Fic- The Captain and the Boy 32/65

[branwen_blaidd]

Title: The Captain and The Boy 32/65

Pairing: Jack/Ianto, Jack/Others, Ianto/Others

Ratings: Adult – graphic sex and some violence throughout

Spoilers: General spoilers for first 2 series

Summary: An AU version of Jack, Ianto and Torchwood. Some pre-series.

Disclaimers: I own nothing.

Notes: With thanks to oncomingscone and rowanheart24 for their glorious help! Comments make me write more. I hope you enjoy this. I’ve been working on this story for nearly a year and it’s finally finished. I’ve very proud of it and I hope it’s good enough for my lovely readers! This is a finished series and won’t be abandoned. I’m planning to post a chapter a day (at roughly the same time) until it’s finished.

 

 

“What do you mean, he’s gone? Why did you let him go?” Jack demanded, filling the whole hub with his yells. His heart was pounding and there was a lump in his throat. Ianto was out there, alone. And Suzie didn’t give a damn.

Suzie shrugged. “He wasn’t our prisoner. I couldn’t exactly stop him.”

“You didn’t want to, you mean!” Fear was making him angry. He wanted to yell and threaten and do something. But there was nothing he could do. If Ianto had run away, it meant he didn’t want to be here. It meant he didn’t want to be with Jack anymore.

Suzie shrugged and headed back her station. “He’s his own person. It was his choice to make.”

Jack kicked the nearest wall then stomped off into his office. He felt lost and helpless and he knew it was his fault.  

From the medical bay, Owen had watched the argument. He sighed. He’d expected this. Ianto had been acting more and more like a caged animal over the last few days. Jack had no clue how to make Ianto happy, not in the grief-stricken state he was in. It hadn’t been difficult to guess that Ianto would only take so much of that.

So, now Ianto was out there again. But he had Owen’s mobile number and Owen felt confident that, if he needed him, he’d call. Ianto was doing his own thing and protecting himself from Jack’s moods. Jack was in no condition to take care of anybody. He was in no condition to love anybody.

                                                            * * * 

Ianto walked alone. It felt good to walk alone, at peace with his own thoughts. Nobody telling him what to do. Nobody controlling him. Nobody owning him.

But here he was, alone and without any money. He walked quickly, making his way back to the part of town he knew the best, the part of town where all the rent boys were. This was his position in life and he knew it. No better life for him. That had been Michael’s dream, a dream Michael would have deserved. But now it was gone. Now Michael was gone; another life destroyed. Ianto didn’t understand why he had survived and Michael hadn’t. Michael had had a future. Ianto didn’t.

He reached the park. It was far too early for anybody to be out working. It wasn’t even afternoon yet. But many of the boys he knew would be here, sleeping rough and biding their time until the night’s work could begin.

Nobody ever came to this park except rent boys and their customers. It was the kind of place parents warned their kids away from. He entered through the battered, rusty gates and walked through. It was deserted, but, in corners or huddled up against trees, were the boys. He walked through, looking for someone he knew, anybody.

“Ianto! Hey, Ianto!” called a voice.

Ianto looked across and there was Evan. He’d first met Evan when, at fourteen years old, Ianto had first run away to the streets. He was one of Stuart’s boys but he was a good lad. He was older than Ianto and had taken care of him those difficult first few weeks, until Stuart had employed him. 

Ianto went over. Evan took his arm. “Have to talk to you,” he whispered urgently.

Ianto let himself be led away, aware they were being watched by the other boys.

Evan tugged Ianto out of earshot, then looked at Ianto with narrowed eyes. “Tell me the truth. We all know what Stuart did to you. Did you get revenge?”

“Revenge? What are you talking about?”

“Stuart’s gone missing. He’s not been seen for days and you know that’s not like him. So? What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything. I haven’t even been out for days.”

“Well, someone’s done something.” He sighed. “We’re fucked without him. We’ll get no money and have no protection.”

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

Evan scoffed. “Everyone knows you’ve barely had any work since he threw you out.” He softened. “Look, you need somewhere to stay? You can hang with us. We’ll get you some work.”

“Nah. I’ll be all right. Thanks. I just need…well, I need to get going.”

Evan dug in his pocket and brought out a few small notes. “Here. Call it a loan. And take care of yourself.”

“Thanks, I will.”

“Don’t forget, I’m here if you need me.”

“I know. Thanks.” He hugged Evan, then they parted.

Ianto walked slowly from the park. He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and thought. Stuart was missing. Maybe he was dead. Maybe he’d run off. Ianto didn’t know. He didn’t care either. He wasn’t thinking about what could have happened to Stuart.

What Ianto was thinking about was his little silver cross. If Stuart was missing, his flat would be empty. Ianto could go inside and find his necklace. It was the only thing he’d kept from his life before. He had to have it back.

He’d been to Stuart’s flat twice before. Stuart didn’t make a habit of taking boys there. Only when he wanted to use them for himself did it happen and he wasn’t in the habit of using his own merchandise. But twice he’d taken Ianto there. Ianto wasn’t sure why he’d earned that special attention and he didn’t want to think about it. Neither of his two visits to the flat were ones he wanted to remember. Slowly, he made his way across town to the flat, trying to ignore the tense feeling throbbing in his belly.