Fandomweekly Challenge 155 - Lifeblood
Dec. 29th, 2022 09:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
m_findlowTitle: Lifeblood
Fandom: Torchwood
‘Happy Halloween!’ Jack said, wandering from his office and dipping his hand into a plastic pumpkin full of lollies that was sitting on Gwen’s desk as he cast his gaze towards Ianto. ‘Last ones here as usual,’ he remarked. ‘Not that I’m complaining. Just you and me, Ianto Jones. Tonight is the one night when all the aliens give Cardiff a wide berth. Too many other ghoulies and ghosties out there on the streets. Honestly, I wish Halloween came around more often.’
There was a slightly pensive look on Ianto’s face as he shut down his computer and grabbed for his car keys. ‘Actually, I’ve got plans.’
Jack's eyebrows disappeared up into his hairline. ‘What kind of plans? Plans that don’t include me?’
‘It’s just personal stuff. Boring, really.’
‘So shelve them for a day or two.’ Jack stepped closer and snaked his arms around Ianto’s waist. ‘C’mon, just the two of us tonight. How often do we ever get a chance at that?’
Ianto squirmed out of his grip and began to look panicky. ‘I’ve really got to go.’
Jack lunged and wrapped a firm hand around his elbow, preventing him from getting away that quickly. ‘What’s got you so desperate to get out of here and away from me?’ He eased his grip so that it was less threatening. ‘Ianto, talk to me.’
‘You won’t understand.’
‘I will, I promise. I care about you. You can tell me anything.’
Ianto shook his head. He looked close to tearing up, agonising over whatever it was. ‘Not this.’
Jack reached up and cupped his cheek, keeping their heads intimately close. ‘Anything. Please. Just don’t run away from me. I need you.’
Ianto’s head bowed and Jack felt its warmth resting against his own. He shuddered. ‘It wasn’t my fault.’ He lifted his head up to meet Jack’s eyes and there was a steely determination now resting in them. ‘I’m a vampire, Jack. Not all the time, just on Halloween.’
He subconsciously ran his tongue across his teeth and Jack could see that the upper canines were somewhat more pronounced. Jack’s face must have scrunched up in confusion, so Ianto kept going before he could utter a question.
‘It was an accident at Torchwood One. I’d only been there a few months. I don’t know how it happened, we were all just working back late. The device malfunctioned or something. It created a bloodlust. A hunger that has to be sated every year. Some of them tried to avoid it…’ his words drifted off. ‘It wasn’t immediate, but in the weeks afterward they grew too weak, and refused to feed. They didn’t survive.’
‘How many were there?’
‘A dozen all told, but they all perished when Torchwood One fell.’ He sniffed and looked helpless. ‘I’m the only one left now. It would have been easier if we’d all been killed.’
Jack's hand stroked his cheek. ‘Don’t say that. What about a cure? There must be something.’
‘They tried,’ Ianto replied, bluntly cutting off Jack’s hope. ‘It’s permanent. Feed the bloodlust each year and… well, I suppose you were going to notice I wasn't getting any older eventually. Figured Torchwood might kill me before it got to that.’
Jack blinked and tried to process it all, which despite everything he’d seen and done, was taking everything he had to keep a straight head. ‘How…’
‘I was on my way to London,’ Ianto replied before Jack could verbalise the question. ‘I wish I could tell you that just drinking animal blood, or even human donor blood would work, but it has to be fresh.’ He immediately waved away Jack’s stricken look. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve been tracking all the people that the others fed on. No one in the last four years has demonstrated any vampiric tendencies. It’s not transmissible.’ There was a mirthless snort. ‘One small saving grace of the alien technology that did this.’ He clutched at Jack’s hip. ‘I never fed on an innocent person. I need you to know that.’
‘Then what?’ Jack needed to understand how Ianto had survived all this time.
‘I have an arrangement in London, going all the way back to my Torchwood One days. There’s a private hospital in Limehouse. In the fortnight leading up to tonight, they gather patients who are on the organ donor list, or those whose life support was going to be turned off. They keep them alive for me. Ten humans whose lives are spent except for the blood running through their veins. It takes most of the night to feed, but that’s what it takes to stay alive, and then the hunger goes away. Until next year.’
‘Ianto, I…’ Jack felt shaky from trying to process it all, let alone the idea that Ianto might live longer than he’d ever dared hope for. How could he not have known anything about this?
‘I destroyed all the records from Torchwood One,’ Ianto said. ‘I couldn’t have you find out. You would have killed me.’
Jack pulled him back close. ‘I could never. I know who you are. You’re not a monster.’
Ianto attempted to pull away again. ‘I have to go.’
‘Stay,’ Jack insisted. ‘We can face this together.’
‘Jack,’ he pleaded. ‘I have to go. You don’t understand how hungry I am. It's all that’s keeping me alive’
‘Feed on me,’ Jack replied.
‘What? No!’
‘I’ve got an endless supply of blood. I’m the one person you can’t kill.’ He raised Ianto’s chin so that he knew he had his full attention. ‘I love you. Let me do this for you. Chances are, I can replenish it before you can even take enough to kill me. Might get a little woozy here and there, but-’ Jack didn't get a chance to finish the sentence because Ianto’s lips smothered his in a deeply passionate kiss, which he quickly reciprocated.
‘You’re not afraid of me?’ he asked, worry still etched into those beautifully familiar features.
‘There's nothing to be afraid of.’
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG.
Length: 1,000 words
Content notes: An AU.
Author notes: Written for Challenge 155 - Vampires at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomweekly
fandomweeklySummary: Ianto is desperate to spend the night alone and Jack wants to know why.
‘Happy Halloween!’ Jack said, wandering from his office and dipping his hand into a plastic pumpkin full of lollies that was sitting on Gwen’s desk as he cast his gaze towards Ianto. ‘Last ones here as usual,’ he remarked. ‘Not that I’m complaining. Just you and me, Ianto Jones. Tonight is the one night when all the aliens give Cardiff a wide berth. Too many other ghoulies and ghosties out there on the streets. Honestly, I wish Halloween came around more often.’
There was a slightly pensive look on Ianto’s face as he shut down his computer and grabbed for his car keys. ‘Actually, I’ve got plans.’
Jack's eyebrows disappeared up into his hairline. ‘What kind of plans? Plans that don’t include me?’
‘It’s just personal stuff. Boring, really.’
‘So shelve them for a day or two.’ Jack stepped closer and snaked his arms around Ianto’s waist. ‘C’mon, just the two of us tonight. How often do we ever get a chance at that?’
Ianto squirmed out of his grip and began to look panicky. ‘I’ve really got to go.’
Jack lunged and wrapped a firm hand around his elbow, preventing him from getting away that quickly. ‘What’s got you so desperate to get out of here and away from me?’ He eased his grip so that it was less threatening. ‘Ianto, talk to me.’
‘You won’t understand.’
‘I will, I promise. I care about you. You can tell me anything.’
Ianto shook his head. He looked close to tearing up, agonising over whatever it was. ‘Not this.’
Jack reached up and cupped his cheek, keeping their heads intimately close. ‘Anything. Please. Just don’t run away from me. I need you.’
Ianto’s head bowed and Jack felt its warmth resting against his own. He shuddered. ‘It wasn’t my fault.’ He lifted his head up to meet Jack’s eyes and there was a steely determination now resting in them. ‘I’m a vampire, Jack. Not all the time, just on Halloween.’
He subconsciously ran his tongue across his teeth and Jack could see that the upper canines were somewhat more pronounced. Jack’s face must have scrunched up in confusion, so Ianto kept going before he could utter a question.
‘It was an accident at Torchwood One. I’d only been there a few months. I don’t know how it happened, we were all just working back late. The device malfunctioned or something. It created a bloodlust. A hunger that has to be sated every year. Some of them tried to avoid it…’ his words drifted off. ‘It wasn’t immediate, but in the weeks afterward they grew too weak, and refused to feed. They didn’t survive.’
‘How many were there?’
‘A dozen all told, but they all perished when Torchwood One fell.’ He sniffed and looked helpless. ‘I’m the only one left now. It would have been easier if we’d all been killed.’
Jack's hand stroked his cheek. ‘Don’t say that. What about a cure? There must be something.’
‘They tried,’ Ianto replied, bluntly cutting off Jack’s hope. ‘It’s permanent. Feed the bloodlust each year and… well, I suppose you were going to notice I wasn't getting any older eventually. Figured Torchwood might kill me before it got to that.’
Jack blinked and tried to process it all, which despite everything he’d seen and done, was taking everything he had to keep a straight head. ‘How…’
‘I was on my way to London,’ Ianto replied before Jack could verbalise the question. ‘I wish I could tell you that just drinking animal blood, or even human donor blood would work, but it has to be fresh.’ He immediately waved away Jack’s stricken look. ‘Don’t worry. I’ve been tracking all the people that the others fed on. No one in the last four years has demonstrated any vampiric tendencies. It’s not transmissible.’ There was a mirthless snort. ‘One small saving grace of the alien technology that did this.’ He clutched at Jack’s hip. ‘I never fed on an innocent person. I need you to know that.’
‘Then what?’ Jack needed to understand how Ianto had survived all this time.
‘I have an arrangement in London, going all the way back to my Torchwood One days. There’s a private hospital in Limehouse. In the fortnight leading up to tonight, they gather patients who are on the organ donor list, or those whose life support was going to be turned off. They keep them alive for me. Ten humans whose lives are spent except for the blood running through their veins. It takes most of the night to feed, but that’s what it takes to stay alive, and then the hunger goes away. Until next year.’
‘Ianto, I…’ Jack felt shaky from trying to process it all, let alone the idea that Ianto might live longer than he’d ever dared hope for. How could he not have known anything about this?
‘I destroyed all the records from Torchwood One,’ Ianto said. ‘I couldn’t have you find out. You would have killed me.’
Jack pulled him back close. ‘I could never. I know who you are. You’re not a monster.’
Ianto attempted to pull away again. ‘I have to go.’
‘Stay,’ Jack insisted. ‘We can face this together.’
‘Jack,’ he pleaded. ‘I have to go. You don’t understand how hungry I am. It's all that’s keeping me alive’
‘Feed on me,’ Jack replied.
‘What? No!’
‘I’ve got an endless supply of blood. I’m the one person you can’t kill.’ He raised Ianto’s chin so that he knew he had his full attention. ‘I love you. Let me do this for you. Chances are, I can replenish it before you can even take enough to kill me. Might get a little woozy here and there, but-’ Jack didn't get a chance to finish the sentence because Ianto’s lips smothered his in a deeply passionate kiss, which he quickly reciprocated.
‘You’re not afraid of me?’ he asked, worry still etched into those beautifully familiar features.
‘There's nothing to be afraid of.’
