Ficlet: Reckless

[bk_forever]

Title: Reckless

Author: badly_knitted

Characters: Ianto, Jack

Rating: PG

Spoilers: Small ones for Doctor Who: Utopia/TSoD/LotTL

Summary: Jack’s recklessness appals Ianto, but not as much as the reason for it.

Word Count: 300

Written For: My own prompt ‘Any, any, Reckless,’ at fic_promptly.

Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters. They belong to the BBC.

Intellectually, Ianto knows that Jack can’t die; well, not with any degree of permanence anyway. The deaths, every single one of them, are real enough though. Jack gets horribly injured on a regular basis, usually expiring painfully, and often slowly, in a pool of his own blood, but after a while he gasps back to life again, completely healed, with only the blood to prove that he’d even been hurt.

From Ianto’s point of view, the worst thing about Jack’s deaths is that so many of them are completely unnecessary and could easily be avoided. Not to put too fine a point on it, Jack is reckless, bordering on suicidal. He’s forever throwing himself headlong into dangerous situations without a moment’s thought or hesitation, when taking a few minutes to come up with some sort of plan would have resulted in a successful mission without any loss of life.

Put simply, it’s stupid, and it’s about time Jack got that little fact through that thick skull of his.

“Why, Jack? I know you have a hero complex, but there’s absolutely nothing heroic about getting yourself killed repeatedly for no reason!”

“Better that I should be killed or maimed than one of you,” Jack replies firmly. “I can heal, even from death. What’s the point of being immortal if I can’t use my immortality to save others? I’d rather sacrifice my life than let a single person suffer or die because I hesitated.”

“And what about your own suffering?”

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t matter. I’m wrong; I shouldn’t even exist.”

Ianto knows where that idea originated and some day he’ll set the Doctor straight on a few things, but that will have to wait.

“Never think that, Jack,” he says, wrapping his arms around his lover. “You matter to me.”

The End

Comments

[owensheart.livejournal.com]

Oh Jack, the doctors words cut deep, while I understand why Jack does it, he still could be less reckless.

great ficlet.

[bk_forever]

The Doctor has no idea how much damage his words caused. One day Ianto will tell him.

Meanwhile, Ianto will convince Jack of his worth, and teach him to be less reckless.

Thank you!

[jo02]

I can actually hear Jack saying this. Good work.

[bk_forever]

Thank you! The Doctor hurt Jack so much with his words, making him doubt his worth. Ianto is not pleased, but he'll show Jack that the Doctor is the one who's wrong.

[too-beauty.livejournal.com]

Of course you matter, Jack!
Ianto, please call me when you decide to st things straight with the Doctor.

[bk_forever]

I'm your the story will get posted here one day - when I finally write it. The Doctor is being elusive, Ianto hasn't caught him yet.

Thank you!

[raynewton.livejournal.com]

BAD Doctor. I hope Ianto gives him a real telling off, and that he's properly ashamed of himself, remembering what Jack suffered for him in the Valiant. Jack knows how much he matters to Ianto - who really suffers for him and with him. They really deserved better treatment from TPTB

[bk_forever]

So true, because having the Doctor treat Jack the way he did, that wasn't a good message to send out to kids watching, that it was okay to disregard another person's feelings just because they're different. *hugs Jack*

Ianto will one day really put the Doctor in his place, and the Doctor better be properly ashamed, if je knows what's good for him.

Thank you.