Ianto heard the explosion before he felt it. He closed his eyes, Jack grabbed his hand, and Ianto braced himself. The force of the bomb threw him back, and then it was just blacknessā¦
"Ianto?" Jack waited. "Oh, come on..."He fidgeted impatiently. "Please, Yan, wake up...Please, I need you, you can't...Please, Ianto, I..." Jack trailed off.
"When you're quite done..." Ianto choked. He soon discovered trying to be sarcastic with a mouthful of rubble wasn't his best idea. Jack grinned, throwing his arms around the Welshman. "Ouch." Ianto protested, feebly.
"Oh, God, sorry!" Ianto shifted about, but he was in too much pain to go far. "Where does it hurt?" Jack asked.
"You sound like my mum."
"Ianto." Jack said, sternly. "Tell me."
"Head, obviously." Ianto wriggled experimentally. He hissed in pain. "Stomach. Bruised ribs, probably. Wrist, though that's rapidly turning numb, thank God." Jack nodded.
"Anything else?"
"Arse. But I think that's where I hit the wall." Jack smiled.
"You just got blown up and you're still making sarcastic comments."
"You just got blown up and you're still flirting shamelessly with me." Ianto countered. Jack quickly removed his hand from Ianto's thigh.
"We all do what we do best." Ianto laughed, shakily. It made his ribs hurt even more. "So, I'm no doctor, but I'd say you're right about the bruised ribs." Jack lifted up Ianto's shirt, staring in the dim light at Ianto's shredded stomach. It had obviously collided with some sharp bricks. A lot. It was covered in cuts, some desperately needing stitches. And one look at Ianto's wrist left Jack no doubt it had had some serious damage done. "Fractured wrist." Jack told him and Ianto nodded.
"Figures. So, what happened?" Jack looked fearful.
"You don't remember?"
"I meant why are we alive?"
"Oh. Well, I don't know, really. Just lucky, I guess." Jack looked around. His face fell a mile. "Shit."
"What is it?"
"Well, I don't want to worry you or anything, but that pile of bricks next to us...Yeah, it looks really unsteady. But it might just be the light..."
"No, that doesn't scare me at all." Ianto said, sarcastically.
"No reception in here, but the others should be able to trace us. They'll be here soon, Yan, and Owen will look after you." Ianto nodded, stiffly. He was still lying on a particularly uncomfortable pile of rubble. "I wish there was something I could do." Jack said, helplessly.
"Just being here helps." Ianto said, softly. He reached out his good hand and the men's fingers entwined. Jack smiled. Ianto suddenly shivered, he hadn't noticed how cold it was in here.
"What is it, Ianto?"
"Cold..." Ianto's voice shook.
"Fuck. I thought the blood loss wouldn't take such a strong effect yet." Ianto just looked at Jack, blankly. The blood loss was clearly taking its toll on him; his lips were turning bluey-grey.
"Jack, I don't want to die." Ianto whispered.
"You won't." Jack said, firmly.
"You might not be able to save me." Ianto said.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm Captain Jack Harkness." Jack said, smiling. The finality, however, was easy to spot in his voice, but Ianto persisted.
"I know you, Jack." Jack scoffed at this. No one knew him. "I know you think I don't."
"I know you don't..."
"I don't know everything about you, but I know you Jack, I know who you are." Jack cocked his head on one side. Actually, that made quite a lot of sense. "I know there are things I'll never know about you, things I wouldn't want to know. But I do know you."
"I know you do."
"And I know I said you're a monster. But that was wrong, I was wrong. Maybe some of the things you've done may be the work of a monster, but that's not you."
"Who am I, then?" Jack asked.
"You're Jack," Ianto said. "Not the Jack everyone else sees, Tosh, Gwen and Owen. Not the bravado-powered, shameless maniac who everyone thinks knows so much, but really talks a load of bullshit. The mystery man. When you're with me, there's no secrets. You let your guard down. I see who no one else can see. I see you for who you are. The vulnerable, sensitive, caring, scared person you are. I see the human in you, even though you bury yourself in so much of the unknown so that you can hide it. But you can't hide from me, Jack Harkness. I'll always see who you are. And I'll always be here." Jack was close to tears.
"That's the thing. You won't. Torchwood will take you away from me. And when you're gone, then who? I don't know who to be without you. I don't want to hide, but it's easier that way."
"Easier for who?" Ianto asked, quietly.
"Both of us. If you know what I'd done in the past..." Jack let Ianto find his own ending. "Easier for me, too. You could have died, Ianto. You could have fucking died. What am I gunna do without you, you bastard?" Ianto just looked at Jack. "I suppose you don't understand, or even notice, the effect you have on me. I need you, I really need you. And I haven't said that to anyone in years. I haven't meant it."
"I'm honoured." The comment was meant sarcastically, but the tears were slipping down Ianto's face and the words were true and heartfelt. "Really." Ianto continued. "I'm honoured to know you, to have ever known you. Jack, you...you're amazing. I can't...Thank you."
"Pleasure." Jack whispered. Ianto smiled. Jack reached out an arm and Ianto moved closer to the older man, settling against his chest. The immortal kissed Ianto's forehead, gently. "All we can do is hold on until the others arrive. Try and get some sleep. It'll all be alright. Owen will look after you, I promise. It'll all be okay." The two men lay in each other's arms, trying to block out the pain they felt. They fell asleep, both thinking the same thing...
Please don't be the last time I hold him...
