Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
Title: Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
Author: iantojjackh
Beta: badly-knitted- thanks for the help on this.
Summary: When a piece of alien tech falls through the rift and hits Ianto, is its effect permanent? How will it change his life?
Characters/Pairing: Team Torchwood and Janto
Word Count: ~2.7k
Warnings: N/A
Spoilers: It's a nice AU where the whole team is still alive.
Disclaimer: Not mine. Just borrowing the characters for a while.
Notes: Written for hc_bingo prompt: mistaken identity and love_bingo prompt: rings. Blame the title of the week I just spent in Disney
Can You Feel the Love Tonight?
As he slowly regained consciousness, he became aware of voices calling an unfamiliar name, slowly they became louder to the point of screaming. "Everyone shut the hell up!" The man yelled and opened his eyes and saw two men standing over him. One with scary dark eyes, cold and almost inhuman. The other with blue eyes, captivating and enticing and so very very hot.
When he tried to sit up the handsome man put a pair of strong hands on his shoulders to keep him down.
"Whoa, there. You took quite a knock to the head. Just relax for a few minutes." The man ran a gentle hand over the side of his face. "Where does it hurt, Ianto?"
"Ianto? Me?" Ianto asked, not able to take his eyes off the gorgeous stranger. He could not remember ever having such an instant attraction to someone. Then again he couldn't remember anything. So maybe he had this type of magnetic attraction before. The man's eyes were full of worry, it put Ianto at ease.
"Real funny, tea-boy. You didn't hit your head hard enough to cause memory loss," Owen shined a light into Ianto's eyes to make sure there was no head trauma.
Ianto frowned as he finally got a good look at the man who was shining the light into his eyes. "Are you descended from gnomes?" He scrambled to get away from the bright light.
"Fuck you, Jones," Owen flipped Ianto off. If Ianto was cracking jokes he knew the man was going to be fine and there was nothing to worry about. "Let's get back to the Hub. Hopefully Tosh will be able to figure out what that thing is supposed to do."
Ianto flinched subtly when he saw both men had guns. Further, these people seemed to know him or at least pretended to know him and if he played along perhaps they would not use their guns on him.
"Agreed. Are you okay? You seem a bit out of it. You were knocked out for a few minutes," Jack offered a hand to help Ianto up.
"Yeah fine. Why wouldn't I be?" As Ianto took the offered hand, he saw the gold band on his finger. It was a small comfort to know that if these people did something to him that he would be missed by someone who would come looking for him if he did not come home.
It was a silent ride back to the Hub with Ianto in the back seat, watching and taking everything in. He thought it a shame that such an attractive man probably wanted him dead. Ianto cursed himself for allowing himself to be allured by such danger. 'Love at first sight is not real. It's a fairy tale for lonely saps and you're married.' He reminded himself.
Ianto knew he just had to go along with the scary people until he could make a break for it and it left him wondering if he was attracted to danger and that's why he found the man with the American accent so exciting.
"Hey, where do you think you are going?" Owen yelled as Ianto tried to sneak away from the main area of the Hub.
"I umm...I'm a bit knackered so I thought I would head home," Ianto shifted nervously from foot to foot.
"Not without me examining you first and I don't think Jack is done with Tosh yet," Owen pointed to the exam table. "Up there, now." There was no room left for argument. "I need to make sure you didn't scramble your brains more than they are already are."
"You are not a very nice thing," Ianto scowled at the supposed doctor. "Are you sure you are a real doctor and not one of those pretend ones?" He knew it was not smart to anger the other man. His gaze flitted over toward where the handsome one stood. So his name was Jack. Ianto scolded himself for checking out the man who probably wanted him dead.
"Stop ogling the boss. Geez, I hate the newlywed stage. Save the lecherous staring for the bedroom," Owen snapped his fingers to get Ianto's attention back to him.
Ianto narrowed his eyes at the cranky man, his disdain for Owen's words masked his confusion. Boss? Did that mean he worked with this lot of gun toting strangers? "Are you done? I would like to head home." Not that he had a clue of where home was. Ianto tried to jump off the table but everything went black before his feet even hit the floor.
"Oi, stubborn arse." Owen tried to catch Ianto before he fell, but he was not quick enough and the Welshman crumpled to the cold ground. "Jack! A little help here." There was no way he could lift the dead weight by himself.
Jack rushed over hearing Owen's cry for help. "What happened?" He helped get Ianto back on the table. "You said he was fine!" Jack got snippy when he was worried. And he was very worried about Ianto at the moment.
"I didn't say that. Your husband said he was fine. I never got to fully examine him because Ianto is being extra stubborn today." Owen did not appreciate being talked to in that tone even if it was by the boss.
“What’s wrong with him then? Ianto seemed fine on the ride back. Maybe a little disoriented, but otherwise fine. He’s going to be fine, right? Please tell me he’s going to be okay.” Jack pleaded.
“Let me examine him first, Jack.” The medic said sternly. Ever since the couple exchanged vows two months ago, a switch seemed to flip on the captain and he became super over protective of his partner, more so than normal.
Before Owen could respond, Ianto began to snore softly as if asleep. "Don't tell me he just fell asleep," the cranky physician rolled his eyes. "How much did you wear Ianto out last night?"
Jack held up his hands, claiming innocence. "We went to bed early last night. Both of us were beyond exhausted after the weevil chase. It was the first night in a long time we didn't have sex. We fell asleep watching a movie." Jack did not understand the concept of over sharing and did not care that Owen probably did not need or want to hear that.
"I didn't need to know that," Owen rolled his eyes and continued with his examination. He could not find anything physically wrong with Ianto with the exception that he would not wake up from a seemingly deep sleep. The doctor noted his patient was responsive to painful stimuli which resulted with a hit to his crotch and swore if Ianto was faking that there would be payback, but the worry on Jack's face was too real for this to be a joke the two were pulling.
"Could this be from the beam that hit him?" Jack asked, trying to shake his spouse awake with no effect.
"I don't know. I can't say until Tosh is done, but it's a strong possibility."
"If Ianto is just sleeping can we at least move him to someplace more comfortable?" Jack wanted to make his husband as comfortable as possible and a metal table was not such a place.
"Fine!" Owen agreed, reluctantly not up for a fight with the boss. As long as Ianto was kept in the hub where Owen could keep an eye on the stubborn Welshman, he had no other choice but to be okay with it. So, the sleeping Ianto was moved to one of the spare quarters used in case of emergencies. Of course a concerned Jack refused to leave his ailing husband's side.
As Ianto slowly woke from his near comatose state, hours later, the first thing he became aware of was a heavy arm draped across him, holding him flush to the other body. It was several moments before he was able to untangle himself without disturbing the sleeping person.
Despite the almost total darkness of the room, Ianto was able to see that it was the handsome one called Jack in bed with him. Against better judgement, the Welshman reached out and let his finger tips brush over the stubbled cheek. "How can I be so drawn to someone who scares the shit out of me? What kind of magic are you using?"
"You're awake," Jack whispered, taking Ianto's hand in his and lacing their fingers.
"I am," the reply was simple until the panic set in when Ianto realised he had been stripped to only a pair of pants. He did not even want to think of the liberties and indignities done to him while he was asleep. Ianto did not want to make any sudden moves and spook the other man.
"How are you feeling?" Jack asked, his hand reaching over to rest on top of his husband's hand.
"Tired," Ianto rubbed his eyes. "Where am I? Is that insipid little man gone too?" Just thinking of the doctor made the Welshman nauseous.
"The spare quarters," Worried, Jack reached behind him and turned on the light and ignored the dig at Owen, some days it was best to ignore their rivalry. "Are you sure you are okay?"
"Fine," Ianto barely finished the word as he choked upon seeing that Jack was naked and he could not contain himself anymore. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" The panicked man scrambled out of bed, taking the bed sheet with him to cover up. It took only a second to realise that it was a mistake as it left Jack to hang out in all his big glory. "You are sick and twisted," Ianto tossed the stiff cotton sheet so he did not need to look at a naked man and put as much distance between him and the crazy man as possible.
"Ianto, what's wrong?" Jack asked, the concern on his face clear as day.
"You are crazy that's what's wrong. Who do you think you are that you strip me and then crawl into bed with me naked? Is this your idea of a sick game?" Ianto's field of vision started to fade the more agitated he got.
It suddenly became clear to Jack what was going on and what the beam had done to Ianto, it wiped his memory. The question was how much of it was missing. "What's your sister's name?"
"What does it matter? That's a trick question." He was proud of himself for not being caught in the trap. The look on Jack's face told a different story.
Jack reached for one of the comms on the bedside table, "Tosh, have you been able to find out anything about the device? Like say memory loss?"
"Oh, I get what you are playing at now. Make me think I've lost my memory. Well you aren't going to win," Ianto was going to go down fighting if at all possible. "What about my wife? She will be worried if I don't come home and come looking for me." That is when he noticed the wedding band was no longer on his finger. "What did you do with it?"
Jack did not wait to hear Tosh's reply as he knew he had to calm the panicking Ianto. "Your sister's name is Rhiannon. Your wedding band is on the bedside table next to mine. I took it off because you don't sleep with it on because it makes your finger swell. There is no wife, there's only me." Jack could only hope the memory loss was temporary and he would never have to see the fear that was in Ianto's eyes ever again.
The next several minutes melted into complete chaos as Ianto refused to believe what Jack was saying, that he was the one he was married to. The comment that stung the most was when Ianto accused Jack of drugging him to make Ianto attracted to Jack. Though the words and accusation hurt, Jack had to take some kind of solace that the feelings were there even if the memories that got them there were not.
No amount of pleading or convincing could calm the irate Welshman. In a fit of anger, Ianto grabbed a lamp and smacked Jack with it in the head, knocking him unconscious.
"I just want to go home. Just take me home," Ianto cried as he raised the lamp again, coming in for a second attack. He never got the chance for a second hit as Tosh, arriving unbeknownst to the crazy man, activated the device, hitting Ianto with the beam for a second time.
Jack came to just as Owen and Gwen were putting Ianto back into bed with the medic grumbling about a naked captain as the women blushed. "What happened?" He rubbed the diminishing lump on his head.
"Ianto attacked you. I had to hit him with the device a second time. It should restore the lost memories." Tosh said quietly, adding a silent I hope. It was the only option available and in retrospect it could not make things worse than they already were.
Jack stood up, in all of his naked glory and absentmindedly redressed with the clothes he’d left on the back of the chair. "I'll stay with Ianto." Jack's tone left little room for argument. He was going to stay by his husband's side no matter what the outcome. This was going to be, a true test of the in sickness and in health part of their vows.
Jack watched as Ianto slept, hoping and praying that when he woke up Ianto's memories were where they should be. Jack did not know what he would do if the memory loss was permanent. It would shatter him if that were to happen, but logistically he wouldn't know what to do with the amnesiac man. For now, Jack could only think that they would cross that bridge if it came to it.
As the immortal captain began to doze off, his mind began to torture him with
countless ways Ianto would leave him because his memory never returned, each way
worse than the previous, ending with Ianto leaving him for the Master. Jack woke with a jolt and saw Ianto staring at him. It was the moment of truth. "Hey," he said his voice wavering with fear.
"Hey," Ianto replied softly. "What are you doing all the way over there with too many clothes on?" The pair of pants Ianto had been wearing flew across the room and landed on Jack's head.
It wasn't the response Jack had expected, but it was one he fantasied about. Who was Jack to turn down such a irresistible offer? Clearly, the second hit from the device reversed the effects. "Are you sure? You're all there now, right? You aren't going to hit me with a lamp again?"
Ianto smirked and rolled his eyes. "Have you done something while I was asleep to deserve being hit? I've been asleep for about twenty two of the last twenty four hours and I cannot think of a better way to get the blood flowing in all my extremities than you joining me in bed, making up for lost time and apologising for what I said and did to you earlier."
"When you put it like that, how can I say no?" Jack quickly discarded all of his clothes and locked the door before joining Ianto in bed.
"Welcome back, my love."
"Good to be back, sir."
Jack leaned down for a kiss, but Ianto stopped him just as their lips were about to meet. "What's wrong?" He began to wonder if this was all a dream that he about to wake up from and Ianto was not going to remember him.
"We're missing something," Ianto grinned as he reached over to the table and grabbed their wedding bands.
After they slid the rings on each other's fingers, Ianto slid his arms around Jack's neck. "Now ravish me, husband." He said making his Welsh vowels into a very powerful aphrodisiac.