Revelations Part 8
Title: Revelations
Part: 8 of 10-ish...
Chapter Title: In Which Ianto Acts Strangely at the Supermarket, Jack Just Can't Figure the Rift Out, and Someone Else Drops in Unexpectedly.
Pairing: Janto, mention of Gwen/Rhys, mention of Martha/Tom, Ianto/Martha fag-hag fabulousness
Rating for this part: NC-17
Warnings: Post Season 2 Spoilers, General Angst, Tortured!Ianto
Excerpt:
They've just finished unloading the SUV when Ianto enters the Hub. Gwen immediately pounces, radioing for Martha and slapping the back of her hand to his forehead.
"No fever, then. What were you going on about?" she asks, voice full of worry. "Honestly, Ianto, you've got me creating scenarios in my head about alien possession, mind-control devices, and...and... food-poisoning."
"It's strangely disconcerting to know that food-poisoning was last on the list," Ianto says.
When it finally hit Jack, he'd been staring into the closet. He had nearly laughed aloud at his own obtuseness. It took the trivial decision of whether to wear the dark blue or the striped shirt after shuffling them out from between Ianto's suits for Jack to realize that he'd suddenly gone domestic.
And when he thought that, he realized that perhaps it hadn't been so suddenly after all. After the whole debacle with John Hart, Jack had grown used to sleeping a couple hours a night in Ianto's bed, spending the rest of the night with the Welshman cuddled against his side while Jack alternately read and kept an eye on the door with a paranoia of the sort only John Hart bunked down in the same building as you seems to induce. It had made sense at the time for Jack to bring the majority of his sparse belongings to Ianto's place while he stayed there, to shower with him in the mornings (Economical, Jack usually argues while Ianto looks bemused and tells him he'll have to keep his hands to himself, which Jack, of course, ignores), eat breakfast and then drive to work together. The fact that he was still doing all of those things a month after John had gone had simply failed to reach Jack's notice.
And the further he thought about that, Jack realized that perhaps it had snuck up on him because his and Ianto's brand of 'domestic' is not one he's experienced before. Certainly it isn't the lazy mornings in bed and fighting over who does the laundry that Gwen and Rhys have, nor is it the quiet companionship and walks hand-in-hand down forested lanes he'd shared with his wife and Estelle. It's bits of that, but more often than not it's their usual bicker-flirt-fuck routine. Jack's free to pour over reports at his desk and roam rooftops at night, and Ianto's free to go out to the pub with Martha and the team or, on occasion, stay until all hours re-organizing some ancient corner of the archives.
The difference is that even if Jack stays on the roof until four a.m. he'll end up sneaking under the covers to curl chilled hands against the small of Ianto's back, and sometimes when Ianto finally gets in at dawn to catch a few hours of sleep, Jack's already hogging the pillows.
Ianto's better at sharing his space than Jack is, but both understand the value of time spent alone and the necessity of keeping it (mostly) professional when they're on the clock. Neither one of them seems to feel too smothered or too neglected. Now that they've set some kind of ever-evolving definition for their relationship, Ianto isn't afraid of being rejected offhand, and Jack isn't afraid of being tied down.
Jack feels he should be more concerned by just how easy it's been since they've begun cohabiting, but Gwen and Martha have both been shooting more approving looks his way, and a Ianto unburdened by keeping his feelings to himself is a happier Ianto. And a happier Ianto who feels free to express himself is a much more affectionate Ianto.
"Ah, shit," Jack moans into the pillow.
It's one of the rare nights that Jack calls it quits and leaves the Hub long before Ianto does. After getting a couple hours of sleep, he'd been woken to the gorgeous sensation of Ianto's tongue trailing down his spine past the small of his back to tease wickedly between his cheeks. Even more gorgeous was the realization that Ianto had somehow managed to tie his arms up behind his back without waking him up. The length of tailored silk shifting deliciously between his wrists is one Jack imagines had previously been in a Windsor knot around Ianto's neck.
He's already come once, shaking into the bedspread, just having to take it while Ianto's tongue had twisted into him, opening him up. In desperation, Jack had begun writhing his hips into the mattress in an attempt to get any friction against his erection while Ianto just hummed and licked deeper. It'd been almost too much when Ianto had grabbed Jack's hips and dragged him off the edge of the bed into a half-standing position, leaving Jack's chest still pressed down onto the mattress and curling slim fingers around Jack's cock. Five pumps of Ianto's hand and eight rapid flicks of his tongue had Jack screaming, pressing himself back into Ianto's mouth and forward into Ianto's hand while his release overtook him in trembling waves.
Ianto's hand stops working on his cock only when Jack's completely wrung out. Jack's letting out the occasional gasp and whimper between deep breaths as Ianto continues to lap around his opening. Finally, Ianto gives a short nip to Jack's left cheek before lifting his hands up to rub at the tense muscles around the base of Jack's spine.
Jack lets out a soft, delighted chuckle before grunting as he shifts his weight so he can turn slightly. "Not that that wasn't amazing, but you gonna untie me anytime soon?"
"What makes you think I'm done with you?" Ianto asks huskily. It's the first thing he's said since waking Jack up. In spite of the fact that he just came not five minutes ago, Jack feels his cock give a desperate twitch.
"Oh, I suppose nothing in particular," Jack says, more than willing to play along. "What else did you have in mind?"
Ianto pulls away completely, and Jack hears the rustle of clothing being hastily removed. Then he's back, leaning over Jack, skin sliding against skin, pressing him further into the mattress. Jack's tied wrists are pressing into Ianto's chest, and Jack wiggles his fingers experimentally. He manages to graze a nipple and Ianto gasps lightly.
"Well, for starters," Ianto says, breath hot against the back of Jack's neck, "I figured I'd play with you for a little longer. Then I'm planning on fucking you until you come again."
Ianto licks a path from the nape of Jack's neck to his right ear and begins worrying it with his teeth. Jack groans and presses back until he can feel Ianto's erection dig into his thigh.
"I take it you like the idea?" Ianto asks. He rubs his hands down Jack's sides until he reaches his ass, rubbing and gripping the cheeks separately before dipping his thumbs down the crevice in between and pressing them shallowly into the loosened opening.
"Yes," Jack hisses. Whether it's in answer to Ianto's question or as a reaction to the teasing, he's not sure.
Ianto bites a path down from his shoulder, stopping to nibble and suck on Jack's helplessly trapped fingers. Jack's already shifting against the bed. His erection from earlier only managed to go half-soft in the interim between onslaughts, and it's starting to take a definite interest.
Ianto lays an open-mouthed kiss to the outside of a wrist before laving down Jack's back again. His tongue tracks over to Jack's left cheek before his teeth bite down hard, mouth sucking and tongue writhing against the sharp pressure. Jack shouts and pushes back more, the pleasure-pain from the overly sensitized flesh rushing straight to his cock. Ianto only bites down harder and there's no way he's not leaving a mark.
Only a minute or so of the harsh treatment and Jack's practically sobbing, his cock completely hard and aching with the need for another release in such a relatively short span of time. Ianto lets up finally and the sudden absence of pressure is almost worse (or better) than the pressure itself. A slick finger presses into Jack to massage against his prostate and Jack arches off the bed as far as he can before the strain is too much and he falls back. Ianto takes the opportunity to squirm his other hand between Jack and the mattress to rub at a nipple. A second finger joins the first in torturing him while Ianto licks and nips at Jack's shoulder, and Jack can't take it anymore.
"Please, Ianto," he gasps. "Fuck me. Fuck me."
Instead of answering, Ianto moans and presses a kiss to Jack's bicep. He pulls back and finally Jack can feel the blunt head of his cock breaching him. And Jesus, Jack knew Ianto was a patient man but it's getting ridiculous when instead of plunging in, he gives a few shallow and teasing thrusts, barely going past the half-way point before pulling back. The palm of Ianto's hand comes to rest over the hot skin of the mark he left on Jack's ass. He grips Jack's cheeks in both hands and kneads them before pulling them wide and mercifully snapping his hips sharply until he's all the way in. Jack's erection is being rubbed into the sheets beneath them, and they both moan loudly when Ianto sets up a rhythm, fucking in fast and deep.
Jack can feel it building within him again, and he wants to, he's going to, but he needs to see. He clenches his fingers while his hips circle up to meet Ianto's before groaning out, "Let me go-let me, please, Ianto, I need to-I need-"
Luckily, Ianto is quick in understanding and pulls on the loose end of the knot, immediately freeing Jack's hands and stepping back with panting breaths to allow Jack to turn over. Jack's on him in a heartbeat, pulling him down on top of him until they're kissing, teeth and tongues meeting as Jack's hands grip sharply at Ianto's hips. He hooks a leg around Ianto's waist until Ianto gets it and presses into him again. Jack can feel how desperately hard the younger man is inside of him, and now that he can finally see Ianto's flushed face, pupils dilated, sweating, messy, gorgeous, Jack feels something inside his chest tense and relax at the same time. He locks eyes with Ianto and starts fisting his own cock in time with Ianto's pounding thrusts. Jack's skin feels too tight, zinging with sensation. He takes in a desperate shuddering breath as Ianto runs a hand down Jack's sternum before cupping his palm around Jack's hand and rubbing his thumb around the tip of Jack's cock.
"God, Jack," Ianto groans. "You look amazing- you're so- fuck."
Jack's ears start ringing when Ianto's thrusts falter, erratically fucking in a few times before Ianto's face screws up in ecstasy and he's shouting Jack's name as he comes. The sight and smell and taste of it is all it takes before Jack's coming a second time, his cock twitching and spilling sharply between their joined hands just as Ianto's is jerking inside of him. Ianto freezes, back arched, riding out the last few moments before collapsing on top of Jack.
They're both panting like they've been running for miles, and Jack lets out a strangled laugh when he realizes the ringing in his ears hasn't let up, and that it's not so much a ringing in his ears as it is a ringing of his wrist-strap from where it's placed on the bedside table. From the pattern of the beeps, it's definitely the rift alarm going off. Ianto groans and pulls Jack closer, kissing him soundly.
"Ignore it," he says while Jack trails kisses down his throat. "The rift will still be there in the morning."
Jack chuckles.
"Yeah, but if somebody doesn't go check that, Cardiff might not."
"Point," Ianto says with a sigh, rolling over to allow Jack room to grab his wrist-strap and turn off the alarm.
"Don't worry, honey," Jack teases. "It's my turn to check on the baby."
"As disturbing as that image you've created is," Ianto scoffs, "I think you got her the last time."
"No way, you just got back home."
Ianto raises an eyebrow and points at the clock.
"Well, you just got back an hour ago," Jack says, "but shagging me is not resting, and you need rest."
"I feel as if I should protest," Ianto says, rolling over onto his stomach and propping himself up on his elbows. Ianto watches lazily while Jack heads to the bathroom to do a quick clean up, wiping a wet flannel over his skin and then tossing it over for Ianto on his way out.
"I think shagging you is very relaxing," Ianto continues. "You certainly seem invigorated."
Jack grins as he starts to get dressed.
"I wasn't the one doing most of the work, nor am I going on 20 hours without sleep, nor do I need to sleep."
"Well, I suppose when you put it that way..."
Jack finishes dressing before he walks over and takes Ianto's face between his hands, kissing him slowly.
"Sleep," he says, pressing one more short kiss to Ianto's lips and another into his hair. "I'll call you if it's an emergency."
"Alright," Ianto says around a yawn. "Oh, and if the alarm isn't too pressing, could you take Gwen to Tesco sometime after lunch and pick up the order for the Hub? We're nearly out of Mickey's favorite blend."
"Why do I need Gwen with me?" Jack asks.
Ianto gives him a look of fond exasperation as he turns and props his cheek on a fist.
"No offense, Jack, but the last time I sent just you to pick up the groceries, you came back with more sugar-based items than I'm sure are generally found in most candy stores," Ianto says. "Someone's got to be there to remind you that liquorice humbugs and candy floss are most decidedly not on the list."
Jack sticks out his tongue.
"Fine, fine. I'll bring her along," he says.
"Mmm," Ianto hums before settling in and drawing the blankets up. "Love you."
Ianto doesn't say it often, but he's said it enough that it's stopped leaving a slight sting of regret in Jack's stomach. He knows Ianto doesn't expect to hear the words back, and really, all he wants is for Jack to accept the statement for what it is. Jack can do that, at least. He can hold on to Ianto's love for as long as Ianto wants him to.
"Thank you," Jack whispers, running a palm down the side of Ianto's face. Ianto's eyes are already closed, but his lips quirk up at the corners.
_______________________________
Gwen's brow furrows in frustration at the seemingly random sequences running across her computer screen. She's generally rubbish at the technical stuff; Ianto'd been the one to step up in that realm when they'd lost Tosh, Mickey's usually good for it now, and Jack always seems to know more about tech than any of the rest of them do. But even with her more limited experience Gwen can tell that the readings coming in don't make any sort of sense. She stretches and leans back in her chair.
"Any luck?" she asks Mickey, who's seated at the terminal to her right.
He just grunts in answer, nose nearly touching the screen. For something to hold Mickey's attention this intensely, it's got to be dead weird.
"Right," Gwen says. She grabs her jacket off the back of her chair and heads up to Jack's office.
"What's up?" Jack asks when she enters. He's sifting through CCTV footage of Cardiff bay. The one thing they'd managed to trace was the focal point where the odd readings are emanating from; about eight kilometers off the coast. So far, none of the visuals of the location have shown anything out of the ordinary.
"I need a break," Gwen says. "None of this makes any sense."
"And you're saying because it doesn't make sense, that makes it less urgent for us to figure out?" Jack asks.
"I'm saying we've hit a wall, Jack," Gwen says. "And we've been at it for five hours now. If anything was going to suddenly take a turn for the apocalyptic it would have done it by now. Ianto's not in, so there's sub-par coffee and no lunch, and Mickey's obsessive concentration is starting to creep me out."
Jack shudders in a dramatic fashion.
"You and me both," he says with a grin. He leans back in his chair. "I suppose it's fine to call a break. The readings have remained consistently weird at least, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency reports they've had no problems designating a hot-zone and redirecting vessels. Barring any changes we have time to grab some lunch and stop by Tesco on the way back."
He switches off the CCTV and grabs his coat. Gwen takes a moment to consider how it seems a little weird to watch him shrug it on by himself (she's not clear on exactly when it became more common to see Ianto help him on with his coat than not) before smirking.
"Lunch sounds lovely thanks," she says. "And since when are we stopping at Tesco?"
"Ianto asked me to take care of the groceries for the Hub. I just thought you'd like to come along."
Jack radios Martha and tell her where they'll be since Mickey can't be arsed to pay attention to anything but the numbers scrolling down his screen.
"So," Gwen says as they stand on the rising invisible lift, arms linked. "Me coming along with you to Tesco has got nothing to do with the half-stone bag of sweets you brought back last time and subsequently stashed under your desk, has it?"
Jack stares resolutely ahead as the lift grinds to a stop.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he says loftily.
Gwen laughs.
_____________________
"I thought you said Ianto asked you to take care of this?" Gwen asks an hour and a half later as they load the Torchwood order into the SUV.
She wonders if she'll ever get over the utter silliness of a secret, alien-fighting organization having its own account at a grocer's, but she supposes the Rift has spit out stranger things.
"He did," Jack says.
"But isn't that him over there?" Gwen asks, pointing towards a man who had walked out the front door of the Tesco a few moments ago.
Jack squints.
"Huh," he says. "Yeah, that's him." Jack chucks the last package into the back and slams the door before walking towards Ianto with Gwen in tow. "Ianto!"
When Ianto looks up and sees them, his expression is rather like someone's just slapped him in the face with a halibut.
"Jack, Gwen," he says, eyes darting back and forth between them as they approach. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting the groceries you asked me to pick up this morning," Jack says, a puzzled frown on his face. "Were you really that tired that you don't remember?" His mouth snaps into a lecherous grin. "I mean, I know I'm good and all..."
"Ah, no, that's probably not it," Ianto says. He shifts the bags he's carrying to one hand and digs around in his suit pocket before pulling out his mobile and flipping it open. After glancing at it he mutters, "Honestly. Not again. This is just bordering on carelessness."
"'Scuse me, what?" Jack asks.
Ianto puts his mobile away.
"Just a bit of a displacement, I'm afraid," he says. "We're not where I was expecting." At Jack and Gwen's continued looks of confusion, he lifts up the bags he's carrying as if in explanation. "Just stopping to pick up a few things."
"We already picked them up, love," Gwen says.
"No, well, these aren't for the Hub. There's been a bit of a mistake. I haven't told you to pick up the groceries yet," Ianto says. "I'm just taking the opportunity of the short stop to stock up. My own fault, really. Never should have offered him some of my coffee. He's started asking for a cup now and again. It's rather frightening to see him caffeinated, quite honestly."
Ianto smirks as if he's sharing a private joke with them. If anything, they just look more confused. Jack glances questioningly at Gwen and she gives him a baffled shrug.
"I think we've missed something," Jack says. "Who's he?"
Ianto's smirk drops immediately.
"I...I haven't told you yet?" he says.
"Told us what?" Gwen asks.
"I mean... Venice. Have I told you about Venice?"
"...What about it?" Jack asks.
Ianto's eyes widen.
"Huh, guess that's a no," Ianto says, a slight undertone of panic edging around the corners of his voice. "Um, I really think maybe I should go. Ask me later, and I'll explain."
Ianto turns to leave.
"Ianto, wait," Jack calls, catching his sleeve. "You're not making any sense. When I left you at home this morning, you-"
"Left me at home?" Ianto interrupts incredulously.
"Yeah," Jack says, eyebrows knitting together. "When I left you at home this morning you told me-"
Ianto cuts him off again, not with words, but with a full on snog in the middle of the Tesco parking lot. Jack's completely caught off guard but it doesn't take him long to get with the program. Ianto buries his hands in Jack's hair as Jack wraps his arms around Ianto's waist, pulling them more snugly together. The kiss is full of want and desperation, and Ianto's tongue strokes lingeringly across Jack's bottom lip as he finally pulls back, both of them panting slightly.
"I should go," Ianto says, voice hushed and regretful, breath ghosting over Jack's mouth. "Just... ask me later?"
He kisses Jack one more time, slowly, before pulling back with something like pain on his face. Then he picks up his bags and turns a tight smile in Gwen's direction before walking quickly away. At a loss, Jack and Gwen watch him go.
"What the bloody hell was that about?" Gwen asks finally.
Jack's concerned gaze follows the retreating figure, and he crosses his arms over his chest with a sigh.
"Beats me."
____________
They've just finished unloading the SUV when Ianto enters the Hub. Gwen immediately pounces, radioing for Martha and slapping the back of her hand to his forehead.
"No fever, then. What were you going on about?" she asks, voice full of worry. "Honestly, Ianto, you've got me creating scenarios in my head about alien possession, mind-control devices, and...and... food-poisoning."
"It's strangely disconcerting to know that food-poisoning was last on the list," Ianto says.
"What's going on?" Martha asks when she arrives, first-aid kit in tow.
"You know, I've been wondering that myself," Jack says while Gwen steps back from pawing at Ianto to make room for Martha.
"Nothing, Martha," Ianto says. "I think I just owe these two an explanation. I'm fine."
He gives her a speaking look, and Martha's eyes go a little wide before she steps back from where she'd been wielding a pen-light menacingly toward Ianto's pupils.
"All right, then," she says. "I'll leave you to it."
"Why do I get the feeling she knows what's going on?" Jack asks when she leaves, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Because...she does?" Ianto says, straightening his suit coat by pulling it down on the bottom.
"Ah. And I'm assuming that whatever this is doesn't pertain to work in any way that could become a problem?"
"Not directly, no. It's personal."
"Let's start at the beginning, then. I believe you said something about Venice?"
"Yes, well, perhaps we should back up a bit before that, really."
"Go on," Jack prompts.
"Since we lost Tosh and Owen I'd been feeling a bit... overwhelmed," Ianto begins. "We all were, I suppose. But I noticed I needed... something... around the Draconian incursion when I pushed you out of the way of that energy blast."
Jack nods. Gwen puts on her best attentive I'm-listening-to-you-because-what-you-ha
ve-to-say-is-unique-and-important face.
"I realized then that- it wasn't really that I was unhappy, I was just feeling a little lost. I was confused about our relationship, my place in Torchwood, what I wanted. That's when I suggested the vacation to Martha. She'd said something about taking some time off, and I figured a couple weeks away from all of this would help me put things straight."
"So... did it?" Gwen asks when Ianto pauses.
"Well, yes and no," he says. "A few days into our stay, Martha and I had a chat. She'd noticed something was off with me. When I told her what the problem was, she said I needed some perspective. That's when she suggested I-"
Ianto cuts himself off when Mickey barges into the room, waving a print-out in a decidedly un-Mickey-like manner.
"Oi! I think I've finally got something! But I need to get out there if I'm going to see..."
He trails off, eyes going a bit owlish as he looks around the room.
"Oh, um. Am I interrupting?" he asks.
"If you've finally got something," Jack says, "then it can wait."
Jack shoots Ianto an apologetic look. Ianto smiles briefly and nods.
"It can wait," he repeats.
Mickey takes a moment to get over the residual awkwardness (but since Mickey generally doesn't notice "awkward" when it's present, anyway, it doesn't take him long) before speaking again.
"Okay, well, like I was saying, I think I've been able to triangulate the readings to a specific point underneath the bay, and I've isolated one repeating pattern, but if I'm going to figure out anything more, we need to get out there."
"Meaning?" Jack asks.
"We're gonna need a boat," Mickey says.
Gwen sighs.
"Wonderful," she says. "It's four degrees outside."
"I'll contact a rental agency," Ianto says stoically, flipping open his cell phone.
________
A week of every scan they can think of and some they make up leaves them no closer to their answer. The strange information they've been getting back is strengthening in frequency. Mickey's been trying to isolate a pattern unsuccessfully. The readings are emanating from a spot where there's a disturbing and unexplainable dip in the bay where the water is completely still, no matter how roughly the rest of the waves are tossing.
Jack's beginning to suspect the only way they're going to find out more is if they head underwater, which he is entirely reluctant to do when they have no clue as to the nature of the disturbance. For now, there haven't been any signs of attack or changes in the surrounding ecosystem. Monitoring the area seems all they're capable of doing until they find out more.
Gwen and Martha had begged out of the boat trip to keep an eye on the Hub, which left the boys to dredge the bay in the wind and rain atop a precariously pitching cabin cruiser from sunrise to sunset several days in a row. Torchwood has a way of completely superseding anything else that may call for attention, and Jack and Ianto have only managed to make it back to the flat for a couple of hours of sleep each night. Wet, cold, and miserable, even Jack has been too knackered to do anything but shower and pass out under three heavy quilts, his cold nose pressed into Ianto's shoulder while they tangle around each other in an attempt to get as warm as possible.
One week turns into two, and an opportunity for their interrupted conversation never seems to present itself. Under the new onslaught of Weevil sightings popping up, it slips Jack's mind altogether.
Jack's puzzling over Mickey's latest report which seems to indicate the strange dip in the waves is spreading, when he suddenly hears the clank and grind of the invisible lift beginning to descend. Jack's out of his chair and sprinting towards it, Webley drawn, almost before he realizes what he's doing.
"Protocol nine!" Jack snaps into his headset as he reaches the landing and aims his gun at the slowly approaching platform. "Someone or something has hijacked the lift."
"Could it be a malfunction?" Martha's voice resonates into his ear.
"That lift is tied directly to my vortex manipulator," Jack explains, nodding direction to Ianto, Gwen and Mickey as they appear and fall into position. "No chance of a random malfunction activating it. It would default and lock up if anything broke down."
Ianto and Gwen cover the exit leading up through the tourist office, and Mickey stands in front of the mainframe. Martha isn't far behind, coming to stand behind Mickey. Four guns train on the same target; Martha's always refused to carry a gun in the field, let alone the Hub. For the next few moments, the tense silence of waiting falls over the group.
"Now, this is a welcome I'd expect of Torchwood," a voice resonates out from atop the lift when it's a mere ten feet from the Hub floor and continuing to fall. "Drop in without notice and it's only to face the firing squad. Granted, on Gelaptorix they have an odd tradition of wielding weapons at highly esteemed visitors. Well, I guess if you could call them weapons- more like giant, gelatinous pillows, really, except when you pop the membrane the gas that spills out slowly deconstructs your atoms. But the Gelaptorixians are made of gas so to them it's more like offering a cup of tea."
The lift grinds to a halt, and Jack's mouth breaks into a gobsmacked grin before he's holstering his gun and walking forward.
"You can hardly blame us when you just barge in like that!" Jack says as he sweeps the other man into a hug.
The Doctor grins.
"I hardly barge anywhere. I like to think of it as making a stylish entrance."
"I thought making a stylish entrance was my thing," Jack says.
The Doctor scoffs.
"Captain, people with guns are the ones who do the barging," he admonishes cheerily, bouncing on his toes.
He turns away from Jack at the sound of heels clacking on the walkway just in time to be smacked with an armful of Martha Jones.
Jack laughs as Mickey pushes past him to greet their unexpected guest as well. As the Doctor speaks rapid-fire about something to do with radio waves, rift disturbances, a 'funny sort of gamma ray', and pears, Jack turns to Ianto and Gwen to beckon them over. Gwen looks intrigued and quirks an eyebrow before walking closer.
"I like his shoes," she says to Jack when she reaches him, tapping the toes of her own pair of trainers pointedly.
"Hello, and you must be Gwen," the Doctor says. His eyes squint as he looks at her before they go wide, and his face splits into a grin. "There's even more of a resemblance in person. Most clearly duplicating case of spatial genetic multiplicity I've ever seen!"
"Uh, thanks, I suppose," Gwen says.
The Doctor finally turns to where Ianto has just...frozen. When their eyes meet, Ianto clears his throat before adjusting his tie.
"Good to see you, sir," Ianto says rather awkwardly.
The Doctor gives him a hang-dog expression.
"'Sir' again? No, no, no, no. No salutes, no formal titles, just 'Doctor'." He sweeps past Gwen and Jack in the flurry of motion he normally exudes when spotting something shiny. "It is good to see you, though."
"Doctor-" Martha attempts to interject.
"Ah, before I forget- which of course I don't really forget anything, but sometimes something more pressing comes along- Can't always be helped," the Doctor continues, turning to the group, then back to Ianto before patting the young man on the arm. "But you remember that little cafe in Rifoldriaz."
"Doctor-" Ianto says urgently underneath the words spilling out of the Doctor's mouth.
Of course, the Doctor in full-on explanation mode is as difficult to divert as a rhinoceros in full charge.
"Manager- big, green, fronds, you know, he said that they ended up naming that, that- I guess the technical term is 'slegnorenobatfeh', but that doesn't really roll off the tongue pleasantly at all-"
"Doctor-" Ianto tries again.
"They should've just stuck with the original and called it 'espresso' despite the fact it's made from the extracts of slegnoren seeds instead of coffee beans. Anyway, it's not as good as yours, but the manager asked me to- is something wrong, Martha?"
Martha sighs and raises her hand (from where it had been gesturing in a 'cut it off' motion across her neck) to cover her face in exasperation.
"And he says I'm the idiot," Mickey says sotto voce.
Ianto rolls his eyes toward the ceiling.
"I never can tell whether your timing is deliberately terrible or if you're just tragically lucky," Ianto says.
"What?" the Doctor asks.
Ianto points to Gwen and Jack. The former's mouth is hanging open in shock, and the latter has his arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed into a questioning glare.
"Wait... you two know each other?" Gwen asks.
The Doctor's eyes widen.
"They didn't know?" he asks.
"Apparently not," Jack says.
"Ah, well. That's...hmm," the Doctor says gravely before abruptly brightening. "Never did fancy myself to be a skeleton in anyone's closet before. Though it shouldn't seem so shocking considering the number of closets, broom cupboards, and cubby holes I've had to hide in over the years. Why didn't you tell them?"
"Timelines," Ianto says.
Jack's eyes light up in understanding.
"You said you hadn't told me to pick up the groceries yet," Jack says. "Because that you hadn't."
Ianto nods.
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Jack," he says.
Jack inclines his head in response, but the hard, clenching line of his jaw lets Ianto know he's not completely off the hook yet.
"I'm sorry, could we back up a bit?" Gwen asks. "What exactly is going on?"
"Venice," Martha says. "I told Ianto that he needed a break from this, somewhere he could go so he could sort things out and not be missed. So I- I thought maybe if I called the Doctor-"
"Completely sodding drunk, I might add," the Doctor says with a grin and a bounce.
"That maybe," Martha continues, ignoring him, "he and Ianto would get on, and Ianto could get away for a time without any time actually getting away."
"You were the Doctor's companion?" Gwen asks. "For how long?"
"About two weeks for you," Ianto says. "A little over six months for me."
"And Mickey knew too," Jack says.
"I figured it out that time Ianto was a bit delirious with alien plant poisoning," Mickey says. "He talked in his sleep. I heard enough to piece it together."
"So why didn't you tell us?" Gwen asks, voice a little hurt.
There's a twinge of betrayal that runs through Jack's eyes as well.
"Because I couldn't," Ianto says. "When you ran into me in the Tesco parking lot- that was about five and a half months into my travels with the Doctor. We'd stopped to refuel a few years off schedule by mistake-"
"It wasn't a mistake!" the Doctor says. "The TARDIS was just being tetchy."
"Regardless," Ianto says. "When I began to suspect what had happened, I checked my mobile and saw what the date was. In addition to the danger of me crossing my own timeline, I realized that you two obviously didn't know, so I got back to the TARDIS as fast as I could. When I came back from Venice ten months ago in the current timeline, I couldn't tell you because I knew that I hadn't told you- it'd already happened for me. It just hadn't happened for you, yet. So I didn't tell you. It wasn't my place to go messing about with causality."
Gwen stares at him blankly, obviously still a bit confused. Ianto sighs before glancing at the Doctor, who makes a 'go on' gesture.
"It's...wibbley-wobbly timey-wimey stuff," Ianto says.
The Doctor beams.
Part: 8 of 10-ish...
Chapter Title: In Which Ianto Acts Strangely at the Supermarket, Jack Just Can't Figure the Rift Out, and Someone Else Drops in Unexpectedly.
Pairing: Janto, mention of Gwen/Rhys, mention of Martha/Tom, Ianto/Martha fag-hag fabulousness
Rating for this part: NC-17
Warnings: Post Season 2 Spoilers, General Angst, Tortured!Ianto
Excerpt:
They've just finished unloading the SUV when Ianto enters the Hub. Gwen immediately pounces, radioing for Martha and slapping the back of her hand to his forehead.
"No fever, then. What were you going on about?" she asks, voice full of worry. "Honestly, Ianto, you've got me creating scenarios in my head about alien possession, mind-control devices, and...and... food-poisoning."
"It's strangely disconcerting to know that food-poisoning was last on the list," Ianto says.
When it finally hit Jack, he'd been staring into the closet. He had nearly laughed aloud at his own obtuseness. It took the trivial decision of whether to wear the dark blue or the striped shirt after shuffling them out from between Ianto's suits for Jack to realize that he'd suddenly gone domestic.
And when he thought that, he realized that perhaps it hadn't been so suddenly after all. After the whole debacle with John Hart, Jack had grown used to sleeping a couple hours a night in Ianto's bed, spending the rest of the night with the Welshman cuddled against his side while Jack alternately read and kept an eye on the door with a paranoia of the sort only John Hart bunked down in the same building as you seems to induce. It had made sense at the time for Jack to bring the majority of his sparse belongings to Ianto's place while he stayed there, to shower with him in the mornings (Economical, Jack usually argues while Ianto looks bemused and tells him he'll have to keep his hands to himself, which Jack, of course, ignores), eat breakfast and then drive to work together. The fact that he was still doing all of those things a month after John had gone had simply failed to reach Jack's notice.
And the further he thought about that, Jack realized that perhaps it had snuck up on him because his and Ianto's brand of 'domestic' is not one he's experienced before. Certainly it isn't the lazy mornings in bed and fighting over who does the laundry that Gwen and Rhys have, nor is it the quiet companionship and walks hand-in-hand down forested lanes he'd shared with his wife and Estelle. It's bits of that, but more often than not it's their usual bicker-flirt-fuck routine. Jack's free to pour over reports at his desk and roam rooftops at night, and Ianto's free to go out to the pub with Martha and the team or, on occasion, stay until all hours re-organizing some ancient corner of the archives.
The difference is that even if Jack stays on the roof until four a.m. he'll end up sneaking under the covers to curl chilled hands against the small of Ianto's back, and sometimes when Ianto finally gets in at dawn to catch a few hours of sleep, Jack's already hogging the pillows.
Ianto's better at sharing his space than Jack is, but both understand the value of time spent alone and the necessity of keeping it (mostly) professional when they're on the clock. Neither one of them seems to feel too smothered or too neglected. Now that they've set some kind of ever-evolving definition for their relationship, Ianto isn't afraid of being rejected offhand, and Jack isn't afraid of being tied down.
Jack feels he should be more concerned by just how easy it's been since they've begun cohabiting, but Gwen and Martha have both been shooting more approving looks his way, and a Ianto unburdened by keeping his feelings to himself is a happier Ianto. And a happier Ianto who feels free to express himself is a much more affectionate Ianto.
"Ah, shit," Jack moans into the pillow.
It's one of the rare nights that Jack calls it quits and leaves the Hub long before Ianto does. After getting a couple hours of sleep, he'd been woken to the gorgeous sensation of Ianto's tongue trailing down his spine past the small of his back to tease wickedly between his cheeks. Even more gorgeous was the realization that Ianto had somehow managed to tie his arms up behind his back without waking him up. The length of tailored silk shifting deliciously between his wrists is one Jack imagines had previously been in a Windsor knot around Ianto's neck.
He's already come once, shaking into the bedspread, just having to take it while Ianto's tongue had twisted into him, opening him up. In desperation, Jack had begun writhing his hips into the mattress in an attempt to get any friction against his erection while Ianto just hummed and licked deeper. It'd been almost too much when Ianto had grabbed Jack's hips and dragged him off the edge of the bed into a half-standing position, leaving Jack's chest still pressed down onto the mattress and curling slim fingers around Jack's cock. Five pumps of Ianto's hand and eight rapid flicks of his tongue had Jack screaming, pressing himself back into Ianto's mouth and forward into Ianto's hand while his release overtook him in trembling waves.
Ianto's hand stops working on his cock only when Jack's completely wrung out. Jack's letting out the occasional gasp and whimper between deep breaths as Ianto continues to lap around his opening. Finally, Ianto gives a short nip to Jack's left cheek before lifting his hands up to rub at the tense muscles around the base of Jack's spine.
Jack lets out a soft, delighted chuckle before grunting as he shifts his weight so he can turn slightly. "Not that that wasn't amazing, but you gonna untie me anytime soon?"
"What makes you think I'm done with you?" Ianto asks huskily. It's the first thing he's said since waking Jack up. In spite of the fact that he just came not five minutes ago, Jack feels his cock give a desperate twitch.
"Oh, I suppose nothing in particular," Jack says, more than willing to play along. "What else did you have in mind?"
Ianto pulls away completely, and Jack hears the rustle of clothing being hastily removed. Then he's back, leaning over Jack, skin sliding against skin, pressing him further into the mattress. Jack's tied wrists are pressing into Ianto's chest, and Jack wiggles his fingers experimentally. He manages to graze a nipple and Ianto gasps lightly.
"Well, for starters," Ianto says, breath hot against the back of Jack's neck, "I figured I'd play with you for a little longer. Then I'm planning on fucking you until you come again."
Ianto licks a path from the nape of Jack's neck to his right ear and begins worrying it with his teeth. Jack groans and presses back until he can feel Ianto's erection dig into his thigh.
"I take it you like the idea?" Ianto asks. He rubs his hands down Jack's sides until he reaches his ass, rubbing and gripping the cheeks separately before dipping his thumbs down the crevice in between and pressing them shallowly into the loosened opening.
"Yes," Jack hisses. Whether it's in answer to Ianto's question or as a reaction to the teasing, he's not sure.
Ianto bites a path down from his shoulder, stopping to nibble and suck on Jack's helplessly trapped fingers. Jack's already shifting against the bed. His erection from earlier only managed to go half-soft in the interim between onslaughts, and it's starting to take a definite interest.
Ianto lays an open-mouthed kiss to the outside of a wrist before laving down Jack's back again. His tongue tracks over to Jack's left cheek before his teeth bite down hard, mouth sucking and tongue writhing against the sharp pressure. Jack shouts and pushes back more, the pleasure-pain from the overly sensitized flesh rushing straight to his cock. Ianto only bites down harder and there's no way he's not leaving a mark.
Only a minute or so of the harsh treatment and Jack's practically sobbing, his cock completely hard and aching with the need for another release in such a relatively short span of time. Ianto lets up finally and the sudden absence of pressure is almost worse (or better) than the pressure itself. A slick finger presses into Jack to massage against his prostate and Jack arches off the bed as far as he can before the strain is too much and he falls back. Ianto takes the opportunity to squirm his other hand between Jack and the mattress to rub at a nipple. A second finger joins the first in torturing him while Ianto licks and nips at Jack's shoulder, and Jack can't take it anymore.
"Please, Ianto," he gasps. "Fuck me. Fuck me."
Instead of answering, Ianto moans and presses a kiss to Jack's bicep. He pulls back and finally Jack can feel the blunt head of his cock breaching him. And Jesus, Jack knew Ianto was a patient man but it's getting ridiculous when instead of plunging in, he gives a few shallow and teasing thrusts, barely going past the half-way point before pulling back. The palm of Ianto's hand comes to rest over the hot skin of the mark he left on Jack's ass. He grips Jack's cheeks in both hands and kneads them before pulling them wide and mercifully snapping his hips sharply until he's all the way in. Jack's erection is being rubbed into the sheets beneath them, and they both moan loudly when Ianto sets up a rhythm, fucking in fast and deep.
Jack can feel it building within him again, and he wants to, he's going to, but he needs to see. He clenches his fingers while his hips circle up to meet Ianto's before groaning out, "Let me go-let me, please, Ianto, I need to-I need-"
Luckily, Ianto is quick in understanding and pulls on the loose end of the knot, immediately freeing Jack's hands and stepping back with panting breaths to allow Jack to turn over. Jack's on him in a heartbeat, pulling him down on top of him until they're kissing, teeth and tongues meeting as Jack's hands grip sharply at Ianto's hips. He hooks a leg around Ianto's waist until Ianto gets it and presses into him again. Jack can feel how desperately hard the younger man is inside of him, and now that he can finally see Ianto's flushed face, pupils dilated, sweating, messy, gorgeous, Jack feels something inside his chest tense and relax at the same time. He locks eyes with Ianto and starts fisting his own cock in time with Ianto's pounding thrusts. Jack's skin feels too tight, zinging with sensation. He takes in a desperate shuddering breath as Ianto runs a hand down Jack's sternum before cupping his palm around Jack's hand and rubbing his thumb around the tip of Jack's cock.
"God, Jack," Ianto groans. "You look amazing- you're so- fuck."
Jack's ears start ringing when Ianto's thrusts falter, erratically fucking in a few times before Ianto's face screws up in ecstasy and he's shouting Jack's name as he comes. The sight and smell and taste of it is all it takes before Jack's coming a second time, his cock twitching and spilling sharply between their joined hands just as Ianto's is jerking inside of him. Ianto freezes, back arched, riding out the last few moments before collapsing on top of Jack.
They're both panting like they've been running for miles, and Jack lets out a strangled laugh when he realizes the ringing in his ears hasn't let up, and that it's not so much a ringing in his ears as it is a ringing of his wrist-strap from where it's placed on the bedside table. From the pattern of the beeps, it's definitely the rift alarm going off. Ianto groans and pulls Jack closer, kissing him soundly.
"Ignore it," he says while Jack trails kisses down his throat. "The rift will still be there in the morning."
Jack chuckles.
"Yeah, but if somebody doesn't go check that, Cardiff might not."
"Point," Ianto says with a sigh, rolling over to allow Jack room to grab his wrist-strap and turn off the alarm.
"Don't worry, honey," Jack teases. "It's my turn to check on the baby."
"As disturbing as that image you've created is," Ianto scoffs, "I think you got her the last time."
"No way, you just got back home."
Ianto raises an eyebrow and points at the clock.
"Well, you just got back an hour ago," Jack says, "but shagging me is not resting, and you need rest."
"I feel as if I should protest," Ianto says, rolling over onto his stomach and propping himself up on his elbows. Ianto watches lazily while Jack heads to the bathroom to do a quick clean up, wiping a wet flannel over his skin and then tossing it over for Ianto on his way out.
"I think shagging you is very relaxing," Ianto continues. "You certainly seem invigorated."
Jack grins as he starts to get dressed.
"I wasn't the one doing most of the work, nor am I going on 20 hours without sleep, nor do I need to sleep."
"Well, I suppose when you put it that way..."
Jack finishes dressing before he walks over and takes Ianto's face between his hands, kissing him slowly.
"Sleep," he says, pressing one more short kiss to Ianto's lips and another into his hair. "I'll call you if it's an emergency."
"Alright," Ianto says around a yawn. "Oh, and if the alarm isn't too pressing, could you take Gwen to Tesco sometime after lunch and pick up the order for the Hub? We're nearly out of Mickey's favorite blend."
"Why do I need Gwen with me?" Jack asks.
Ianto gives him a look of fond exasperation as he turns and props his cheek on a fist.
"No offense, Jack, but the last time I sent just you to pick up the groceries, you came back with more sugar-based items than I'm sure are generally found in most candy stores," Ianto says. "Someone's got to be there to remind you that liquorice humbugs and candy floss are most decidedly not on the list."
Jack sticks out his tongue.
"Fine, fine. I'll bring her along," he says.
"Mmm," Ianto hums before settling in and drawing the blankets up. "Love you."
Ianto doesn't say it often, but he's said it enough that it's stopped leaving a slight sting of regret in Jack's stomach. He knows Ianto doesn't expect to hear the words back, and really, all he wants is for Jack to accept the statement for what it is. Jack can do that, at least. He can hold on to Ianto's love for as long as Ianto wants him to.
"Thank you," Jack whispers, running a palm down the side of Ianto's face. Ianto's eyes are already closed, but his lips quirk up at the corners.
_______________________________
Gwen's brow furrows in frustration at the seemingly random sequences running across her computer screen. She's generally rubbish at the technical stuff; Ianto'd been the one to step up in that realm when they'd lost Tosh, Mickey's usually good for it now, and Jack always seems to know more about tech than any of the rest of them do. But even with her more limited experience Gwen can tell that the readings coming in don't make any sort of sense. She stretches and leans back in her chair.
"Any luck?" she asks Mickey, who's seated at the terminal to her right.
He just grunts in answer, nose nearly touching the screen. For something to hold Mickey's attention this intensely, it's got to be dead weird.
"Right," Gwen says. She grabs her jacket off the back of her chair and heads up to Jack's office.
"What's up?" Jack asks when she enters. He's sifting through CCTV footage of Cardiff bay. The one thing they'd managed to trace was the focal point where the odd readings are emanating from; about eight kilometers off the coast. So far, none of the visuals of the location have shown anything out of the ordinary.
"I need a break," Gwen says. "None of this makes any sense."
"And you're saying because it doesn't make sense, that makes it less urgent for us to figure out?" Jack asks.
"I'm saying we've hit a wall, Jack," Gwen says. "And we've been at it for five hours now. If anything was going to suddenly take a turn for the apocalyptic it would have done it by now. Ianto's not in, so there's sub-par coffee and no lunch, and Mickey's obsessive concentration is starting to creep me out."
Jack shudders in a dramatic fashion.
"You and me both," he says with a grin. He leans back in his chair. "I suppose it's fine to call a break. The readings have remained consistently weird at least, and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency reports they've had no problems designating a hot-zone and redirecting vessels. Barring any changes we have time to grab some lunch and stop by Tesco on the way back."
He switches off the CCTV and grabs his coat. Gwen takes a moment to consider how it seems a little weird to watch him shrug it on by himself (she's not clear on exactly when it became more common to see Ianto help him on with his coat than not) before smirking.
"Lunch sounds lovely thanks," she says. "And since when are we stopping at Tesco?"
"Ianto asked me to take care of the groceries for the Hub. I just thought you'd like to come along."
Jack radios Martha and tell her where they'll be since Mickey can't be arsed to pay attention to anything but the numbers scrolling down his screen.
"So," Gwen says as they stand on the rising invisible lift, arms linked. "Me coming along with you to Tesco has got nothing to do with the half-stone bag of sweets you brought back last time and subsequently stashed under your desk, has it?"
Jack stares resolutely ahead as the lift grinds to a stop.
"I have no idea what you're talking about," he says loftily.
Gwen laughs.
_____________________
"I thought you said Ianto asked you to take care of this?" Gwen asks an hour and a half later as they load the Torchwood order into the SUV.
She wonders if she'll ever get over the utter silliness of a secret, alien-fighting organization having its own account at a grocer's, but she supposes the Rift has spit out stranger things.
"He did," Jack says.
"But isn't that him over there?" Gwen asks, pointing towards a man who had walked out the front door of the Tesco a few moments ago.
Jack squints.
"Huh," he says. "Yeah, that's him." Jack chucks the last package into the back and slams the door before walking towards Ianto with Gwen in tow. "Ianto!"
When Ianto looks up and sees them, his expression is rather like someone's just slapped him in the face with a halibut.
"Jack, Gwen," he says, eyes darting back and forth between them as they approach. "What are you doing here?"
"Getting the groceries you asked me to pick up this morning," Jack says, a puzzled frown on his face. "Were you really that tired that you don't remember?" His mouth snaps into a lecherous grin. "I mean, I know I'm good and all..."
"Ah, no, that's probably not it," Ianto says. He shifts the bags he's carrying to one hand and digs around in his suit pocket before pulling out his mobile and flipping it open. After glancing at it he mutters, "Honestly. Not again. This is just bordering on carelessness."
"'Scuse me, what?" Jack asks.
Ianto puts his mobile away.
"Just a bit of a displacement, I'm afraid," he says. "We're not where I was expecting." At Jack and Gwen's continued looks of confusion, he lifts up the bags he's carrying as if in explanation. "Just stopping to pick up a few things."
"We already picked them up, love," Gwen says.
"No, well, these aren't for the Hub. There's been a bit of a mistake. I haven't told you to pick up the groceries yet," Ianto says. "I'm just taking the opportunity of the short stop to stock up. My own fault, really. Never should have offered him some of my coffee. He's started asking for a cup now and again. It's rather frightening to see him caffeinated, quite honestly."
Ianto smirks as if he's sharing a private joke with them. If anything, they just look more confused. Jack glances questioningly at Gwen and she gives him a baffled shrug.
"I think we've missed something," Jack says. "Who's he?"
Ianto's smirk drops immediately.
"I...I haven't told you yet?" he says.
"Told us what?" Gwen asks.
"I mean... Venice. Have I told you about Venice?"
"...What about it?" Jack asks.
Ianto's eyes widen.
"Huh, guess that's a no," Ianto says, a slight undertone of panic edging around the corners of his voice. "Um, I really think maybe I should go. Ask me later, and I'll explain."
Ianto turns to leave.
"Ianto, wait," Jack calls, catching his sleeve. "You're not making any sense. When I left you at home this morning, you-"
"Left me at home?" Ianto interrupts incredulously.
"Yeah," Jack says, eyebrows knitting together. "When I left you at home this morning you told me-"
Ianto cuts him off again, not with words, but with a full on snog in the middle of the Tesco parking lot. Jack's completely caught off guard but it doesn't take him long to get with the program. Ianto buries his hands in Jack's hair as Jack wraps his arms around Ianto's waist, pulling them more snugly together. The kiss is full of want and desperation, and Ianto's tongue strokes lingeringly across Jack's bottom lip as he finally pulls back, both of them panting slightly.
"I should go," Ianto says, voice hushed and regretful, breath ghosting over Jack's mouth. "Just... ask me later?"
He kisses Jack one more time, slowly, before pulling back with something like pain on his face. Then he picks up his bags and turns a tight smile in Gwen's direction before walking quickly away. At a loss, Jack and Gwen watch him go.
"What the bloody hell was that about?" Gwen asks finally.
Jack's concerned gaze follows the retreating figure, and he crosses his arms over his chest with a sigh.
"Beats me."
____________
They've just finished unloading the SUV when Ianto enters the Hub. Gwen immediately pounces, radioing for Martha and slapping the back of her hand to his forehead.
"No fever, then. What were you going on about?" she asks, voice full of worry. "Honestly, Ianto, you've got me creating scenarios in my head about alien possession, mind-control devices, and...and... food-poisoning."
"It's strangely disconcerting to know that food-poisoning was last on the list," Ianto says.
"What's going on?" Martha asks when she arrives, first-aid kit in tow.
"You know, I've been wondering that myself," Jack says while Gwen steps back from pawing at Ianto to make room for Martha.
"Nothing, Martha," Ianto says. "I think I just owe these two an explanation. I'm fine."
He gives her a speaking look, and Martha's eyes go a little wide before she steps back from where she'd been wielding a pen-light menacingly toward Ianto's pupils.
"All right, then," she says. "I'll leave you to it."
"Why do I get the feeling she knows what's going on?" Jack asks when she leaves, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Because...she does?" Ianto says, straightening his suit coat by pulling it down on the bottom.
"Ah. And I'm assuming that whatever this is doesn't pertain to work in any way that could become a problem?"
"Not directly, no. It's personal."
"Let's start at the beginning, then. I believe you said something about Venice?"
"Yes, well, perhaps we should back up a bit before that, really."
"Go on," Jack prompts.
"Since we lost Tosh and Owen I'd been feeling a bit... overwhelmed," Ianto begins. "We all were, I suppose. But I noticed I needed... something... around the Draconian incursion when I pushed you out of the way of that energy blast."
Jack nods. Gwen puts on her best attentive I'm-listening-to-you-because-what-you-ha
ve-to-say-is-unique-and-important face.
"I realized then that- it wasn't really that I was unhappy, I was just feeling a little lost. I was confused about our relationship, my place in Torchwood, what I wanted. That's when I suggested the vacation to Martha. She'd said something about taking some time off, and I figured a couple weeks away from all of this would help me put things straight."
"So... did it?" Gwen asks when Ianto pauses.
"Well, yes and no," he says. "A few days into our stay, Martha and I had a chat. She'd noticed something was off with me. When I told her what the problem was, she said I needed some perspective. That's when she suggested I-"
Ianto cuts himself off when Mickey barges into the room, waving a print-out in a decidedly un-Mickey-like manner.
"Oi! I think I've finally got something! But I need to get out there if I'm going to see..."
He trails off, eyes going a bit owlish as he looks around the room.
"Oh, um. Am I interrupting?" he asks.
"If you've finally got something," Jack says, "then it can wait."
Jack shoots Ianto an apologetic look. Ianto smiles briefly and nods.
"It can wait," he repeats.
Mickey takes a moment to get over the residual awkwardness (but since Mickey generally doesn't notice "awkward" when it's present, anyway, it doesn't take him long) before speaking again.
"Okay, well, like I was saying, I think I've been able to triangulate the readings to a specific point underneath the bay, and I've isolated one repeating pattern, but if I'm going to figure out anything more, we need to get out there."
"Meaning?" Jack asks.
"We're gonna need a boat," Mickey says.
Gwen sighs.
"Wonderful," she says. "It's four degrees outside."
"I'll contact a rental agency," Ianto says stoically, flipping open his cell phone.
________
A week of every scan they can think of and some they make up leaves them no closer to their answer. The strange information they've been getting back is strengthening in frequency. Mickey's been trying to isolate a pattern unsuccessfully. The readings are emanating from a spot where there's a disturbing and unexplainable dip in the bay where the water is completely still, no matter how roughly the rest of the waves are tossing.
Jack's beginning to suspect the only way they're going to find out more is if they head underwater, which he is entirely reluctant to do when they have no clue as to the nature of the disturbance. For now, there haven't been any signs of attack or changes in the surrounding ecosystem. Monitoring the area seems all they're capable of doing until they find out more.
Gwen and Martha had begged out of the boat trip to keep an eye on the Hub, which left the boys to dredge the bay in the wind and rain atop a precariously pitching cabin cruiser from sunrise to sunset several days in a row. Torchwood has a way of completely superseding anything else that may call for attention, and Jack and Ianto have only managed to make it back to the flat for a couple of hours of sleep each night. Wet, cold, and miserable, even Jack has been too knackered to do anything but shower and pass out under three heavy quilts, his cold nose pressed into Ianto's shoulder while they tangle around each other in an attempt to get as warm as possible.
One week turns into two, and an opportunity for their interrupted conversation never seems to present itself. Under the new onslaught of Weevil sightings popping up, it slips Jack's mind altogether.
Jack's puzzling over Mickey's latest report which seems to indicate the strange dip in the waves is spreading, when he suddenly hears the clank and grind of the invisible lift beginning to descend. Jack's out of his chair and sprinting towards it, Webley drawn, almost before he realizes what he's doing.
"Protocol nine!" Jack snaps into his headset as he reaches the landing and aims his gun at the slowly approaching platform. "Someone or something has hijacked the lift."
"Could it be a malfunction?" Martha's voice resonates into his ear.
"That lift is tied directly to my vortex manipulator," Jack explains, nodding direction to Ianto, Gwen and Mickey as they appear and fall into position. "No chance of a random malfunction activating it. It would default and lock up if anything broke down."
Ianto and Gwen cover the exit leading up through the tourist office, and Mickey stands in front of the mainframe. Martha isn't far behind, coming to stand behind Mickey. Four guns train on the same target; Martha's always refused to carry a gun in the field, let alone the Hub. For the next few moments, the tense silence of waiting falls over the group.
"Now, this is a welcome I'd expect of Torchwood," a voice resonates out from atop the lift when it's a mere ten feet from the Hub floor and continuing to fall. "Drop in without notice and it's only to face the firing squad. Granted, on Gelaptorix they have an odd tradition of wielding weapons at highly esteemed visitors. Well, I guess if you could call them weapons- more like giant, gelatinous pillows, really, except when you pop the membrane the gas that spills out slowly deconstructs your atoms. But the Gelaptorixians are made of gas so to them it's more like offering a cup of tea."
The lift grinds to a halt, and Jack's mouth breaks into a gobsmacked grin before he's holstering his gun and walking forward.
"You can hardly blame us when you just barge in like that!" Jack says as he sweeps the other man into a hug.
The Doctor grins.
"I hardly barge anywhere. I like to think of it as making a stylish entrance."
"I thought making a stylish entrance was my thing," Jack says.
The Doctor scoffs.
"Captain, people with guns are the ones who do the barging," he admonishes cheerily, bouncing on his toes.
He turns away from Jack at the sound of heels clacking on the walkway just in time to be smacked with an armful of Martha Jones.
Jack laughs as Mickey pushes past him to greet their unexpected guest as well. As the Doctor speaks rapid-fire about something to do with radio waves, rift disturbances, a 'funny sort of gamma ray', and pears, Jack turns to Ianto and Gwen to beckon them over. Gwen looks intrigued and quirks an eyebrow before walking closer.
"I like his shoes," she says to Jack when she reaches him, tapping the toes of her own pair of trainers pointedly.
"Hello, and you must be Gwen," the Doctor says. His eyes squint as he looks at her before they go wide, and his face splits into a grin. "There's even more of a resemblance in person. Most clearly duplicating case of spatial genetic multiplicity I've ever seen!"
"Uh, thanks, I suppose," Gwen says.
The Doctor finally turns to where Ianto has just...frozen. When their eyes meet, Ianto clears his throat before adjusting his tie.
"Good to see you, sir," Ianto says rather awkwardly.
The Doctor gives him a hang-dog expression.
"'Sir' again? No, no, no, no. No salutes, no formal titles, just 'Doctor'." He sweeps past Gwen and Jack in the flurry of motion he normally exudes when spotting something shiny. "It is good to see you, though."
"Doctor-" Martha attempts to interject.
"Ah, before I forget- which of course I don't really forget anything, but sometimes something more pressing comes along- Can't always be helped," the Doctor continues, turning to the group, then back to Ianto before patting the young man on the arm. "But you remember that little cafe in Rifoldriaz."
"Doctor-" Ianto says urgently underneath the words spilling out of the Doctor's mouth.
Of course, the Doctor in full-on explanation mode is as difficult to divert as a rhinoceros in full charge.
"Manager- big, green, fronds, you know, he said that they ended up naming that, that- I guess the technical term is 'slegnorenobatfeh', but that doesn't really roll off the tongue pleasantly at all-"
"Doctor-" Ianto tries again.
"They should've just stuck with the original and called it 'espresso' despite the fact it's made from the extracts of slegnoren seeds instead of coffee beans. Anyway, it's not as good as yours, but the manager asked me to- is something wrong, Martha?"
Martha sighs and raises her hand (from where it had been gesturing in a 'cut it off' motion across her neck) to cover her face in exasperation.
"And he says I'm the idiot," Mickey says sotto voce.
Ianto rolls his eyes toward the ceiling.
"I never can tell whether your timing is deliberately terrible or if you're just tragically lucky," Ianto says.
"What?" the Doctor asks.
Ianto points to Gwen and Jack. The former's mouth is hanging open in shock, and the latter has his arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed into a questioning glare.
"Wait... you two know each other?" Gwen asks.
The Doctor's eyes widen.
"They didn't know?" he asks.
"Apparently not," Jack says.
"Ah, well. That's...hmm," the Doctor says gravely before abruptly brightening. "Never did fancy myself to be a skeleton in anyone's closet before. Though it shouldn't seem so shocking considering the number of closets, broom cupboards, and cubby holes I've had to hide in over the years. Why didn't you tell them?"
"Timelines," Ianto says.
Jack's eyes light up in understanding.
"You said you hadn't told me to pick up the groceries yet," Jack says. "Because that you hadn't."
Ianto nods.
"I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Jack," he says.
Jack inclines his head in response, but the hard, clenching line of his jaw lets Ianto know he's not completely off the hook yet.
"I'm sorry, could we back up a bit?" Gwen asks. "What exactly is going on?"
"Venice," Martha says. "I told Ianto that he needed a break from this, somewhere he could go so he could sort things out and not be missed. So I- I thought maybe if I called the Doctor-"
"Completely sodding drunk, I might add," the Doctor says with a grin and a bounce.
"That maybe," Martha continues, ignoring him, "he and Ianto would get on, and Ianto could get away for a time without any time actually getting away."
"You were the Doctor's companion?" Gwen asks. "For how long?"
"About two weeks for you," Ianto says. "A little over six months for me."
"And Mickey knew too," Jack says.
"I figured it out that time Ianto was a bit delirious with alien plant poisoning," Mickey says. "He talked in his sleep. I heard enough to piece it together."
"So why didn't you tell us?" Gwen asks, voice a little hurt.
There's a twinge of betrayal that runs through Jack's eyes as well.
"Because I couldn't," Ianto says. "When you ran into me in the Tesco parking lot- that was about five and a half months into my travels with the Doctor. We'd stopped to refuel a few years off schedule by mistake-"
"It wasn't a mistake!" the Doctor says. "The TARDIS was just being tetchy."
"Regardless," Ianto says. "When I began to suspect what had happened, I checked my mobile and saw what the date was. In addition to the danger of me crossing my own timeline, I realized that you two obviously didn't know, so I got back to the TARDIS as fast as I could. When I came back from Venice ten months ago in the current timeline, I couldn't tell you because I knew that I hadn't told you- it'd already happened for me. It just hadn't happened for you, yet. So I didn't tell you. It wasn't my place to go messing about with causality."
Gwen stares at him blankly, obviously still a bit confused. Ianto sighs before glancing at the Doctor, who makes a 'go on' gesture.
"It's...wibbley-wobbly timey-wimey stuff," Ianto says.
The Doctor beams.