Angry

Set during Adrift after Jack gets back from the island…


Haven't you ever lost someone… Gwen's words echoed through Jack's mind. She knew better. He knew she knew better. She knew –

She knew just how to get to me, Jack realized. (fHe also realized he'd known it sitting there with her, he'd just chosen to ignore it, chosen to let her get to him, let her convince him to let Jonah's mother see him… He only prayed it wouldn't do more harm than good…)

You're wrong… you're a fact… a fixed point in time… something the Doctor couldn't bear to be around… even the TARDIS tried to shake you off… the Doctor's words joined Gwen's in the back of Jack's mind. A lot had changed since then. A lot had stayed the same -

"Jack – " a familiar, usually welcome voice, interrupted his thoughts. "Are you busy?"

Jack didn't look up at Ianto, standing there, waiting – in fact, he looked down at the stack of papers on his desk, as if they were somehow extremely important. He hadn't been paying the slightest attention to what he'd been doing since he got back from the island (he didn't even know what half the stuff on his desk was at the moment, but that didn't stop him from pretending to be busy sorting it out.)

"Jack – ?"

"No – not busy," he told the truth as if it were a lie because if he was busy, Ianto would probably go away and leave him alone.

"Can I get you anything?"

"Nope. I'm good," Jack flashed half a smile over his shoulder and went back to trying to figure out what exactly he was sorting through, anyway. There were a bunch of reports – rift activity – some news clippings Tosh had printed up because she thought they might be relevant to something – Ianto was still standing in the doorway. Jack looked over at him, "You need something?" He asked, more sharply than he'd meant to. He wanted to calm down before they 'discussed' what had happened today.

"I know you're angry – "

"Why should I be angry?"

"You told me to leave it alone."

"Didn't you?" Jack did his best to sound surprised – since he seemed to be making a day of denying the obvious (at least to himself), he might as well deny knowing it could only have been Ianto who gave Gwen the location of the hospital. He had told Ianto to leave it alone – he'd said it emphatically. He'd meant it – this was his secret – and he kept it secret for good reason, he didn't want to have happen exactly what had happened –

And Ianto was giving him a look that clearly said he wasn't buying into the act.

"Didn't anybody ever tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth?" Jack wanted to know.

Ianto almost laughed at that one – which was exactly what Jack had wanted (he only wished it had been a better laugh.)

Ianto came over and sat on the edge of Jack's desk and looked at him – really looked at him - Jack had no idea what he was seeing, but when he spoke, Ianto's tone was a lot softer than Jack had expected it to be: "Honestly, Jack – how angry with me are you?"

Trusted friend…colleague… someone I can depend on… Jack stopped shuffling meaningless paperwork around his desk and looked up at Ianto, really seeing him. "I'm angry," he admitted. "I didn't want – " he hadn't wanted anyone to know. Ianto knew that.

"I'm sorry – I only did it – "

Jack waved it aside. He knew why Ianto had done it. Gwen wouldn't have given up – they both knew it, he just hadn't wanted to admit it.

"I ah – " Ianto stood to leave, "I guess I'll let you get back to work –"

Jack caught him by the arm, "I haven't told you just how angry yet," his tone was dark.

Ianto swallowed – "How angry?"

"I'm angry enough that the make-up sex is going to be really, really good," Jack finished off with a lascivious grin that brought a grin to Ianto's face as well – and Jack realized just how much he loved Ianto's smile, "So I hope you weren't planning on getting any sleep tonight."

"I think I'll manage."

"Good – now how about that cup of coffee?" because somewhere on his desk there had to be something that needed his attention... he'd need something to get him through the rest of the day and sending Tosh and Owen home in the middle of the afternoon would look suspicious, even coming from him...

"One coffee coming up -"

"Ianto," Jack tugged at the young man's arm, pulling him down into a kiss -

"It won't happen again - I promise."

"I know. I know I can trust you. But I just wanted to say that I - appreciate you. And I don't just mean the coffee."

"You're welcome."