Not much more to go, probably just a couple more chapters, depending on how I break them up :)
"Alright. We need to go someplace without CCTVs," Jack decided, disabling the speaker on his VM.
"No…," Ianto sighed. "We need to head back to the Hub. I need to pick up my car and, if I'm not resigning, then I need to get on to the report for tonight."
Jack responding sigh was deeper. "I was afraid of this," he mumbled.
"Afraid of what?"
Jack shrugged. "You had a normal life. You went to work, put in your days' worth, came home, sorted dinner, relaxed on the couch… maybe had a drink after work with mates…. Now…," Jack shook his head, "it's running down Weevils in the middle of the night, cleaning up dead aliens, submitting reports before the details start to fade, even though you haven't slept properly in a week."
Ianto's first instinct was to remind Jack that he had chosen to come to Torchwood and work for the greater good, but he paused and looked closely at Jack. Ianto could tell that, on the surface, Jack did feel some sense of loss on Ianto's behalf. But as was always the case with Jack Harkness, there was more to it, likely more than Jack even realized himself.
Ianto reached out for Jack's hand and held it tightly. "The aliens were always there, Jack. They didn't go away when you were with me just because I didn't know about them or deal with them directly."
Jack stared at Ianto for a moment, his insight going right to the heart of the matter in a way that shook Jack deep down. "I could forget with you, let it all go. There was one thing in my life that Torchwood couldn't get to," he whispered.
Ianto pulled Jack back into a hug. "I know it used to be bloody awful, Jack. Those days are gone, though. It never would have been like London here, and the problems that did exist with Three – the records are pretty clear that you worked to change things, Jack. And, really, I don't see Archie making me disappear any time soon, do you? He's a bit odd, but after the conversation he and I had about Islay whiskeys a fortnight ago, I'm fairly sure he's on my side. So don't be scared of Torchwood 'getting to me' like that."
"What about the other million things in Torchwood that could take you from me?" Jack frowned.
"Just what I said, Jack. Those things always existed. Look, you add up the civilian deaths and grievous injuries due to some non-terrestrial or non-contemporary whim of the Rift – they really do outnumber Torchwood's personnel losses. I know it probably doesn't seem like it when they're your own people, I understand that, but the only reason it looks like Torchwood has a higher attrition rate is because our teams have always been a small group – you're seeing it in per capita terms."
"You sure about that?"
"Sure as I can be about anything in this mad place. But there's one thing I'm completely sure of – nothing's changed, Jack. When you're with me, you can let it go, forget about the aliens. It'll be just us, ok?"
"Then can it be just us now?" Jack almost begged.
Ianto, normally one to subvert everything to practical considerations when duty was at issue, for once didn't think twice. He didn't know exactly what had gone on while Jack was missing but it was plain enough that it had been bad for Jack and that he desperately needed to not go directly back to the Hub. It wouldn't be helpful to remind Jack of his role and obligation, and Ianto knew he had one job that would always come first for him – taking care of the man he loved more than reason. Work would wait, just this once, Ianto decided, steering Jack back off the barrage so they could head to Ianto's flat.
Neither talked on the walk toward the Plas. The way they held one another's hand seemed to say everything worth saying at the moment. The way Jack clasped Ianto's hand in his felt like a thanks and a plea for patience, the way Ianto squeezed Jack's hand promised acceptance and asked for trust in return.
When they got to the car park, they found the SUV in its designated spot. Ianto was tempted to take a moment to wipe some of the road dirt off of the lower panels, but ignored it and took out his keys. He noticed Jack peering around the other side of the SUV at his Jaguar.
"Brought it here so I could keep an eye on it, keep it in working order," Ianto explained to Jack's unasked question.
"Thank you," Jack said, reaching out to pull Ianto into a kiss.
"Keys are in your desk, if you want to drive it home."
"Not right now," Jack said, a bit reluctantly. "I really kinda just want to get some sleep."
Ianto nodded. "Would you rather stay here?"
"No," Jack said. "I want to be with you." He paused. "If that's ok, I mean."
"Of course it is. Come on."
The way Jack leaned his head back on the headrest the moment he got into Ianto's car, Ianto had a feeling Jack would be sound asleep for the 15 minute drive to the flat. He wasn't wrong. Ianto hated to wake Jack after he parked, but knew Jack wouldn't get the rest he needed that way. Ianto gently shook Jack's shoulder while kissing his lips.
Jack blinked awake with a start, but relaxed and smiled when he saw Ianto beside him. "That's a nice way to wake up," Jack murmured.
"Right, well, how about we get some proper sleep so we can do it over in the morning?" Ianto suggested.
"Okay," Jack agreed, following Ianto. "I know you said you're pretty tired, too. Do you think… uh… just tonight, could we maybe not -"
Ianto reached for Jack's hand as he opened his apartment door. "That's what I was thinking. Just sleep. Of course… that was you snogging the breath out of me on a barrage," Ianto teased.
"That was before I'd sat down for five minutes," Jack said with eyes that couldn't get beyond half-lidded.
"I know the feeling," Ianto said, helping Jack off with his coat, remembering having admired it in Jack's office the time Jack had given him the Torchwood tour. The one thing that had made him worry about the likelihood of Jack returning was that he'd taken only his coat and that weird severed hand. He'd known from the first night he'd slept with him that Jack was the sort of man who travelled light, but a heavy greatcoat and a hand in a jar had, at the time, seemed more like runaway gear than daytrip to the other side of the universe.
They headed into the bedroom and Ianto started methodically divesting, hanging up his suit jacket on his valet stand, dropping his shirt in the laundry basket. He noticed Jack going much slower and wondered if he was just that tired. Then it occurred to him that Jack usually slept in the altogether, and that that usually facilitated late-night entertainments, and maybe Jack was feeling self-conscious. Without a word, Ianto went to his dresser and took out a pair of flannelette pyjamas.
"Here. I'm always more comfortable in these. I wear them a bit big, so they should be just right on you."
Jack looked up at Ianto and pulled him into a tight hug, telling himself he would not sob over something as simple as his lover lending him nightclothes. It was so like Ianto, though, so thoughtful and giving and caring, and after the last year, the thought of crawling into bed in some cosy jim-jams and being able to hold Ianto the whole night was worth more than he could ever explain.
"You won't be cold, will you?" Jack asked, pulling himself together and dropping his clothes on Ianto's floor.
Ianto laughed, going back to hanging up his things. "Have you ever met a Welshman with only one pair of pyjamas?"
"Guess not," Jack conceded.
"Anything you need, Jack?" Ianto asked, settling the blankets over Jack as he laid down in Ianto's bed.
"Just one thing," Jack said, covering Ianto's hand with his.
Ianto nodded and got into bed beside Jack. "Me too," he murmured, as he and Jack wrapped their arms around one another.