11. Snakes Crawl at Night

Ianto was finally nodding off and Jack decided a bath or shower would just upset him so he gently lifted his slumbering love and carried him to the bedroom.

Placing him in the bed, Jack drew the covers over him and did his bedtime rituals. The cry of fear from the bed had him rushing back into the room from the bathroom.

"Ianto? Babe, it's OK" Jack soothed as he tried to calm the struggling Welshman.

Ianto was trying to escape. He finally extracted himself from the bedding and fell to the floor. Jack decided it was best to let him go and followed as Ianto crawled down the hallway sobbing and making mewling sounds. Reaching the bathroom, Ianto hesitated with confusion then he crawled onto the cool tiles and lay down.

Jack saw, in the bright bathroom lighting that Ianto had wet himself and swore softly. He left Ianto drawing squares around the tiles as his fingers traced the grouting to calm himself and returned to the bedroom.

Jack stripped the bed and found replacement bedding. He made the bed up as quickly as possible knowing the wide awake Ianto would probably pull it all to bits and remake it in the light of day.

Jack took some soft PJs from the drawer and went back to Ianto who was snoring softly, one hand splayed out on the tiles. Jack turned on the shower and waited so the water was hot and then he adjusted it to a warm spray. He softly rubbed Ianto's back and softly coaxed him awake, then into the water.

Both men were still fully clothed and Jack stripped Ianto's soiled clothes off apologising for not taking him for a bedtime pee before putting him to bed. Ianto reached out and stroked Jack's face as Jack soaped up the sponge and cleaned him, then rinsed him off.

Ianto shuffled into his arms and sighed as Jack rubbed his back in the shower and the water soothed the tension away.

"Ready to try bed again?" Jack murmured and Ianto whimpered softly with a shake of his head.

"OK. How about a little telly then? Cuddle on the sofa?" Jack tried another tack and an affirmative nod was felt against his chest.

Ianto let Jack dry him and dress him in the old PJs. Jack led him to the sofa and made sure he was covered with the old throw blanket then headed to the kitchen for a midnight snack. He heard the telly blare into life and knew Ianto had found the remote control.

Ianto was channel surfing and Jack kept half an ear on the ever changing voices drifting across the hall as he cut the crusts from the sandwiches like he had watched Ianto do countless times in the hub Kitchen.

He walked back into the lounge and placed the food down then retrieved the hot chocolates. Ianto made a hooting noise and made grabby motions when he smelt the chocolate and Jack laughed.

He settled into the sofa next to Ianto and Ianto immediately burrowed into his side with a contented sigh. Jack was relieved that Ianto felt safe enough to do that, after all he had been through.

"Yan just pick a channel can you? This is giving me a headache" Jack moaned and Ianto made an unhappy noise and reached up to stroke Jack's forehead apologetically.

Now Jack felt like a jerk. "I'm OK sweets. Let's settle."

Finally Ianto settled on a movie and pulled the blanket up over Jack like a mother hen. Like he always did. Jack hummed and hugged him tightly as Ianto snuffled.

Jack began to focus on the movie and he gave a grunt of surprise as he recognised the movie. "Snakes on a plane?"

"I'm sick of these mother fucking snakes on this mother fucking plane" Ianto growled.

"I hate snakes!" Jack shivered and Ianto snorted.

Ianto pushed back and stared seriously at Jack and he knew a little snark was coming so he raised his eyebrows and waited for the zinger, "I don't know why Jack, I thought you liked the snakes that crawl at night."

Jack laughed at Ianto's wink and stole a quick kiss before Ianto snuggled back into his embrace.

"Cheeky monkey"