Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or Firefly (there’s a tiny reference in there)
Rating: R MA
Warnings: M/M sex. Curse words.
Chapter 46
Ianto trudged despondently up the stairs of Jason’s basement. He heard his guardian hit one of the concrete walls in his cell and suspected that Jason had just broken his hand in rage. Ianto tried to hold in his tears; he had disappointed Jason, the man who trained him, just as he had disappointed his father. All his life he had let down the people he cared for. So many mistakes and regrets, he thought, remembering his mother with deep remorse. She’d been so lost after his father’s death and had numbed her pain with narcotics. Ianto had tried to pretend he didn’t see that she was endangering herself, but he now recognized the self-deception. He hadn’t gone to help her because he feared losing Jason. His selfish fears had always been his downfall, and everyone else suffered.
This situation wasn’t any different, he had rushed in without thinking, had acted without grace, because he selfishly wanted control. He had punched himself, an act he already regretted. I have no control over anything, he thought, my life, my death, my friends, all outside my control, everything spinning around in a whirlwind just out of reach. The worst part was knowing that even when he became Iden and seemed to be in control he would be just as powerless. Iden may have known what was going to happen, but he was just a puppet of his memories, forced to make sure it all happened the same way again. Iden had known Ianto was going to hit him, and had stood there without flinching. Ianto felt even worse. He took a deep breath and composed his face as best he could before leaving the laundry room at the top of the basement stairs.
Ianto found Adrian in the kitchen. The man was leaning against the counter trying unsuccessfully to hide the fact that he’d been crying, and for the first time Ianto saw Adrian as a person rather than as an adjunct to Jason.
“Do you want to discuss it?” Ianto asked uncertainly.
“Discuss what?” Adrian sniffled.
“Why you’re crying.” Ianto replied.
“I’m not,” the Frenchman insisted as he turned away to brush the evidence of tears from his cheek.
“I’m supposed to be your best mate in my future, yet here you are lying to me,” Ianto said playfully, trying to lighten the mood.
“Allergies,” Adrian tried with a bland expression. “Ragweed.”
“Of course. Bad year for ragweed,” Ianto returned. Both men burst into laughter.
Adrian caught his breath first. “Iden taught me that humor in stressful situations can make it seem less stressful.”
“When did he teach you that?”
“We were running from Native Americans. I think they were Cherokee, maybe Comanche. I don’t really remember. “
Ianto grinned. “Sounds rather exciting.”
“It was the most fun I’d ever had my whole life up until that point.”
“I reckon Iden taught you how to change the subject flawlessly as well?”
Adrian nodded. “Caught that did you?”
Ianto nodded, and the Frenchman became serious again.
“If I promise to tell you later, will you go? Before Jason comes back up here and changes his mind about letting you leave?”
Ianto turned to look back at the laundry room door, then back at Adrian. “Yeah,” he agreed.
Ianto gave a small wave and exited the kitchen, then walked through the hall and out of the house. He calmly got in the driver’s seat of his car. Closing his eyes, he tried to get in the mindset necessary to go back to the hub and act like Tosh and Owen were Tosh and Owen and not clones. At least they’re safe. He took a deep breath and turned the car on.
“I’ve always liked science,” his own voice called from the back seat.
“Fuck,” Ianto yelled, nearly jumping out of his skin. “God you scared me.”
“Not every day you get scared by yourself,” Iden mused with a quiet laugh.
“Fuck you,” Ianto growled. He hated being caught off guard, and the afternoon had been rough. He wasn’t in the mood.
Iden let out a chuckle. “I apologize; I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“You knew it was going to happen!” Ianto said sullenly.
“I did.” Iden replied simply. “Anyway, science. You need to learn everything you can about it.”
“So I’ll be able to clone my friends?”
Iden shrugged.
“If you’re not going to be helpful, would you leave?”
“So that you know, Adrian is the one who convinced Jason not to… do anything too drastic. I’ve always left your discipline to them. You know, because if it was up to me either it would be too severe or too lenient. I have difficulty being objective where you’re concerned. ”
“Are you planning on staying in my car much longer?” Ianto asked flatly.
Ianto saw Iden roll his eyes in the rearview. He couldn’t help but laugh. It was weird to see himself doing something he did all the time.
Iden smiled as well and leaned up in the seat. “It’ll be okay, little me. You’ll make it through.” he said, patting Ianto on the shoulder and the exiting the car.
Ianto made eye contact with Iden and gave a slight nod before pulling away.
TW---TW---TW
“We killed us a shape shifter, partner.” Jack drawled when Ianto walked into the hub.
Ianto laughed. Jack was wearing a cowboy hat.
“What’s funny, partner?” Jack grinned, placing a red cap on Ianto’s head.
Ianto smiled. “Well, soldier, are you going to cook that shape-shifter?”
“Naw, I was thinking about pizza. With a sexy Welshman for starters, and Ianto à la mode for dessert,” Jack leered, pulling Ianto in for a kiss.
Ianto pulled away. “Wait, let me see if I understand this correctly. You’re a cowboy and I’m a UNIT solider?”
“I’m a space cowboy.”
“Do they have those?”
“They do now,” Jack teased tipping his hat. “Let’s get these clothes off,” he insisted, beginning to undo Ianto’s tie.
“Shiny,” Ianto agreed with a grin, fumbling with the buttons of Jack’s shirt.
“We really should have a no clothing rule; it would make ravishing you a lot easier.” Jack pointed out. He finished with Ianto’s tie and moved to the buttons of his waist coat.
“I thought you liked my suits? And since when am I not easy enough to ravish?” Ianto asked pulling Jack’s hands away from him and making the man turn around so he could pull the blue shirt off his shoulders. He folded it and laid it on top of Tosh’s desk.
“Oh, I do like the suits,” Jack leered. He pulled off his undershirt and threw it carelessly aside as Ianto removed his undone tie and waist coat and placed them neatly on the back on Tosh’s desk chair then bent over and picked up the cowboy hat that had fallen off Jack’s head and placed it atop his blue shirt.
“Besides, I don’t know if the others would appreciate a no clothing rule.” Ianto mused, pulling his dress shirt out of his trousers and starting to unbutton it from the top. Jack worked on the buttons from the bottom.
“I don’t know,” he said, “It couldn’t hurt to ask,”
“I’ve seen Gwen throw a punch, so I have to disagree. It could hurt to ask,” Ianto insisted, shrugging out of his dress shirt and placing it neatly over his waist coat.
“Alright, you win,” Jack whispered pulling Ianto close so that the warm flesh of their now bare chests came together.
“I like it when I win,” Ianto smiled, putting a hand in Jack’s hair and pressing his lips against his lover’s, demanding entrance instantly. Jack complied.
With no breath left to speak they fought to undo each other’s trousers, both pushing the others down in unison, never breaking the kiss. There was a fit of laughter as they stumbled to remove their shoes. Finally, all clothes were gone except the red cap.
Ianto wasted no time pulling Jack over to the couch, pausing momentarily to retrieve the lube from Jack’s discarded trousers. He pushed the older man down, desperate to feel in control of something. Jack understood instinctively; he relaxed in silent acquiescence and allowed Ianto to take what he needed. His head tilted back and his cowboy hat toppled to the floor, forgotten.
The Welshman prepared his lover with the lube and wasted no time pressing into him, fighting to keep himself together when Jacks noises of pleasure nearly pushed him over the edge.
“Jack,” Ianto moaned, bending down to capture the other man’s lips quickly as their bodies moved as one entity.
Ianto tangled his fingers in Jacks hair, pulling Jack’s head back to expose his neck to an assault of small kisses and bites. He nipped at Jack’s collarbone, never ceasing his steady thrusting. Jack’s body started to tremble, and Ianto knew they were both close. He pressed his body against Jacks and thrust harder, faster, until Jack released between them, slicking their bodies with his cum. The sensation drove Ianto to the edge and he came as well, biting down on Jack’s neck to muffle his moan of ecstasy as he rode out his climax. Surprisingly, the red cap was still firmly in place.
TW---TW---TW
“If they run off together, don’t think I’m going to turn bender,” Rhys teased Ianto as the two watched Gwen and Jack dance at the reception of what had to be the most interesting wedding Ianto had ever attended.
“You sure?” Ianto smiled. Rhys looked at him and grinned.
“Well, if I get to be top.”
“Are you asking me to be your wife?” he asked with amusement. “It’s a tempting offer.”
“You’d be lucky to have me,” Rhys teased.
“Who would cook?” Ianto asked.
“Well, I’m a pretty good cook.”
“Bet I’m better.”
“We could take turns?” Rhys suggested.
“Ah, look at us. Already compromising.” Ianto smiled.
“I feel like it would work well,” Rhys grinned.
“That’s because you think you’ll get to be on top.” Ianto smiled.”Anyway, while it’s always nice to have a plan B, I’m going to go see if my plan A will dance with me,” He gave Rhys a wave and a wink as he went to join his lover on the dance floor.
“May I…?” Ianto said interrupting Jack and Gwen’s dance.
Gwen pulled away from Jack reached for Ianto. He side stepped her and put an arm around Jack, resting his free hand on the man’s chest. Jack suppressed a giggle as Gwen stumbled slightly and fought to pretend she’d expected it.
Ianto sighed as Jack took his hand and held it close between them. “I’ve been married.” Jack said softly.
“Me too,” Ianto quipped. He wasn’t sure if this was the best venue for deep discussion.
“Oh, what happened?”
“I’m too wild to be held down.”
Jack laughed and pulled the Welshman closer. “I promise this isn’t one of my ‘I had a boyfriend’ stories.”
“Good, because Rhys has provisionally asked for my hand. He informed me that if I was with him I wouldn’t have to cook every night.”
“And when’s the last time you cooked for me?”
“Not the point,” Ianto grinned.
Jack rolled his eyes. “Can I continue my story?”
“Yes, go on, sir.”
“She didn’t know about me, you know.”
“What happened to her?” Ianto whispered, afraid of the answer.
“I left.”
Ianto’s body stiffened, and both men became still.
“Is that what you always do?”
“Not with you,” Jack murmured kissing the side of Ianto’s head and gently leading him to sway with the music once again. So caught up were they that they didn’t notice when the music stopped.
One of Gwen’s annoying friends finally broke them up. “Oi, you two are the only good looking ones here, and you have a queue of girls who want to dance with you,” she said, grabbing Ianto’s hand and dragging him off to dance. Jack and Ianto found themselves being passed around the dance floor until Ianto finally pled fatigue and escaped to prepare the Retcon. It was going to be a late night.
TW---TW---TW
“Alright Jack, everyone’s been tucked nice and warmly into their beds,” Ianto announced, walking into Jack’s office to see the man looking at an old photograph, his eyes glassy with unshed tears.
“Is that her?” Ianto asked coming to stand behind Jack.
“Yes,” he said, trailing a finger reverently across the photograph.
“She was beautiful,” Ianto said after a moment. The photograph was faded and yellowed with age, but it was clear that the woman had been exquisite. “Did you keep tabs on her after you left?”
“She remarried, had a couple of children, grew old, and died. I stood at her funeral. No one mentioned me.”
“I can’t imagine how painful that must’ve been,” Ianto said soothingly. He placed a hand on Jack’s shoulder. Jack took his hand and pressed a kiss into Ianto’s palm before holding it to his heart.
“So painful. This life is painful,” Jack mumbled.
“Yeah,” Ianto agreed.