1
Ianto stood back watching Owen struggle ineffectively with the Blowfish as Jack lay nearby totally dead. Again. Gwen staggering into the picture with her gun swinging loosely in her hand. She stood next to Ianto and watched for a while
"Owen? Gonna cuff him or fuck him?" she finally asked.
"Fuck you!" Owen snapped as he finally got a cuff on and looked at her with triumph as the cracking of the other cuff sounded and then his face changed. Ianto sighed softly as he folded his arms and canted his head.
"Don't tell me" Gwen said softly "He's cuffed the other one to himself again right?"
"I seriously do not know if it's deliberate at this point" Ianto agreed "Go get Jack's Webley for him would you love? You can present it to him."
He then walked over to seize the back of Owen's shirt, dragging him to his feet and undoing the cuff with one fluid motion then resetting them in the correct man's wrist. The Blowfish still stunned from the taser he had employed during the struggle.
"Ta" Owen said softly "Don't' tell Tosh I did that. Again."
"No matter" Ianto replied calmly "you go the job done. Good work Doctor."
Owen puffed his chest as he dragged the Blowfish to his feet and marched him towards the SUV, Gwen kneeling by Jack as he roared back to life, sitting up and looking around owlishly before accepting his piece and getting to his feet.
"Where is the other one?"
"Got away" Gwen said softly.
"Gwen winged it." Ianto offered "I think it's dead behind the dumpster."
Gwen swing to look at him then ran to see, Jack giving Ianto a look that no one saw before schooling his features to watch her reappear with a whoop of glee "Nailed him!"
"Ianto?" Jack said softly as they started for the SUV but the young man was quick to dart out of his reach when he raised a hand to grip his elbow. Damn he was wily.
"Sir."
"Ianto … please. Can we have a moment later? To talk?" Jack was never one to plead, didn't believe in it but as those steely grey eyes slid to focus on his, he felt a moment of panic. Ianto considered then looked down at his feet for a moment before he nodded. One brief nod.
Jack let out his breath with relief.
.
.
.
.
.
The team were working out in the main Hub as Jack sat on the edge of his desk, looking at the well polished Welshman before him.
"Ianto … Gwen didn't get the fish right? You helped" Jack accused.
"Yes. I threw my shoe at him" Ianto's bland reply was not unexpected as he glared openly at Jack.
"Ianto … come on. I know things have been hard since Lisa but …" Ianto's flinch had Jack pausing for a moment before pressing on "I would like us to get back on an even keel. Please. You gave up your entire life in London to come here … to try and safe her. I know that. I appreciate the fact you chose to stay. I am beyond relived you chose that option but … you are not really here. Not really. You are so … apart."
"But I always was" Ianto's frown deepened "What do you mean? I was exploited, separated and segregated for my entire time here. Why make out it's something new? No one here cared a toss about me as long as their coffee was hot and their reports were finished for them."
"you know that is not entirely fair is it. You made sure it was that way. You distanced yourself from day one. Well … apart from me" Jack pushed off from the desk as the conversation became uncomfortable.
"Yes. Well. No worries there now is there" Ianto's eyes narrowed with anger "It's been made perfectly clear that distance is preferred there as well. Don't you worry about that Sir. I will NEVER make that mistake again!"
"Mistake?" Jack asked with a snort "So … it was not a distraction? All be it a distraction it a lovely bespoke three piece suit. A distraction all the same, to keep me from noticing your little side project. Right?"
Ianto blinked and for a moment Jack saw something flash before Ianto cleared his threat and tipped his hed back to look at him down his pert nose "Yes. That was exactly it. Just a means to an end. It is the end …so … no need to pretend now."
Jack stood long after Ianto had bowed and left the room, staring at the spot where for moment he had last seen the man that had been in his bed once upon a time, that soft face and gentle moan as breath feathered against his cheek, arms around him while they rocked together to music. For a moment there… the mask has slipped and Jack had seen it.
Pain.
Jack leaned back against his desk not feeling the least bit happy about that exchange just then. Instead of coming away vindicated or feeling like he had somehow made his point, all it proved was that he still had no idea how this one ticked.
A small voice in the back of his head not unlike that of his former partner hissed 'like a fucking time bomb Javic' and Jack smiled wanly as he snorted at himself.
Yes.
That enigma in a three piece was definitely more than meets the eye.
And it was driving him insane.