Winters Coming

[missthingsplace]

Title: Winter's Coming
Author: missthingsplace
Parings/characters: Jack, Ianto
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately.
Summary: Reflections on life ...
Spoilers: None
Warnings: *Tissues maybe required*
Rating: PG13

Written for day nine of the redismycolour Winter Challenge

A/N Okay this hit me when i woke this morning and wouldn't go away, it has taken me ages to write as it kept upsetting me ...

Ianto sat looking out of the windows from the warmth of the sun lounge at the the dusting of snow that had fallen sometime in the night, or early hours of that morning. Winters coming he thought to himself, time flits by so fast and before you know it you're heralding in another new year. Tucking the blanket that covered his lower half a little more tightly over it he sighed softly to himself, he knew he himself was in the autumn of his years.

He allowed himself a few moments of melancholy thought before he shook them from his head, his face brightening as he watched the figure in the long flapping coat, unbuttoned despite the cold walk up the garden path towards the house. Ianto expertly swivelled the wheelchair around and went to meet him as he entered through the back door of the house, he hated the wheelchair but today it was his means of getting about.

“Jack.” Ianto said brightly as soon as he emerged through the door.

“Looking good, how you feeling?” Jack asked as he took the handles of the wheelchair and pushed Ianto back through the house to the sun lounge where he knew Ianto spent the majority of his time when possible.

“Fine, my legs don't seem to agree with my head today however.”

Ianto didn't see the smile fade from Jack's face or the look of sadness that replaced it, Ianto's arthritis was getting worse with age and with each passing month he was getting more and more frail. He hated him being in a care home, but he had done his homework well and this was the best he could find in Cardiff. Not the most expensive, but the one where they seemed to care about their residents.

“You need more medication? Painkillers? Want to see another doctor?” Jack's voice full of his worry over his lovers condition.

“Just a bad day Jack, I could be feeling like I want to run a marathon tomorrow.” Ianto reassured him as they came to a halt in the sun lounge.

“If you're sure?” Jack pressed. “All that alien tech we have and there's nothing I can do to help.”

“You just being here helps.” Ianto replied smiling softly as Jack's frown lined face.

“Can I get you anything?”

“No, I have everything I need here except for you and when you are here I relish every single second.”

“I wish ...”

Ianto cut him off. “No wishing Jack, we can't change this we just have to take life as it comes.”

Jack nodded sadly in agreement.

“Take me back to my room Jack.”

“You're tired? Want to rest?”

“No, I just want to be somewhere we won't be interrupted.”

There was a comfortable silence between them as Jack pushed the wheelchair along to quiet corridors towards Ianto's room, once they reached it Ianto slowly pushed himself up from the chair, refusing Jack's offer of help and eased himself onto the bed and lay down flat with a sigh.

“Join me?” He smiled at Jack.

Jack closed the door firmly, a sign the carers took that the inhabitant of the room didn't wish to be disturbed and then after discarding his coat and boots he lay beside Ianto on the small bed. Ianto reached up and touched his face, still as young and dashing looking as it had been all those years before when they had first met.

“Thank you.”

“For what?” Jack frowned.

“For being here, not abandoning me when I became old and useless.”

“I love you Ianto, you will never be old or useless in my eyes.”

Jack lifted the palm of Ianto's hand from his face and kissed it softly before leaning over and capturing Ianto's lips with his own, kissing him tenderly. Jack pulled back and saw the look in Ianto's eyes, wordlessly he moved to kiss him again, this time kissing him deeply as he consciously let some of his excess energy seep from his body and into Ianto's. As Ianto's arms wrapped around him he pulled him close, not breaking the kiss for a very long time.

As Jack held him as he slept sometime later in his arms, sated and exhausted from their gentle lovemaking he couldn't help but think that it wouldn't be long before Ianto left him forever. Sharing the very thing that made him immortal was all Jack had now that could help his lover, it would give him a few pain free days and make life a little easier for him. He stroked his fingers through Ianto's salt and pepper hair as he watched the snow begin to fall again outside, winters coming he thought to himself, and not just for the changing seasons outside.

The End

Comments

[teachwriteslash.livejournal.com]

There is an undertone of sadness here for Jack but I like the idea of them like this after so many years together, rather than Jack losing Ianto young to Torchwood.

[missthingsplace.livejournal.com]

I like to think, hope that Ianto won't suffer 'Death by Torchwood'.

Thank you :D