Fic - Letting Things Go
Title: Letting Things Go
Author: szm
Characters: Ianto, Jack
Spoilers: Out of the Rain
Rating: PG
Betaed by the ever wonderful tilathebuilder
Summary: The Electro is being knocked down
A/N - I had to encourage missy tanarian to post her recent fics after a bout of writers block. I resorted to bribery, I have no pride. She posted so here is her bribe. Hope you like it!
It was an absolutely glorious day. The summer sun was beating down, birds were singing, the sky was blue. In the distance you could hear the playful laughter of children. Everywhere you looked people were happy and smiling. It was generally the kind of day that made poets weep.
Which only goes to show, poets know nothing.
Ianto tried to remain detached as the bulldozer knocked over the last remaining piece of the Electro’s front wall. Lots of people had wanted to preserve the building, but Ianto couldn’t stand the idea of it becoming just another pub.
Four pints of beer for a fiver, and girls get in free before eleven
And really with the resources of Torchwood, pushing the demolition order through hadn’t been difficult.
So here he was witnessing the final death throes of the last piece of his childhood.
God that was dramatic. Clearly he’d been around Jack too long.
He wanted to blame Jonathan’s parents for selling the place. He knew Jonathan did. But he couldn’t, not really. They didn’t know exactly what had happened, but they knew it was bad. Ianto couldn’t blame them for wanting to draw a line under it and move on. Sometimes Ianto even envied them, it was something he had never managed to do. It was tempting to blame Torchwood for that but honestly Ianto suspected it was a character flaw in himself. Not being able to let things go.
Ianto knew he was there before he spoke. Ianto wouldn’t be able to tell you how, but he knew. Maybe it was something to do with pheromones or just that Jack really was larger than life but Ianto always knew when he was close by.
“Hey Ianto,” said Jack softly.
“Jack,” replied Ianto.
Jack touched Ianto’s shoulder gently. “Why are you here?” he asked.
Ianto didn’t take his eyes from the rubble. “Making sure that they at least can’t come back this way,” he answered. It was a lie, but a believable one. The Ghost Maker would never find his way out of that pile of twisted metal and broken brick.
“What are they going to build there?” asked Jack. He stepped closer to Ianto and wound his arms round Ianto’s waist and rested his chin on Ianto’s shoulder. Normally Ianto would protest and pull away. Middle of the day on a public street and all. But strangely for Jack this didn’t feel sexual at all. And Ianto found himself in need of the support.
“It’s earmarked for a residential build,” said Ianto dully.
Ianto could feel Jack nod against his shoulder “A place for families,” he said.
Ianto didn’t spin round to look at Jack agape. But he wanted to, because Jack couldn’t possibly have guessed. Jack, larger than life, force of nature Jack couldn’t know this. Ianto forced himself to stand still and watch as the workmen packed up for the day.
“Time to go home?” asked Jack. And since when did Jack ask.
“The Hub,” said Ianto.
Jack paused for a moment, like he was going to argue. “Okay,” he said finally.
**
They drove back in silence, when they reached he Hub Ianto headed towards the coffee machine out of habit.
Jack stopped him by putting both hands on Ianto’s shoulders and steering him towards the office instead. “You go on, get settled. I’ll make the drinks.”
“Er… Jack?” asked Ianto cautiously. “You’re not going to make coffee again are you? Because we talked about that…”
Jack chuckled. “No, although I’ll have you know I’ve been complimented on my coffee before.”
Ianto shrugged and smirked slightly. “You realise they were probably using ‘coffee’ as a euphemism”
Jack cocked his head to one side, pretending to think abut it. “It’s possible,” he conceded finally. “’Coffee’ with me is pretty amazing. But for now, you go and get comfortable and I’ll make us some tea. ‘Kay?”
Ianto just nodded and headed into the office. He sat on the sofa in the corner and took off his tie. He watched himself as he wrapped it round his hand and placed it on the coffee table. He lined it up the way his Dad used to display them in the shop.
“Penny for them?” asked Jack entering the office with two mugs. He passed one to Ianto and next to Ianto on the sofa with his in his hand.
Ianto held the mug with both hands, feeling the warmth seep into his palms and hover on the edge of being uncomfortable. “Just wool gathering,” he replied with a smile he didn’t really feel.
Jack placed his tea on the table, took Ianto’s mug and did the same with that. Without saying a word he gently pulled Ianto into a hug and arranged them on the sofa so that Ianto was curled up to Jack’s chest. It should have been ridiculous. The small sofa wasn’t designed for two grown men both over six foot, but somehow Jack made it work. It felt… nice.
“Ianto…” said Jack and Ianto could feel the rumble of Jack’s voice. “We can stick to the story if you like, you quashed all those preservation orders to stop the Night Travellers. That’s fine. But if you want to tell me what this was really about, I’ll listen.”
And Jack can’t understand. It’s just about his Dad, the Electro opening again was like getting a bit of Dad back. After Providence Park. After everything. Because Jack is all about aliens and melodrama, not something that normal.
Ianto doesn’t say anything for a while. Jack doesn’t push he just holds Ianto. When Ianto finally speaks it’s all he can do to keep his voice from cracking. “When someone dies, they tell you that a part of them will always be with you. And they say it like it’s a good thing. But all it means is that you get to lose them little by little over years and the wound never really heals.”
Jack presses a kiss to the top of Ianto’s head. Ianto tenses waiting for Jack to ask him about it. Waiting for the questions he’s going to have to dodge because he can’t answer them. Not now and maybe not ever.
“Why did you want to come here?” asks Jack finally. “Why not go home?”
Ianto has to look up at Jack then. Because that’s not the question he was expecting but it’s still not one Ianto is sure he wants to answer. Jack looks down to meet his eyes and Jack’s worried about him. Ianto’s never seen that before. Not worried about an injury or a danger, just worried about Ianto. About something unimportant in the grand scheme of things that is nevertheless important to Ianto.
“The flat is just were I sleep,” answers Ianto honestly. “This is home.”
Baring his soul is worth it. Just for the smile and the way Jack’s arms tighten ever so slightly.
Author: szm
Characters: Ianto, Jack
Spoilers: Out of the Rain
Rating: PG
Betaed by the ever wonderful tilathebuilder
Summary: The Electro is being knocked down
A/N - I had to encourage missy tanarian to post her recent fics after a bout of writers block. I resorted to bribery, I have no pride. She posted so here is her bribe. Hope you like it!
It was an absolutely glorious day. The summer sun was beating down, birds were singing, the sky was blue. In the distance you could hear the playful laughter of children. Everywhere you looked people were happy and smiling. It was generally the kind of day that made poets weep.
Which only goes to show, poets know nothing.
Ianto tried to remain detached as the bulldozer knocked over the last remaining piece of the Electro’s front wall. Lots of people had wanted to preserve the building, but Ianto couldn’t stand the idea of it becoming just another pub.
Four pints of beer for a fiver, and girls get in free before eleven
And really with the resources of Torchwood, pushing the demolition order through hadn’t been difficult.
So here he was witnessing the final death throes of the last piece of his childhood.
God that was dramatic. Clearly he’d been around Jack too long.
He wanted to blame Jonathan’s parents for selling the place. He knew Jonathan did. But he couldn’t, not really. They didn’t know exactly what had happened, but they knew it was bad. Ianto couldn’t blame them for wanting to draw a line under it and move on. Sometimes Ianto even envied them, it was something he had never managed to do. It was tempting to blame Torchwood for that but honestly Ianto suspected it was a character flaw in himself. Not being able to let things go.
Ianto knew he was there before he spoke. Ianto wouldn’t be able to tell you how, but he knew. Maybe it was something to do with pheromones or just that Jack really was larger than life but Ianto always knew when he was close by.
“Hey Ianto,” said Jack softly.
“Jack,” replied Ianto.
Jack touched Ianto’s shoulder gently. “Why are you here?” he asked.
Ianto didn’t take his eyes from the rubble. “Making sure that they at least can’t come back this way,” he answered. It was a lie, but a believable one. The Ghost Maker would never find his way out of that pile of twisted metal and broken brick.
“What are they going to build there?” asked Jack. He stepped closer to Ianto and wound his arms round Ianto’s waist and rested his chin on Ianto’s shoulder. Normally Ianto would protest and pull away. Middle of the day on a public street and all. But strangely for Jack this didn’t feel sexual at all. And Ianto found himself in need of the support.
“It’s earmarked for a residential build,” said Ianto dully.
Ianto could feel Jack nod against his shoulder “A place for families,” he said.
Ianto didn’t spin round to look at Jack agape. But he wanted to, because Jack couldn’t possibly have guessed. Jack, larger than life, force of nature Jack couldn’t know this. Ianto forced himself to stand still and watch as the workmen packed up for the day.
“Time to go home?” asked Jack. And since when did Jack ask.
“The Hub,” said Ianto.
Jack paused for a moment, like he was going to argue. “Okay,” he said finally.
**
They drove back in silence, when they reached he Hub Ianto headed towards the coffee machine out of habit.
Jack stopped him by putting both hands on Ianto’s shoulders and steering him towards the office instead. “You go on, get settled. I’ll make the drinks.”
“Er… Jack?” asked Ianto cautiously. “You’re not going to make coffee again are you? Because we talked about that…”
Jack chuckled. “No, although I’ll have you know I’ve been complimented on my coffee before.”
Ianto shrugged and smirked slightly. “You realise they were probably using ‘coffee’ as a euphemism”
Jack cocked his head to one side, pretending to think abut it. “It’s possible,” he conceded finally. “’Coffee’ with me is pretty amazing. But for now, you go and get comfortable and I’ll make us some tea. ‘Kay?”
Ianto just nodded and headed into the office. He sat on the sofa in the corner and took off his tie. He watched himself as he wrapped it round his hand and placed it on the coffee table. He lined it up the way his Dad used to display them in the shop.
“Penny for them?” asked Jack entering the office with two mugs. He passed one to Ianto and next to Ianto on the sofa with his in his hand.
Ianto held the mug with both hands, feeling the warmth seep into his palms and hover on the edge of being uncomfortable. “Just wool gathering,” he replied with a smile he didn’t really feel.
Jack placed his tea on the table, took Ianto’s mug and did the same with that. Without saying a word he gently pulled Ianto into a hug and arranged them on the sofa so that Ianto was curled up to Jack’s chest. It should have been ridiculous. The small sofa wasn’t designed for two grown men both over six foot, but somehow Jack made it work. It felt… nice.
“Ianto…” said Jack and Ianto could feel the rumble of Jack’s voice. “We can stick to the story if you like, you quashed all those preservation orders to stop the Night Travellers. That’s fine. But if you want to tell me what this was really about, I’ll listen.”
And Jack can’t understand. It’s just about his Dad, the Electro opening again was like getting a bit of Dad back. After Providence Park. After everything. Because Jack is all about aliens and melodrama, not something that normal.
Ianto doesn’t say anything for a while. Jack doesn’t push he just holds Ianto. When Ianto finally speaks it’s all he can do to keep his voice from cracking. “When someone dies, they tell you that a part of them will always be with you. And they say it like it’s a good thing. But all it means is that you get to lose them little by little over years and the wound never really heals.”
Jack presses a kiss to the top of Ianto’s head. Ianto tenses waiting for Jack to ask him about it. Waiting for the questions he’s going to have to dodge because he can’t answer them. Not now and maybe not ever.
“Why did you want to come here?” asks Jack finally. “Why not go home?”
Ianto has to look up at Jack then. Because that’s not the question he was expecting but it’s still not one Ianto is sure he wants to answer. Jack looks down to meet his eyes and Jack’s worried about him. Ianto’s never seen that before. Not worried about an injury or a danger, just worried about Ianto. About something unimportant in the grand scheme of things that is nevertheless important to Ianto.
“The flat is just were I sleep,” answers Ianto honestly. “This is home.”
Baring his soul is worth it. Just for the smile and the way Jack’s arms tighten ever so slightly.