A/N: Ianto get asked to do something and Jack gets to speed with things.
No spoilers
Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian
In the Hub, after they managed to pick up the dead creature, all was quiet. The creature was abandoned in the medical bay waiting for Ianto to take care of it. Jack considered doing it himself, but he felt it would be better for Ianto to do it; he didn't want to risk reviving it, after all it did feed on life, he didn't want to disturb its sleep, there was no future for it anyway. Finally he turned his back to it like the others did and went to his office. There was something primal in turning your back to it, even Jack, who didn't grow up with them around, felt it.
After awhile voices could be heard and Jack stood there for a moment enjoying Ianto's deep vowels. He had such a soothing voice; there was something even and calming in it. They threw half truths at him to get him off balance not knowing that their timeline was enough to get someone confused. He tried to make sense of it, but in an inconspicuous way, trying to sort things out, not giving in to his confusion. Jack decided it was enough badgering and that it was time to see that beautiful face and chase away dark thoughts.
"Rise and shine" he greeted him with delight but then stopped, taking in the sight "you look stunning" he said truthfully. He looked more than good, covered in his perfectly pressed suit that hugged him in the right way showing his figure. The dark gray suit fit him perfectly, but that new purple shirt made the difference. The deep rich colour made his eyes look bright blue and Jack wanted to unwrap him then and there.
Then Owen came back with his snide remarks but Jack didn't pay attention to him. He tried to figure out what exactly made Ianto so handsome in his suit.
"Is that suit new?" he tried to get some data on the suit, maybe it was its fault that Ianto looked so good from every angle.
"I've seen him in action" Owen's voice caught Jack's attention when he started to talk about Ianto's suits "and his innocent act does pay out." Jack stared at Owen trying to make him go away and mind his own business. Ianto doesn't act, except when he does... That thought made him go after Ianto, he'd been acting oddly, but Jack was just too distracted by his looks to notice. He leaned on the rail watching Ianto murmur to himself, unwilling to move towards the creature. Even he was offended by its nature. Jack offered a few insights on the creature and Ianto wasn't happy with him for killing it, then he whined about the practical side of storing the creature. He accepted the fact that there were people in it calmly not jumping to judgment.
"They just assume you're not bothered by these kind of things" Jack said watching him closely searching for a crack in his role of the perfect employee.
"Aren't I?" he said quietly and there was a hint of sadness in those words like he wasn't sure of himself anymore. "But you said it doesn't kill" he returned to Jack's words, that boy did listen, he tried to understand.
"No it doesn't" Jack offered him a chance to work out the solution, to get that it was an accident, one Jack was at fault for. Ianto raised his eyebrow refusing to participate, that one eyebrow could say so much, like now, that he's not worthy his time. He pressed his lips together sealing his judgment of Jack and turned away from him.
"Why are you angry Ianto" Jack was now sure what was off with his behaviour, Jack managed to do something that offended him.
"How long since you've last seen me, Jack?" he spoke up without turning back. Jack was surprised just how quick he was in connecting the dots.
"I've paid attention" he said and Jack couldn't agree more, he really did. Jack tried to dodge his questions with counter questions but Ianto just looked at him with that look that said: `come on, please, I'm not stupid`. That stopped him before he went too far, running away with vague answers; it was the same look he gave him that first night after they'd overpowered a Weevil. Maybe it was that look that made Jack fight him and try to shake him off. It said 'you can't fool me', and he really couldn't, so he told him that there were four nights.
"Why does it matter?" Jack tried to get through once again but he was just faced with another wall.
"But why bother" there was bitterness in Ianto's voice.
There was no going passed that, not in this moment with everyone around. Jack was denied his most prized tool of persuasion, his body, there was just no way to get closer to him. This way he watched Ianto fold the creature, after the first wince from the contact he handled it with care and respect making the folding process seems less demeaning. Then Owen rushed in changing the pace and Jack was caught up in his explanation of the creature.
"Great, now I'm feeling almost sorry for the moving carpet" said Owen with his famous disdain, but Jack felt better from it. So he went back to his office deciding there was enough snooping around Ianto. The smell of coffee pulled him from his focus, and soon there was Ianto in his door frame.
"Won't you talk to me about it?" Jack couldn't just let it pass; he was too tired of silent treatments and detachment.
Ianto took him at his word and Jack told him everything in a nutshell, he got the important parts out anyway. Only thing he lied about was that he hadn't been consumed by the creature, it was an instinct to lie, that just wasn't something appealing, and then he would have to confess it was all his fault.
Jack was stunned when he finally realized what was upsetting Ianto. It was the fact that he died. His deaths bothered him. This wasn't some petty argument about him seeing his past lover, but about him dying. More overwhelming was his understanding of the process he was going through, of the pain and damage.
"I can't pretend it's just fine and stand aside" he said with his deep voice sounding real, not a bit fake. Jack was washed over by that admission.
"Sorry" Ianto started to withdraw again but Jack rushed to apologize, to show he understood.
"I'm just not used to reporting in" he said and Ianto smiled turning it all into light banter not lingering on Jack's guilt.
"I do need to keep the archives tidy" he said with his seductive smile and Jack laughed, enjoying that moment just to be interrupted by Gwen. Luckily she hadn't seen Ianto's face, it looked like an ordinary conversation and Ianto's features were hard to read.
"You're pale as a ghost" she said to Ianto and he smiled with ease. Cocky bastard even mentioned their date before he went, but it was a smooth move to confirm it.
Jack was in much better mood after that, but he had to handle Gwen. That led him back to his dark thoughts. After he sorted things out he decided to ask Ianto to help him get rid of the creature and all records of him. If they did it right the others wouldn't even notice it was gone. They surely wouldn't be to drawn to its whereabouts and Ianto had a way of making things disappear.
"We need to make our folded friend disappear" Jack told Ianto closing the office door behind him.
"Disappear? Then why did you take it in?" Ianto frowned waiting for an explanation.
Jack wasn't sure he liked where this was going, sure he liked Ianto and wanted to spend time with him, but to be so bluntly honest and open wasn't really his strong suit. Ianto obviously realized he'd crossed the line of free questions.
"Ok then, where do you want it stored? Or should I take it to the crematorium?" He smiled and took out his notebook.
"Storing probably won't hurt" Jack rubbed his chin thinking about it "they will have samples anyway, but it may come handy. Shove it somewhere in the ninth sublevel in some dusty place, but more importantly I need Tosh's files and Owen's analysis to disappear."
Ianto's eyebrows shot up.
"Won't they be alarmed with it? Investigate?"
"That's why I need you, I have the means to do it without difficulty, but it needs to look like an accident. I need a cover story. Owen's samples needs to disappear too. I already took out some of his secret samples he can't complain about, so I need a different approach so it doesn't seem too obvious. My interest is that they drop this case all together."
Ianto thought about it.
"I can do something, but it will take some false breaking and entering, maybe we can pin it to a Weevil break out and some wild running around combined with Myfanwy, if I get a few shots of them around there should be no suspicion... shortage of energy while all of you are away on a hunt?" He offered with a smile and Jack jumped up.
"You're a genius."
"I do try" he shrugged humbly. "I'll need hour to prepare, then you can go out, I'm sure you can come up with some chore outside."
"No worries... and Ianto" he stopped him as he opened the door "you know this is not a chore of cleaning out the trash, it's more of mission of preservation."
"I figured that much." Ianto smiled and went out.
There were no alarms or alien activity, everything went quiet. So he got them out of the Hub to the pub.
"So you've punished Tea boy by grounding him to the Hub to clean" Owen smirked as they sat down "really Jack you should work on your punishment tactics, he's having a field day out there alone; maybe even taking a nap."
"I doubt he'll get much rest on that sofa." Jack smiled picturing that, although they hadn't slept badly on Ianto's couch, lucky for them it was big enough.
"Oh, no, there are beds in the Hub now" Gwen explained "We redecorated, and since we had to take night shifts, there was bit of a need for beds."
"More than one" Owen smirked "I think our Tea boy went a bit crazy in that decorating business; green house and all."
"Yeah, I've noticed that" Jack mused thinking about the phrase `beds spread across the Hub`. He went and made his wish come true. That could be used nicely.
"Oh, that was an excellent idea" Tosh spoke up "we didn't have to incinerate all those plants, and you benefit most of it, you are constantly in there watering and planting."
"Well, what can you do, I get to have my own chemical experiments, it feeds the improviser in me" Owen smiled "and you just like to defend it because it was under your reign."
"Your reign?" Jack was intrigued.
"I didn't do so well" Tosh said shyly and they all looked away. Jack decided not to push that topic.
"Those experiments, did they do some good?" Jack turned towards Owen.
"Well I improved the Weevil spray, but you know them, they are resistant bastards, lucky for us they aren't too smart." Owen sighed. "And we have some more of the vaccine for that multi-part creature with the moving head."
"Didn't we have that?" Jack frowned.
"We used a lot on the Tea Boy few months back, he got stuck inside of one of those. After it almost stung me too I wasn't too eager to be without that cure."
"Was he under long?" Jack felt uneasy by that perspective.
"No, I took care of it" Owen said evenly.
"Yes, after he asked you to pull his pants down" Gwen laughed.
"It was pull up, and it was a warning, and a good one because one thing he knows is that I won't mess with his pants" Owen defended himself.
"Only until you had to put a needle to his bottom" Gwen mocked him.
"We never speak of it" Owen lifted his chin and Jack laughed.
"Guys" Tosh spoke up "I don't think Ianto would appreciate this conversation. We could rather talk about our trip expenses with no results."
"We were sent on a mission by the former prime minister personally..." Gwen jumped in seriously and Jack smiled listening to her. He kept wondering two things, how exactly Ianto managed to give a warning, after infliction with the poison there was complete paralysis, and how low did Owen pull down Ianto's trousers when he stuck him with a needle, surely not low enough, maybe tonight Jack would get a chance to do that better.
Just to say that we have breached 400th page with this one. Thnx for reading. If you are puzzled as my dear beta, I hope next chapter will give answers and we'll be done with a case of sleeping fairies.