Hey gang, I'm sorry again if the changes to the last chapter caused any confusion. If you haven't re-read it, please do, it's important. And please let me know what you think.
This chapter isn't very long but I feel it ends at a spot where an episode would end or go to commercial. Ianto is warned about Zeus, Jack meets Hermes, there's a Janto moment, and the brothers receive a message.
No offence intended and I don't think there's any Gwen bashing in this one per se but my definition could be different than yours.
Ianto was laughing so hard he was on the floor. "Zeus, has eyes on me? Are you sure Hermes was telling you the truth?"
Owen's arms were crossed "Why would he lie about it?"
Ianto caught his breath "Because it's what he does Owen. You're the one who keeps telling me that."
"He seemed pretty sincere. I also say that he's not as bad as Zeus and Apollo. If he was lying about it, why not just tell you so you'd stay closer to him?"
Ianto got to his feet "Because he knew I wouldn't believe him."
"Ianto, if it's unfounded or not, someone saying Zeus has eyes on you isn't something to be taken lightly." Owen sighed "I can't believe I'm saying this but maybe Hermes does care for you in some way…"
"Owen, just the other day you told me he was possessive and lecherous. Why the sudden change?"
"Because Zeus is worse. Ianto, just please be careful and stay on your toes."
"I'll be fine Owen, I can take care of myself. If you're so concerned, bring it to Tad. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere I'd like to be right now."
…
Ianto set up a massage table in an ante-chamber off the archives. Jack walked in stark naked.
"I couldn't find a towel" He was grinning "is this okay?"
Ianto marvelled for a moment at the handsome man before him and said (probably with a slight squeak to his voice) "That's fine" he patted the table "lie on your stomach please. I must warn you though, without the towel I laid out exactly where you should have seen it, I cannot promise full control of my hands and where they might end up."
Jack smiled innocently "There was a towel?" and he hopped on the table and laid down.
Ianto poured some oil in his hands and began to rub it on Jack's back, kneading his muscles at the same time.
Jack moaned "God, that feels good."
Ianto chuckled "Just Ianto will do, thanks. Or 'my lord' if you want to be proper. Jack when was the last time you had a decent massage, your muscles are all in knots."
"Don't have time usually. Oh, right there, that's nice. Oh yeah."
Ianto worked at a particularly stubborn part of Jack's lower back "Have you ever thought of just taking a break and getting away from it all?"
Jack moaned again "All the time but I have a job to do."
"No you don't. Nobody's forcing you to do this" Ianto moved so that he was leaning over Jack's head as worked his back.
"Who else is gonna do this?"
"What's wrong with UNIT? Jack, all I'm saying is there's no need to stay in one place for so long. Don't you ever get tired of Cardiff?"
"No, it's always changing, keeps me guessing" suddenly Jack put his hands on Ianto's arse "you standing right here, I can't guarantee my actions."
Ianto shivered and stepped back "Sit up please."
Jack sat and Ianto leaned in and kissed him. Jack's hand slipped up his shirt but Ianto pulled back when he heard a noise. "If that's Owen, I'm gonna kill him. I'll be back in a moment."
"I'll be here" Jack swung his legs.
Ianto left the room to see Jack coming towards him wrapped in the towel he'd laid out. What the fuck? "Jack?"
"Hey Ianto, you got my message?"
Ianto blinked "What message?"
"That'd I'd be a little late. You didn't get it?"
Ianto got close to him, smelled him. If this was Jack then who was…? He ran back into the room, the other Jack was gone. "Son of a bitch" he swore, he'd just been played.
"Ianto, what's wrong?" Jack put a hand on his shoulder.
Ianto took a breath "I thought you were just here but apparently it wasn't you, it was someone pretending to be you and I didn't see it. I am such an idiot. Hermes!"
Hermes appeared instantly, oddly this time he was slightly more covered up "Yes Ianto? And you must be Jack, pleasure."
"Were you just here?" Ianto demanded "pretending to be Jack?"
Hermes quickly understood what Ianto was talking about "Ianto, I don't need to pretend to be anyone to get into your pants, you ought to know that."
Ianto started to shake as he realised the alternative "You're right, I'm sorry. So that was Zeus?"
"Probably. I'm sorry Ianto but I can't protect you from him. Zeus wants what he wants and he doesn't stop till he gets it. Jack," he said "why weren't you here sooner?"
Jack stared at Hermes's abs for a moment and then blinked "Traffic, so tight I couldn't move the SUV through it and for some reason my manipulator wouldn't work on the lights like normal."
"Zeus was messing around then."
"But this isn't his territory" Ianto said "he can't do that. It's against the code."
"Good luck trying to prove it." He took a breath and said to Jack "Enjoy, Ianto gives very good massages."
"Do you want to hang around? You're more than welcome to."
"I appreciate it but the very sight of you makes me ill. It's nothing personal, not your fault. You are very handsome but…" with that he vanished.
Ianto sighed "He's a guide of souls Jack, remember what I told you about them."
Jack sat on the table "So Zeus was trying to have his way with you?"
"Apparently."
"We can do this another time if you're not up to it."
"No, no, I'm not going to let a scare like that sour my desire to rub you down" he interlaced his fingers and cracked them. He massaged him as before only this time he didn't speak except to ask Jack how he felt about the massage and he didn't go near Jack's head.
Damn Zeus, Ianto didn't even feel like kissing Jack right now. And now he was going to be on his guard till this thing got resolved.
…
Later Jack took him to Salt for a drink since Jack was banned from Terra Nova for five years.
"You okay?" Jack asked, sitting next to him in the booth.
Ianto took a drink of his pint "I kissed him because I thought he was you."
"Well that's okay. I'd have done the same thing. Isn't Zeus known for disguising himself as other people?"
"Yes. Owen warned me but I didn't listen. How could Zeus be attracted to me?"
"How could he not? He'd be a fool not to be." Jack rested his hand over Ianto's.
"That's sweet Jack, thank you." Before he could stop himself Ianto leaned on Jack.
Jack responded by putting his arm around him.
…
Owen paced in front of Ianto "I knew this would happen."
Ianto groaned "Owen, please I feel bad enough already. At least he didn't get very far before Jack came in. I'm thinking one of our brethren sensed a Greek was messing with traffic and cleared it."
"Most likely but that's beside the point Ianto. Knowing how Zeus is you can't trust anyone."
"Not even you."
"Ianto, Zeus isn't that stupid. He's not gonna disguise himself as your brother."
"Are you sure? Because now I'm worried."
"I promise it's me, Ianto."
"Me who?"
"Ianto, come on don't be a spaz."
"Even so, I'm not letting you touch me."
Owen rolled his eyes "Let's get to the Hub, pot of coffee will do you good."
…
Around mid-morning the team was gathered around the conference table for the weekly de-briefing. Jack sat at the head of the table "So we had a giant spider come through the rift when you girls were off. We had to burn it."
"Fucking thing was huge" Owen said "I snapped a picture" He put it up on the plasma.
"Oh my God" Gwen said "is that real?"
Owen rolled his eyes "No Gwen, we made it up just to drive you insane."
"Was that sarcasm?"
Before Owen could retort, a man appeared standing on the table. He had flaming red hair and was dressed like he was going horseback riding in the Irish countryside.
Owen and Ianto stood immediately. "Lord Oghma" Ianto said "to what do we owe the pleasure?"
Gwen was blinking rapidly in succession "where did he come from?"
"In a moment" Oghma said, Irish accent thick and interestingly, he had a tongue ring "you gonna introduce me to yer friends?"
Owen took a breath "Everyone this is Oghma, mainly communication god and guide of souls for the Tuatha de Danann out of Ireland. Oghma, this is Jack, Toshiko and Gwen."
"And it's a pleasure" Oghma hopped off the table.
"What's an Irish god doing in Wales?" Jack asked.
Oghma took a step back from Jack "Well, the Welsh aren't organised enough to have an official messenger-type now are they?"
"Bloody Irishman" the brothers muttered.
"Anyhow" a scroll materialised in Oghma's hands "Lords Owen and Ianto, sons of Llyr you've been summoned before the Council of Elder Gods for misuse of powers in view of mortals."
"What is it you're doing?" Owen said once he found his voice.
"I had permission. You two did not. Report to yer father he'll have the details. Oh and he says ye can bring yer friends" with that he disappeared.
That darn Zeus. He ruined Ianto's immediate desire to kiss Jack. And now the brothers are in trouble. Oh dear. Well, it looks like the team will be meeting Llyr pretty soon so that should be fun.
Please review, they make me write faster. And again, those of you who reviewed the original chapter 9 please let me know what you think of the changes. Thank you much.
TTFN