Fic: Hug Therapy
Title: Hug Therapy
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Tosh.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1282
Summary: With Jack gone, Ianto is working harder than ever, and some days he could really use a hug.
Spoilers: Set between End of Days and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Written For: cozy_coffee’s prompt ‘Any, any, needing a hug’ at comment_fic.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters.
Ianto was doing just fine with Jack gone. Really. He couldn’t understand why the rest of the team tiptoed around him, acting like they thought he was going to break down in tears any moment like some teenage girl whose first boyfriend just broke up with her. He was twenty-four, decidedly NOT a girl, no matter what Owen tried to insinuate, and anyway, Jack hadn’t broken up with him, he’d just… left. Without a word to anyone. Without so much as leaving a fucking note! Just kissed him in front of the team, then vanished. Bastard.
So no, Ianto wasn’t about to fall apart because his lover had abandoned him. He was pissed off, not heartbroken, and when Jack came back, which he would, Ianto was going to give him a piece of his mind about his lack of consideration for the team as a whole. How long would it have taken to scrawl a quick note and leave it on his desk? ‘Sorry, gotta go, see you when I get back.’
Still, he did miss Jack. Not just because of the sex, which was admittedly mind-blowing and highly educational. Having grown used to that on a semi-regular basis, the do-it-yourself variety lacked a certain something, namely Jack. Mostly, Ianto just missed the company, having someone to chat with, share that first morning coffee with, even share breakfast with, since Jack lived in the Hub and Ianto was almost always the first in. On those occasions when he wasn’t there all night, sharing Jack’s cramped cot.
These days the cot felt a lot less cramped, breakfast and the day’s first coffee were solitary affairs, and going home to sleep in his own bed was happening more infrequently than ever. Not that the rest of the team knew about any of that. It never seemed to occur to anyone else that someone had to monitor the Rift overnight, handling retrievals and logging new arrivals into the system. He’d only had to call Owen in once, to help with something that had been too big and heavy for him to handle alone, but still, it would be nice if someone else volunteered to take a turn at night duty. Maybe he should mention that sometime, only he didn’t want to start another argument over who was supposed to be doing what.
Last night had been rough though. First there’d been a rogue Weevil rampaging near Queen Street, a real rogue, not just a displaced youngster looking for a new clan to join, or a new arrival needing to be tagged and introduced to the local population. Ianto had been forced to kill it and haul it back to the Hub for incineration. On top of that, there’d been two Rift events at opposite ends of the city, and with all the driving back and forth, negotiating the one-way system four times, he’d only managed a couple of hours’ sleep.
He wasn’t falling apart, he didn’t feel like a jilted lover, but he was tired, and he could really use a hug. Jack was good at hugs, and always happy to provide them. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t all about sex with him. He was a tactile person for whom touch was a language, and hugs were a conversation without words. Ianto missed Jack’s warmth, the strength of his arms, his soothing scent, the comfort and support he embodied. Yeah, one of Jack’s hugs would be welcome right about now, but Jack wasn’t present so Ianto would just have to suck it up and get on with his duties.
Collecting a pile of paperwork, he slunk off to the archives for some comfort filing; it wasn’t as good as a hug, but it would have to suffice. Maybe when Jack came back, Ianto would get a hug before ripping the Captain a new one. Priorities.
He’d only been down there for ten minutes, had barely got started with the filing since he’d had to sort it into the right order first, when Tosh slipped into what passed for his office space.
“Ianto?”
“Tosh.” Ianto dredged up a smile for his friend. “What can I do for you?”
She didn’t reply, just walked up to him and wrapped both arms around him in a tight hug. Slightly alarmed, because despite their friendship, this was a bit out of character, Ianto hugged back; it seemed like the right thing to do. For several minutes they simply stood there, arms around each other, and Ianto felt himself gradually relaxing.
“Are you okay?” he asked the top of Tosh’s head.
“Mm,” Tosh replied, voice slightly muffled, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. “Are you?” She drew back slightly without releasing him, so she could look up at his face. “You looked tired and, I don’t know, sort of worn down, like you could use a hug, and I needed one too, because Owen’s being a prat again, so…” She trailed off, shrugging awkwardly. “What’re friends for?”
This time Ianto’s smile was more genuine. “A hug for a hug?”
“Nobody can give a hug without getting one in return, not if they’re doing it right. You give good hugs.”
“So do you. Thank you, I did need that.”
“You miss Jack.” It wasn’t a question.
“We all do. He always knew when anyone needed a hug.”
“D’you think he’ll ever come back?”
“Yes, I’m sure he will, and when he does, I plan to hug him, then quite possibly break his nose.” He smiled faintly as Tosh looked up at him in horror. “He deserves it, and anyway, he heals fast. Plus, I suspect Owen would get some satisfaction from having to straighten it. He has surprisingly sadistic tendencies for someone dedicated to healing.”
Tosh giggled. “I noticed that.” She turned serious again. “Anytime you need a hug, you only have to ask. And you should get some rest; you work too hard.”
“I don’t have much choice. Someone has to keep this place going, and with Jack away, I’m the only one who knows how to do all the routine stuff. I was doing a lot of it even before he decided to take a sabbatical without telling anyone.”
“You should delegate some of it. Gwen…”
“Has enough to do as it is, and it would take longer to teach her what needs doing than to do it myself. I’m fine.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Tosh sounded sceptical.
“I am, just a bit tired. Two Rift alerts and a Weevil last night, I didn’t get much sleep.”
“The Rift’s quiet at the moment, you could grab a couple of hours now. If anyone wonders where you are, I’ll tell them you’re busy doing something for me.” Tosh reached up to kiss Ianto on the cheek. “And I think I’m going to prescribe daily hugs for both of us, Doctor Sato’s orders.”
Ianto laughed. “Hug therapy, it could catch on. Same time tomorrow?”
“I’ll be here.” Smiling, Tosh slipped out of Ianto’s loose embrace and headed for the stairs back to the main Hub. “Get some rest. And if there are more alerts tonight, or tomorrow night, whenever, call me, or one of the others. You shouldn’t have to deal with them alone.”
Then she was gone, and Ianto looked at the pile of filing awaiting his attention, then at the old sofa he’d found in of one of the storage rooms and dragged into his office space. Tosh was right; the filing could wait for an hour or two. Slipping out of his jacket and shoes, he stretched out on the lumpy cushions and soon fell asleep, still smiling. He was lucky to have a friend like Tosh.
The End
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Tosh.
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1282
Summary: With Jack gone, Ianto is working harder than ever, and some days he could really use a hug.
Spoilers: Set between End of Days and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Written For: cozy_coffee’s prompt ‘Any, any, needing a hug’ at comment_fic.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood or any of the characters.
Ianto was doing just fine with Jack gone. Really. He couldn’t understand why the rest of the team tiptoed around him, acting like they thought he was going to break down in tears any moment like some teenage girl whose first boyfriend just broke up with her. He was twenty-four, decidedly NOT a girl, no matter what Owen tried to insinuate, and anyway, Jack hadn’t broken up with him, he’d just… left. Without a word to anyone. Without so much as leaving a fucking note! Just kissed him in front of the team, then vanished. Bastard.
So no, Ianto wasn’t about to fall apart because his lover had abandoned him. He was pissed off, not heartbroken, and when Jack came back, which he would, Ianto was going to give him a piece of his mind about his lack of consideration for the team as a whole. How long would it have taken to scrawl a quick note and leave it on his desk? ‘Sorry, gotta go, see you when I get back.’
Still, he did miss Jack. Not just because of the sex, which was admittedly mind-blowing and highly educational. Having grown used to that on a semi-regular basis, the do-it-yourself variety lacked a certain something, namely Jack. Mostly, Ianto just missed the company, having someone to chat with, share that first morning coffee with, even share breakfast with, since Jack lived in the Hub and Ianto was almost always the first in. On those occasions when he wasn’t there all night, sharing Jack’s cramped cot.
These days the cot felt a lot less cramped, breakfast and the day’s first coffee were solitary affairs, and going home to sleep in his own bed was happening more infrequently than ever. Not that the rest of the team knew about any of that. It never seemed to occur to anyone else that someone had to monitor the Rift overnight, handling retrievals and logging new arrivals into the system. He’d only had to call Owen in once, to help with something that had been too big and heavy for him to handle alone, but still, it would be nice if someone else volunteered to take a turn at night duty. Maybe he should mention that sometime, only he didn’t want to start another argument over who was supposed to be doing what.
Last night had been rough though. First there’d been a rogue Weevil rampaging near Queen Street, a real rogue, not just a displaced youngster looking for a new clan to join, or a new arrival needing to be tagged and introduced to the local population. Ianto had been forced to kill it and haul it back to the Hub for incineration. On top of that, there’d been two Rift events at opposite ends of the city, and with all the driving back and forth, negotiating the one-way system four times, he’d only managed a couple of hours’ sleep.
He wasn’t falling apart, he didn’t feel like a jilted lover, but he was tired, and he could really use a hug. Jack was good at hugs, and always happy to provide them. Contrary to popular belief, it wasn’t all about sex with him. He was a tactile person for whom touch was a language, and hugs were a conversation without words. Ianto missed Jack’s warmth, the strength of his arms, his soothing scent, the comfort and support he embodied. Yeah, one of Jack’s hugs would be welcome right about now, but Jack wasn’t present so Ianto would just have to suck it up and get on with his duties.
Collecting a pile of paperwork, he slunk off to the archives for some comfort filing; it wasn’t as good as a hug, but it would have to suffice. Maybe when Jack came back, Ianto would get a hug before ripping the Captain a new one. Priorities.
He’d only been down there for ten minutes, had barely got started with the filing since he’d had to sort it into the right order first, when Tosh slipped into what passed for his office space.
“Ianto?”
“Tosh.” Ianto dredged up a smile for his friend. “What can I do for you?”
She didn’t reply, just walked up to him and wrapped both arms around him in a tight hug. Slightly alarmed, because despite their friendship, this was a bit out of character, Ianto hugged back; it seemed like the right thing to do. For several minutes they simply stood there, arms around each other, and Ianto felt himself gradually relaxing.
“Are you okay?” he asked the top of Tosh’s head.
“Mm,” Tosh replied, voice slightly muffled, her cheek pressed against his shoulder. “Are you?” She drew back slightly without releasing him, so she could look up at his face. “You looked tired and, I don’t know, sort of worn down, like you could use a hug, and I needed one too, because Owen’s being a prat again, so…” She trailed off, shrugging awkwardly. “What’re friends for?”
This time Ianto’s smile was more genuine. “A hug for a hug?”
“Nobody can give a hug without getting one in return, not if they’re doing it right. You give good hugs.”
“So do you. Thank you, I did need that.”
“You miss Jack.” It wasn’t a question.
“We all do. He always knew when anyone needed a hug.”
“D’you think he’ll ever come back?”
“Yes, I’m sure he will, and when he does, I plan to hug him, then quite possibly break his nose.” He smiled faintly as Tosh looked up at him in horror. “He deserves it, and anyway, he heals fast. Plus, I suspect Owen would get some satisfaction from having to straighten it. He has surprisingly sadistic tendencies for someone dedicated to healing.”
Tosh giggled. “I noticed that.” She turned serious again. “Anytime you need a hug, you only have to ask. And you should get some rest; you work too hard.”
“I don’t have much choice. Someone has to keep this place going, and with Jack away, I’m the only one who knows how to do all the routine stuff. I was doing a lot of it even before he decided to take a sabbatical without telling anyone.”
“You should delegate some of it. Gwen…”
“Has enough to do as it is, and it would take longer to teach her what needs doing than to do it myself. I’m fine.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Tosh sounded sceptical.
“I am, just a bit tired. Two Rift alerts and a Weevil last night, I didn’t get much sleep.”
“The Rift’s quiet at the moment, you could grab a couple of hours now. If anyone wonders where you are, I’ll tell them you’re busy doing something for me.” Tosh reached up to kiss Ianto on the cheek. “And I think I’m going to prescribe daily hugs for both of us, Doctor Sato’s orders.”
Ianto laughed. “Hug therapy, it could catch on. Same time tomorrow?”
“I’ll be here.” Smiling, Tosh slipped out of Ianto’s loose embrace and headed for the stairs back to the main Hub. “Get some rest. And if there are more alerts tonight, or tomorrow night, whenever, call me, or one of the others. You shouldn’t have to deal with them alone.”
Then she was gone, and Ianto looked at the pile of filing awaiting his attention, then at the old sofa he’d found in of one of the storage rooms and dragged into his office space. Tosh was right; the filing could wait for an hour or two. Slipping out of his jacket and shoes, he stretched out on the lumpy cushions and soon fell asleep, still smiling. He was lucky to have a friend like Tosh.
The End