As Soon Go Kindle Fire With Snow
Jan. 12th, 2011 09:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sariagrayTitle: As Soon Go Kindle Fire With Snow
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sariagray
Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Word Count: 872
Rating: PG13
Warning: Bloody. Not-quite angst. Unbeta'd.
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood. I do not make money off of Torchwood. In fact, it seems as though Torchwood owns and makes money off of ME. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Note: SO. I'm quite literally snowed in. Can barely open the door. I have no idea where this story came from or how I feel about it. But here, take it. I wash my hands clean of it. The title is from a quote from Two Gentlemen of Verona. The full quote: "As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words."
Around Jack’s lifeless body, the blood is dark and thick as syrup. As it spreads out, a gradual procession, it lightens until it looks more like a frozen treat than spilled life force. It seeps into the powdery snow, staining it a grotesque pink that forms a sick halo.
It’s a strange scene, and rather cinematic. The muted colors of white and black grey the blue of Jack’s greatcoat; it seems to match the sky. The splash of red blood is shocking, like a little girl’s coat in monochromatic winter streets.
The Weevil had been shot by Jack before he had taken his last-but-not-really breath and his hand still clutches the gun. There is blood beneath the Weevil, too, but not nearly so much; the wound was relatively small, the death clean. It is still snowing hard enough that the area looks to be shrouded in fog and the flakes collect in piles on Jack’s face, dusting his brow and lips.
The merry, gentle chitter-chirrup of a songbird echoes in the silence.
Ianto kneels beside him, heedless of the wet cold that soaks through his trousers. With care, he removes the Webley in much the same way one would gently coax a rattle from the clenched fist of a baby, almost as if he doesn’t want to wake Jack. He regards the pistol carefully, checks the safety, and places it in Jack’s holster. The action rearranges the collecting snow and he gently brushes it all away with a gloved hand.
There is a good deal of blood mixed in with the snow where he rests, but he doesn’t allow himself to think of that. With a tenderness that he would never show in the bright analytical light of Life, he sweeps the white drifts off of the still face and leans over, pressing his lips softly against Jack’s. They’re cold and hard and unyielding beneath his; it’s not that he expected anything else, but a shudder travels through him and tries to turn itself into a sob.
He pulls back, slow with the chill that permeates his bones, and watches the inert form. The pallor amidst the swirling snow is bold and terrifying; an archetypical fallen hero, a tragic prince trapped in ice. Ianto shifts his own body and arranges Jack so that the heavy head rests in his lap. He smoothes the hair almost mindlessly, the other hand clutching Jack’s upper arm, as he contemplates images and metaphors – anything to soften the blow.
It isn’t new to him, this dying-and-reviving business, but it still aches more than the thought of his own death. He is reconciled with his demise, has been since he signed up with Torchwood One, but he doesn’t ever fully believe that Jack will come back. One day, Death or the Doctor will claim Jack for good. All he can think, pray, is “Not now. Not now. Not now.”
Ianto’s grip tightens and his stroking hand stills as he feels Jack grow warmer, lighter, in his hold. Then again, it could be the numbing cold that causes the sensation. There is a sharp intake of breath and he looks down just in time to see Jack’s wild blue eyes darting, scouting the area. The revived man finally glances up into Ianto’s face and his eyes open wide in query.
“Shhh,” Ianto soothes, burying his desire to weep or shout with joy. “It’s safe now. You’re safe. I’m here.”
Jack’s eyelids flutter closed for a moment as his eyes reset themselves from panic to poise. They open again and a smile finds its way to his lips. Ianto is grateful for that small gesture, relief prying the fingers of anxiety from his heart.
“Hey. I died,” Jack observes conversationally, his voice raw with cold and death.
“That you did,” Ianto agrees, his mask as firmly in place now as it has ever been. “Weevil claws to the back. That coat needs mending again. You all right now?”
“Yeah.” Jack struggles to sit up and Ianto can see healed skin through the shredded wool. “Yeah. You?”
“Bit cold.”
“It’s still snowing. How long have I been dead?”
“Little less than an hour,” Ianto answers, though he had been counting the minutes and knows the exact time.
Jack frowns at him, stands, and grabs Ianto’s hand to tug him up. For once, Ianto doesn’t protest the assistance. Pulling him close, Jack wraps his arms around the chilled form and ghosts his warming lips over a temple.
“You’re frozen. You should’ve gone back to the SUV.”
“And leave you here for the ravens to scavenge?”
Chuckling, he clutches Ianto tighter. “All right, we’ve got a Weevil to take care of. Where’s my gun?”
Jack pulls away and, holding his lover at arm’s length, glances around the whitened landscape for his revolver. Ianto smiles indulgently at him and nods toward his hip. Jack checks and beams up at him.
“Ianto Jones, what would I do without you?”
“Somehow, I think you’d survive. The sooner we finish with the Weevil, the sooner we can get back and warm up.”
Jack doesn’t answer and Ianto refuses to interpret the expression on the man’s face. Silently, save occasional grunts and the panted breath of effort, they work.
The End
Author:
sariagray Characters/Pairings: Jack/Ianto
Word Count: 872
Rating: PG13
Warning: Bloody. Not-quite angst. Unbeta'd.
Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood. I do not make money off of Torchwood. In fact, it seems as though Torchwood owns and makes money off of ME. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Author’s Note: SO. I'm quite literally snowed in. Can barely open the door. I have no idea where this story came from or how I feel about it. But here, take it. I wash my hands clean of it. The title is from a quote from Two Gentlemen of Verona. The full quote: "As soon go kindle fire with snow, as seek to quench the fire of love with words."
As Soon Go Kindle Fire With Snow
Around Jack’s lifeless body, the blood is dark and thick as syrup. As it spreads out, a gradual procession, it lightens until it looks more like a frozen treat than spilled life force. It seeps into the powdery snow, staining it a grotesque pink that forms a sick halo.
It’s a strange scene, and rather cinematic. The muted colors of white and black grey the blue of Jack’s greatcoat; it seems to match the sky. The splash of red blood is shocking, like a little girl’s coat in monochromatic winter streets.
The Weevil had been shot by Jack before he had taken his last-but-not-really breath and his hand still clutches the gun. There is blood beneath the Weevil, too, but not nearly so much; the wound was relatively small, the death clean. It is still snowing hard enough that the area looks to be shrouded in fog and the flakes collect in piles on Jack’s face, dusting his brow and lips.
The merry, gentle chitter-chirrup of a songbird echoes in the silence.
Ianto kneels beside him, heedless of the wet cold that soaks through his trousers. With care, he removes the Webley in much the same way one would gently coax a rattle from the clenched fist of a baby, almost as if he doesn’t want to wake Jack. He regards the pistol carefully, checks the safety, and places it in Jack’s holster. The action rearranges the collecting snow and he gently brushes it all away with a gloved hand.
There is a good deal of blood mixed in with the snow where he rests, but he doesn’t allow himself to think of that. With a tenderness that he would never show in the bright analytical light of Life, he sweeps the white drifts off of the still face and leans over, pressing his lips softly against Jack’s. They’re cold and hard and unyielding beneath his; it’s not that he expected anything else, but a shudder travels through him and tries to turn itself into a sob.
He pulls back, slow with the chill that permeates his bones, and watches the inert form. The pallor amidst the swirling snow is bold and terrifying; an archetypical fallen hero, a tragic prince trapped in ice. Ianto shifts his own body and arranges Jack so that the heavy head rests in his lap. He smoothes the hair almost mindlessly, the other hand clutching Jack’s upper arm, as he contemplates images and metaphors – anything to soften the blow.
It isn’t new to him, this dying-and-reviving business, but it still aches more than the thought of his own death. He is reconciled with his demise, has been since he signed up with Torchwood One, but he doesn’t ever fully believe that Jack will come back. One day, Death or the Doctor will claim Jack for good. All he can think, pray, is “Not now. Not now. Not now.”
Ianto’s grip tightens and his stroking hand stills as he feels Jack grow warmer, lighter, in his hold. Then again, it could be the numbing cold that causes the sensation. There is a sharp intake of breath and he looks down just in time to see Jack’s wild blue eyes darting, scouting the area. The revived man finally glances up into Ianto’s face and his eyes open wide in query.
“Shhh,” Ianto soothes, burying his desire to weep or shout with joy. “It’s safe now. You’re safe. I’m here.”
Jack’s eyelids flutter closed for a moment as his eyes reset themselves from panic to poise. They open again and a smile finds its way to his lips. Ianto is grateful for that small gesture, relief prying the fingers of anxiety from his heart.
“Hey. I died,” Jack observes conversationally, his voice raw with cold and death.
“That you did,” Ianto agrees, his mask as firmly in place now as it has ever been. “Weevil claws to the back. That coat needs mending again. You all right now?”
“Yeah.” Jack struggles to sit up and Ianto can see healed skin through the shredded wool. “Yeah. You?”
“Bit cold.”
“It’s still snowing. How long have I been dead?”
“Little less than an hour,” Ianto answers, though he had been counting the minutes and knows the exact time.
Jack frowns at him, stands, and grabs Ianto’s hand to tug him up. For once, Ianto doesn’t protest the assistance. Pulling him close, Jack wraps his arms around the chilled form and ghosts his warming lips over a temple.
“You’re frozen. You should’ve gone back to the SUV.”
“And leave you here for the ravens to scavenge?”
Chuckling, he clutches Ianto tighter. “All right, we’ve got a Weevil to take care of. Where’s my gun?”
Jack pulls away and, holding his lover at arm’s length, glances around the whitened landscape for his revolver. Ianto smiles indulgently at him and nods toward his hip. Jack checks and beams up at him.
“Ianto Jones, what would I do without you?”
“Somehow, I think you’d survive. The sooner we finish with the Weevil, the sooner we can get back and warm up.”
Jack doesn’t answer and Ianto refuses to interpret the expression on the man’s face. Silently, save occasional grunts and the panted breath of effort, they work.
The End
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 02:54 pm (UTC)I've been watching the weather - you might be stuck for a while. It's really gonna come down up there!
All we gots is rain, rain and just for a little variety, more rain. But at least we aren't flooding like Queensland. It looks like a bloody swamp up there.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:44 am (UTC)I'm glad you're okay. I only just really found out about it today. *Hugs*
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 01:04 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 02:21 am (UTC)I don't even know what I'd do in a situation like that. Makes a foot of snow seem a ridiculous thing to complain about. My heart goes out to the families. Do you know anyone there?
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 02:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 06:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 02:58 pm (UTC)XOXOXO IJS#22
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 03:03 pm (UTC)XOXOXO IJS#22
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 03:05 pm (UTC)XOXOXO
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 04:21 pm (UTC)Thanks for sharing and hope you get "rescued" soon.
**sending you warm hugs**
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 04:53 pm (UTC)oops! Forgot to say hope the snow eases off so you can at least open the door...but while you can't you may as well keep those fingers warm by running them over the laptop keyboard! *cheeky smile* Brilliant story x
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 06:12 pm (UTC)...And I do hope the snow stops at some point so that you're not totally stranded! (In the meantime though, writing seems to be a good way to pass the time. ♥)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:48 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 07:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-12 09:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 12:50 am (UTC)oh yes
Date: 2011-01-13 12:02 am (UTC)Re: oh yes
Date: 2011-01-13 12:51 am (UTC)Please ignore my New England cynicism. I actually secretly love snow. But shhh, don't tell anyone.
Re: oh yes
Date: 2011-01-13 01:10 am (UTC)Now, the 20-ft icicle that hung above the front door could have put a crimp in my day!
Re: oh yes
Date: 2011-01-13 02:09 am (UTC)I just spent an hour shoveling/cleaning my car and then 30 minutes lying in the snow listening to music and watching the moon. It was the most comfortable snow!bed ever. After all that time in the snow, my house feels like an INFERNO.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 06:07 am (UTC)Even though Jack always comes back I always thought it must've been hard for Ianto whenever he died. I thought you wrote his thoughts and feelings wonderfully. Well done! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 11:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 04:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 08:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 11:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 08:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-13 11:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-14 01:51 am (UTC)Snowed in - that's not good! Hope the snow doesn't stick around for long.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 07:35 pm (UTC)Snow is still all on the ground but streets and walkways are cleared! Hurray! :)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-14 12:07 pm (UTC)I'm sorry you're snowed in. It's mid summer here and it's finally stopped raining and started to get hot. Not praying for snow yet, but probably will be soon. And snow=fic from you so I've got no problems with that.
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 07:36 pm (UTC)And thank you!
As for snow, well...as soon as you want some, I'll send it your way! ;-)
no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 07:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-01-16 07:38 pm (UTC)