Agent Fox Mulder (i_want_2) wrote in multi_fiction, @ 2008-11-29 16:24:00 |
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Entry tags: | dead like me, rated: teen, slash, torchwood, x-over |
Fic: External Influences 1/1 Torchwood/Dead Like Me
Title: External Influences
Author: Lopaka Tanu
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood or Dead Like Me.
Characters: Ianto, Jack, Suzie, Owen, Toshiko.
Words: 2204
Prompt: Grim Reapers react to Jack's recovery.
Fandom: Torchwood/Dead Like Me
Pairing: pre-Ianto/Jack
Rating: Teen
Warnings: Language, Violence, Character Death.
Summary: Ianto's been reassigned, even if he is still a little bitter about dying.
Author's Note: Soundtrack 'What You Feel' by Sweet, B:TVS.
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'Take control of your unlife.' That's what Dunesque had said. He had lived his life following orders, and look where that had gotten him. Ianto had a second chance he was supposed to use it for himself.
So, why was he supposed to just take his new posting and shut up about it?
He didn't want to leave. There was nothing but sheep and men's choirs in Cardiff. London was where everyone he knew was! More than thirty reapers had come from the fall of Torchwood One alone. So many people had died, that eighty-percent of Dunesque's reapers had moved on.
But the assignment was Torchwood Three, someone with the right knowledge had to go.
So, of course, old reliable Ianto had to be the one to take the hit. Again.
He knew the price of disobeying the orders. Two of his fellows had paid dearly as example. That didn't mean he had to like it, though.
Snuggling deeper in to his black rabbit fur coat, Ianto stared out over Cardiff Bay. Once, Lisa's insistence that 'fur was murder' would have guilted him to laying off the soft material. That had ended when she cut his fucking his head off. Twisted metallic bitch! Losing his head had ended their relationship, among other things.
Fingering the soft collar of his coat, he grinned bitterly.
"That's a nice coat." The accent was foreign to the soil.
Turning his head, Ianto acknowledged the remark with a nod. "The price was murder." A reaping, actually. Not like the original owner needed it any more.
"I'm sure." Hands stuffed in the pockets of his own great coat, the blue eyed stranger sat down next to Ianto on the bench. Instead of looking out at the bay, his gaze was solely for Ianto. "What brings you out here? Business or pleasure?" The grin he flashed said clearly which he was hoping for.
"Business." Despite his response, Ianto kept his tone genial. He glanced over at the other man again. Holding out his ungloved hand, he gave a half smile. "Name's Ianto Jones."
"Jack. Harkness." The name was whispered with a warm purr. Raising his eyebrows, Jack accepted Ianto's hand between his own. "You're cold. Is there anything I can do to warm you up?"
"As a matter of fact." Ianto shifted so he could face Jack fully upon the bench. He raised his free hand to run along Jack's cheek. He could see the clear outline of his touch as he reaped the other man's soul. "Thank you."
Shivering, Jack turned his face to press a kiss in to Ianto's palm. Eyes sparkling, he looked up. "I can do so much more for someone as beautiful as you."
Ianto withdrew his hand, wiping his hand off on Jack's coat. "Flattery will get you no where." Why was it that when he met a flirty guy he always turned in to a vamp? Was there some part of him that enjoyed being catty and coy? Tossing his hair back, he raised a shoulder to Jack.
He really should get it cut. Yet, since the whole slaughter incident, his manliness hadn't really mattered. Which was good, because he would have been blushing and looking at his feet by now. Instead, he was sliding on his glove and pulling up the hood of his coat.
As he started to stand up, Jack joined him. Oh no, that was not happening. Avoiding Jack's hopeful expression, Ianto reached in to his pocket to pull out his pocket watch. Even if he was feeling charitable, there wasn't any time.
Putting the watch back, he looked up at Jack's face. "Time's up."
For a moment, Jack watched him with such intensity, he felt almost like the man could see the real him.
Then Jack was grinning like a maniac. "Do you realize what you look like? With that black hood and pale skin." He chuckled, deep and rich that had his entire body shaking.
"Quite." Ianto felt his own grin reach all the way to his eyes. It had his left cheek twitching from the sudden urge to cackle, but he knew that would seem unseemly. And really, he had to have some dignity. "See you soon, Captain Harkness."
Instead of responding like a normal person, this only seemed to encourage the crazy Jack. Stepping in closer, he tried to reached in to Ianto's hood.
Ianto took a step back, holding up his hand to block the other man. "Your date with destiny awaits." He ignored the way the other man's eyes trailed over him. Time to go. His polished black shoes made very little sound as he walked away.
Much to his annoyance, Ianto could hear the not so subtle tattoo of Jack's shoes on the pavement behind him. The man was certainly persistent, he would give him that. A thought occurred to Ianto. Smiling, he glanced around. Finding what he was after, he picked up his pace.
Just as he had expected, Jack matched him step for step.
As he approached the speeding vehicles, Ianto felt his heart beat increase. It shouldn't have been beating at all, almost none of the others' still did. They would give him the perfect opportunity. Nearing the street, he slowed down.
He was only a meter away when he came to a stop. During this, he had been unbutton his coat. Feeling the winds off the passing lorries caused him to shiver. If he was going to do this, he wasn't going to ruin his coat. He let it slip from his arms to the sidewalk below.
A slight gasp alerted him to the fact that Jack was near. Ianto waited until he could hear Jack's footsteps over the traffic. Certain he was now close enough, Ianto closed his eyes.
Then he stepped off the curb.
The pain was instant, but not from being hit by a car. He hit the pavement in the second lane, having been shoved there by Jack. The moment of impact knocked the wind from him. Spots shot before his eyes as he rolled over on to his back.
That gave him a much better view of the aftermath. Trapped beneath the back wheels of a twenty ton lorry, the captain's great coat and his shiny boots were the only things visible. For one mad second, Ianto had no idea what came over him. "Guess someone dropped a house on him too."
Chuckling, he tried to sit up. A sudden pain in his elbow knocked the grin right off his face. Ianto grit his jaw against the pain, curling up to his feet. Traffic in both directions was stopped now, people getting out of their cars to investigate. He had to get out of there fast.
Stumbling to his coat, he noted with some satisfaction, that when the lorry jumped the curb, it had missed his coat. Had smeared the good captain a good ways, but left his beautiful coat alone. Using a finger on his undamaged hand, he hooked up under the label and slung it over his back.
The weight hurt his ribs, but he had done his job.
He could hear people talking, a woman was asking where he went. That was his cue to leave. Picking up his stumbling pace, Ianto started back towards the parking lot. He had left his car near the millennium center, knowing his appearance would draw out the captain.
Everything had gone according to plan, except the fact where he had to sacrifice himself to complete the mission. He'd be a week waiting for these damned injuries to heal. At least he wouldn't have to deal with Torchwood or Captain Harkness again. Horny bastard.
Limping down the walk, he heard something going off. It took him several seconds to realize it was his phone ringing. His ears must have been damaged, because it sounded off. Stopping, he searched the folds of his coat for the inner pocket. Upon finding it, he pulled out the phone.
The number was local, but one unknown to him. Only one person he knew of would have his own. Sighing, he knew he better meet his new boss before she came searching. Flipping it open, he hit speaker. "Jones."
"How was your mission, Mr. Jones?" She sounded a little different than his London Comrades, but she was definitely from the area.
Gasping from a catch in his side, Ianto clutched his chest. "It's done. Captain Harkness followed me in to traffic, sacrificing himself to save me. Last I saw of him, he was under the back wheels of a lorry."
"Well done." She didn't sound pleased at all. "You've earned your rest."
"Thank you, Ma'am." A sudden sharp pain in his back drew his attention. Gasping, Ianto released his side to slide his hand up to the source. When his fingers encountered a metal dart, he groaned. "Bloody hell."
He could hear her voice as he slipped to the pavement. Trying to dislodge the dart, he had no strength to fight off a hand on his shoulder. Someone whipped him around, pushing him all the way to the ground. His eyes went wide as he felt the dart sink deeper.
Standing above him, a man and two women had their guns drawn. From the looks of them, Ianto had a pretty good idea who they were.
Smiling, he tried to make his voice even. "Torchwood?"
"Hello, Ianto Jones." The owner of the familiar voice reached up and turned off her blue tooth headset.
So this was Suzie Costello. Ianto couldn't say he was impressed.
Pushing back a lock of hair from her eyes, she knelt down beside him. Suzie quickly divested him of his coat, mobile, and the knives he kept in his waist band.
"Does this mean he passes the test?" The man scowled, making himself even less attractive than before. "I'm not real sure I want to work with him."
"You don't have a choice." Suzie slid her hands over Ianto's body, searching for weapons and injuries alike. "Two broken ribs, a fractured collar bone, a sprained elbow, and possible head trauma. He'll take three days to heal." Standing up, his new boss gestured to the other two. "Take him inside, put him in the cells, and not the freezer." She added the last part to the man.
Scowling, the man glared at her. "You're determined to take all the joy of hazing the new recruit, aren't you?" Still, he knelt down behind Ianto and grabbed his shoulders. "Right. Tosh, get his feet."
Shouldering her weapon, the third person came in to better view. Kneeling at Ianto's feet, she grabbed one under each arm. She smiled when she caught him looking. "Hi. Welcome to Torchwood."
"Back, you mean." Following along, Suzie scanned the horizon for anyone who might have been watching. "Before he joined the ranks of the reapers, he was a member of Torchwood London."
"Seriously?" The awe in Owen's voice made Toshiko wince. "No wonder he stepped in to traffic."
Ianto couldn't make out what the others were saying in response as the world decided that moment to go black.
~~~~~~~~~~
"So you're Ianto Jones."
The voice was familiar. Annoyingly so. Rolling his head, Ianto found his chest didn't hurt so much. He also saw the impossible. "You're supposed to be dead."
"And you're supposed to look both ways before you cross the street." Sitting on the bunk across the cell from Ianto, Jack uncrossed his arms. "I wondered how long it would take you to wake up. Usually, I'm pretty good at guessing, but you've taken longer than others."
"I pride myself on being atypical, sir." A twinge in his back reminded Ianto that he was still injured. So, he decided not to risk sitting up. That meant he would just have to watch Jack from an odd angle. "I take it by your appearance that this was some sort of setup then?"
"You could say that." Leaning forward, Jack cocked his head to the side. "Someone up stairs seemed to think I needed more help. When Suzie got the note with your orders, we knew something like this might happen." He suddenly grinned at Ianto. "They didn't say how attractive you'd be."
"Thank you, sir." Ianto felt his cheeks coloring. Him, and only he would suffer through embarrassment. The others had gotten over such trivialities long ago. "But, I feel I must warn you, sex is not part of my current job description."
"Oh, now see, here's the thing." Scooting forward, Jack's grin became positively lascivious. "There's always room for promotion."
"I had a feeling that might be the case." Sighing, Ianto turned away. It seemed unlife was no different than his actual life. A touch in the hair at his temple drew his attention.
"Hey." Jack waited until Ianto was looking at him before speaking. "It's nothing like that. I'll not do anything you won't want me to." Curling his fingers in the wave of Ianto's hair, Jack's smile this time held a subtler attraction. "Trust me, you'll want me to."
A sinking feeling in Ianto's gut told him that he would indeed.
Okay, so may be Cardiff wouldn't be so awful after all.
THE END........................