Slashthedrabble Challenge 455 - Out of breath

[m_findlow]

Title: Out of breath
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 455 - Breathless at slashthedrabble
Summary: Ianto thought he could always keep up with an older man.

'Come on!' Jack yelled, taking off in hot pursuit of their weevil. Ianto ran after him.

He was so close behind Jack's broad, coat-laden frame that he heard rather than saw the heavy door to the stairwell shoved open, and their quarry making its escape. Jack grabbed the edge of the door, flinging it back open hard, and Ianto heard the clang as it ricocheted against the wall, nearly hitting him on its way back as he slipped through.

There was barely time to contemplate how the weevil had gotten inside the drab office building. Weevils were almost strictly nocturnal, so it had that box ticked, which was fortunate for the hundreds of people that worked here during the day, carting files and mugs of inferior instant coffee, Perhaps it hadn't snuck into the building at all, dumped here by the rift instead. Neither of them had gotten close enough to determine if it was a local or not; locals being microchipped for tracking and research.

There was even less time to figure out when weevils had learned to make the most of their opposable thumbs. He'd never met a weevil that knew how to open a door, so this was singularly impressive on its own.

He followed Jack up the spiraling stairs, three floors, five floors, eight, and still climbing. What would happen when they ran out of stairs? Would it make for the roof, escape out onto another floor, or simply reach the top and make a stand?

The longer he ran, the further he fell behind the brutal pace Jack was setting. He must have been taking the stairs two at a time, because soon Jack was almost out of sight, only the very end of his coat flashing in the corner of Ianto's eye, nearly an entire floor above him.

He pushed harder to keep up, lungs burning, legs aching. He tried two steps at once and nearly tripped forward, grabbing the rail to arrest his fall, before pushing on. When had he become this unfit? Jack might be immortal, but he was still older than Ianto. He should've been able to keep pace.

Another clanking overhead signaled the exit door. He nearly stumbled through it, finding Jack and the weevil in a tussle on the roof. Staggering over, he found just enough energy to pull the taser from his pocket, and end the weevil's struggle.

He bent over, leaning on his knees, seeing the vista and realising he'd run up twenty storeys.

Jack wheezed under the weight of the weevil.

'What took you so long?'

He didn't even answer, utterly out of breath. Why couldn't Jack just be grateful?

Finally sedated, cuffed and bagged, Jack stood up, hands on hips, admiring the view.

'Well, I hope you've got breath enough left for what comes next,' Jack said, leaning across his body, lips almost tickling Ianto's ear.

Oh yes, weevils were one thing but he could most definitely manage to keep up with whatever came next.

Comments

[bk_forever]

Poor Ianto, I wouldn't have made it more than a quarter of the way up before running out of breath so I'm amazed he managed!