m_findlow

Title: Wrong for all the right reasons
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 500 words
Content notes: none
Author notes: Written for Challenge 571 - Tomorrow at slashthedrabble
Summary: Jack can't take back his promises, no matter how much he dislikes them.

Even before Jack had made it as far as the car, he was already regretting what he'd said last night. It was strange how seeing the SUV parked outside the small block of flats already looked appropriate, like it belonged there; like it was entitled to spend the night out front. It looked so domestic and normal, as if Jack often spent the night here. He almost wished he could.

He puffed out a breath as he pulled the car door shut, blocking out the early morning chill. He needed a shower, but he hadn't had the guts to ask for one, or to wait for Ianto to do the polite thing and offer him one, along with fresh towels, a spare toothbrush and probably a whole cooked breakfast to go along with it. Jack had always been rubbish at the "morning after" routine and this was no exception. Like the coward he was, he ran as fast as he could.

His fingertips drifted across his lips and he could feel the way Ianto had kissed him last night. It had thrown Jack for a loop. He'd flirted shamelessly with Ianto for what felt like forever but he never expected Ianto to reciprocate any feelings for him. It felt a little too easy and Jack had always been wary of things that looked too good to be true.

Tomorrow we go back to what a counts as normal in our lives. That was the promise Jack had made to him. Ianto was a jumbled mess of emotions and desires and last night had only proven that Jack really had no idea what went on in that very astute mind. It wanted far more than Jack had given him - a real challenge to fill his days working at Torchwood - but it was also far more tender and caring than Jack had expected.

Okay, so Ianto had let that alien shove him through the portal to die last night, but perhaps he'd deserved it. If he'd been treated the way he'd treated Ianto, he'd probably be entitled to some justice as well. But Ianto had come back for him, risked everything to bring him back, and that was more important. There was still so much left unsaid, but it hadn't stopped them from taking things to another level. It had been so long since Jack had anyone care about his physical and emotional needs, but at the same time he knew it couldn't last. This had to be a one time thing, as much as he hated himself for it. Tomorrow was now today, and today they just had to go back to being the Captain and his loyal General Support Officer. It couldn't be any other way. It wasn't right to take advantage of Ianto's emotions.

Jack sighed and turned the key in the ignition, wishing he could have gone back inside and said something to apologise and explain. I'm sorry but as much as I want this, we just can't.