Part 2/13 - Hatful of Hollow
Title: Hatful of Hollow (Part 2 of 13)
Disclaimer: I'm not RTD, I don't work for the BBC, and as much as I might like to, I don't own Jack or Ianto or any part of Torchwood. Well, except for that vinyl logo someone made for me at a convention. It's on my car.
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Rating: Starts General, but ramps into the R-ish range toward the end. Smutty, but not very graphic.
Notes: Takes place between "Countrycide" and "Greeks Bearing Gifts". Title refers the Smiths album that inspired this mess. Constructive criticism, comments, chocolate, and good coffee welcomed. Unbeta-ed.
Part One is Here.
"Yes, Jack. This is what I want."
Ianto bent down for another kiss. This one was more measured. More intentional. His mouth was warm, and soft, and tasted of coffee. He smelled like soap and clean clothes. And while Jack was enjoying himself immensely -- he favored being straddled by attractive young Welshmen on principle -- he didn't like being confused. It made him nervous.
He'd taken a risk with Ianto. Rather than terminating him outright (and the Lisa incident allowed for every possible interperetation of that), Jack had addressed his grievances. Well, the ones he could, at any rate. He'd seen to it that Ianto was treated like a full member of the team. He'd changed no passwords, no access keys, no locks. He hadn't even put Ianto under any additional surveillance. And he had done it on one condition: that the trust and respect that Jack extended would be reciprocated.
Jack was pretty sure he hadn't included anything like this in those discussions. That really would be harassment, and coercion was completely against his ethic.
"You know you don't have to do this," he murmured into Ianto's ear as the other man nuzzled into his neck. He watched, baffled and breathless, as Ianto leaned back to speak, hands on Jack's shoulders.
Jack winced as the entry alert broke the silence, and the round door began to roll back.
Ianto, meanwhile, was already on his feet.
# # #
Fresh coffee appeared at regular intervals. Supply orders went out. Reports appeared in Jack's inbox. There were no significant glances or cracks in the facade. Ianto was all quiet efficiency, and it was driving Jack crazy.
He clicked through the CCTV feeds one last time, then walked out into the Hub's main work area. It was empty save for Gwen, who appeared to be trawling the week's police reports for unexplained incidents.
"Finding anything good?" he asked, peering over her shoulder at the screen.
She sighed and shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe a little bit of strangeness in Pentwyn. Couple of people with missing time, that sort of thing. Could be aliens, I suppose."
"Interesting. Anything else?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. Bit of a quiet day, really."
"Good thing, too," a voice called out from the walkway. "Because I am positively starving." Owen leaned over the railing. "Also, I've run out of sudoku puzzles, things to autoclave, and clever notes to leave on Tosh's workstation."
Jack laughed. "I suppose that's your way of asking to take a long lunch."
"Well, now that you mention it, Jack --"
"Fine. Go on. And when you're done, I want you, Gwen, and Tosh to head over to Pentwyn and investigate these missing time incidents. I want to know whether or not we're dealing with some sort of abduction scenario or just a bunch of kids having a piss-up."
He watched Gwen and Owen trade their own significant glances as they gathered their things. He pretended not to notice. He ducked his head a little and pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Tosh? Yeah, lunchtime. Is Ianto with you? Tell him to meet me in my office. I need some help pulling something from the archive."
# # #
Ten minutes later, Ianto knocked on the frame of Jack's door. "Tosh said you needed to see me, sir. Something about you needing help with the secure archive?"
"Yeah." Jack wrote a random number down on a slip of paper. "I can't get the codes to work. I think the locks are acting up again, but I'd rather have a second opinion before setting you and Tosh on it."
Ianto took the paper, examined it, then tucked it in his trouser pocket. Within moments, Ianto was holding a sealed envelope. He placed it on Jack's desk and stepped back.
"I didn't notice any problems, but I might run some diagnostics just in case. It's possible that there's a loose connection somewhere."
Jack nodded. "Always better to catch things early before they become a problem."
"I'll get right on it, sir." Ianto turned to leave.
"Oh, and Ianto?"
"Yes sir?"
"Don't you think it's a little strange to go around kissing the guy who killed your girlfriend?"
Ianto's face fell faster than he could turn away, or dart out of the office. Jack leaned back in his chair and sighed.
# # #
Tosh had called from Pentwyn. Apparently, she explained, some quirk of the Rift had caused a temporary but breathtaking temporal irregularity. The good news was that it was fading. The bad news was that Owen was stuck in it after a playful shove from Gwen.
"He's just been floating there for about twenty minutes or so. Still, if things continue at their present rate, we should be able to tug him out within the hour." Tosh explained.
"Well, get some good data on this thing," Jack said as he thumbed through a stack of files. "The last thing I want to do is get stuck in a public restroom somewhere for the rest of eternity." He half-regretted not being there to see it. It sounded impressive.
The Hub was silent except for the sounds of water running down the tower and the hum of the workstation computers. He thought, for a moment, of Bernie Harris, and the artifact they'd confiscated from him. What would he see if he used it here? Who would he see?
Of course, he knew better than to try that. Even if he did know all the keys. All the codes. And so did Ianto.
# # #
Jack had just about given up when he heard footfalls in the Hub.
The lights had gone dark again. The others had come and gone, Gwen still apologizing to Owen about Pentwyn while Tosh tried her best not to smirk. Jack had helped Tosh pull the last of the files on her alien language project, then sent her home. Since then, he'd been pacing around from the armory to the conference room, or the water tower to the autopsy room, or any other two points that caught his attention.
"You didn't kill her, Jack."
He turned around slowly to see Ianto standing, hands in pockets, eyes downcast. He looked rumpled and exhausted. His top button was undone, and he'd loosened his tie a bit. His bruises stood out in the shadows. He looked like he'd been sleeping on the floor somewhere. As far as Jack knew, he had been.
"Didn't I?" Jack did not move, but simply watched as Ianto leaned against the tiled wall and let his head fall back on his shoulders.
"No. She was gone before then. Maybe even at Canary Wharf. I don't know. I never will for sure. These days, I think maybe there were some memories left. The brain but not the spirit. Just enough to make me believe, I suppose."
"I'm sorry, Ianto."
"Don't be. You made a decision. That's what you do. You have to make the choices the rest of us can't."
"If you're looking for a hero, Ianto, you're looking at the wrong guy," Jack said, almost scowling.
"That's not what I'm looking for."
"So what are you looking for, Ianto?"
Ianto pursed his lips and considered his response before he spoke. "Someone I don't have to lie to. Or explain the pain to. Intimacy. Sex. Someone to appreciate. Lots of things."
It was Jack's turn to look away.
"It's okay, Jack. I misjudged, and I'm sorry. I was out of order this morning. It won't happen again, sir." Ianto pushed away from the wall and headed for the door.
Jack intercepted him. "Ianto." He felt like laughing.
Ianto didn't taste like coffee anymore, but he was so warm and comforting and inviting. He tasted like tears and dust and desperation, and he smelled like a man who'd been wearing a suit for nearly twenty hours.
Jack reached between them and undid Ianto's jacket buttons, then slid the garment off and onto the floor. Ianto, meanwhile, was hurriedly unbuttoning Jack's shirt. They kissed desperately as they divested one another of their various layers until they tumbled onto the Hub's couch, both naked to the waist.
"This is insane," Jack laughed.
"You're objecting?"
"No. It's wonderful." He pushed Ianto down and began trailing kisses from the younger man's neck to his navel, where he began to nibble at the trail of hair that led further down. With eager fingers, he undid Ianto's belt and trousers, then tugged them down, pulling them off. It was like unwrapping a present. Jack grinned. "And you're gorgeous."
"Mmm." Ianto smirked and tugged playfully at Jack's belt. "This needs to come off."
Jack was all too happy to comply.
===
Prev. Ep: 1/13
Next Ep: 3/13
Disclaimer: I'm not RTD, I don't work for the BBC, and as much as I might like to, I don't own Jack or Ianto or any part of Torchwood. Well, except for that vinyl logo someone made for me at a convention. It's on my car.
Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Rating: Starts General, but ramps into the R-ish range toward the end. Smutty, but not very graphic.
Notes: Takes place between "Countrycide" and "Greeks Bearing Gifts". Title refers the Smiths album that inspired this mess. Constructive criticism, comments, chocolate, and good coffee welcomed. Unbeta-ed.
Part One is Here.
"Yes, Jack. This is what I want."
Ianto bent down for another kiss. This one was more measured. More intentional. His mouth was warm, and soft, and tasted of coffee. He smelled like soap and clean clothes. And while Jack was enjoying himself immensely -- he favored being straddled by attractive young Welshmen on principle -- he didn't like being confused. It made him nervous.
He'd taken a risk with Ianto. Rather than terminating him outright (and the Lisa incident allowed for every possible interperetation of that), Jack had addressed his grievances. Well, the ones he could, at any rate. He'd seen to it that Ianto was treated like a full member of the team. He'd changed no passwords, no access keys, no locks. He hadn't even put Ianto under any additional surveillance. And he had done it on one condition: that the trust and respect that Jack extended would be reciprocated.
Jack was pretty sure he hadn't included anything like this in those discussions. That really would be harassment, and coercion was completely against his ethic.
"You know you don't have to do this," he murmured into Ianto's ear as the other man nuzzled into his neck. He watched, baffled and breathless, as Ianto leaned back to speak, hands on Jack's shoulders.
Jack winced as the entry alert broke the silence, and the round door began to roll back.
Ianto, meanwhile, was already on his feet.
# # #
Fresh coffee appeared at regular intervals. Supply orders went out. Reports appeared in Jack's inbox. There were no significant glances or cracks in the facade. Ianto was all quiet efficiency, and it was driving Jack crazy.
He clicked through the CCTV feeds one last time, then walked out into the Hub's main work area. It was empty save for Gwen, who appeared to be trawling the week's police reports for unexplained incidents.
"Finding anything good?" he asked, peering over her shoulder at the screen.
She sighed and shrugged. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe a little bit of strangeness in Pentwyn. Couple of people with missing time, that sort of thing. Could be aliens, I suppose."
"Interesting. Anything else?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. Bit of a quiet day, really."
"Good thing, too," a voice called out from the walkway. "Because I am positively starving." Owen leaned over the railing. "Also, I've run out of sudoku puzzles, things to autoclave, and clever notes to leave on Tosh's workstation."
Jack laughed. "I suppose that's your way of asking to take a long lunch."
"Well, now that you mention it, Jack --"
"Fine. Go on. And when you're done, I want you, Gwen, and Tosh to head over to Pentwyn and investigate these missing time incidents. I want to know whether or not we're dealing with some sort of abduction scenario or just a bunch of kids having a piss-up."
He watched Gwen and Owen trade their own significant glances as they gathered their things. He pretended not to notice. He ducked his head a little and pressed a finger to his earpiece. "Tosh? Yeah, lunchtime. Is Ianto with you? Tell him to meet me in my office. I need some help pulling something from the archive."
# # #
Ten minutes later, Ianto knocked on the frame of Jack's door. "Tosh said you needed to see me, sir. Something about you needing help with the secure archive?"
"Yeah." Jack wrote a random number down on a slip of paper. "I can't get the codes to work. I think the locks are acting up again, but I'd rather have a second opinion before setting you and Tosh on it."
Ianto took the paper, examined it, then tucked it in his trouser pocket. Within moments, Ianto was holding a sealed envelope. He placed it on Jack's desk and stepped back.
"I didn't notice any problems, but I might run some diagnostics just in case. It's possible that there's a loose connection somewhere."
Jack nodded. "Always better to catch things early before they become a problem."
"I'll get right on it, sir." Ianto turned to leave.
"Oh, and Ianto?"
"Yes sir?"
"Don't you think it's a little strange to go around kissing the guy who killed your girlfriend?"
Ianto's face fell faster than he could turn away, or dart out of the office. Jack leaned back in his chair and sighed.
# # #
Tosh had called from Pentwyn. Apparently, she explained, some quirk of the Rift had caused a temporary but breathtaking temporal irregularity. The good news was that it was fading. The bad news was that Owen was stuck in it after a playful shove from Gwen.
"He's just been floating there for about twenty minutes or so. Still, if things continue at their present rate, we should be able to tug him out within the hour." Tosh explained.
"Well, get some good data on this thing," Jack said as he thumbed through a stack of files. "The last thing I want to do is get stuck in a public restroom somewhere for the rest of eternity." He half-regretted not being there to see it. It sounded impressive.
The Hub was silent except for the sounds of water running down the tower and the hum of the workstation computers. He thought, for a moment, of Bernie Harris, and the artifact they'd confiscated from him. What would he see if he used it here? Who would he see?
Of course, he knew better than to try that. Even if he did know all the keys. All the codes. And so did Ianto.
# # #
Jack had just about given up when he heard footfalls in the Hub.
The lights had gone dark again. The others had come and gone, Gwen still apologizing to Owen about Pentwyn while Tosh tried her best not to smirk. Jack had helped Tosh pull the last of the files on her alien language project, then sent her home. Since then, he'd been pacing around from the armory to the conference room, or the water tower to the autopsy room, or any other two points that caught his attention.
"You didn't kill her, Jack."
He turned around slowly to see Ianto standing, hands in pockets, eyes downcast. He looked rumpled and exhausted. His top button was undone, and he'd loosened his tie a bit. His bruises stood out in the shadows. He looked like he'd been sleeping on the floor somewhere. As far as Jack knew, he had been.
"Didn't I?" Jack did not move, but simply watched as Ianto leaned against the tiled wall and let his head fall back on his shoulders.
"No. She was gone before then. Maybe even at Canary Wharf. I don't know. I never will for sure. These days, I think maybe there were some memories left. The brain but not the spirit. Just enough to make me believe, I suppose."
"I'm sorry, Ianto."
"Don't be. You made a decision. That's what you do. You have to make the choices the rest of us can't."
"If you're looking for a hero, Ianto, you're looking at the wrong guy," Jack said, almost scowling.
"That's not what I'm looking for."
"So what are you looking for, Ianto?"
Ianto pursed his lips and considered his response before he spoke. "Someone I don't have to lie to. Or explain the pain to. Intimacy. Sex. Someone to appreciate. Lots of things."
It was Jack's turn to look away.
"It's okay, Jack. I misjudged, and I'm sorry. I was out of order this morning. It won't happen again, sir." Ianto pushed away from the wall and headed for the door.
Jack intercepted him. "Ianto." He felt like laughing.
Ianto didn't taste like coffee anymore, but he was so warm and comforting and inviting. He tasted like tears and dust and desperation, and he smelled like a man who'd been wearing a suit for nearly twenty hours.
Jack reached between them and undid Ianto's jacket buttons, then slid the garment off and onto the floor. Ianto, meanwhile, was hurriedly unbuttoning Jack's shirt. They kissed desperately as they divested one another of their various layers until they tumbled onto the Hub's couch, both naked to the waist.
"This is insane," Jack laughed.
"You're objecting?"
"No. It's wonderful." He pushed Ianto down and began trailing kisses from the younger man's neck to his navel, where he began to nibble at the trail of hair that led further down. With eager fingers, he undid Ianto's belt and trousers, then tugged them down, pulling them off. It was like unwrapping a present. Jack grinned. "And you're gorgeous."
"Mmm." Ianto smirked and tugged playfully at Jack's belt. "This needs to come off."
Jack was all too happy to comply.
===
Prev. Ep: 1/13
Next Ep: 3/13