Fic: Vizzini's Rule (67/105)
Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter 67
Rating: R
Warnings: Just a little language.
Spoilers: Season One thru Out of Time (1x10)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Out of Time.
Summary: In which Ianto heads back to the Hub and talks to Jack...
Notes: That’s right, dear reader, Jack is back. :D Unfortunately, he’s still cranky, but we’ll be getting past that soon! Hope you likes! :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Sixty-Seven
Ianto walked slowly back to Torchwood through the melting snow. At this rate, it’ll be gone by noon. With every step away from Jamie, he felt his spirits fall. Back to work, back to real life, no more playing at being a kid again, he thought. Back to the Hub and the travelers and Jack and his moods. Ianto sighed. Wondering just how the hell his life got so complicated, Ianto unlocked the door to the Tourist Office. He hung up his coat in the back office and listlessly turned on the computer. He glanced at the clock. 10:30, better go make Jack his damn coffee, he thought but made no move to get up from his chair. He opened a drawer in his desk and took out the box that held Jack’s Christmas present. He stared at the box for a few minutes and then sighed. He got up and put the box in the pocket of his jacket. Take it home, put it away… maybe… oh, fuck it. As long as he was up, he figured he should go downstairs and get the coffee going, get the day underway.
As the cog door rolled back, Ianto scanned the Hub for the team. Two hours late and I’m still the first one in, surprise surprise. He noticed some movement in Jack’s office as he headed up to the kitchen area, but he could tell it wasn’t Jack. Slowing his steps up the stairs, he took a closer look. “Lovely,” he muttered when he realized it was John.
He rushed through his coffee making, wanting to head back upstairs so he didn’t piss Jack off further by telling their ‘guest’ exactly what he thought of him, but he didn’t move quickly enough.
“Ianto! Good, I was wondering where you were,” Jack hollered up from his office. He trotted over to the steps and joined Ianto at the coffee machine.
“Didn’t see you in there,” Ianto observed.
“In where? Oh, my office. Was downstairs getting John a book. He’s feeling a little out of sorts today, needed something to distract him. You’re late,” he said bluntly.
“No later than anyone else,” Ianto pointed out.
“Yeah, well, you’re late for you. Long night?” Jack asked a shade too casually.
“Yeah.”
When Ianto didn’t add any details, Jack sighed. “Your… friend still in town?”
“Nope, left this morning after we had coffee.”
“Ah,” Jack said, reaching for a mug. He didn’t fill it, just kept turning it over in his hands. “You two seemed very close.”
“We’ve been friends for a long time.”
“Looked like more than friends to me,” Jack muttered, finally reaching for the coffee maker.
Ianto turned away for a second to hide a brief grin. So he was watching, he thought triumphantly. “What was that?” he asked politely.
“Nothing,” Jack muttered again. He ran a hand through his hair and took a quick drink from his mug. “Hey, can you get a tray together and bring it to my office? John wants a coffee and I don’t want him to have to run all the way up here.”
“Of course you don’t,” Ianto said with a tight smile. “Didn’t he get his coffee at Kemi’s this morning?”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “He mentioned going to a café but he didn’t bring back any coffee. Why? Did you see him?”
“Yes,” Ianto said shortly.
“Do you know what upset him?” Jack asked worriedly. “He was in a state when he showed up here.”
“Christ Jack!” Ianto finally lost it. “Why do you care? What is so special about that guy?”
“I’m…” Jack seemed taken aback by Ianto’s words. “I’m just trying to help him.”
“Yeah, well he doesn’t deserve it,” Ianto said harshly as he began banging items on to the tea tray.
“Hey,” Jack said as he pulled Ianto away from the tray. “What’s gotten into you? What happened this morning with John?”
“Your ‘friend’ down there? The one you’ve been mollycoddling all week? He thinks we’re disgusting,” Ianto said through clenched teeth.
Jack looked confused. “What are you talking about? What happened?”
“This morning at Kemi’s. He walked in the shop when Jamie was kissing - ah!” Ianto broke off as Jack tightened his grip on Ianto’s arms.
“You?” Jack asked darkly. “He was kissing you?”
“No, you stupid git, he was kissing Mark. His boyfriend.” Ianto struggled to free himself from Jack’s iron grip. “That’s not the point. He was kissing Mark when John came in. He called them disgusting and indecent, he looked like he was about to go for the tar and feathers.”
Jack looked, if anything, relieved which infuriated Ianto even more.
“Let go of me, you bastard!”
Jack released Ianto and said, in a soothing voice, “Ianto, you have to understand. John is from another time, when things were very different. He needs time to adjust to the way things are now. You can’t judge him by today’s standards, it’s not fair.”
“Even by jolly-holiday 50’s standards, he’s a bigot and chauvinist pig.”
Jack tried again. “He doesn’t understand -”
“I don’t give a shit,” Ianto said coldly. “You’re so keen on having him adjust to this century? Why don’t you give him your big speech about labels instead of bringing him coffee and changing the rules just for him? Or are you afraid he won’t listen to you at all if he thinks you’re bent?” He about choked on the crude word.
Jack crossed his arms and looked at Ianto, an unreadable expression on his face. Ianto stared back, breathing hard. He rubbed his arm for a moment and then straightened his suit. He cleared his throat and said, “I’ll be upstairs. If John wants a cup of coffee, he’s welcome to help himself. Just like everyone else.”
Ianto took the stairs two at a time, reaching the Tourist Office in record time. He leaned on the counter for a moment, the magnitude of everything he’d said to Jack finally hitting him. The room spun a little as he fought a wave a nausea. What have I done? he wondered as that old familiar flutter of panic began in his chest. He hoped Jack would forgive… No! he thought, no I bloody well don’t. I’m right and if Jack can’t see that, can’t see past that? Well, then… so be it. The flutter began to quiet as he took deep breaths. He stood up, straightened his tie, sat down at his desk and got to work.
TBC in Chapter Sixty-Eight
Rating: R
Warnings: Just a little language.
Spoilers: Season One thru Out of Time (1x10)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Out of Time.
Summary: In which Ianto heads back to the Hub and talks to Jack...
Notes: That’s right, dear reader, Jack is back. :D Unfortunately, he’s still cranky, but we’ll be getting past that soon! Hope you likes! :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Sixty-Seven
Ianto walked slowly back to Torchwood through the melting snow. At this rate, it’ll be gone by noon. With every step away from Jamie, he felt his spirits fall. Back to work, back to real life, no more playing at being a kid again, he thought. Back to the Hub and the travelers and Jack and his moods. Ianto sighed. Wondering just how the hell his life got so complicated, Ianto unlocked the door to the Tourist Office. He hung up his coat in the back office and listlessly turned on the computer. He glanced at the clock. 10:30, better go make Jack his damn coffee, he thought but made no move to get up from his chair. He opened a drawer in his desk and took out the box that held Jack’s Christmas present. He stared at the box for a few minutes and then sighed. He got up and put the box in the pocket of his jacket. Take it home, put it away… maybe… oh, fuck it. As long as he was up, he figured he should go downstairs and get the coffee going, get the day underway.
As the cog door rolled back, Ianto scanned the Hub for the team. Two hours late and I’m still the first one in, surprise surprise. He noticed some movement in Jack’s office as he headed up to the kitchen area, but he could tell it wasn’t Jack. Slowing his steps up the stairs, he took a closer look. “Lovely,” he muttered when he realized it was John.
He rushed through his coffee making, wanting to head back upstairs so he didn’t piss Jack off further by telling their ‘guest’ exactly what he thought of him, but he didn’t move quickly enough.
“Ianto! Good, I was wondering where you were,” Jack hollered up from his office. He trotted over to the steps and joined Ianto at the coffee machine.
“Didn’t see you in there,” Ianto observed.
“In where? Oh, my office. Was downstairs getting John a book. He’s feeling a little out of sorts today, needed something to distract him. You’re late,” he said bluntly.
“No later than anyone else,” Ianto pointed out.
“Yeah, well, you’re late for you. Long night?” Jack asked a shade too casually.
“Yeah.”
When Ianto didn’t add any details, Jack sighed. “Your… friend still in town?”
“Nope, left this morning after we had coffee.”
“Ah,” Jack said, reaching for a mug. He didn’t fill it, just kept turning it over in his hands. “You two seemed very close.”
“We’ve been friends for a long time.”
“Looked like more than friends to me,” Jack muttered, finally reaching for the coffee maker.
Ianto turned away for a second to hide a brief grin. So he was watching, he thought triumphantly. “What was that?” he asked politely.
“Nothing,” Jack muttered again. He ran a hand through his hair and took a quick drink from his mug. “Hey, can you get a tray together and bring it to my office? John wants a coffee and I don’t want him to have to run all the way up here.”
“Of course you don’t,” Ianto said with a tight smile. “Didn’t he get his coffee at Kemi’s this morning?”
Jack narrowed his eyes. “He mentioned going to a café but he didn’t bring back any coffee. Why? Did you see him?”
“Yes,” Ianto said shortly.
“Do you know what upset him?” Jack asked worriedly. “He was in a state when he showed up here.”
“Christ Jack!” Ianto finally lost it. “Why do you care? What is so special about that guy?”
“I’m…” Jack seemed taken aback by Ianto’s words. “I’m just trying to help him.”
“Yeah, well he doesn’t deserve it,” Ianto said harshly as he began banging items on to the tea tray.
“Hey,” Jack said as he pulled Ianto away from the tray. “What’s gotten into you? What happened this morning with John?”
“Your ‘friend’ down there? The one you’ve been mollycoddling all week? He thinks we’re disgusting,” Ianto said through clenched teeth.
Jack looked confused. “What are you talking about? What happened?”
“This morning at Kemi’s. He walked in the shop when Jamie was kissing - ah!” Ianto broke off as Jack tightened his grip on Ianto’s arms.
“You?” Jack asked darkly. “He was kissing you?”
“No, you stupid git, he was kissing Mark. His boyfriend.” Ianto struggled to free himself from Jack’s iron grip. “That’s not the point. He was kissing Mark when John came in. He called them disgusting and indecent, he looked like he was about to go for the tar and feathers.”
Jack looked, if anything, relieved which infuriated Ianto even more.
“Let go of me, you bastard!”
Jack released Ianto and said, in a soothing voice, “Ianto, you have to understand. John is from another time, when things were very different. He needs time to adjust to the way things are now. You can’t judge him by today’s standards, it’s not fair.”
“Even by jolly-holiday 50’s standards, he’s a bigot and chauvinist pig.”
Jack tried again. “He doesn’t understand -”
“I don’t give a shit,” Ianto said coldly. “You’re so keen on having him adjust to this century? Why don’t you give him your big speech about labels instead of bringing him coffee and changing the rules just for him? Or are you afraid he won’t listen to you at all if he thinks you’re bent?” He about choked on the crude word.
Jack crossed his arms and looked at Ianto, an unreadable expression on his face. Ianto stared back, breathing hard. He rubbed his arm for a moment and then straightened his suit. He cleared his throat and said, “I’ll be upstairs. If John wants a cup of coffee, he’s welcome to help himself. Just like everyone else.”
Ianto took the stairs two at a time, reaching the Tourist Office in record time. He leaned on the counter for a moment, the magnitude of everything he’d said to Jack finally hitting him. The room spun a little as he fought a wave a nausea. What have I done? he wondered as that old familiar flutter of panic began in his chest. He hoped Jack would forgive… No! he thought, no I bloody well don’t. I’m right and if Jack can’t see that, can’t see past that? Well, then… so be it. The flutter began to quiet as he took deep breaths. He stood up, straightened his tie, sat down at his desk and got to work.
TBC in Chapter Sixty-Eight