Cardiff Spring (Torchwood, allergies)

[Jelloicious]

In the cottage, the sneezes continued, unabated. Ianto could do little more than draw in a breath, pause, sneeze. Rinse, repeat as his sinuses tried desperately to expel the offending pollen. While Ianto had been sure his allergies were going to be triggered, this was way more than he bargained for. A few uncontrolled sneezing fits was one thing, but this...this was something else entirely. Sneezing had gone from being a satisfying release, and something he could use to tease Jack to an absolute overriding imperative, against which he was defenseless.

For his part, Jack wasn’t quite sure what to do to help, as Ianto struggled to regain control. Finally, he asked, “Would a shower help?”
Ianto shrugged, nodded, drew a sharp breath and sneezed.

Jack guided Ianto in the cottage’s tiny bathroom, turned on the water, and helped Ianto discard the rest of his clothing as he continued to sneeze helplessly.

The shower in the cottage was small, and clearly not built for someone as tall as Ianto, who struck his the shower head soundly right above his left eye, when his head jerked forward with a violent sneeze, but even that didn’t stop the sneezes. Jack was half-showered himself by the time he was able to thoroughly wash the offending pollen from Ianto’s hair. Ianto still kept sneezing but not so frequently and now he was at least able to speak as Jack handed him a towel.

“Allergy pills,” he gasped before muffling another sneeze into the towel he’d just used to dry himself. “in my bag.”

Jack found the bottle, shook a handful out. Ianto picked up two, sneezed, popped them in his mouth and hurriedly swallowed them before sneezing yet again, filling a glass of water and swallowing it to chase down the pills.

Jack watched, expectantly, as if the pills were supposed to work instantly.

Ianto sneezed. Jack stared.

“What.” Ah..TcHiew!

“Well, when do they start working?”

Ianto rolled his bloodshot eyes, drew a breath and sneezed again, wincing as his fingers probed the knot along the ridge of his eyebrow, which was sure to be a black eye.

Jack got him ice wrapped in a tea towel, and placed it tenderly on the raised bruise running right across Ianto’s eyebrow, and drew the young man into an embrace, waiting for the next sneeze.

“I’m really sorry...I had no idea it would be this bad for you,” Jack began.

“Neither….’chiew! did I!” Ianto rubbed roughly at his irritated and still tickly nose. “It’s never been nearly this bad before.” Ianto sniffed wetly.

“Maybe we should call Owen...” Jack offered.

“Maybe we should NOT,” Ianto said, cringing at the thought. “Just…k’shew!! give it a little bit of time. It’s getting better already. And, we came here to enjoy ourselves, anyway, didn’t we?”

“We did,” Jack agreed. “But I didn’t think it would be so miserable for you.”

Ianto sniffed wetly. “Well, then. I suppose we could just sit here and wallow in the misery of it all, or...” (and Ianto paused here for a prolonged moment to allow the next sneeze to build properly, breath hitching and holding out as long as he could) Heh...heh...heh...hehk’CHIEU!!!!!!!”

“Or?” Jack prompted, as he bit the inside of his cheek and tried earnestly to NOT find that sexy, as poor Ianto blew his nose again.

“Or, you could find a way to distract me from all this misery.” Ianto sniffed.

Jack grinned, eyes dancing. “You feel up to being distracted?”

“I’m 26 Jack, I *always* feel up to ‘being distracted’!! “The question is, do you have any interest in being a distraction if...it means...you….get….Essshooo! sneezed at.”

Jack laughed, mentally scrolled through every fantasy he’d had over the past week and laughed again. “I’m counting on it!”, as he began pulling off his damp shirt.

Then, Jack’s wristband beeped, insistently.

“Shit.” Jack said. “Rift alert, looks like a big one”. Jack keyed in a response which would forward the alert to the entire team.

Ianto muttered something in Welsh that almost certainly wasn’t polite, sneezed again, and began dressing hurriedly.

“Look, maybe you should stay here, and recover.”

“I’ll be fide”, Ianto sniffed, as he pulled on socks.

[Shay]

Wow, still pretty intense. Poor Ianto having to suffer that much, and then they got called away before they could even try to have some fun with it. I can only imagine how frustrated Jack is.

[AngelEyes]

Poor Ianto!!!

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“Or?” Jack prompted, as he bit the inside of his cheek and tried earnestly to NOT find that sexy, as poor Ianto blew his nose again.

LOL Jack.

 

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“I’m 26 Jack, I *always* feel up to ‘being distracted’!! “The question is, do you have any interest in being a distraction if...it means...you….get….Essshooo! sneezed at.”

Jack laughed, mentally scrolled through every fantasy he’d had over the past week and laughed again. “I’m counting on it!”, as he began pulling off his damp shirt.

 

Oh my boys!

 

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“Shit.” Jack said. “Rift alert, looks like a big one”. Jack keyed in a response which would forward the alert to the entire team.

Damn!

 

4 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto muttered something in Welsh that almost certainly wasn’t polite, sneezed again, and began dressing hurriedly.

Into speaking naughty Welsh. Mmmm. Why do I find this sexy?

[Seeker]

Oh I missed the update!!! 

 

Dang rift messing up the other (much better) distraction! 

This is incredibly enjoyable 

[Jelloicious]

Jack’s driving was fast and sure, as always, but speeding down winding roads while balancing a laptop, sneezing and calling out directions to join up with the rest of the rest of the team made Ianto slightly queasy and by the time they caught up with the rest of the team, he could definitely feel a headache growing behind is eyes.

They elbowed their way through a growing crowd at Roath Lake Park where a large and plainly not terrestrial creature was was thrashing about in the water, Cardiff’s own Loch Ness Monster.

Jack barked orders at the local constabulary to keep the crowd back, which they were already trying to do with some questionable success, as the crowd jostled to get the best angle for cell phone videos.  This one was clearly going to be a hell of a mess to clean up.

Owen took in Ianto’s swollen, blood shot eyes, and red nose, and the purple bruise beginning to show just above his eyebrow with some surpise. “What the hell happened to you?”

Ianto paused to sneeze into his elbow, before answering “Forgot my allergy medication,” just daring Owen to ask for more information.

“Idiot,” Owen muttered, but he let it lie there, possibly because the creature chose that moment to whip out a surprisingly long tentacled arm and grab Owen by the ankle, yanking him firmly on to his back, the better to begin a slow, inexorable drag toward the water. This action on the part of the alien not only saved Ianto from further scrutiny, but also saved him the trouble of having to shoo back the gathering crowd as panicked citizens ran screaming away from the monster. It was a small victory,  because this was seriously going to complicate the clean up operation, Ianto thought, massaging the bridge of his nose as Gwen emptied a clip of bullets into the creature’s tentacled arm (which did nothing to loosen its grip), Tosh was scanning the creature, looking for vulnerabilities while Jack set about snapping together the pieces of a laser cannon, and Owen was screaming at them to hurry as the creature tugged him toward the water voice rising in pitch as he was pulled closer to the lake's surface.

Ianto was obliged to pause long enough to sneeze several more  times, but when Jack’s laser severed the tentacled just as Owen’s foot broke the surface of the lake, he ran forward, grabbed Owen under his arms and heaved his teammate bodily away from the water, and out of the grip of the slackening tentacle, shoes slipping in the mud, until he made it high enough on the bank to gain traction on the grass, and they both tumbled heavily to the ground, scrambled for footing, Ianto supporting the injured Owen as they hobbled with some alacrity away from the lake, away from the creature.

Once they’d covered a suitable distance, they dropped heavily onto the ground, muddy and gasping for breath as Tosh, Gwen and Jack dispatched the sea monster. “Thanks, mate,” Owen panted, lungs still heaving from exertion and adrenaline.

H'Kshiew!  Ianto sneezed. “Don’t mention it,” and sneezed again and rubbed irritably at his nose.

Owen rolled up his pant leg to examine his ankle, bruised and with angry red marks left by the tentacles. He prodded it and tested the motion carefully, and determined that nothing was broken. With Ianto’s help, he stood and gingerly tried putting weight on it. Clearly painful, Owen was satisfied nonetheless. Ianto sneezed again.

"You should consider not forgetting your allergy medication," Owen said, pointedly.

It was dark, chill and raining by the time everything had been sorted, freeing team Torchwood to go home and fall, exhausted, into their beds, with the satisfaction of having saved the world, or at least Owen, from certain destruction again. The rain washed the pollen from the skies, but brought Ianto no relief, and as he shivered and blew his nose, thinking they would do well to get warm and dry before they all caught their death. Still, there was damage to control, even in the rain, and he and Jack were the last to leave.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Jelloicious

[queenie]

29 minutes ago, Jelloicious said:

"You should consider not forgetting your allergy medication," Owen said, pointedly.

This isn’t really something very special and I care for it. I hope Jack takes some good care of Ianto tonight, he is suffering!!

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

1 hour ago, Jelloicious said:

he shivered and blew his nose, thinking they would do well to get warm and dry before they all caught their death

Or not. I mean, I don't want them to die (at least not permanently), but I'd be ok if they caught a few colds.  

(Though, to be fair, there is also something to be said for warm and dry, all cozied up...and still sniffling and sneezing!)

Edited February 9, 2018 by MyOwnPrivateSFC
I had one of those things...a headache with pictures...an idea!

[Seeker]

Ianto...Ianto...

 

@Jelloicious you're crushing this

I have to agree with @MyOwnPrivateSFC...just terrible should they catch a cold 

(Sorry, tried to quote but my phone disagrees with my decisions)

[AngelEyes]

Love this! Fantastic action going on!

11 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Owen took in Ianto’s swollen, blood shot eyes, and red nose, and the purple bruise beginning to show just above his eyebrow with some surpise. “What the hell happened to you?”

Ianto paused to sneeze into his elbow, before answering “Forgot my allergy medication,” just daring Owen to ask for more information.

“Idiot,” Owen muttered,

Lol. I can totally see Owen's reaction! Love that Owen is the one that gets grabbed. Can totally picture it.

 

11 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

It was dark, chill and raining by the time everything had been sorted, freeing team Torchwood to go home and fall, exhausted, into their beds, with the satisfaction of having saved the world, or at least Owen, from certain destruction again. The rain washed the pollen from the skies, but brought Ianto no relief, and as he shivered and blew his nose, thinking they would do well to get warm and dry before they all caught their death. Still, there was damage to control, even in the rain, and he and Jack were the last to leave.

Love this paragraph. It's very vivid. And of course he and Jack are the last one's clearing everything up.

Can't wait to see what happens next! Into needs some cuddles from Jack! Are they going home, or back to the cottage?

Edited February 10, 2018 by AngelEyes

[Jelloicious]

On 2/9/2018 at 2:07 PM, MyOwnPrivateSFC said:

Or not. I mean, I don't want them to die (at least not permanently), but I'd be ok if they caught a few colds.  

(Though, to be fair, there is also something to be said for warm and dry, all cozied up...and still sniffling and sneezing!)

Yeah, that's kind of my favorite sort, too. 

 

On 2/9/2018 at 8:08 PM, ReidSeeker said:

.just terrible should they catch a cold 

 

Just a shame, right?  This started off in the direction of J/I explore sneezing as its own little erotic thing.  Unfortunately for them,  even Owen's Amazing Magic Allergy Mediation is no match for an author who actually prefers H/C anyway.

 

TWTWTWTW

Ianto dozed in the car under jack’s greatcoat as Jack drove them back up to the cottage, soft snores betraying lingering congestion. Jack himself was looking forward to a hot shower, dry clothes and maybe a fire to snuggle by, as he slowly picked his way along the country roads to the cottage, where hopefully they’d get at least a little of the weekend to enjoy, and Jack didn’t care if they didn’t make it out of bed at all. Jack supposed it was the combination of rain, rift and concern for Ianto that had left him feeling sapped for energy, the tickle in his sinuses, sympathy for his young lover.

When Jack turned off the main road and up the gravel driveway, Ianto stirred, blinked and “Sorry, didn’t mean to sleep the whole way out.”

“It’s been a long day. I could almost sleep myself”.

Kshiew!

“Are you okay? We could go back to town if this is going to aggravate your allergies too much.”  Jack's concern was evident.

Ianto shrugged. Sniffed wetly and shivered. “Don’t think it would matter. Honestly, not even sure this is allergies at this point. Let’s just get inside and get warm and dry before we both catch our death,” he said, tugging Jack’s coat more tightly around. Jack could agree with that.

Jack stoked a cheery warm fire while Ianto scrubbed away the mud and filth in the tiny shower, steam seeming to settle his sinuses at last. Then Jack took his turn in the  shower, running through the last of the hot water, while Ianto turned down the bed covers. Ianto climbed in between crisp sheets and under a gloriously heavy quilt to wait for Jack, only to fall asleep almost instantly. Jack dried himself and rubbed at his nose, feeling for all the world that there was a sneeze there somewhere. Unable to coax it out, he slipped under the covers, careful not to wake the sleeping Ianto. He wrapped himself around the younger man and soon joined him in sleep.

****

It was dawn when Ianto woke, it was to the sound of birdsong and a mighty sneeze not his own. He swallowed over a dry throat, unable to breathe properly through his nose.  He was surprised to see Jack bury another sneeze in a tissue. Jack rarely sneezed. Maybe Jack was developing an allergy to the devil plant himself, and wouldn’t that be fun, Ianto thought, as he felt the inexorable tickle building again deep in his sinuses.

“Bless,” he managed, before giving himself over. EsSH! k’SHHH! Eck-SHIEEW! Ugh. These were no allergy sneezes, Ianto thought as he sniffed wetly, and swallowed somewhat painfully, as he drew breath for another mighty sneeze Heh..heh..heh--SHIEWWWWWW!!

Jack offered him a box of tissues, which he gratefully accepted, and blew his nose.

“Do you think you should take more allergy medication?” suggested Jack.

“I think” Ianto began, before pausing to sneeze again, “I think might actually be coming down with a cold,” Ianto admitted with a frown.

“Good.” Jack said, as he climbed back in the bed.

“How is this good?” Ianto sniffed wetly, annoyed. He absolutely hated being ill. Hated to ruin the rest of the weekend.

Jack paused a long moment, sneezed himself and said, “Because I am pretty sure I am too, and now I don’t have to worry about doing this” he leaned in for a long kiss “and getting you sick”.

 

 

Edited February 11, 2018 by Jelloicious

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Aw! Poor boys! All sneezy and sniffly and...sorry, where was I going with this, again?

2 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack paused a long moment, sneezed himself and said, “Because I am pretty sure I am too, and now I don’t have to worry about doing this” he leaned in for a long kiss “and getting you sick”.

Jack! *sigh* Of course that's how you would think of it. Eh, have fun; I doubt Ianto's got any complaints about your plans, anyway!

[Seeker]

Oh babies, snuggle up to feel better my sweet boys 

I am so happy with this post. Can't wait for more! 

[AngelEyes]

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto shrugged. Sniffed wetly and shivered. “Don’t think it would matter. Honestly, not even sure this is allergies at this point. Let’s just get inside and get warm and dry before we both catch our death,” he said, tugging Jack’s coat more tightly around. Jack could agree with that.

 

Awww, poor baby.

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

He wrapped himself around the younger man and soon joined him in sleep.

Awwww!!!!

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

It was dawn when Ianto woke, it was to the sound of birdsong and a mighty sneeze not his own.

What a glorious way to wake up!

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Maybe Jack was developing an allergy to the devil plant himself, and wouldn’t that be fun, Ianto thought, as he felt the inexorable tickle building again deep in his sinuses.

LOL

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack paused a long moment, sneezed himself and said, “Because I am pretty sure I am too, and now I don’t have to worry about doing this” he leaned in for a long kiss “and getting you sick”.

Jack is incorrigible! I love it!

[Jelloicious]

Thanks for the comments, guys!  I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to know that there's other diehard TW fans left.  That, you know, like to torture these boys, too.

More or less have meandered this little venture into a corner, plotwise, so I think I'll end it with this:

 

TWTWTWTWTW

The 21^st century took a day off. No rift alerts, no aliens, Even the weevils stayed calm.

Jack and Ianto spent a lazy day in a country cottage, sniffling, sipping tea, entangled under a pile of blankets, discussing everything and nothing, sometimes dozing, sometimes wearing themselves out in a sort of relaxed easy way they seldom had time for. Ianto hated being ill, but he enjoyed the way Jack took care of him, and the way he could take care of Jack. He found that he could breathe more easily during slow, rhythmic lovemaking. His whole body would turn to goose bumps whenever Jack sneezed. Like everything else Jack did, his sneezes were powerful, sensual, and expressive, with long slow build ups, flaring nostrils giving way to spectacular releases, that only built in intensity and reduced Ianto to a quivering lump of putty, eagerly seeking his own release. It was oddly erotic, he had to admit. (Maybe those people on the internet had a point).

By the time the day was drawing to a close and they were headed back into town, Ianto thought he would never be able to look at another sneeze the same way again—at least not Jack’s anyway. He watched as his captain expertly guided the SUV down winding roads, even as Jack’s nose twitched, first subtly, then less so, then Jack was obliged to take a hand from the wheel, and rub his nose in a losing effort to soothe the growing tickle. The way Jack’s eyelashes fluttered, and a sharp intake of breath announced a powerful sneeze, utterly transported Ianto.

Monday brought with it the usual chaos of Torchwood, but in the quiet moments, there was time for a shared cup of tea, the prospect of visiting the local cafe for a warm bowl of soup (even if lunch remained elusive until well past three), the occasional “bless you” that oddly drove Ianto mad in anticipation for the end of the day. From deep in the archives, Ianto made sure when he sneezed to do so in full view of the closed circuit cameras, and if sometimes, the build up was a bit intense, well, what could he do? He was ill, after all.

Jack was Jack, and Ianto was willing to bet the rest of the team had not even noticed Jack was the least bit under the weather. Ianto knew better, and thought while Jack had certainly done an admirable job of keeping up energetic appearances, he’d be as ready as Ianto was for the day to end, as he watched Jack wince slightly as he stifled a sneeze.

Ianto muffled his own sneeze into a handkerchief. When Gwen clucked maternally at him, and suggested he go home at a decent hour for once and take care of that cold, he smiled graciously, warmly, even, and thanked her for the concern, but waived her off. And when the last alarm from the cogwheel door dropped into silence at the end of the day, leaving him and Jack alone in the hub, Ianto sneezed again, blew his nose and looked up to where Jack was watching him from the gantry.

“Jones, Ianto Jones,” Jack teased, voice low and slightly rough, as he moved toward the steps.

“Sir?” Ianto responded, watching expectantly as Jack descended the stairs, and stepped deliberately into Ianto’s personal space, enveloping the younger man, breath warm on Ianto’s ear. Ianto closed his eyes, and they swayed slightly together, until he felt Jack tense, draw a breath and sneeze harshly over Ianto’s shoulder, sniff deeply, and step back and look Ianto in the eye.

“I think,” Jack began, sniffling again, “that you, Mr. Jones, should be home in bed.”

Ianto cocked an eyebrow at him, “Oh really? And what about you?”

“My job is to make sure my people are taken care of,” Jack said.

“Well, then,” Ianto sniffed, dropping a hand from Jack’s shoulder to entwine their fingers. “I think you might need to come make sure I find my way there.”

 

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

This...this is perfection! Sweet and hot and sweet and hot again. ❤️  ❤️  ❤️  ❤️

Edited February 15, 2018 by MyOwnPrivateSFC

[AngelEyes]

Love this! I love how Jack's "interest" caught on to Ianto. LOL. 

6 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

It was oddly erotic, he had to admit. (Maybe those people on the internet had a point).

Right! LOL

 

6 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

From deep in the archives, Ianto made sure when he sneezed to do so in full view of the closed circuit cameras, and if sometimes, the build up was a bit intense, well, what could he do? He was ill, after all.

Tease!

 

6 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“Well, then,” Ianto sniffed, dropping a hand from Jack’s shoulder to entwine their fingers. “I think you might need to come make sure I find my way there.”

 

Awwww!

6 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am to know that there's other diehard TW fans left.  That, you know, like to torture these boys, too.

Same!!!! Totally makes my world!

[Seeker]

So very lovely ❤️

You did a wonderful job and should you feel the need to play with these boys again I will happily be there to see

[Jelloicious]

Thanks, people!   These boys are fun to play with and I am super happy you guys think so too!  On my stray list of "prompts" I have the following:  1) Jack and Ianto plan their first real date and Ianto catches a cold just in time to throw a wrench in the works.  2) Jack and Ianto plan their first real date and Jack catches a cold just in time to throw a wrench in the works. (Yeah, I know, but it leads off in different directions , it really does).  3) Weevil flu?  Yeah, I don't know.  Open for suggestions?  Of course, the best is sitting back, eating popcorn and reading other people's Torchwood fics.

 

 

[2SHY222]

Perfection personified 😍❤️ I really don't want it to end. It's beautiful 🤩😍

I like the idea of Jack somehow catching a weevil flu, or some type of sneezy illness that only jack could get 😍💙

[AngelEyes]

13 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

(Yeah, I know, but it leads off in different directions , it really does)

I totally get this!

 

13 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

3) Weevil flu?

? I'm intrigued!

 

13 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Of course, the best is sitting back, eating popcorn and reading other people's Torchwood fics.

 

Still working on my Jack fic. Got past the part I was stuck on! But now I'm stuck on a different part. Actually the real problem is trying to concentrate on both that And the Olympics at the same time. I'm getting there though, I swear!