InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You broke my banana!"

capt_harkness (capt_harkness) wrote in vas_captio_rpg,
@ 2009-10-06 21:07:00

Entry tags:

!active, day 25, ianto jones, jack harkness, location: museum

WHO: Jack Harkness & Ianto Jones
WHAT: Let's see how long they can both repress. Ready, set... go.
WHERE: primarily the museum.
WHEN: Day 25; 13:13
RATING: no comment
STATUS: incomplete

And now they were back to Vas Captio and the only 'change' in the place was the roads were paved and there were now street lamps. Whoop-dee-doo. So that's why all of them got sent "home" for a bit and then got dumped back here. Who gave a shit about paved streets? Jack certainly didn't.

He was deposited back in the centre of town and had made a beeline for the museum. It was frigid cold and Jack was glad he had his greatcoat to curl under -- and was glad Ianto had the duplicate. Hopefully there would be some form of heat in the museum, but that was going to be asking for too much, wasn't it? Jack sighed, gathering up some pieces of wood and long-since faded artwork and set about to creating a fire.

Great. It had taken him about two thousand years to almost have the memories of his family and the Boeshane Peninsula buried. Now look at what happened.

Worst of all, there was no Ianto. Jack could only shudder thinking of where he could have been sent to.

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capt_harkness
2009-10-07 01:11 am UTC (link)

The Management had been rather cruel in, when he was returned to Vas, the strip of fabric was still around his wrist. No matter what he had done, no matter how he searched, he couldn't find Gray -- he couldn't get to his father in time. The morning seemed to replay itself time and time again but to no avail.

When their room was as warm as he could make it, Jack began to wander the halls, looking like some aimless ghost. His expression was blank and Jack felt like he wanted to find some hole to bury himself in once more and atone for his sins once more.

For the first time in a very long time, Jack needed a drink. He was half tempted to try and find something by way of liquor. What he wasn't expecting to come across was Ianto. Jack stood a few paces away, unable to step any closer.

"...Ianto..?"

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madeinwales
2009-10-07 01:11 am UTC (link)

It took a long time before Ianto opened his eyes at the sound of his own name. It took a while for blue eyes to focus on Jack. For a time, all he did was stare, try to put things together, try to wrap his brain around the fact that this was Jack, this was his Jack, this wasn't Torchwood Three come to loot the fallen tower.

His jaw worked for a bit, like he wanted to say something, but in the end nothing came out. Instead, he held his hands out to Jack. They were reddened, sore, but not the blistered that he remembered them to be.

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capt_harkness
2009-10-07 01:12 am UTC (link)

Soundlessly, Jack moved to sit beside Ianto. seeing those reddened hands and wondering what had caused it. Hopefully it was from standing outside in the cold and nothing else. Swallowing, Jack lowered himself to the floor, looking at each hand in turn. Gently, he rubbed one reddened hand in his own, then the other.

"What happened?" he asked softly, pushing the pain of his morning aside in favour of curling up with Ianto. Hopefully no one else was going to be wandering the halls of the museum right now.

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madeinwales
2009-10-07 01:12 am UTC (link)

"Canary Wharf," Ianto rasped, throat raw from screaming. His eyes closed again at the gentle touch and he bit his lip to try and control himself. He wanted to shake, to cry, to beat his fists against the floor. He didn't do any of that. Instead he slumped against Jack, limp as a rag doll.

His fingers bent round the questing ones, holding on gently. "I tried to save her again. I .. couldn't." Understatement of the year. Ianto felt ill.

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capt_harkness
2009-10-07 01:13 am UTC (link)

Oh God. Forget the propriety. Jack slid his arm around Ianto's shoulder and pulled the other man close against himself. He didn't need to say any more, that was enough to tell Jack what hell he'd been through that morning.

How he could understand trying to save. Hadn't he done the same exact thing that morning? Jack ran his fingers along Ianto's knuckles, gently rocking him, unsure of what to say for once.

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madeinwales
2009-10-07 01:14 am UTC (link)

At least this time there was comfort. Ianto made himself take it, though he didn't really want to. He didn't really want much of anything. Still, Jack was warm, very warm, and maybe it'd melt some of what was holding Ianto so cold and quiet.

And eventually he'd ask Jack what had happened to him, but for the moment, Ianto was lost in his own pain, trying to drag himself out of it. He just let Jack rock him, moved with it, maybe even clutched a little at Jack's hands.

And tried to think of something to say.

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capt_harkness
2009-10-07 01:14 am UTC (link)

It seemed like Jack's primary function in Vas Captio was that of comforting captain. He didn't mind the role, granted -- but it felt strange to be in it at the same time. Jack shifted enough to pull Ianto into his lap, lightly kissing his temple. Maybe Jack would talk about what happened to him, but most likely he wouldn't.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly. Stupid question, but asked nonetheless. "I mean... did anything happen to you?"

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madeinwales
2009-10-07 01:15 am UTC (link)

Ianto sagged against Jack, giving himself up and over completely, in a way that he hasn't yet done. He's never absolutely surrendered to Jack like this, but then he didn't have anymore fight left in him. Hopefully Jack'd talk. Even just a little. The give and take of comforting like this would be something Ianto could use to drag himself out of shock.

The Welshman stirred, just a little, against Jack's chest and found a comfortable place to rest his head. God, what he wouldn't have given to have had something like this the first time around.

"I was on the archive level," he began, very quietly. "Just like before..." And he went on to describe the entire ordeal to Jack. These were details that he probably hadn't heard before, except maybe from the UNIT reports. Ianto spread his hands out again at the end of his tale. "I burnt them pulling Lisa out. It .. was burning. The metal was hot." Through it all, Ianto's voice was curiously flat and lacking in emotion.

He stirred a little again and looked up at Jack. "..something happened to you too?"

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capt_harkness
2009-10-07 01:15 am UTC (link)

To be honest, it was disconcerting to see Ianto break down like this. Yes, he had seen him act thusly following the Cyberwoman in the basement of the Hub. Watching Ianto collapse against him made Jack ache in a way he didn't quite expect. Yes, yes, Rose -- mock all you wanted. Jack was in very, very deep.

He listened to Ianto speak, gently rubbing his back or threading his fingers trough the hair at the base of his neck as Ianto spoke. "I'm sorry," he finally said. "But you know nothing would have allowed events to change." Stop with the logic, Jack. That's not what Ianto needs or wants to hear right now. Jack tilted Ianto's head up so they were looking at each other. He pointedly ignored the mention of 'something happening' and focused on Ianto.

That's what he needed right now: to focus on Ianto and ignore himself. Like always. "I'm fine," Jack said, brushing the concern away. "I'm more worried about you right now."

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madeinwales
2009-10-07 01:16 am UTC (link)

Logic. Well. What Jack said made sense, but it didn't make things any easier. Ianto bit his lip when his face was tipped up and his eyes flicked down, avoiding Jack's gaze. Not from any traitorous thought or angry inkling, just general guilt.

Maybe more than general guilt. But it wasn't something he wanted to pass on. He couldn't get guns to work for him in London. He couldn't shoot Cybermen, he couldn't shoot a partially converted Lisa, couldn't shoot himself. And he tried, in his desperation. Instead, Ianto shook his head a little, freeing his chin from Jack's fingers.

"I survived the first time," he said in his broken and raw voice. "I will this time. Tell me. I can't make the details go away." He couldn't. Near eidetic meant he could remember what he wanted, in that head of his. Unless it was something traumatic, and then he had no choice.

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capt_harkness
2009-10-07 01:17 am UTC (link)

Jack shifted, almost uncomfortably, watching the expressions play across Ianto's face. Flashes of memory poked at him, seeing Ianto's face this guilt-ridden, but not remembering what caused it. Remembering his unshakeable faith in the other man, but not why he believed so strongly.

Ianto pulled his head away and Jack's free hand fell, resting on the first bit of Ianto it happened to touch (in this case, his upper thigh). There was something in the way Ianto's voice cracked that killed Jack. Again, he was reminded of their conversation a few days ago -- if they were going about this whole 'experiment' in the wrong way.

"You will," Jack said softly, lightly kissing Ianto's forehead. "You survived the last time and you didn't have me around. This time, you do." Jack drew in a breath, finding the words rolling off his tongue. For once, Jack didn't find the words hard to say. "I'm not going to let you not get through this. I love you and I won't let you give up or wallow. This place is designed to fuck with us. I feel bad for those who don't have someone to curl up with after a bad day. You have me, Ianto. I'm not going anywhere."

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madeinwales
2009-10-07 01:17 am UTC (link)

Ianto, frankly, had never heard anything like that ever come out of Jack's mouth and he had never expected to have something like that aimed at him. He swayed forward and tucked his face against Jack's shoulder and just .. cried. He didn't sob or wail or anything like that. It was just an outpouring of grief and pain.

It took a while, but when that storm passed, Ianto simply lay against Jack's shoulder, spent and tired, and twined his arms round Jack's waist, under the coat.

"S'cold," he said. It was the first time he was aware of his surroundings since coming back.

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