(Untitled)

[suitedforcoffee]

CHARACTERS: Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness
LOCATION: Somewhere in the passenger quarters
WARNINGS: Angst, possible progression into NC-17 territory.
SUMMARY: Jack and Ianto run into each other in the passenger quarters just after everyone arrives.

Comments

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack had had his fill of socializing in the locker room, and so after a little while he excused himself out to do a bit of exploring on his own. There were enough people around that running into someone in the hallways wasn't much of a surprise. And he'd been living in such a haze for the last few months that mistaking someone in front of him for Ianto wasn't that strange of an occurrence either. What was strange was the fact that upon closer inspection of the man in question, the appearance didn't change at all. Against all possible explanations, there was Ianto Jones, a little ways down the hallway from him.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks, and when he spoke, his voice was oddly hesitant, and not at all the way he normally sounded. "...Ianto?"

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack's fingers curled around Ianto's, taking the hint. He didn't much want to pull away from Ianto either. He was almost afraid that if he let go, he might disappear. Which was silly, but there it was. He didn't think he'd let the other man out of his sight for a little while yet, just to make sure. Sure, they'd have to deal with this sometime. Ianto'd probably have questions, and he might even give them. In time, that is.

As the lift brought them up to the right floor, presumably to dump them out in some sort of hallway lined with passenger quarters - it seemed like the sort of place to have an area like that, considering how huge it was - Jack shifted to lean against Ianto, touching more just for the sake of contact. "You alright?" he asked, knowing that it was a loaded question, but figuring he should ask it nonetheless. Ianto had mentioned that he was groggy, after all, and the motion of the lift probably wasn't doing anything to help that.

[suitedforcoffee]

Ianto tried for a smile and only half-succeeded. It was indeed a loaded question, and one Ianto didn't yet have an answer for. He chose to stick to the surface layer of the matter and delve deeper only when he could no longer avoid the subject.

"Nothing to worry over," he assured. "But if it's all the same, I'd like to avoid any future adventures in stasis chambers." The grogginess, memory loss, sore throat, and lack of coordination were only topped off by having had to walk about in his shorts covered in goo. At least that part was over. The other symptoms were all fading slowly but surely, and the trip in the lift was made tolerable by Jack's solid weight against him, keeping him from any possible vertigo or motion sickness.

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack nodded, understanding. He didn't much enjoy the experience of waking up in a stasis chamber either. Unfortunately for him, though, he had other experiences to compare it to, like being buried alive in a block of cement, so comparatively speaking waking up out of a stasis chamber covered in goo wasn't too bad.

"Hey, you know what. If we find these passenger quarters they were talking about, there's a chance that we might be able to find some sort of a bath or shower as well. If you're interested, that is." Might make Ianto feel better, if nothing else. Granted, if it was public, he doubted that they'd be getting up to much other than washing off.

[suitedforcoffee]

Ianto moaned involuntarily, the thought of a shower akin to bliss. "God, yes. I still feel like I'm covered in...whatever that was." And he probably still was, technically, even if it was dry now.

The door to the lift slid open, and Ianto stepped out with Jack at his side, a long hallway going in either direction. Apparently this was floor "00" and all the doors appeared to be numbered. With a little start, the pieces slid into place for Ianto. Letting go of Jack's hand long enough to pull up his sleeve, he displayed the number on his arm. 007.

"Do you have one of these?" he asked, looking at Jack a little anxiously. He really didn't like the tattoo, or what it possibly implied.

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack frowned at the tattoo on Ianto's wrist, before he held out his wrist to show the other man his tattoo. 003, it read. The number of the vault that had held the John Doe in the Torchwood cryogenics storage facility. The number of the vault that had held him, ironically. He hoped that Ianto understood the significance of his number, and at the same time he didn't, because he'd really rather not be reminded of being buried alive for all that time if he could help it.

"Yeah," he said, answering Ianto. "Yeah, I... I do."

[suitedforcoffee]

Ianto ran a thumb over Jack's tattoo, brow furrowed. The significance of the number was not lost on him, any more than the significance of his own number was. When he'd had only his own to go on, it seemed easy enough to pass the 007 off as a coincidence, or possibly a nod to James Bond, but now it seemed all too apparent these were their morgue drawer numbers

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack was on exactly the same page as Ianto. Part of him was sad that they were communal showers, but the other part of him was just grateful that there were bathing facilities at all. It was never a guarantee, especially when you were being taken prisoner anywhere against your will, like they were in this situation

[suitedforcoffee]

Ianto felt much the same. He wanted nothing more than to wrap himself around Jack, breathe in his scent, and just be with him. If it lead to sex, he was sure they'd both find mutual satisfaction, but it wasn't the goal. It wasn't the point.

The showers were thankfully empty, despite their communal nature. It seemed most people were still milling about downstairs, or wandering, or kipping in their rooms. That was all fine by Ianto, who immediately began unzipping his jumpsuit, heading toward the row of lockers with the neatly folded stacks of towels on the benches in front of them. He undressed quickly, tossing the clothing almost carelessly in an empty locker.

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack followed behind Ianto to the lockers, undressing with little regard to whether or not they had company and stuffing his clothes in the locker next to Ianto's. He grabbed a towel from the bench, but slung it over his shoulder, rather than tied it around his waist, before he went to put a hand on Ianto's waist and lead him towards the showers, picking one at random and guiding Ianto in before him, before he turned and shut the curtain behind them. He went and hung his towel up on a hook inside the stall, stepping forward to turn the shower on to let the water warm up, before stepping back and, wrapping his arms around Ianto from behind, press a kiss to the back of his neck. Softly, gently. He treasured the other man, and he was so grateful that he was there with him he didn't even want to question how or why. For that moment, he just wanted nothing more than to just be. Him and Ianto. Together again, against all odds.

[suitedforcoffee]

Ianto let Jack guide him, lacing their fingers together as Jack wrapped his arms around his waist. The sensation of Jack's lips lingered pleasantly on his neck, the heat of his skin warming his back. They stayed like that, quiet and content until the water began to steam.

Reaching out, Ianto tested the temperature of the water before moving forward, sighing deeply as the cascade of hot water rushed over him. Turning, he pulled Jack into his arms, tucking his head into Jack's shoulder and breathing him in.

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack went willingly when Ianto pulled him this time, wrapping his arms around Ianto in turn, a hand on the back of his neck, curling in his hair, and the other laying flat on his back, holding him close. He ducked his head to rest his cheek on the top of Ianto's head, curling himself around him almost, and just stood like that for a moment, the water cascading over them.

There were a lot of things that he wanted to say in that moment. And yet he didn't want to ruin it with talking either. He'd missed him. He'd never anticipated seeing him again. He was so, so sorry. He'd done some awful things, since he'd seen him. He wasn't sure that Ianto'd want to be with him, once he knew he'd sacrificed his own grandson because that was the easiest way out. Once he knew that he'd abandoned Gwen in Cardiff, pregnant and desperate for a friend, because he couldn't stand to look at her and know that he was going to end up killing her one day too. He selfishly didn't want to let that on, because he didn't know how Ianto would react, and yet. He

[suitedforcoffee]

The silence was nice. In many ways, Ianto was still reeling, and it would be some time and many conversations before the anxiety and fear would fade completely. This quiet embrace in the warmth of the shower was a soothing balm, a comfort that helped him file away his questions and concerns neatly in his mind to be dealt with later, one at a time, when he was more capable. Jack's touch alone could keep him sane and grounded, to a degree that was almost surreal.

He loved Jack completely, and had long since lost his ability to judge him for his wrongs. His first concern would always be for Jack, for what committing those wrongs must have done to him. If Jack bared his soul now, he would be greeted with only sorrow and care. But Ianto wasn't aware of Jack's inner turmoil; not yet. So he dug the pads of his fingers lightly into the broad muscles of Jack's back, tracing the familiar lines, scattering slow, lingering kisses along Jack's shoulder.

[capt_greatcoat]

Jack turned his head to press his face into Ianto's hair as Ianto trailed kisses over his shoulder, the muscles of his back twitching slightly as Ianto kneaded them gently. It'd been a while since he'd been intimate with anyone - intimate in the way he was with Ianto, at least. It'd been since the last time he and Ianto were together, after all, and after everything with Ianto, Stephen, and the 456, he hadn't really felt like moving on or finding a replacement or anything like that.

He ran his fingers through Ianto's hair gently, soothing both for him and for Ianto, but also more than that. A reassurance - yes, he was there; yes, everything was alright in that moment. Yes, he appreciated the kisses, and Ianto himself. "Ianto..." he said, softly, but that was as close as he got to starting up a conversation, as he nuzzled the side of his head gently.

[suitedforcoffee]

There was something in Jack's voice, but Ianto didn't think anything of it. They were both stressed, confused, afraid, and practically in shock. Of course there was something in Jack's voice. Ianto was sure there would be in his own too, if he were to speak. But he had no words that would mean anything right now. Instead, he moved his lips up Jack's neck, along Jack's jaw, leisurely. There was no rush. And finally he reached Jack's lips, kissing him gently, sweetly.

[capt_greatcoat]

And Jack kissed him back, equally as tenderly. He was going to appreciate this moment, because he almost hadn't gotten it. He leaned into Ianto's kiss, into his touch, his other hand running its way up and down his back, sliding on the now wet skin easily, stroking and tracing small patterns where it traveled. They were there to get cleaned off, and they would eventually, but they both needed this now too. That reassurance that despite everything they'd been through, they really were back together again. Jack's hand in Ianto's hair moved to cup the side of his face as he deepened their kiss, putting as much of himself into it as he could.