[RL with Jack and Ianto] Backdated to the Three's Company Virus

[akihiko_sanada]

Akihiko snuggled up close to one of his lovers, buried in warm blankets and sandwiched between them. The bed at the Hub wasn't quite large enough for three people, but somehow they managed, falling into a pile like puppies and falling asleep

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[capt_greatcoat]

"Jack," Ianto said, his tone warning. "What are you playing at?"

"Ianto," Jack countered, propping himself up, not really caring in the least about the fact that he was naked, but more concerned about the fact that the three of them were naked in bed together. Jack often slept naked, so that wasn't anything new, but the fact that Ianto was naked meant they'd been up to something the previous night, but he couldn't remember anything. "What are you playing at? Since when do we sleep naked with Akihiko?"

Ianto's forehead furrowed. "Since you offered him a place in your bed, Jack," he said, his voice low. "It's been months, now, what are you on about?"

"No," Jack said firmly, "no, it hasn't." He cast a glance at Akihiko, his eyes trailing over the lines of Akihiko's body, appraising his fit form. "I would remember this," he said, motioning to Akihiko's body. "I would remember the relationship, the sex... I don't." He watched Ianto's face fall in disbelief. Ianto turned to Akihiko, unsure what to do about the fact that his one lover seemed to have forgotten everything about his other lover.

[akihiko_sanada]

Akihiko stared for a few moments, his insides swirling and clenching at Jack's words. His cheeks warmed at the appraising look - even after months, he still felt warm and fluttery at that admiring look in Jack's eyes.

But it didn't come accompanied with that warm, accepting affection he had come to expect.

Then it clicked. Jack wasn't trying some weird, cruel means to push him away. He couldn't remember, and there was only one reason that could be.

"It's got to be a virus," he said. "It's got to be. Ianto and I remember!"

[capt_greatcoat]

Ianto's eyes widened. "That would make sense," he said, a bit awestruck with the idea that the community had a power great enough to be able to erase someone's memories. And more than a little frightened by the whole idea.

"But I don't remember any of this," Jack said indignantly. "And as far as I know, I remember everything up until yesterday night. And that definitely didn't involve going to bed with either of you." He looked around, as if he could find something that might familiarize him with the situation, help him remember what he had supposedly lost. "We did go Weevil catching last night, right?"

"Well, yes," Ianto confirmed. "After that we came back here. You wanted to make sure that we got the right one. And then..." He looked to Akihiko, making sure that he was remembering correctly himself.

[akihiko_sanada]

Having experienced weirder stuff in the year he'd been in the community, Akihiko wasn't surprised at all that the community had the ability to change someone's memories this much. After all, hadn't Mitsuru thought she and Akihiko were Junpei's parents, and they were American pioneers, once?

This was nothing.

When Ianto paused, he nodded and picked up the narrative. "Right, and we, er," he reddened again. "We decided to hit the showers because we'd gotten all muddy and stuff in the sewers, and then one thing led to another, and, well..."

He shrugged, gesturing about themselves. "But this isn't exactly unusual, Jack."

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack shook his head, smiling in disbelief. "No," Jack said firmly. "I let the two of you go home." He had wanted to jump Ianto right then and there, when he'd finished locking up their newest Weevil, standing there with his hair all mussed and his suit all ruined, out of breath from wrangling the creature into the cell. But Jack didn't want Akihiko to feel left out, and Ianto was tired enough to not be able to take a hint, so he'd sent them home.

The look on Jack's face made something in Ianto's stomach twist dangerously. Jack really didn't remember. "Jack," he said, his face still awash in disbelief, "what happened? Why can't you remember?"

Jack sighed. He could see that the two of them were more than a little bit hurt that he couldn't remember any sort of relationship with Akihiko. "Fine," he said. "If this really happened, then tell me something that you wouldn't know unless you'd slept with me."

[akihiko_sanada]

Akihiko knew it had to be a virus, and that there was nothing really to worry about. There was no need to feel hurt that Jack didn't remember. But it still hurt.

Desperate to convince his lover of the truth, he thought hard. "Well...how about this?" he asked, sorting through the myriad of little details he did know, trying to come up with something good. "Ianto likes to...to use full windsor knots in bed."

Surely no one else would know that. He hadn't even known what to call it before Ianto told him. Though, just to be sure, he added something personal to Jack himself.

"And you don't fall asleep nearly so fast if you haven't got a warm body to curl around," he added.

He wasn't sure he'd ever stop blushing.

[capt_greatcoat]

"Damn," Jack said. The sleeping bit he'd probably be able to pry out of Ianto if he'd liquored him up enough, but the knot? Jack knew Ianto wouldn't ever share said information aloud, which could only mean he'd been with Ianto. And since Ianto had strict moral codes about these things, he wouldn't be sleeping around behind Jack's back, and since he and Jack obviously still had something going on, that would mean...

"A virus, then?" Jack asked. "A virus from the community could do something like this?" He leaned forward, and kissed Ianto. After a moment, he leant back, breaking it off. "I definitely remember that. But..." He trailed off, turning to look at Akihiko, before leaning forward and kissing him as well.

It wasn't tentative--nothing Jack did sexually ever really was, anymore--but it was definitely unfamiliar. Nice, and obviously Akihiko'd learned a few tricks of the trade somewhere, but unfamiliar nonetheless.

[akihiko_sanada]

Yet to Akihiko, it was as familiar as anything could be. He wound his arms around Jack's neck, pressed close, willed him to remember as he used every trick Jack had tought him and everything he knew Jack loved best.

But even as the kiss ended, he knew it hadn't made a difference. Jack didn't remember.

Sometimes the community really annoyed Akihiko.

"You...really don't remember," he said miserably.

[capt_greatcoat]

"I'm sorry," he said, "I really don't remember. I wish I could tell you that it's just a big hoax, then we could all have a laugh about it, but."

Jack brought his hands up to cup Akihiko's face. He felt pretty terrible about the situation--it would be one thing to forget both of them, but to just forget one of his lovers...

"Hey," he said, gently moving Akihiko's head to look him directly in the eyes. "We'll get to the bottom of this. There's gotta be some way to fix this, right?"

[akihiko_sanada]

Akihiko gazed up at Jack with utter trust in his eyes. He knew Jack wasn't doing this because he didn't like him, or because he didn't want to be with him. Jack cared about him, that was obvious.

"I don't know if there's a way to fix it," he said unhappily. "If it's a virus, it'll go away, though."

He hesitated. "Jack... do you want to remember? I mean, is it okay with you that we're together?"

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack shrugged. "I'm not opposed to the idea of being with you, and I'd be lying if I said that I'd never thought about it before. But..." He paused. "Don't take this the wrong way, but it'd entirely have to be up to Ianto."

"Me?" Ianto asked, surprised that suddenly the focus had switched to him.

"Yeah," Jack replied. "Like it or not, I remember being in a relationship only with you. And I know you have your rules about these things, and I respect that." Jack wouldn't want to ruin the best relationship he'd had in a long time based on an uncertainty.

"Don't you get it though, Jack? I've already agreed to this. Months ago." Ianto's face seemed to be stuck in a permanent frown.

[akihiko_sanada]

Akihiko was incredibly relived to hear Jack say that. It wasn't dissimilar to the way things had been when they first got together, though Akihiko was sure more conversations had taken place that he wasn't privy to.

He shifted slightly and laid down, letting Jack and Ianto talk without his big head in the way. If Jack felt like he needed to discuss this with Ianto before he'd feel comfortable with it - well, he wouldn't be Jack if he didn't. That was okay.

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack was honestly a bit surprised that Ianto would agree to a three-way relationship. Then again, Ianto always had seemed to be a man out of his time, although sometimes Jack wondered if Ianto would fit in better in Jack's own 51st century, or in the past where he could fulfill his servantly desires to his heart's content.

Jack sent Ianto a look that he hoped expressed everything that even he felt would be saying too much in front of Akihiko.

Ianto's expression softened. Jack really was trying, and none of them could help the situation that they were placed in. "Really, Jack," Ianto reassured him, "it was almost my idea in the first place." This got Jack's attention. "You joked about us all showering together one day, to save water. We just agreed." He smiled slightly. "Had no idea what I was thinking at the time, but it turned out more than alright in the end, though, right?" He directed the question at Akihiko, so he wouldn't feel left out of the conversation entirely.

[akihiko_sanada]

Akihiko saw the look, too, and had to repress a sigh. Jack wasn't going for it, was he?

"Yeah, yeah, it was really all right," he said unhappily.

Decisively, he made to climb out of bed, wriggling down off the foot so he wouldn't dislodge either Jack or Ianto or have to climb over either of them. "Think I'm going to go for a run," he said distractedly, searching for his clothes.

He just couldn't stay here anymore. Maybe Jack would come around, or maybe they should just wait until the virus wore off. He didn't want to make things awkward, and it was obvious that Jack wasn't just going to dive back in and trust what they said.

[torchwoodteaboy]

Jack followed Akihiko with his eyes, but it was Ianto who moved after him.

"Akihiko, wait," he said, climbing out after him, catching Akihiko's hand as he distractedly went about trying to locate his clothes in the pile on the floor. He pulled Akihiko's hand up to place it on his chest and hold it there, while he reached his other hand out to cup Akihiko's cheek. He hoped Akihiko could feel his heart racing as much as Ianto himself could.

"Please," he said, his voice low so Jack would really have to strain to hear it even in this small a room. "Stay. I'm sorry, I don't know what's going on any more than you, and I'm sorry this is happening to you, but don't leave me here alone with him feeling guilty for something I have no control over. Please."

[akihiko_sanada]

Akihiko didn't resist the hold. He paused and turned towards Ianto, looking up at the other man with a pinched expression.

At Ianto's words, though, guilt flickered in his grey eyes. Ianto was right - that wasn't fair. He had thought Ianto would be better able to handle the situation, since he had known Jack longer. But it wasn't fair for him to run away.

"Okay, I'm sorry. I'll stay," he said and shifted closer. He leaned his head against Ianto's shoulder and closed his eyes, drawing strength.