branwen_blaidd

Title: Monsters

Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: Teen –mature themes.

Spoilers: Countrycide.
Summary: Jack takes care of Ianto.

Disclaimers: I own nothing!

Notes: Comments please!

Fear. Horror. Relief. These are all the things Jack can see in Ianto’s eyes as he approaches him that day. The ambulance has taken Gwen and Tosh away to be checked out. Owen has gone with them. The cannibalistic villagers have been taken away by the police.

So, it is just Jack and Ianto. Ianto has been sitting on the open boot of the car for a while now, numb with it all. He supports himself with his hands bracing his arms on his knees. He looks as though he would collapse otherwise.

Jack approaches him, stands in front of him. Ianto looks up, eyes wide and sad and disbelieving. He looks so young without his suit, instead wearing that pale hoodie and baggy jeans. He makes Jack want to protect him. But it’s too late for that. Ianto’s already seen and experienced the worst of things.

“Guess you’re with me then,” says Jack.

Ianto nods, then swallowed hard. “Yes, Sir.” His voice is thick and croaky.

He stands, slightly wobbly on his feet. Jack hovers close in case he has to catch him. But Ianto doesn’t fall, doesn’t ask for support. Instead he staggers stiffly towards the door and climbs in. Only when he is safely inside does Jack go around to the driver’s side.

When Jack climbs inside and buckles up, he notices Ianto just sitting there. He hasn’t even buckled his seat belt. Jack leans over and buckled it for him. Ianto doesn’t flinch from the touch as he usually does. He doesn’t lean in. He doesn’t even react.

Jack leans back and starts the engine. “What do you reckon then? Your place or mine?”

Ianto gazes blankly ahead of him and doesn’t reply. Jack puts the car in gear. “My place then,” he says and drives off.

On the way, Jack chats. But it’s not easy to have a conversation by yourself and after half an hour of no reply from Ianto, Jack gives up and they travel in silence. Jack finds himself listening to Ianto’s fast breathing just to reassure himself he’s still alive.

They reach the hub and walk slowly inside. Jack’s worried. Ianto is shutting down. He can see it happening. He has to make sure Ianto doesn’t do this.

“Okay, let’s get you checked out,” Jack said briskly.

Ianto looked at him. “I’m fine.” His voice is a monotone.

“You need to be checked out, since you refused to let the paramedics have a look at you.”

Ianto looks away. “Because I’m fine,” he murmurs. It’s almost sulky.

Jack smiles and pats him on the back. “I just want to be sure.” He steers Ianto towards the med bay. “Come on. I know a thing or two about this sort of thing.”

Ianto frowns as they enter the med bay and Jack makes him sit down on a trolley. “What sort of thing?”

“The sort of thing you need help with.”

Ianto folds his arms across his chest and scowls. “Don’t need any help.”

Jack smiles. “Are you actually twenty four or are you a thirteen year old in disguise.”

Ianto’s eyes flicker to Jack’s and he gazes at him in surprise for just a few seconds. Then his eyes drop and his whole body seems to crumble.

“I’m so tired,” he murmurs.

Jack puts his hand on Ianto’s shoulder, squeezes gently. “You can sleep soon.”

Ianto gazes at his hands, twisting in his lap. “Don’t think I’ll ever sleep again.”

“You will. You’re strong. Believe me, Ianto. This isn’t going to haunt you.”

Ianto meets Jack’s gaze full on. “Not haunt me? How could it not? I’ve just seen people being eaten, okay? By other people. Human beings. I was nearly eaten. How can that not haunt me? My friends, they…we all nearly died.”

Jack swallows and looks away. “Okay.” He takes a deep breath. “Yes, you’re going to remember this. It’s never going to leave you but…you can move on from it. You can survive it.” He touches Ianto’s chin gently and looks firmly into his eyes. “You will survive it. Believe me, I’ve survived much worse.”

Ianto looks back at him for a long moment, then nods slowly. There is something in his eyes which tells Jack he believed him and that makes Jack feel slightly soothed inside. But he is still worried about Ianto.

“Okay, do you hurt anywhere?”

Ianto bites his lip.

“Come on. I know you’re in pain. I can tell.”

“My ribs.”

“Lift your shirt.”

Ianto hesitates, pulling back a little.

“I need to have a look.”

Ianto wriggles, then tugs up his top and Jack looked. Ianto’s torso is covered in bruises, mostly dark red but some just beginning to go black.

“It hurts when I breathe in,” Ianto says.

Jack takes a deep breath. “Okay. You may have broken some ribs.” He presses gently along the lines of Ianto’s ribs. Ianto winces and gasps.

Jack pulls back. “Looks a couple are broken.” He reaches for a medical device Owen keeps on his examination tray. “This should help with the pain until they heal up.” He passes the alien device over Ianto’s ribs and some of the tension in Ianto’s body melts away.

“Better?”

Ianto nods, eyes skirting away from Jack. “Yeah, thanks.”

“You look wiped, Ianto.”

Ianto sags. “Yeah.”

“You should try and sleep.”

“Yeah.”

Jack turns and begins to walk towards the door. “Come on. I’ll drive you home.”

Ianto is suddenly up, rushing up behind Jack and grabbing hold of his arm. “Please,” he says.

Jack turns and looks at him. “Please, what? What do you need me to do, Ianto? I’ll do what you need.”

Ianto looks away. “I…I don’t want…Please, don’t…don’t leave me alone. I can’t…can’t be alone now.”

Jack reaches out for Ianto, cups his shoulder and squeezes gently. “I won’t leave you alone.” He puts his arm around his shoulders and leads him out of the med bay. But not out of the hub. Instead, they do downstairs, to Jack’s little bedroom underneath his office.

Ianto looks at him and smiles a little. “You always sleep down here?”

“I…don’t often sleep but when I do, it’s here. The hub, this little room, it’s my home.”

“How long for?”

“A few years.”

“I’m glad you have a home. I did wonder.”

Jack looks away. “Mmm. You…you can sleep here tonight. I’ll sit with you, if you want.”

Ianto nods. He sits down on the bed and sighs heavily. “So tired.”

Jack finds a clean pair of boxer shorts and a spare t-shirt for Ianto, then goes to him.

“Come on. Let me help you.” He kneels down and takes off Ianto’s shoes and socks.

Ianto sits there and lets Jack undress him down to his boxer shorts. Jack tries not to look. It is no secret that Jack desires Ianto but now is not the time. Now is the time for comfort. Now is the time for Jack to take care of Ianto.

Ianto is watching him. Jack pulls back and passes Ianto the clean underpants and shirt. “You can use these. They’re clean.” He smiles. “Promise.”

Ianto doesn’t quite manage to smile back but Jack sees a little light in his face. Jack politely looks away as Ianto changes. As he looks back, Ianto is lying down on the bed. The weariness seems to overcome him.

Jack draws up a chair and sits beside the bed, looking at Ianto. Again, Ianto has the look of a lost child, longing for comfort and for protection.

Jack can give him comfort and hopes to protect him from all bad things. But he knows he cannot. He knows bad things will happen to Ianto. The world they live in guarantees that.

Ianto is watching him with a gently quizzical expression. “Are you…have you ever been a parent?”

Jack frowns. “What makes you ask that?”

Ianto shrugs. “How you are sometimes. You’re…you’re like a parent to us, like we’re you’re children.”

“I guess I’m a little protective.”

Ianto shook his head. “It’s more than that. It’s…it’s like we’re you’re family.”

Jack pulls back, slips off his boots, unclipped his braces and gets on the bed with Ianto.

Immediately, Ianto wraps his arms around him and holds on tight. Jack wraps his arms around Ianto and presses a kiss to his hair.

“There’s one thing you need to know, Ianto.”

Ianto looks up at him. “Yes?”

Jack looks solemnly at him. “I protect my family. No matter what.”

Ianto looks back at him, belief shining in his eyes.

Jack kisses him on the forehead. “And, as the Torchwood Daddy, I’m officially the best at scaring off monsters under the bed. And no nightmares whilst I’m around. Promise.”

Ianto smiles and closes his eyes. Jack doesn’t sleep. He stays awake all night and keeps Ianto’s monsters away.