Torchwood: Divergence
Book One: Dychwelyd

Chapter 42

Jack had gotten the entire base prepared for the planned evening of recreation, then he'd gone to wake his partner with a kiss and caress. Their dinner had been blessedly quiet, the two Hub residents having enjoyed the requested meal and some light conversation about the less traumatic times of years past. They'd taken the chocolate dipped bananas and coffee up on the invisible lift so they could sit on the steps of the Oval Basin to simply watch the people walk by in the brisk early autumn air as the sun had set and the city's lights had come to life. A short stroll had brought them around to Mermaid Quay where they'd re-entered the base via the TIC kiosk, locking up as they'd headed downstairs into the Hub once more. There'd been a brief pause while Ianto had fed Myfanwy and given the Pteranodon some well-deserved attention and eye ridge rubs before he'd opened her enclosure door that led to the outside world for her nightly exercise. Then after a quick check for Rift activity as well as the deactivation of all CCTV inside the base, the evening had progressed to the "'dabbling' free-for-all" that had been promised in the SUV on the trip back from Harwood's.

It was now about half eleven, Jack sitting against the Armoury wall across from the door, Ianto half curled in a ball on the tiled floor he'd scrubbed the day before, his head in the older man's lap. Both men were stark naked, bodies sheened with perspiration, and they wore almost identical smiles. Harkness had said he was going to wear his partner our completely, and after a full resurrection only hours before he'd managed to make good on the promise. They'd visited all the cited locations in the base, as well as a few others between rounds of naked hide-and-seek, and a little naughty slow dancing to Big Band music. The twenty-six-year-old was currently dozing; both arms wrapped around one of the American's legs like a child holding a teddy bear. The Captain just watched him from half closed eyes, occasionally stroking the young brunette's sweat damp hair or tracing circles on the bare skin of his back where his wings normally manifested.

Suddenly Jones' grip tightened painfully on his companion's thigh, his breathing accelerating noticeably and three sharp lines appearing between his brows as a small whimper of distress escaped him.

"Ianto," Jack called evenly, resting his hand on the younger man's left shoulder and applying gentle pressure to rouse him. "Wake up, buddy... you're safe."

The young Welshman moaned slightly and cringed, his breath catching in something close to a sob. Then his entire body jerked as though he'd been struck and he came awake in a semi-panic, awkwardly trying to scramble away from his startled partner.

"Ianto, hey... settle down," Harkness coaxed, reaching out to take hold of the Changeling's nearest hand. "It's just you and me here, you're okay. Look at me... it was only a bad dream, yeah?"

The trembling Archivist nodded, taking several deep shuddering breaths before swallowing hard and sliding over to sit against the wall beside his concerned lover.

"Reliving your time in Hell?" Jack prodded quietly, putting an arm around the other man's shoulders and holding him close.

"No..." Ianto shook his head, blue-grey eyes unusually murky as he turned to meet the Captain's steady gaze. "We were outside a strange ruined city where the sky was sort of pale green. There were two men I've never seen before, one in an almost Victorian looking suit, the other in strange tattered robes. Some other people were there as well, that looked a bit like the alien you called Harold... sickly pale and gaunt. They were holding you prisoner and the man in the robes was saying he had to show you that you'd made a terrible mistake... that you were a terrible mistake and I just compounded it. He was having me drawn and quartered by giant animals I couldn't see, and I'm fairly sure I'd already been beaten bloody by how much everything hurt. You kept saying you didn't understand, shouting 'Doctor, please don't let them do this, don't hurt him anymore', but both men ignored you and the robed one gave the signal to have me ripped apart. I could feel muscles tearing, bones splintering, and you were screaming my name, begging them to stop. But they wouldn't, and I couldn't stop what was happening either."

"The Doctor?" Harkness gaped, shocked and horrified in equal measure by what the young Welshman had dreamed.

"I'm sorry, Cariad," Ianto immediately apologised, his expression sad and uncertain. "I know he holds a special place in your life. I can't imagine why his name would come up in a nightmare of mine, and I've no idea where the imagery came from."

His partner looked troubled for a moment, but then his eyes brightened and he shook his head with a crooked smile.

"It was a dream," the American reassured, hugging the younger man tight before releasing him and urging him to his feet. "There's no telling what sparked it. Maybe out talk earlier about the hand in the jar I used to have. Doesn't matter though. The Doctor's a really good friend, but that won't save him if he ever tries to hurt you or knowingly lets someone else do it... no one is taking you from me again. Fortunately, I don't see him being involved in anything like that. So, let's forget it and head for our room, okay?"

They left the Armoury together, pausing at the couch behind the workstations on their way to the office, to collect all their discarded clothing and set the CCTV to reactivate in ten minutes. Then the pair wandered across the Hub to their bedroom behind the office, Ianto taking charge of all the garments they'd shed earlier to separate everything into the two laundry bins just inside the ensuite door, for later dry cleaning or laundry batches down in the old communal shower room. Jack was turning down the covers on the bed when his partner returned, the young Welshman moving to slip his arms around the ageless brunette's chest. He leaned against the Captain's back, left cheek resting near the older man's right shoulder, and he relaxed with a sigh.

Harkness slowly turned around toward his lover, who shifted to lightly place a hand on either side of his face and pull him close for an intensely passionate kiss. Jack responded in kind, resting both hands on the Changeling's waist and urging him toward the mattress. They ended up amid the covers, Ianto straddling the older immortal's lower thighs as he trailed nips and kisses down his throat to his upper chest, then worked his way back up to the American's mouth.

"I love when you do that," the Captain grinned breathlessly as his partner eased back for a moment.

"Snog you senseless?" Ianto panted with raised brows.

"Oh, yeah," Jack chuckled, gently but firmly preventing the eternal twenty-six-year-old from moving when he started to shift out of his on-top position. "You're not afraid to take a kiss when you want it... but you never take command when the real fun begins. Not even when we 'dabbled' two years ago. You've always let me top, though you have been a bit of a bossy bottom at times. You do realise you can be dominant when we're together, don't you?"

"I've thought about it," the young Archivist confessed with a small frown. "But it's never felt quite right. I mean, you are and always will be my leader, my Captain... and I'm more than happy to do whatever you want. So, it seems wrong for me to take instead of surrender. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," Harkness nodded, his smile never fading. "So, what'll you do if the Captain says he wants you to give as good as you get?"

"I'll do my best, sir," Ianto promised earnestly with a slight blush, but his eyes were dancing. "And apologise in advance on the chance that I simply can't measure up."

His partner's gaze travelled from his face down his chest and stomach to more intimate areas, both eyebrows rising appreciatively.

"I think the measuring tape would tell you that's not ever gonna be a problem," Jack reassured cheerfully, long since aware of how well-endowed his Welshman was and eager to experience the pleasures such exquisite assets could bring.

Ianto rolled his eyes and silently mouthed a curse at the reference, then leaned in close to silence the other man's laughter with another searing kiss. He had the Captain's permission to swap roles, and he intended to make the encounter one that neither of them would ever forget.

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AN: A wee bit of well-deserved sexy time for the boys… yes, I do leave it mostly to the reader's imagination, but that's half the fun.

Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM