knitchick1979 | Fanfic: "Through the Long and Winding Tunnel"

Title: "Through the Long and Winding Tunnel"

Author: Knitchick1979

Characters: Ianto, Owen, Jack, Tosh

Rating: PG

Summary: Ianto has some unexpected reactions to a run in with an alien.

Notes: Written for the Lust challenge at

tw_lucky_7.

"Twenty yards to your left, and be careful, I'm seeing some strange readings on my screen."

Ianto paused to tap his earpiece and check his weapon. "Thanks Tosh, I will be careful." He felt his jacket pocket to make sure the special handcuffs were still in there and then began carefully heading down the hallway. He hadn't heard a peep from Jack over the comms since they entered the deserted office building but he wasn't worried too much. It wasn't like the aliens could kill Jack, at least not permanently.

"Five metres, something in its metabolism is spiking," Tosh chimed in over the comms. "You're on your own, I've lost Jack on my screens and Owen and Gwen are still incommunicado."

"Lovely," Ianto muttered. He paused at a doorway and then quickly stepped inside, weapon at the ready.

~~

"Ianto? Ianto! Ianto, wake up!"

Ianto opened his eyes to see Jack leaning over him, looking a bit worse for wear. He could hear Tosh's voice in the distance, tinny and quiet.

"Wha--? What happened?" Ianto asked.

"Tosh said you were attacked. I was on the other side of the building dealing with the other alien. This one seems like it exploded all over you," Jack said. He leaned down and kissed Ianto's forehead. "Are you all right?"

"I think so," Ianto said. "I feel... tired, that's all."

Jack took Ianto's hands and helped him stand, brushing off the powdery remains of alien. "One exploded, one dead in the boot, not quite what I was hoping for but not bad for a day's work."

Ianto regarded Jack with a raised eyebrow. "The other alien is dead?" he asked.

Jack nodded, leading Ianto toward the exit. "Owen will be happy, he's been looking for something new to dissect!"

Ianto groaned, climbing into the passenger seat of the Torchwood SUV. He rubbed his temples, feeling a migraine coming on.

Jack started the car and peeled away from the building, forcing Ianto to grab the door handle. "Must you drive this quickly?" Ianto snapped.

Jack shot a look at him. "Are you okay, Ianto? You've never complained about my driving before."

"I've never had a migraine while riding with you before," Ianto groaned.

"Well, we're here," Jack said. He pulled into the secret Torchwood garage and wrenched the vehicle into park. "Do you need anything?"

Ianto was already climbing out of the SUV. "No, medicine for headaches is Owen's department."

"My bed is made, if you need to rest," Jack shouted after him as he went to retrieve the alien body from the boot.

~~~

Ianto woke slowly, momentarily disoriented as he looked around the room. Then the events of earlier came flooding back. He reached over and clicked on the bedside lamp, squinting as the brightness assailed his senses. He stretched and was pleasantly surprised to realize he felt much better.

Climbing up the ladder into Jack's office, he quietly slipped past the sleeping Captain who was passed out in his desk chair. He walked down to the main level of the Hub, heading for the coffee nook. He nearly jumped when a loud snore ripped through the quiet of the Hub, and he spotted Owen's sleeping form on the couch. Ianto ignored the sleeping doctor and continued on his original path, suddenly craving coffee very strongly.

Ianto tapped his foot while he waited for the coffee to brew. He inhaled the sweet scent of his private blend, the one he only made for himself. He didn't dare serve any to the rest of the team; only Jack would truly appreciate the subtleties of the blend, and then he would be demanding it all the time. No, Ianto had his private storehouse of different coffee blends and this one was his and his alone.

"Can't a guy sleep without the smell of coffee?"

Ianto nearly dropped his mug, startled by Owen's sudden appearance in the doorway. "Never woken you up before," Ianto said. "You look awful."

"That alien you and Jack brought in exploded all over me. I passed out with a migraine, like what you were describing earlier," Owen replied, sitting at the small table. "That doesn't smell like your usual coffee."

Ianto shook his head. "My private blend."

Owen snorted. "You mean the stuff you feed Jack when you want to get him horny."

"Actually, Jack has never had this blend. He doesn't even know about it, and I would like to keep it that way." Ianto sat down across from Owen and continued to slowly savor his mug.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, then Owen stood up and walked over to the coffee machine. "Mind if I try some? Thanks." He poured a mug for himself without waiting for a response and sat back down.

Ianto just stared in utter shock as Owen slurped the mug of his King Ianto blend. "Owen, what has gotten into you? You hardly ever drink coffee!"

Owen stopped, and stared into his empty mug. "I don't know," he said quietly.

Ianto drained his mug and walked over to the sink to rinse it. A moment later and Owen was reaching around him to place his mug in the sink as well. "I think I am beginning to see what Jack sees in you," Owen whispered in his ear.

Ianto stifled his initial disgusted reaction, not wanting to hurt Owen's feelings. Disgust turned to passion when Owen started kissing him. Ianto found himself welcoming the passionate kisses as he turned to face Owen. The kisses became more and more heated as Ianto backed Owen up to the table and then knocked him down on it, feeling his passion boiling over as he ripped Owen's shirt open. Owen returning the favor was the last thing Ianto remembered before blacking out.

~~~

Ianto woke as if from an extreme hangover - a sensation he hadn't felt in years, since he first returned to Cardiff and Torchwood in fact. He could hear the excited tones of Toshiko's voice coming from Jack's office and wondered what Rift alarm he had slept through in his drunken stupor.

Opening one eye, Ianto tried to determine where he had passed out this time. He was surprised to find himself in the coffee nook, laying on top of someone. But, if Toshiko was talking to Jack in his office, who was he on top of?

"Hey, teaboy, mind moving?" came Owen's gruff voice from beneath him.

Ianto jumped up. Owen groggily stood up from the table where they had been lying. Owen stared at Ianto, what remained of his clothes in tatters. Ianto looked down to see that he was similarly attired.

"Owen, what are we doing in here?" Ianto asked, trying to break through the hangover fog in his brain and remember the events of the night before.

"I'm not sure. I can't remember a thing."

"I think I can explain," Tosh said, stepping into the room, Jack behind her. Her eyes grew wide as she took in the two men's utter lack of clothing. "Perhaps I should wait until you get dressed," she added quickly and scurried out of the room. Jack just stood in the doorway and leered.

~~

"Sex pheremones?" Ianto repeated. "We both were doused with sex pheremones?"

"One alien seems to have been the female of their species, the other the male. I believe that is how they reproduce, by dousing a host with their pheremones and DNA and allowing the two hosts to take care of the business of consummation," Tosh explained.

Owen's jaw hung to the floor. "Wait, does that mean what I think it means?"

"In a few weeks, I think, one of you will be a daddy," Jack said. "Not sure which one, but we'll find out soon enough!"

Ianto rolled his eyes and moaned, "Bloody Torchwood."

FIN

ETA: There is now a sequel to this! "You Are What You Eat" follows up on the consequences of that little romp ;)