Torchwood: Fanfic: On the way out

[m_findlow]

Title: On the way out
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto, Jack
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 1,943 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for badly_knitted's prompt "Any, any, patience hanging by a thread" at fic_promptly
Summary: Jack sounds likes he's very much in trouble.

When Jack was strolling down the corridor, on his way from one part of the hub to the other, the last thing he expected to hear was Ianto's dulcet tones. He looked around the darkened corridor, but couldn't see his lover anywhere. Then it all went quiet. When he heard Ianto's voice again, he realised it was drifting through the door that lead to their boardroom. He must have been in there chatting to someone, but who? The other three were out. He must have been on the phone to someone, stepping into the room to take the call. Knowing it was wrong, but doing it all the same, he leant up against the door and pressed his ear closer.

'I'm telling you, Rhi,' Jack heard Ianto say. 'He's a bloody nightmare.'

Jack pulled back for a moment. It didn't take two guesses to know that Ianto could only be talking about him. Curiosity getting the better of him, he went back to listening.

'I have tried!' Ianto cried. 'No one has tried harder than me, you know that. Nobody else would put up with him.'

Uh oh. What had Jack done this time?

'No, I'm not giving up on him permanently,' Ianto replied. Jack could picture him pinching the bridge of his nose as he said it. Oh, well that was a relief. He didn't want Ianto giving up on him, that was for sure.

'But he's a bloody work in progress, make no mistake.'

Okay, not so good. What the hell had he done lately that had caused such a sudden change of heart? If anything, he thought they'd been going along okay. Sure, Ianto had been going home more often and trying to stick to as regular a schedule as he could, but Jack had just put that down to trying to get a bit more normal back in his life. He hadn't seen it as a warning sign that things were on shaky ground.

'Of course I'm sure,' Ianto said. 'Not that I know why you're worried. It's not like you're moving out of your place. Maybe I'll have to come live with you instead.'

Jack froze. Moving out? Moving in with his sister? No, he couldn't mean that, surely.

'It's the right thing to do. I'm making a decision that's in both of our best interests. You're the one who thought this was the best way of getting through to him. If I don't put some distance between us, we'll just end up in a row, or worse. He's got a hell of a better swinging fist on him than I do if it comes to blows, and he won't hold back.'

Both of their interests? Since when was moving out and splitting up in Jack's best interests? If he wanted to get through to Jack, all he had to do way say something. What right did his sister have to tell him what he should do? He was still reeling from the idea that Ianto was suddenly done with him.

'Don't get me wrong. I love him, but...'

Love? Did Ianto just say love? Was there still some small hope for them, after all? Please let it not be too late to fix whatever was wrong. Jack didn't want him to leave.

'We can't be in the same room together, Rhi. I know what you're saying, but really, it's just better if I go until it all blows over. He's as stubborn as you are. He's convinced he hasn't done anything wrong.' There was another pause. 'Where? I don't know. I haven't figured that bit out. Somewhere. Anywhere but here.'

Hang on a second. He was leaving Torchwood as well? No. This wasn't happening. He couldn't let it. He wouldn't accept any resignation from Ianto. No way. He could be mad at Jack, or move out, or whatever, but he wasn't going to be doing any of that without a fight.

'Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not easy on any of us. I just need a little bit of space back, is that okay? I can't remember the last time I had a minute for myself. It's exhausting.'

Space? Jack could do that. As much space and time as he wanted. Just so long as he still wanted to come back at the end of it.

'Uh huh. No, understand. Thanks for the call, anyway. Didn't want to call and sound like I was complaining, but it's helped getting that off my chest. Yeah, I'll figure something out. Love you, too. Bye.'

As a soon as Ianto was off the phone, Jack burst in through the door.

'Look, whatever it is, I'll make it right. Please just don't do this. You're making a huge mistake.'

Ianto looked up in surprise, not expecting Jack to be there. Bloody hell, had he been eavesdropping again?

'Don't do something you'll regret,' Jack warned him, looking worried.

'Regret? It'll be a bloody relief.'

Jack felt like he'd been slapped. 'A relief?' he replied incredulously. 'Ianto, this is serious.'

'Don't overplay things, Jack. It's just moving out. Just for a little bit. Don't know where yet, but I'll figure that out.'

'Moving out? So, you're not leaving completely?'

'Not yet. Hope it doesn't come to that.'

Jack grabbed him by the shoulders and was just about on his knees. 'Can we please talk about this, then?'

'Jack, I don't know why you're so hung up on this. There's nothing to talk about. It's not a big deal.'

'Not a big deal! Are you kidding me?' He paused, trying to regain some composure. 'No, I'm not angry. If anything I'm upset. I thought we were good. Why didn't you say something was wrong?'

'We are good. I tried, and it didn't work out. I promise you I tried, but I just can't do it any longer.'

'Please, Ianto. I need you. Don't do this.'

Ianto frowned at him. Jack was acting very desperate for no good reason. He'd expected Jack to be supportive rather than confrontational. He hadn't even offered for Ianto to stay here with him. He thought about this for a second. 'Exactly how much of my conversation did you overhear?'

Jack went for broke, knowing that he had to get everything out in the open if he had a hope of salvaging them. 'All of it,' he lied.

'And you still think this is a bad idea? Forcing us to stay together when it clearly isn't working?'

'Absolutely,' Jack replied, refusing to let go.

'Fine. What's say I sleep here at the hub and you sleep at my place, then?'

'Whatever you need if you'll please just reconsider.'

Ianto felt taken aback. 'You'd really do that? I mean obviously it's not every night. I wouldn't ask you to do that. Just when I need some time off or a decent night's sleep. I'm not sure what we'd do about meals, but there's always take out, I suppose. I'll drop off clean laundry every few days. We should probably avoiding sleeping together at mine, though. You know, just try and keep things normal as best we can.'

Jack frowned at him. 'What, so we're still having sex, but we're also breaking up? How does that work?' he said getting annoyed.

'Wait, what? Who said anything about breaking up?'

'You did. You said you couldn't do this anymore.'

'Yeah. I can't do me and Johnny anymore. I thought that was obvious.'

'Johnny?'

'Yes, Johnny,' Ianto replied, trying to keep the impatience out of his voice.

A cross expression swept over Jack's face. 'You're cheating on me with Johnny?'

'What? Woah, woah, woah. I seriously don't think we're talking about the same thing anymore.' Or perhaps ever had been, Ianto wondered. He sighed. 'This is what happens when you eavesdrop on people's phone calls.'

Jack folded his arms, even more annoyed. 'So, what is going on, Ianto?'

'Johnny's been at my place for the past month. He's in the doghouse with my sister, and neither of them will admit fault.'

'They're splitting up?'

'No. This is just Rhi's idea of punishing him so that he thinks he's in even more trouble. She knew I'd take him in even before she'd kicked him out. Only it's not working. Not for me, at least. I thought you were a nightmare to chase after, feeding and keeping clean. You've got nothing on him. The place looks like a war zone. Why do you think we haven't been back to mine for so long?'

'You've been there pretty regularly,' Jack replied.

'Yeah, to keep Johnny fed and in clean clothes. Honestly, you'd think we were the ones who were married. I've had enough, though. Rhi can either have him back or I'm going and he can fend for himself, though I'm doing it begrudgingly. I hate to think what the place will look like without me there. Rhys was okay at least. He cooked and cleaned and did laundry. Johnny isn't nearly so well house-trained.'

Jack broke into a huge smile. 'Oh, Ianto. You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.' He stood back up and wrapped him in a bone crushing hug, peppering his face with kisses. 'I though you were breaking up with me and leaving Torchwood.'

'Why the hell would I do that?'

He wanted to say it was because Ianto continued to be a complete enigma to him, and that he could never really be sure what was going on inside that head of his, but instead he said nothing. He was just so happy to know that Ianto wasn't going anywhere. Not really, anyway.

'So, you've been eaten out of house and home?'

'More or less,' Ianto said. 'That reminds me that the fridge is almost empty. Johnny will be wanting to know why I haven't been shopping.' He sighed again. 'My sister is evil. I swear it's me she's punishing. Must be like coming home to the Ritz hotel every night for Johnny.'

'You do have a habit of spoiling us,' Jack admitted. 'I'm sure it's no cup of tea for him either, thinking he's on his last legs with your sister.'

'Well, he's not showing it if he feels that way. I don't know why I keep getting dragged into these things. I'm no marriage counselor.'

'Nope, just a really good brother in law. And boyfriend,' he added.

Ianto gave a weary smile. 'Hopefully more the latter than the former.'

'So, not going home tonight?'

Ianto sighed. 'Not much choice. I don't think the lasagne is going to make itself when Johnny gets home.'

'Well, you could always get a little something back on him,' Jack suggested.

'I don't know how.'

'What about I come round for dinner, too? Maybe stay the night? You never know. Things could get a little loud later on.' Jack waggled an eyebrow at him suggestively.

'I don't think that's such a good idea.' Ianto knew exactly what Jack meant, but wasn't sure that he felt right about Johnny hearing them in their bedroom. Then again, he was slowly - or perhaps not so slowly - wearing out his welcome. Perhaps this might be the push he needed to go back home and make his apologies. Loud sex with Jack was bound to send any eavesdropper running for the hills. 'Actually,' he said, thinking it over again, 'it would be a shame to have all that extra lasagne go to waste. Let's start with dinner and see where we go from there.'

Johnny might not make it to bedtime. Jack's choice of what to watch on television might be enough to tip the scales. No self-respecting Welshman was going to sit through three hours of Barbara Streisand movie musicals.

Comments

[jo02]

Haha - by the end of this I didn't know who to feel sorry for :)

[bk_forever]

Oh, Jack! Maybe that will teach you not to eavesdrop!

Johnny definitely needs to be taught a lesson.