Title: Some Kinda Blue - Or: How young Ianto Jones got to bed the handsome Captain Jack
By: sqyd
Fandom: Torchwood
Rating: R
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Word Count: 4899
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just borrowing them.
Spoiler: 1.08
Summary: First time fic. I tried to keep the emo low, the smut smutty, but my main inspiration was tracing the relationship of Jack and Ianto from the angst of Cyberwoman to the point where they become lovers.

Captain Jack Harkness didn't know what to do with Ianto. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that he was partially to blame. He recruited the kid on a whim, at a moment of excitement and adrenaline rush, and frankly because the kid looked fetching in a suit. And then he forgot all about him. It was easy to do. Ianto cleaned up after them, kept the hub humming, did everything needed to be done, and never said anything more than needed to be said. He was with the team, but not part of it. So Jack, aside from his customary flirts, paid little attention to Ianto. Well, as it turned out, the kid had a huge secret, and hid it right in Torchwood's very own basement. That blew up in all their faces in a big way. Jack was furious then - at the betrayal, at the spectacular stupidity of it all, the suicidal stubbornness of Ianto. He wanted to kill the kid, and if his actions were motivated by anything else, like greed, Jack would have sent a bullet through Ianto's brain without hesitation. But the stupid fool did it all for love. It was the look of abject misery on the kid's face kept Jack from pulling the trigger.

When it was all over Jack kept Ianto on. That was his own turn at foolishness, he reckoned. However this time he kept a close eye on Ianto. And what he saw was a ghost. A dutiful and efficient ghost, who went around and took care of all their needs, even the ones they didn't realize they had, but had no life of his own. He was even less part of the team now then he was before. Jack didn't like this. So when he heard about the disappearing tourists he pounced on the opportunity to get them all out of the hub. It was probably nothing to do with them, but he figured a trip to the country, a couple of days camping might do them all some good. Call it a team building exercise. Instead, Ianto almost got killed. They all almost got killed. Who the fuck knew they were gonna run into cannibals? 

**

It is quiet in the SUV. Gwen has been taken to the hospital to have her wounds properly taken care of, and Owen went with her. Ianto is badly bruised, but refused to go with the ambulance. So it is the three of them heading back to Cardiff. Jack drops Tosh off first. He helps her out of the car and gives her a bear hug, as if he is trying erase all the horrors of the day.

Ianto is sore all over and his head feels like it's full of cotton balls. He is not sure if it's from the blow to it or the pain killers Owen gave him. Fortunately they are at his apartment now. He didn't think Jack knew where it was, but apparently he does. By the time Ianto untangles himself from the seatbelt - when did these things get so complicated? - Jack goes around the vehicle to help him out. 

"I can take it from here, sir." - Ianto is trying to sound casual, but he almost loses his balance just putting one foot on the ground. Jack snorts and loops one arm around the younger man's waist, pulling him close to support his weight.

The apartment is functional, almost to the point of spartan. It barely has any personality. No pictures, none of the clutter that would make a place feel lived-in. A colorful throw pillow on the couch is the only sign of life Jack can see.

He deposits Ianto at the edge of the bed, starts unbuttoning Ianto's shirt.

"I can take my own clothes off, sir." - He protests, this time with a fuzzy sense of alarm.

"I'm sure you can, Ianto, but it'll be faster this way, trust me."

He isn't lying - those large hands are astonishingly quick with buttons. His shirt is off in seconds. Next Jack begins tugging on the black t-shirt. Ianto opens his mouth to say something, but decides it is pointless, and he might as well go with it. Besides, he is feeling increasingly wobbly. So he holds up his arms - wincing with pain - and the shirt is off.

Jack gets a glimpse of the bruises that are now starting to turn purple on the pale skin, and it makes him flush with anger. The worst part is that he is mostly angry with himself. He kneels down to take Ianto's shoes and socks off. Even in his current state Ianto doesn't miss the suggestiveness of the situation, and from the way he holds the young man's ankle maybe a second too long, it's clearly not lost on Jack either. With one smooth move Jack maneuvers Ianto into a horizontal position and starts undoing his belt. Ianto is staring into Jack's face, but for once it is blank. The zipper is down. Ianto obligingly lifts his hip and the jeans are off. Jack pulls the blanket over Ianto. "Go to sleep" - he says with a soft smile. Ianto closes his eyes and complies.
 
(An image of those slender legs wrapped around his waist flashes across Jack's mind. He pushes it aside. Time and place - he reminds himself.)

**

Ianto is walking in a huge hangar - or is it a cave? - surrounded by twisting monstrous shapes, things that could be mutated animals or aliens hanging from an invisible ceiling. Glinting sharp metal is jutting out of the flesh. He looks down to see thick dark liquid rising around his ankles. The feeling of terror jolts him awake. With eyes wide open he stares into the darkness, reminding himself it was just a dream. Then he notices the familiar shape by the bed - Jack must have dragged in the only chair in from the living room. One large hand softly lands on Ianto's forehead - as if checking for fever, then fingers brush through his hair. Ianto closes his eyes; It is ok, he is safe. He falls into a dreamless sleep this time.

**

He wakes up unusually late, the whole bedroom is bathed in light. He is alone, the chair isn't there either. Maybe he dreamed it. He totters off to the bathroom. A good twenty minutes later he emerges clean, shaved, sore, but much more steady. However something is wrong... he could swear he smells freshly brewed coffee. He rushes to the kitchen, but what he sees there leaves him speechless. On the table there are a couple of coffee cups, a plate of fresh croissants, and most inconceivably, in a chair, facing the door: Jack, apparently doing the morning paper crossword puzzle.

"Good morning." - Jack looks up as if him sitting there was the most natural thing in the world. - "I got you breakfast."

Ianto blinks, still dumbstruck. Maybe there was some rift activity and he fell into an alternate reality, he ponders. Then he becomes aware of the way Jack is looking him over - all he has on is an old bathrobe - and the alternate reality theory is quickly out the door. He pulls the robe together and sits down, not sure what to say, and to buy some time lifts the coffee to his lips. Then he grimaces.

"That bad?" - Jack asks with mock hurt in his voice.

"It's not your strong suite, sir" - Ianto answers, grateful to find his voice. He stands up and starts preparing a fresh pot. Some long minutes later, with drinkable coffee this time, they are sitting at the kitchen table again. Ianto is absentmindedly picking at a pastry, uncertain how to return that strange searching look from Jack. Finally he looks up.

"Sir, why are you here?"

"You had a concussion, somebody had to make sure you were all right."

"What about the others? Shouldn't you be looking after them?"

"Gwen is back at home with Rhys. I saw Tosh earlier this morning, she and Owen are back at the hub."

That reminds Ianto how incredibly tardy he is, and that he should get going. Jack seems to read his thoughts.

"Don't even think about going to work today, Ianto. You need to take it easy."

"I'm fine, sir." - He replies indignantly.

"And you are fine indeed..." - Jack never wastes an opportunity for innuendo. - "...but you are not going to the hub today, and that's an order."

Then he turns more serious: "It was a major cock-up out there yesterday, and it is all my fault. I put you all in danger."

Ianto stares at him for a moment. Jack doesn't owe him explanations, but this - like everything they say to each other these days - is about something else.

"But it's not as bad as hiding a cyberwoman in the hub, is it?" Smokey eyes returning Jack's gaze.

"No, it's not, but I'm more than a century older than you, I should know better. It's my job to keep you all safe."

(Ianto is quietly filing away this unexpected piece of information.)

"But you can't. Not everybody, not all the time. Not on this job."

"You know, you don't have to do this job."

"Are you firing me, sir?" - Ianto looks at Jack with alarm.

"No, of course not."  Jack looks like he wants say something else, but he doesn't. All the unspoken things sit between them like barbed wire. Ianto does not want talk about it to anybody ever, but he knows he doesn't they'll be stuck like this forever. He steels himself and meets Jack's gaze.

"Sir, you did what you had to do..." - They both know he is not talking about yesterday's event any more, but he can't bring himself to say Lisa's nake, and Jack's not keen on it either. - "...and I've had enough time to realize all you said was right, but I can't change how I felt or who I am."

"Fair enough."

"I never want to talk about it again, but I want you to know that you don't have to worry about me I won't..." - He wants to look away, but forces himself not to. - "I won't do anything to put you or Torchwood in danger... again." - He feels as battered as he must look, but also releived.

"I know." - Jack sounds thankful. - "Thank you. And we never have to talk about it again." - He pushes himself away from the table.

"I better be going." - He collects his coat from the living room.

He's halfway out the door when Ianto calls after him. There is something different in Ianto's voice, something Jack can't quite pin down, and it makes him wheel around.

"It really wasn't your fault. Nobody expects cannibals." There is an odd little glint in Ianto's eyes, and one corner of his lips is turned up ever so slightly. Jack is generally good at reading people but he is not sure now. It is different, definitely different. He has a strong urge to march back and hug Ianto, but realizes that it is not the time. He smiles back before turning away. He lets the door close behind him.

Ianto takes the day off, but the next day bright and early, dependable and punctual as always, he is back in the hub.

**

Blue. The word pops into Ianto's mind without an explanation. No idea where it came from and why, but at least it shakes him out of his daze. He finds himself more and more often staring into space, mind blank. Though he noticed that "space" seems to always contain Jack in it. Oh there he is, back turned, talking to Gwen. Ianto shakes his head and turns back to the computer.

There is so much to do. Digitizing the old archives turned out to be a far more daunting task than even he had anticipated. Some of the past Torchwood employees were almost as sloppy and undisciplined with their record keeping as Owen. And it isn't enough to just the get the data into the computer, but it all has to be categorized and cross-referenced too. He sighs. Nobody made him do this project, he picked it on his own. Jack doesn't spend much time in the archives - he seems to have everything worth knowing in his head, though rarely shares it. The others couldn't care less. But Ianto needs something to keep him busy. The problem with making coffee and picking up after others is that there is too much room for your mind to wander, and he doesn't want his thoughts stray. He doesn't want to think about the things he can't change. Deciphering old records keep his mind busy and the rats in his stomach at bay.

**

It is late, but Ianto is still in the Hub, with a fresh stack of papers from the archives on his desk. The rest of them are all gone, went to the pub. They asked him too, probably more out of politeness than real desire for his company, but he declined. He have discovered that crowds of happy people make him itchy and irritable. Anyway, he has work to do. He is hunched over a stack of yellowed sheets of paper with suspicious looking stains and smears on them. It is a Victorian autopsy report on a... fish? Ianto wonders if illegible handwriting is prerequisite for the medical profession. He senses Jack's presence behind him a split second before the other man puts a hand on his shoulder. He must have returned while Ianto was in the archives. As he straightens up the distance between them shrinks to maybe an inch. He suddenly feels the mad urge to lean back, close the gap completely. But he doesn't. Jack steps sideways, so he is not directly behind Ianto now, but to his right. The hand slides from Ianto's left shoulder, across his back, to the right shoulder and comes to rest there. This somehow makes it hard for him to think. He swallows hard taking a sideways glance. Jack is wearing a waistcoat today - it suites him far better than the braces, Ianto thinks to himself.

"I didn't realize you were back, sir." 

Ianto turns back to the screen and tries very hard to remember what he was doing before... before he got so thoroughly disarranged.

"You should go home Ianto, it's late."

Go home to what, thinks Ianto, but doesn't say it.

"I'll just finish this up."

He stares at the screen real hard, and the autopsy details start coming back to him. His fingers hit the keyboard, but at that moment something brushes against his neck, somewhere between his shirt collar and ear. Jack's lips are soft and warm. Ianto freezes, feels goose bumps prickle from his neck down on his arm. Then he finally remembers how to breath. He wants to say something, but as swift he came, Jack is gone already. Ianto can see him from the corner of his eye bounding up to his office, then the lights go out there. Ianto is alone again. He looks at the old documents spread around the desk, at the screen, and the papers again. He stares at them for several long seconds then abruptly stands up, grabs his coat and flees the hub.

He walks all the way to his apartment in the dark. It might be drizzling. He isn't sure.

**

Ianto does not want to wake up, but the early sunlight is darting through the blinds and the dream is slipping away. He squeezes his eyelids shut to hang on at least that feeling from the dream; It's exactly the same one he had back in that warehouse when Jack dropped on him, and they were laying there in a tangled heap, with a stunned pterodactyl a few feet away. For a moment then he forgot himself, and everything else, and felt only the rush of adrenaline, and the scent of Jack in his nostrils. The dream felt just like that, well except that in it they were both naked. Jack's skin felt so smooth and and hot under his touch. Mmmm... His hand slides down his chest, under the blanket.

**

The return of Ianto's cheekiness doesn't escape Jack's attention. It pleases him - someone so adorable should not be going around sulking. He gives him plenty of reason having to come to his office - to clean up something, put something else in order. He also gives himself plenty of opportunity to check on Ianto's progress with the archives. Ianto's skittishness have subsided, his formal tone has developed a teasing shade. As if Ianto is deliberately setting him up for puns and innuendo. He also have realized that he had underestimated the young man. Not only is he maddeningly sexy, but has a far sharper mind than Jack originally judged. Though he should have figured that much sooner - seriously, anyone who knows how to distract a pterodactyl with dark chocolate deserves attention.

**

Gwen is the first one who notices it - the elaborate dance the two men are engaged in, the glances, the innuendo, the way they somehow always end up brushing against each other, the way Ianto always anticipates Jack's needs, and the matter-of-factness with which Jack accepts it. There is a level of intimacy to that. The two of them are circling around each other, like planets caught in each other's gravitational pull. Owen is of course is all snarky about it, but Tosh thinks it's sweet.

"It's like a National Geographic Special." says Gwen. The three of them are staring up at the glass walls of the upstairs greenhouse. Ianto just went in with a clipboard, and now he and Jack are at their subtle dance. They must feel they are alone. Jack absentmindedly reaches out a hand for Ianto's tie and frees it from its confinement under the vest. Ianto shoves the clipboard into Jack's hands and retrieves his tie. The three downstairs are transfixed on this pantomime.
 
"Do you think they..." Tosh trails off.

"...are shagging?" Owen finishes for her.

"No, not yet, it's the courtship phase." Opines Gwen.

"Well, I wish they would just bloody get on with it." Grumbles Owen.

Tosh looks at him reproachingly: "You are not very romantic, are you?"

Gwen blushes for some reason.

**

"Sir?" Ianto at the at top of the stairs leading to Jack's office.

"What is it, Ianto?" Jack looks up from a stack of paperwork.

"I found these in the Archives, at the bottom of a filing cabinet. I don't believe they belong there." He hands over a crumpled brown paper package.

Jack unwraps it curiously. A smirk of recognition appears on his handsome face. "They are stopwatches." He lifts one of the objects up by its chain, and lets it dangle, twist in the air. It is remarkably like any old stopwatch, except for the light bluish tint of the metal, and the unfamiliar markings on the back.

"Alien stopwatches, I assume."

"Yes, of course." He is enjoying himself. He is going to see if he can get a rise out of Ianto by dragging this out. And anyway, the longer his eyes have to linger on that gorgeous figure, the better.

"You know, you can call me Jack." He grins.

"So what does it do... Sir?" If he is getting impatient, Ianto doesn't show it.

"Stops time, of course." Taunting glint in his eyes.

Ianto is starting to look cross now. Doesn't say a word, just arches one beautiful eyebrow.

Jack feels self-satisfied, but also realizes he better stop playing around or he might jeopardize his steady and much needed daily supply of coffee. Sighs.

"Corellian stopwatch. When activated creates a short-term temporal bubble. This one would last about three hours. If activated right here the physical range would about cover a couple of the underground levels of the hub. Anything outside of it would be unaffected. Just think of it as having three extra hours doing whatever you want, and nobody else would ever know." He smiles lasciviously. He is in full flirt mode now.

Ianto pretends not to notice. He steps forward to take the watches from Jack. "Thank you sir, I will lock them away and update the files."

Jack makes no effort to move out of the way, or hand the watches over, so Ianto has to lean in, across him, and their bodies are barely inches apart. Jack's scent catches Ianto, and he inhales it deeply, holding the air in his lungs for a second, then letting it out slowly. It doesn't escape Jack - encouraged by it, he brushes one hand along the inside  of Ianto's thigh, who gulps and turns bright red, but doesn't make any attempt to move away. Encouraged further, Jack twists his chair slightly, moves his legs, then with a smooth but firm move pulls Ianto down till the young man is straddling him. Still no resistance. Jack's hand with one languid move gets hold of Ianto's tie, and pulls down till their lips meet. Both hands now cradling Ianto's face Jack starts kissing him slowly, gently, not wanting to frighten him away. But he is startled by the response; Ianto rushes at him hungrily, thrusting his tongue into Jack's mouth, curving his back for a better angle, digging his fingers into Jack's neck. It's always the quiet ones - thinks Jack. He can't remember the last time he is was so turned on. One of his hands slips under the Jacket and starts tugging at Ianto's shirt - he wants to touch skin so bad it hurts. Ianto brakes off their kiss to catch his breath and to reach for the stopwatch Jack was holding earlier. As he pushes the button a faint blue glow - like the color of the metal itself - fills the hub.

"You know, the others are still in the hub." Jack remarks smiling.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you, there was some commotion in the plaza, they all went out to investigate it."  -  Ianto is not looking in his eyes - evidently unbuttoning Jacks shirt needs his full attention.

A terrible suspicion forms in Jack's mind.

"Ianto?"

"Sir?"

"You've been in and out the archives for months. You know exactly well what a Corellian stopwatch does!"

"Upon my word, sir!" Cries out Ianto in feigned indignation, still working on those damn buttons. Regrettably He does not have Jack's level of skill with them. Yet.

Jack grins wide. Clever, crafty Ianto, clearly has a talent for subterfuge - he should have known.

"I have fondness for office furniture..." - Confesses Jack, his palm resting on the small of Ianto's back, finally skin on skin - "...but would you mind if we got a bit more comfortable?" The hatch leading to Jack's bedroom is just a few feet away. Unusual arrangement, but at times very convenient.

"I thought you'd never ask." Ianto's cheeky deliver is completely ruined by the huskiness of his voice  - Trembling as Jack's hands are tracing the ridge of his spine, scratching nails against his ribs.

Minutes later they are down the rabbit hole, in Jack's room, on his bed, naked and entangled. Ianto is drinking in the new sensations, he marvels at the hairless smoothness of Jack's skin - just like in his dream - Jack's ragged breath against his skin, Jack's tongue at tracing down his collarbone, Jack's heart beating wildly against his own chest, Jack rubbing, stroking parts of his body nobody ever touched such way. His own hand sliding down on Jack's smooth stomach, his hand on Jack's cock, hot under his touch, Jack groaning as he begins to rub. But Jack pulls Ianto's hand away, pins him down at both wrists. Jack is licking him, kissing him, the two of them are grinding against each other. Jack's tongue is on Ianto's cock, his mouth around him... Ianto's back arches, he moans. Jack is going slow, teasing, driving him mad. Ianto whimpers.

"Jack, please!" He whines, his whole body taut with wanting.

Jack smiles at him both tender and devilish. Finally Jack is all around him, their hips moving at rhythm, every beat measuring their desire, the hunger that makes their breathing ragged, their bodies quiver. Ianto feels the release pooling in the base of his spine, as he comes his hole body tenses, his lungs suck air in like a drowning man braking into the surface, his orgasm washes over him, feels like eternity encased in a second, then he collapses on himself with a final moan. Watching his lover's rapture Jack reaches his own, groaning, his cum glistens in the hair of Ianto's stomach.

The two of them are spooning on the crumpled sheets, legs and arms entwined. It feels so natural, so absolutely perfect.

"I never figured you for a tease." - Ianto's fingers softly running along Jack's forearm.

"You are to speak. Do you realize how hard it is to conduct a team meeting wit ha hard-on?" - Jack's lips brushing against the back of Ianto's neck.

"I frequently wondered..." -  Ianto inhales deeply as he halts - "...why you were always the last to leave." - Ianto brushes his lips along the inside of Jack's wrist, tongue tracing an artery.

"My devious, incorrigible Ianto." - Jack smiles - "You are nothing, but trouble." Jack nibbles at the back on Ianto's neck, working his way down at the curve, to the shoulder, not failing to elicit the desired effect.

"Then why don't you punish me?" - Ianto murmurs while his hips are squirming against Jack's, feeling him getting hard again.

"What do you have in mind?" - Jack is practically purring now, between nibbles.

"I want you inside me."  - It's a brave proposition, Jack's cock is fit to his ego, and it's not something Ianto ever done before, but he is still hungry. His eyes now begin to darken with desire. "And don't stop doing that." - He moans as Jack bites down harder.

Jack hesitates for a second, then reaches for the lube. Ianto's enthusiasm and ease have surprised and pleased him, but Jack is not sure if Ianto himself knows how far he can go, being a novice and all. Jack shrugs internally - they can always stop if Ianto changes his mind. One well-oiled finger slipping inside Ianto induces soft gasps, a second is met with an approving moan. Jack is rubbing, stroking slowly to relax Ianto who is in turn instinctively spreads his legs wider. Jack's cock rubs against Ianto's arse, pause then enters Ianto slowly, moving deeper and deeper. Ianto's knuckles are white as his fists tightening on the sheets, moaning, his pupils dilated.

"We can stop whenever you want." - Jack whispers in Ianto's ear, and gently kisses the sensitive spot behind the ear.

Ianto unable to speak just shakes his head adamantly. Jack is now impossibly deep inside him and he is engulfed in waves of pain and pleasure. He moves his hips against Jack's, they grapple for a rhythm then find it. Jack rakes his nails along Ianto's ribs, leaving pink trails on the smooth white skin. One of Jack's hands slips under Ianto and start stroking his cock. Sensory overload is rippling through Ianto's body, his breathing turns ragged. Jack is pressed against Ianto's writhing body, he wants to drink it all in, every move, every sound. On his neck Ianto feels Jack's breath, as he moans and groans. Their rhythmic, pulsing writhing is primal, all claws and teeth in a hot, damp primordial jungle, and so is their orgasm, they come almost simultaneously, a hard bite setting off one, the responding guttural cry and shuddering body sending the other tumbling after.

Then it's quiet. They just lie there in their stickiness, sweat, the smell of their sex, and fall asleep. Ianto wakes up first, finds Jack's leg and arm around him possessively. He smiles. He feels wonderfully light. He slides out from under very carefully, not to wake Jack, and heads for the shower - thankfully Jack has his own. When he is comes back Jack is just starting to stir. Ianto puts his clothes back on - fortunately they are not too crumpled, barely noticeable, really. Jack props himself up on an elbow.

"How are you, Ianto?"

"Much better, thank you, though I might never sit again." - Pink lips curl to a smile - he has no idea how much it drives Jack crazy. - "You better get yourself together, time is almost up, and they will all be back." - Adds Ianto. - "A teenager in a bad weevil costume won't keep them busy long."

"Any chance for a coffee?"

"Most certainly, Jack, but you have to get clean, dressed and back at your office first."

Jack realizes how much he likes the sound of his name said with that Welsh lilt.

**

Owen, Gwen and Tosh noisily trample back to the hub, talking, laughing. Ianto is ready for them with a tray of coffee and tea, he knows their habits and it is that time of the day. He moves quietly and virtually unnoticed as always, but for some reason Owen, who did not look at him twice all day, looks up.

"What's with you?" - He asks. - "You look completely shagged out."

Mugs clatter on the tray. Ianto manages to maintain composure, but turns slightly purple.

Three pairs of eyes snap at Ianto, who retreats into the kitchen area and is suddenly very busy there. Next all those eyes, like laser beams, are pointed at Jack who is spread out on the couch, sipping his own coffee, looking pleased like a cat who ate the canary.

"We were only gone for five minutes." Murmurs Owen.

Jack looks at them, pointedly innocent.

Suspicious. Bloody suspicious.

Next story in series - This Time With Feeling