A/N: thnx to my wonderful beta soon all of the story will be beta-ed, I'm so looking forward to that. Here is something a bit longer. Enjoy.
No spoilers.
Beta-ed: TattoedLibrarian
Ianto opened the door and behind it like it was expecting him was the orb. He felt really reluctant to touch it. It seemed like it was staring right inside of his head, and he could feel that didn't feel like it was about to lose. Ianto thought how it shouldn't feel threatened, after all it was only him that it was facing, and he is always hesitant with a gun, he just didn't like death. It was ironic considering it was his life's career cleaning up crime scenes, placing corpses, and cleaning immense amounts of blood from all sorts of surfaces.
Still naked, Jack stood beside him. His nudity stopped bugging Ianto very quickly. It was strange, but it even helped with levelling the amount of his inner turmoil.
"What now?" he asked feeling a vast sadness inside of his chest, like he was completely hollow inside.
"Ianto" Jack's voice came out as a whisper and Ianto looked up to his face. There he found a naked emotion he couldn't really pinpoint, it looked like sadness, but there was more to it; there was guilt, and something tender. They looked at each other not speaking, not moving, and then Jack crouched like he'd made a decision. He took two things from his pants pockets. Ianto was baffled by the choice. He frowned trying to make sense of it.
"What, we'll coat it with lube to ease slicing it with a scalpel?" Ianto could only think of that combination.
"No" Jack laughed out loud "two separate things. The scalpel is the only thing thin enough to enter the crack on the orb, I think you can see it from where you are" Ianto could see a small notch on the perfect orb.
"What's that, the open button?" Ianto sighed now convinced they'd have to drown it in lube, surely it would be sight he'd never forget.
"No, that's the access point; you just need to hold scalpel in there for a half a minute and the orb will turn itself off."
"Seems too easy" Ianto argued "who would insert himself in such easy way of accessing it."
"No one" answered Jack sadly "the one who put it in the orb created it so he could easily disable the trickster if it started doing what he didn't like."
"So there's someone controlling it?" Ianto looked around.
"Surely there was the first time around, but I'm not sure now it isn't on its own. Just in case I scrambled its frequencies when I began to suspect what it was, so it is on its own, its master can't hear anything."
"Good, we wouldn't want them to see you naked" murmured Ianto focusing on the orb trying to ignore the sadness it provoked in him, he felt sympathy for the creature trapped in that thing, carrying out someone else's orders.
Jack chuckled to himself.
"No worries, I'm not shy" said Jack smugly and then paused "that is, if you don't prefer to keep me to yourself?"
Ianto shot quick glance towards him and shoved his hands in his pockets. That was not something he wanted to discuss, it wasn't like that would ever be possible.
"What's that lube for then?" he tried to steer them away from trouble, but he discovered it was in vain.
"It's for you" Jack grinned widely. Ianto gave him quizzical look keeping his eyebrow from lifting up; it seemed dangerous enough for now. "That is the choice, scalpel to disable the creature, or the lube if you prefer to forget it all, start fresh, I won't stop you. Just, if you do that I would appreciate one farewell shag, me of you that is" he looked down looking almost apologetic, only his grin spoiled that look "I've been looking forward to it for a long time, wouldn't like for you to bail without one last game."
"What's the difference?" Ianto felt anger towards him. "It's in vain, we'll forget it all anyway, it would be like it never was. You won't know the difference."
Jack smiled, but it was ghost of a smile, the sadness behind it was too deep to name.
"No, you wouldn't remember, but I would. I could not forget. You see, I'm like a fixed point in time and space; my time can't be changed, only circled. That's why it can't do what it usually does, change time itself, make a different history, it can only make you forget but everything you've ever done here will remain, all the people who were saved will still persist, everything will be the same, the Hub and me, only you three will have new lives."
Jack looked at the floor, Ianto looked at Jack. Ianto growled, he was annoyed with Jack beyond all means. Damn him and his choice. He snatched the scalpel from his grip and earned a stunned look. Ianto just glared at him and went to the station sitting on the conduit with one leg on each side. Really, Ianto thought to himself, like he could ever chose to forget that arrogant stupid face, more so when he was standing naked in front of him in all his glory. That made Ianto angry, how did he not know that Ianto wouldn't choose a new life. He considered the offered future with a wife and children when it was first time around, because Jack wasn't there, because he was tired of sadness. Sadness that now was threatening to suffocate him. The impulse to run was stronger with each inch that he leaned in, his legs started to tremble.
Jack didn't say anything, but he moved in closer and sat behind him placing his palms on his thighs, that helped with trembling but his hand was stuck above the creature like it was stuck in an invisible wall. Jack moved closer and pressed his length to Ianto's back. That pressure made Ianto inhale again, one aching breath to his starving lungs. Jack placed his burning forehead to the back of Ianto's neck. His warmth helped Ianto's muscles to find their grip again. The blade was still there in his fingers, he wasn't in his apartment alone cleaning up, he wasn't arguing with his unseen wife about the placement of her stuff, he wasn't exhausted on his sofa wondering what he was missing when everything was there, and he wasn't expecting danger where it wasn't, the danger was right here trying to steer him away to some unknown place and time.
He managed to move his hand a bit closer when new onslaught of images attacked him. It was more than images, it was like he was already there, and this time he could see the face of his pregnant wife. She looked up at him and smiled and for a moment Ianto couldn't remember anyone else, who he had loved, but then she stood up and her moves were all wrong. He didn't recognize them, the expression on her face was unreadable, wouldn't he be able to read person he loved, wouldn't he have catalogued every move she, or he made? He should feel the warmth of her approach, instead he felt hollow like he had failed someone, like he had left someone behind, someone who was now alone, sad and isolated, someone he knew how to get to laugh, someone he knew how to take care of, someone that made him all warm inside, someone different.
This was wrong; this wasn't the person he loved. In the next moment there was someone else, a man, a striking man who was looking at Ianto with desire and Ianto could see his appeal but he couldn't understand what that man would need of him. Sure a shag would be great, but what else, there must be something more he could give, something that only he could give, something important. Ianto felt there were a lot of things that man was missing to be right person, someone Ianto would go to any length to protect, because there was a strong feeling inside Ianto that he needed to protect someone. He lifted his hand to stop that man from approaching, he really hated to be touched by strangers, it was even worse than having to stand butt naked in front of a dressed crowd. Wasn't there someone butt naked recently, someone hard to forget... hard.
Ianto snatched back to reality holding the scalpel, he inhaled deeply and realized Jack had grabbed him by his groin and pressed against his pulsing part.
"Really Ianto why hiding" Jack whispered sending a breath down his spine "you're in need, I'm in need, we could take care of that before… our friend could have waited few minutes."
"No it couldn't" Ianto said in a strained voice, feeling resistance in his vocal cords but he kept talking, it helped him to stay here "this way, I have an anchor to get back to" Jack laughed lightly sending vibrations through Ianto's chest. Ianto's hand moved.
"Some anchor it is" said Jack pressing his hand against Ianto "I think it kept me in place for some time now."
"Flatterer" Ianto murmured "just words. I should just toss you aside when we're done here, you're made for roaming, I'm just dragging you down" he moved his left hand, quickly grabbing the orb that had started to move. His arm burned but he didn't let go.
"Oh, but roaming is overrated, while being down has its merits" Jack rubbed his nose against Ianto's neck and he felt all his hair stand up, he was still agitated, and contact with the orb only made his feelings ten times stronger.
"You say that so I will do this" said Ianto evenly closing in on the notch with the scalpel.
"And so I could see you naked" Jack said with a sigh, "since I got back there are always some distractions, dark, clothes, you sure have changed since I've left." There were real sadness in Jack's voice and Ianto hesitated for a moment, with Jack there would always be sadness, silence and the unsaid. But that was Jack. Ianto smiled sadly saying a silent goodbye to the unknown woman or man that could have been his to keep. He placed the tip of the scalpel in the notch knowing what he was choosing, a man who would never be truly his, but who would need him while he was there. Ianto knew that much, Jack needed him now, and he had what he needed. That would always be enough for Ianto. Soon he felt pressure leaving his hands, panic decreasing, and his legs relaxing. All that was left was an erection he was barely aware while his other senses were heightened. Jack breathed in deeply and moved away. He took the orb from Ianto's hand. Ianto's hands fell heavily down. He looked at the scalpel in his hand; there was no blood on it.
"Such a small thing" said Jack with a sigh.
"That means the tearing of jeans apart was just a false promise" Ianto found himself talking in deep voice, he wanted a distraction "orb talking."
There was a short pause, after which everything was ripped apart. Jack let the orb to fall to the floor and roll away, before it was out of sight the scalpel was out of Ianto's hand and in a few swift moves his jeans were torn into pieces, after that the same happened to the boxers and his shirt. He was naked in matter of seconds. Jack spun him around and lifted Ianto's legs on his thighs.
"I never give false promises about those kinds of things" he said in a silent growl and went for the throat. Ianto thought in a haze of excitement how he would have been really terrified just moments before, how he would almost die of fear when the scalpel left his hand. This way he wasn't even really surprised, he knew Jack well enough, but only now he become aware just how much he had began to trust him, even with a blade in his hands, a blade that had clicked as it hit the floor.
After moments Jack suddenly pulled away but only to take in a good view of Ianto.
"Someone's been good this year" Jack said appreciatively as he traced the line of his chest with his fingers.
"Again with the year" murmured Ianto but soon was silenced by a hungry mouth. He was more than willing to comply and soon he found himself with his back on the conduit that was digging in his back, his lower back lifted up like he was weightless and Jack positioning himself to enter.
"Ahm" Ianto tried to complain, to slow everything down a bit, after all it's been awhile, but Jack didn't listen, and soon Ianto didn't mind, all went smoothly.
"Seems I haven't lost the hang of it" Jack said triumphantly and all Ianto could do was to mumble in reply, but there was no time for relaxation because Jack swung him back up to his lap. "No sleeping on my watch" he said seriously "at least not tonight, I don't mind to sleep inside." With that he grabbed Ianto's back and set a pace that would make sleep impossible in any circumstances. Ianto closed his eyes and leaned his head against Jack's shoulder and let himself moan without restraint. He had missed this.
It didn't take long, it would be impossible to resist the urge to release the pressure, and soon they were panting, sweaty and naked in a cold moist basement. It was always like that for Ianto, no matter how high the excitement and pleasure; he would always land back in a practical reality and necessities of the body.
"You've cheated again" said Ianto into his shoulder not opening his eyes.
"Where did I cheat" Jack rose his voice in a familiar pouting.
"You used the scalpel, you didn't tear my jeans apart with your hands" Ianto answered evenly.
"I didn't say with my bare hands." Jack defended himself and Ianto could sense his smile on the back of his neck, and Jack's hands made circles on his back, he had to move.
"It was implied" Ianto persisted and earned one more tight embrace, after that he lifted his head up and looked around. "Look at all this mess" pieces of his clothes were everywhere.
"Well I was in a hurry" Jack grinned at him and leaned for a kiss just as their earpieces come to life. Ianto froze, he totally forgot about that, what if they hadn't disconnected them. Jack grinned widely like he had read Ianto's mind and considered it like a fun option.
They tapped at the earpiece and Toshiko's voice spilled in; she sounded normal, formal and talked fast, like she tried to compensate her earlier crying.
"Good you're still there, whatever you did it worked, the frequency is broken, people are going home confused, and everything seems normal, did Owen check in? Is he ok?"
"Let's ask" said Jack and called him.
"I'm just sorting the last things here" Owen's voice came in cold and controlled, nothing was left of cheerfulness "and I'm on my way with samples and test results."
"I'm already in my car, I can pick you up" said Toshiko and Ianto felt a cold panic creeping up his spine.
"Sure, I never drive drunk" said Owen seriously and gave her directions.
When they hung up Ianto jumped to his feet bewildered looking for anything to wear, it was futile search, everything but his jacket was in pieces.
"Calm down" Jack picked up a piece of his shirt and wiped their stomachs clean "you can borrow some of my clothes."
"No chance in hell" Ianto pressed a hand to his forehead "that's worse than being naked; I'll tell them that I was strongly repelled by clothes because of the alien."
"And that's very plausible" Jack nodded seriously, "look what happened to me, besides; they will be able to appreciate your hidden attributes." Jack reached out his arms to touch him but Ianto just slapped him away.
"That doesn't comfort me" he said and picked up his jacket, Jack stifled a chuckle.
"Or you could just go and put on the suit that's hanging in my closet" Jack shrugged his shoulders.
"Clothes... of course the Jonah case" Ianto clapped his forehead with his hand.
"The missing boy?" Jack was confused.
"Cover story, never mind that" Ianto started to turn towards the door but Jack grabbed him by his wrist.
"There is a time for one after shag kiss" said Jack with crooked smile "besides if I'm going to clean this and the video footage up I deserve some kind of gratitude."
Ianto looked around at the mess they made and threw himself at Jack for one quick kiss, but Jack would have none of that, he kept him steady to his side, and Ianto gave in to one long and heated kiss. It was Jack who finally pulled out. They looked at each other for a second.
"Clock is ticking" said Jack and Ianto got himself off Jack and ran like hell hoping they wouldn't come in just as he sprinted across the Hub. They couldn't make it so fast, but Gwen was nowhere to be heard of.
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