Title: Intermission (2/9)

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: Jack/Ianto, Jack/John

This Part: Most days, Jack is the strong one. Then there are the days when Ianto takes over for him.

Disclaimer: Belongs to RTD and the BBC, not me. Song belongs to The Scissor Sisters.

A/N: There's a bit of sex to this chapter, but, since that's not allowed here, the chapter, in its entirety, is also posted on my livejournal: elegantwings./8374.html

All the angels want to know, are you lost or treading water?

"Ianto!" Jack bellowed, "Where the hell are my boxers?"

"Pile of laundry on the bed, Jack."

"No," he said darkly, "My lucky boxers." The very idea that Captain Jack Harkness, the enigmatic and dangerous leader of Torchwood 3 would put faith in lucky boxers was a little insane, and at the same time, it was so completely Jack.

"Wherever you left them." He entered the bedroom, holding two mugs of coffee. Nearly two years of on-and-off again sex, not to mention the drawer of clothes Jack had in Ianto's cabinet, and he still expected him to keep perfect track of all of his clothing.

Jack accepted his coffee, glaring at the Welshman. "You're up to something, Ianto Jones."

He sipped his own drink, and concentrated on looking natural. "I don't know what you're talking about Jack," he said coolly, "But you don't look particularly threatening standing stark naked in the middle of my bedroom."

The expression on Jack's face shifted slightly, allowing him to look disappointed for just a moment before falling into his usual smirk. "Not even like a predator, maybe?"

Fifteen minutes later, Ianto was hastily re-fastening his tie as Jack, still naked, finished his coffee while sprawled across the bed. "C'mon Jack," Ianto scolded, "Gwen will be at work soon and we can't expect her to handle everything by herself."

Jack stood, pulling a pair of boxers from the top of the pile of clean clothes that had been relocated to a chair. "You're right. Did you compile that list of Torchwood candidates yet?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"A week ago, remember?" He knew Jack was avoiding the search on purpose, he knew he was being blamed for it because Jack wanted to look like the strong one, but he couldn't keep the exasperation from his voice.

"You're right, I forgot." His response surprised his lover. His eyes focused on the buttons he was fastening as he continued, quietly, "I haven't had the time."

Ianto moved his hands out of the way, took over the buttoning, gently lifted his braces into place, and slid the greatcoat over his shoulders, silently. He took hold of his hands again, bringing them up to his lips and placing a kiss over his knuckles. "We can manage a little longer on our own," he said.

And Jack agreed, even though he knew the added risk it put on Ianto and Gwen's shoulders.

xxx

One, two, three coffee cups, sitting on a tray, filled with Ianto's strongest brew for the worst days. No matter how many times he arranged them, three looked just as awkward and intrinsically wrong as four had when Owen died the first time.

Today was one of the worst days because, by Ianto's count, Gwen had run to cry in the bathroom twice when lately she'd managed to make through the day fine; because Jack had started yelling about Owen making a mess of something or other; because some silly package of adverts for family vacations had arrived for the tourist office featuring a cover of a smiling, petite Asian woman; because Gwen had unconsciously included Owen and Tosh's favorites when she bought pastries that morning.

He delivered to Gwen first, touched her shoulder gently, told her to finish up and go home. Jack had his back turned to the door, yelling at someone on the phone, so Ianto left his on his desk, quiet as a mouse, exiting to clean the Hub. Lately, it was less cleaning and more standing around with a towel waiting to see if Myfanwy was planning to make a mess of someone's (Owen's or Tosh's unused?) desk.

He dumped his coffee, feeling sick at the thought. He waved mechanically to Gwen as she left. Let Jack fuck him over his desk, making all the right noises. Pretended he didn't mind going home alone because the phone calls had Jack behind in paperwork to the next century. Slid to the floor as soon as he shut the door to his flat behind him and sobbed and sobbed and sobbed because he couldn't pretend he was strong any more.

He didn't question how he ended up in bed the next morning, or why the pillow smelled like Jack even though the captain was nowhere to be found. The torch had been passed, then, and it was Jack's turn once more to be strong.

xxx

"Lucky boxers, Ianto. Blue. Striped with lighter blue. It's not that hard. That woman is insisting on another call today, and I need all the luck I can get." He leaned forward over his desk, hands folded.

"I'm sorry sir, but I haven't seen them since you removed them quite hastily from yourself about a week ago. We were in the Hub, maybe Myfanwy's taken them." He concentrated on not looking guilty, an easy task because his dominant emotion was frustration, and not the good kind. He missed the Jack of yesterday, the Jack who was a doting boyfriend, the Jack with whom he had mind-blowing sex, the Jack who talked to him. This Jack was Macho Jack: distant, curt, and guilty.

No matter the day, if Ianto went home alone, he would break down behind the front door. And he knew every time, he'd crushed Jack's hope once more, and this is how he was punished for it.

"Ianto…" he began.

"Get over your fucking boxers, Jack." He slammed the door in his face, leaving Jack a little bewildered.

He followed him, grabbed his arm, pinned him to the wall. "What the fuck is up your ass, Ianto Jones?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he sneered, resisting his captor.

Jack pushed against him in warning. "Don't bother trying." They glared at each other for a heated moment. "Go home, Gwen," Jack said to the woman frozen at her desk.

"Jack!" she exclaimed, suddenly given life, "What are you doing? Let him alone, it's just a pair of boxers, they'll turn up-"

He turned to stare at her, burning holes into her eyes. "Go. Home. Gwen. Williams."

"But Jack-"

"I'll be fine, Gwen," Ianto said quietly, and she believed him.

xxx