Ianto runs over the plan in his head again.
He's found a doctor. The first bloke he emailed sounds thrilled about the opportunity. He's willing to come to Wales all the way from Ohio, and they've been emailing back and forth to establish logistics. When Ianto mentioned that for any initial procedures he could relocate Lisa somewhere with medical facilities, the man was even more eager.
So, Ianto's spent last week setting up one of the unused sub-basement for Lisa. He's welded together a gurney out of a bunch of old crap from the archives, and he's got power set up. All he has to do once he gets her into the basement is plug in her machines and if he needs to, he can unload her later. He's a got a generator that can maintain her life support systems for at least 5 hours, and back at the flat he has Lisa, the generator and the entire life support crated up and ready to move.
Harkness has approved Suzie's creepy glove project for field tests, he's sent everyone out for lunch, and when they get back the team is taking the SUV out for a tour of recent murder victims in Cardiff, starting in the morgues Ianto has lined up- far away from the Bay. Ianto is guaranteed at least a four hour window to get Lisa into the Hub.
He's commandeered a lorry from a place nearby, he can get to his flat, get Lisa's crate to the Hub, into the freight elevator, down to the sub-basement, return the lorry, and get back to the Hub in three and a half hours. Even if the team gets back at the four hour mark, all Ianto will have to do is make some coffee and possibly throw away some food wrappers before disappearing unnoticed back into the "archives" to settle Lisa in.
"Ianto? You with me?" Harkness pants. Ianto kisses him quickly, clenching his fingers in Harkness's hair, and throwing in a whimper for good measure. This is not the time to get distracted. He needs Harkness pacified, satisfied, dressed, and out of the Hub with the team in the next 15 minutes.
Harkness is sitting in one of the conference table chairs, trousers around his ankles, boots still on, braces hanging over either side of the chair. Ianto's in his lap, straddling him, still technically dressed, but thoroughly unbuttoned, tie flung over the back of the chair next to them, lesson learned after ruining one of his blue ties last time.
Harkness' hand is doing an interesting twist and glide thing up and down his shaft, over and over, Ianto tries to concentrate on that.
He really hates this. He's gotten over most of the guilt. He's doing this for Lisa, it's not as though she can hold this against him. And while it's still… really uncomfortable, at least the Captain's a good kisser, and not some wheezing, obese, halitosis ridden, old lecher like basically anyone in charge of anything at London. While he does it begrudgingly, Ianto has to admit that Harkness really isn't so bad. He's leading a small team against the full fury of the rift, refusing to let it do damage on the local populace while London was inviting horror home to roost. Ianto's been to a couple of retirement parties for London operatives, but the one thing he has learned in the archives is that no one in Torchwood Three hits the big Three-Oh.
Plus, as long as he's begrudgingly appreciating things, after the incident with his tie that first time, Harkness has been… kind of sweet with Ianto- this, a semi naked hand job in the middle of the day with the shades drawn, is about as far as Harkness has pushed this… whatever this is to him. Though Ianto really wishes he could refuse to sit in Harkness's lap. It's very… Hugh Heffner and a Playmate, which in addition to being an unflattering comment on the Captain's age, makes Ianto the augmented, bleached, whore in the situation.
Ianto knows that Harkness wouldn't mind a "no" here or there, he'd probably find it coquettish, (Ianto sighs mentally and squirms closer to Harkness as they both increase the pace of their hands, he wishes there was a manlier word than coquettish), but things are finally coming together and if this is what Harkness wants before he leaves Ianto alone in the Hub for the better part of the day, Ianto's not going to risk a "no".
Harkness grabs the back of Ianto's head and pulls him closer, setting his mouth to Ianto's nearly always concealed neck and nibbling, scraping, biting, before moving up to Ianto's ear.
"Come on," Harkness pants, "Come for me."
Ianto moves his hand over Harkness's and squeezes it, hard, Harkness takes the hint, Ianto returns his hand. It's probably overdoing in, but Ianto pants "Oh, Jack," into the Captain's ear as he comes.
**
Ianto is by and large the most interesting person Jack has fooled around with at Torchwood. He is not the first. Not by a long shot, not by any stretch of the imagination, but most definitely holding his own as the most interesting. And cute. Jack has racked up a lot of hot people over the years, but not nearly enough cute ones. Jack likes the way Ianto's cheeks apple when he gets the usually dour young man to smile, the way he flushed so pink when Jack had first gotten a little moan to hiccup out of him, the way he holds so still while Jack unbuttons his jacket and waistcoat and dress shirt. The way he just kind of bites his lip when Jack lightheartedly complains about him wearing so many clothes.
Plus there's something exciting and kind of exotic about how the whole thing is playing out. It's not a quick dirty "Thank goodness I'm still alive" fuck on his desk, right on top of all the paperwork like it was with Robert, Gladys, Alex, Greg, Carol, Andras, Lucia, Billy or anyone else on that list- quickly forgotten about once everyone's belts, stockings, or in one case bloomers were done back up. It's certainly not the love at first sight that Estelle shot him through the heart with.
It's a lot like that late afternoon cup of coffee Ianto delivers to his desk. A reinvigoration and a comfort. Ianto gives Jack an opportunity for some humanity after yet another death, dismemberment, days work. To take care of someone who wouldn't respond to a little heart's ease with Suzie's impatience, or Owen's cruel cynicism, or Toshiko's distant reserve.
And Ianto's turned out to be a brilliant hire on top of it. He's incredibly capable, he's gone from tea-boy to practically facilitating the daily routine of the Hub in a ridiculously short amount of time. Personally though, Ianto's still hesitant, in need of a little coaxing. Jack's not sure how much of that is Love-of-his-Life-Lisa, who Ianto's never said a word about (other than "deceased" and "no there hasn't"), or the age gap (oh, if Ianto only knew), or maybe some discomfort with the boss/employee dynamic. Whatever it is Jack's enjoying the hell out of it. Jack's lived through several decades way more sexually frigid than this one, Ianto's hardly the first person he's gone slowly for, but he's one of the only Torchwood employees, nearly all of whom tend to be on the side of gathering rosebuds while they may. But the slow reveal of Ianto's pretty white skin peeking out as he unbuttoned his shirt was such a better reward after Jack had to work for it.
Jack's starting to wonder if Ianto might even be a virgin, but readjusting 51st century expectations and a hundred years of experience for a kid in his early twenties in this still comparatively rigid century isn't easy. And while for most of this century Jack would have expected a man who wound up on his desk (or on the couch out in the hub, or in the back of the SUV) to declare his experience with other men or lack thereof in some way- things were changing out there. Jack had no intention of letting go of his braces or coat, but he had a little more interest in keeping up with sexual fashions. As long as Ianto fancied Jack, Jack didn't particularly care who else he fancied or had ever fancied in the past. And after what had been a long, rainy, cold, wet and thoroughly unpleasant day, what Jack fancied most, was getting out of his wet things, drying off, and then getting Ianto out of his dry things.
"Oi, Jack!" Owen snaps, "If you could pay attention while you're driving that would be much appreciated. Some of us have heard enough corpses screaming today and don't want to spend this entire trip imagining ourselves as one. Thank you."
"It's an avenue of research worth pursuing Owen," Suzie snaps back. The two of them have been on each other's nerves even more often than usual recently. Jack ignores it. It's an annoying reminder of why he shouldn't be trying to get Ianto into bed, and an extremely disheartening reminder of the ways in which he's failed to make any of these people less broken. Despite their trysts, Suzie clearly has no idea why watching people die all day is particularly hard for Owen, Jack himself has no idea why bringing them out of the dark for seconds and minutes at a time is so important to Suzie, and Toshiko doesn't seem to be picking up on the extra edge under Owen and Suzie's bickering.
"And if we want to pursue it, then I need to practice using the glove, and-"
"I've got another possible homicide in Llangafelli Lane," Toshiko announces, tapping her monitor, "We're nearly there, could swing by, someone a little fresher for our last try for the day?"
Jack doesn't heave a disappointed sigh as he takes the turn, or when they go back out into the dumping, pouring rain, or when they fail yet again to do anything but frighten a poor dead kid and watch him realize that there's nothing else. That there's just mortal coil, and the undiscovered country is a lie.
The one upside of the last try of the day for Jack is getting to fluster the nosy PC with the cute gap in her teeth.
**
"I know it's a little dark and musty, but you're safer here than you were in the apartment, and the doctor in Ohio is supposed to email me today about when he's available," Ianto tells her, agitatedly tapping his fingers on the frame of her gurney, "And this adjusts a little, so… maybe, I could get you a TV or something, I mean, yeah, we sold ours, but I could find something, and the library has videos and I can take my breaks down here with you."
Lisa gives him a brave sort of smile, "Yeah, that would be good." Her words are still a little slurred from the pain killers.
"Yeah, it will," Ianto sighs, "Okay, listen, I have to go check my email and make some coffee, but I'll come back down to see you before I go home. I promise."
"Okay."
"Okay."
Ianto leans down to kiss her, missing the feel of her, feeling like he's papering over Harkness with her. Heart bursting with a sort of carefully held in joy at finally being able to put a little bit of hope into that kiss. He reaches up to brush over her hair and stops just before he realizes that he's just going to feel the cold metal on his fingers. He moves his hand down, touching his finger tips carefully to the exposed skin her chest, just at the hollow of her throat. Suddenly she presses her tongue to the seam of his lips and he opens them with the first honest gasp he's let out all week.
God he misses this, misses her, wants her, can't believe how long it's been. This is the first time kissing her has actually aroused him since- He flattens his hand against her chest and the cold metal presses into his hand. Right.
He pulls out of the kiss slowly, not wanting her to think that it's disgust, cause that's not exactly what it is.
"You're amazing Ianto," Lisa tells him, her voice low and husky, "I love you."
"I love you too. See you soon."
He kisses her again, a quick peck to the lips and goes upstairs.
He starts the coffee pot, goes to the kettle and decides not to even bother turning it on. This time of night, if Owen even comes into the Hub, it'll just be to grab something and leave. He lets the coffee brew while he finishes the day's washing up, then he pours himself a cup and goes to the computers to check his email. Toshiko checked in earlier to say that they were making one last stop before coming back to the Hub, he should have enough time for his email. Then all he has to do is pass out a couple of mugs, see if any late night takeaway is in order, and he can go home. After that kiss with Lisa he's sort of thinking about sitting in the actual dark of his apartment and having an orgasm that involves more private fantasy and less Harkness induced inevitable biological processes, but the chance of him collapsing from exhaustion directly inside his doorway may be too high.
He takes a deep drink from his mug. He's barely slept in the last week. Daily tasks at the Hub keep piling up on top of surreptitiously equipping the sub basement, putting together the plan to move Lisa and of course, being Jack Harkness's equivalent of a stress ball.
The siren sounds and door rolls open as Ianto is about to check into his dummy email account. He turns the computer off without looking, and stands up, ready to look busy.
Harkness walks in alone, soaking wet. He strides over to Ianto, who only gets halfway through "Anything I can get you before I leave for the night, sir?" before the Captain grabs his face and kisses him hard. The remaining embers from Lisa's kiss, flare unexpectedly back up.
"Owen said I should get out of my wet things before I get hypothermia," Harkness tells him, "Could you help me with that?"
Ianto crumples. He's so tired, but he puts on the glaze of good natured cheek that Harkness likes, "Owen didn't say that, you just needed a line."
"It's better than "Hello Ianto, I've had an incredibly shitty day, take your pants off."
A retort about being more honest dies in Ianto's throat and he gives up. Harkness runs his finger along Ianto's jaw line, "You know what I really like to do when I've had a shitty day?"
"I can guess," Ianto replies.
"Take a hot shower. Come on."
He takes Ianto by the hand and tugs him past the entrance to the disgusting, moldy, enormous gym-like showers, and into Harkness's office.
"Jack, what are we-"
"Remember when I said I lived here?" Harkness says. He lifts up the cover to what Ianto is trying very hard not to think of as a manhole, revealing a bunker underneath his office. He waves Ianto toward the door in the floor and Ianto climbs down into a room even more Spartan than his own. Harkness has the same kind of camp bed Ianto has in Lisa's bedroom, though Harkness's looks older. And it actually has sheets on it.
"And the shower's through here," Harkness says, dropping to the floor next to Ianto.
Fine, Ianto thinks, I've been hauling heavy things around and running all day. I probably need a shower.
Harkness leads him into the bathroom and turns the water on to warm up. Ianto had expected it to be as starkly utilitarian as the standard showers upstairs- hardly updated Victorian showers for rinsing off mud, blood and alien goo, but it's a little more homey. Oddly retro, like everything about Harkness, but at least not as creepy a place for Harkness to come up behind him and start undoing his tie, unbuttoning his layers, and brushing his warm, entirely human (well, probably, Ianto has some doubts after all the weird things that Harkness says) hands back up Ianto's bare belly, fanning that little lick of arousal higher. Ianto tries to ignore it, that was for Lisa, what he lets Jack make him feel is just enough for the whole ruse to actually work. Lying still and thinking of anywhere but England is not really an option for Ianto, he has to be visibly participating after all.
But with Harkness standing behind him, pulling off his jacket, his waistcoat, setting his lips to Ianto's neck once his tie and his shirt are gone it's easier to… get into the spirit of things.
In the shower Harkness keeps holding him chest to back, patiently scrubbing him before dropping his soapy hand down to stroke Ianto's cock. Ianto starts to float in a haze of exhaustion, steam, warmth and arousal, getting harder and harder, making little noises that Harkness hasn't heard before because they're hard to fake convincingly. Ianto can almost not think about Harkness's cock, hard against his back and moving lazily.
Then Harkness turns off the water and turns him around and reality crashes back as hard as it did when he set his hands back on Lisa's metal casings. Things aren't better yet, and he still has performances to give, with this liquid heat in stomach quickly getting sickening, because it doesn't belong here, not for this man, even if Ianto doesn't hate him.
Harkness kisses him again, harder than he has before and starts walking him out of the bathroom and toward the camp bed. The warm water on Ianto's skin starts to cool.
"Jack-"
But Harkness just shushes him and pushes him against the bed. The frame hits the back of his calves and he sits down, Harkness's hard cock bobbing in front of his face for a second of dread before Harkness sits next to him and pushes him back into the pillows. He runs a hand up and down Ianto's chest, pinching his nipple's gently before settling his body on top of Ianto's and starting to rock their hips together.
Ianto gulps. He's gone from half dressed hand job to wet and naked in the Captain's bed in the span of a day, he's still hard as hell, and with the doctor coming to the rescue soon, he can probably play his last stall tactic card. In fact… now's probably the time, it's another good "harmless" signifier.
"Jack-" he starts, not even having to fake the edge of worry.
"It's okay," Jack murmurs, rocking a little harder. And dammit it feels good.
"Jack, I've never… not with-"
Harkness kisses him but doesn't move his body off of Ianto's, "I kind of figured," he says with a smile that in any other circumstance Ianto would call kind, "It's alright, this is all I had planned," he shifts his hips against Ianto's again, "This is okay right?," He grins a less kind and much more 'Jack' grin, "I mean you seem to be enjoying it."
"Okay, then," Ianto sighs, "I am."
Harkness goes back to kissing him and Ianto just finds somewhere to put his mind, because his body won't let him take this from it. He comes harder than he ever has with Harkness, finally a treacherously sincere orgasm. And then, his body still in charge, he falls asleep, with Harkness's arm slung around him.
**
Something, a strange thunk or something, pulls Ianto about halfway out of sleep sometime in the middle of the night. He nestles closer to Jack's warmth with a groan and in his sleep Harkness's arm tightens around him.
When Ianto realizes what he's just done, he jolts awake and passes it off as a nightmare when he wakes Harkness.