Waiting
Jack and Ianto wait for the team to find them.
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Ianto fought back tears as he gently straightened Jack’s crumpled limbs, cursing himself soundly. He was supposed to know this area, that was why they had brought him on this Weevil hunt in the wilds, but in the snow, he had missed a badly covered airshaft for one of the mines in the area.
“Wha’ happen’d?” Jack’s voice was faint, wracked with pain as Ianto pulled yet another bone back into place.
“We fell. Or rather I fell, and you got hurt stopping me getting killed.” Ianto brushed light fingers over Jack’s clammy forehead in the inky darkness.
“Don’ ‘member.”
“Not surprised. When you realized you weren’t going to be able to stop me falling, you got yourself between me and the impact with the ground. I think most of your ribs might be broken, both legs, your left arm.” Ianto broke off and took a deep breath, choking back tears again.
“Doesn’ hurt.” Jack whispered.
“I think you’re in shock, and I think you may have broken your back. Will that heal Jack? Can that kind of injury be repaired?”
“Yes. Been hurt worse,” Jack said faintly. Ianto heard the other man’s breathing hitch and falter, and he felt ill.
“Oh God, don’t die Jack, please don’t die. Don’t leave me here alone.” Ianto’s voice was choked with tears he couldn’t fight anymore.
“Got to let go Yan. Can feel it, pulling at me, the darkness.”
“Please,” Ianto begged.
“Shhhh, won’t be long.” Jack promised him.
Ianto felt Jack’s chest still under his hand, and he curled over, his forehead resting on Jack’s chest as he sobbed.
He had no idea how long he had huddled there with Jack’s cooling body in the dark, but he was shocked back into himself by a hint of light over his closed eyelids. He opened his eyes and saw that Jack was glowing faintly, golden light sparkling around him. If there had been any light at all, Ianto realized, then he wouldn’t be seeing this, but here in the pitch black he could see the scrapes and gashes on the exposed skin healing, bruises darkening then starting to fade, all in the faint glow Jack himself was emitting.
He had to swallow hard to stop himself being sick as he heard the bones he hadn’t been able to realign crunching back into position. The glow started to fade, and the last thing Ianto saw as it winked out was Jack’s eyes snapping open, and he heard him inhale sharply.
He gathered Jack into his arms, feeling him trembling, and wrapped around him as much as he could.
“Jack?” He whispered.
“Cold,” Jack slurred, his teeth chattering.
“I know,” Ianto said, rubbing Jack’s arms lightly.
It was freezing in this pit, and Jack’s body temperature was already very low. He needed to warm up, and he needed to sleep, and Ianto didn’t think the first was possible, and the second wise, while they were stuck down here.
“I need you to stay awake for me Jack. Talk to me.”
“’Bout what?”
“I don’t know. Tell me about where you grew up.”
Jack was silent for so long that Ianto thought he had blacked out again, but then he shifted slightly so he was settled closer into Ianto’s chest.
“You know I’m not really from around here, right?”
“Well, yes.”
“I was born in the 51st century, on a colony world in the Hephaestus System.”
“What was it like?”
“Peaceful, once upon a time, then we were invaded. That’s why I enlisted when I was sixteen.”
“You went to war when you were sixteen?”
“Yeah, seemed like a grand adventure at the time, me and my best friend, going out to save our planet. Then we were captured, and I had to watch him being tortured, and killed. It wasn’t such an adventure then, and I applied for a transfer as soon as I got back to our own lines with his body. The Time Agency snapped me up, young, fit, intelligent, willing to learn anything they could throw at me. More important, they got me off my home planet.”
“What happened then? You’re not with them now, are you?”
“I can’t Ianto, not yet,” Jack said, shaking harder, and Ianto kissed the top of his head and tightened his grip.
“How long have we been down here?” Jack asked, turning his head enough to bury his face in Ianto’s neck.
“I’m not sure. It feels like hours, but that could just be because it’s dark, and I can’t see my watch. I wasn’t exactly focusing on timekeeping while you were …… you know….. either.”
“I’m sorry Yan.”
“God, it isn’t your fault Jack. If anything, it’s mine. I fell, I dragged you down here.”
“Yan, stop. You mean too much to me for me to let you go before I have to. I would rather die myself, knowing I will more than likely come back, than see you die, knowing that it would be forever.” Jack kissed the sliver of skin on Ianto’s neck that he had hidden his face in.
“I hope the others are looking for us. We need to get you back to the hub. You’re not warming up, and you need to rest. And, I love you too.” Ianto could feel himself blushing, and was grateful it was dark.
“I can feel you blushing you know. Nice and warm.” Jack said, and his voice was faint, tired.
“Try and stay awake for me Jack. Just until the others get here.” Ianto stroked his back briskly.
“Too tired.”
“I know, I know you’re tired Jack, but you need to stay awake, just a little longer. Tell you what, you stay awake, and when we’re home, I’ll take you out to dinner.”
He felt a faint smile against his neck.
“And dancing?”
“And dancing. Just stay with me Jack, tell me a story.”
“I was in Cardiff before, and I was in two places at the same time.”
“Are those two statements connected?”
“Uh huh. The big earth quake and rift surge that I wouldn’t let anyone go and investigate.”
“When the Mayor vanished?”
“Yeah. I was up on the surface at the same time as I was in the hub, a younger me, a mortal me. I couldn’t risk any of you crossing my timeline, saying anything that would change what was going to happen.”
Ianto had no idea how long he kept Jack talking before bright torchlight cut down into the hole.
“Hello?” A strange voice called.
“Hello? Who is that?”
“Fell rescue. Is that Ianto and Jack?”
“Yes.”
“Your friends have been very worried about you two. How badly are you injured?”
“I’m OK, cold and bruised, but OK. Jack isn’t so good. He’s borderline hypothermic.”
“We’ll soon have you both out of there.”
Ianto had never been so relieved to see Owen in his entire life as he was when they were pulled out of that shaft. He swooped down on Jack and had him transferred to the back of the SUV in seconds. Ianto heard him call out for him, voice small and lost, and he hurried over, leaning in and grabbing Jack’s hand as Owen worked on him, pulling off the damp clothes.
“It’s OK now cariad. You’re safe now.” He soothed.
“Ianto, how long was he gone for?” Owen cut in.
“Not sure, more than fifteen minutes I think.”
“No wonder he’s so bloody cold.” Owen shook his head and tucked a warmed blanket from special unit around Jack before tucking a thermal blanket over that. He kept Jack’s arm out long enough to stick a warmed saline IV into him, then made sure he was covered completely.
“Now you Ianto, out of those wet things.” Owen ordered, holding up another warm blanket. Ianto gratefully complied, and curled himself around Jack as Owen shut them in the back.
It was well into the next day by the time both of them woke up. Jack was still a little groggy, but he pulled Ianto into his arms.
“So, where and when for the dinner and dancing?” He asked with a grin.
“You will just wait and see.” Ianto chided, his hands roaming restlessly, needing to make sure his lover really was whole. Jack pulled him closer, resting his head on Ianto’s broad shoulder.
“Thank you,” He said softly.
“For what?” Ianto asked.
“Being you.” Jack smiled, kissing him.
Ianto held him close, stroking his back.
“I’m still not telling you where I’m taking you,” he told him, earning a laugh as Jack relaxed. They were safe, and they were together, and all was right in their world.
End.
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And yes, romance is all good.