Let's Try This Again (Torchwood)

[AngelEyes]

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Nope...cruel is what I'm about to do to Jack....(ahem)

Oh Joy!!!

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

And then all he could do was sneeze. Violently, repeatedly, desperately.

Oh dear Gods! You weren't kidding!

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Every part of him hurt. He didn’t dare move, lest he start another fit.

Poor, sweet baby! But Oh so Delicious!!!

 

3 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

But the all-consuming exhaustion that blanketed him after everything weighted him down on the couch and pulled him under, even as he told himself he really needed to get moving. 

Oh dear. This can't be good! 

Trust Jack to get in over his head! This was brilliant! I can't even....

[Elyze]

Do plans always backfire on Jack or is that just you messing with him? Either way, spectacular result! Especially how he enjoyed the first couple of sneezes and thinks everything has gone well, and then it comes back and bites him in the ass. Awesome!

[Jelloicious]

1 hour ago, helyzelle said:

Do plans always backfire on Jack or is that just you messing with him?

That's an interesting question, actually.   I am very much messing with him,  (because he is cute when he sneezes) but by the sheer nature of who he is, he really will see so very many things go wrong.  I'd say in general, though, he's quite smart, very capable and more than competent.   

**spoiler warnings (though I'm assuming you really will have gathered the general gist of some of this just based on your participation with these stories).

Jack is a 51st Century human who spent his childhood on a colony planet.  He comes from a time where boundaries of male, female, relationship and all that were very different.  He has been a conman, done many things he's not proud of.  He encountered the Doctor and Rose Tyler while he was trolling about in WWII era, and nearly wiped out the human race.  (oops).   He was killed while with Rose and the Doctor, and Rose, in an effort to save Jack, in some manner channeled the time vortex to make Jack a fixed point in time, which for practical planning purposes, means he can't die.   Well, more accurately, he CAN dies (and does so on a fairly regular basis) but it doesn't stick properly.   During the time we play with him and Ianto (and Gwen, Owen and Toshiko), Jack has spent the better part of the past 100 years hanging around Torchwood and Cardiff, Wales, waiting for the Doctor to show up to recharge his ship on the energy from the Rift that runs through Cardiff.  He has been Torchwood's captive, experiment, torture victim and field agent.  He is now the leader of Torchwood 3, an organization that operated outside the government and beyond the police.  His goal is to reform Torchwood from  a xenophobic and sometimes sadistic organization that views the Doctor as a threat to one that models more like the Doctor himself.   

This "date" happens after Jack catches up with the Doctor, and follows him to the end of the universe.  The time period during which Jack was gone, (in part, in hopes that the doctor could "fix" him (essentially make him mortal again), was difficult for both Jack and for the team.   Jack doesn't get fixed, but he returns to his team, because he loves these people.

Jack spins many wild tales.  He is a mystery to his team of 21st century humans, and they are never quite sure if the things he talks about are real.  He is "omnisexual" and often hints at a past that involves men, women aliens and anything else.   He is exuberantly giving of affection, and sex and fundamentally wired to connect with people and connect deeply.  Because of the nature of who he is, he will  by definition outlive everyone he cares about, and do so repeatedly.   He can also be reckless, because there is no final chapter for him, and so, it's less of plans backfiring, that maybe Jack takes crazier risks than most would.   The relationship with Jack and Ianto is rather fun to play with, because we hit it precisely at a liminal phase where it isn't fully fleshed out and formed (how can it be?  How do you get to know someone whose life extends so far beyond the normal span of a life time?) but the attractions is there and intense and they both bring a great deal of baggage with them.  More than you wanted to know? 

Mostly, what I am doing here,  is playing with Jack as he tries to take his relationship with Ianto  to a more serious level.  He has reasons to desperately want everything to be perfect and I suppose anyone who wants things to work out just perfectly is Doomed to Abysmal Failure.  Especially, you know, if you have to plan and carry out the perfect date as a character in a story on a sneeze fetish site.  Yeah.  Bad things are bound to happen. 

 

[Elyze]

Yeah, I'm not very worried about spoilers so no worries. Turns out the whole stock where I had found season 1 is being moved so I can't get it. I might end up having to order it from Amazon anyway, but it won't be right now. So please keep being my source of alternate Torchwood for as long as you want. I love what I've read so far, and not just here. I just like the interactions and general story too

[Jelloicious]

16 minutes ago, helyzelle said:

 I love what I've read so far, and not just here. I just like the interactions and general story too

Yeah, I'm always up for a Torchwood rec.   Please feel free to share.  Torchwood is available on Amazon prime video.  Think it's even available itunes.   You need video to see the pretty boys.

[AngelEyes]

6 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

**spoiler warnings (though I'm assuming you really will have gathered the general gist of some of this just based on your participation with these stories).

Massively well done explanation!!!! Truly brilliant synopsis!

 

6 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Especially, you know, if you have to plan and carry out the perfect date as a character in a story on a sneeze fetish site.  Yeah.  Bad things are bound to happen. 

This.

[Jelloicious]

Far, far too little of Ianto in this story.  Let's fix that, shall we?

TWTWTWTWTW

Ianto Jones, dressed smartly for a night on the town, stepped through the cogwheel door as the alarm sounded, eyes searching the hub for Jack, uncertain whether to be annoyed or concerned that Jack had not arrived to pick him up on time, and had so far failed to return his calls or texts. He firmly quashed the thought that Jack’s failure to show up or call had anything at all to do with their relationship or plans for a date, or Jack’s desires for either of those things. Jack, he told himself, was much more direct than that. He was less able to silence the voice that in his head that suggested that Jack might be in trouble, or the one that suggested that Jack might have run off with the Doctor again. He had considered calling the team for backup, but in the end couldn’t work out a way to do call them that wouldn’t sound pathetic. (Jack stood me up. I’m worried. Just...Gods, no.) He determined that the most sensible course would be to look for Jack in the hub, and if he could not be located at the hub, he would scan for Jack’s wrist strap and consider calling the team in then. Surely, Jack would not again run off with the Doctor without leaving some kind of message, he thought. He hoped.

All the musings were for naught, though, as Ianto soon discovered Jack’s slumbering form on the natty couch actually snoring (Jack never snored), and strangely untroubled by the cogwheel door siren. At first he was alarmed, thinking that Jack had been injured or attacked, but the picture clicked in to focus when he got close enough to see Jack properly, face flushed, nose an abused shade of red, and several crumpled tissues in hand, with more littering the floor around him, and then it all made sense.

Ianto pulled off his coat, picked up a rubbish bin and threw away the scattered wadded up used tissues, then sat down on the edge of the couch, and laid a hand on Jack’s face, warm even for Jack, and ran his fingers through Jack’s touseled and sweat-dampened hair. “Hey, there…..”he said, softly, and when Jack didn’t stir, he leaned in and kissed him gently.

Jack awoke with a start, disoriented for a moment, before his eyes settled on his young lover. “Ianto!” His voice was a croak, and Ianto winced in sympathy. Jack swallowed and tried again, this time with more success. “What time is it? Are we late?.” Jack pushed himself upright and pressed he heal of his hand to his evidently throbbing forehead, before checking his wrist strap, alarmed suddenly at the time. “We’ve got to get moving! We’ve...got….. eiashuuu! DAMMIT! Hahhh-AkShhhhhh!! K’hhhhhschhh!” Jack sneezed wetly.

Ianto loosened his tie and settled in next to Jack. “You’re not going anywhere, in this state. Well, no where, except home with me and to bed, I think”.

Jack started to protest, but the sneezes weren’t done with him yet. hahhh-AShuhhhh! Hahh… Hahhh-ACHShuhhhh!! HaaCHShhhhhhhoooo!!

Ianto waited for Jack to finish, then said, “You sound perfectly miserable. Why didn’t you just tell me you were ill?”

Jack sagged back against the couch and sniffed. “I was hoping this would just go way. I dever get sick. Why today of ALL days?” Jack sighed, heavily. “I really didn’t want to screw this up. I wanted to do this right. Wanted to take you out, wanted it ..to be….ey’shoo special.” Jack coughed, slightly. “I was hopig you woudit dotice I was ill”.

Ianto cocked an eyebrow at this and wondered for half a moment if Jack thought he was a complete idiot, but quickly dismissed this as sheer bravado on Jack’s part, as the other man’s face slackened with resignation, eyes closed and he sneezed again, summoning the energy to bring a sadly overwhelmed tissue to his nose only as an afterthought, far too late to actually capture his sneeze. Ianto felt something tug deep within him, an odd affection for this man, normally so handsome and dashing and in control, now, clearly very much at the mercy of a wretched head cold. Jack’s nose and eyes were reddened, his mouth was open slightly, betraying his inability to breath properly through his nose and his face was flushed. Ianto thought he looked rather adorably miserable.

Ianto took Jack’s hand firmly in his own. “Jack. The only thing I need for an evening to be special is you. I don’t need a fancy restaurant, or a play, or the fancy suite at a posh hotel. I Just need you. Just us. If that’s at home on the sofa, snuggled up and watching the telly over take out and a head cold, that’s special enough for me.”

Jack sniffed, and felt his resistance crumbling, but then pulled his hand back just in time to sneeze messily into it. Ianto fished a handkerchief from a pocket and handed it to Jack, who accepted it gratefully, and sneezed again, managing to at least partly contain this one.

“I really do’t thidk you wadt me sduggled up dext to you, with this awful head cold,” Jack sniffed. He could feel the sneezes building.

“Who else do you have to snuggle up with?”

Jack just blinked.

Ianto ran a thumb under Jack’s watering eye. “Besides, you do look like you could do with a bit of snuggling.”

Jack felt himself leaning into Ianto just a bit, but pulled back and turned just in time to sneeze again into the handkerchief. Hehchmmf! ‘Haa-Chmmmf! Hechoooo!

“Bless. Shall we?”

Jack blew his nose, cautiously, as if the wrong move could set off another avalanche sneezing, but didn’t move from the couch “I don’t want you to catch this cold.”

Ianto nodded, very seriously, “Because there’s no chance at all that I’ve already been exposed, you think? Sitting here, as you sneeze on me?”

Jack blushed furiously. “’m sorry…, I”

“Jack, what I am trying to say is it’s okay. It’s okay...I don’t care, even if I do end up catching your cold. I do want you to come home with me, because you are ill and miserable, and I can make you feel maybe a little bit less so. You shouldn’t assume you have to suffer alone. Besides, you know I do make rather good tea.”

Jack closed his eyes, swallowed, and tried not to give in entirely. It just sounded so very nice, and, well, it’d just been such a very long time, since he’d had something like this—had someone like this. The ache that he felt just thinking about it really had nothing at all to do with being ill. He felt, though, that he was being selfish, taking Ianto’s offer for comfort would almost certainly cost Ianto the price of his own dreadful cold. (The cost of being in a relationship with Jack Harkness would probably ultimately cost Ianto so very much more).

Jack opened his eyes again when he felt Ianto’s lips on his ear, and felt himself responding, surprisingly with energy he didn’t know he had, when the younger man whispered the scandalous details of rest of his plans for the evening at home, and Jack had nothing left to resist with. “Okay.” sniff. “Alright then, but you have to probise me one thing.”

“Anything you want.”

Jack paused to sneeze again. “When this is over? This cold? You’re letting me take you out, properly.”

“Of course. In return, you have to promise me something.

“Adythindg”

“When I catch your cold, you’re taking over shoveling out the weevil cells.”

In spite of himself, Jack laughed, then coughed.

“Laugh if you want, but they can sense weakness. I don’t fancy having my throat ripped out if I sneeze at the wrong time.”

“Fair enough.”

“Now, shall we get going?

Edited March 26, 2018 by Jelloicious
formatting

[MyOwnPrivateSFC]

Aw! I love this! Ianto's such a beautiful mix of sweetly caring and taking charge. ❤️

[Selene]

So I missed commenting on the previous section before you posted the latest part, but well, I might have gone a little out of order after that sneeze episode, so, please take this as a summary of my emotions towards that part Just.. super hot

Ahem... sorry for that

Now, on to the latest installment, which has so much beautiful, beautiful Ianto Jones

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

or the one that suggested that Jack might have run off with the Doctor again

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack would not again run off with the Doctor without leaving some kind of message, he thought. He hoped.

Awww.. Iantoo..... My heart went out to him! I really liked how you weaved that bit into the story, since Jack's absence was quite a break and must have had some repercussions. Especially since Jack sometimes comes off like this flighty type of person, who is flirty and all, but who can also give the impression of being somehow afraid of really committing to a person or a situation for a longer period of time (Jack Harkness, eternal adventure seeker...).

 

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

He felt, though, that he was being selfish, taking Ianto’s offer for comfort would almost certainly cost Ianto the price of his own dreadful cold. (The cost of being in a relationship with Jack Harkness would probably ultimately cost Ianto so very much more).

There I went from a fuzzy ball of happy, light-hearted fluff feelings into angst mode in under a second I loved it, but ooh, you are the master of sinister allusions.

 

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“Of course. In return, you have to promise me something.

“Adythindg”

“When I catch your cold, you’re taking over shoveling out the weevil cells.”

In spite of himself, Jack laughed, then coughed.

I laughed as well The thought of Jack shoveling away while Ianto is on the sofa, tucked in a blanket, sneezing away

 

These were great additions to the story and I am glad that Jack was able to give up and allow himself to be weak around Ianto. And Ianto was so sweet and caring and you've certainly nailed the calm and collected, yet caring Ianto voice

And I loved this part:

8 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

summoning the energy to bring a sadly overwhelmed tissue to his nose only as an afterthought, far too late to actually capture his sneeze.

"Only as an afterthought" That part was Torchwood sneezefic poetry

[Seeker]

10 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Jack closed his eyes, swallowed, and tried not to give in entirely. It just sounded so very nice, and, well, it’d just been such a very long time, since he’d had something like this—had someone like this. The ache that he felt just thinking about it really had nothing at all to do with being ill. He felt, though, that he was being selfish, taking Ianto’s offer for comfort would almost certainly cost Ianto the price of his own dreadful cold. (The cost of being in a relationship with Jack Harkness would probably ultimately cost Ianto so very much more).

 oh, what, this heart? No, I didn't need it at all 

 

[AngelEyes]

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

He had considered calling the team for backup, but in the end couldn’t work out a way to do call them that wouldn’t sound pathetic. (Jack stood me up. I’m worried. Just...Gods, no.)

Um, yeah!

 

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto pulled off his coat, picked up a rubbish bin and threw away the scattered wadded up used tissues, then sat down on the edge of the couch, and laid a hand on Jack’s face, warm even for Jack, and ran his fingers through Jack’s touseled and sweat-dampened hair.

*Melts into a puddle*

 

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto felt something tug deep within him, an odd affection for this man, normally so handsome and dashing and in control, now, clearly very much at the mercy of a wretched head cold.

Awwwww

 

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto thought he looked rather adorably miserable.

Definitely adorable.

 

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Ianto nodded, very seriously, “Because there’s no chance at all that I’ve already been exposed, you think? Sitting here, as you sneeze on me?”

Jack blushed furiously. “’m sorry…, I”

LOL

 

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

Besides, you know I do make rather good tea.”

Right!

 

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

The cost of being in a relationship with Jack Harkness would probably ultimately cost Ianto so very much more).

Heartbreaking!

 

15 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

“When I catch your cold, you’re taking over shoveling out the weevil cells.”

In spite of himself, Jack laughed, then coughed.

“Laugh if you want, but they can sense weakness. I don’t fancy having my throat ripped out if I sneeze at the wrong time.”

LOL! Oh Ianto!

[BookQ36]

This was amazing! I just...yeah, that. I eagerly await the next installment of this story!!! Also, yeah, you've done good, with this story. So many possibilities, and I trust that you will come up with something wonderful.

[Jelloicious]

22 hours ago, MyOwnPrivateSFC said:

Aw! I love this! Ianto's such a beautiful mix of sweetly caring and taking charge. ❤️

Someone needs to take charge of Jack now and then.  Ianto's the perfect candidate....

14 hours ago, Selene said:

There I went from a fuzzy ball of happy, light-hearted fluff feelings into angst mode in under a second  

That is just part of Jack's story--he is so fundamentally wired to connect to people, but it's all doomed to end in tears.  I am sure it doesn't help that he works for Torchwood, instead of something warm and fuzzy.   Hang around Jack Harkness?  It's fun, but Torchwood Agents die young, or they die weird or both.   Doesn't actually help that Ianto knows this.

14 hours ago, Selene said:

"Only as an afterthought" That part was Torchwood sneezefic poetry

Thank you!

@AngelEyesthe hair thing was for you!

3 hours ago, BookQ36 said:

 So many possibilities, and I trust that you will come up with something wonderful.

Thanks!!  You know, I don't actually have anything else written after this, though it seems there should be more, yeah? Only so many times we can revisit going home to Ianto's flat where there's tea and snuggles and interesting ways for Ianto to catch Jack's cold.  Need something...different...there.   (Even if we end up in the same place, every time).

 

[Seeker]

Oh! I forgot to mention the stuffy talk! I love your spelling for stuffy speaking! 

[AngelEyes]

6 hours ago, Jelloicious said:

the hair thing was for you!

I adore you!