What About Us
TA DA! Another bonus chapter. Enjoy.
What About Us - Chapter 16/22 by LilFerret
Fandom: Torchwood
Summary: Jack and Ianto have worked side by side through all types of challenges. Will this one tear them apart?
Rated: NC17/Adult
Categories: Angst, Romance
Characters/Ship: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Graphic Sex, MPreg
Completed: Yes
Word count: 50,700 (This chapter 2,187)
Published: 12/13/12
Author Notes: Written for NaNoWriMo 2012. I will post a chapter a day.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter List: ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE / TEN / ELEVEN / TWELVE / THIRTEEN / FOURTEEN / FIFTEEN /SIXTEEN
Over here at ff.net...
Over here at AO3...
What About Us - Chapter 16
His return to work had proven to be stressful, but Ianto had eventually gotten back into the routine. He missed the Hub when he wasn’t there. It was a second home to him. And while he hadn’t wanted to be tethered to it with the shots Owen had been giving him, he also didn’t want to be kept away, either.
As the next couple of months passed, however, it became more and more challenging. At two and a half months his feet started to swell, causing him to need to buy new shoes. Not long after he hit three months his skin broke out into the worst acne he’d ever had. And that was saying a lot, as he thought back to his early teenage years. By four months he had a completely new wardrobe. He still refused to wear anything remotely elastic, unless they were sweats or pajamas. And he would never wear that out of the house.
It was getting to the point where he was seriously beginning to show, and that meant he had to be careful what he wore. Heaven forbid anyone stop him on the street and ask what was wrong with him. Jack kept telling him there wasn’t that big of a change, but Ianto could see it in his face, if nowhere else. He’d always had slightly chubby cheeks, something he’d gotten from his mother, but this was bordering on ridiculous.
As he poured a round of coffees for his teammates, Ianto put more thought into the agencies Jack had told him about. The list was still folded up in his wallet, and even all this time later he’d not made any appointments. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see the places or find out more about how they each operated, but the idea of walking in there while four months pregnant was terrifying. Surely they were professionals. They’d know how to spot a pregnant person with no problem.
In fact, he was going to have to stop going out during the daytime once his stomach grew a little bit more. There was only so long he could pass for a little heavy. At the rate his waistline was expanding he’d undoubtedly be bound to travel at night by the time he was six months. The idea wasn’t very appealing, especially as he normally did the food runs, but he knew it was the only way.
“You gonna stand in there all day, Tea Boy?” Owen groused from behind him.
Ianto turned, giving him an apologetic smile. “Wool gathering. Sorry.”
He handed the medic his coffee and then loaded up the tray. Deciding to place a new package of Hob Nobs alongside he made his way out of the kitchen, passing out the drinks and biscuits to his friends. Once he was finished, having dropped off the last beverage at a very distracted captain’s desk, he placed the tray and remaining biscuits in the kitchen and then headed down into the vaults.
Their resident Raspotahn, who Owen had finally confirmed was a male, was sitting inside his new cell. It was slightly bigger than the last, as they’d decided Bob wasn’t really to be considered hostile and would need larger accommodations. They couldn’t let him go; he could cause too many problems with his unfortunate gift.
Ianto took a seat on the chair he’d set up outside the alien’s cell. It had become a ritual to take a break by sitting with him, sharing his thoughts or simply watching the creature eat. Since the incident months before there’d been no other signs of aggression, and Ianto truly felt that he hadn’t meant to bite him. Food aggression was one thing, but he was now able to place the alien’s meal inside or take it away without any hostility whatsoever. Ianto felt they were friends, much the same way Myfanwy was a friend.
“Good afternoon, Bob,” he greeted his friend, smiling. “I hope you’re having a good day.”
The creature moved toward the front of the cell and sat down cross-legged in front of him. He’d brought with him his favorite blanket. It was one of two Ianto had brought from home, along with a pillow, in order to give the alien some comfort. He wrapped it around himself, watching Ianto intently.
“I’m feeling a bit better today. Much better than yesterday, in fact. I didn’t miss the morning sickness at all.”
It had started again a week prior, Ianto finding himself attached to the toilet in the mornings, and once or twice throughout the rest of the day. Luckily he’d not been as ill as he had at the beginning of his pregnancy. Apart from some time in the bathroom, he was able to function normally and get his appointed tasks done. Yesterday evening, however, he’d spent a good hour praying to the porcelain gods before the nausea had subsided.
Bob didn’t reply. He never said anything, in fact, and the team believed he simply wasn’t capable of it. But he seemed to be genuinely concerned with Ianto’s wellbeing. Though the others had tried to develop a connection with the alien, only the Welshman and succeeded.
“What’s with you and other species?” Owen had asked, shaking his head. “It’s like they’re bloody drawn to you. Maybe I should run some more tests. See if you’re really human.”
“You’re just jealous,” had been Toshiko’s reply, smiling at Ianto. “He has Bob and Myfanwy and you’re stuck with Janet.”
Owen had scoffed, grumbling something about girls always ganging up on him, and disappeared into his med bay. The others had laughed.
“Don’t forget about Jack,” Gwen had added.
“What about him?” Ianto wanted to know.
“Well he’s an alien, isn’t he?”
Tosh had shaken her head, Ianto rolled his eyes, and Jack emerged from his office saying, “I am NOT an alien!”
Ianto smiled at the memory. “Why do we get along so well, do you think?” he asked his friend. “Is it because I met you first?”
The alien tilted his head, and Ianto took that as confirmation. He’d had time get to know Ianto’s smell while the others had been on their way. Maybe that was all it took for Bob to trust him.
“If you could speak you could help me decide what to get Jack for Christmas.” It was still four weeks before the holiday, but Ianto hadn’t come up with any meaningful gift ideas. “Maybe a watch? No, no you’re right. He has one of those already.”
Shopping for the captain was never easy, unless he was getting him something he already knew the man liked. His shirts, for instance. Replacing Jack’s work clothes was an easy task, as he never wavered on his basic uniform. As long as the shirts were some form of blue - or occasionally a light green - and his trousers were dark blue or black, he was happy. But Ianto couldn’t get the man work clothes as a gift. That would just be…tasteless.
Sighing, Ianto rubbed a hand over his face. “What about a diary? He’s always trying to get a hold of mine. Maybe he needs one of his own.”
If the alien could frown in distaste he was doing it now. His eyes narrowed a bit and a crease appeared in his forehead. He grunted, something Ianto had come to understand as his sign of disapproval.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m completely hopeless when it comes to this.”
That wasn’t entirely true, if he were being honest with himself. Last year he’d bought a lovely pair of boots for Gwen, and a striking sweater for Toshiko. They’d both appeared quite enamored with them, giving him hugs and kisses on the cheek. For Owen he’d purchased a new stethoscope. The doctor had mumbled about already having one, but Ianto had seen his eyes light up when he opened it, and noticed the new one was still in use even now.
Jack, however, was another story. They’d agreed not to buy each other anything fancy, so that they wouldn’t make the others feel too uncomfortable. Their relationship had been about sex and comfort back then, and Ianto was the first to admit it would have been more than a bit awkward. Instead, Ianto had presented Jack with a few CDs of some of his favorite music, and Jack had updated Ianto’s DVD anthology with a couple James Bond specialty collector editions.
While Ianto loved the DVDs, and he knew Jack loved his CDs, they weren’t the kind of personal gifts he would expect those in a relationship to exchange. They were something friends would get for each other. And this year, seeing as their relationship had taken another step, he wanted to get him something special. After all, their teammates were now aware they were together. There was nothing to hide.
“He doesn’t wear any other jewelry,” Ianto stated, licking his lips. “And he certainly doesn’t need fancy chocolates. Not that he wouldn’t love them, but if I can’t eat like that anymore, neither can he.”
He smiled, picturing Jack pouting at the thought that he wouldn’t be getting something fattening and loaded with calories for Christmas. Since Ianto had gained even more weight, he’d even cleaned out his kitchen at home. He’d started checking the nutritional value of everything he purchased for himself, figuring that the baby was better off as well. Just because it was going to another home didn’t mean he couldn’t make sure it was healthy.
“Coffee? No. That wouldn’t be very personal, now would it?”
He sat in quiet contemplation for the next few minutes, the alien watching him silently as he tossed ideas around in his head. Letting out a long sigh Ianto eventually stood up, putting his hands on his hips.
“Well, I’d better get back to work now, hadn’t I?” he asked his friend, shaking his head slowly. “I suppose I’ll have to put more thought into his gift another time. I’ll see you later for your dinner.”
As he walked away, Bob got up from his place on the ground and wandered back to the cot they’d provided him. He curled up on his side and covered himself with his blanket, seemingly content.
“Ianto?” Gwen said softly as he appeared at the base of the stairs.
“Yes Gwen?”
“Do you think we might order in Chinese today? We’ve not had it in a while and I’m absolutely craving Shrimp Fried Rice.”
Ianto smiled, dipping his head in agreement. “That will work for me. Tosh?”
“Hmm?” said the tech, looking up from her work. “Oh, yes. Yes, Chinese would be fine.”
“The usual?” he asked.
“Yes, please.”
Walking over to the medical bay Ianto leaned on the railing. “Owen? Chinese alright?”
“Yeah, fine. You know what I like.”
Ianto made his way up the stairs and around the workstations, tapping lightly on the captain’s doorframe. Jack looked up, pen in hand.
“Hey, Ianto.”
“Hello sir. I was about to call in for some lunch. Will Chinese work for you? Vegetable Beef?”
“Sounds good,” Jack replied, looking back down at his paperwork. His head suddenly snapped back up just as Ianto was turning away. “Oh, and Ianto?”
The Welshman turned back, smiling. “Sir?”
“Can you make sure to get some of those vegetable rolls? And sauce. They’re really good in the sweet and sour sauce.”
Ianto raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”
Jack gave him a genuine smile. “No, I think that’s it.”
“Very well. I’ll just be up in reception until the food arrives.”
“Thanks Ianto.”
He headed out of the Hub and into the tourist office, making the call from his mobile before settling in at his computer to read through some emails. With the end of the year upon them there were more than the run of the mill inquiries and suggestions from UNIT.
As he was finishing up an email to Archie out at Two, while listening to a classic music station on his small radio, an idea hit him for Jack’s gift. They hadn’t been out again, even though they’d said they wanted to try to get more culture into their lives.
Surfing the internet, Ianto looked for exactly the right gift for his captain. When he came upon the right site, he grinned. It wasn’t a very expensive gift, based on what he was seeing, but he knew it was just personal enough to be perfect, and it would certainly make Jack happy.
He made his purchase quickly, and as he was turning off the computer he heard a knock at the door. “Great timing,” he said to himself, switching off the radio and making his way over to answer the door.
Paying the young man for the food and giving him a hefty tip, Ianto realized he hadn’t been in this good a mood in quite a while. He closed up the office, heading back down to the Hub. And as he set everything up in the boardroom he smiled to himself. Rift willing, he and Jack were going to have a nice Christmas and festive New Years.
Chapter 17
Comments and reviews always welcome and appreciated. ♥
What About Us - Chapter 16/22 by LilFerret
Fandom: Torchwood
Summary: Jack and Ianto have worked side by side through all types of challenges. Will this one tear them apart?
Rated: NC17/Adult
Categories: Angst, Romance
Characters/Ship: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Spoilers: None
Warnings: Graphic Sex, MPreg
Completed: Yes
Word count: 50,700 (This chapter 2,187)
Published: 12/13/12
Author Notes: Written for NaNoWriMo 2012. I will post a chapter a day.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter List: ONE / TWO / THREE / FOUR / FIVE / SIX / SEVEN / EIGHT / NINE / TEN / ELEVEN / TWELVE / THIRTEEN / FOURTEEN / FIFTEEN /SIXTEEN
Over here at ff.net...
Over here at AO3...
What About Us - Chapter 16
His return to work had proven to be stressful, but Ianto had eventually gotten back into the routine. He missed the Hub when he wasn’t there. It was a second home to him. And while he hadn’t wanted to be tethered to it with the shots Owen had been giving him, he also didn’t want to be kept away, either.
As the next couple of months passed, however, it became more and more challenging. At two and a half months his feet started to swell, causing him to need to buy new shoes. Not long after he hit three months his skin broke out into the worst acne he’d ever had. And that was saying a lot, as he thought back to his early teenage years. By four months he had a completely new wardrobe. He still refused to wear anything remotely elastic, unless they were sweats or pajamas. And he would never wear that out of the house.
It was getting to the point where he was seriously beginning to show, and that meant he had to be careful what he wore. Heaven forbid anyone stop him on the street and ask what was wrong with him. Jack kept telling him there wasn’t that big of a change, but Ianto could see it in his face, if nowhere else. He’d always had slightly chubby cheeks, something he’d gotten from his mother, but this was bordering on ridiculous.
As he poured a round of coffees for his teammates, Ianto put more thought into the agencies Jack had told him about. The list was still folded up in his wallet, and even all this time later he’d not made any appointments. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see the places or find out more about how they each operated, but the idea of walking in there while four months pregnant was terrifying. Surely they were professionals. They’d know how to spot a pregnant person with no problem.
In fact, he was going to have to stop going out during the daytime once his stomach grew a little bit more. There was only so long he could pass for a little heavy. At the rate his waistline was expanding he’d undoubtedly be bound to travel at night by the time he was six months. The idea wasn’t very appealing, especially as he normally did the food runs, but he knew it was the only way.
“You gonna stand in there all day, Tea Boy?” Owen groused from behind him.
Ianto turned, giving him an apologetic smile. “Wool gathering. Sorry.”
He handed the medic his coffee and then loaded up the tray. Deciding to place a new package of Hob Nobs alongside he made his way out of the kitchen, passing out the drinks and biscuits to his friends. Once he was finished, having dropped off the last beverage at a very distracted captain’s desk, he placed the tray and remaining biscuits in the kitchen and then headed down into the vaults.
Their resident Raspotahn, who Owen had finally confirmed was a male, was sitting inside his new cell. It was slightly bigger than the last, as they’d decided Bob wasn’t really to be considered hostile and would need larger accommodations. They couldn’t let him go; he could cause too many problems with his unfortunate gift.
Ianto took a seat on the chair he’d set up outside the alien’s cell. It had become a ritual to take a break by sitting with him, sharing his thoughts or simply watching the creature eat. Since the incident months before there’d been no other signs of aggression, and Ianto truly felt that he hadn’t meant to bite him. Food aggression was one thing, but he was now able to place the alien’s meal inside or take it away without any hostility whatsoever. Ianto felt they were friends, much the same way Myfanwy was a friend.
“Good afternoon, Bob,” he greeted his friend, smiling. “I hope you’re having a good day.”
The creature moved toward the front of the cell and sat down cross-legged in front of him. He’d brought with him his favorite blanket. It was one of two Ianto had brought from home, along with a pillow, in order to give the alien some comfort. He wrapped it around himself, watching Ianto intently.
“I’m feeling a bit better today. Much better than yesterday, in fact. I didn’t miss the morning sickness at all.”
It had started again a week prior, Ianto finding himself attached to the toilet in the mornings, and once or twice throughout the rest of the day. Luckily he’d not been as ill as he had at the beginning of his pregnancy. Apart from some time in the bathroom, he was able to function normally and get his appointed tasks done. Yesterday evening, however, he’d spent a good hour praying to the porcelain gods before the nausea had subsided.
Bob didn’t reply. He never said anything, in fact, and the team believed he simply wasn’t capable of it. But he seemed to be genuinely concerned with Ianto’s wellbeing. Though the others had tried to develop a connection with the alien, only the Welshman and succeeded.
“What’s with you and other species?” Owen had asked, shaking his head. “It’s like they’re bloody drawn to you. Maybe I should run some more tests. See if you’re really human.”
“You’re just jealous,” had been Toshiko’s reply, smiling at Ianto. “He has Bob and Myfanwy and you’re stuck with Janet.”
Owen had scoffed, grumbling something about girls always ganging up on him, and disappeared into his med bay. The others had laughed.
“Don’t forget about Jack,” Gwen had added.
“What about him?” Ianto wanted to know.
“Well he’s an alien, isn’t he?”
Tosh had shaken her head, Ianto rolled his eyes, and Jack emerged from his office saying, “I am NOT an alien!”
Ianto smiled at the memory. “Why do we get along so well, do you think?” he asked his friend. “Is it because I met you first?”
The alien tilted his head, and Ianto took that as confirmation. He’d had time get to know Ianto’s smell while the others had been on their way. Maybe that was all it took for Bob to trust him.
“If you could speak you could help me decide what to get Jack for Christmas.” It was still four weeks before the holiday, but Ianto hadn’t come up with any meaningful gift ideas. “Maybe a watch? No, no you’re right. He has one of those already.”
Shopping for the captain was never easy, unless he was getting him something he already knew the man liked. His shirts, for instance. Replacing Jack’s work clothes was an easy task, as he never wavered on his basic uniform. As long as the shirts were some form of blue - or occasionally a light green - and his trousers were dark blue or black, he was happy. But Ianto couldn’t get the man work clothes as a gift. That would just be…tasteless.
Sighing, Ianto rubbed a hand over his face. “What about a diary? He’s always trying to get a hold of mine. Maybe he needs one of his own.”
If the alien could frown in distaste he was doing it now. His eyes narrowed a bit and a crease appeared in his forehead. He grunted, something Ianto had come to understand as his sign of disapproval.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’m completely hopeless when it comes to this.”
That wasn’t entirely true, if he were being honest with himself. Last year he’d bought a lovely pair of boots for Gwen, and a striking sweater for Toshiko. They’d both appeared quite enamored with them, giving him hugs and kisses on the cheek. For Owen he’d purchased a new stethoscope. The doctor had mumbled about already having one, but Ianto had seen his eyes light up when he opened it, and noticed the new one was still in use even now.
Jack, however, was another story. They’d agreed not to buy each other anything fancy, so that they wouldn’t make the others feel too uncomfortable. Their relationship had been about sex and comfort back then, and Ianto was the first to admit it would have been more than a bit awkward. Instead, Ianto had presented Jack with a few CDs of some of his favorite music, and Jack had updated Ianto’s DVD anthology with a couple James Bond specialty collector editions.
While Ianto loved the DVDs, and he knew Jack loved his CDs, they weren’t the kind of personal gifts he would expect those in a relationship to exchange. They were something friends would get for each other. And this year, seeing as their relationship had taken another step, he wanted to get him something special. After all, their teammates were now aware they were together. There was nothing to hide.
“He doesn’t wear any other jewelry,” Ianto stated, licking his lips. “And he certainly doesn’t need fancy chocolates. Not that he wouldn’t love them, but if I can’t eat like that anymore, neither can he.”
He smiled, picturing Jack pouting at the thought that he wouldn’t be getting something fattening and loaded with calories for Christmas. Since Ianto had gained even more weight, he’d even cleaned out his kitchen at home. He’d started checking the nutritional value of everything he purchased for himself, figuring that the baby was better off as well. Just because it was going to another home didn’t mean he couldn’t make sure it was healthy.
“Coffee? No. That wouldn’t be very personal, now would it?”
He sat in quiet contemplation for the next few minutes, the alien watching him silently as he tossed ideas around in his head. Letting out a long sigh Ianto eventually stood up, putting his hands on his hips.
“Well, I’d better get back to work now, hadn’t I?” he asked his friend, shaking his head slowly. “I suppose I’ll have to put more thought into his gift another time. I’ll see you later for your dinner.”
As he walked away, Bob got up from his place on the ground and wandered back to the cot they’d provided him. He curled up on his side and covered himself with his blanket, seemingly content.
“Ianto?” Gwen said softly as he appeared at the base of the stairs.
“Yes Gwen?”
“Do you think we might order in Chinese today? We’ve not had it in a while and I’m absolutely craving Shrimp Fried Rice.”
Ianto smiled, dipping his head in agreement. “That will work for me. Tosh?”
“Hmm?” said the tech, looking up from her work. “Oh, yes. Yes, Chinese would be fine.”
“The usual?” he asked.
“Yes, please.”
Walking over to the medical bay Ianto leaned on the railing. “Owen? Chinese alright?”
“Yeah, fine. You know what I like.”
Ianto made his way up the stairs and around the workstations, tapping lightly on the captain’s doorframe. Jack looked up, pen in hand.
“Hey, Ianto.”
“Hello sir. I was about to call in for some lunch. Will Chinese work for you? Vegetable Beef?”
“Sounds good,” Jack replied, looking back down at his paperwork. His head suddenly snapped back up just as Ianto was turning away. “Oh, and Ianto?”
The Welshman turned back, smiling. “Sir?”
“Can you make sure to get some of those vegetable rolls? And sauce. They’re really good in the sweet and sour sauce.”
Ianto raised an eyebrow. “Anything else?”
Jack gave him a genuine smile. “No, I think that’s it.”
“Very well. I’ll just be up in reception until the food arrives.”
“Thanks Ianto.”
He headed out of the Hub and into the tourist office, making the call from his mobile before settling in at his computer to read through some emails. With the end of the year upon them there were more than the run of the mill inquiries and suggestions from UNIT.
As he was finishing up an email to Archie out at Two, while listening to a classic music station on his small radio, an idea hit him for Jack’s gift. They hadn’t been out again, even though they’d said they wanted to try to get more culture into their lives.
Surfing the internet, Ianto looked for exactly the right gift for his captain. When he came upon the right site, he grinned. It wasn’t a very expensive gift, based on what he was seeing, but he knew it was just personal enough to be perfect, and it would certainly make Jack happy.
He made his purchase quickly, and as he was turning off the computer he heard a knock at the door. “Great timing,” he said to himself, switching off the radio and making his way over to answer the door.
Paying the young man for the food and giving him a hefty tip, Ianto realized he hadn’t been in this good a mood in quite a while. He closed up the office, heading back down to the Hub. And as he set everything up in the boardroom he smiled to himself. Rift willing, he and Jack were going to have a nice Christmas and festive New Years.
Chapter 17
Comments and reviews always welcome and appreciated. ♥