Guilt: Redux - 8/17+Epilogue
Title: Guilt: Redux
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, references to Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: Ianto knows he should be happy. He has his work and he has Lisa. Again. Finally. He knows he should be happy.
Author's Note: Alternate ending to Guilt - events of Guilt up to around ch50 take place. This picks up many months later... (There's a short recap of 'what you NEED to know from Guilt' before chapter one, if you haven't read it)
Thanks to: My lovely beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn't know what happens in this...
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Eight
“I think you should ask Jack out.”
Ianto’s head snapped around to look at Lisa so quickly his neck jolted almost painfully. “What?”
“You heard me; I think you should ask Jack out.” Lisa calmly took another spoonful of ice-cream and settled back against the sofa cushions.
Ianto just stared at her in silence, his mouth open. For a moment, Lisa’s attention was drawn back to the movie they’d been watching - an old favourite they’d seen so many times they could practically recite it.
“What?” she smiled, looking back at him. “It’s not that outrageous a suggestion.”
Ianto shook himself. “Maybe not under some circumstances,” he managed, “but considering the situation we’re in here, it is more than just a little bit odd.”
“Because I’m your flatmate?” Lisa asked, an overly innocent look on her face. “Or, oh… maybe it’s the ex-girlfriend thing.”
Ianto’s eyebrows raised. “Yes, there’s the ex-girlfriend thing. There’s also the ‘we only broke up a month ago’ thing and, even more so, the ‘my feelings for Jack were one of the contributing factors to said break-up’ thing. It’s odd.”
Lisa shook her head at him indulgently. “You’re making it all too complicated, when it really isn’t. Maybe it’s only officially been a month since we called time on our relationship, but unofficially? I think you know as well as I do that we were on very shaky ground for a long time before that. We hadn’t really been a couple for well over a year, not properly. And that would have eventually come to a head, your feelings for Jack or not.”
Ianto was still somewhat flabbergasted. “I… but…”
“Really, I don’t see what’s stopping you,” Lisa told him.
Ianto stared at her again for a few seconds.
“What?”
“How are you so… so… okay with all of this?”
Lisa shrugged. “I’ve had a lot more time to get used to the idea, I guess.”
That confused Ianto a little. “How do you figure that one?”
“I’ve been watching you, both of you, for a long time now, Ianto,” Lisa smiled. “I think I knew we were headed here eventually from a few months after we arrived in the Hub. I’ve watched you and Jack dancing around each other, neither of you trying to take it any further even though you both clearly wanted to.”
Ianto sighed sadly. “I’m sorry. I never wanted to make you feel like…”
“Ianto, stop,” Lisa interrupted. “Stop apologising.”
“But…”
“No buts. You have nothing to apologise for. Really. Any apologies that were necessary you’ve already given, and I’ve accepted them.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t still feel guilty about it though,” Ianto said quietly. “I was with you; you needed me. And then, despite my best efforts, I went and fell for the boss. Not exactly boyfriend of the year material.”
“Didn’t mean you weren’t there for me, though. Everything I needed, you were there, giving it to me. Even when I didn’t need it anymore.”
She shot him a sly look, teasing gently about his still lingering tendency to coddle her. “You’re entirely too hard on yourself, Ianto. You need to let up on some of that guilt before it bogs you down. Take a chance. Ask him out. And I’ll eat my metaphorical hat if he turns you down.” She grinned.
Ianto twisted his hands in his lap, his eyes dropped to watch them. “I have thought about it,” he admitted. “Once or twice.” He looked up again at Lisa. “But every time it made me feel so awful about even considering it so soon after…”
He paused. “You’re really that okay with all of this?”
She nodded. “I think that was probably when I realised that I wasn’t in love with you anymore - when I thought about you and Jack giving it a shot, and wasn’t upset. If it makes you happy, go for it.”
Ianto took a deep breath and nodded, smiling back at her. “I think I will.”
Chapter Nine
Comments and concrit (yes, really) are adored. Comments = <3
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairings: Jack/Ianto, references to Ianto/Lisa
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: If I was the one who owned Torchwood, you think I'd admit it now?
Spoilers: Some information and events from s1,2. NONE for s3.
Summary: Ianto knows he should be happy. He has his work and he has Lisa. Again. Finally. He knows he should be happy.
Author's Note: Alternate ending to Guilt - events of Guilt up to around ch50 take place. This picks up many months later... (There's a short recap of 'what you NEED to know from Guilt' before chapter one, if you haven't read it)
Thanks to: My lovely beta cazmalfoy, angelzbabe1989 for idea bouncing, and morbid_sparks for cheerleading even when she doesn't know what happens in this...
Previous chapters at master list
Chapter Eight
“I think you should ask Jack out.”
Ianto’s head snapped around to look at Lisa so quickly his neck jolted almost painfully. “What?”
“You heard me; I think you should ask Jack out.” Lisa calmly took another spoonful of ice-cream and settled back against the sofa cushions.
Ianto just stared at her in silence, his mouth open. For a moment, Lisa’s attention was drawn back to the movie they’d been watching - an old favourite they’d seen so many times they could practically recite it.
“What?” she smiled, looking back at him. “It’s not that outrageous a suggestion.”
Ianto shook himself. “Maybe not under some circumstances,” he managed, “but considering the situation we’re in here, it is more than just a little bit odd.”
“Because I’m your flatmate?” Lisa asked, an overly innocent look on her face. “Or, oh… maybe it’s the ex-girlfriend thing.”
Ianto’s eyebrows raised. “Yes, there’s the ex-girlfriend thing. There’s also the ‘we only broke up a month ago’ thing and, even more so, the ‘my feelings for Jack were one of the contributing factors to said break-up’ thing. It’s odd.”
Lisa shook her head at him indulgently. “You’re making it all too complicated, when it really isn’t. Maybe it’s only officially been a month since we called time on our relationship, but unofficially? I think you know as well as I do that we were on very shaky ground for a long time before that. We hadn’t really been a couple for well over a year, not properly. And that would have eventually come to a head, your feelings for Jack or not.”
Ianto was still somewhat flabbergasted. “I… but…”
“Really, I don’t see what’s stopping you,” Lisa told him.
Ianto stared at her again for a few seconds.
“What?”
“How are you so… so… okay with all of this?”
Lisa shrugged. “I’ve had a lot more time to get used to the idea, I guess.”
That confused Ianto a little. “How do you figure that one?”
“I’ve been watching you, both of you, for a long time now, Ianto,” Lisa smiled. “I think I knew we were headed here eventually from a few months after we arrived in the Hub. I’ve watched you and Jack dancing around each other, neither of you trying to take it any further even though you both clearly wanted to.”
Ianto sighed sadly. “I’m sorry. I never wanted to make you feel like…”
“Ianto, stop,” Lisa interrupted. “Stop apologising.”
“But…”
“No buts. You have nothing to apologise for. Really. Any apologies that were necessary you’ve already given, and I’ve accepted them.”
“Doesn’t mean I don’t still feel guilty about it though,” Ianto said quietly. “I was with you; you needed me. And then, despite my best efforts, I went and fell for the boss. Not exactly boyfriend of the year material.”
“Didn’t mean you weren’t there for me, though. Everything I needed, you were there, giving it to me. Even when I didn’t need it anymore.”
She shot him a sly look, teasing gently about his still lingering tendency to coddle her. “You’re entirely too hard on yourself, Ianto. You need to let up on some of that guilt before it bogs you down. Take a chance. Ask him out. And I’ll eat my metaphorical hat if he turns you down.” She grinned.
Ianto twisted his hands in his lap, his eyes dropped to watch them. “I have thought about it,” he admitted. “Once or twice.” He looked up again at Lisa. “But every time it made me feel so awful about even considering it so soon after…”
He paused. “You’re really that okay with all of this?”
She nodded. “I think that was probably when I realised that I wasn’t in love with you anymore - when I thought about you and Jack giving it a shot, and wasn’t upset. If it makes you happy, go for it.”
Ianto took a deep breath and nodded, smiling back at her. “I think I will.”
Chapter Nine
Comments and concrit (yes, really) are adored. Comments = <3