A/N: Ianto's mussings

Spoilers: Sleeper

Beta-ed: TattooedLibrarian

Ianto woke up alone. He laid flat on his belly and for a moment he wasn't sure that he hadn't just had a very vivid dream. Then he moved and discovered that he didn't. He hated to fall asleep like that; it would give him difficulties in the bathroom. He sat on the bed rubbing his eyes feeling drowsy. Where was Jack? He knew he was alone by the sound of the apartment; there were no movements in the kitchen or the bathroom. He looked at the night stand; there was no phone or clothes, only a white T-shirt on the floor that proved that he was here last night.

"Jack?" he still spoke up insecurely. Nothing happened and Ianto had to admit that the feeling sucked. Of course he had to dash off. Ianto threw himself to his back and considered his options. He could call and complain, send a message, or pout but all that seemed childish. The only sane option was to dress up and get to work where he would behave professionally. Jack was still the boss after all, and he hadn't done anything wrong. Ianto hadn't really mentioned that he would like for him to stay the night. He didn't know how crappy it felt to wake up alone, after exposing yourself like he did last night. There was no coming back from what he did, he committed himself to Jack. He was just that kind of guy, he didn't know how to make things light and casual, but it would be too much to expect Jack to know that.

The only fair thing Ianto could do was to explain it to Jack, after hours, and then Jack could decide if it was too much for him to handle. Ianto could handle it both ways, and better to know it now than later.

After he cleaned himself up Ianto couldn't resist picking up Jack's shirt from the floor and wearing it. He felt silly and good in it and it made his morning grumpiness go away. He was young, and beautiful, he could act silly for a while; he didn't have to show right away how he felt. In his closet he picked red again, this time a lighter version and matching tie. `Red is your colour` Jack said and Ianto smiled at the memory. It was his luck he dressed up for the office all the time so his better grooming today would pass unnoticed.

"Finally" Owen shouted out when he entered the door "sleeping beauty, everyone beat you to work today."

"Someone turned off my phone" Ianto grumbled looking at Jack's back by the interrogation window.

"Yeah, yeah, you got laid finally, we're all happy for you, but where are my samples?" Owen exclaimed.

"Samples?" Ianto was baffled.

"Yeah, my vomit samples, the vomit you were responsible for, where are my samples? I can't find them anywhere" he desperately looked around.

"But you got nowhere with it, you said that nothing could be salvaged."

"Nothing alien, but the inside liquid of the moving carpet, the one that dissolved people reminded me of one liquid in the human body, vitreous of the eye" he pointed to his eyeball "I thought if I could compare that component to the vomit I could come up with something. Where did you store it?"

"Nowhere" Ianto answered honestly, Jack turned around with a finger on his lips, Ianto rolled his eyes; it was not like he needed reminders on how to cover up traces.

"I know, I know you didn't clean up last night, but where did you put it?"

"I threw it away" Ianto sighed and started the coffee machine.

"In a trash bin?" Owen already started to go through it.

"No in the incineration tube" Ianto said flatly and adjusted Owen's coffee to stronger dose.

"What?" Owen shouted.

"It was vomit, it already had an odour, and everything would be stinky until morning." Ianto poured the mug, he liked his new coffee machine it was big and colourful.

"You bloody clean freak..." Owen started to shout but Jack cut him off placing a hand to his shoulder.

"You're freaking out our prisoner, I want her scared not terrified beyond recognition." He spoke up calmly.

"Yeah, that's why you have her bagged up in the cellar, real comforting pose" Owen snorted.

"We have a prisoner?" Ianto handed Owen's mug to Jack and went to the window. "She has a bag on her head, why?" he looked at Jack quizzically and thought how his face was all serious, and how different he looked than last night.

"Some methods never grow old, ready to be good cop?" Jack asked Gwen who had entered to the main floor.

"That I'm good at" she answered with a smile and winked at Ianto. "Poor sod has spent long enough like that."

"Not that good" Jack frowned "you're on my side, not hers, you have to be firm."

"I know how to do a cross examining Jack" she argued and he just raised his eyebrows sceptically.

"Follow my lead and if you go too soft I'll turn on you too, just play along, do what you're good at, form a bond with her." He instructed her and they were off.

Ianto leaned on the glass waiting, he felt excited, it was like he was in the middle of a crime show, and he loved those. His amusement detached him from the scene, he wasn't involved, just a spectator. The fact he didn't see her face made her a faceless threat, and he wondered how Jack would expose her.

Jack strode in and Ianto's pulse rushed up, he looked like wild animal, all muscles and rage, no hesitation, just motion. When he stripped the bag from her head Ianto couldn't see her, he just saw the muscles of Jack's jaw and he realized he wasn't acting, not really. Those were his true emotions, they were just shown. He was like that all the time, cautious and on the watch, waiting for the danger, waiting for the pain. Ianto held the button and Jack's voice filled the room. Owen and Tosh didn't come near, they were unfazed, preoccupied, and Ianto leaned his forehead on the glass listening, observing, not worrying if anyone saw him.

"Just us, this room, for as long as it takes" Jack said and Ianto believed that he would do it. That he could do unspeakable things and that he knew how to do them. He felt shivers down his spine, it was frightening to imagine that room and that ruthlessness, to imagine himself there... but as soon as he pictured himself there his fear passed, he surprised even himself how profoundly he started to trust Jack. That sentence with Ianto in the scenario took whole other meaning and a string of images.

The interrogation was over quickly faced with utter confusion on that women's face. Jack didn't deliver his threats and Ianto thought that those threats weren't real as they might have been when John Hart was around with Jack. Ianto frowned at that image and his morning feeling of solitude came back.

Jack came up and stood by Ianto looking at the woman. Ianto leaned on the glass facing towards him, noticing his grey t-shirt on Jack; it was an intimate detail, proof of last night. The woman down there proved Jack had a cause to go so Ianto decided to loosen Jack up a bit, he was far too serious. That's why he shared his insights on the interrogation. For a brief moment Jack looked real again, woundable and insecure.

"Really?" he asked not sure if he was joking with him. "You don't look scared."

Ianto looked away thinking of the images that replaced fear.

"It passed" he said and Jack growled threatening him with his fist.

Ianto considered that joke great success, he felt good teasing Jack and his feelings were evened out by that feeling, so he continued with the banter. He didn't have to try too hard, he just had to relax and say what was on his mind.