You Don't Have To Say You Love Me

[missthingsplace]

Title: You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
Author: missthingsplace 
Parings/characters: Jack/Ianto
Disclaimer: I don't own Torchwood or any of the characters ... unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while.
Summary: The angst bunnies escaped their cage for this fic set right after KKBB.
Warnings: None
Spoilers: KKBB
Rating: G

Ianto let himself into his flat knowing it would be a safe place to be while trying to avoid his other self and headed straight for the bathroom, stripping off quickly he showered and donned a pair of pyjama bottom before heading straight to the bedroom.

 

With every intention of not thinking about the events of the last day he curled onto his side beneath the duvet and closed his eyes, willing sleep to overtake him but it proved to be more difficult that he'd hoped.

 

Rolling onto his back with a sigh Ianto put his hands beneath his head and let his mind drift freely over the very subject he had been trying to shut out of it.

 

He freely admitted to himself that it had been a shock to see Jack standing behind him after the shot that killed the Blowfish, it was like all his hopes had come true at once along with wanting to punch him for vanishing on them without explanation a few months earlier.

 

The Captain asking out on a date later was something he'd never expected in a million years. Yes, their relationship - as it was - was more that Owen had insinuated, he was no 'part-time shag' but they didn't date.

 

What had begun as a means to an end, sex to distract Jack from the secret he was hiding in the basement became something more meaningful. Although neither of them would ever speak those three little words out loud he knew they were on his mind at least before Jack disappeared.

 

The kiss Jack had given him when he'd finally come back to life had given him hope, their first kiss to be exchanged freely in front of the rest of the team meant more to him that the Captain could ever have known.

 

And then he went and left him without even a note.

 

He'd hoped that Jack would have wanted to spend this time with him somewhere, Jack wouldn't have been able to return to the Hub so his flat would have been the idea place for them to talk but he just strode off after telling them to stay away from anywhere they might bump into their former selves.

 

The sound of the rain suddenly pounding against the window brought him out of his thoughts for a minute, listening to it seemed somehow comforting and normal. The loud crash of thunder and flash of lightening that happened almost simultaneously brought his thoughts back to Jack and the possibility that he was stood on some rooftop getting drenched.

 

Throwing back the duvet Ianto got out of bed and dressed quickly, forgoing his usual attire for a pair of old jeans and jumper and headed out to his car with a large umbrella, no thoughts that he might run into himself.

 

He didn't have to drive far before spotting the familiar figure standing on the rooftop of one of the tallest buildings in Cardiff, parking as nearby as possible and darted inside, heading straight up to the roof.

 

“Jack,” Ianto called out from the exit to the roof but the raging storm overhead drowned out his word.

 

Putting the umbrella up Ianto made his way across the roof, careful not to step into the various large puddles of water that were forming towards the Captain, calling out his name again once he was closer.

 

Jack turned to face him, his hair plastered to his head and gave him a wry smile.

 

“What the hell are you thinking Jack, you could get hit by lightening?” Ianto asked.

 

“It wouldn't be the first time and you're one to talk, an umbrella in a thunder storm,” Jack retorted.

 

“Shit, didn't think,” Ianto grumbled, closing the umbrella abruptly and feeling wet through to his underwear almost instantly.

 

“You should go back home, no point us both getting wet,” Jack told him.

 

“Only if you come with me,” Ianto answered earning him a cock of the eyebrow from the Captain. “To dry off, you can't go to the hub, can you?”

 

“Are you sure? When I asked you on that date you seemed hesitant,” Jack replied. “I know it must have come out of the blue, a bit of a shock. It wasn't an order.”

 

“It was ... I mean ...” Ianto stuttered a little. “look, lets just get out of this weather, yeah?”

 

“Do I get coffee?” Jack asked with a small smile.

 

“If should be decaf by all accounts after you left us to fend for ourselves,” Ianto smirked, his expression changing to one of concern when he saw the sadness that clouded the Captains face. “come on, lets go.”

 

Letting Jack into his flat Ianto asked him to follow him to the bathroom where he handed Jack one large fluffy towel and told him to strip, the Captain did so without comment or innuendo and handed his sopping clothes to the younger man after wrapping the towel around his waist and using a hand towel to dry his hair.

 

Sending Jack off to the living room Ianto stripped himself and then draped Jack's clothes on the clothes airer he pulled from the airing cupboard to dry, his own he carried through to the kitchen, shoved them in the washing machine and turned on the coffee maker.

 

When he made it to the living room, two mugs of coffee in his hands he found Jack sat on the sofa, his feet pulled up onto the edge and his arms wrapped around his knees staring into the distance.

 

Ianto placed the coffee mugs on the low table and sat down beside him, reaching up to cup his chin, turning the Captains face to his and saw his red-rimmed eyes and the dry tear tracks down his cheeks.

 

“Talk to me Jack, what happened while you were away?” Ianto asked gently.

 

“I just want to forget it,” Jack replied quietly.

 

“Talking about it might help,” Ianto pushed, watching the Captains eyes well up again.

 

“I thought I'd never see you again, never get to hold you, kiss you ...” Jack answered. “through it all you were what kept me fighting, even when ...”

 

“When what happened?” Ianto asked.

 

“When he killed you in front of me,” Jack said softly, the tears escaping his eyes to run down his cheeks once more. “I begged him to spare you, to kill me again, do anything he wanted to be but he knew it would hurt me more than any physical pain.”

 

“No-one killed me Jack, I'm here,” Ianto said with a soft smile, brushing away the tears with his thumbs.

 

“It happened, but no-one remembers it but a few of us,” Jack told him. “the Doctor fixed it so that nothing ever happened but ...”

 

“Tell me,” Ianto insisted.

 

Jack began to explain, starting at the beginning with how the Master had got himself made PM and everything that followed. From his capture, what the Master had unleashed on the world and the torture he had inflicted on him while Ianto listen with a horrified look on his face.

 

“He was madman, and now he's dead,” Jack finished, this time he was brushing away the younger man's tears. “the Doctor and a brilliant woman called Martha Jones saved the world and not a single person can remember any of it.”

 

“The Doctor couldn't help you, could he?” Ianto asked quietly.

 

“No,”

 

“This man, the Master, he can't come back, can he?” Ianto asked.

 

“He's dead,” Jack replied.

 

“I know you remember everything but you can't let this rule your life,” Ianto insisted. “I'm here and I'm alive, as are Gwen, Owen and Toshiko.”

 

“I really did come back for you,” Jack said softly, leaning forwards to brush his lips over the younger man's. “I ... you should know that I ...”

 

“I know,” Ianto told him. “me too, come on.”

 

With that Ianto stood and took Jack's hand, pulling him to his feet.

 

“Where?” Jack asked, letting Ianto lead him from the room and into his bedroom.

 

“You need to sleep,” Ianto replied, “my flat is at your disposal, whenever you need it.”

 

“Thank you,” Jack replied, feeling suddenly more tired than he had in years he shed the towel and climbed beneath the duvet. “are you going to sleep?”

 

“I'll be back in a minute,” Ianto answered, leaving the room to fetch the now cold cups of coffee from the living room and empty them down the sink before placing them in the dishwasher.

 

After making sure all the lights were off he returned to the bedroom, Jack was lying on his side already in a deep sleep.

 

Removing his own towel he got in behind him and spooned carefully against his back, wrapping an arm around his to rest on his chest he kissed him softly on the back of the neck ant then closed his eyes knowing he would sleep better than he had since Jack had left them, him.

 

“Love you,” Ianto whispered against the skin of the Captains shoulder and then began to drift into sleep.

 

The End.
 

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