Title: Wedi Blino
Author: TheRani
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG
Author's Notes: Wedi Blino loosely translates to "Still Tired" In Welsh.
Summary: Sometimes Ianto needs someone to look after him too.

***

It had been a truly crappy day for the entire team. They had all been going full tilt for a bit more than 24 hours. It started with the "thing" in a club. When you're headed off to the gents, even when you're rip roaring drunk, you're not exactly expecting a 4 foot tall blob with multiple green tentacles to be sitting in the hallway.

So 17 people retcon-ed later, 4 hours of chasing the little "thing" around the streets of Cardiff, an attempt at capture, which involved getting "tasered" by the thing's tentacles and a very splatter-laden explosion when Owen got royally pissed enough to shoot it. All around bad day.

It was nearly midnight, when they all trudged back into the Hub. Jack ordered everyone to go home, and told them if he saw anyone before noon, butt paddling would be in order. This predictably produced a few snickers as they all headed toward their cars.

Jack walked up the stairs heading in the direction of his office. Then stopped. Coffee. He really could use a cup of coffee before even contemplating the nightmare of paperwork. He turned around and headed back down again. Hopefully Ianto would've have fired up the coffee pot before he left. Walking across the main level, something caught his eye. Shoes.

It took a full second for his brain to process the fact the shoes were actually still on someone's feet. He bolted past Tosh's desk. Ianto was sprawled on the floor in an untidy heap, unconscious. He knelt down beside him and carefully rolled him over, pressing his fingers against Ianto's throat. His pulse was somewhat weak and fast. He didn't appear to be injured. Jack pulled the other man's tie loose and undid the top couple of buttons on his shirt. His skin was sort of flushed, his lips dry and chapped. Dehydrated, badly, Jack decided. Ianto muttered something incoherent, fingers flexing and eyelids fluttering.

"Don't move," said Jack. "I'll be back in a minute." He hurried off in the direction of the kitchenette and yanked a water bottle out of the pack sitting on the counter. When he returned, Ianto was sitting up, looking disoriented. Jack sat down beside him and cracked the water bottle open, carefully wrapping Ianto's fingers around it. It took Ianto several minutes to drink the whole thing. Jack simply sat beside him, his hand on the other man's shoulder.

"Ianto.... When's the last time you ate or drank something?" Jack asked softly. Ianto sort of squinted at him. "Don' know.... yesterday? I've been...busy"

"We've all been busy! Damn Ianto, you can't do this sort of thing! I know I saw Owen sucking down the energy drink stuff in the SUV and Gwen was munching power bars while she was babysitting the group we gave RetCon to. You need a keeper."

"You volunteering?"

The comment made Jack silent for a long moment, "Yeah I am. Come on. Food, shower, sleep. You need all 3."

He helped Ianto to his feet and guided him toward the sofa at the far end of the level.

"Stay put," he ordered. "Don't want you passing out again." And he vanished back toward the kitchenette again. When he returned he was carrying a bottle of orange juice and box of digestive biscuits. He put them gently in Ianto's lap. "Eat. Water's heating for a cup of tea."

Ianto did as ordered, but it was obvious exhaustion was swiftly catching up with him. He set the empty bottle of juice on the table as Jack brought him a mug of tea. He raised an eyebrow when he tasted it. "Chamomile?"

"Last thing you need is caffeine..... You interested in a shower? Or should we skip directly to the sleep part ?"

Ianto gave him a long tired look, "I'd probably fall asleep in the shower..... Been there, done that.."

"Really?.... You do need a keeper."

Ianto gave him a half smile. Jack pulled him to his feet and steered him in the direction of his own sleeping quarters, but not by way of the ladder. He wasn't sure Ianto had enough coordination left not to fall.

Ianto sat wearily on the edge of Jack's bed, kicking off his shoes. And started to lay down fully clothed.

"No, huh-uh, stand up," said Jack. And he began to strip Ianto out of his clothes. Jack's hands stopped when Ianto winced suddenly in pain.

"You ok?" he asked.

"I..... fell," Ianto replied. Jack eased off the t-shirt over Ianto's head and saw a long bruise that began along Ianto's lower back and extended down past his waist, disappearing into his trousers.

"Come on, details. This happen today?" Jack pressed as he pulled Ianto's belt loose and slid his pants down.

"I fell... backwards over a chair, ....when the Tratoran shocked me," Ianto slowly explained. Jack slid his thumbs inside the waist band of Ianto's briefs and shoved them down too. He could see the bruise down across Ianto's hip and across the back of his leg.

"You're supposed to tell someone if you get hurt," Jack chided him. "Me, Owen... somebody..."

"Don't think I'm apt to die from falling over a chair." Ianto rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Jack rested a fingertip against Ianto's lips. "I have seen you soldier on with a concussion, with broken ribs, stitches, flu. Hon' you push too hard. Now, into bed. Sleep."

Ianto crawled under the blankets and closed his eyes. Jack sat on the edge of the bed, watching him. Worrying. How do you define a relationship. Sex is just sex. Ok, sometimes it was really great sex....but when does it cross that line from sex to love ? Ianto let out a sleepy fretful sigh. His hand slid out from under the covers, groping for Jack. Jack kicked off his own shoes and lay down beside Ianto, pulling the younger man against his body. Ianto buried his face into Jack's shoulder and his muscles began to go slack as sleep overtook him. Maybe the line involved feeling needed? Laying on the bed, with Ianto asleep in his arms, Ianto reaching for him for comfort. He felt tears burning in his eyes, his throat tight. And he lay perfectly still for more than 2 hours, just feeling Ianto's breath against his throat.

At some point, the practicality of the matter kicked his brain into gear again. A bottle of water, some OJ and a cup of tea probably only went half way toward solving the physical problem of crash and burn, which was what Ianto's body was fighting. Jack quietly sipped out of bed and went back upstairs to the kitchenette. He raided the cupboards and didn't find an awful lot that seemed to lend itself to breakfast. He glanced at his watch. 4 am. This was a big city, somewhere there was an open market. He returned 90 minutes later, a couple of grocery bags in hand.

Ianto blinked as the small light in the corner of the room was turned on. It took a moment for his eyes to focus. Jack's quarters. Not like it was the first time, he'd ever woken up in this bed. Jack was set a tray on the table beside the bed.

"I know you're still tired, but breakfast awaits and then you can go back to sleep if you like," said Jack, sitting on the edge of the bed. Ianto sat up slowly and glanced at the tray. Tea, eggs, bacon, toast, more orange juice. He was surprised. And he supposed his face showed it, when Jack said, "I can actually cook. I just generally think it's a serious pain in the ass."

"What time is it?" Ianto asked.

"A little before 10. Still got a couple hours before anyone else is due in."

"No coffee?"

"You know better than that," grinned Jack, "Aren't you the one who accused me of draining the battery on the SUV last time I tried ?"

Ianto smiled a little and ate breakfast. Jack vanished again and came back with clothes from the locker room. He laid them across the end of the bed.

"I need a shower," said Ianto, running both hands through his hair, making it stand out in irregular curls.

"Want some company?" suggested Jack. Ianto gave him a shrug.

Ianto shuffled into the shower and stood under the spray, head bowed forward. Everything hurt. Ok, not exactly everything, just his back, down his hip and down the back of his leg. Where he had fallen over the stupid chair. His brain replayed reaching to grab one of the tentacles hoping to slow it down and the electrical shock that surged up his arm causing him to yank backward, stumbling.

He felt Jack's body pressing lightly against his back, hands on his shoulders, mouth on the back of his neck. He leaned back against warm wet skin and closed his eyes. And there was darkness.


"Ianto! Ianto!" he heard. "Christ Ianto! Talk to me!" And he realized he was laying on the floor of the shower, half cradled in Jack's lap.

"Why am I on the floor?"

"Because you passed out again! Good thing I was here to catch you. Can you sit up?"

"Think so." He felt Jack's arm under his shoulders, helping him.

"First we get you clean, then it's back to bed with you. When Owen gets here, I want him to have a look at you," said Jack.

Jack was gentle and efficient in helping him wash, dry off and crawl back into bed. Jack glanced at his watch as he hastily dressed. In theory, Owen should be in soon. He glanced at Ianto who was curled under the blankets, asleep again. He looked better than the night before, but there was something wrong. He shouldn't be passing out in the shower. He sat on the edge of the bed, stroking her fingers through Ianto's damp curls.

Jack practically lunged at Owen when he walked in the door. "I need you to take a look at Ianto. He passed out last night and again this morning. I thought it was because he was so dehydrated. Seems he forget to eat or drink anything yesterday. But I got him fed and got a liter or so of liquids in him. And he still seems barely functional."

Owen stared at him. "Jesus Jack ! Slow down will you! Try explaining this again." Jack dragged him down the steps toward his quarters. Ianto woke when Owen started examining him, looking rather embarrassed to be found naked in Jack's bed.

"I'm fine. Just really tired," complained Ianto. Owen drew a blood sample and told Ianto to go back to sleep.

Jack paced while Owen ran tests on the blood sample.

"You are making me dizzy. Go pace somewhere else! I'll come find you when I'm done!" snapped Owen.

Jack was leaning against the railing outside his office, when Owen came up the stairs.

"Well?" demanded Jack.

"His electrolytes are royally screwed. You said he didn't bother to eat yesterday?"

"That's what he said."

"I think it's been more like 3 or 4 days. At least not enough to qualify as actual fuel for the system. His ketones are way too high. Sign of the body going into starvation mode. His sodium, potassium and chlorides are all way too low. You said you got him to eat something? What? And how long ago?"

"Breakfast stuff. Eggs, toast, tea, that sort of thing. A couple of hours ago."

"Not bad. Not really enough time for his body to process it much. I'm also inclined to think getting tasered by that thing didn't help the situation either."

"Is he going to be ok?"

"Yeah, I think so. He could use a week's vacation, to just sleep and somebody to kick his butt to remind him to eat. Basically, he's just plain burned out, there is only just so hard you can push your body before it craps out on you."

"So help me I'll make sure he takes it easy for a while even if I have to tie him to the bed," said Jack softly.
Owen gave him a strange look, "I so don't want to know," he muttered.

When Jack checked on Ianto an hour later, he was still sleeping. Considering he hadn't put him to bed till almost 1 am and there had been the shower episode and breakfast and being woken by Owen, he'd probably still had barely a normal 8 hours. Back when he actually slept, Jack remembered a few 18-20 hour sleeping jags following injuries and particularly brutal missions. Maybe he should've asked Owen which was more important, the sleep part or the food. He'd give him a couple more hours and take him another meal.

Jack was staring at the paperwork on his desk. It always gave him the strong desire to beat his head against the wall. There was just too much damn paperwork. There was a shadow in the light coming through the open doorway. He glanced up. Ianto. He was on his feet and across the floor without realizing it.

"What are you doing out of bed!?" he demanded, grabbing Ianto by the shoulders.

"Don' know, just .... Couldn't sleep any more..." Jack steered him toward the sofa jammed in the corner of the room. Ianto was uncharacteristically dressed in jeans and hoodie. Jack sat down on the sofa beside Ianto and laid a hand on the other man's arm.

"You still look ragged out," he said.

"I feel better.... I think."

"That sounded kind of iffy."

"I'm not sure my brain is hitting on all cylinders."

"Owen thinks you need a week's vacation. That you've basically maxed out what your body's willing to put up with."
Ianto raised an eyebrow and gave him a dubious look. "And in a week this place would grind to a screeching halt..."

"Yeah, I know. But. Things are quiet at the moment. I think we should go grab some dinner and get you away from this place for a while. Even if it's only a few hours."
Jack leaned forward and kissed Ianto softly, an expression of concern still written across his face.


Jack dragged Ianto off to the quietest pub he could find for some dinner and then they walked back to Ianto's flat. He knew he shouldn't be surprised but he always thought the place looked like no one lived there. Little furniture, tasteful generic décor. Nothing out of place. Nothing personal. Until you notice that the one huge shelf in the bedroom was filled with portfolio sized sketch books. A mug of charcoal sticks sat on the top shelf. He had been amazed the first time he looked at them. No, maybe, astounded was a better description. Hundreds of pages filled with sketches. All fabulously detailed and realistic. Ianto's soul on paper. Typical of his organizational skills, the books were on the shelves chronologically. 4 books filled with drawings mostly of Lisa, pre-Canary Wharf. A handful of pages of Suzie, Tosh and Owen. A few of Jack himself. Pages of Lisa's body. An entire book of dark disturbing images of teeth and violence and body parts. When he had tried to tactfully ask Ianto a few questions about that, Ianto had said if he put it on paper, then it stopped chewing up the inside of his brain. The last couple books held more sketches of the team, a couple of some artifacts they had found and a whole series of pictures of Jack.

Ianto grabbed a open book off the floor and a stick of charcoal and sprawled on the floor of the living room, while Jack poked at the stereo looking for a radio station playing something tolerable. He found a station playing jazz and decided it would do. He glanced back at Ianto. He was drawing the Tratorian. Tentacles out, eyes narrow, a woman from the pub cowering against the wall. Jack sat on the floor beside him.

"Looks like a cover for a cheesy scifi novel," he teased. Ianto grinned just a little and rubbed a hand across his cheek, leaving a long gray smudge. Jack had asked him why charcoal, one time. It seemed so atypical of his neat freak personality. "I like the way it feels against the paper." Ianto had told him. And Jack was silently amused because it always seemed to lead to black marks all over his fingers and face like a little child playing in the dirt.

"Sometimes I think my life is a cheesy scifi novel," said Ianto.

"Does that make me the villain or the hero?" asked Jack.
Ianto laid the charcoal stick on the pad and looked up at Jack. "Both or neither.... Thought you were bucking for the role of my keeper?"

"I am. I just haven't figured out what all exactly that entails." Jack ran his fingers through Ianto's hair. Ianto rolled over on his back and crossed his arms, staring up at Jack.

"I suppose it depends a bit on what you want the end result to be...." He said slowly. Jack rubbed his thumb across the smudge on Ianto's face, a caress.

"How 'bout you not passing out in my arms in the shower? Christ Ianto! You scared the crap out of me!" He knelt over top of Ianto, his hands on the floor on either side of the younger man's head and kissed him, slowly lowering his body down on top of him, mashing him into the carpet. Ianto squirmed beneath him, his arms sliding around Jack's body. They finally parted for air, Ianto still looking up at Jack, his face flushed.

"Does this qualify as being my keeper?" he grinned.

"Oh, yeah. Cause there's no way I'm giving you up. I am keeping you, for a very, very long time."

***