Ficlet - Not The First Time
Title: Not The First Time
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack/Ianto
For slashthedrabble's challenge Haunt(ed)
Word count: 500
Notes: No spoilers as such, but vague nods to To The Last Man, From Out Of The Rain, Adam (if you squint) and Lost Souls.
Not The First Time
"You're definitely not PA material" Ianto noted disapprovingly, pushing aside the mountains of urgent yet neglected paperwork so as to rest against the desk.
"I know, I know. Forgive me Ambassador." Jack grinned up at him. "Are you going to punish me again?"
Not the first time Ianto had been asked that, although surprisingly the first time that he'd been asked by Jack. Should he tell him?
"I've been asked that before" he said quietly.
"I'll bet you have!" Jack responded gleefully. "Go on, dish the dirt!"
Ianto sighed, head bowed. "It wasn't like that. It was a long time ago. I was... It was at Providence Park. It looked like a bright, friendly place when we were there to see Christina, didn't it?" He lowered his voice still further. "But at night it's different. Very different."
"Ianto, how would you know that?"
Ignoring him, Ianto pressed on. "Dark, eerie corridors. Unnaturally quiet. But sometimes there was singing. Beautiful, melancholy singing. A woman's voice. I assumed that she was a patient but... One night I followed that voice. I was scared, but I had to find her." Ianto risked a glance at Jack. He had his full attention. "Seemed like hours I was tracking her. Around corridors I'd never been before, down stairs I hadn't even known were there. And it was cold. Colder with every step. And then suddenly she was right there, in front of me. Out of nowhere."
"A time shift, like at St Teilo's?"
"I don't think so. She stopped singing when she saw me. She smiled, reached out to me, spoke to me. 'Are you going to punish me again?' she said. Like she wanted me to, like she..." Ianto shivered. "She spoke to me Jack, not some long-dead tormentor. I tried to tell her that I wasn't there to hurt her. Asked if she needed help. She gave me such a look, like she'd seen inside me and didn't believe me. Then... then she just turned and walked away. Around another corner. Singing again. But when I followed, she'd gone. Disappeared."
A few silent moments passed before Jack took his hand. "Ianto? You okay?"
He didn't answer immediately, but when he finally straightened his back, raised his head, there was a small smile twitching at his lips.
"I'm fine." His tone was bright and playful now. "It's Halloween Jack. Just getting into the spirit of the occasion."
"Oh, that's bad!"
"Not one of my best" Ianto conceded. "But if ghost stories spook you..."
Jack groaned again.
"Trick or Treat then?"
"Treat! Definitely Treat!"
Ianto laughed as Jack, so easily diverted, bounded around the office like a playful puppy. Not that playful puppies had clothes to shed in record time, but still...
No, it hadn't been the first time he'd been asked that question. And the incident at CERN hadn't been the first time he'd been prey to ghosts. Maybe one day he'd tell Jack the whole truth about Providence Park.
But not tonight.
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack/Ianto
For slashthedrabble's challenge Haunt(ed)
Word count: 500
Notes: No spoilers as such, but vague nods to To The Last Man, From Out Of The Rain, Adam (if you squint) and Lost Souls.
Not The First Time
"You're definitely not PA material" Ianto noted disapprovingly, pushing aside the mountains of urgent yet neglected paperwork so as to rest against the desk.
"I know, I know. Forgive me Ambassador." Jack grinned up at him. "Are you going to punish me again?"
Not the first time Ianto had been asked that, although surprisingly the first time that he'd been asked by Jack. Should he tell him?
"I've been asked that before" he said quietly.
"I'll bet you have!" Jack responded gleefully. "Go on, dish the dirt!"
Ianto sighed, head bowed. "It wasn't like that. It was a long time ago. I was... It was at Providence Park. It looked like a bright, friendly place when we were there to see Christina, didn't it?" He lowered his voice still further. "But at night it's different. Very different."
"Ianto, how would you know that?"
Ignoring him, Ianto pressed on. "Dark, eerie corridors. Unnaturally quiet. But sometimes there was singing. Beautiful, melancholy singing. A woman's voice. I assumed that she was a patient but... One night I followed that voice. I was scared, but I had to find her." Ianto risked a glance at Jack. He had his full attention. "Seemed like hours I was tracking her. Around corridors I'd never been before, down stairs I hadn't even known were there. And it was cold. Colder with every step. And then suddenly she was right there, in front of me. Out of nowhere."
"A time shift, like at St Teilo's?"
"I don't think so. She stopped singing when she saw me. She smiled, reached out to me, spoke to me. 'Are you going to punish me again?' she said. Like she wanted me to, like she..." Ianto shivered. "She spoke to me Jack, not some long-dead tormentor. I tried to tell her that I wasn't there to hurt her. Asked if she needed help. She gave me such a look, like she'd seen inside me and didn't believe me. Then... then she just turned and walked away. Around another corner. Singing again. But when I followed, she'd gone. Disappeared."
A few silent moments passed before Jack took his hand. "Ianto? You okay?"
He didn't answer immediately, but when he finally straightened his back, raised his head, there was a small smile twitching at his lips.
"I'm fine." His tone was bright and playful now. "It's Halloween Jack. Just getting into the spirit of the occasion."
"Oh, that's bad!"
"Not one of my best" Ianto conceded. "But if ghost stories spook you..."
Jack groaned again.
"Trick or Treat then?"
"Treat! Definitely Treat!"
Ianto laughed as Jack, so easily diverted, bounded around the office like a playful puppy. Not that playful puppies had clothes to shed in record time, but still...
No, it hadn't been the first time he'd been asked that question. And the incident at CERN hadn't been the first time he'd been prey to ghosts. Maybe one day he'd tell Jack the whole truth about Providence Park.
But not tonight.