Fic: In The Lie Is The Truth
Title In the Lie Is The Truth
Series: Torchwood
Rating: R
Warnings: mentions of violence towards children
Beta: Going Commando
Disclaimer:I do not own Torchwood or the characters therein, they belong to the BBC and RTD. Any original characters and places are my property.
Author's Notes: Originally written for a challenge at the jack_ianto_las community. The prompt was "The Right Time To Lie."
In The Lie Is The Truth
“Are you bleeding?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Ianto, you’re bleeding, let me take care of it.”
“I will be fine.”
Ianto pulled away just as Jack grabbed for his arm. All he wanted to do was put tonight as far away as possible. He could feel the bile rising in his throat. He hated nights like this. Climbing into the passenger seat of the SUV he could feel his stomach already turning somersaults at what they had done.
Jack clambered into the vehicle and didn’t say a word for most of the drive. Without even looking at Ianto he asked, “Did you get Tosh to-”
“It’s being taken care of.”
“Good.”
Staring out the window, Ianto found himself thinking about that night’s mission. He was close enough, he could see the kid’s eyes as they changed from brown and human to grey and decidedly anything but human. Ianto shuddered. There were some things he could never forget.
“Where are we going?” Ianto asked, looking out the window, realising they were nowhere near the water tower.
“Your place.”
“I’m fine. We have work to do.”
“We already did the work. The others can handle the rest.”
“We sure did the work.”
Jack looked at him out of the corner of his eye, but didn’t say anything else. They drove on in heavy silence. There were days Ianto hated his job and this was one of them. Neither of them said a word until they got to Ianto’s flat and Jack parked the SUV.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’ll see me tonight,” Jack said, pocketing the keys and exiting the vehicle.
Ianto let out a sigh, knowing a fight was the last thing he wanted to partake in right now. He led the way up the stairs to his flat and let Jack in. Ianto didn’t even say a word as Jack pushed him down on the sofa and disappeared towards the bathroom. Jack came back minus his coat and with a warm, damp flannel in hand.
“You don’t have to do this, Jack.”
“I know I don’t have to,” Jack replied as he cleaned the blood from Ianto’s hands.
Ianto closed his eyes as Jack continued to clean him. It felt nice to have someone take care of him for once.
“This isn’t your blood.”
Ianto’s breath caught in his throat. “No.”
“I’m sorry, Ianto.”
“Could be worse.”
“How?”
“I could be the one you’re lying to and retconned.”
Jack sat down on the sofa next to him, the dirty flannel resting on his leg. “You know we had to do it.”
“It doesn’t make it any easier.”
“Would you prefer we let those parents remember what really became of their child, or let them think it was an unfortunate motor accident?”
Ianto knew he was right. The blood that covered his hands wasn’t Ianto’s, it was the child’s. It wasn’t really anything Torchwood had done, but rather what they hadn’t done that sealed the child’s fate. The poor kid deserved better than to be remembered as some puppet for a vile alien race.
They sat there, neither saying a word. They didn’t have to. Ianto could feel Jack’s consciousness nearly buzzing at him. He slid his fingers into Jack’s hand. Jack grasped his hand tightly, a warmth radiating from him.
“Will you lie to my family when I die?”
“You’re not going to die.”
Ianto laughed. He couldn’t help it. It was Torchwood. He would be lucky to last another five years. But he was going to make the most out of those five years - or however long the Universe gave him.
Jack’s fingers brushed along his cheek. “Do you want me to?” Jack asked.
“Maybe.” Perhaps it would be better that way.
Jack leaned in, gently kissing Ianto on the lips, still holding hands. Duw, if time could just stop so they could enjoy things, but that never happened. Time kept tromping forward and the lies kept being spun. One day the Universe would catch up with all of them, even Jack. Until then…
“We should get some sleep, you need to rest,” Jack said, pulling away. Taking Ianto by the hands, Jack pulled him up from the sofa and guided him towards the bedroom. “People do not believe lies because they have to, but because they want to.”
“Who said that?”
“Malcolm. You wouldn’t know him.”
“Right. Jack?”
“Yes?” Jack pushed Ianto down onto the bed and closed the door behind them.
“Lie to me.” For one night he wanted to believe that monsters didn’t exist in the Universe, least of all inside themselves.
“Anything.”
Series: Torchwood
Rating: R
Warnings: mentions of violence towards children
Beta: Going Commando
Disclaimer:I do not own Torchwood or the characters therein, they belong to the BBC and RTD. Any original characters and places are my property.
Author's Notes: Originally written for a challenge at the jack_ianto_las community. The prompt was "The Right Time To Lie."
In The Lie Is The Truth
“Are you bleeding?”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Ianto, you’re bleeding, let me take care of it.”
“I will be fine.”
Ianto pulled away just as Jack grabbed for his arm. All he wanted to do was put tonight as far away as possible. He could feel the bile rising in his throat. He hated nights like this. Climbing into the passenger seat of the SUV he could feel his stomach already turning somersaults at what they had done.
Jack clambered into the vehicle and didn’t say a word for most of the drive. Without even looking at Ianto he asked, “Did you get Tosh to-”
“It’s being taken care of.”
“Good.”
Staring out the window, Ianto found himself thinking about that night’s mission. He was close enough, he could see the kid’s eyes as they changed from brown and human to grey and decidedly anything but human. Ianto shuddered. There were some things he could never forget.
“Where are we going?” Ianto asked, looking out the window, realising they were nowhere near the water tower.
“Your place.”
“I’m fine. We have work to do.”
“We already did the work. The others can handle the rest.”
“We sure did the work.”
Jack looked at him out of the corner of his eye, but didn’t say anything else. They drove on in heavy silence. There were days Ianto hated his job and this was one of them. Neither of them said a word until they got to Ianto’s flat and Jack parked the SUV.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“You’ll see me tonight,” Jack said, pocketing the keys and exiting the vehicle.
Ianto let out a sigh, knowing a fight was the last thing he wanted to partake in right now. He led the way up the stairs to his flat and let Jack in. Ianto didn’t even say a word as Jack pushed him down on the sofa and disappeared towards the bathroom. Jack came back minus his coat and with a warm, damp flannel in hand.
“You don’t have to do this, Jack.”
“I know I don’t have to,” Jack replied as he cleaned the blood from Ianto’s hands.
Ianto closed his eyes as Jack continued to clean him. It felt nice to have someone take care of him for once.
“This isn’t your blood.”
Ianto’s breath caught in his throat. “No.”
“I’m sorry, Ianto.”
“Could be worse.”
“How?”
“I could be the one you’re lying to and retconned.”
Jack sat down on the sofa next to him, the dirty flannel resting on his leg. “You know we had to do it.”
“It doesn’t make it any easier.”
“Would you prefer we let those parents remember what really became of their child, or let them think it was an unfortunate motor accident?”
Ianto knew he was right. The blood that covered his hands wasn’t Ianto’s, it was the child’s. It wasn’t really anything Torchwood had done, but rather what they hadn’t done that sealed the child’s fate. The poor kid deserved better than to be remembered as some puppet for a vile alien race.
They sat there, neither saying a word. They didn’t have to. Ianto could feel Jack’s consciousness nearly buzzing at him. He slid his fingers into Jack’s hand. Jack grasped his hand tightly, a warmth radiating from him.
“Will you lie to my family when I die?”
“You’re not going to die.”
Ianto laughed. He couldn’t help it. It was Torchwood. He would be lucky to last another five years. But he was going to make the most out of those five years - or however long the Universe gave him.
Jack’s fingers brushed along his cheek. “Do you want me to?” Jack asked.
“Maybe.” Perhaps it would be better that way.
Jack leaned in, gently kissing Ianto on the lips, still holding hands. Duw, if time could just stop so they could enjoy things, but that never happened. Time kept tromping forward and the lies kept being spun. One day the Universe would catch up with all of them, even Jack. Until then…
“We should get some sleep, you need to rest,” Jack said, pulling away. Taking Ianto by the hands, Jack pulled him up from the sofa and guided him towards the bedroom. “People do not believe lies because they have to, but because they want to.”
“Who said that?”
“Malcolm. You wouldn’t know him.”
“Right. Jack?”
“Yes?” Jack pushed Ianto down onto the bed and closed the door behind them.
“Lie to me.” For one night he wanted to believe that monsters didn’t exist in the Universe, least of all inside themselves.
“Anything.”