Chapter 6 - Because of You

Captain Jack Harkness was not as oblivious as his team sometimes thought. He'd noticed the way they were gathering, voices hushed, to discuss something they apparently didn't want Ianto knowing about.

Unfortunately, whatever their topic of conversation, they were keeping it from Jack as well. Which meant he got to practice some old skills he hadn't needed much since taking over as head of Torchwood - namely, being sneaky and unnoticed. (He preferred, whenever possible, to be confrontational, flirty and loud.)

In the end, it had all culminated in following them to a pub. Jack had slipped in, and decided to only wait a few minutes. If nothing blew up by then, or no one got onstage and started stripping, it was probably just the old team taking their new members out to explain the complexity that was Jack and Ianto's relationship. Then the act had been announced, and jack's breath had shot out of his lungs in a disbelieving, "What?"

Ianto was in a band?

Ianto, his Ianto, was in a band, and he never said anything?

As Jack's brain tried to catch up with this new (and highly arousing) information, Ianto introduced himself and the others, then began playing.

The fact that Ianto could play guitar was doing all sorts of things to Jack's libido.

In fact, it had such an effect that the captain didn't actually catch up until about the fifth or sixth song.

And then all the sexual tension died.

"Hands on the mirror, can't get much clearer, can't make this all go away. Now that you're bleeding you stare at the ceiling, and watch as it all fades away."

Jack wanted to deny it, wanted to focus entirely on that rough tone in Ianto's voice and the way his lover seemed so passionate about the song.

"From what you do! Because of you!"

But there was no way to ignore it. He couldn't even lie to himself.

"You know I can't be there each time that you call. I swore not to come, but I'm here after all. I know by the look that I see in your eye. I won't stand around and I won't watch you die. From what you do!

"What you do, what you do, what's become of you? What you do, what you do, what's become of-?"

Ianto didn't know that Jack was in the audience. The Torchwood leader was sure of that.

"Now that you did this, you ask for forgiveness. Doctor, could you be my priest? You say you're mistaken but look what you've taken. You laugh as you lie through your teeth.

"From what you do! Because of you!

"You know I can't be there each time that you call. I swore not to come, but I'm here after all. I know by the look that I see in your eye. I won't stand around and I won't watch you die.

"From what you do!

"What you do, what you do, what's become of you? What you do, what you do, what's become of-?

"From what you do!"

This was about Jack. This was what he'd done to Ianto, with each strike to the Welshman's heart.

This was killing cyber-Lisa, shagging Ianto, flirting with Gwen, leaving the team, coming back, expecting everything to be the same as before. This was each instance Ianto had almost said how he felt about Jack but bitten it off, knowing Jack "didn't do" monogamy - even if only Jack knew that, currently, that was a lie.

This was every single time this amazing man had had to watch the bastard he'd given his heart to (though they both knew Ianto hadn't meant for that to happen) die, over and over again.

"Hands on the mirror, can't get much clearer, can't make this all go away. Now that you're bleeding, you stare at the ceiling and watch as it all fades away.

"From what you do! Because of you!

"You know I can't be there each time that you call. I swore not to come but I'm here after all. I know by the look that I see in your eye. I won't stand around and I won't watch you die. From what you do!

"What you do, what you do, what's become of you? What you do, what you do, what's become of-? Become of-?"

Jack considered himself an exceptional lover. He was famous (or infamous, depending on the area and date) throughout time and space for his skills in the bedroom. But this thing with Ianto… They had both fought, tooth and nail, to keep it from becoming more than a mutually pleasurable way to let off steam.

And they had both failed.

The feelings Jack harbored for Ianto Jones were confusing and unwelcome, and tender in a way he couldn't remember ever caring about anyone in his unnaturally long life.

He didn't want it to be this.

That didn't change the fact that it was. And for only the second time in his endlessly extended existence, Jack found himself wanting to prove worthy of the love he had been given.

...

…

...

a/n This massive tri-update brought to you by my work computer refusing to work (giving me extra time and having to use paper and pen again, which always gets my creative juices flowing) and Doctor Who Season 3 (which I am currently watching while typing everything up). Anyway, there's just one last chapter to go, and we'll see how soon I can get it up, shall we? ~t.h.