Fic: His Own Petard (1/1) (TORCHWOOD)

[blairprovence]

Title:  His Own Petard
Spoilers:  Season 2, up to 2.9
Disclaimer:  All things Who and Torch belong to the BBC, RTD, et al
Summary:  Jack has Ianto exactly where he wants him.  Doesn't he?



His Own Petard
by Blair Provence

Jack watches as Tosh, Owen and Gwen ride the invisible lift up to street level. Tosh is looking down at Ianto worriedly, Owen is eyeing the sky above determinedly, and Gwen is staring at Jack, her face unreadable. 

 

They are off for a dinner at the pub, a celebration Jack had generously offered to pay for when he proposed the team outing minutes before. They’d had a successful, but exhausting, day, and he had decided they deserved a treat.

 

Ianto had said he couldn’t go, that he had plans.

 

Jack, laughing, had teased him about his Mad Men obsession, and pointed out that the DVR would be recording it for later anyway.

 

Ianto hadn’t been able to meet his eyes as he had replied, “It’s not that…I, er…I haveadate.”

 

“Pardon?” Jack had said, as Owen and Tosh took hold of Gwen and dragged her toward the lift. Ianto hadn’t replied as the mechanism began to grind.

 

 

 

By the time the others on the lift reach street level, Jack is over his surprise. He is now, he finds, very curious.

 

“You said you have a date?” he asks lightly, and Ianto appears relieved at the mild tone.

 

“His name’s Chris,” Ianto says. “I met him while you were gone, but he was with someone back then, so-“

 

“He?” Jack finds himself asking, though he immediately wishes the word back.

 

Ianto eyes him sardonically. “Thought you’d ruined me for all other men, had you?”

 

“I am a hard act to follow,” Jack manages to say, with just the right touch of humor. He is rewarded with a wry smile.

 

“That’s very true. But I’ll soldier on somehow.”

 

Jack can’t help but ask, “Why will you, though? Has something changed that I’m not aware of?”

 

Ianto arches an eyebrow. “You-…you didn’t really think that this“ - he waves a hand between the two of them- “is what I wanted, did you?”

 

Jack had, actually. He smirks to cover his confusion. “I won’t believe I ever did something to you that you didn’t want, Ianto.”

 

Ianto rolls his eyes. “This isn’t about sex, Jack.” He presses his lips together, considering. “Or it is, maybe – we are. And I get that now – I’m not an idiot, I don’t need it spelled out.”

 

“Well, apparently you are going to have to spell it out for me, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

Ianto huffs in frustration. “All right, fine.” His eyes meet Jack’s. “Did you think I kept Lisa alive for all those months because we had really good sex before the Cybermen came to Canary Wharf?”

 

“What?” Jack is nonplussed by the seeming non sequitur. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

 

“No, you’re right, I really loved her,” Ianto agrees. “I still do sometimes. We were planning a life together, Jack, a life I wanted more than anything. A life I risked all of you and maybe even the planet to have.   It was selfish and I’m sorry for what happened, but that life was something I needed.” Ianto pauses, then admits, “It’s something I still need.”

 

Jack has no idea what to say, but he tries anyway. “Ianto, you know I can’t-“ But what he can’t seem to do is finish the sentence.

 

Ianto’s small smile is a touch bitter. “I have no idea what you can or can’t do, but I know what you won’t do.  And you have every right to feel that way. But I have a right to go after what I want, too, Jack. Elsewhere, if need be.”

 

“You really think someone else – this Chris person – can make you happier than I can?”

 

“Have you been making me happy, Jack? Mooning over Gwen while I’m standing right there?”

 

Before Jack can protest, Ianto backtracks, “Never mind, that’s not…that’s not the point. But the fact remains, this…arrangement isn’t giving me what I want. And I won’t settle for less than that.”   He scrubs a hand through his hair. “When you came back – when you asked me out on that date – I thought it meant that you understood that I couldn’t go back to what we had before.” He shakes his head. “And then we never even went on the date. I should have made it clear what I wanted, I guess.”

 

Jack knows that Ianto had made it clear, but he can’t admit that right now. He senses it wouldn’t help his position.

 

“So you weren’t going to tell me? You were just going to – what? Hope I wouldn’t notice we aren’t having sex any longer?”

 

“We aren’t?” Ianto’s brow furrows adorably.

 

Jack is confused. “Isn’t that what you’re saying?”

 

“No!” Ianto says, then pauses. “Well, not really. It’s a first date, after all. He and I may not even hit it off.”

 

Jack blinks, bemused. “But if you do?”

 

“Well, if that happens – with Chris or with somebody else – the eventually we’ll be exclusive, yes. I can’t imagine having a future with anyone who doesn’t want that. But in the meantime…” Ianto steps forward, sliding a hand under one of Jack’s braces and giving him a swift but thorough kiss.   “…a handy part-time shag is quite hard to find.” 

 

Ianto grins at Jack, patting him on the arse before stepping back to check the clock. “I’m going to be late if I don’t leave now.” Ianto turns on his heel and heads for the tourist entrance, calling “Bye, Jack!” over his shoulder as he vanishes from sight.

 

Jack opens his mouth to call Ianto back.

 

He thinks better of it. 

 

What, after all, would he say?

 

END