Torchwood Fic: Benediction
Posted to torchwoodslash
Crossposted to torchwood_fic
Title: Benediction
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG13
Spoilers: Season 1
Summary: Ianto's reaction to Jack's unexpected return (End of Days Alternate Ending)
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
Gwen had sat with him.
She'd believed in Jack, believed he'd come back from the dead.
Ianto?
He hadn't believed.
His guilt weighed heavy on him, like the burden of hiding Lisa, like the onus of the secrets of Torchwood, like denying his love - his worship - of the one person he knew he could never have.
The faithful lover - albeit unrequited - faithless in his ultimate duty.
It should have been his hand Jack was holding when he emerged reborn, striding into the room like a conquering hero - reclaiming his kingdom wordlessly by his commanding presence alone.
Tosh, in a fit of unselfconscious girlishness, had run to embrace him - unrestrained in her relief at his resurrection.
Ianto's feet had moved him towards Jack of their own accord while his mind was still reeling with disbelief at the sight. Once he arrived he came to his senses somewhat and floundered as to what to do.
He'd betrayed this man, been party to his murder.
Decades of manners kicked in and he offered his hand to shake, some part of his brain deciding propriety was the better part of valor as his heart screamed to throw himself into Jack's arms with even more ardor than even Tosh had done.
As always, Jack knew what to do.
Being enfolded in Jack's arms was like a benediction: acceptance, forgiveness and grace all in one. For too brief seconds time fell away and they fell into a communion based on touch, on memory, on connection.
And then Jack's lips were on his, his mouth covering his own, and this time it was Ianto who was resuscitated. New life poured into him, replacing failures of the past with promises of the future, with hope for a chance... A chance he never thought he had with a man he'd grieved as dead and gone...
Ianto watched in wonder - both numb and aflame at once - as Owen broke down weeping in Jack's arms: a man destroyed and made whole again.
This man had forgiven his Judas.
Clearly Jack had moved beyond the touch of death, beyond mere humanity.
His immortal love, martyred for his faith and risen again, had grazed the heavens and returned with a touch of god inside him.
Ianto had never loved him more than in that moment.
||
The pre-dawn hours waned, but Ianto would not rest.
He sat gazing down at the man sleeping before him.
Jack's face was unlined by worry or strife, his dreams free and clear of the treachery, pain and devastation he'd endured.
Ianto reached out and brushed his fingertips through the spiky hair he knew so well, letting the foreign and yet familiar feeling soothe him, reassure him.
His Jack lived.
Now it was his turn to take his place by Jack's side.
His vigil was far easier than Gwen's had been.
But Ianto knew he would never let her take his place again.
|T|
Crossposted to torchwood_fic
Title: Benediction
Pairing/Characters: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG13
Spoilers: Season 1
Summary: Ianto's reaction to Jack's unexpected return (End of Days Alternate Ending)
Notes/Warnings: Read the disclaimer on my LJ
Gwen had sat with him.
She'd believed in Jack, believed he'd come back from the dead.
Ianto?
He hadn't believed.
His guilt weighed heavy on him, like the burden of hiding Lisa, like the onus of the secrets of Torchwood, like denying his love - his worship - of the one person he knew he could never have.
The faithful lover - albeit unrequited - faithless in his ultimate duty.
It should have been his hand Jack was holding when he emerged reborn, striding into the room like a conquering hero - reclaiming his kingdom wordlessly by his commanding presence alone.
Tosh, in a fit of unselfconscious girlishness, had run to embrace him - unrestrained in her relief at his resurrection.
Ianto's feet had moved him towards Jack of their own accord while his mind was still reeling with disbelief at the sight. Once he arrived he came to his senses somewhat and floundered as to what to do.
He'd betrayed this man, been party to his murder.
Decades of manners kicked in and he offered his hand to shake, some part of his brain deciding propriety was the better part of valor as his heart screamed to throw himself into Jack's arms with even more ardor than even Tosh had done.
As always, Jack knew what to do.
Being enfolded in Jack's arms was like a benediction: acceptance, forgiveness and grace all in one. For too brief seconds time fell away and they fell into a communion based on touch, on memory, on connection.
And then Jack's lips were on his, his mouth covering his own, and this time it was Ianto who was resuscitated. New life poured into him, replacing failures of the past with promises of the future, with hope for a chance... A chance he never thought he had with a man he'd grieved as dead and gone...
Ianto watched in wonder - both numb and aflame at once - as Owen broke down weeping in Jack's arms: a man destroyed and made whole again.
This man had forgiven his Judas.
Clearly Jack had moved beyond the touch of death, beyond mere humanity.
His immortal love, martyred for his faith and risen again, had grazed the heavens and returned with a touch of god inside him.
Ianto had never loved him more than in that moment.
||
The pre-dawn hours waned, but Ianto would not rest.
He sat gazing down at the man sleeping before him.
Jack's face was unlined by worry or strife, his dreams free and clear of the treachery, pain and devastation he'd endured.
Ianto reached out and brushed his fingertips through the spiky hair he knew so well, letting the foreign and yet familiar feeling soothe him, reassure him.
His Jack lived.
Now it was his turn to take his place by Jack's side.
His vigil was far easier than Gwen's had been.
But Ianto knew he would never let her take his place again.
|T|