Leave a Message
Author: Georgia (Merlin'sGeekyFan)
Description: One message for Jack result in two very different endings.
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Warnings: Character Death
Rating: PG
Special Notices: My first proper Torchwood fic. Also, thanks to draig_glas who encouraged me with much squeeing. ^_^
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, otherwise this comm wouldn't have so many fix-its.
Leave a Message
The hub was too quiet. At first Owens had been the most conspicuous absence, the usually loud mouthed, razor-tongued Londoner was most noticeable in his silence while mild-mannered Toshiko’s work station was unchanged but for the lack of forever clacking keys.
Gwen had never imagined for even a second that shy, respectful Ianto would leave the loudest silence of all. The coffee machine no longer rumbled promisingly - neither Gwen nor Jack could bear to look at Ianto’s pride and joy - let alone try to use it, there were no sarcastic remarks thrown out at half a seconds notice, nor oh so innocent “sirs” at the end of every sentence. No more clever rhymes that brightened up the horror of having destructive alien tech fall so casually into their laps.
Even Myfanwy had cut off her aimless shrieks and bunkered down in her nest to mourn the loss of her chocolate-bearing keeper.
In a corner, dusty and darkened as if years had fled by and the light was too scared to venture towards that nook of the Hub, Jack sat with his empty striped coffee cup opposite him on the floor. His hair was matted against his head and his skin was oily and pale. He hadn’t been eating or drinking, and his clothes hung slightly loose, but Gwen knew if he pushed for a few days more he would die - again - and return to life looking perfectly healthy, if a bit unkempt.
That day she took charge. Gwen dragged Jack bodily from his corner of the Hub, away from the empty coffee mug and the tarnished pocket watch he’d hidden from her sight, into the showers. Slumped against the wall, Jack didn’t protest when Gwen turned on the water which drenched through his clothes. They smelt too much of Ianto anyway.
Gwen left him there with a quiet sigh, and Jack just sat until the water turned itself off, and he stumbled towards the towels hung up on a rail just under the mirror. He glanced up. Then fell to his knees. Tears poured down his face.
There, in the fogged up mirror, a message from his Ianto.
As the room began to cool the message dripped and Jack’s tears fell thicker with it. This was all he had left of Ianto and now it was washing away. He pressed his lips desperately against one of the imprints of Ianto’s own and imagined for a moment he could still feel Ianto’s lip against his, still taste him, but all he tasted was cool water, and all he felt was slippery glass.
The lopsided I began to drip and Jack beat his fists against the ruined message.
Ianto was gone.
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Leave a Message
Jack sung loudly in the shower, not to the radio like most people, just by himself singing old Cole Porter songs or humming well-loved Glenn Miller tunes. It wasn’t hard at all for Ianto to sneak into the bathroom, tiptoeing over the puddles of water all over the grey tiled floor, and lean over to the mirror opposite the shower cubicle.
By the time Jack broke into the second verse of Don’t Fence Me In, Ianto was done, and he crept silently back through the door. He made sure to close it properly so the steam from the hot water wouldn’t escape.
Leaning against the bathroom door, Ianto pressed one ear to the wood and listened closely. The water was off, and he could hear the cubicle door swinging open on the slightly rust hinge Jack never quite found time to fix like he said he would. The steam would still be too thick, Ianto knew, and he prayed Jack didn’t brush against the mirror in his search for a towel.
Finally Ianto heard the the creak of the rail as Jack grabbed his towel - and really, they needed to get some DIY done this weekend - and a few rustles of the towel as it flew over Jack’s face and hair, then silence.
This was it.
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Jack read over the short message and smiled gently. Trust his little Welshmen to say it in such an unusual way.
For a moment Jack contemplated writing his own message in the misted mirror, but decided he’d much rather tell Ianto in person where there was plenty of chances for kisses and touches, and reached for the door handle…
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A few seconds slid by quietly and Ianto’s heart thudded excitedly against his ribs. Then the door was wrenched open hurriedly, sending Ianto toppling forward against a very nude, very wet Jack. Their lips connected clumsily and Jack winced at the uncomfortably cold tiles against his back. Ianto leant back and carefully didn’t grimace at his damp clothes.
“You liked my message then?” He smiled sweetly.
“Loved it. But just you wait until I write one for you.” Jack growled, latching lazily upon Ianto’s neck to nibble and suck and kiss.
Ianto decided he really did need a shower straight away.
Georgia M.