Torchwood, "We Are Broken," Jack/Ianto Part Two
Title: We Are Broken
Author: missdeanna
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing/character: Jack/Ianto
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 13850
Kink: D/s, service submission, spanking
Notes/Warnings: Explicit sex, D/s, and some language. Many thanks to my betas, verasteine and kahtyasofia. They both gave me a lot of time, patience, and great feedback, and I used their advice the best I could.
Summary: Ianto wants to be Jack's submissive. Jack is looking for some control. They commit to a month, and let it go from there. If only it were that simple.
Artist: deadflowers5. Many thanks for the artwork and icons.
"I really hate telekinetic aliens," Owen said. He was rummaging through one of the drawers in the autopsy bay. Metal instruments clanged together as he shoved them around.
Ianto, who was sitting on the table, said, "Stop complaining. You're not the one who got hit in the face."
Jack was leaning on the railing above, watching. He had been knocked unconscious early in the confrontation, and he wasn't exactly pleased about that. He'd regained consciousness to the sight of Ianto standing over the alien, holding his stun gun in one hand, and covering his eye with the other. Owen was still favoring his left leg, and Gwen had escaped harm only by using a cardboard box as a shield.
Finally, Owen retrieved a small torch from the drawer and went back to Ianto. Jack watched him shine the light in Ianto's eye. After that, he held a finger in front of Ianto's gaze and made him follow it with his eyes as he moved it left to right. Ianto shifted irritably on the table and looked like he'd rather roll his eyes than follow Owen's finger one more time.
But before he could lose his patience, Owen stopped. He put the torch away and said, "You'll have a nasty black eye in the morning, but everything looks fine."
"So what?" Ianto asked. "Put some ice on it and call you if I go blind?"
"If you go blind, go to the A and E, not me."
Jack watched while Owen gave him a couple pills and a paper cup half filled with water. Ianto swallowed it all down, and got up stiffly and winced when his feet touched the floor. He took a sidelong glance at Owen, whose back was turned, and then looked up at Jack. It was clear he was in pain, no matter how nonchalant he was about it. Jack wasn't convinced that it was just his face that had been hit, either.
The worst part was that Jack was sure he should be able to do something about it. Or, better, he should have been able to prevent it in the first place.
The best thing he could do now was to let everyone off early at the first opportunity. Nobody seemed to be in a mood for work. Even Tosh, who had remained in the Hub that afternoon to direct the others, took off as soon as Jack gave her the chance.
Once everyone else (except for Ianto) had left, Jack sat on the sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table. He felt like he could go to sleep right there, but he knew if he did, he would wake up with a sore back and regret not dragging himself to bed.
Still, he had just started to drift off when he heard Ianto. He opened his eyes to see him sitting on the coffee table. He looked even more exhausted than Jack felt.
Jack sighed. "What a day, huh?"
"I don't know. I always thought getting a black eye would be something of a rite of passage."
Jack tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a cough. "Hmmm. I should drive you home."
"I'd rather stay here, if that's all right."
"You won't be as comfortable." Jack was a little glad Ianto wanted to stay, but he wanted to do what was best for Ianto.
"I'll be all right. I don't really want the drive right now." Ianto turned to Jack's feet and started unlacing his boots. He pulled them off, and set them on the floor.
"You don't need to do that."
"I want to." He picked up Jack's left foot, put it in his lap, and began to massage it. "You don't have to be too gentle with me, you know."
"Didn't realize I was."
"Sometimes you are. If I needed you to be, I'd tell you."
Jack shook his head. "No, you wouldn't."
Ianto shrugged. "I've never had to. Just let me take care of you. Sir."
Jack couldn't resist the offer. He closed his eyes, savoring the foot rub. He rested his head against the back of the sofa, and his hair brushed against the hard bricks. "You're too good to me," he said.
"It's my duty," Ianto replied, as though it were that simple. Maybe it was.
It felt a little like cheating to get what he needed like this, even though he hadn't ordered Ianto to do anything tonight. Dominance was a little like voodoo-it only worked if people believed in it. Jack usually believed, but sometimes he didn't, the same way he had flares of panic where he didn't really know who he was.
Ianto gently set Jack's foot down on the table, and picked up the other one, giving it the same treatment. His hands were warm and his fingers were firm as they pressed into aching spots and soothed the muscles. Jack murmured contentedly.
"I could live like this," he said.
"What?" Ianto asked, sounding amused. "Having me give you eternal foot massages?"
Jack laughed and put a hand over his eyes. "No. I mean, yeah, that'd be great. But just...down here."
"You already do."
~~~
By morning, Ianto did have a nasty black eye, and that wasn't the worst of it. They had the telekinetic alien in the vaults, and Jack had officially classified it as a Class B threat, which was a fancy way of saying, "Not apocalyptic, but still really dangerous."
The alien couldn't move large objects, but food trays, pens, and their clothes were fair game. Sedating it with gas pumped into the cell proved ineffective. Tosh was trying to figure out a way to block the telekinesis, and in the meantime, prisoners still had to be fed. Jack was tempted to explain that when UNIT called him for the third time one afternoon, asking after something that he hadn't even had time to look at.
Somehow, Jack had kept up making the to-do lists, though he hadn't had time to properly check up on any of them for a few days.
By the end of the week, Tosh was finishing a machine that she swore would create a protective force field against the telekinesis, and Jack let himself focus on other things.
He remembered the most recent list he'd given Ianto. There'd been three tasks: Re-sew a button that had come off Jack's coat, polish the dress shoes that he had to wear to a meeting tomorrow, and press some shirts. The button looked as good as new, and the shirts were hanging crisp and smooth in Jack's armoire. The shoes, however, hadn't been touched and the rest of the team had gone home over an hour ago. Jack went to find Ianto.
It was only on the way upstairs that Jack realized that Ianto should have come to his office after the others left, too. Jack had been so distracted with getting ready for the meeting that he hadn't noticed.
Ianto was in the tourist office. He was reading a magazine and looked up when Jack came in through the secret door. His eye was still bruised, though he'd said the pain was mostly gone.
"Hey," Jack said. "You keeping busy?"
"A bit. Before Owen left, I had to help him sedate our guest in the cells so we could feed everyone down there. Took a bit of exertion. The Weevils would have revolted if we had waited any longer."
"Tosh thinks she can set up some sort of force field that will block the telekinetic energy. She said she'll come in and finish it tomorrow. I have to ask, though. When were you going to do my shoes?"
Ianto tensed and looked away. "The day isn't over yet. I still have time."
Jack walked around to the front of the desk, looking Ianto up and down as he did so. He raised an eyebrow. "But it's getting late, and you've had time. Do you not want to do it?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I've been busy. I do have a life and a job, you know."
"You had plenty of time for the other two tasks I gave you." Jack saw Ianto's shoulders stiffen. He always tightened his body when he got defensive. Before Ianto could respond, he said, "Look, I'm not upset if you're busy, or if you need a break. But what did I tell you to do if you couldn't complete something for me?"
Ianto swallowed. "Talk to you."
"That's right. Otherwise, I expect these things to be done. I only started requesting this because that's what you wanted."
Ianto sighed. "Look, we've all been stressed. I didn't know your shoes were so important to you."
"You don't have to be sarcastic."
"I'm not, Jack. I mean it. You've never said that any of the tasks on those lists were important. You've never said there'd be any consequences if I didn't complete them when you wanted, either. You don't usually care if I wait until late to do things. I would have made sure you had them in time for your meeting, if that's what you're worried about."
Jack didn't answer right away. He wanted to argue, but it wasn't like Ianto was wrong. He didn't think he was wrong, either. He'd never put any firm rules in place, but then, that hadn't seemed necessary. It had worked great up until now, hadn't it?
Jack sighed. "I am stressed, you're right. Why don't we go back to your place, huh? Call it an early night?"
"All right," Ianto said, softly, as he got up.
They drove to Ianto's flat in silence. When they arrived, Ianto went straight to the kitchen and got a can of lager from the refrigerator. He sat down on the sofa without looking at Jack and opened the can.
Jack looked at him. "What is up with you tonight?"
Ianto didn't respond. He just took an angry sip of his drink.
Jack paced over to Ianto's bookshelf and started to fiddle with a Rubik's cube he kept there.
"This is what I was talking about. About it being difficult. This is what happens when you want duties and rules: you get called on it when you don't follow them. If you can't deal with that…"
Ianto laughed. It sounded sad and a little manic. "What rules, Jack? You gave me a list, with no further instructions. How is it my problem if you change your mind about how you want things, or if you don't tell me at all? God…so I'm not allowed to disagree with you? Complain at all?"
Jack walked over to the window and looked past his own reflection to the street below. He didn't want to look at Ianto. He'd thought they were doing all right. He'd thought, somehow, that this would make things good between them again-that it would create security and make them happy, everything Jack had longed for and promised himself while he was away.
Ianto continued. "I wouldn't care if you got upset with me if I didn't have to guess at what you expected. Hell, punish me if you want. I'd just prefer a chance to get it right."
Jack turned to him. "So what, then? Do you want to be punished? Were you trying to see how much it'd take to piss me off?"
"Well, it's not like you tell me."
Jack turned away. He had been so sure he'd been doing everything right. He started for the door. "I'm going out. We shouldn't be together tonight."
He paused with his hand on the doorknob when he heard Ianto say, "So you're leaving now. That's perfect."
That almost made him stop. Almost. Jack opened the door and stepped out, letting it close behind him. He marched down the hall towards the lift, already thinking about where he'd go. There was a seventy-percent chance of rain tonight, but he thought he'd go to one of his favorite old buildings where he could go up to the roof unbothered. He wanted solitude.
Ianto, he supposed, would think things through.
Jack made it to the lift and jabbed the button with his thumb. He waited anxiously, and hoped it would come before Ianto would decide to follow him. If this were a movie, like one of the films Jack had enjoyed back in the '40s, that was what would happen.
But it wasn't a movie and that wasn't going to happen. Ianto had too much pride. He would let Jack go.
Jack was just about to take the stairs when the bell dinged and the lift doors finally opened. He was about to step inside when doubt crept into his mind. He'd made promises to Ianto. He'd promised to make sure his needs were met, and to be in charge. And now he was walking away. He wasn't sure he had that luxury with Ianto, any more than he had it when aliens attacked or the world was ending.
Maybe it would be better to step into the lift and leave, giving them both space to breathe tonight. But he wasn't sure if Ianto would trust him again if he did.
He turned around, strode back to Ianto's door, and hesitantly tried the handle. If it had been locked, he had his key, though he wasn't sure if he would have used it or not. But it didn't matter. The door swung open.
Ianto was sitting where Jack had left him, the can of lager still in his hand. Jack approached him slowly, his urgency gone, until he was in front of Ianto. He leaned against the wall. Neither of them spoke at first.
"If you'd like me to go, I will," Jack said.
Ianto shrugged. "I don't know," he said. His voice caught when he said it. He looked down at the carpet.
"Then I'll stick around for a bit, if that's okay."
Ianto didn't respond, and Jack continued. "If you wanna cool things down for a bit, I understand."
"We only have a week left," Ianto said softly. "I don't want to stop early. I don't want to stop."
Jack smiled. "You always were stubborn."
"I am, yes. I don't want to talk about this tonight."
"Yeah, we'd probably make a bigger mess of it."
"We need to talk, though." Ianto set the can down on the coffee table and crossed his arms across his chest. "I would like you to stay."
Jack moved closer, sitting on the arm of a chair. "Then I will."
~~~
In the morning, Jack washed up in Ianto's bathroom. He'd slept in his clothes, and he pushed his shirt down into his trousers, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles. He didn't have a spare set of clothes in the flat, so he would have to stop by the Hub at some point to shower and change. He bent over the sink to wash his face.
He was patting his face dry when Ianto came into the doorway of the bathroom, wearing his boxers and a t-shirt.
"Hi," Ianto said. His voice was subdued and he looked tired, but he smiled.
Jack smiled back. "Good morning."
"When do you have to leave?"
"Not for a while. We've got time."
"For what?"
Jack raised his eyebrows. "You tell me, Ianto."
Ianto leaned against the doorframe, his shoulder brushing against the peeling paint. He didn't answer right away--actually, he looked a little lost.
"Look," Jack said, "maybe we haven't been as clear as we should be. So, I'm listening."
Ianto took a deep breath. "I don't know what you want," Ianto said. "It just feels like I've missed the memo sometimes. It's okay if you're demanding. I can take that."
"Okay. I can try to make things clearer. But I haven't been firmer with you because I haven't thought you needed it. I don't know, maybe I was wrong."
Jack stepped forward and put a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "But one thing: you're doing great. If there's a problem, it's not you, okay?"
"You know," Ianto said, his voice careful, "I understand that something happened when you were gone. I don't need to know about it. I don't need to know why you need this. You don't need to know why I need it. That's all right. I just want to do this."
"So do I."
Ianto closed his eyes.
"So," Jack asked, "that mean you're still game?"
Ianto nodded, and Jack rubbed his shoulders.
"Do you think you have enough food on hand here for today?" Jack asked.
Ianto looked taken aback. "Sure, I went shopping a couple days ago. Why?"
Jack held him by the shoulders and steered him backwards into the hall.
"I want you to take off your clothes, and I want you to keep them off until tonight, when I get back from London. I don't want you to get dressed or leave this flat unless it's necessary. Will you do that?"
Ianto licked his lips. "All right. May I ask why, sir?"
"Because I want it. I don't need a reason to want to see your body. Actually, I'd like you to be naked when we're here together." He thought about extending this rule to their nights in the Hub, but thought about waiting on that. He preferred to stop the CCTV cameras when he planned to have Ianto naked.
Ianto blinked. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, when I get back, I'll ask if you obeyed me. I won't be mad if say you couldn't, but I'll expect a good reason."
Ianto nodded, and Jack reached out and cupped his neck, pulling his head close. He kissed him.
He stepped back and waited. It took a few seconds for Ianto to act, but he took off his t-shirt and boxers, letting them fall to the floor before bending down to pick them up.
Jack let Ianto put his clothes away. He went into the kitchen to find them something for breakfast, and finally found some cereal.
When Ianto came back, Jack watched him. He could just detect the hesitance in Ianto's movements as he seemed to figure out how to go about his routine in the nude. He didn't balk, though, and after a few minutes of fidgeting on the wooden chair, he appeared to relax and focus on his cereal.
Jack would have liked to stay all day. But he said goodbye while Ianto rinsed the bowls in the sink. He took one last look at Ianto's arse and left.
~~~
Jack never complained about being invited to meet with UNIT because, well, at least UNIT cared a little about keeping him in the loop. But it was a lot of preparation and driving in order to sit in a cramped conference room and be told about things he'd already managed to find out.
When he got back to Ianto's flat, and lights were dimmed. Jack shed his coat and tracked Ianto to the bedroom. He was on the bed, naked except for the paperback book that was fanned open on his chest. His eyes were closed and his cock was resting against his thigh. Jack watched the gentle rise and fall of Ianto's chest. It was something he always noticed.
Ianto smiled softly. "I know you're there," he murmured.
"Hey, thought you were asleep."
Ianto opened his eyes. "Just for a minute." He closed his book and set it on the nightstand.
"Did you do what I said?"
"Yes, sir."
Jack rubbed Ianto's thigh. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that. Do you know what I'd like to do now?"
Ianto stretched. The blanket was twisted underneath him. "I was hoping you'd want to fuck me."
Jack grinned and opened the nightstand drawer, where Ianto kept the lube. Ianto turned over onto his hands and knees. He arched his back and spread his legs so that when Jack stepped back, he could see Ianto's hole and his dangling cock and balls. He was obscenely exposed, like a present for Jack's pleasure.
"That's beautiful," Jack said, his voice low. He set the bottle of lube on the bed and started to undo his belt.
"One thing before I fuck you. I'm going to whip your ass with my belt."
Ianto breathed in sharply and Jack could feel the blood going down to his own cock. He pulled his belt free and doubled it.
"This will hurt," he warned him. "Even if you really want it, it will hurt and it can be hard to stay still."
"I can do it, sir." Ianto sounded so proud and certain, and Jack knew that he probably could do it.
Jack walked around to the side of the bed. The mattress springs creaked under his knee when he leaned forward. He nudged Ianto's thighs closer together and put one hand above his buttocks.
The first time the leather cracked against his skin, Ianto gasped. He stayed still.
"You're only getting six," Jack murmured. "That was one."
Ianto's ears were pink and his cock was pointing at his chin. After each stroke of the belt, Jack paused while Ianto tried not to squirm away. After the sixth stroke, Jack tossed the belt on the floor. The metal buckle thudded against the carpet.
"Good," Jack said. He climbed on the bed behind Ianto to inspect him. His ass was red, and he thought he could see a couple fresh welts. He leaned down and kissed one of them.
"I could have taken more," Ianto said, almost in a whisper.
"You probably could," Jack admitted. "But I want to fuck you, not whip you all night. Now spread your legs again."
Jack unfastened his fly and pushed his trousers and pants down to his knees. He ran one hand down Ianto's hip and stroked his own cock with the other. Ianto turned his head and tried to look over his shoulder.
"Don't," Jack said. "Keep your head down. Lift your ass up for me."
Ianto dropped his shoulders down to the mattress and lifted his hips higher. Jack murmured with approval and squirted some of the lube onto his finger. He slipped it into Ianto's hole. Ianto breathed in deeply, and Jack shuddered. He added another finger.
"I could do this to you all night," Jack said. But even as he said it, he stopped. He quickly coated his cock with lube and held onto Ianto's hips before pushing inside him.
"That's good," he murmured. "You're so good. You can touch your cock if you'd like. But don't come."
Ianto whimpered.
If Jack had wanted, he could have thrust slowly, drawing this out for as long as he wanted. But he was so close, and he could tell Ianto was, too. And Ianto didn't have much experience with delaying his orgasms yet.
A few more thrusts and Jack came, muscles tensing while he pressed against and inside Ianto's warm body. He pulled out and back, and looked at Ianto, whose knees were quivering.
"On your back," Jack said. His own voice sounded breathy to his ears.
Ianto lay back, just barely wincing when his ass touched the bed. The red tip of his cock glistened with pre-come, and his hands twitched nearby, as though eager to touch it.
"I'll wank you off. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Ianto looked him in the eye. "Yes, sir."
Jack straddled Ianto's legs and wrapped his hand around his cock. Ianto pushed his head back in the pillow and moaned. It only took a few strokes to bring him off.
For a moment, they looked at each other, both breathing heavily. Jack nodded at the white streak on Ianto's belly.
"Eat your come, now."
Ianto raised an eyebrow. "You really enjoy having me do that?"
"I do, yeah. What's the deal? You always swallow my come."
"Come tastes fine to me. It's just strange when it's mine." He ran his finger down his abdomen, though, and then sucked on it, keeping eye contact with Jack as he did so.
"I've been thinking," Ianto said, after he swallowed, "about collars."
Jack hoisted his trousers up and sat next to Ianto. He started to play with Ianto's chest hair. "Collars, huh? You want to get one?"
Ianto's cheeks started to flush. "As long as it's comfortable."
"Right, a comfortable collar. That would be doable." Jack rested back against the pillows and looked up at the mottled ceiling plaster. "There are lots of kinds of collars. We could get you pretty much anything. If you were going to wear it all the time, then we'd have to look for something you can wear under your shirt." He paused. "Would you like that?"
Ianto put his head against Jack's shoulder. "I know it's cliched. But I want to always know."
~~~
Jack was used to Ianto joining him in his office at night, but this was the first time that Ianto made it there first. Jack had been downstairs, checking on the Weevils. Now that Tosh's machine was up and running, and it was safe to go down in the vaults again, he felt like he should make up for lost time. Janet still looked neglected.
Jack came upstairs and found Ianto in his office. He was sitting on a stepstool, polishing a pair of Jack's shoes.
Ianto looked up when he came in. "I'm almost done, sir."
"Great. No hurry."
Jack sat down at his desk and checked his e-mail. After a few minutes, Ianto stood up. He set the shoes aside on a piece of newspaper and put everything else away. He left the office, and came back a minute later carrying a kneeling pad. It was the sort that gardeners used, and it was painted bright yellow with pastel flowers that reminded Jack of the prints that were popular in the 60s.
"What is that?" Jack asked when he saw it.
"I found it in one of the storage rooms. I think it was Susie's. The floor's a bit hard on my knees."
"Ianto Jones-always practical. But you know I'll keep you down there longer if you're more comfortable."
Ianto smiled. "All the better for us both, then."
Ianto put it on the floor by Jack's chair and knelt down. Jack admired his ingenuity. This would not only allow Ianto to stay on his knees longer, but it would give him less excuse to fidget, too. He rubbed Ianto's hair appreciatively.
Jack opened his e-mails while Ianto settled in. He didn't focus on them for long, though. He looked down at Ianto.
"You know, we agreed on a month. This is the last day. Tomorrow, you could be a free man and no one could say you didn't give it a fair chance."
"Lucky for you I don't want to be free."
He had expected that, but it was still nice to hear it, and he needed the confirmation before they could do anything more. He opened one of the desk drawers. "Close your eyes. I have something for you."
Jack waited until he could see Ianto obey before pulling out the box. He set it on the desk and then reached down to unknot Ianto's tie. He coiled the silk tie neatly on his desk, and unbuttoned the first few buttons of Ianto's shirt. He felt Ianto swallow against his fingers.
"You can open your eyes."
Jack held the collar in front of Ianto's face. It was lightweight metal, thin and loose enough that he could wear it under anything. There was a small tag, which he'd had engraved with "CJH."
Ianto's eyes brightened at the sight of it. Jack let him admire it for a moment before reaching down to clasp it around his neck. Ianto touched it gingerly, as though the chain might break.
"Do you like it?"
"It's very nice. Thank you, sir."
Jack was still figuring out exactly what Ianto needed, but he understood that this was part of it. Ianto appreciated tradition and structure. The collar didn't change anything, really, and he would have felt just as much in charge without Ianto wearing it, but it was tangible symbolism, just like the folded lists Ianto kept in his pockets and the black stains of shoe polish on his fingers.
Jack pushed his chair back and unzipped his fly. Ianto moved between his legs, flowered kneeling pad and all, and tugged and the elastic of Jack's briefs with clumsy fingers.
Jack leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. The only sounds were the hum of the computer fan and Myfanwy squawking in her nest. He felt Ianto's mouth, warm and wet around his cock, and the chain around Ianto's neck lightly brushed his balls.
And he was home.
Part One
Here is the full list of icons made for this fic by deadflowers5:
Author: missdeanna
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing/character: Jack/Ianto
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 13850
Kink: D/s, service submission, spanking
Notes/Warnings: Explicit sex, D/s, and some language. Many thanks to my betas, verasteine and kahtyasofia. They both gave me a lot of time, patience, and great feedback, and I used their advice the best I could.
Summary: Ianto wants to be Jack's submissive. Jack is looking for some control. They commit to a month, and let it go from there. If only it were that simple.
Artist: deadflowers5. Many thanks for the artwork and icons.
"I really hate telekinetic aliens," Owen said. He was rummaging through one of the drawers in the autopsy bay. Metal instruments clanged together as he shoved them around.
Ianto, who was sitting on the table, said, "Stop complaining. You're not the one who got hit in the face."
Jack was leaning on the railing above, watching. He had been knocked unconscious early in the confrontation, and he wasn't exactly pleased about that. He'd regained consciousness to the sight of Ianto standing over the alien, holding his stun gun in one hand, and covering his eye with the other. Owen was still favoring his left leg, and Gwen had escaped harm only by using a cardboard box as a shield.
Finally, Owen retrieved a small torch from the drawer and went back to Ianto. Jack watched him shine the light in Ianto's eye. After that, he held a finger in front of Ianto's gaze and made him follow it with his eyes as he moved it left to right. Ianto shifted irritably on the table and looked like he'd rather roll his eyes than follow Owen's finger one more time.
But before he could lose his patience, Owen stopped. He put the torch away and said, "You'll have a nasty black eye in the morning, but everything looks fine."
"So what?" Ianto asked. "Put some ice on it and call you if I go blind?"
"If you go blind, go to the A and E, not me."
Jack watched while Owen gave him a couple pills and a paper cup half filled with water. Ianto swallowed it all down, and got up stiffly and winced when his feet touched the floor. He took a sidelong glance at Owen, whose back was turned, and then looked up at Jack. It was clear he was in pain, no matter how nonchalant he was about it. Jack wasn't convinced that it was just his face that had been hit, either.
The worst part was that Jack was sure he should be able to do something about it. Or, better, he should have been able to prevent it in the first place.
The best thing he could do now was to let everyone off early at the first opportunity. Nobody seemed to be in a mood for work. Even Tosh, who had remained in the Hub that afternoon to direct the others, took off as soon as Jack gave her the chance.
Once everyone else (except for Ianto) had left, Jack sat on the sofa and put his feet up on the coffee table. He felt like he could go to sleep right there, but he knew if he did, he would wake up with a sore back and regret not dragging himself to bed.
Still, he had just started to drift off when he heard Ianto. He opened his eyes to see him sitting on the coffee table. He looked even more exhausted than Jack felt.
Jack sighed. "What a day, huh?"
"I don't know. I always thought getting a black eye would be something of a rite of passage."
Jack tried to laugh, but it sounded more like a cough. "Hmmm. I should drive you home."
"I'd rather stay here, if that's all right."
"You won't be as comfortable." Jack was a little glad Ianto wanted to stay, but he wanted to do what was best for Ianto.
"I'll be all right. I don't really want the drive right now." Ianto turned to Jack's feet and started unlacing his boots. He pulled them off, and set them on the floor.
"You don't need to do that."
"I want to." He picked up Jack's left foot, put it in his lap, and began to massage it. "You don't have to be too gentle with me, you know."
"Didn't realize I was."
"Sometimes you are. If I needed you to be, I'd tell you."
Jack shook his head. "No, you wouldn't."
Ianto shrugged. "I've never had to. Just let me take care of you. Sir."
Jack couldn't resist the offer. He closed his eyes, savoring the foot rub. He rested his head against the back of the sofa, and his hair brushed against the hard bricks. "You're too good to me," he said.
"It's my duty," Ianto replied, as though it were that simple. Maybe it was.
It felt a little like cheating to get what he needed like this, even though he hadn't ordered Ianto to do anything tonight. Dominance was a little like voodoo-it only worked if people believed in it. Jack usually believed, but sometimes he didn't, the same way he had flares of panic where he didn't really know who he was.
Ianto gently set Jack's foot down on the table, and picked up the other one, giving it the same treatment. His hands were warm and his fingers were firm as they pressed into aching spots and soothed the muscles. Jack murmured contentedly.
"I could live like this," he said.
"What?" Ianto asked, sounding amused. "Having me give you eternal foot massages?"
Jack laughed and put a hand over his eyes. "No. I mean, yeah, that'd be great. But just...down here."
"You already do."
~~~
By morning, Ianto did have a nasty black eye, and that wasn't the worst of it. They had the telekinetic alien in the vaults, and Jack had officially classified it as a Class B threat, which was a fancy way of saying, "Not apocalyptic, but still really dangerous."
The alien couldn't move large objects, but food trays, pens, and their clothes were fair game. Sedating it with gas pumped into the cell proved ineffective. Tosh was trying to figure out a way to block the telekinesis, and in the meantime, prisoners still had to be fed. Jack was tempted to explain that when UNIT called him for the third time one afternoon, asking after something that he hadn't even had time to look at.
Somehow, Jack had kept up making the to-do lists, though he hadn't had time to properly check up on any of them for a few days.
By the end of the week, Tosh was finishing a machine that she swore would create a protective force field against the telekinesis, and Jack let himself focus on other things.
He remembered the most recent list he'd given Ianto. There'd been three tasks: Re-sew a button that had come off Jack's coat, polish the dress shoes that he had to wear to a meeting tomorrow, and press some shirts. The button looked as good as new, and the shirts were hanging crisp and smooth in Jack's armoire. The shoes, however, hadn't been touched and the rest of the team had gone home over an hour ago. Jack went to find Ianto.
It was only on the way upstairs that Jack realized that Ianto should have come to his office after the others left, too. Jack had been so distracted with getting ready for the meeting that he hadn't noticed.
Ianto was in the tourist office. He was reading a magazine and looked up when Jack came in through the secret door. His eye was still bruised, though he'd said the pain was mostly gone.
"Hey," Jack said. "You keeping busy?"
"A bit. Before Owen left, I had to help him sedate our guest in the cells so we could feed everyone down there. Took a bit of exertion. The Weevils would have revolted if we had waited any longer."
"Tosh thinks she can set up some sort of force field that will block the telekinetic energy. She said she'll come in and finish it tomorrow. I have to ask, though. When were you going to do my shoes?"
Ianto tensed and looked away. "The day isn't over yet. I still have time."
Jack walked around to the front of the desk, looking Ianto up and down as he did so. He raised an eyebrow. "But it's getting late, and you've had time. Do you not want to do it?"
Ianto rolled his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. I've been busy. I do have a life and a job, you know."
"You had plenty of time for the other two tasks I gave you." Jack saw Ianto's shoulders stiffen. He always tightened his body when he got defensive. Before Ianto could respond, he said, "Look, I'm not upset if you're busy, or if you need a break. But what did I tell you to do if you couldn't complete something for me?"
Ianto swallowed. "Talk to you."
"That's right. Otherwise, I expect these things to be done. I only started requesting this because that's what you wanted."
Ianto sighed. "Look, we've all been stressed. I didn't know your shoes were so important to you."
"You don't have to be sarcastic."
"I'm not, Jack. I mean it. You've never said that any of the tasks on those lists were important. You've never said there'd be any consequences if I didn't complete them when you wanted, either. You don't usually care if I wait until late to do things. I would have made sure you had them in time for your meeting, if that's what you're worried about."
Jack didn't answer right away. He wanted to argue, but it wasn't like Ianto was wrong. He didn't think he was wrong, either. He'd never put any firm rules in place, but then, that hadn't seemed necessary. It had worked great up until now, hadn't it?
Jack sighed. "I am stressed, you're right. Why don't we go back to your place, huh? Call it an early night?"
"All right," Ianto said, softly, as he got up.
They drove to Ianto's flat in silence. When they arrived, Ianto went straight to the kitchen and got a can of lager from the refrigerator. He sat down on the sofa without looking at Jack and opened the can.
Jack looked at him. "What is up with you tonight?"
Ianto didn't respond. He just took an angry sip of his drink.
Jack paced over to Ianto's bookshelf and started to fiddle with a Rubik's cube he kept there.
"This is what I was talking about. About it being difficult. This is what happens when you want duties and rules: you get called on it when you don't follow them. If you can't deal with that…"
Ianto laughed. It sounded sad and a little manic. "What rules, Jack? You gave me a list, with no further instructions. How is it my problem if you change your mind about how you want things, or if you don't tell me at all? God…so I'm not allowed to disagree with you? Complain at all?"
Jack walked over to the window and looked past his own reflection to the street below. He didn't want to look at Ianto. He'd thought they were doing all right. He'd thought, somehow, that this would make things good between them again-that it would create security and make them happy, everything Jack had longed for and promised himself while he was away.
Ianto continued. "I wouldn't care if you got upset with me if I didn't have to guess at what you expected. Hell, punish me if you want. I'd just prefer a chance to get it right."
Jack turned to him. "So what, then? Do you want to be punished? Were you trying to see how much it'd take to piss me off?"
"Well, it's not like you tell me."
Jack turned away. He had been so sure he'd been doing everything right. He started for the door. "I'm going out. We shouldn't be together tonight."
He paused with his hand on the doorknob when he heard Ianto say, "So you're leaving now. That's perfect."
That almost made him stop. Almost. Jack opened the door and stepped out, letting it close behind him. He marched down the hall towards the lift, already thinking about where he'd go. There was a seventy-percent chance of rain tonight, but he thought he'd go to one of his favorite old buildings where he could go up to the roof unbothered. He wanted solitude.
Ianto, he supposed, would think things through.
Jack made it to the lift and jabbed the button with his thumb. He waited anxiously, and hoped it would come before Ianto would decide to follow him. If this were a movie, like one of the films Jack had enjoyed back in the '40s, that was what would happen.
But it wasn't a movie and that wasn't going to happen. Ianto had too much pride. He would let Jack go.
Jack was just about to take the stairs when the bell dinged and the lift doors finally opened. He was about to step inside when doubt crept into his mind. He'd made promises to Ianto. He'd promised to make sure his needs were met, and to be in charge. And now he was walking away. He wasn't sure he had that luxury with Ianto, any more than he had it when aliens attacked or the world was ending.
Maybe it would be better to step into the lift and leave, giving them both space to breathe tonight. But he wasn't sure if Ianto would trust him again if he did.
He turned around, strode back to Ianto's door, and hesitantly tried the handle. If it had been locked, he had his key, though he wasn't sure if he would have used it or not. But it didn't matter. The door swung open.
Ianto was sitting where Jack had left him, the can of lager still in his hand. Jack approached him slowly, his urgency gone, until he was in front of Ianto. He leaned against the wall. Neither of them spoke at first.
"If you'd like me to go, I will," Jack said.
Ianto shrugged. "I don't know," he said. His voice caught when he said it. He looked down at the carpet.
"Then I'll stick around for a bit, if that's okay."
Ianto didn't respond, and Jack continued. "If you wanna cool things down for a bit, I understand."
"We only have a week left," Ianto said softly. "I don't want to stop early. I don't want to stop."
Jack smiled. "You always were stubborn."
"I am, yes. I don't want to talk about this tonight."
"Yeah, we'd probably make a bigger mess of it."
"We need to talk, though." Ianto set the can down on the coffee table and crossed his arms across his chest. "I would like you to stay."
Jack moved closer, sitting on the arm of a chair. "Then I will."
~~~
In the morning, Jack washed up in Ianto's bathroom. He'd slept in his clothes, and he pushed his shirt down into his trousers, trying in vain to smooth out the wrinkles. He didn't have a spare set of clothes in the flat, so he would have to stop by the Hub at some point to shower and change. He bent over the sink to wash his face.
He was patting his face dry when Ianto came into the doorway of the bathroom, wearing his boxers and a t-shirt.
"Hi," Ianto said. His voice was subdued and he looked tired, but he smiled.
Jack smiled back. "Good morning."
"When do you have to leave?"
"Not for a while. We've got time."
"For what?"
Jack raised his eyebrows. "You tell me, Ianto."
Ianto leaned against the doorframe, his shoulder brushing against the peeling paint. He didn't answer right away--actually, he looked a little lost.
"Look," Jack said, "maybe we haven't been as clear as we should be. So, I'm listening."
Ianto took a deep breath. "I don't know what you want," Ianto said. "It just feels like I've missed the memo sometimes. It's okay if you're demanding. I can take that."
"Okay. I can try to make things clearer. But I haven't been firmer with you because I haven't thought you needed it. I don't know, maybe I was wrong."
Jack stepped forward and put a hand on Ianto's shoulder. "But one thing: you're doing great. If there's a problem, it's not you, okay?"
"You know," Ianto said, his voice careful, "I understand that something happened when you were gone. I don't need to know about it. I don't need to know why you need this. You don't need to know why I need it. That's all right. I just want to do this."
"So do I."
Ianto closed his eyes.
"So," Jack asked, "that mean you're still game?"
Ianto nodded, and Jack rubbed his shoulders.
"Do you think you have enough food on hand here for today?" Jack asked.
Ianto looked taken aback. "Sure, I went shopping a couple days ago. Why?"
Jack held him by the shoulders and steered him backwards into the hall.
"I want you to take off your clothes, and I want you to keep them off until tonight, when I get back from London. I don't want you to get dressed or leave this flat unless it's necessary. Will you do that?"
Ianto licked his lips. "All right. May I ask why, sir?"
"Because I want it. I don't need a reason to want to see your body. Actually, I'd like you to be naked when we're here together." He thought about extending this rule to their nights in the Hub, but thought about waiting on that. He preferred to stop the CCTV cameras when he planned to have Ianto naked.
Ianto blinked. "Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, when I get back, I'll ask if you obeyed me. I won't be mad if say you couldn't, but I'll expect a good reason."
Ianto nodded, and Jack reached out and cupped his neck, pulling his head close. He kissed him.
He stepped back and waited. It took a few seconds for Ianto to act, but he took off his t-shirt and boxers, letting them fall to the floor before bending down to pick them up.
Jack let Ianto put his clothes away. He went into the kitchen to find them something for breakfast, and finally found some cereal.
When Ianto came back, Jack watched him. He could just detect the hesitance in Ianto's movements as he seemed to figure out how to go about his routine in the nude. He didn't balk, though, and after a few minutes of fidgeting on the wooden chair, he appeared to relax and focus on his cereal.
Jack would have liked to stay all day. But he said goodbye while Ianto rinsed the bowls in the sink. He took one last look at Ianto's arse and left.
~~~
Jack never complained about being invited to meet with UNIT because, well, at least UNIT cared a little about keeping him in the loop. But it was a lot of preparation and driving in order to sit in a cramped conference room and be told about things he'd already managed to find out.
When he got back to Ianto's flat, and lights were dimmed. Jack shed his coat and tracked Ianto to the bedroom. He was on the bed, naked except for the paperback book that was fanned open on his chest. His eyes were closed and his cock was resting against his thigh. Jack watched the gentle rise and fall of Ianto's chest. It was something he always noticed.
Ianto smiled softly. "I know you're there," he murmured.
"Hey, thought you were asleep."
Ianto opened his eyes. "Just for a minute." He closed his book and set it on the nightstand.
"Did you do what I said?"
"Yes, sir."
Jack rubbed Ianto's thigh. "That's good. I'm glad to hear that. Do you know what I'd like to do now?"
Ianto stretched. The blanket was twisted underneath him. "I was hoping you'd want to fuck me."
Jack grinned and opened the nightstand drawer, where Ianto kept the lube. Ianto turned over onto his hands and knees. He arched his back and spread his legs so that when Jack stepped back, he could see Ianto's hole and his dangling cock and balls. He was obscenely exposed, like a present for Jack's pleasure.
"That's beautiful," Jack said, his voice low. He set the bottle of lube on the bed and started to undo his belt.
"One thing before I fuck you. I'm going to whip your ass with my belt."
Ianto breathed in sharply and Jack could feel the blood going down to his own cock. He pulled his belt free and doubled it.
"This will hurt," he warned him. "Even if you really want it, it will hurt and it can be hard to stay still."
"I can do it, sir." Ianto sounded so proud and certain, and Jack knew that he probably could do it.
Jack walked around to the side of the bed. The mattress springs creaked under his knee when he leaned forward. He nudged Ianto's thighs closer together and put one hand above his buttocks.
The first time the leather cracked against his skin, Ianto gasped. He stayed still.
"You're only getting six," Jack murmured. "That was one."
Ianto's ears were pink and his cock was pointing at his chin. After each stroke of the belt, Jack paused while Ianto tried not to squirm away. After the sixth stroke, Jack tossed the belt on the floor. The metal buckle thudded against the carpet.
"Good," Jack said. He climbed on the bed behind Ianto to inspect him. His ass was red, and he thought he could see a couple fresh welts. He leaned down and kissed one of them.
"I could have taken more," Ianto said, almost in a whisper.
"You probably could," Jack admitted. "But I want to fuck you, not whip you all night. Now spread your legs again."
Jack unfastened his fly and pushed his trousers and pants down to his knees. He ran one hand down Ianto's hip and stroked his own cock with the other. Ianto turned his head and tried to look over his shoulder.
"Don't," Jack said. "Keep your head down. Lift your ass up for me."
Ianto dropped his shoulders down to the mattress and lifted his hips higher. Jack murmured with approval and squirted some of the lube onto his finger. He slipped it into Ianto's hole. Ianto breathed in deeply, and Jack shuddered. He added another finger.
"I could do this to you all night," Jack said. But even as he said it, he stopped. He quickly coated his cock with lube and held onto Ianto's hips before pushing inside him.
"That's good," he murmured. "You're so good. You can touch your cock if you'd like. But don't come."
Ianto whimpered.
If Jack had wanted, he could have thrust slowly, drawing this out for as long as he wanted. But he was so close, and he could tell Ianto was, too. And Ianto didn't have much experience with delaying his orgasms yet.
A few more thrusts and Jack came, muscles tensing while he pressed against and inside Ianto's warm body. He pulled out and back, and looked at Ianto, whose knees were quivering.
"On your back," Jack said. His own voice sounded breathy to his ears.
Ianto lay back, just barely wincing when his ass touched the bed. The red tip of his cock glistened with pre-come, and his hands twitched nearby, as though eager to touch it.
"I'll wank you off. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Ianto looked him in the eye. "Yes, sir."
Jack straddled Ianto's legs and wrapped his hand around his cock. Ianto pushed his head back in the pillow and moaned. It only took a few strokes to bring him off.
For a moment, they looked at each other, both breathing heavily. Jack nodded at the white streak on Ianto's belly.
"Eat your come, now."
Ianto raised an eyebrow. "You really enjoy having me do that?"
"I do, yeah. What's the deal? You always swallow my come."
"Come tastes fine to me. It's just strange when it's mine." He ran his finger down his abdomen, though, and then sucked on it, keeping eye contact with Jack as he did so.
"I've been thinking," Ianto said, after he swallowed, "about collars."
Jack hoisted his trousers up and sat next to Ianto. He started to play with Ianto's chest hair. "Collars, huh? You want to get one?"
Ianto's cheeks started to flush. "As long as it's comfortable."
"Right, a comfortable collar. That would be doable." Jack rested back against the pillows and looked up at the mottled ceiling plaster. "There are lots of kinds of collars. We could get you pretty much anything. If you were going to wear it all the time, then we'd have to look for something you can wear under your shirt." He paused. "Would you like that?"
Ianto put his head against Jack's shoulder. "I know it's cliched. But I want to always know."
~~~
Jack was used to Ianto joining him in his office at night, but this was the first time that Ianto made it there first. Jack had been downstairs, checking on the Weevils. Now that Tosh's machine was up and running, and it was safe to go down in the vaults again, he felt like he should make up for lost time. Janet still looked neglected.
Jack came upstairs and found Ianto in his office. He was sitting on a stepstool, polishing a pair of Jack's shoes.
Ianto looked up when he came in. "I'm almost done, sir."
"Great. No hurry."
Jack sat down at his desk and checked his e-mail. After a few minutes, Ianto stood up. He set the shoes aside on a piece of newspaper and put everything else away. He left the office, and came back a minute later carrying a kneeling pad. It was the sort that gardeners used, and it was painted bright yellow with pastel flowers that reminded Jack of the prints that were popular in the 60s.
"What is that?" Jack asked when he saw it.
"I found it in one of the storage rooms. I think it was Susie's. The floor's a bit hard on my knees."
"Ianto Jones-always practical. But you know I'll keep you down there longer if you're more comfortable."
Ianto smiled. "All the better for us both, then."
Ianto put it on the floor by Jack's chair and knelt down. Jack admired his ingenuity. This would not only allow Ianto to stay on his knees longer, but it would give him less excuse to fidget, too. He rubbed Ianto's hair appreciatively.
Jack opened his e-mails while Ianto settled in. He didn't focus on them for long, though. He looked down at Ianto.
"You know, we agreed on a month. This is the last day. Tomorrow, you could be a free man and no one could say you didn't give it a fair chance."
"Lucky for you I don't want to be free."
He had expected that, but it was still nice to hear it, and he needed the confirmation before they could do anything more. He opened one of the desk drawers. "Close your eyes. I have something for you."
Jack waited until he could see Ianto obey before pulling out the box. He set it on the desk and then reached down to unknot Ianto's tie. He coiled the silk tie neatly on his desk, and unbuttoned the first few buttons of Ianto's shirt. He felt Ianto swallow against his fingers.
"You can open your eyes."
Jack held the collar in front of Ianto's face. It was lightweight metal, thin and loose enough that he could wear it under anything. There was a small tag, which he'd had engraved with "CJH."
Ianto's eyes brightened at the sight of it. Jack let him admire it for a moment before reaching down to clasp it around his neck. Ianto touched it gingerly, as though the chain might break.
"Do you like it?"
"It's very nice. Thank you, sir."
Jack was still figuring out exactly what Ianto needed, but he understood that this was part of it. Ianto appreciated tradition and structure. The collar didn't change anything, really, and he would have felt just as much in charge without Ianto wearing it, but it was tangible symbolism, just like the folded lists Ianto kept in his pockets and the black stains of shoe polish on his fingers.
Jack pushed his chair back and unzipped his fly. Ianto moved between his legs, flowered kneeling pad and all, and tugged and the elastic of Jack's briefs with clumsy fingers.
Jack leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. The only sounds were the hum of the computer fan and Myfanwy squawking in her nest. He felt Ianto's mouth, warm and wet around his cock, and the chain around Ianto's neck lightly brushed his balls.
And he was home.
Part One
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