Brittle Heart (one shot)

[anastasisrick]

Title: Brittle Heart (title taken and story inspired by Brett Anderson’s Brittle Heart song http://youtu.be/ZOIGxfr_6wg)
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Ianto Jones, Jack Harkness, ofc
Pairing: Ianto/Jack
Rate: PG 15 (I tend to overrate my stories and can’t write erotic scenes to save myself. I need to work on that)
Spoilers: Takes place after TKKS,
Genre: AU ending of the episode, romace, drama, probable angst, first time,
Summary: What has gotten into Ianto to propose Jack?
Length: 1800 words

 

Written as a birthday present for a special person whose comments made me feel good for posting in Livejournal. She’s also the Greek-est non Greek I’ve ever met.

 

Happy birthday too_beauty

Unbeataed and written today because I’ve been ill the last week and couldn’t do anything. I will correct any mistakes tomorrow but I wanted to post it today.

Brittle Heart

 

Darkness and warmth, it’s like he flies in the watery blackness. Last time he felt so nice was when he and Lisa danced under the moonlight on the warm sand in a beach in Santorini for his twentieth birthday.

 

His hands grip whatever they can find as he feels kisses upon his skin. He knows the touch even though he cannot remember the last time he felt it. It was before the battle in Canary Warf, before Lisa turned into a monster. His calmness lost, he opens his eyes wishing to wake up from the pleasant dream. He expects the coldness of his room. He’s wrong.

 

His breathing hitches as he sees that the dream was not a dream. Someone is on top of his body… and Lisa was never this heavy. His arms as slack and his brain confused, but after futile attempts he manages to put his hands on the other person’s body and push it away from him.

 

He can finally see now clearly who’s been kissing him and his stomach clenches and his heart aches. What is going on? He tried to remember as Jack is looking first at him and then and Ianto’s hands that currently push against his chest.

 

Jack has been happily exploring Ianto’s naked body, breathing in his unique fragrance wondering about with how many different ways he could give Ianto all the carnal pleasure Jack has imagined from the first time he saw him.

 

The Head of Torchwood Cardiff was indeed startled to be propositioned by his always reserved employee but the last day had been hard and Suzie had died…again and he didn’t think about it twice. Well, the truth is he didn’t think about it at all.

 

But now, as he stares down at Ianto’s wild, frightened eyes, as the long fingers dig into his chest painfully he gets angry. He’s not going to be fooled twice; not by the same person. He pushes back against Ianto’s hands and holds the wrists on either side of Ianto’s body.

 

“What do you think you’re doing, Ianto?”

 

“What… what am I doing here? How did we come here? What are you doing?”  Jack watched Ianto’s embarrassment at finding himself half naked underneath his boss colouring the pale features. It made no sense though. Jack remembered all too well Ianto’s passion as he had helped in the undressing of both of them. He could still see the signs of their mutual passion on the lips he was kissing moments before and the state of arousal of both men.

 

Ianto is pulling himself up clearly ready to bolt away, not knowing what has happened when Jack pushes him back on the bed and straddles him.

 

“Let me go.” He tried to demand painfully aware of the state of his body, ashamed of his reaction and confused about how they got there.

 

Jack realises that. He cups Ianto’s cheekbones tenderly. “Ianto, what do you remember?” He asks the frightened young man.

 

Ianto gulps, his mouth is dry. “I… I don’t know. Suzie... got Gwen.” Ianto’s eyes widen. “What happened? How did we end up here? How’s Gwen?” He asks grabbing Jack’s forearms.

 

“She’s fine.”

 

“What happened?” He repeats. “Why don’t I remember? Why are we here…?” He looks down again in their bodies and sheets.

 

“You propositioned me.”

 

“What?” Now Ianto is wide awake and clearly uses all his strength to push Jack away. The older man obliges… because really, what else can he do? Ianto rises immediately to his feet and grabs his shirt from where it’s fallen on the floor and puts it on despite Jack disappointment. He doesn’t turn to look at Jack. He looks around for the rest of the clothing.

 

“Ianto, wait!” Jack yells as Ianto climbs up the stairs.

 

“What?” He asks still not looking at him. Jack is right behind him gently holding him by the arm.

 

“We need to scan you… to see…”

“OK.” Ianto doesn’t let him finish his sentence. He wants to end this and go home and rest. Away from Jack; with only his memories. Away from Jack… he repeats to himself.

 

Forty five minutes later Jack declares Ianto is clean, no alien substance inside him or out of him… or whatever, and Ianto is ready to go home.

 

Jack wonders when was the last time Ianto looked at him and idly smiles as he knows it will be a long time before he gets those eyes to look at him again. Ianto fidgets close to the door and as he’s ready to leave he turns around looking down.

 

“Jack… I’m sorry.” He says before he leaves.

 

“Yea me too, me too, Ianto.” Jack whispers in the empty Hub. Twelve minutes later and after a cold shower, he debates between dressing up and going out or lie down on the bed and attempt to sleep.

 

The decision is taken off his hands when he felt some presence in the room. A presence he knows well.

 

“I should have known….” He says smiling reaching his arms out to hug the glazing vision before she stops him. “Marina?”

 

She responds with his real name and a smile. “It’s me, but as you can see I’m in my adult form.”

 

“And pretty nice too…” Jack adds leering at her. “… but what does a fifty first adult Perelesnyk do in twenty first century Earth?”

 

“My first mission. And I have to say I failed.”

 

“Mission… oh no, no, no! Don’t tell me.” He looks up the stairs and then at his bed and her. “Ianto.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You want Ianto.”

 

“I’m seduction, Jack. It’s what I do. I was sent in Earth to use my new abilities as an adult. I won’t ask what you’re doing here either.” She says, the melody of her voice travelling in every part of his body.

 

“Marina, stop using your… traits on me and tell me what’s going on.”

 

“The first human I saw when I came was… your Ianto…”

 

“He’s not mine!”

 

“But you’d like him to be.”

 

“Mara…”

 

“No, listen to me, I admit I used him, I entered his body to make him seduce, but I didn’t go all the way did I? Which means that I have to find a new human….” She says mostly to herself. “Regardless, you have to talk to your Ianto. His heart is… precious. He’s broken now, yes, but his heart is a giver, tender and yearning.” Jack runs his fingers through his hair, still wet from the shower and dries his hand on his trousers.

 

“Why are you telling me?”

 

She just smiles at his question. “Go and see him. It was a pleasure seeing you. Until next time.”

 

He sees her vanishing into thin air leaving only droplets of water behind her. Jack makes a decision. He needs to talk to Ianto.

 

Thirty minutes later he sits on Ianto’s sofa with the other man sitting opposite him, a cup of tea warming his hands. Ianto still looks down probably examining the patterns of the carpet. He was not surprised when he heard Jack knocking on his door.

 

“You said you know what caused the earlier…” Ianto starts taking a sip from his own cup of tea still not looking at him.

 

“Yes. It was a Perelesnyk. Their purpose is to seduce.

 

“Do you mean they go inside the host’s body and used it to seduce others?” Ianto asks terrified at what might have happened.

 

“Not really. They usually seduce the other with their own rather dashing appearance. Unless the host they use is strong and passionate about something or someone on their own.” Jack says carefully.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You’re special. Marina... that’s the Perelesnyk would have seduced you, but she didn’t have the strength. You’re too strong for her, so she tried to use to seduce someone else.”

 

“You.”

 

“Me. But you were still to strong for her and made her leave. Plus she knows me.” Ianto’s brow rose at that. “Yes, well, from my past. Anyway, she couldn’t use you. But she told me that you’re hurting. Not that I needed to be told that….”

 

“Jack…” Ianto is on his feet immediately and starts pacing back and forth in front of Jack. The older man stands and reaches out to him. “No.” Ianto whispers as he’s being held in an embrace.

 

Warmth.

 

Safety.

 

Both men feel it. Both men want it. Only one can embrace it and purge through it. Jack tightens his grip around Ianto’s back and shoulders as if his hold will make him see what’s in front of him.

 

Jack takes his chance; he knows he won’t get another and leans forward, his mouth touching Ianto’s in an unmistaken kiss that this time Ianto can and will feel it.

 

“Jack…”

 

“Let me.” And Ianto lets him. There’s no more fight inside him; he’s tired of fighting the inevitable, tired of being alone and lonely, exhausted of constant aching, tired of wanting. So gives in and hopes Jack knows what he’s doing, not only physically but emotionally too.

 

Ianto knows he has only one way to give and one way to love.

 

Jack only suspects, but his need and desire is stronger.

 

The feel of Ianto reciprocate is the balm on his soul and the cure of the trauma of abandonment. Ianto’s body is pale and strong, with lines and hardness but tender and soft.

 

Marina’s words come to haunt him as he lays on the floor pulling the younger man on top of him and then roles them around.

 

Jack is being dishonest with himself. He knows he’s only given the body but a fragile heart too, even if he pretends to the opposite. The blue eyes finally look back at him and Jack feels burnt by them. There’s no turning back.

 

He gets everything and gives carpet burns; he takes all passion and Ianto’s power and feels reborn.

 

He nips and licks and kisses the soft skin living marks feeling more alive than he has in a long, long time. And in returned he’s being made love to. It’s like a fire that consumes him whole and from the cinders and ashes he and Ianto become one in more that one way.

 

He finds himself on freshly washed sheets with Ianto’s warmth next to him and thinks that that’s it; that’s what he wants, an easy companionship. He’ll fight to keep it that way. Simple.

 

He’s reminded he’s not alone when Ianto rolls on his side and gently puts his hand on top of Jack’s chest, on the left side, just above his heart. No matter how Jack will live, he’s only got one heart. He thinks years and years of deception are enough to protect it.

 

In the meantime he will break another brittle heart. Again and again…

 

But that night he knew. He was lost…to blue eyes and a fire hidden inside a broken heart.

 

 

Finis

Note:Perelesnyk is a spirit of seduction in Ukrainian mythology. Marina in the same language means of the sea… My English is not as good as to create an alien race on my own.