Fic: Vizzini's Rule (69/105)
Title: Vizzini's Rule, Chapter 69, Part 1
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nuttin' much...yet!
Spoilers: Season One thru Out of Time (1x10)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Out of Time and to Joss Whedon for the hero line (again).
Summary: In which Jack shows up on Ianto’s doorstep...
Notes: End of the ep, dear reader! Only three eps left in the season - how did that happen? ;) Hope you enjoy the comfort/making up parts (not sure how many there are yet!). :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Sixty-Nine, Part One
The sound insinuated itself into Ianto’s dream before it woke him up. In his dream he was camping in Epping Forest, the sleeping bag zipped tight around him. He was just dozing off when a woodpecker started hammering against a nearby tree. Ianto pulled the covers up and buried his head deeper into his pillows. tap tap tap… tap tap tap tap… tap tap tap Ianto reached blindly around in the dirt for a rock to throw at the trees. When his hand found his alarm clock instead he sat up, confused.
tap tap tap…
His foggy brain finally realized that it wasn’t a woodpecker - someone was knocking on his door at… he glanced at the clock in his hands.
“Christ!” he exclaimed when he realized it was 8:14. “Dammit Jamie,” he muttered. The trip under the bed the other morning must have broken his alarm clock. He pulled his dressing gown on over his pajama bottoms and padded to the door. Sometimes he hated winter for the simple reason that the sun rose too late to wake him up for work.
He opened the door to see Jack, silhouetted against the rising sun.
“What do you want?” Ianto asked ungraciously.
Jack stepped forward hesitantly, moving close enough that Ianto could see his face. He grimaced at Ianto’s gasp. “Look as bad as I feel, then? Great,” Jack muttered. “Can I… can I come in?” he asked in a small voice Ianto had never heard from Jack.
Ianto stepped back without a word and let Jack in. He closed the door and turned to watch Jack walk carefully through his flat until he reached the sitting area, where he stopped and stood, looking lost. Ianto followed Jack and reached up to pull his greatcoat off. Jack seemed surprised by the courtesy, but allowed Ianto to remove is coat.
“God, Jack. What have you been doing?” Ianto asked, wrinkling his nose at the odor pouring off the coat and Jack himself. It almost smelled like… Ianto sniffed the coat. “Exhaust? Some kind of fumes anyway.” Ianto moved to the French doors and draped the coat over the chair he kept on the balcony. “Speaking of,” Ianto said as he closed the doors and turned to face Jack. “Where the hell is my car?”
Jack’s stunned expression didn’t change, but Ianto saw a single tear roll down his cheek.
“Jack? What is it?”
But Jack just shook his head as he closed his eyes, obviously in pain. Ianto crossed to him quickly and put a tentative hand on Jack’s shoulder. When Jack didn’t shrug him off, Ianto moved closer and tightened his grip a little.
“Jack, talk to me. What happened after you left the Hub last night? Did you find John?”
Jack nodded jerkily. “Yeah… yes, he was… he was at his house… in the garage…”
Putting two and two together quickly, Ianto asked quietly, “Did you get there in time?”
Jack hesitated, but then nodded.
Ianto let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Well, that’s good.” He patted Jack on the shoulder and walked over to the kitchen to make them some coffee. “That’s why we keep you big damn hero types around, you know.”
A choked, bitter laugh was wrenched from Jack. When Ianto turned around to see what was wrong, Jack was shaking, his hands gripping the back of the nearby chair.
“Jack?” Ianto said again as he walked back to the Captain. “What is it? You -” Ianto’s breath failed him as he looked down at Jack’s hands, at the ash lining his nails. The room spun for a moment as Ianto was hit with the memory of when his own hands had looked like that. “But… but you said… Jack, what happened?”
“I let him die,” Jack whispered hoarsely. “I held his hand.”
“What?” Ianto choked out.
“He gave up. He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t face it. He was too far out of his time. Too far… too lost… oh Yan, he was so lost,” Jack turned and grabbed Ianto, hugging him to him, burying his face in Ianto’s neck. His next words were muffled but they still managed to send an ice-cold stab of fear through Ianto’s heart. “He said he’d try again as soon as he was alone, I… I couldn’t convince him to stay, so we got in the car, oh God your car, Yan, I’m so sorry, the car, God, I held his hand and… he’s gone, he’d dead, I… I took care of it…”
Ianto was reeling from the fumes still trapped in Jack’s clothes. “You held his hand? Jack! You could have been killed along with him, what the hell were you thinking!” He struggled to push Jack off of him.
“I… I held my breath,” Jack said weakly.
Ianto rolled his eyes. “You held your breath?! Christ Jack, you can be so -” He ran a hand through his hair, “I should get you down to the A&E right now, have them check you out. You could have -”
“No!” Jack said. “I’m fine. Really.” He tried to smile.
Ianto wasn’t amused. “You’re not fine. You reek.” He spun Jack around to face the bathroom. “Get out of those clothes and go shower.” He watched as Jack walked across the floor, all traces of his usual swagger gone. As soon as the door closed, Ianto’s knees gave out. He crumpled onto the chair, his arms wrapped around his chest, forcing the panic back. Jack could have died, he could have died last night and I would never have seen him again. This last week would have been the last we had together. Shuddering at the thought, Ianto scrubbed at his face with both hands. He could hear the water running and walked over to the bathroom to gather up Jack’s clothes so he could toss them in the wash.
When he opened the door he saw Jack sitting on the toilet lid, one boot in his hand but otherwise fully dressed. He looked up as Ianto came in.
“Everything dies. Everyone dies, everyone but me. I can’t save anyone.”
Ianto knelt by Jack to untie his other boot. “Don’t be so dramatic. You save people all the time, Jack.”
“Why are you helping me?” Jack whispered as Ianto knelt up to unbutton his waistcoat. “You should hate me.”
“Who says I don’t,” Ianto quipped, sliding Jack’s waistcoat over his arms and beginning on his shirt.
“I’m such a bastard. I’m cruel and rude and…”
“Don’t stop there,” Ianto said as he pulled off Jack’s shirt and threw it in the corner of the room. He pulled Jack to his feet and tugged his undershirt off as well.
Jack took Ianto’s face between his hands. “I know I’m awful. I could see it in your eyes these past few days, that look, that look that tells me I’ve failed again.”
Ianto sighed. “You’re not awful, Jack. I can take you yelling at me. It’s when you send me away, when you shut me out so completely when… I know you need someone, why… why can’t it be me?” he whispered.
“It is you, Yan, it is. You are… I need you. More than I ever thought I would, more than I’ve needed anyone in a very long time. Please…”
“Please what?” Ianto whispered.
“Please don’t give up on me yet.”
Ianto leaned forward and kissed Jack softly, tasting tears and ash. He pulled back and said lightly as he began to unfasten Jack’s belt, “You know me, sir, I’m no quitter.”
Jack gasped out a sound that was half sob, half laugh. He helped Ianto push his trousers and briefs down and then enveloped the younger man in a bone crushing hug. “Thank you,” he whispered against Ianto’s neck.
Ianto nodded and then pushed Jack towards the shower. Jack grabbed the sleeve of his dressing gown as he turned away. “Don’t! Please, I… I know have no right to ask, but please don’t go,” he said in that same small voice from earlier. Ianto stood in front of Jack and let him slide his dressing gown to the floor. He tilted his face to Jack’s and let Jack kiss him tenderly. He felt Jack loosen the drawstring of his pajama bottoms and then felt the fabric slither to his feet.
“Let me show you, Ianto, please. Let me show you how much I need you,” Jack said as he stepped back into the shower and pulled Ianto with him.
TBC in Chapter Sixty-Nine, Part Two
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Nuttin' much...yet!
Spoilers: Season One thru Out of Time (1x10)
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all its wonderfulness belong to Russell T. Davies and the Mighty Beeb. Just goofin' around! All ©’s to Catherine Tregenna for dialogue and situations borrowed from Out of Time and to Joss Whedon for the hero line (again).
Summary: In which Jack shows up on Ianto’s doorstep...
Notes: End of the ep, dear reader! Only three eps left in the season - how did that happen? ;) Hope you enjoy the comfort/making up parts (not sure how many there are yet!). :o)
Previous Chapters
Vizzini's Rule: Chapter Sixty-Nine, Part One
The sound insinuated itself into Ianto’s dream before it woke him up. In his dream he was camping in Epping Forest, the sleeping bag zipped tight around him. He was just dozing off when a woodpecker started hammering against a nearby tree. Ianto pulled the covers up and buried his head deeper into his pillows. tap tap tap… tap tap tap tap… tap tap tap Ianto reached blindly around in the dirt for a rock to throw at the trees. When his hand found his alarm clock instead he sat up, confused.
tap tap tap…
His foggy brain finally realized that it wasn’t a woodpecker - someone was knocking on his door at… he glanced at the clock in his hands.
“Christ!” he exclaimed when he realized it was 8:14. “Dammit Jamie,” he muttered. The trip under the bed the other morning must have broken his alarm clock. He pulled his dressing gown on over his pajama bottoms and padded to the door. Sometimes he hated winter for the simple reason that the sun rose too late to wake him up for work.
He opened the door to see Jack, silhouetted against the rising sun.
“What do you want?” Ianto asked ungraciously.
Jack stepped forward hesitantly, moving close enough that Ianto could see his face. He grimaced at Ianto’s gasp. “Look as bad as I feel, then? Great,” Jack muttered. “Can I… can I come in?” he asked in a small voice Ianto had never heard from Jack.
Ianto stepped back without a word and let Jack in. He closed the door and turned to watch Jack walk carefully through his flat until he reached the sitting area, where he stopped and stood, looking lost. Ianto followed Jack and reached up to pull his greatcoat off. Jack seemed surprised by the courtesy, but allowed Ianto to remove is coat.
“God, Jack. What have you been doing?” Ianto asked, wrinkling his nose at the odor pouring off the coat and Jack himself. It almost smelled like… Ianto sniffed the coat. “Exhaust? Some kind of fumes anyway.” Ianto moved to the French doors and draped the coat over the chair he kept on the balcony. “Speaking of,” Ianto said as he closed the doors and turned to face Jack. “Where the hell is my car?”
Jack’s stunned expression didn’t change, but Ianto saw a single tear roll down his cheek.
“Jack? What is it?”
But Jack just shook his head as he closed his eyes, obviously in pain. Ianto crossed to him quickly and put a tentative hand on Jack’s shoulder. When Jack didn’t shrug him off, Ianto moved closer and tightened his grip a little.
“Jack, talk to me. What happened after you left the Hub last night? Did you find John?”
Jack nodded jerkily. “Yeah… yes, he was… he was at his house… in the garage…”
Putting two and two together quickly, Ianto asked quietly, “Did you get there in time?”
Jack hesitated, but then nodded.
Ianto let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “Well, that’s good.” He patted Jack on the shoulder and walked over to the kitchen to make them some coffee. “That’s why we keep you big damn hero types around, you know.”
A choked, bitter laugh was wrenched from Jack. When Ianto turned around to see what was wrong, Jack was shaking, his hands gripping the back of the nearby chair.
“Jack?” Ianto said again as he walked back to the Captain. “What is it? You -” Ianto’s breath failed him as he looked down at Jack’s hands, at the ash lining his nails. The room spun for a moment as Ianto was hit with the memory of when his own hands had looked like that. “But… but you said… Jack, what happened?”
“I let him die,” Jack whispered hoarsely. “I held his hand.”
“What?” Ianto choked out.
“He gave up. He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t face it. He was too far out of his time. Too far… too lost… oh Yan, he was so lost,” Jack turned and grabbed Ianto, hugging him to him, burying his face in Ianto’s neck. His next words were muffled but they still managed to send an ice-cold stab of fear through Ianto’s heart. “He said he’d try again as soon as he was alone, I… I couldn’t convince him to stay, so we got in the car, oh God your car, Yan, I’m so sorry, the car, God, I held his hand and… he’s gone, he’d dead, I… I took care of it…”
Ianto was reeling from the fumes still trapped in Jack’s clothes. “You held his hand? Jack! You could have been killed along with him, what the hell were you thinking!” He struggled to push Jack off of him.
“I… I held my breath,” Jack said weakly.
Ianto rolled his eyes. “You held your breath?! Christ Jack, you can be so -” He ran a hand through his hair, “I should get you down to the A&E right now, have them check you out. You could have -”
“No!” Jack said. “I’m fine. Really.” He tried to smile.
Ianto wasn’t amused. “You’re not fine. You reek.” He spun Jack around to face the bathroom. “Get out of those clothes and go shower.” He watched as Jack walked across the floor, all traces of his usual swagger gone. As soon as the door closed, Ianto’s knees gave out. He crumpled onto the chair, his arms wrapped around his chest, forcing the panic back. Jack could have died, he could have died last night and I would never have seen him again. This last week would have been the last we had together. Shuddering at the thought, Ianto scrubbed at his face with both hands. He could hear the water running and walked over to the bathroom to gather up Jack’s clothes so he could toss them in the wash.
When he opened the door he saw Jack sitting on the toilet lid, one boot in his hand but otherwise fully dressed. He looked up as Ianto came in.
“Everything dies. Everyone dies, everyone but me. I can’t save anyone.”
Ianto knelt by Jack to untie his other boot. “Don’t be so dramatic. You save people all the time, Jack.”
“Why are you helping me?” Jack whispered as Ianto knelt up to unbutton his waistcoat. “You should hate me.”
“Who says I don’t,” Ianto quipped, sliding Jack’s waistcoat over his arms and beginning on his shirt.
“I’m such a bastard. I’m cruel and rude and…”
“Don’t stop there,” Ianto said as he pulled off Jack’s shirt and threw it in the corner of the room. He pulled Jack to his feet and tugged his undershirt off as well.
Jack took Ianto’s face between his hands. “I know I’m awful. I could see it in your eyes these past few days, that look, that look that tells me I’ve failed again.”
Ianto sighed. “You’re not awful, Jack. I can take you yelling at me. It’s when you send me away, when you shut me out so completely when… I know you need someone, why… why can’t it be me?” he whispered.
“It is you, Yan, it is. You are… I need you. More than I ever thought I would, more than I’ve needed anyone in a very long time. Please…”
“Please what?” Ianto whispered.
“Please don’t give up on me yet.”
Ianto leaned forward and kissed Jack softly, tasting tears and ash. He pulled back and said lightly as he began to unfasten Jack’s belt, “You know me, sir, I’m no quitter.”
Jack gasped out a sound that was half sob, half laugh. He helped Ianto push his trousers and briefs down and then enveloped the younger man in a bone crushing hug. “Thank you,” he whispered against Ianto’s neck.
Ianto nodded and then pushed Jack towards the shower. Jack grabbed the sleeve of his dressing gown as he turned away. “Don’t! Please, I… I know have no right to ask, but please don’t go,” he said in that same small voice from earlier. Ianto stood in front of Jack and let him slide his dressing gown to the floor. He tilted his face to Jack’s and let Jack kiss him tenderly. He felt Jack loosen the drawstring of his pajama bottoms and then felt the fabric slither to his feet.
“Let me show you, Ianto, please. Let me show you how much I need you,” Jack said as he stepped back into the shower and pulled Ianto with him.
TBC in Chapter Sixty-Nine, Part Two