Title: Like The Wind
Author: Jedi Princess Clarrisani
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: PG-13 (some f-bombs - Owen's)
Pairings: Ianto/Owen
Summary: Sometimes all you can do is run.
Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Torchwood. We'd have a Jack/Ianto bedroom scene by now if I did.

As he ran hard along the coastline of the bay, Ianto was glad for the rivalry that existed between himself and Owen. When Jack had disappeared they'd found themselves in a leadership struggle and soon they had begun to challenge each other. One of these repeated challenges was a race along the bay side - loser buying drinks for the rest of the team, although they never told Tosh and Gwen why they were buying the drinks.

He and Owen would put everything into the race; flying down the concrete, wood and eventually sand, far enough away from the Hub they could no longer see the Millennium Centre. Each race would go longer, the distance travelled more as they put everything into besting each other.

Secretly Ianto had relished the feeling of adrenaline, the feeling of freedom as the wind raced past him, feeling the rhythmic feel of his feet hitting the ground as his body burned, hearing Owen just to the side of him trying hard to keep up. And they'd gotten faster and faster, the challenge soon becoming no longer about the leadership than the sheer enjoyment of the competition, the two allowing Gwen to take command of the team without dispute.

They still came out here, he and Owen, and they still raced. They'd run until they'd past the place they'd ended it last time, then they'd collapse onto the ground laughing, a tangle of limbs as they yanked at each others clothing, all hot kisses and lust as they started the new battle for control. Eventually, as it grew late, they'd pick themselves up and straighten their apparel before racing back.

It felt like one of those days now. He could hear Owen off to the side, he could feel the adrenaline and the burn, his feet pounding on the ground in time to the waves lapping the shore. They were a long way from Cardiff now, but they weren't running as they always did. The pounding of the feet behind him was a firm reminder.

The cold bite to the air burned him, the moonlight barely bright enough to light the path in front of them. This wasn't their running territory, meaning they didn't know the terrain and couldn’t easily navigate it in the dim light. They'd both already tripped once or twice, the other slowing the yank the first to his feet before they started again, determined to stay one step ahead.

A while ago now Jack's voice had crackled over a fading signal in their ears, telling them to try to lead the beast further up the beach where the others would be waiting. Ianto silently cursed his boss, unsure about how much further he would be able to run. His head was already swimming, the corners of his vision slowly turning grey as his lungs burned, the taste of blood on his breath as he gasped.

Owen sounded no better off, the other man stumbling slightly before catching himself, sweat pouring down his face. His shirt was already drench, his pants seeming to cling to him with each step. Owen shot him a quick look, so many messages in his eyes in that one glance: 'what is that thing?', 'how far back is it?', 'why did we get stuck doing this?', 'I can't hold out for much longer', 'where the hell is Jack?'

Ianto returned his attention forward, spotting the dark shape of a piece of driftwood emerging from the dark and avoiding it, stumbling slightly on the loose sand and barely able to recover as his knees threatened to give way, feeling like water as they trembled.

He heard the half roar behind him, so deep and rough that it caused a jolt in his spine with its sound. He could hear the hard breaths as it pounded along behind them, having the advantage of four legs over their unstable two. He could barely hear its pounding stride over the thundering of his own heartbeat as the blood rushed in his ears.

They rounded another bend, Ianto feeling his panic rising as once again they could not see any signs of rescue as the beach stretched into the dark. A bird gave a squawk of protest as they raced past, shooting out of its tree with a whistling of wings and taking flight into the night.

He gasped as his foot slipped into a hole, throwing him forward abruptly and sending him tumbling onto the beach, pain shooting through his leg. He lay there, briefly stunned before scrambling in the sand, willing his protesting body to get back to its feet.

Hands caught him under the armpits, yanking him back up and across and throwing him hard back against a tree. Owen's body pressed heavily against his, Ianto feeling the pounding of Owen's heart against his own chest, Owen's harsh gasping breaths so loud in his ear as Owen leaned against him.

He turned his head and followed Owen's gaze, spotting the dark shape slowing as it reached the spot where he had fallen. Ianto rested a steadying hand on Owen's hip as he watched it, Owen glancing at him quickly before refocussing his attention out toward the creature.

They watched as it explored the area, seeming to take in the scuff marks on the sand and gazing in the direction of the far end of the beach. Its large eyes shone in the moonlight, a mixture of scales and fur rippling as it shifted, turning its head into the bush. It let out a grunt, moving up the beach at a slower pace before disappearing into the trees.

They waited until they could no longer hear it, Ianto closing his eyes and resting his head back against the tree trunk, fighting to regain his breath as the pain in his leg faded. He heard Owen let out a heavy sigh and opened his eyes to find the shorter man gazing around.

"We can't keep running up the beach," Owen said. "It's got four legs. It’s got the advantage."

"We've got no choice," Ianto reminded him. "Jack says he's got a trap-"

"Then where the hell is he." Owen scowled. "We've run miles since he told us that."

"He couldn't have been sure of our exact location."

"Exactly. He could be in the other direction for all we know." Owen raised a hand to his earpiece, scowl deepening. "Comms are out. Brilliant. Absolutely fucking brilliant."

Ianto scanned their surroundings, noting the stillness to the night and feeling a sensation of remoteness sweep over him. They'd both lost their weapons a while ago, leaving them defenceless and he knew they couldn't keep this up for much longer. "What do you think we should do?"

"Trees." Owen gestured behind him. "We'd have the advantage. Two legs mean we can navigate the turns quicker."

Ianto shook his head. "No good. Tosh did an assessment earlier. She said that given its structure and claws it’s most likely a forest predator who hunts in the top layer. It would be quicker in the trees."

Owen swore, forehead dropping onto Ianto's shoulder as he gripped the trunk tighter on either side of Ianto's hips.

"She said it isn't designed for long periods of land running. That's why Jack wanted to get it out into the fields."

"Yeah, and didn't that just work. Instead of taking the bait it went in the other direction and ended up here."

Ianto frowned, remembering how the creature had turned down the offered sheep and ran for the beach, directly toward himself and Owen. He glanced up. "I wonder if it eats birds."

"Right now, I don't give a rat’s arse what it eats, just so long as it isn't me." Owen raised his head, looking at him before glancing back over his shoulder. "We better get a move on."

Ianto nodded, scanning their surroundings and seeing no sign of the creature, although the silence of the night still unnerved him. "Keep going along the beach?"

"Like you said: no choice."

Owen stepped back, patting Ianto once on the chest and stepping around him. Ianto followed, falling into step beside him as they moved to the edge of the tree line and scanned around. Seeing no sign, they started off at a jog, Ianto's body protesting about the movement and a dull throb in his leg telling him he'd probably hurt it when he fell.

"We need to find it," Ianto said, finding himself already starting to run out of breath. "If we lose it-"

"I know, I know." Owen glanced around. "It'll show up. I just want a bit of a head start when it does, that's all."

A fair enough point, given how long they'd been running and how exhausted Ianto himself felt. Ianto scanned their surroundings, feeling his protesting muscles slowly loosen again as he kept one ear out, hearing only their own breath and their footfalls on the sand over the gentle lapping of waves and the soft breeze.

He gasped at the blur of movement, the silence of the night broken by a cry of pain. He swung around, eyes widening as he found Owen pinned beneath the beast, struggling to keep those glittering fangs from his neck. Ianto reached for his weapon, swearing as he remembered how it lay miles back on the sand, bullet less after their first confrontation.

Ianto spun around, searching the ground, stomach churning at Owen's panicked cries for his help. Spotting a sturdy piece of driftwood he scooped it up, rushing at the beast and swinging, connecting the wood to the side of the creatures head.

It let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like the yelp of a dog, stumbling to the side, pawing and shaking its head where the wood had connected. Ianto didn't stop to watch it, reaching out and grabbing the front of Owen's shirt and dragging the stunned man to his feet.

In the dim light he could see the tears to Owen's shirt, the edges slowly darkening as blood seeped into the fabric. Owen gripped his elbows, gasping and closing his eyes for a moment, regaining some semblance of control over himself as the shock faded.

"You all right?" Ianto asked.

"Will be once we get out of here." Owen glanced quickly at the still wavering creature before he turned, grabbing Ianto's hand and tugging hard. "Come on."

He pulled Ianto along with him for several long steps, only dropping his hand once they began picking up speed. They fell back into their sprint, putting as much distance between themselves and the creature as they could. Behind them there came a baying roar that Ianto could only link to anger, and knew that it was after them again.

He set his eyes on the distance, focussing everything into each step and ignoring the jarring pain every time his injured leg touched the ground. He forced himself to think about the races, and in the back of his mind the old joke about what to do when running from a dangerous animal: 'just make sure you stay in front of the other guy'.

He was quicker than Owen. He was the quickest of all of them. Sure Owen was still faster than the average guy, especially since they'd started their races, but Ianto was still faster. Back when it had been an honest race he'd win every time, but eventually it had been more about who could go further and how fast they could both get there. And if he won this race, the loser would lose more than money for buying those drinks.

He started as he realised that he could no longer just hear his and Owen's steps and breath, and glancing quickly back his eyes widened. "It's gaining on us!"

Owen didn't seem to react, but with every step Ianto could hear a breathed 'fuck' coming from the other man. Ianto pushed himself, widening his steps and trying to lean into the run, cursing the breeze that had picked up off the water that was pushing them back and to the side toward the trees.

The sound of the beast’s raged breathing grew ever closer, Ianto feeling a sense of panic begin to rush over him as the realisation he was about to die swept through him. He thought he could feel the beast’s heated breaths on the back of his neck and couldn't be sure if they were real or a figment of his imagination. There was no way he was going to check, because he knew that if it were real he'd be dead before he could even make out that dark shape in the moonlight.

There was an abrupt snap, splitting the night as a rush of heat and light hit his back and caused him to stumble. He glanced to the side, spotting Owen's sharp look as they spun at the beast’s yelp to find it suspended in the air, surrounded by the glowing outline of an alien confinement cell.

"Gotcha!"

They looked around, spotting Jack slipping out of the darkness with a huge grin on his face, Tosh and Gwen just behind as they moved to take in the creature. Ianto let out a shuddering gasp, closing his eyes and giving into the need to collapse. The sand stuck into him as he rolled onto his back, fighting to regain his breath and thankful that it was finally over.

Hearing the crunch of sand to his left, he turned his head to find Owen flopped out beside him, eyes squeezed closed and still quietly swearing to himself. Ianto closed his own eyes again, noting for the first time that he was trembling with exhaustion.

Feeling a touch he cracked his eyes open, finding a hand resting on his chest. Owen had rolled onto his side, fingers curling into the sweat damp fabric of Ianto's shirt, eyes still squeezed closed but no longer cursing.

Ianto let out a long breath, allowing himself to take in the area and spotting the team SUV on the edge of the tree line, blue glow from the many monitors throwing long shadows over its surroundings. He rolled onto his side, Owen's hand dropping from his person. He saw Owen's gaze follow him as Ianto crawled toward the SUV, shifting so he could lean back against it.

He watched as Jack, Tosh and Gwen moved around the creature, taking scans and making notes. It didn't look so big now they had it under control. Rather, it looked somewhat pathetic with the way it had curled itself up into the back corner, eyes wide as it stared out at them.

He looked to the side as Owen joined him, the other man inspecting his wounds in the blue light. Ianto noted that they weren't all that deep and therefore wouldn't require stitches, Owen seeming to come to the same assessment as he sighed, taking in his ruined shirt.

Ianto smiled faintly, Owen glancing at him and returning it. The other man leaned toward him, Ianto letting his eyes close as their lips came together in a kiss of relief and lingering adrenaline, Owen's fingers finding their way up behind his neck and gently caressing the fine hairs, causing a hot tingle to shoot through him, countering the fatigue.

Ianto went to rest a hand against Owen's chest, then thought better of it and set it on his knee instead, bringing it to Owen's face when Owen pressed in harder, a promise of things to come silently being communicated. They drew back slowly, Ianto making a mental note that Owen had never kissed him like that before and to ask him about it later. He probably wouldn't get an answer.

With one last stolen kiss they let their hands drop, returning to their positions of leaning back against the SUV. Feeling eyes on him Ianto glanced up. Gwen was gaping at them, the look on Tosh's face one of amusement. It was Jack's reaction that got to him.

Ianto frowned slightly. It was like there were a thousand different thoughts and emotions sweeping over Jack's face, Jack's gaze boring into him and him alone. Ianto raised a slight eyebrow in question, Jack frowning and turning away with one last look Ianto could almost put down to disproval and annoyance mixed with jealousy and a faint touch of loss.

Shrugging it off, Ianto closed his eyes and rested his head back, sighing. He'd figure it out later. Right now, he was just too exhausted to care.

END