorned lover. You are not, will not, or shall ever be my lover. At this point, I'm not even sure if I can trust you enough to consider you a friend. Now if this is done, and believe me on my part it is very done, get out of here and get back to work."
Tears now running freely down her face and stunned by the finality of his rejection, Gwen hurried from Jack's office and practically ran through the main section of the Hub, away from prying eyes, and hid herself in one of the toilets located in the shower room. Choosing to sit on the floor with her back against the cold tile, Gwen let herself hear Jack's words all over again, ignoring the trails of water that ran down her face to drip onto her chest.
Ianto and Owen - five days after
Owen was ready to leave. After the whole thing with Mary and then being forced to accept the knowledge that Jack was not going to let him forget that he had been trapped naked in a cell - again - he had enough of it all and wanted nothing more than to find a drink and someone to shag. His face still hurt from the punch Ianto had given him when he had said...well, what he said had been a bit undeserved. Still didn't give the Tea Boy the right to sucker punch him. He hit the button to open the door to the TIC, walking through and not bothering to acknowledge Ianto standing behind the counter. Well, he didn't acknowledge him until he tried to open the door to go out and it wouldn't budge. He bit back on the comment he wanted to make and reached for the lock instead but even as he went to turn it he heard Ianto clear his throat. "I wouldn't bother. I have it locked with the switch and it won't open until I release it. Before you go, I think we need to have a discussion on just who you think you are and why you seem to feel you can treat people as if they're less than you." Ianto was leaning on the counter with a grim smile on his face when Owen turned round. "You're a twat, and most of the time I can ignore that. But sometimes, you push just a bit too far. I get that you lost someone you love and it has an effect on you. I get that part of your attitude is trying to keep people at arm's length so you don't get hurt again. But what I don't get and am bloody sick of is the fact that you enjoy being a complete wanker to the people that are willing to accept your faults."
"Who the fuck do you think you are?" Owen sneered, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "You're the fucking Tea Boy!"
Ianto laughed. "And that, Owen, is where you are mistaken. I make coffee for the team because I want to make coffee for the team. Which, as of this moment, is something you will no longer be enjoying. Nor will I be doing your paperwork, cleaning up your autopsy bay - which as the medical director is actually your job - and I will not be restocking your kit. I'm sick of you thinking any of that is part of my job because it isn't. The extras I do are to help you out and with your behavior and lack of appreciation I have decided I will not be doing it anymore. Oddly enough, I will still be doing some things to assist Gwen because most of the time I don't have the desire to shove my fist down her throat. My job is taking care of the TIC. My job is sorting and categorizing the archives. My job is to assist Captain Harkness as his P.A. and before you make some sort of crude remark about how I assist him let me just tell you that yes, I do all manner of sexual things with him and none of them are a part of my job. I happen to enjoy his company and his body is amazing. The things he can do with his hands, his mouth and his cock are something I could never explain. So, yep, we shag, we fuck, we make love, we do whatever you want to call it but that is none of your business. In fact, the woman you are currently fucking would so much rather be in bed with him so what does that say about you? I know I'm not second choice, Owen. Can you say the same?"
"Come out from behind that counter and see how fucking tough you are then," Owen snarled, shrugged off his jacket and motioning Ianto forward.
"Nope. You're not messing up my office. However, if you think you're ready to try to actually better me for once, let's go down to the shooting range and have a go on the training mats." Ianto was still smiling and looked completely relaxed.
"You know if we go down there Harkness is going to stop us!"
"Actually, Harkness won't," came Jack's voice from the open doorway that led down to the Hub. "Fair fight, Owen. Ready to put your body where your mouth is?" He leaned on the door frame and crossed his arms. "Once this is done, it's done. You keep your mouth shut and treat people the way they should be treated and I'll try to talk Ianto into giving you coffee again."
Owen stood there for a moment before grabbing his jacket and striding angrily toward Jack, shouldering him out of the way and heading for the lift. Ianto's smile got wider and he straightened, walking out from behind the counter and over to Jack. "I know I should have just let it go and simply done the things I said I was going to do, or not do. I'm sick of it Jack, one minute he's decent or at least tolerable and the next he saying and doing things that set my teeth on edge. Do you know today he purposely left several samples of some vile thing out and when I said I wasn't responsible for those he carried them to the kitchen and dumped them all over the floor so that I had no choice but to clean them? And that's just one instance. I'm tired of it; if he won't respect me for the work I do then he will learn to respect me because if he doesn't he knows I'll beat his arse."
"Just not too badly, we do need a medic." Jack slung his arm over Ianto's shoulders and guided him through the door to go down to the Hub. "I don't like this. I don't want to see either of you get hurt. He's quick, and he's sneaky. I trained him remember."
"Yep, and you trained me. Sort of." Ianto leaned into Jack as they waited for the lift. "But most of what I learned I learned growing up and that was sometimes literally a matter of life or death. It isn't that I want...well, I do want to. I just want him to stop treating Tosh the way he does. I can put up with him, but I'm sick of seeing him hurt her."
"Then, Mister Jones, it is time for you to teach Owen a little lesson in humility."
-TW-
When Ianto had first brought up the idea, Jack had not been too happy about it. Having trained both men, he know that while Owen was a wiry, quick fighter he was smaller and lighter than Ianto and Ianto was just as quick and a good deal stronger. He also had some very unorthodox moves that had put Jack on the ground a few times. Also, having taken a punch from Ianto, Jack was well aware of just how hard he could hit. He didn't think Owen stood much of a chance but at the same time he knew Ianto wasn't going to try to seriously harm the medic, he was just sick of the constant baiting and general nastiness that was spewed his way daily. Jack had warned Owen, several times in fact, that one day Ianto was going to get tired of it and he was going to find out the hard way that the man he considered nothing more than a glorified butler was quite able to take care of himself. Now, after telling the girls to go home and making sure the CCTV for the gun range was turned off (except for the computer in his office that was recording everything), he stood waiting for Ianto to return from changing his clothes. Since they had a minute, he decided to go over the end result of the day with Owen.
"Once this is over, as I said before, it is done. You will address Ianto and Tosh with respect. If I hear the name Tea Boy out of your mouth you and I will be going a few rounds. Do you have any idea just how your behavior makes them feel?"
Owen snorted and continued taking light punches at the bag, warming his muscles. "Do you really think I care?"
"Nope, and that's why I'm allowing this to happen. Now I've turned off the CCTV so there will be nothing for anyone that is not in this room to see. However, any injuries that either of you sustain will not be glossed over as Weevil hunting, and I will step in before it gets out of hand. If I call stop, you stop. Understand?"
"Whatever." Owen stepped away from the heavy bag and huffed a long breath. "So where is he?"
"Right here." Ianto walked into the gun range wearing a pair of jeans, trainers and sleeveless white vest. Jack had to bite back a smile when he saw Owen's eyes widen - apparently he had never noticed just how toned Ianto was. Moving to the center of the mats, Ianto stood with his arms hanging at his sides looking thoroughly relaxed. "Well?"
Owen charged him.
Ianto shifted to the side but left his leg extended.
Owen tripped and went flat on his face.
Jack winced. Fighting angry wasn't the way to go about this but he knew trying to explain that to Owen wouldn't do a bit of good.
Owen got up and approached with more care, swinging hard when he got into range. To give him credit, he did manage to connect twice with jabs to Ianto's ribs but Ianto then connected with a solid punch to his jaw.
Owen dropped like a rock.
Jack shook his head. Apparently this was something that he had somehow missed during training. Owen, he of the vicious mouth and the vile tongue...
Had a glass jaw.
Ianto stood there in disbelief.
Jack sighed. Somehow, he knew this was not going to be over.
Ianto and Myfanwy - five days after
Owen had been slightly less than coherent so Jack had decided to take him home. After putting on a hoodie, Ianto had returned to the main part of the Hub and was sitting at Tosh's desk checking the rift program when something landed on the floor near Gwen's workstation. He looked over and grinned. "Really? I have to clean that up you know." He got up and went to make sure it was what he thought, It was indeed - apparently when she had been out one night she had found a filthy strand of rope that was soaked with what he didn't want to know and stank more than a bit. Glancing up, he shook his head. "You really should stop. One day you're going to hurt someone and then I'm going to have to act as if I'm scolding you. Unless it's Tosh of course in which case I am going to be quite angry with you." Ianto want to the cupboard where he kept the cleaning supplies to get a bin liner and some gloves. Materials for clean-up in hand, he returned to find the Pteranodon had flown down and landed next to the water tower and was watching him with what he swore was amusement. After cleaning up her "gift", he tied the bag shut and set it near the door to dispose of when he left.
"Now I suppose you want chocolate?" He walked toward her, laughing when she extended her beak and made chattering noises. "I don't have any." He caught hold of her beak and ran his hands up either side until he could reach to scratch her neck, his fingers moving in long sweeps up and down both sides. "So, for the second time I got to give Owen a good punch," he told her, "and found out that he can't take a good hit to the jaw," Myfanwy lifted her head and let her beak rest on Ianto's shoulder. "I know Jack didn't like the idea but I'm sick of being treated like I don't matter." Myfanwy shuffled closer, tipping her head down to lower her beak against Ianto's back and force him to move forward, bringing him closer to her. "I don't mean Jack, or Tosh. Or you." He kept one hand resting on her neck, the other sliding down to scratch next to her wing joint. "Lisa made me feel like I was good enough to deserve to be happy. I know Tosh is one of the best friends I will ever have. And Jack..." He sighed. "I'm so afraid of losing myself in him. I know he can't die, well not permanently anyway, and I know that has to be hard for him. I know he cares about me but I am so close to loving..." He sighed again. "Who am I kidding? I'm already in love with him. I shouldn't be; it's far too soon after Lisa but I am. Me, this boring, anal kid from nowhere. And he is so Jack. He's like a beacon, he radiates light and life and why world I ever think he could be serious about me? With his life, how can he be serious about anyone?"
Myfanwy stretched her wings and Ianto, thinking she was ready to fly, tried to back away but she hadn't moved her head and he was trapped in place. "Please don't try to take off with me right here. It isn't that I think you would ever hurt me but I can promise if I'm this close I will at least get knocked down and most likely stepped on." He laughed when she let out an indignant squawk. "I know, it would be an accident." Ianto was overwhelmed by a sudden rush of tears and he pressed his face to the thick, leathery hide and took deep breaths to try to control his emotions. "I'm scared, girl," he whispered. "I'm scared of waking up one day and finding out that Jack's moved on. I'm scared of coming in here one morning and finding someone else in his bed. I haven't even found the courage to actually make love with him yet. But will it be making love? Is it something with that much meaning or is it just a shag? Does he look at me the way Owen looks at Gwen, or Gwen looks at Owen? As nothing more than an outlet for release? I feel so horrible for Tosh; I thought she had finally found someone who loved her, who would give her what she wanted and needed and instead she ended up hurt and alone. I believe Mary had feelings for her but she was so wrapped up in the idea of going home, and then there was the whole pluck out the heart and eat it thing." He smiled when Myfanwy chittered. "You think so too? I am glad that, if nothing else, this whole thing has shown her what an insensitive prat Owen is. I understand how much he loved Katie. I understand he's afraid of getting close again. What I can't understand is his need to belittle the ones that care about him. I think the only reason he doesn't do it to Jack is that he knows Jack would only take so much. I hope now he understands I'm done taking his shit."
Ianto wrapped his arms round Myfanwy's neck. "I'm really trying not to intrude on everyone and keep from reading their emotions but sometimes it's so hard. Gwen projects like mad and she dislikes me. I don't think it's hate, but she thinks I'm nothing. Owen, well, we both know what Owen thinks of me. Jack I can't read. Well, I can read the surface emotions but not the deeper ones and those are the ones that scare me the most." He grunted when Myfanwy moved her head up and down, each downward motion pushing him closer to her. "You're going to squish me," he laughed. He let her go and ducked to the side, grinning when she let out an unhappy chirp. "I have to get back to work. Jack will be here soon and I guess I'm going to ask him if he wants to come back to mine. He's done so much for me and I wish I was sure if it was because he wanted to or was a great deal of it guilt. I love him, but..." Ianto walked to his desk and got a chocolate bar. "I know, I lied," he told her as Myfanwy flapped her wings and chittered madly. "Here." He unwrapped it and brought it back to her, breaking it into three pieces and feeding her two before backing away to allow her room to launch. She crouched and leapt, wings beating madly until she was airborne and then making a grand circle of the Hub before diving just as Ianto threw the remaining section of chocolate into the air. She snapped it up without slowing and only then did she make for her home, Ianto watching as she disappeared, hearing the faint rustling that indicated she was settling in her nest. With nothing else to distract him, Ianto got another bin liner and began his nightly cleaning, trying not to think of his feelings for the enigmatic immortal man who held his heart.
In the shadows, having arrived back in time to hear a great deal of Ianto's conversation with the Pteranodon, Jack realized that he was going to have to come clean about his own feelings before Ianto's doubts hurt him any more than they already had.
Tosh and Jack - six days after
Jack was tired and disgusted with the local Weevil population. He had meant to join Ianto at his home after a minor alert which had occurred right as they were leaving the Hub but then it was one Weevil after another, none of which really did anything except make him chase it back into the sewers. At one point he would have sworn it was the same Weevil playing games but he didn't think they were that intelligent. He had thought about calling Ianto and having him come to the Hub but after the conversation he had overheard between he and their "guard dog", Jack didn't want to make any kind of demand for his comfort until they had a chance to talk. He knew he was getting in far too deep with his feelings but he couldn't seem to control it and while it scared the hell out of him he wasn't sure he wanted it any other way. It did put a damper on the whole waiting for the Doctor thing, but that was...
The sounding of the alarms that signalled the opening of the cog door brought him to his feet, his hand immediately reaching for his Webley even as he hit the sequence of keys on his computer to bring up the CCTV monitors in the main Hub. "Tosh?" he wondered aloud, stepping out from behind his desk and moving to the door. He arrived there just in time to see her drop her bag on her desk and sit down with a heavy sigh. "I know I'm fascinating company but I can't imagine it would be enough to bring you here at three in the morning."
She jumped when he first spoke and turned to look up at him. "I figured you would be at Ianto's."
"I tried. Weevils had other ideas." Jack stepped over to lean his hip against the railing and cocked an eye at her. "And what's your excuse?"
"Couldn't sleep." She looked as if she was debated saying something else and Jack remained quiet, giving her the chance to collect her thoughts. If he pushed her she might close herself off and he had a feeling this was important. Finally, after what seemed to be a very difficult internal struggle, she sighed and looked up at him. "Jack, what's wrong with me?"
"Not a thing," he said immediately.
Tosh snorted and picked up her glasses, examining them closely. "Sometime I feel like I'm made of glass. Everyone just sees through me. There's nothing there to make them stop and look."
"Right, you and I, the couch. I'll make tea."
Tosh giggled softly. "Got anything stronger?"
Jack flashed her one of those grins that seemed to light up the room. "Oh, I do indeed, Miss Sato. So let us change that to you, me, the couch and a lovely bottle of Scotch that is older than you and Ianto combined." He vanished back into his office and she got up to go wait for him on the battered couch that had been there when she joined and she often wondered just how long it had been sitting there. Dropping down on the middle of the left cushion, she pushed off her shoes and curled her feet under her, laughing when Jack came bounding out of his office and down the steps carrying a bottle and two tumblers in one hand and a blanket over his other arm. "It's a bit chilly in here at night so I thought you might need this." He held out his arm as he sat down, allowing her to take the blanket and spread it over her legs. He set the glasses on the table, waved the bottle at her before opening it and pouring two generous measures. Bottle closed and he placed it within easy reach, only then picking up both glasses and handing her one. "Now, we're comfortable with good drink in hand so out with it. Why would you think that?"
Tosh shrugged, taking a sip and making an approving noise before beginning to try to explain. "In part it's Owen. All the time I've been here, all the time he's been near me, and out of the two women who have worked with us he's slept with both and done nothing but belittle me. Once in a while he says something nice but I'm so used to being degraded and verbally abused by him when he does I just look at it as a different way of him taking the piss." She smiled when Jack shifter closer and put his arm round her, letting her tuck in close to his side. "There here comes Mary, and I think I finally might have met someone who wants me for me and even after finding out that she knew who I was, what Torchwood is, she still made me feel..." She broke off with a giggle. "No details!" She tilted her head to rest it against Jack. "I know Tommy really likes me for me but where is there any chance for that when it's one day a year? Sometimes I feel like standing naked in the middle of the Plas and seeing if anyone would actually notice."
"I would!" Jack said, giving her a leer. His face sobered then and he tightened his arm. "Toshiko Sato, I noticed you. There was no glass there, just a strong, amazing woman who risked everything for love. You and Ianto have a great deal in common. He stays in the background and does what needs to be done without looking for praise or accolades." Jack leaned forward just enough to set his tumbler of scotch on the table. "When I look at my team, I see two very distinct hands. On one hand we have Owen and Gwen. Both are loud, pushy, on occasion rude, demanding and have no difficulty challenging me. The other hand has you and Ianto. Determined, strong, quiet but that doesn't mean you don't challenge me. You just do it differently. The two hands together work well, or at least they should even if I sometimes feel like smacking the one hand with a ruler. I couldn't do this without my quiet, brilliant, shy technical genius. I could have hired any number of brilliant techs but I wanted you. I wanted that fierce loyalty and determination and damn the world attitude. I wanted that strong, frightened but pushing though it for love woman who defied anyone and everyone she needed to and fixed the plans that so many had tried to figure out before. I wanted you. And I know, it isn't the same, I know that somewhere out there is a brilliant, amazing person who will see you just as I do. And then, Toshiko Sato, you will be loved and worshiped as you deserve. Just like Ianto does me."
Tosh rolled her eyes. "I don't know if he actually worships you..." She took a deep breath and decided that since it was just them and he was being open with her she might as well ask. "I know you had feelings for him even when Lisa, or what was Lisa, was here. I know you fell in lust with him when you first saw him." Jack made a non-committal noise and she laughed. "I promise I'll wipe the CCTV without keeping a copy. He's my best friend, Jack. He doesn't judge me, he doesn't judge anyone. The only one that seems to really get to him is Gwen and I if she stopped trying to get to you he wouldn't have near as much of a problems with her. She would still annoy him but he'd ignore it more."
"Well, I think he's finally convinced Owen to leave him alone. Unfortunately he can't take the same approach with Gwen."
"Does this convincing have anything to do with the fact that you sent Gwen and me home early today? Well, yesterday actually."
Jack made a zipping his lips motion. "I am sworn to secrecy."
"You're going to be swearing in pain," Tosh threatened.
Jack grinned. "You'll wipe the CCTV?" When she nodded, he practically bounced. "Come on, my office, I saved everything!" When Tosh sat up to reach for her shoes he shook his head. "Nope, that's not necessary!" Instead he jumped to his feet and swept her - blanket and all - into his arms, ignoring her laughing shriek of his name and carrying her up the steps to his office to deposit her in his chair. "Not a word about this, I promised I would show no one! Actually, I lied and said the cameras were off." He opened a file and started the playback of a video titled TIC_I&O. He stood back with his arms folded over his chest and watched both her and the screen, seeing the astonishment on her face when Ianto challenged Owen, seeing the mixture of anger and disbelief as they argued, and finally seeing the threat of tears when Ianto once more stood up for her. As soon as it ended with Ianto leaving the TIC, Jack reached over and closed that window before starting the second video in the file which was marked SR_I&O. Again he stood back, but this time he watched just her and when the two men started to spar he saw her wince. When Owen hit Ianto he saw her fist clench and her eyes narrow.
But...
When Ianto hit Owen in the jaw and he dropped like a puppet with no strings her hand flew up to her mouth and despite her attempt to contain it her heard her start to laugh. She quickly got herself under control and listened as the rest played out, the video ending with Ianto leaving ahead of Jack with an unconscious Owen slung over his shoulder. She stopped it this time and tipped her head up to look at him. "Wow." He nodded. "Owen has a glass jaw." He nodded again, this time more vigorously. "The man with the biggest mouth I have ever met, the man who has raised being a complete twat with words to a whole new level...has a glass jaw." Jack was nodding so hard his hair was flopping. "Ianto looked very disappointed." More nodding. "You know if you ever hurt him I'm going to take those heels and use them to maim you, right?" The nodding this time wasn't as intense and he looked slightly concerned. "Jack, do you love him?"
The nodding stopped and Jack reached past her to turn off his monitor. "As much as I don't want to I think I do. Not because he doesn't deserve it, but because he deserves so much more. I have so little to offer him. There is no normalcy to our lives. Gwen has that chance with Rhys because he isn't involved in what we do but for Ianto I have to make choices to send him into situations that I know are dangerous. It's very possible that I will have to send him into the situation that kills him. And it's going to break my heart when it happens, and I try not to let myself get too close so it lessens the blow. Only this time, I think I already let him too close and it's going to destroy me."
Tosh stood, letting the blanket fall to the floor and took Jack in her arms, feeling him hold her as well.
Tosh and Ianto - seven days after
Ianto glanced up from the files he was reading when the door to the TIC opened and Tosh came inside. "Morning," he said with a smile.
"Good morning!" She set a small, white paper bag in front of him, the smell coming off it enough to make his mouth water.
"What's this?"
"Just something I wanted to bring for you." She stood on her toes to lean across the counter and kiss his cheek. "Enjoy it!" she sang, hitting the button to open the door and sashaying off without another word.
Frowning in confusion, Ianto opened the bag and groaned aloud. "I know you're watching me and don't think for a moment that I am going to..."
Jack burst through the beaded curtain. "What did she bring us?"
"I'm going to lock that door to the steps," Ianto threatened, moving the bag out of Jack's reach. "And she didn't bring it for us. She brought it for me."
There was the pout. "But you can share!"
Ianto rolled his eyes and carefully removed the still warm apple and cinnamon cake from the bag. "You have no shame," he said with a smile. He broke a piece off and despite Jack's pout getting bigger over the fact it was less than half he gave him the smaller piece. "I'm going to go make coffee." He hit the button that locked the outer door and then the one to open the hidden panel, taking his cake with him as he headed down to the Hub with a nosily chewing Jack on his heels.
-TW-
Later that day found Tosh and Ianto alone in the Hub, the other three out trying to catch a young Weevil who seemed to have become fascinated with a certain fish and chip shop. The creature would leave when chased but at the first opportunity would sneak back and Jack had decided the only choice they had was to capture it and bring it back to the Hub. If they couldn't figure out a way to confuse it so it lost the shop they might end up with no choice but to kill it as eventually someone was going to get hurt. While Jack hated killing any of the beings that the Rift was responsible fore he knew he had the greater good of the people to concern himself with. Still, he knew if it came to that he would hate it, Owen would be unhappy and Gwen would be livid. He had planned on taking just Ianto with him at first, making the choice to give it one more chance after being chased but Ianto had asked to be given a chance to talk to Tosh alone. Knowing why, jack had agreed and the resulting grateful kiss made him glad he had made the right choice.
Didn't stop him from trying to get another kiss or three before he left though.
Ianto watched Tosh for a moment before picking up the tray containing a pot of green tea, a bowl of honey, a bowl of lemon and a plate of cream filled biscuits that he knew Tosh loved. He went to the couch and set the tray down before going and taking Tosh's arm to drag her gently away from her station to join him. After she was sitting with a cup of tea and a biscuit, he tilted his head and looked at her. "What happened?"
She giggled. "Nothing!"
Ianto sighed. "He showed you, didn't he?"
She tried to look innocent. "Who showed me what?"
"He did. He's in so much trouble." Ianto picked up his cup and took a sip. "I'm not apologizing for any of it. It was sort of anti-climatic when all it took was one punch and he was on the floor." He snickered when Tosh started laughing. "Jack and I had talked before I confronted him and he had a long list of things that meant it ended. How much blood, how many knock downs, how many screams of pain, how many bones sticking out..."
Tosh was laughing so hard she had fallen over against him. "Stop! You are so bad!" Finally gaining control she sat up and used the back of the hand that was still clutching her biscuit to blot her cheeks. "I just wanted to thank you. You see me. You don't look through me, or around me, you look at me. That's something I treasure, and I want you to know how grateful I am for that."
"You do the same for me. Even before the whole Lisa incident, or the not-Lisa incident, you saw me. Jack is amazing, don't get me wrong, but he sometimes sees the surface without looking deeper. I think he's seen so much in his life that sometimes he's afraid to do further than that. It's one of the reasons why I'm so afraid of how much I feel for him." Ianto suddenly winced. "Please tell me you are not wearing an open comm and will wipe this so no one sees it."
"No comm and consider it wiped." Tosh eyed him. "He's scared too. He's afraid of making the decision that gets you hurt, or killed. He's afraid for all of us but he is as deeply involved with this as you are. Haven't either one of you told each other this?"
"Nope. We're men. Stupid, anal-retentive men. Emotions? Feelings?" Ianto snorted. "Please, it makes our testosterone cringe even to mention it."
"Well, you two need to talk. I think you both are being far too concerned with what the other feels and aren't seeing that you both are in the exact same position. So, after they get back, I am ordering you to take our fearless leader and his coat and his teeth and his incredibly wonderful smelling self off to your place, open a bottle of wine, have a good talk and then take full advantage of that wonderfully soft, huge bed that Rhiannon and I picked out for you. You do know we got that design because Jack is always going on about tying you to bedposts and such."
Ianto hid his face in his hands. "Toshiko! You had that conversation with my sister?"
"Yep." She patted his knee. "I have work to do."
He put his hands down and pulled her into a hug before she could leave. "Thank you. I am so grateful that I have you as a friend. My best friend."
"Me too," she whispered, squeezing him a little tighter. "Me too."
Jack and Ianto - seven days after
After Ianto handed Jack his glass of wine he took a seat beside him on the couch, leaving a small space between them. Jack noticed and began to worry this was going to be one of those I care for you but speeches - although if it was an it was because of his immortality or another aspect of his long, strange life at least this time he would get the chance to say goodbye. He was so busy trying to think of thing to say to make it seem as if he was unaffected by the outcome of all of this that he failed to notice Ianto watching him with a smile curling his lips. It was only when Ianto lightly smacked his leg that he jumped and turned his attention to the other man. "Huh?"
"We need to talk." Ianto saw the hint of pain in Jack's eyes and leaned toward him to kiss his cheek. "Not that kind of talk. Or at least I hope it won't be that kind of talk." He sat back and stared into his glass, watching the light reflect off the rich red of the wine. It was only a few moments of silence but each one became heavier with the unspoken words. Knowing one of them had to start, Ianto took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
"I'm not in love with you."
Well that stilled the words that were about to fall off his tongue. "Wow. Wasn't expecting that," Ianto said quietly, his body tensing and instinctively leaning away from Jack.
"Wait. That wasn't how I meant to say it."
"Just...it's fine. Talk over." Ianto got up. "I think I'm going to go take a bath and have an early night. Sorry I dragged you over here for nothing. I'll see you at work in the morning." He was gone while Jack's head was still trying to get the right words in the right order and by the time he did Ianto was gone and when he hurried after him he found the bedroom door locked.
"Shit!" Jack leaned against the door. "Ianto?" He knocked a few times and waited to see if he heard movement. When he didn't, he went back to the lounge long enough to set his glass on the table and then hurried back to the bedroom door, arguing with himself for a minute or two about the morality of what he was about to do but the fear of completely messing things up was enough to make his use his wrist strap to unlock the door. Pushing it open, he found the bedroom empty but the door to the en suite was closed and running water could be heard from the other side. Jack walked to the door and put his hand on the knob, debating with himself again before trying to turn it, guessing correctly that it would be locked as well. He tapped on the door, resting his forehead against it when there was no answer. "Ianto, please, call it a momentary panic."
"I can't do this right now," Ianto said, his voice thick and Jack winced, cursing himself for upsetting him because of his lack of care. "We'll talk another time if you want, I just..." The water was turned off and he heard a slight splash. "It's been such an emotional few days and I just think maybe I pushed this too fast. If you don't feel..."
"No! Stop there!" Jack turned his back and leaned against the door, sliding down to sit on the floor. He understood Ianto's reluctance after the harsh way he had blurted out what Ianto believed was his lack of feelings but he also know that the misunderstandings they had in the past would come back to him and he wanted to get this fixed before any more damage was done. "Listen to me, please. You terrify me. For the first moment I saw you in the park you had my attention. I wanted you, but there was more than that. And that, Mister Jones, scares me to death. Then the whole..." Jack sighed. "Everything I said and did when the cyber...Lisa...got loose, the way I hurt you out of my own hurt and feelings of betrayal almost caused your death. Finding you and you were so ill and so close to the sickness and the exhaustion and the fear taking your life and knowing that was my fault. I know others had blame in it but it was the threats and the way I didn't give a thought for what you were going through and had gone through that sent you into hiding."
"It wasn't just you. I have to take the blame for not being honest and for hiding her," Ianto said, his words mixing with the sounds of movement in the water. "I hid because I thought you didn't want me anymore. I thought I had lost you as well as her and I couldn't face that."
"You'll have to try much harder than that to get rid of me, Ianto." Jack scrubbed a hand over his face and decided to just say it. "I care about you a great deal. Loving someone for me is hard because they die and I don't. I've had people grow to hate me because they were getting older and I wasn't. They left me for that. They left me for something I can't change. And so I began to leave them. You know I left Estelle; I let her believe that when I went MIA that I had died and I show up years later as my own son. And while she may suspect, or even know, I never want to find out because then I will have to face the fact that I left someone who actually might have loved me enough to understand. I know you understand, and there is a part of me that hopes you wont ever grow to resent me and that I can spend the rest of your life with you but I'm still afraid. And when the time comes where you leave me?" Jack choked out the last several words, his throat tight with the idea of Ianto's inevitable death. "It's going to destroy me, Ianto. And I know with every moment that we spend together I fall a little bit further and little bit deeper and it terrifies me. I may never be able to say the words but that doesn't mean my feelings for you are..." Jack drew his leg up and banged his head on his knee. "Please don't think I don't want you in my life, in my bed, in my..." He tipped his head back so hard he banged it on the door. "Ow."
"Careful, the door is most likely much softer than that head of yours."
"Ha ha." Jack sighed. "I don't want to love you for all the right reasons. I'm just not sure I can stop falling in love with you for the right reasons." The door suddenly opened behind him and he fell backwards with a yelp, cracking his head on the tiles. "And ow again but hellooooooooo Mister Jones."
Ianto, standing there in just a towel, rolled his eyes. "Get up, Jack." He waited until Jack had scrambled to his feet and moved out of the doorway before walking past him and going to the dresser to pull out clothes. "I've never been interested in a man before. I'm still getting used to that. I almost cheated on Lisa with you because my feelings for you were so strong. I know we didn't do anything then but I wanted to. I wanted you so badly that sometimes it was all I could do not to jump on you. And then the emotional side of it was only making it worse. I know my Lisa died at Canary Wharf. I know I was used and manipulated by the cyber components. But sometimes I feel like I'm such a bastard for wanting to be with you so badly when I still should be grieving." He laid an undershirt and boxers on the bed, crossing the room to the wardrobe and opening it to collect jeans and a jumper. "It's no easier for me than for you even if the reasons are different. You're immortal, which means even if Torchwood doesn't kill me you'll stay young and gorgeous while I get grey hair and wrinkles. How long will you want to be with me then? How long until someone younger and more attractive catches your eye? You..."
Jack had him by then, held tight in his arms with their foreheads pressed together. "You listen to me. I want you. I want the man you are inside just as much as outside. Estelle is still beautiful to me, Ianto. I'm not going to walk away from you because of a line on your face or grey in your hair. I want to spend whatever time I can with you. Listen, I promise not to grieve for you before you're gone and you promise not to worry that I plan on going before you do. Can we agree on that?"
Ianto stared into his eyes, seeing nothing there but honesty and a deeper emotion neither of them was ready to admit to the other. "I promise," he whispered. Jack kissed him then, a deep, sweet kiss full of emotion mixed with the lust. Finally breaking apart for air, he smiled at Jack. "Now let me get dressed and while I do that how about you go see what I have in the kitchen you can heat up."
Jack stuck out his lip and pouted. "You only want me for my culinary skills."
Ianto burst out laughing. "Right, sure I do." He pulled away and picked up his underclothes from the bed.
"Are you insulting my cooking?"
"Nope, just being realistic." Ianto started for the bathroom. "Besides, I'm not sure beans on toast counts as actual cooking." He tried to duck away when Jack grabbed for him but somehow he ended up naked when Jack snagged the towel. He almost made it into the en suite before Jack snapped his bare arse, his resulting yip making Jack laugh as he tossed the towel at the now closed door and went to call for Chinese.
Ianto and Owen - eight days after
The sound of someone clearing their throat made Ianto glance toward the kitchen doorway to see who it was. "Owen," he said, keeping not only his voice but his expression neutral.
"I'd rather not do this here."
"Fine. We can go out and pick up lunch." Ianto touched the comm in his ear. "Jack, Owen and I are going out to pick up lunch. Fish and chips?" He was quiet, obviously listening. "Yes, I'm sure. Back soon." He turned to Owen. "Shall we?" Silently the two men left the Hub, remaining quiet on the lift and through the TIC until they were outside walking across the Plas. "So?"
"I'm a twat. I know you're aware of this. Maybe you're right about the reasons I am the way I am. I know I go too far sometimes, but if..." Owen stopped walking. "Look, can we sit?" At Ianto's nod he lead them to one of the many benches that ringed the Plas, dropping hard to the wooden seat with a sigh. "You know about Katie. And I know that losing Lisa the way you did isn't the same but it all comes down to aliens, right? I know Tosh has or had ideas about me and I know I've been a right bastard to her. She's not safe. To get close to her, to let myself feel for anyone, is just setting myself up for more pain. Susie, Gwen - they mean nothing. Shagging, that's all it is. If it stopped tomorrow with Gwen it wouldn't break my heart. Tosh would. Tosh sometimes reminds me so much of Katie because she cares. Jack thinks Gwen is the heart of this team he should look again. Gwen's a self-centered bitch who feels she's entitled to whatever she wants."
Ianto sat on the bench beside Owen. "I can't believe all this sudden enlightenment came from a single punch to the jaw."
"Look, can you just keep your fucking gob shut and let me finish? I'm not very good at this whole humility thing so enjoy it while it lasts." Owen leaned forward and clasped his hands together. "You had Jack. Even though Jack was there for me as a friend I couldn't get over the fact that he had known about the problem and let it get to the point that it killed her. Still can't sometimes. What we do is important, and sometimes when I get faced with it all I see her again, standing there so confused and lost and it makes me so bloody angry. And since the only outlet I can find for my anger are the people who are around me...well, who else is there? My mother wasn't much better than your father only her abuse was all verbal and emotional. She fucked me up, Katie gave me the belief that everything could actually be good in a relationship and let me trust in women for the first time. Then she was gone. I was going to marry her, have kids with her and she was just gone."
"Despite the violence of Lisa's death - both of them - I think I had it easier than you. Part of me knew she was gone from the moment those monsters strapped her into that machine but I couldn't admit it to myself. Part of her was still there but whatever humanity remained was lost when she was removed from the life support. The reason I was able to move on was because I had been mourning her for months. I know some people think that Jack and I were shagging before she died in the Hub but they're wrong. However much I was beginning to feel for him I could not bring myself to cheat on her when there was still a slim hope in my mind that she could be helped. What terrified me was if she had been I would have had no choice but to send her away without me if Jack would have let me stay. The feelings are no different if it's a man, Owen. It isn't just sex. You can laugh or belittle me, treat me like shit for whatever reason you have, and I really don't care. I will not go out of my way for you but your words mean nothing after the ones that have been spewed at me by the people who were supposed to love me. Been hearing how worthless I am, how no good I am, how they wished I was dead...really there isn't much you can say I haven't heard." Ianto leaned forward as well, resting his elbows on his thighs. "Do whatever you want, say whatever you want. To me. Me. It's the way you treat Tosh that I have issue with. I get your issues with women but she has been nothing but supportive of you. She makes excuses for your behavior. She covers your mistakes. She defends you." He gave a soft laugh. "Well, she did. I think you have finally made her realize you aren't worth her efforts. And don't puff up and get offended because you know I'm right."
"Yeah." Owen watched the people who were walking on the Plas for a few moments before sighing. "I'm not even sure why I disliked you as much as I did. Maybe because you came from One, maybe because I did think you shagged your way into a job. Or," he turned his head to look at Ianto, "maybe a part of me was jealous. Not because Jack wanted you but because it was clear Tosh liked you. Susie told me that you had all of us pegged from the time you walked through the door. And I think she was right. Might have been a bit of resentment for that as well."
"Rather stupid reasons then."
"Yep."
Ianto sat up and checked his watch. "I need to get lunch. I'm getting fish and chips, so if you want something different you're on your own."
"Nah, fish and chips sounds about right."
"So is this done?"
"Done."
"We're sorted?"
"Yep, sorted."
"Good, because I was about to the point where I was going to shoot you."
"You can shoot?"
"Yep." Ianto got up. "So you coming or what?"
"Might as well." Owen got to his feet and the two men set off, completely unaware of the CCTV camera that turned to follow their progress. "Ianto?"
"What?"
"Can I have coffee again? Starbucks is shit."
Ianto grinned. "Yep."
"Thanks."
"Owen?"
"What?"
"Don't be too nice or I'll have Jack probe you for alien influence."
"Christ, he'd probably fucking enjoy it the twat."
"Probably."
Still speaking of inane things, the two men headed for the shop to get lunch. Still watching from his office in the Hub Jack sat back in his chair, a pleased grin curling his lips. "Sorted," he said softly. With a little more hope that his team were moving closer to being the tight, cohesive unit he envisioned, Jack picked up his pen and got back to work. He reached over and hit a button on the keyboard to change the view on the screen. Not only wouldn't it do for Ianto to return and see he had accomplished nothing on the pile of forms but if he found out that Jack had been watching there could be all manner of retribution. The smile got bigger. He'd know, of course he'd know. If he didn't. Jack would 'slip' and mention it. After all, retribution could be fun.
