Torchwood: Divergence
Book Three: Rheoleiddiad
Chapter 54
When Gwen made it home around 10:00 pm, she was not in a good mood. Small alerts like singing slugs, harmless bits of tech, and lone Weevils were always fairly easy. It was when bigger and more dangerous incursions occurred that the team really felt the lack of Torchwood's longest serving members. They didn't realise how heavily they'd come to rely on the missing pair until they weren't around, and it was both frightening and frustrating.
Yes, they'd managed to handle the two Maws that had come through the Rift near Roath. But what would have taken Jack and Ianto maybe fifteen minutes with Scieron steel and an H&K MP5, had required almost an hour for the rest of the team even with three heavy guns and an RPG launcher packing implosive rounds. Granted, the RPG shells negated the need for a UNIT clean up, but the lengthy game of cat and mouse trying to keep from losing life and limb to the alien behemoths in the process, left them all exhausted and sore.
Add to that the fact that her new treatments to balance her hormones were playing merry hob with her moods while they kicked in, as well as that she found herself feeling more and more jealous of Ianto being off alone with Jack, and she was really cranky. Fortunately, Rhys was in a good enough mood for them both, had a plate warm and ready for her when she got in, and was happy to prattle on about the new words Ebrill had learned. Once she'd eaten and he'd done the washing up, they'd gone to check their daughter, then retired to their own room where Williams suggested helping his wife relax by rubbing her feet.
"So, Jack took Ianto on holiday," Rhys nodded as he massaged the toes of her right foot. "Not doing too good then."
"Pretty much of a wreck," Cooper admitted quietly, still finding she resented the care their leader had been lavishing on the younger man, without knowing why it suddenly irked her when it was exactly what she'd been pushing him to do back around Christmas. "I realise he's grieving for his niece and needs time for his emotions to settle, that it's taken a physical toll. But we could really use at least Jack at work. There are things we just aren't as good at handling, things he's experienced with or better able to take on. If the next five days are like this one, we'll be lucky to have a team left."
"Don't sell yourself short," her husband countered. "Jack wouldn't leave you lot on your own if he didn't think you were up to the task. Now's your chance to prove him right, yeah? Show him you can step up better than any team he's ever had."
"Let his see what we're worth?" Gwen snorted, secretly thinking she'd rather show the American that she was worth more to him than any of the others and not just at work.
"That's the spirit," Williams grinned, kissing her on the ankle. "He can worry about seeing Ianto through this upset and get him fit again. You keep the team in line and Torchwood ticking over like clockwork. I'm sure he'll have nothing but congratulations and praise to offer when he gets back."
"If he's even thinking about Torchwood at all," the former PC sighed, finally relaxing.
"You know Jack," Rhys reassured. "Can't get his mind off work to save his soul."
Doubtful but not willing to argue the point, Cooper let herself enjoy the massage and tried to ignore the increasing unrest in her heart over the vacationing Captain.
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Jack had briefly wondered how the team was getting on when he and his partner had rewarmed the remaining lamb stew for dinner, but honestly hadn't given work a second thought since… which hadn't happened since his earliest jobs with Torchwood, aside from the two years when he'd thought the Institute and everything he'd valued about it had been lost after the debacle with the 456. Ianto had been feeling a lot better since his long nap in the early afternoon, and the older immortal was actually hoping he might be up to a little erotic exercise as they retired to the master suite upstairs around 10:00 pm.
They'd lit a fire in the hearth about twenty minutes before, just to boost the relaxing atmosphere. So, it was by firelight alone that they stripped down for a quick clean up and tooth brushing in the big en suite that balanced out the space taken by the walk-in wardrobe. The pair slipped between the sheets naked, simply snuggled close and settled into the wonderfully soft yet supportive mattress. Harkness could tell his companion was still tired, but decided to test the waters nonetheless.
Their encounters over the years had always been enjoyable, but also tended to be rushed by an undercurrent of urgency to avoid being interrupted by Rift alerts or teammates. It never failed to add excitement, but didn't do much for the truly intimate and romantic side of things. Those time constraints didn't exist here though, so there wasn't a need for just "dabbling". If his Archivist was in any way interested, they could actually indulge in some slow, old-fashioned love making on this holiday.
The Captain made an initial overture, by slowly running one hand down the twenty-six-year-old's back, the tips of his fingers lightly tracing his spine all the way down to his tail bone. His hand paused as he teasingly rubbed a small circle over the area before retracing the path up. When he started to repeat the process, he felt the fingers of Ianto's left hand curl over his back to gently grip the muscle between his neck and right shoulder, pulling him a little closer. Taking that as a positive sign, Jack shifted them both so his partner was slightly beneath him, nuzzled the Changeling's left ear before slowly trailing tiny kisses along his jaw until he reached his mouth. If the younger man was honestly feeling recovered enough for a bit of what Turlough had called "pornographic playtime", the American would know in the next sixty seconds. Because what started with a few soft, promising brushes of their lips, culminated in an intensely commanding snog. The fact that the young Welshman submitted willingly and responded to its eventual end with a blatant invitation for a repeat performance, pretty much told him all he needed to know.
There wouldn't be any suggestions that they switch roles tonight, no experimentation to boost the excitement, no quick climaxes. They had all the time and privacy they wanted for once, and Jack intended to finally discover the touch and taste of every centimetre of his lover's body along the way. For his part in matters, Ianto was more than happy to let him do whatever he wanted… for however long and as many times as he liked.
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AN: Gwen's whinging… and the boys don't care…
Thank you to those reading the story. And thank you to those who have followed, favourited, and reviewed. NM