Title: Someone to Watch Over Jack
By: TheGummiBear
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood, in fact, I own nothing except for possibly the plot.
Summary: Who's there when Jack needs someone to cling to in the vague hope that one day everything may be right with the world? Not sure how this will turn out... may be more like a set of drabbles than a full length fic...

***

Ianto knelt down beside Jack, "Hey."He said quietly, sprawling on the floor next to his friend, his back up against the wall. He felt Jack move to put his head on Ianto's shoulder, and put an arm around him, "You okay?"He looked down to see Jack shake him head miserably. Jack sniffed and Ianto squeezed his shoulders tightly. Jack snuggled up close to him, his eyes closed, looking almost childlike as his chest softly rose and fell with each painful breath he took. The bullet wound wasn't bad, it was already closing up, but it still hurt, and Jack clutched Ianto's arm tightly as he stood up. Supporting the older man, Ianto walked back to the SUV, and they drove back to Cardiff in silence; Gwen in the front with Ianto, who was driving, Jack in the back with Owen and Tosh.

By the time they arrived back at the Hub, Jack's wound had closed up, and they were already talking over the details of the case. Uncharacteristically, Jack gave everyone the rest of the day off, and, yawning, made his way inside. He stood, watching the rest of the team as they grabbed their bags and left, each shooting him a worried glance on their way out. As Owen left, he looked up at Jack and raised an eyebrow. Jack rolled up his sleeve, showing Owen the place where he had been shot. The patch of skin was still red and raw, but the wound was gone. Owen frowned deeply, but left all the same, throwing Jack a mock salute and a grin. Owen was one of the changes in the team which Jack was having the hardest time adjusting to since he had returned. The younger man was know moew comfortable with himself, and, it seemed, had forgiven Jack for anything he might have done in the past. And focusing on the transgressions of the present. You couldn't have everything...

He sighed and turned away to find Ianto leaning against the opposite wall of the office arms crossed, watching him studiously, "Jack?"He asked softly, "Are you sure you're okay?"

Jack just shook his head, sliding down to sit with his back against the wall, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Ianto crossed the room in two long strides, crouching down next to his friend and lover, and enveloping him in a crushing hug. For a second, Jack lay unresponsive in Ianto's arms, crumpled and sobbing helplessly, seemingly unaware that he was being held, then he leant into the hug, leaning against Ianto for support, his intentions for once having nothing to do with sex. Ianto's hand rubbed circles across Jack's back, keeping up the constant motion, until the other man was able to speak coherently and explain exactly what was going on in his head. Suddenly, the words came flooding from Jack's mouth, as he described that hellish year in the master's clutches and the events leading up to it. Ianto's rage grew as he listened, then, quietly, calmly, he asked a few questions once Jack was finished. Who was the Doctor? How did they come to meet? This, naturally, led onto an explantion of the gamestation and what had happened there, leaving out nothing, including Jacks one kiss with the man who Ianto had always felt he could never compete with. Ianto sighed, but didn't pull away. Then, Jack softly told him how no one could ever mean more to him than Ianto did, right here, right now. And Ianto kissed him softly, stroking his hair, then chuckling softly as it sprung up from beneath his fingers.

Jack relished in the feeling on Ianto's body pressed close to his, in the knowledge that his lover was safe, and that he was here with him. Jack could feel Ianto's anger, his indignation on Jack's behalf, at what had been done to him, but made no effort to calm him down. At this point, he needed someone who felt the same way as he did, someone who understood what he was going through. He looked up at Ianto, who stared into his eyes, as if searching for something. Jack's eyes were wide, and through them, Ianto could almost see his fear, the terror that came with memories of torture, and something that went beyond torture into something that was so terrifying for Ianto, and Jack as well, that neither wanted to think about it any longer. So they did what they always did when they wanted to block something out. They had sex. It was more of a nessecity than anything else, raw and powerful, but at the same time an expression of Jack's love and need to have Ianto in his life, with him. Finally, Jack fell asleep in Ianto's arms, his head on Ianto's chest, hands gripping his lover's shirt tightly, and clinging to him as though Ianto is the only thing keeping him from finally giving up and falling apart. And maybe that's exactly what he is.

***

Jack was once again stood in his office, staring down into the hub, intently watching his team as they worked, tossing remarks over their shoulders to each other, laughing and joking. He heard Ianto come up the steps behind him, and turned, a grin on his face, as Ianto handed him a cup of coffee.

" Morning."Ianto said smartly, leaning forwards and planting a soft kiss on Jack's cheek.

" Morning."Jack replied, not so smartly, watching Ianto carefully.

The younger man grinned, "Like what you see, sir?"He asked slyly, flirtatiously.

Jack had just opened his mouth to reply when Owen and Tosh came through the door, "Get a room guys!"Owen said, Tosh merely rolling her eyes, setting up her laptop for their daily meeting. Gwen arrived soon afterwards, panting from running up the stairs to the conference room, next to the office. She slid into her seat and jumped as her mobile rang. As the others stared at her, she checked the caller ID. Rhys.

" Sorry, guys, I have to take this."She told them, rolling her eyes. He was always calling her at work. What could be more annoying?

"Fine Gwen, I doubt anyone'll say anything useful anyway."Jack told her with a grin. As Tosh, Owen and Ianto glared at him, Gwen shot him a grateful look, quietly closing the door behind her. "What? It's true!"Jack exclaimed as everyone turned to look at him.

Later, that same day, Jack was laboriously ploughing his way through a pile of case files he had yet to finish typing up, when Gwen knocked on his office door.

Jack looked up, frowning when he saw who it was. Gwen never knocked. He waved her in, gesturing for her to sit down, "What's up?"He asked.

"Rhys' mother just died, and I was wondering if I could have the week off... funeral preparations... and she didn't live in Wales, so there's a bit of travelling..."She waited to hear his answer.

"Take as long as you need."Jack told her, his voice filled with compassion.

"Thank you."Gwen told him sincerely as she rose to leave.

"Your welcome."

Gwen nodded, leaving. Jack watched her as she explained to the others why she was leaving for the week, and as they each hugged her tightly. It seemed his time away had molded them into a very close team and very close friends. Something that he would be eternally grateful for. He felt irresponsible and stupid for leaving them to fend for themselves, but he was beginning to wonder why. They seemed to have coped fine without him. In fact, the whole experience appeared to have done them a lot of good.

Ianto worried about Jack. He worried a lot about all the members of the team... but Jack worried him the most. The older man was vunerable and could be more childlike than anyone Ianto knew. Including his three-year-old neice. At times, Jack seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, and at others he was lighthearted and playful. Ianto had more experience of that side of Jack than most. As Gwen left, he looked up to the office, noticing Jack staring down, lost in his thoughts. Ianto thought for a moment, then went to make coffee. Jack always needed more coffee, which gave Ianto an excuse to see him, to make sure he was alright. Not that he needed an excuse, not anymore. It had not been long ago that Jack and Ianto would not even look at each other, a rift driven between them in the shape of Ianto's first love, Lisa, lost to the cybermen what seemed like a lifetime ago. Ianto thanked God everyday that they had been able to put the past nehind them and turn their relationship into what it was now. Feeling suddenly extremely protective of Jack, he picked up the cups of coffee and made his way up to Jack's office. He saw Owen flash Tosh and knowing grin, and couldn't help but smirk. They didn't have his motivations quite right... but he wouldn't say no to what they were obviously thinking...

Placing the coffee on Jack's desk, Ianto frowned. Jack had fallen asleep, head resting on his desk. Again. When was the man going to learn to sleep at the correct time of day, namely night? Ianto gently placed a hand on Jack's shoulder, and the other man jumped awake as Ianto carefully placed the coffee in his hand. Jack yawned as he took a sip of the hot liquid, "Thanks 'anto."He said thickly.

" You're welcome Jack. You okay?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah. You seem to be asking that a lot lately."

"I worry about you."

Jack didn't know quite what to say in reply to that, so he just nodded and leant against Ianto. The young man wrapped his arms around his lover, holding him tight. Jack seemed so vunerable as he pulled away reluctantly, stretching and looking down at the reports still to be typed. Jack sighed, "It's getting late."Was all he said.

" Yeah."Ianto tried to remember when it was that he had stopped being the protected and become the protector.

***

Curled up in bed, Ianto lying next to him, the sheets pulled up to their chins, Jack stares at the wall, seeing the faces of dead friends from long ago. When you've lived as long as he has, you've had a lot of friends and seen many of them die. He knows one thing. He never wants to lose Ianto. Ever. He's all he has. All he wants.

***