Hey all, me again. ^_^ Just wanted to give a special thanks to LadyAnalyn for dutifully reviewing on every chapter and leaving nice little bits of feed back it's much appreciated. I'd like to tank everyone else who has reviewed as well it's nice to know people like my fic. So thanks everyone, but seems no one wants to enter my vid contest so I'll come up with something else. Anyway thanks all. Plus just wanted to say sorry for all the delays, but I'm rewatching torchwood to rekindle my love so hopefully I'll keep writing in the New Year. Also I had a comment about the eclectic songs and I just want to say that they are all songs I have on my mp4 player. So they are some of my favorite songs ^_^
Chapter 15
Ianto's eyes opened slowly, not able to make out much in the light and his mouth hurt, but that had been from burning his tongue on his curry and coffee last night. He'd been enjoying it slightly too much and hadn't let it cool properly, which left him with slightly sore lips and a burnt tongue. Oh well not like it wouldn't clear up in a day or so. Till then it was just slightly annoying.
He felt light puffs of air against his neck and turned to look at Jack's sleeping face. He always looked younger in Ianto's opinion. Like time had yet to catch up with him and he actually didn't have the weight of the world and the future on his weary shoulders. Ianto selfishly wished he could see Jack like this more often, but while he was awake that was mostly a pipe dream.
But Ianto decided to enjoy it while he could, he turned over to look at jack sliding a hand over his waist and hugging him close breathing in the completely erotic scent.
Jack let out a hum. "You are a snuggler Ianto Jones." Jack said his voice thick with sleep as he pried his eyes open and Ianto looked deep into the sea of blue and smiled slightly.
"Well with someone as cuddly as you, how can I not be?" Ianto asked his own voice rough.
Jack trailed a hand over Ianto's face and gave him a light kiss. "Are you telling me I've gained weight?" Jack asked one eye brow raised.
"No chance Captain, but you are tactile so yes I like to cuddle." Ianto replied. Laying his head on Jack's chest.
"You're too gorgeous not to cuddle, but I do like contact so I'll concede this one." Jack said. "Come on, time to get up, don't know when the others will be in."
"About 9 or in Owen's case 10." Ianto replied. "It's 6:30 we have time."
"Well they have been a bit worried about you so they might be in early." Jack pointed out.
"I'll be alright, just try not to leave me on my own down here it's kind of scary, I'll get over it, but for now, can you indulge me?"
"As much as you need, I'm right here, so's the rest of the team, we all want you to be better, to be okay and I'll personally do what I can to guarantee it."
"Well I appreciate it. But it makes me feel like a frightened child hiding under a safety blanket." Ianto commented hand resting against Jack's chest right beside his head.
"Well if I make you feel safe, then by all means, indulge; no one will think any less of you for it."
"Easy for you to say. I don't get it Jack, how can a single man, a normal human, terrify me so much, hold so much power over my life?"
"Because humans are unpredictable, that man killed your best friend, stalked you….raped you. He did have a measure of control from your fear. But he isn't in control now and I promise if it's the only worth while thing I do in your lifetime, I will make sure he stays behind bars." Jack promised threading his hands through Ianto's hair and taking a deep breath, smelling the Welshman's shampoo and enjoying the sense of calm that washed over him.
"The simplest things can shake you to the core, but the bad and horrible things I've seen, I've lived through and this is by far one of the hardest to deal with. Because it's you, my brilliant Ianto." Jack said lightly kissing his cheek and Ianto turned lightly catching Jack's lips and enjoying the delicate kiss.
"What did I do to deserve you?" Ianto asked quietly.
"Funny I've been asking myself the same thing." Jack replied. He stood up slowly and stretched and felt his spine popping loudly and Ianto gave a small snort.
"What?" Jack asked with a wry smile.
"You can harmonize that so well." Ianto laughed he felt a bit lighter, a new day and the pains of his experience were already starting to dull, although he didn't want to think on it to much.
"Lot's of practice." Jack said in a psudomodest fashion. "Come on, let's get showered and ready for a busy day of saving the planet and diverting every call we can."
"One day Jack, you will learn to deflect calls yourself." Ianto replied taking Jack's proffered hand and pulling himself up.
The showers were freezing, the tiles felt colder than usual beneath Ianto's bare feet as he followed Jack into the shower as the steam started billowing out and warming the walls. He wasn't really nervous about being anywhere near Jack, or at least not naked, but he was afraid of what his body would do. After all memories weren't something that could really be controlled but he really didn't want to freak out on Jack, he appreciated everything he'd done, everything he was doing, he just didn't know what would happen if things started to get hot and heavy. But then with Jack around that was bound to happen at some point. He stepped under the spray and let the water soak him and warm his chilled limbs.
Jack wrapped an arm round his waist and put his head on Ianto's shoulder. His hand was rubbing gentle circles on Ianto's slightly tense stomach and Ianto felt Jacks erect cock poking him. He tensed slightly, but didn't want to say anything; he wanted to see what would happen.
Jack it seemed wasn't going to do much of anything; he let his hands trace Ianto's body in an admirable touch, sliding over his slightly prominent ribs. "You need to eat more." Jack said lightly his lips against Ianto's neck. His hands also slid lower and Ianto forced himself not to flinch, although he did tense ever so slightly as he felt Jack's fingers slid across his arse. Fingers resting on his hips and just staying put as if to reassure him that it wasn't about anything other than comfort.
"I'm sorry." Ianto found himself saying as the water sluiced over his body and the small whispered remark was almost drowned out by the pounding of water on the tiles.
"What for?" Jack asked, not quite as quietly but still in a rather hushed tone.
Ianto shrugged, he didn't know what to say.
"Because right now, let me tell you, you are one of the bravest people I know Ianto Jones. It's so easy to fall apart. So easy to just lie around and not face anything. You are at least trying to and to be quite frank, I'm not sure what I'd do if you just wanted to lay down and hide." Jack said, his tone was quiet and almost awe struck.
"I can't just lie down and let it consume me, or I don't think I'd want to get up again. I don't want to live like that, fall apart and struggle to pull myself back together. I have too much to do to just lie down." Ianto replied just as quietly.
"Well I am so glad that you think that, it's amazing, you've been in my life for such a short time and you already consume it." Jack said kissing the back of Ianto's neck ever so gently and Ianto let out a delicate sigh of pleasure.
Ianto felt Jack's fingers drumming the flesh on his hip bones and it was almost soothing, the constant contact and knowing where Jack's hands were. He felt Jack breath in his shampoo as they washed and he tensed when Jack's hand skirted down the crack of his arse. "Easy." Jack whispered in his ear as his fingers brushed lightly across Ianto's entrance and Ianto forced himself to relax at the touch. "See, not scary, I'm not going to do anything." Jack said wrapping his free arm round Ianto's chest and lightly caressing his nipple.
Ianto felt his body relax, this was Jack, sensual, sexual and absolutely wonderful. "There we go, nice and relaxed. So much better." Jack said lightly his hand stopped tracing Ianto's hole and reached to turn off the water and the sudden varying drips was oddly comforting.
Jack stepped out first, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around his waist tightly. Before collecting another towel and holding it open as Ianto stepped gratefully into it, Jack wrapped it tight round him and gently rubbed away the moisture on his skin, taking extra care to dry Ianto's hair and gave him a delicate little kiss when he'd finished.
Ianto paused for a moment and reached for Jack's towel, intent to repay the little favor, but Jack gently took his hands and shook his head. "I like taking care of you for a change." He said gently.
"Why's that?" Ianto asked as Jack quickly dried himself off and pulled Ianto over to the bench where their clothes were. Handing Ianto a pair of underwear and pulling on his own before he answered.
"Because it's been so long since I've really been able to. I'm not sure why but it always makes me feel more important, that someone depends on me. That you are at least starting to depend on me. Makes me feel like I'm slightly more that the immortal captain Jack Harkness, leader of torchwood." Jack replied helping Ianto don his shirt and buttoning it for him. Ianto just let him, it was kind of nice to get that sort of attention, as long as he didn't think about the reason for needing it all he was fine.
Both of them neatly dressed for another day of protecting the world and fighting aliens, Jack took Ianto's hand in his larger one and intertwined their fingers pulling Ianto along beside him, there was about an inch difference in their height but Jack still took much larger strides than Ianto.
Once up in the main portion of the hub Ianto wandered over to the coffee machine, mainly to do his job but another was to at least try to keep himself occupied as they waited for the rest of the team. He poured himself and Jack a cup of very strong black coffee. It was sometimes the only thing that made him feel even remotely human some mornings and handed Jack his blue and white striped mug, sipping from his own red one, which had been a gift from Owen on his last birthday.
The proximity alarm wailed and Ianto winced as it shattered the former silence and the large cog door rolled back slowly and Owen strolled in. Ianto raised a brow in surprise, usually Owen was the last in and bitching and moaning about it to anyone in range.
"Owen, managed to drag yourself out of bed then?" Jack asked in a loud voice.
"Thought maybe I should come in and earn my money, come on Ianto." Owen said.
"What, why?" Ianto asked confused as Owen headed for the autopsy bay.
"Wanted to check you over this morning and thought you'd prefer it to be done without an audience." Owen replied with nary a hint of anything resembling sarcasm.
"But you checked me over yesterday." Ianto said a little nervously. He hoped they didn't notice.
"I just want to make sure all the drugs are out of your system and make sure nothings getting infected, promise it won't take long." Owen said in a patient manner.
"Think some of them could hang about?" Jack asked.
"Possibly, but I'd rather be safe than sorry." Owen said. "Come on mate, 10 minutes, I promise." Owen assured him, as he stood in front of Ianto.
Ianto's hand touched the deep teeth impressions on his neck and he visibly winced, Owen gently moved his hand away and took his coffee cup. Owen moved and lightly laid his own hand over the mutilated flesh and Ianto whimpered even though he'd barely put any pressure on it. Ianto wondered just how tired and preoccupied he'd been if he was only really feeling the intense pain in his neck now.
"Come on, let's get this cleaned up and I'll get you some pain killers." Owen said lightly taking Ianto's arm and directing him to the autopsy bay, Jack hot on their heels hands pushing Ianto slightly where they rested on his upper back. He wasn't about to try and leave because that pain killer was too much of a temptation.
"Up you get." Owen said pointing to the gurney and Ianto carefully hopped up onto it wincing slightly as it jarred him quite painful, after all metal wasn't known to give under weight, which was a good thing really.
Owen had Ianto tilt his head and ever so carefully he ran an alcohol swab over the inflamed and swollen flesh. "When some of the swelling goes down I'll be able to stitch some of the deeper parts closed, I'll give you something so it won't scar." Owen said almost conversationally as his glove covered fingers pinched the flesh slightly and Ianto hissed. "Sorry just checking it's not getting infected, I'll cover it for now but you'll need to take it off before you go to sleep, give it some air so it starts healing, we'll do that for about the next week and see how it's doing alright?" it wasn't so much a question, more of a statement phrased like a question, Owen was good at those.
Ianto didn't comment, just held as still as he could, flinching occasionally from an unexpected touch, with his head turned how it was he couldn't see Owen's hands and it was making him a little jumpy all truth be told.
Owen pressed a large wad of gauze on Ianto's neck taping it down carefully. He gently tilted Ianto's head back and reached for the scanner checking the bruising on Ianto's neck. "The bruising should come up in the next day or so, it's going to hurt, but I'm afraid all I can do is give you some more pain killers, swallowing and talking are going to hurt though." He got Ianto to put his head back up and collected a syringe. "Quick blood sample and then I'll give you a shot of pain killers." Owen said keeping up a running commentary of what he was doing. He rolled up the sleeve of Ianto's suit jacket and unbuttoned his cufflink rolling the shirt sleeve up to join it, tying a rubber tourniquet round Ianto's bicep and flicking lightly to find the veil, drawing out a small vial of blood quickly and professionally.
"Now no playing stoic, if it wears off and you need more come see me, I mean it Ianto." Owen said pointing a finger at him as he loaded up a new syringe with a strong pain killer. "It'll probably make you slightly disorientated, so no going off alone for now, yeah." He said injecting it into the same vein just as quickly and removing the needle taping a small cotton ball to Ianto's inner arm and rolling his shirt sleeve and jacket back into place. "There all done." He said handing Ianto a lollypop which Ianto took with a slight grin.
"Hey, where's mine?" Jack asked pouting.
"When I have to patch you up again you can have one, but considering you don't usually do things by half then I suspect it'll be a while before you do." Owen said helping Ianto down off the table so he wouldn't jar himself to much. "Guess you've had other things on your mind besides the pain or you probably would have been screaming for pain killers all night."
"Been rather jumpy to be honest." Ianto admitted.
"I'm hardly surprised." Owen commented as Jack came down and gently slipped his arm round Ianto's shoulder and pulled him to his side to give a silent show of support.
"I just want you to take it easy for a few days and then we'll take it from there." Owen said putting the vial of blood aside for testing.
Ianto just nodded, it was pointless to fight both Owen and Jack and probably Gwen and Tosh when they were told as well. He let Jack take him back up to the main part of the hub and he went to make Owen a nice cup of coffee. He could already feel the aches numbing, he wasn't sure if that was the painkillers or the fact that he wasn't being poked and prodded but it felt much better.
He filled Owen's green mug and added the appropriate amount of milk and sugar before carrying the mug and sliding it onto Owen's desk ready for when the doctor came up from the autopsy bay.
"Thanks mate." Owen called seeing the steaming mug on his desk and racing up the stairs to get a mouthful of the delicious nectar. He let out a joyful moan and Jack laughed. "Shut up." Owen said around the lip of his mug.
Ianto decided he'd sit on the couch and rest, as he could let the pain fade, then maybe he'd see what he was up to, he just knew he wouldn't want to be alone. He didn't think he could cope wandering alone in the dank musty tunnels that he'd known and found comfort in for so long.
Jack watched him silently making sure he wasn't about to fall over or something. Ianto looked alright generally, slightly pale and bruised. The gauze wasn't much whiter than the skin it was stuck to and that worried him and he looked at Owen, who nodded that he was alright. He nodded towards Jack's office.
Jack waved him up and went over to Ianto, "I just need a word with Owen about something alright."
"Yeah I'm not going anywhere." Ianto assured he felt like he was floating, that painkiller was really doing something; he hadn't realized how much he must have been hurting to get this amount of relief.
Jack lightly caressed the side of his face and kissed his cheek gently before following Owen who closed the door behind him so they could have a little privacy.
"Is he alright?" Jack asked.
"He's a little bit shocky still, but that's not a surprise, the bite doesn't look infected, but I'll keep an eye on it, the only thing I'll suggest is to try and get him out for a little bit a day, mainly a psychological reason so he doesn't completely close himself off, maybe take him out for some lunch or something, but if he gets jumpy or anxious I'd suggest taking him somewhere remote and quiet to calm down." Owen relayed.
"So take him out, but keep him quiet and calm." Jack questioned.
"Pretty much, give him about a week and if he gets worse I suggest taking him to a qualified psychologist, I can talk to him if he wants an ear but I'm not qualified if he needs more detailed help." Owen said looking a little helpless and out of his depth.
"I'll keep an eye on him and if he needs extra help, I'll get him it." Jack said. "I appreciate everything your doing Owen, thanks." Jack said clapping the other man on the shoulder.
"Anything else Captain?" Owen asked without any of his usual sarcasm.
"No, thanks Owen." Jack replied opening the door to his office and stepping back out into the hub just as the alarm went off and the door rolled back. Revealing Tosh dressed for another day of alien hunting.
She smiled up at Jack and noticed Ianto who looked like he was napping on the couch; he certainly looked less than awake. She didn't say anything just took off her coat and hung it over the back of her chair sitting and beginning her algorithms. Rereading her work and trying in earnest.
Ianto's eyes opened, just barely, he seemed to have problems keeping them open, but Owen wasn't worried so Jack didn't think it was something to worry about, he just went to sit with the welsh man and keep him company. They had a long way to go but Jack was going to stay at his side throughout it all.
TBC – will continue soon, thanks for reading and please review ^_^