Ianto felt the first flicker of nerves as he went into the bathroom. Jack was in the bedroom across the landing. Until now Ianto had been running on adrenaline, and need. It was true the dramatic events of the previous day had spurred him on, but he did want this. He wanted Jack.

If Jack had asked him why, thankfully he hadn't, Ianto couldn't have explained himself. It was like the feeling he had when the man had been ready to slice his throat, the sudden feeling that Jack was close. Thinking back, Ianto knew it wasn't the first time he had felt it, there had just been odd moments when something seemed to be happening.

It was something similar to the feeling that compelled him to go to Jack after Lisa's fake funeral. In hindsight Ianto realised that if Jack had tried something then, he wouldn't have refused him. But he hadn't, Ianto had just seen his reactions over the last few months, the gentle teasing and flirting. A little less full on than with some of the other team members, but there all the same.

Very slowly he slipped off his shirt, he hadn't realised how much his shoulders were also aching. The dull throbbing pain on his legs had kind of distracted him from that. But it occurred to him that he had been handcuffed for most of the day. He rolled his shoulders a little as he started to pull off his tee-shirt grimacing a little as the muscles protested. He had a particularly bad ache just under his left shoulder blade.

The tee-shirt joined the shirt in a neat pile on the laundry bin. Then he hesitated again as he looked down at his jeans, trainers and socks. He rested one hand on the sink and tentatively lifted his leg straining down to pull on the laces. Neither his legs nor his shoulders particularly enjoyed the action but he managed to loosen the lace, now all he had to do was get the trainer off his foot.

"Are you all right?"

Jack was so quiet that Ianto didn't hear him cross the landing. He almost lost his balance, slamming his foot down hard on the floor to regain it. Ianto hung onto the sink and then to Jack as he moved forward and got his arms around Ianto's waist. Ianto suddenly realised Jack was down to his underwear, and as he pressed against Ianto, he could feel the solid pressure of Jack's erection pressing against him. It brushed the bruises making his sensitive skin tingle.

"Steady," Jack said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"I'm all right, I'm just, my shoulders are hurting as well I can't move to well."

Jack's hand moved up to his shoulders, rubbing gently. His hand moved down, almost instinctively to the painful knot on his shoulder blade. Ianto groaned as Jack massaged to try and ease the pain. He leant against him, resting his forehead down on Jack's shoulder. Jack paused what he was doing, putting his palm over the sore muscle, Ianto could feel the heat radiating off him, which soothed him a little.

"I'll help."

Jack released him, slowly, just to make sure Ianto didn't lose his balance again. Ianto took hold of the edge of the sink, using both hands to keep himself steady. As he regained his equilibrium he was very aware of Jack crouching down in front of him. He moved to pull Ianto's unfastened lace apart and then he encouraged him to lift his foot so he could pull off his trainer and sock in one smooth movement. As Jack did so his fingers trailed over the sole of Ianto's foot, making him jerk slightly.

"Hey!"

"Sorry," Jack said not sounding sorry at all. He put Ianto's trainer to one side and started to unlace the other one. Ianto lifted his foot to repeat the process, and again as Jack pulled off his shoe and sock he traced lightly over Ianto's foot. This time Ianto was ready for him, and Jack altered his touch slightly to make it less ticklish and definitely more pleasant. He saw Ianto's eyes flutter shut for a moment and they opened again as Jack guided his foot down.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked looking up at him, his blue eyes serious. Ianto nodded, frowning a little in confusion. It seemed a strange time to ask, with a strange tone of voice. He understood why Jack had asked a second later. Jack stayed crouching and his hands reached up to Ianto's jeans, unfastening the button on the flies. Ianto didn't say anything and he didn't move. Jack paused on the zip, glancing up again. It wasn't just simply the fact that Jack was about to take his trousers off, Ianto worried a little about his reaction to the damage that had been done to him.

Ianto hadn't realised, Jack had got a vague idea from the bruising on Ianto's back. A few of the blows had caught him in the small of his back and just on his side, below his ribs. The bruises were a deep, mottled shade of purple, looking extremely brutal against his pale skin. Jack unzipped him, sliding a hand in to brush his knuckles against Ianto's groin, through his underwear. Ianto gave another little shudder, shifting his weight slightly, his hands tightening around the smooth enamel of the sink.

Jack slid his hands to Ianto's hips going under his underwear to the skin underneath, pushing them down gently. Ianto got the hint as Jack knelt up slightly, he was taking his jeans and underwear off in one go, probably to try and minimise the pain to his sore skin. Ianto didn't know if it would work but at least it was only going to happen the once. Jack eased his clothes down over his hips and then pushed them down to his knees in one smooth and surprisingly pain free gesture. However Ianto looked down at Jack warily as the damage that had been done to him was revealed.

The only two signs of Jack's fury were the sudden tension in his jaw and the blaze in his eyes. Ianto closed his eyes, not really wanting to see the dark bruising that almost completely covered him from hip to knee. He only opened his eyes again as he felt Jack kiss him gently, his lips touching his left hip and then moving across his stomach. He met Jack's eyes, which were now gentle and concerned. He sat back on his heels and pushed Ianto's trousers down to his ankles. Ianto lifted one leg, then the other to allow Jack to finish stripping him and he slowly got to his feet, depositing Ianto's clothes with the others.

"It's all right now," Jack said gently, pulling him close to hug him, treating Ianto as if he might break at any moment. Ianto rested against him, moving with Jack as he turned slightly. Jack reached out to the shower controls and set it running. His hand moved the controls expertly. It was his shower after all, his house. He knew exactly how everything worked.

For a moment, his hand lingered in the stream of water then he withdrew it to put his arm around Ianto.

"Give it a minute to warm up. It might help loosen your shoulder muscles a little but I'll give you a massage, it should help ease the tension."

Ianto nodded.

"There's some baby oil in the cabinet if that's any use."

Jack grinned, tightening his grip on Ianto. "And what is a respectable office boy like you doing with baby oil in his bathroom cabinet?"

Ianto gave a short laugh, "I'm not telling."

"Oh, you will," Jack warned him. He put his hand back into the stream of water to test it. "That's better, come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Ianto followed Jack guiding hands as he got into the shower cubicle. It was large, definitely large enough for two as Jack got in behind him, having yanked off his own underwear. Jack put Ianto under the steady stream of water letting him stand there for a moment feeling the warm water running down him.

Jack reached for the shower gel nearby squirting a generous amount into the palm of his hand. Without Jack's grip for a moment Ianto put his hand against the smooth tiles to steady himself, then Jack's hands started to move across his shoulders, massaging the shower gel in and easing some of the pain in Ianto's muscles.

He worked methodically, and very thoroughly, working his way from Ianto's shoulders, down each arm then his chest and round to his back. The movements were gentle, massaging, caressing and testing every inch of Ianto's skin. Ianto stayed still, his eyes closed and both hands now resting on the wall, just allowing his body to react to the sensations. And Jack was pleased to note, he was reacting.

Very carefully and taking the bottle of shower gel with him, he crouched on the floor to work lower. He tried not to flinch as he looked at the bruises. There was some swelling in places as well. Instead he concentrated on pouring out more gel and he started on Ianto's left ankle working over that and moving up. There was enough space so Jack could move so he was in front of Ianto. He looked up, protected from the full effect of the shower spray by Ianto. Ianto had his eyes closed, his face not exactly relaxed, he was simply accepting what was happening. Jack didn't quite know what was going on in his head, and he was going to find out before he pushed the situation too far.

He worked easily from Ianto's ankle to his knee, then he started to take more care, working over his left thigh. Ianto flinched on occasion, but he didn't move, he didn't tell Jack to stop. Now and again he whimpered, but only slightly.

Ianto remained in a daze. He was acutely aware of where Jack was every step of the way. By his side as he worked over his upper body and then when he moved lower, in front of him, pausing slightly before he continued, just making sure Ianto was all right. He didn't open his eyes to look down at him, even though Ianto knew if he did he would meet Jack's eyes. He couldn't cope with that at the moment. He didn't want to see concern, or sympathy, or even the fury towards the person that had done this. All he wanted to do was linger in his own mind as Jack touched him, and he felt the smooth, cool tiles under his hands as he steadied himself.

He only started to be dragged out of his contemplation as Jack moved higher, started to wash the tender muscles of his thighs. When he flinched, or let a small sound escape from him, Jack paused, only long enough to lean up and kiss Ianto gently. On his hip, or his stomach, inner thigh, or navel, Jack found the places that were undamaged, and where he could temper the unwanted pain with gentleness.

Ianto let him work as Jack repeated the process up his right leg and then, Jack's hand inevitably slid between his legs. He caressed Ianto's balls and then moved up to his cock, that had fluctuated as the pain had washed over him and then been eased away.

As the last traces of the soap were washed off Ianto's body Jack leant up and put his mouth around Ianto, drawing him deep into him. Ianto shuddered and moaned as he did so. Then he moaned in disappointment as Jack pulled back. Expertly he moved in the shower, getting up, putting one hand around Ianto's waist and the other turned off the shower.

With the spray gone Ianto was left standing there with the water dripping on him, and reality closing on him rather than the comforting warmth of the water. He glanced at Jack and took his hands off the wall as Jack moved to support him.

"First I promised you a massage."