Title: Four Ways Jack Harkness Is Every Bit The Monster Ianto Jones Said He Was, and One Way Ianto Might Be Worse
By: The Moonmoth
Fandom: Torchwood, post-1.04 Cyberwoman
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~600 words

1

After killing Lisa (again), Jack allows Gwen to cradle Ianto like a child where he has collapsed on his knees in a puddle of cooling blood. He allows Owen and Tosh to drag the cyberwoman's body away. He allows a couple of minutes to pass, and then he orders Gwen after them.

Jack hauls Ianto to his feet and points at the body of the pizza girl. "Pick her up."

Ianto stares uncomprehendingly and then blinks slowly and turns, huge-eyed, to Jack. "Pick her up," Jack repeats.

Ianto's face crumples and his eyes fill with tears again, but he walks over and, tremblingly, lifts the girl from the dormant conversion unit. Jack follows them all the way to the morgue, unmoved by Ianto's weeping.

2

That night, after the others have thrown their final significant backwards glances, Jack steers Ianto in the direction of the small room he uses as living quarters. He only occasionally spends time living in them, but that's more a reflection on him than the room -- it has running water and that's all Jack really needs these days.

He strips Ianto out of his ruined suit, lays him down on the unused bed, washes the blood from his skin, cleans the cuts on his face. He sits on the edge of the bed as Ianto finally crashes, then pulls the covers up over them both and forcibly stops Ianto from shivering.

Hours later when Ianto wakes howling Lisa's name, he's completely alone.

3

Jack is in the hub, the lights low, when Ianto stumbles in and points the gun at him.

"You," he says, face like stone, "You killed her."

Jack turns and advances slowly on him. "So you're going to kill me? An eye for an eye?"

"Yes." Ianto adjusts his grip, removes the safety. Jack keeps walking until the barrel is an inch from his chest.

"Will that make you feel better?"

"Yes."

Jack wraps his hands around Ianto's whitened knuckles. "Are you sure?" Ianto is silent and Jack smiles. He leans into the gun barrel, hooks his thumb over Ianto's finger on the trigger, and squeezes.

4

Jack awakes to Ianto's horrified expression, his shirt open, Ianto's hands on his chest mid-CPR.

"Ianto, stop," he groans as the man flinches, breathing in sharply. "I'm fine."

"But..." Ianto says, and touches Jack's face disbelievingly. "Oh, God." Jack lays still and waits for his vision to return fully. "I'm so sorry." Ianto bows his head, shaking, "I'm so sorry."

Jack hauls himself into a sitting position. Ianto's hand is still cupping his cheek and when Ianto looks back up they're very close, close enough to lean in and press his lips to Jack's.

Jack pushes Ianto back with a hand on his shoulder. "Get over it," he says. For a moment, Ianto looks utterly destroyed, then he gets up and walks out of the room, leaving Jack on the floor behind him.

5

Ianto disappears for a couple of days, and when he returns he's got a new suit and the same old inscrutable face. In good Torchwood fashion, it's as though nothing ever happened.

There are plenty of opportunities for Ianto to keep his promise to watch Jack die. He never does. But Ianto's been with Torchwood a long time now -- he wasn't always a glorified butler.

He knows how to find the Doctor. He'll never tell Jack.