Title: Who'll Take Care Of You?
Fandom: Torchwood
Pairing: Jack/Ianto
Rating: FRMT
Summary: Wonderful Ianto, always taking care of everyone else. Who's going to take care of you?
Spoilers: Cyberwoman (1x04), Countrycide (1x06), mentions of events in Fragments (2x12).

x

The backs of his thighs were cold from where they were pressed against the bumper of the SUV. But Ianto couldn’t bring himself to move, couldn’t force his tired body away from the comfortable warm and shelter the back of the car was offering.

He watched as Gwen moved past him, hand gripping her stomach in a vain attempt to stave off the pain being shot had left her with. As she passed, she didn’t even glance in his direction; not even a small flicker of sympathy for the bruised and beaten tea-boy.

Even Owen had shown Ianto more sympathy than she had. The doctor had personally given Ianto a once over, before entrusting the paramedics to do their job. Owen had tried to convince the Welshman that he was just doing his job, but Ianto had spent a lot of time studying the team and knew that there was real concern shining in Owen’s dark brown eyes.

Tosh was still being attended to by the paramedics so Ianto hadn’t been given chance to check on her. Deep inside he knew they would have a special bond after that day; being almost beaten to a pulp together, had a tendency to bring people closer together.

Ianto looked up from where he had been staring at the ground when he heard gravel shift under someone’s feet and winced as pain flew through the back of his neck, reminding him why he had been holding his neck in one single position for the past hour.

Jack was stood at the side of him, his hands thrust into his pockets and his coat blowing around him in the breeze which was beginning to shift through the small area. “Everything okay?” the Captain asked, keeping his voice low, even and almost completely devoid of emotion.

He let out a hollow laugh and rolled his eyes, only to groan at the pain that shot through his skull at the action. “Peachy keen,” he replied, flexing his fingers tentatively. To his relief none of them appeared to be broken, just bruised to hell and very sore.

The older man’s forehead crumpled when he realised the idiocy of his question. Although the sarcastic response he had received in response was proof to him that Ianto was stronger than all of them had ever imagined, he would get through this ordeal and come out stronger as a result.

“Come on,” he whispered, holding his hand out to Ianto. “Let’s get you home. The paramedics said lots of rest.”

Ianto studied the outstretched hand for a second before sliding his own dirty palm into Jack’s, loving the shock of warm skin against his own.

Earlier Jack had crouched down next to Ianto as he was putting the tent up. The Captain had placed a hand over Ianto's and made a cheeky suggestion that they retire to the same tent after everyone had gone to sleep. Looking back now, that small moment of flirtation seemed to have been years ago.

Owen and Gwen had already departed with a police car, having been appointed by Jack to give the officers statements on behalf of Team Torchwood. That only left Tosh to return home with Ianto and Jack. As they drove no one spoke, all of them were too lost in their owns thoughts and fears.

Jack’s fingers clutched the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were actually turning white as he concentrated on staying under the speed limit for once.

Ianto was sitting in the passenger seat, one arm leaning against the window and his head resting against the glass as he watched the countryside pass him by and slowly begin to change into the outskirts of Cardiff.

Tosh was lying across the backseat, staring up at the ceiling above her. Ianto hadn’t checked on her for a while, but he was sure she was trying to let the purr of the engine lull her to sleep. Even though it didn’t seem to be having any effect.

When they reached Tosh’s apartment building, Ianto immediately unfastened the seat-beat and climbed out of the SUV, allowing Tosh to loop her arm through his as he walked her to the door. “Are you sure you’ll be okay?” he whispered when she turned to face him on the doorstep.

She smiled at him and carefully placed a hand on his cheek, mindful of the cuts marring his otherwise flawless skin. “Wonderful Ianto, always taking care of everyone else. Who’s going to take care of you?”

Tosh looked over his shoulder and noticed Jack watching them. He was trying to appear nonchalant, but she could see his blue eyes monitoring every movement Ianto made in case he was needed at any point.

Ianto smiled and hugged her gently. “I’m fine,” he assured her. “It’s my job to take care of you guys, remember?”

She laughed and shook her head. “Don’t underestimate yourself, Ianto. I have a feeling your job description just changed drastically after today.”

They were silent for a beat as she withdrew her keys from her bag. “I’ll be okay. I have Cary Grant and ice cream to keep me company tonight. Go with him,” she nodded over his shoulder at Jack who was still watching them closely, “let him take care you.”

After ensuring she was safely inside the building, Ianto turned and slowly headed back to the car, climbing beside Jack and securely fastening his seat belt. When Jack didn’t start the engine immediately, he frowned and studied his boss’ eyes.

“Everything okay?” he asked, echoing Jack’s earlier question.

Jack nodded his head mutely as he turned the keys, the roar of the engine seeming even louder in the silent street. “Let’s get you home,” he stated, talking more to himself than Ianto.

“Actually, Jack…” Ianto averted his eyes at Jack’s questioning look. “I… I don’t want to be alone tonight,” he finally whispered. “Gwen has Rhys, Owen’ll find someone to shag and Tosh has a date with Cary Grant. I don’t have that.”

Before either of them realised it, Jack reached over and covered Ianto's hand with his own. “Yes you have. You’ve got me.”

The smile he received in response from Ianto made something inside him bounce happily. That was what Ianto had been lacking ever since Jack had hired him. The look of pure happiness on Ianto's face as they tried to avoid being eaten by the pterodactyl had been absent for months. If only it hadn’t taken him almost being eaten for Jack to find it again.

x

The first time Ianto had gone home with Jack had been less than a week before. After he had allowed the fairies to take Jasmine, none of the team had wanted to be in the same room as their boss, let alone sit down with him and allow him to explain his actions and the reason behind them.

Ianto had been surprised at how beautiful Jack’s house was: It was a Victorian two-storey town house about an hour away from the Hub.

He had always assumed that the other man lived at the hub. But the more he thought about it, the more sense Jack having a place of his own made. There were evenings in the past when the Rift monitor had gone off and Jack had taken a while to get to the Hub. No one had questioned him about where he went, but now it made more sense.

Plus, Ianto had managed to hide a Cyberwoman in the cellar without Jack’s knowledge. If the other man lived at the Hub there was no way he could have gotten away with it for so long.

As Jack herded him the direction of the bathroom, Ianto pushed that thought to the back of his mind, refusing to remember Lisa as she had become. Over the past few weeks, he had told himself he would only remember the Lisa he had met and fallen in love with, not the monster the Cybermen had turned her into.

He allowed his dirty clothes to fall to the floor as he stripped out of them and turned the shower on. Another thing that had surprised him about Jack’s house was the size of the bathroom. He was lucky to fit a small bath, toilet and sink into the bathroom in his apartment, yet Jack’s had room for a toilet, a beautiful ornate sink, a large bathtub (big enough for two, Ianto noted distractedly) and a separate shower cubicle.

The hot water hitting his shoulder blades stung for a second before that pain turned into bliss, the heat making his muscles relax and he could feel the knots under his skin slowly unfasten.

When he eventually shut the water off his eyes were beginning to feel heavy and the struggle to keep them open was getting harder and harder. To his surprise his clothes had moved from the middle of the floor to the hamper in the corner and there was a fluffy white towel on the counter, along with a pair of jogging bottoms and a black T-shirt.

Jack was sitting on the kitchen table when Ianto finally reappeared and he couldn’t help but grin at how adorable Ianto looked. The pants were a little too long for him, but not overly so, and his towel-dried hair was sticking out at odd angles. If it wasn’t for the cuts and bruises, Jack would have said Ianto had never looked better.

“Feeling better?” he asked, hopping down from the table and crossing the room, pulling open a cupboard.

Ianto nodded his head and accepted the pills Jack placed in his palm with a disgusted look. “The doctor said you have to keep taking pain killers for the next few days and I’m not letting you forget. Do you think I want Owen on my ass for weeks?” Jack actually shuddered at the thought and Ianto nearly choked on the tablets as he tried to take them without laughing.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Jack whispered, stepping closer and tentatively taking Ianto's hand in his own.

“Not really,” he grimaced. “It’s all too real for me right now, you know?”

Jack nodded his head, remaining silent as he slowly pulled Ianto closer. His advances to the other man the previous week had been turned down, with Ianto being polite and apologetic all the while. And, while he had a feeling Ianto wouldn’t refuse him this time, he didn’t want to push his luck.

“Jack…” Ianto began, shaking his head against his chest as he breathed in Jack’s scent. He had once told Ianto that it was the fifty-first century pheromones that made him smell so appealing, although he seriously doubted that was true.

“Shhh…” Jack ran his thumb over Ianto's lower lip. “It’s okay.” Neither of them were sure who he was trying to reassure, but when he added, “Let me take care of you,” they unanimously decided they didn’t care.

Unlike the small cot he kept back at the Hub, Jack’s bed was large enough for the entire team to fit in and still leave room for a weevil and pterodactyl. When Ianto laughed at that mental image Jack tossed him a questioning look, but the Welshman waved his hand dismissively. Strange mental images were not the perfect things to discuss prior to sex.

Placing a hand in to centre of Ianto's chest, Jack urged him back towards the bed, instructing him to get comfortable while he got cleaned up himself.

It didn’t take long for Jack to run some water and scrub the dirt from his own skin and he grinned as he headed into the bedroom, wearing only a towel securely fastened around his waist.

He couldn’t help laughing quietly when he noticed Ianto was lying on his side facing Jack. His eyes were closed and the corners of his mouth curled up in a small smile when he buried his face in Jack’s pillow and inhaled the scent of the other man.

Stripping out of his towel and pulling on a pair of boxers, Jack carefully pulled the covers up and tucked them around Ianto's sleeping form. Not too long ago, he would have been insulted that someone fell asleep waiting for him, but something about Jones, Ianto Jones made Jack feel different.

Sliding down under the covers, Jack knew nightmares would come to Ianto shortly. Nightmares about being butchered would mingle with visions of being converted. And he also knew that Ianto would need someone there when he woke up.