branwen_blaidd

Title: His Captain and His Angel 5/22

Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Ianto/John

Rating: Adult
Spoilers: Mild for COE (background information)

Summary: Captain John Hart always gets what he wants.

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Notes: This is the third in the series of stories about Ianto’s past. It follows Blue Moon’s Child and The Lost Son. I’ll be posting this once a day until it is finished. Special thanks go to czarina_kitty for being such a wonderful Beta. Also thanks to rowanheart24 for helping me brainstorm the original idea. Comments please!

Jack watched Ianto as they got ready for work. Breakfast, coffee, bags packed, coats on. Usual procedure, everything normal. Everything was normal except for Ianto. Ianto’s words earlier that morning echoed in Jack’s head. ‘I don’t know who you are. It doesn’t feel real.’

Jack was worried. There was something going on. He didn’t know what it was but he was certain it had something to do with John Hart.

They arrived at the hub. Nobody else was there. Ianto was quiet and Jack could see how worried he was. He knew something wasn’t right too. But he wasn’t talking about it. He wasn’t sharing his worries with Jack.

They went about their ordinary routines. Ianto made coffee. Jack did the security rounds. When they’d finished, the others still hadn’t arrived. Ianto was standing quietly by the coffee machine, lost in thought.

Jack went over to him. “You okay?”

Ianto didn’t look at him. “I keep remembering things,” he said.

Jack wanted to get closer, to touch Ianto, reassure him and himself. But he didn’t. He gave Ianto his space.

“What are you remembering?” he asked gently.

“I…I keep thinking about when I was nineteen. I dunno why.”

“Tell me.”

Ianto frowned. “It’s all fuzzy. I keep remembering stuff that happened with my da. But the way it is in my head, it’s…it’s not the way it happened. It’s like things are changing.”

“What’s changing?”

Ianto took a deep breath. “I remember getting in trouble with Da for skipping work but…I never skipped work, not once.” He smiled. “I needed the money too much.”

“But you remember it?”

“Yeah, it’s like both memories are there and I don’t know which one is real.” His hand went to his neck and Jack saw he was wearing his golden cross. He gripped it with shaking fingers. Jack had never seen Ianto wearing his cross before. He’d seen it in the little box on his bedside table, kept safe. But Ianto didn’t wear it ever. It was too precious to him to risk getting broken.

“You’re wearing your cross,” Jack said.

Ianto looked at him and frowned. “Why wouldn’t I wear it? I always wear it. It keeps my guardian angel with me.”

He moved past Jack and over to his station, leaving Jack alone with his confusion.

* * *

Ianto spent his next few shifts working hard and keeping his head down. He was on an official warning for skipping work and he knew he needed to keep this job. He needed the money, not to mention what his da would do to him if he got sacked.

But Ianto wanted to see John again. Every single thought was about John, his guardian angel, and how he was going to keep him safe.

Four days after the day at the beach, Ianto left work to find John waiting for him in his flashy car. Ianto hurried over.

“Hi!”

John grinned at him. “Hop in.”

Ianto hesitated. “I shouldn’t really. I should go back home.”

“I won’t keep you out too late, don’t worry.”

Ianto weakened. John beamed at him, then reached out, grasped his hand and tugged him in the car. Ianto was happy to let himself be tugged.

John pulled him close and kissed him hard. Ianto found himself submitting to the kiss utterly. This wasn’t him. He was submitting completely and utterly to this man. He would do anything John asked of him. His head swam as he was kissed thoroughly.

John pushed him back and looked at him. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

John cupped the back of his head possessively. “You’re going to prove yourself.” He withdrew his hands and started the engine.

As John drove, Ianto watched him. He wasn’t wondering where John was going to take him, what they were going to do. He just knew he would do anything to prove himself to John.

They went into town. It was early afternoon. Ianto had been on an early shift. Normally, Ianto would go home and flake out. He’d bum around, draw, sneak out to smoke and avoid his da. But with John, everything was different. Ianto wanted to be with him and only him. They walked up the high street. Ianto was smoking one of John’s cigarettes and he felt fantastic. He was ready to do whatever John asked of him.

They stopped outside a Tattoo and Piercing studio. Ianto looked at John. John reached out and cupped his jaw.

“This is where you’re going to prove yourself.” His thumb rubbed Ianto’s ear lobe. “Mmm, yes. Finish that cigarette and we’ll go inside.”

Ianto took one last drag of the heady cigarette then stubbed it out. “Okay, I’m ready.”

John bestowed a smile on him. “Good boy.”

They went inside. Ianto found himself seated and having his earlobe wiped with disinfectant. Ianto didn’t take his eyes away from John. John looked right back at him, smiling just a little. Ianto wanted to make John pleased with him.

John touched his face in a gentle caress. “This is my first mark on you. I want you to remember it.”

Ianto swallowed. “I will,” he whispered.

Ianto felt a hand steady his head and the next moment there was a sharp pain in his earlobe as the earring went through. Ianto didn’t even flinch. He kept his eyes firmly on John.

Afterwards, John took Ianto to the park. Ianto sat on the swing and John stood above him. Ianto gazed at him and John touched his jaw, his cheek, his ear.

“You going to wear this for me?” he asked, one hand in Ianto’s hair and the other on Ianto’s jaw, flicking the little diamond earring in his ear.

Ianto nodded. “Yeah. For you.” He bit his lip. “My da’ll go mad, you know.”

John shrugged. “Who cares?”

Ianto swallowed. “He might really belt me. He’s always threatening but…he’s never actually done it, not even when I got caught nicking.”

John put his head on one side and considered Ianto. For a moment, he looked serious, then he grinned. “If he belts your ass, you be sure to show me the marks.”

Ianto stared at him. John looked back him, expression firm.

“You’ll do what I say, won’t you, Ianto?”

Ianto looked into John’s eyes. They seemed to command him. He blinked hard. Why should he? He didn’t know John really. He didn’t know who he was or where he came from. He didn’t know what he wanted. Why should he obey him?

John touched his cross lightly, then leaned down and kissed Ianto hard on the lips. Ianto shivered. What was he thinking? How could he even think of disobeying John? John was his guardian angel.

John pursed his lips and regarded Ianto. “Well? You are going to obey me?”

Ianto pressed his face into John’s chest. “Yes, John. I’ll obey you.”