19
Things with the Zombies had gone quiet but Jack was on tenterhooks, knowing that it did not necessarily man there was nothing to worry about. As Ianto had pointed out at the last board meeting, sometimes quiet comes before a storm.
This in mind, he had gone to see Ianto to enquire how Mainframe had gone with the pooling of Sim information. He was increasingly pleased to find that Alice Sim would direct him to Real Ianto these days, his Avatar left in the charging chair.
He entered the area where Mainframe was humming softly, almost to herself, and looked around for Ianto. Lisa was in repose, her eyes flickering beneath the lids and Jack stood there wondering how aware she really was.
How horrible, to lose someone but still have them there like… in the next room just beyond your touch. Jack hadn't realized how touchy feely he was until presented with a possible partner that preferred to hide behind a Sim. The desire to touch Real Ianto was overwhelming at times and he knew he pushed it to the limit in order to get Ianto to agree to face-to-face time.
"Ianto?"
"Up here Cariad."
Jack looked up and his heart stopped, the man hanging form the top of the Mainframe Stack was clearly not a Sim, the leg that was kicking out bent strangely. Jack found himself watching with horror as Ianto reached for his knee to click it back in, muttering as he seemed to shake the weirdness off and then drop.
Jack barked with alarm, leaping to catch him. As if he really could and Ianto saw the man's brain fart, pushing against the Mainframe on the way down so the feet landing became a belly flop and they landed together, rolling to lessen the impact.
Finally they lay there laughing, Jack Holding the man in top and feeling the warmth and softness of the human parts, then the little voice in the back of his head wanted him not to touch that leg that he knew was…. He touched.
The button nose that had brushed against his was gone, the man rising from him to frown and struggle to his feet.
"Sorry, I just… is your knee OK?" Jak caked with genuine concern.
"I had a bad connection" Ianto replied, pulling up his pant leg to show the strangely coloured skin. Jack was surprised to find the Sim Skin over the prosthesis was grey. Not skin tone.
"This is the third one this month. I can't get it quite right" he sighed "I hate limping."
"Can I ask how far up that goes?" Jack asked.
Ianto stood there looking down at him quietly for a while, then he pulled at the waistband of his trousers to show a patch of grey. Ianto grimaced as he admitted "It was removed at the hip joint. This comes all the way around the joint."
Jack wanted to ask the big question but resisted, instead reaching up a hand "Come on. Give a man a hand would ya?"
Ianto pulled him to his feet and they were again nose to nose. Ianto then said in a low tone "But that is…intact… if that is what you are afraid to ask. I can still have an enjoyment of another."
Jack shrugged, "Never crossed my mind."
Both men grinned at the silliness of the lie and Jack took a chance, stealing a kiss.
He tasted so good.
Real.
Jack pushed Ianot back against Mainframe and took a deeper kiss, again finding Ianto not resisting as he kissed him back.
Then Myfanwy swooped low, cawing at them and Ianto pulled away as if scalded, making a noise in his throat as he looked up at her "Sorry love, I couldn't resist."
"Well, I am not apologizing for anything" Jack said as he stepped back to show he was also willing to stop.
Ianto grinned and then looked up "Well, she wouldn't expect you to I guess."
It was not until later that Jack would understand what had happened.
And why Myfanwy had objected to that kiss.
.
.
"So, you still believe there is an impending threat?" the Prime Minister was sitting in a chair, watching the man who was not standing still but rather pacing around the office.
"Unfortunately, I do Sir" Ianto replied, swinging effortlessly to look in his direction, smile, then turn away to stare at the bookcase some more "I believe H4H has several irons in the fire."
"Irons in the… where does that come from?"
"Blacksmithing" Ianto said softly, leaning in close "Sir… how long have you had this little hidden camera here in the books?"
The room went still.
Then one of the Security Guards stepped over to peer at what Ianto was pointing at "Sir? The little ladybug?"
Ianto turned to face him "Ever looked into the eye of a Sim? The pupil? Look at my eye… see how small my pupil is? I am a Sim Bot Avatar… my true self is not here. That small black pupil is a camera to I can see what I am doing out there in RL."
"You … you are not real?"
Ianto sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging as he shook his head with wonder.
"I think we need to get my people in to sweep this office properly, you are compromised Mister Prime Minister" Jack said as he finally rose for the chair that he had chosen to watch Ianto from. "And clearly your staff need to learn to pick a Sim from a human."
How could someone not agree?