Ficlet: Worthwhile

[bk_forever]

Title: Worthwhile
Author: badly_knitted
Characters: Jack, Ianto.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Cyberwoman, The Sound of Drums, Last of the Time Lords, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang.
Summary: Jack gave up on love and relationships after Lucia, but then along came Ianto Jones…
Word Count: 500
Written For: Prompt 132: Beginning at anythingdrabble.
Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.




In the beginning it was simple lust for a well-proportioned body and an attractive face. Jack didn’t do relationships, not anymore; loving and losing, whether through the death of his partner or their rejection of him, hurt too much. He only had the one heart to last him through eternity and if he kept on getting it broken where would that leave him? The last time, with Lucia leaving and taking their young daughter with her, had shattered him almost beyond repair.


Ianto Jones, although something of a tease at first, proved warm and willing once Jack finally succeeded in seducing him. They had good, dirty fun, both of them getting what they needed from their little trysts: a vigorous workout, a healthy physical release, and undemanding, agreeable companionship. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement with no strings attached, and Jack certainly had no complaints. For a twenty-first century human, Ianto proved remarkably open-minded.


Of course, it all turned out to be a ruse, a convenient way for Ianto to distract Jack from what he was really up to in the Hub’s lower levels, hiding his half-converted girlfriend. Discovering that put rather a damper on things for a while, but once the dust settled they gradually resumed their extracurricular activities. It was good for Ianto, helped him feel less alone. Not that Jack didn’t enjoy it too because of course he did, but Ianto’s wellbeing was his first concern. He’d failed the young man before, not seeing what was going on behind the mask he wore; he wouldn’t make that mistake again. Ianto needed a reason to keep going, and Jack was happy to provide it.


Then the Doctor stopped off in Cardiff, and Jack dropped everything and ran, not wanting to miss what might be his one chance of getting the answers he’d been waiting over a century for.


Everything went wrong; the answers he got weren’t what he wanted to hear, and the Doctor couldn’t fix him. Worse, he spent a year being tortured and killed by an insane, psychopathic Time Lord, but at least it gave him plenty of time to think, and as the hung there in chains in the engine room of the Valiant, he began to realise something. Somewhere along the line, Ianto Jones had gone from being someone he enjoyed uncomplicated sex with to someone he cared about a whole lot more than he’d ever intended to.


By the time the paradox ended and time was rewound, Jack had reached a decision. When he got back to Cardiff, it Ianto was interested, he was going to do things right; ask him out on a date, see where things went from there.


Yes, it meant he’d be opening himself up to heartbreak again, sooner rather than later given the short life expectancy of Torchwood agents, but it was too late to worry about that; his battered old heart was Ianto’s already.


This would be a new beginning; loving Ianto was worth the inevitable pain.



The End

Comments

[raynewton.livejournal.com]

I so like this picture of Jack, able to rise above what he must have seen as betrayal, and help Ianto heal. Then come to realise how much he valued and loved him. He was right,Ianto was worth it and loved Jack in return. Ten thousand curses on TPTB for what they did in CoE.

[bk_forever]

I believe that's what happened, because otherwise how did they get back together? Jack has seen so much. Once he got past his anger he understood why Ianto did it.

Ah, but you know I'll make sure Jack gets his Ianto back ;)

Thank you!

[pfyre.livejournal.com]

Jack may be an irrepressible 51st century type of guy but he is also a man that has lost a lot - his family, his friends, two years of memories stolen by the Time Agency.... He is also a man aware that not everyone is always on the up and up - recall the conman trying to dupe Time Agents with his quick clean up schemes. He traveled with the Doctor and Rose and discovered that it was more than possible to redeem one's self and to want to live as a good man, help those in need and all that. So yeah he was royally peeved at Ianto's betrayal with Lisa locked in the lower levels of Torchwood but he's well aware that people will do just about anything for those they love and that it still possible to come back from such a low. So Jack would value Ianto because Ianto has demonstrated his true inner self to Jack. Great stuff.

[bk_forever]

Yes, Jack knows what it is to love and lose, and he knows that if you truly love someone you'll try any means to save them. I think at least some of Jack's reaction was down to pure fear - he knew about Cybermen, how dangerous they were, and knew only too well the devastation just one could cause, converting everyone who crossed its path. Once the Cyberman was dealt with he was able to think more rationally.

Thank you!