branwen_blaidd

Title: Sad and Single
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: Adult- sexual language, swearing
Spoilers: Meat
Summary: Who’s sad and single at Torchwood?
Disclaimers: I own nothing!
Notes: Comments please!

It was all too tense. Everything was tense. Jack was tense. Ianto could feel it. He could feel the tension in every inch of Jack’s body. Ianto knew why. He could almost always read Jack’s mood. Jack felt invaded.

Jack’s moods were delicate, subtle, and he covered them with bluster. He was always loud about all the easy, painless feelings like lust or passion. It was easy to laugh too, easy to make a joke, easy to flirt with everyone, easy to shout orders. Everybody saw that side of Jack. Nobody, well nobody currently in their lives, saw his other side, except Ianto.

During the past few weeks, Ianto had got happier and happier. He was with Jack almost all the time. Apart from the sex, which had begun again in earnest, they talked a lot. They were getting to know each other. Ianto’s favourite part of every day was the very last thing at night; after the work, after the sex, when it was just him and Jack whispering to one another in the darkness and holding each other close.

Jack was pacing. He’d been pacing for ages, up and down the hub, along the top level, into the plant room, then back out and down to his office. Then it would start all over again. He’d been doing it ever since Gwen had called to say she was bringing Rhys in. And Ianto knew exactly why.

Ianto swigged his bottle of beer and glanced at the others. He could feel Jack’s eyes on him from the upper level.

“Well, this is unprecedented,” said Ianto to Tosh and Owen. “A fiancé finding out.”

“Mainly because we’re all sad and single,” said Tosh.

Ianto jerked with surprise but managed to plaster a smile on his face. Then the smile became real. He wasn’t sad and single. Didn’t they know?

“Er, speak for yourself,” said Owen. He knew. “I am better off without all that kind of hassle.”

“Maybe the answer is to go out with someone who knows what you do,” said Tosh, undeniable hope in her eyes as she gazed at Owen.

“Look around you, Tosh,” said Owen, dismissive and oblivious as always. “Only we know what we do.”

Ianto raised his glance to Jack and his stomach jolted as he found Jack was looking straight back at him. Ianto allowed a little of his feelings to show in his eyes, then he looked away. He would back Jack. He would be there. He had to be.

* * *

The day was not an easy one. But Ianto knew he’d done well. Nevertheless, Jack wasn’t happy. Gwen and Jack had had a fight. Gwen had got her own way, against the rules. Jack had lost control and he didn’t like it.

Ianto leaned against the doorway, sipping his whiskey. Jack was upset. He stared at the screen long after Gwen and Rhys had disappeared from view.

Ianto finished his whiskey and glanced at Jack’s empty glass. “You want another one?”

Jack shook his head. “No.” His voice was short and testy.

Ianto didn’t mind. This was Jack. He always lashed out when he was upset. Ianto got himself another whiskey ad perched on the edge of Jack’s desk.

“She’s gone, Jack,” murmured Ianto. “She’s gone off with Rhys to get ice cream and then she’s taking him home.”

Jack glanced at him. “I know.” There was a long silence before Jack spoke again. “I don’t want her you know, not like that.”

Ianto smiled. “I know.” He found Jack’s hand and squeezed it. “And I know how much you care about her.”

Jack looked down at their entwined hands. “Yeah, I guess.” There was another long silence. “Are you…erm…are you all right? I mean…you took…quite a battering today…though…you looked…fucking hot storming around with that stun gun.”

Ianto grinned. “I know how much you like stun guns.”

Jack smiled briefly. Still gazing down at their hands, he stroked the back of Ianto’s hand. “Are you all right though?”

Ianto shrugged. “I’m…fine. Sore but…fine.”

Jack nodded, not entirely convinced.

“Jack,” Ianto said slowly.

“Hmm?”

“It’s time for bed,” Ianto said firmly.

Jack smiled and nodded. “Yeah.” He stood and let Ianto lead him away and down into the hatch to bed.

Ianto had to fight drowsiness as they stood in Jack’s bedroom, kissing and slowly undressing each other.

“Ianto, you’re covered in bruises,” Jack murmured.

Ianto shrugged. “I said I’m all right.”

“Hmm,” Jack said doubtfully. “Come here. Lie down.”

Ianto, now naked, lay down on Jack’s bed. He looked down at himself. He was covered in bruises.

When Jack lay down beside him, he was naked too and he held a tube of bruise cream. He lay close to Ianto and began to slowly massage the cream into Ianto’s skin.

Ianto adored this side of Jack; this soft, caring side of him, the side of him nobody else saw.

“You scared me today,” Jack murmured. “Getting captured like that.”

“I know. I could see. I…I was scared too,” Ianto whispered.

Jack looked into his eyes. “You did really well. I was proud of you.”

Ianto blushed with pleasure. “Thanks.”

Jack smiled. He’d finished rubbing the cream in. He reached across and pulled the covers over them.

“Are you upset about…what happened before?” Jack asked. “With Gwen?”

Ianto frowned. “No. I thought you might be but…”

Jack shook his head. “No. I saw…you looked upset…before, when…Gwen left.”

Ianto looked away. “I just…don’t like it when people fight.”

“I know,” said Jack. He snuggled closer. “Sorry.”

Ianto looked at him. “That’s all right.” He turned over on his front and cuddled as close to Jack as he could, resting his head on his chest. “It’ll be all right, you know. With Gwen and Rhys. She’s not going to leave Torchwood.”

Jack stroked Ianto’s back. “Yeah.”

“She won’t. Torchwood means a lot to her.”

Jack held him close. “I know you’re not going to leave.”

Ianto smiled. “No. I’m too much of a sad bastard.”

“You shouldn’t talk about yourself like that,” said Jack, frowning.

Ianto looked up at him, then smiled. “Sorry.”

There was another long silence, Jack holding Ianto close.

“Jack…” Ianto said after a long time. “Do you think…they know?”

“Know?”

“About us.”

Jack shrugged. “I dunno. We’re not exactly subtle about it, are we?”

Ianto smiled but didn’t produce the laugh Jack was expecting. “Did you hear what Tosh said when we were waiting for Gwen to bring Rhys?”

“Nope. Too far away. What were you talking about?”

“Couples.”

“Oh.”

Ianto grinned up at Jack. “I don’t think we qualify, according to Tosh anyway.”

Jack grinned. “Shows how much they know, doesn’t it?”

Ianto smirked. “Yeah. I guess they think we’re still just fucking.”

Jack stroked Ianto’s hair. “You know what, and don’t tell anyone else this but…as fantastic as the sex is and I wouldn’t wanna be without it but…it’s not my favourite part.”

Ianto looked up at Jack. “Then what is your favourite part?”

Jack grinned at him. “This. Whispering with you in the dark. It’s…every night now and I…I feel so close to you and it’s…real.”

Ianto snuggled as close into Jack as he could. “Yeah. I know we’re…no where near where Gwen and Rhys are…and we’re different, aren’t we, but…we’re a couple anyway, aren’t we? Sort of.”

Jack kissed him on the top of his head. “Yes, we are. We’re a couple and it doesn’t make a difference what anyone else thinks. ‘Cause you know you’re my boy, don’t you?”

Ianto grinned and closed his eyes ready to sleep, happy and not single. “Yeah. I know.”