Jack Returns to the Hub

[capj_harkness]

Who: Jack and Ianto
When: Night, after Jack cleaned up the dead alien at the bar.
Where: The Hub
What: Jack returns to the Hub to talk to Ianto. He is both nervous and relieved.
Status: Complete

Comments

[tea_boy_x]

Jack and alone were not words that went together well. And yet Ianto know that the man had been alone for years. Decades. A century. Sure, there had been people around and all. But Ianto could and wouldn't want to think about what it was like to have to watch people, friends, die over and over again. Ianto wasn't sure if he could let anyone get close if it were he.

But Jack craved people, craved that contact, that interaction. For him to be alone for over a year? That must've brought back bad memories. Not to mention that the way the Captain spoke of it, his voice going more quiet and hesitant and so unlike Jack-- Gave Ianto the idea something horrible must have happened.

The more Jack talked, the less Ianto liked where it was going. He just wanted to reach out and touch Jack. Or even hug him. Or kiss him to make him stop talking. But he didn't, instead he sat there and watched. Let Jack talk as much as wanted or could. He needed to talk, needed to get it out. And despite the subject, the very painful horrible subject, it made Ianto's heat skip several beats knowing that Jack was telling *him*.

"Why would that easier to clean be important?" Ianto finally murmured. Oh, he had a very good idea why and he *really* didn't want to hear it at all, but Jack needed to say it out loud. Or so Ianto thought. God, he would probably make a lousy therapist or something. But he was trying, for Jack.

[capj_harkness]

Jack didn't lift his head, but he raised his eyes slowly up to Ianto's face.

"Let's just say that if I never see my insides again, I'll be a happy man," he replied. "And when you're going to live forever, 'never' really means something."

[tea_boy_x]

Yep. Just as he thought. Ianto managed not to cringe, at least not visibly. Instead he dug his finger nails into the palms of his hands until he felt something warm and sticky against his skin. But even then he didn't stop, kept his hand out of sight and his focus on Jack.

"Yeah," Ianto agrees quietly after, once again, a moment of silence that seemed to stretch a little too long.

"Yeah, it does. A whole year?" He asked softly, because he really didn't know what else to say. Anything else he'd say or ask would only hurt Jack more. He still had no clear picture of what had happened, but at least now had *a* picture.

[capj_harkness]

Jack did lift his head then and looked up at Ianto for a moment, not saying anything further, then impulsively stood to press his lips to Ianto's in one fluid motion, no longer able not to, giving him a lingering, hungry kiss.

He broke it off just as suddenly, as though realizing what he was doing, but didn't pull away, ducking his head to rest his chin on Ianto's shoulder.

"Sorry," he whispered, unclear as to whether the apology was meant to cover the uninvited kiss or running away or the gruesome story or maybe all of the above. His arms found their way around Ianto's waist and he buried his face in the younger man's neck, inhaling the familiar scent of his skin that Jack had almost forgotten, though he'd specifically tried to remember it one day in particular as a mental exercise. He hadn't been able to summon it, which had upset him a great deal more than the Master's taunts.

[tea_boy_x]

"What...?" Was about as far as Ianto got before Jack suddenly looked up. He had a brief moment to look at the man in confusion before he felt the familiar press of lips against his mouth. Familiar and unfamiliar actually. There was a desperation to the kiss that had never been there previously and one Ianto couldn't help but return.

By the time they had to pull away for air, Ianto was out of breath and had wrapped an arm around Jack. The other had gone up to cup the back of the man's head, fingers carting through Jack's hair in a way that was meant to be soothing. The need to protect still seemed to be there, even though Ianto had known for a long time that he really couldn't protect Jack at all.

But just because the Captain couldn't die, didn't mean he couldn't get hurt.

"Its alright," Ianto murmured softly, letting his touch do what his words obviously couldn't...hopefully. Console Jack. "Shhhh, its ok. You're not there anymore. You're here now."

[capj_harkness]

"I really did miss you," Jack murmured without shifting his position. Ianto didn't push him away or tell him to get off. He felt like he was probably safe as long as he didn't move too much. "You didn't believe me. I could tell from your face."

[tea_boy_x]

It was a bit hard to believe when the man had ran off without bothering so much of a word. No to the team. Not to Ianto himself. And seeing how insecure the Welshman had already been about their whole relation ship... And Owen hadn't helped matters. Bitter bastard.

Ianto sighed quietly as he kept holding Jack close, finger still softly threading through the man's hair. He'd missed this too. Just the simple touching. The holding. The-- being needed. The wanting.

"I--" Ianto couldn't lie. If they wanted *something* together it shouldn't start with a lie. Again. "I have my doubts. I'm sorry."

[capj_harkness]

Jack pulled back only enough to look at Ianto, not enough to move out of his grasp.

'Have'. Present tense. As in 'still'.

Jack had already put himself way, way out there that night. Farther than he'd put himself for anyone in a really long time because he had missed the other man. He only wanted Ianto to believe him. Still, it wasn't like him to let the walls so far down for so long and it made him nervous, but he hadn't been burned yet, so what was one more effort?

"What can I do?" he asked sincerely, his face completely open. If Ianto wanted him to prove it, he only had to tell Jack how it was possible.

[tea_boy_x]

The moments Jack moved, Ianto's stomach churned. He couldn't help the first thing that came to mind. He should have shut up, he should not have said that, he should have tried harder, now he had pushed Jack away.

Only... not. The man moved but didn't move *away* from him. The captain was still in the circle of his arms. Asking the one question Ianto himself really didn't have an answer for. He wish things were so simple. If only things were simple.

Bringing up his nail damaged hand, he rubbed the pad of his thumb over Jack's cheekbone. Awed by the open expression on the man's face. It took his breath away and momentary left him speechless.

"Time?" he finally tried, moving a bit closer to Jack. "Maybe I just-- Not, not maybe. Just a little time. A lot has happened. To me. To-- to you." Ianto bit his lips as he looked at Jack, trying to have the same open and honest expression as the man himself.

[capj_harkness]

Jack nodded slowly. That was reasonable.

"Okay," he allowed, noting that Ianto had moved closer as he said that, not further away. "Are you..." His voice trailed off when he didn't know how to word the question so it didn't sound presumptive, but didn't sound like he was kicking Ianto out either. Are you staying? Are you leaving? 'Please stay' sounded too needy, even for his current mood, so he let the unfinished question hang in the air and bowed his head to rest in the crook of Ianto's neck again.

[tea_boy_x]

Well thank god, that hadn't pushed him away. God, he really should probably stop thinking that whatever he'd say or do was going to push Jack away. Just like you keep thinking you weren't enough to keep him here.

Ianto blinked when Jack didn't finish that question, apparently unable to speak the words out loud. It didn't matter, though. Jack was still in his arms and... Probably dead no his feet. No pun intended. The man needed to sleep. Really sleep, since he hadn't for a year. A year! A fucking year! Shit...

"Yes," was the only reply Ianto gave, leaving it open for Jack to take any way he wished. Or wanted. It seemed it was the answer the Captain wanted. Needed? Or so Ianto hoped.

[capj_harkness]

Jack smiled, truly smiled, for the first time since he'd returned to the Hub that night. Ianto would stay. The idea of sleeping in a bed again, the warmth of soft blankets and another human being... one he'd been heartachingly sure he would never see again.

He stepped back, letting his fingers trail down Ianto's forearm to take his hand, but it didn't feel right. He lifted Ianto's hand where he could see it properly.

"What happened?" he asked with a confused frown. The injury looked fresh.

[tea_boy_x]

Oh, dear lord. Talk about heart skipping a beat. Fuck. That would do it. That smile. God, that smile. How he had missed that smile. Not that 'I am Jack Harkness be bedazzled by me' smile. No, this one. Ianto called it his 'private smile'.

He was awed by its appearance he hadn't noticed Jack bringing up his hand for further inspection.

"Huh?" Ianto frowned in confusion and glanced down at his hand. Crescent half moons of where his nails had cut into flesh out of anger about what had been done to Jack.

What happened? You, Ianto wanted to say. But he knew Jack would take that the *wrong* way. "Nothing," he said softly instead, "Not important, Sir... Jack."

[capj_harkness]

Jack had an idea what happened that told him perhaps Ianto hadn't been as cooly detatched during Jack's narrative as he'd been pretending. He set a light kiss in the palm of Ianto's hand, then tugged at his fingers, pulling him towards the hatch down to the captain's bedroom.

"Come on," he said. "We need some sleep."