Ianto wasn't much improved when he woke up later in the afternoon; in fact, he seemed to have got worse, and he was overheating to the point where Jack had retreated to the chair, worried that staying so close to him would push his temperature up further to dangerous levels. He was probably being paranoid, but it was his job to worry. Whilst he waited and watched, with the windows thrown open to let a breeze into the room and so that he could hear the children playing down in the yard, he'd picked up one of the pulp science fiction novels that Ianto collected more for the laughs than for reading, and was engrossed in the story.
A soft chuckle turned into a groan, and Jack dropped it, losing his page, to hurry to the bed and press the back of his hand to Ianto's forehead. Ianto let him, probably because Jack's hand was actually cooler than his forehead, and blinked up at it. "How long was I asleep?"
"A couple of hours," he sighed and sat down on the bed, brushing Ianto's hair back from his forehead. "You always have to go one better, don't you?"
"It's a skill," he joked, rubbing at his eyes. "I feel like crap."
"You look like crap as well, sorry," he smiled softy and leaned forwards to kiss his forehead. "I'll go and get you some water, I won't be gone long."
When he returned, Ianto was sitting up in bed but leaning back against the pillows. The one positive thing that Jack could say was that he didn't look pale. "Thanks," Ianto muttered, accepting the glass from him with a sigh and poking at the straw. "How ill do you think I am?"
"You just slept for two hours in the middle of the day," Jack pointed out gently, putting a jug full of iced water down on a mat on the bedside table; Ianto's approving look warmed him. "Besides, straws make everything better."
Ianto laughed and rubbed his stomach. "Do you want to good news or the bad news first?"
"Bad news," Jack decided. "As long as it's not too bad."
"The bad news is that I feel like I'm on fire, and I just want to go back to sleep," he took a deep drink of water and scooped out an ice cube to suck. "The good news," he said around the ice cube, "is that I don't feel like I'm going to be sick again."
"That is a relief," Jack agreed. "Do you want something to eat, in that case?"
"Yes please," Ianto's eyes fluttered shut when Jack stroked his hair again and he smiled softly. "Or just keep doing that..."
"Someone's tactile today," Jack commented, rubbing with his fingertips just behind Ianto's ear. "How about I go and get us some lunch, and then I'll come back up and scratch behind your ears? I even made us some sandwiches up earlier, so I only need to run down there and get them."
"Organised, I like it," Ianto pushed his hand away and reached out for the jug of water. "You do that."
"Okay," Jack cupped Ianto's cheek and kissed the other cheek gently. "Get well soon for me."
"I'm trying," Ianto chuckled. "Thank you."
Jack brushed his cheek and smiled softly. "Least I can do. Don't go anywhere."
He headed back downstairs and only just heard Ianto's muttered reply of "Where am I going to go? Out the window?"