kollo_rpg | Summer 7 - action; closed to Jack and Ianto

[It hasn't been quite so weird for Jack, having already got settled into his room in Moose Cabin, but it does feel a little odd to know that Ianto and Spike are here and that's a thought that's kept returning to him through the night, wondering how that's actually going to work out. If they'll all be able to get along, if Spike will welcome him back - hell, even if Ianto will once the first flush of excitement at seeing him again has faded.

It really has been a long time, far longer than he ever intended it to be.

It's almost inevitable, really that after breakfast he heads right on over to Ianto's cabin. They still have a lot of catching up to do.

What he isn't counting on his way there is seeing Spike wandering in the same direction, and he checks for half a second, tempted to put this off till later. Except... he's missed Spike too. They're not in love, and they don't always get along with each other, but there's a definitely lurch of emotion at seeing him again.

He takes a breath and continues towards him, smiling wryly and rather ironically coming out with the same greeting he gave Ianto.]

Fancy seeing you here.

[ He tenses when he hears Jack's voice, as much as he tries to play it off. It's been awhile and although Spike knew he was around, it's a whole different thing to come face to face with everything that is Jack Harkness in person. He's no less a vampire, no less sensitive to the overwhelming surge of life that surrounds the other man. Everything gets more complicated around him, has always been more complicated ever since day one and Spike isn't really looking forward to this breather going the same way.

Still, there's nothing he can do about it. He's not leaving and he sure as hell isn't going to try and convince Jack to. When it comes down to it he likes him just fine, there'll always be a part of him that misses that complication when he's not around, as nice as it has been to play house around the world. Ianto and he are good together, but the three of them are exciting in ways domestic bliss can never be.

It only takes a moment for him to shake the tension, falling into something more nonchalant and comfortable. ]

Jack Harkness. [ He practically purrs, dropping the burnt out cigarette to the ground and grinding it out with his boot. ] I heard rumours you were around. Surprised they let you off the boat, quite frankly.

[Exciting, yes, that's a good word to describe how things are when they're together - along with complicated, of course, and occasionally tense. (Sometimes in good ways, sometimes not so much.) Spike and Ianto are in love and happy to be domestic. Jack and Ianto are in love and really not very domestic at all, especially now they're not stuck together in a virtual underwater prison. Jack and Spike are not in love, but their relationship with one another is in some ways just as strong a side to this triangle.

It's just a hell of a lot more complicated and harder to define.

Well. In some ways not at all hard to define, if the way his cock twitches and his stomach twists a bit when Spike purrs his name in that low, dark tone.]

Still as complimentary as ever, I see! Good to see some things never change.

[He laughs, coming forward to pull Spike in and plant a smacker of a kiss on his mouth, because they both have their own way of teasing, after all, and this is his. He lets him go again quickly enough that Spike won't deck him for it (hopefully) and grins.] How've you been? I've kinda missed you!

[ Hey, there's one thing he'll never get sick of. The reaction, that is, that obvious moment of arousal - the kiss that follows is expected and he meets it like he'd meet a punch to the face - giving as good as he gets. ]

You should visit a bit more often. [ He raises a brow, pointedly. More and more time has passed between his somewhat regular entrances in their life, so much so that even Spike has to admit that it's been too long. ] And I can't complain. Death is good. Although... we are starting to come up on that time.

[ He figures Ianto already told Jack why they're here, or Jack pieced it together himself by now. ]

[The kiss might have been given in a playfully challenging way, but the way Spike meets it and pushes right on back turns it into something a lot more powerful, and also tells him a fair amount about how Spike feels about him right now, which is nicely reassuring.]

Yeah, I know. I kinda got... distracted. [A flash of a grin to try and imply that the distraction was still of the good kind it started out as, although, as perceptive as Spike is, he knows he won't be completely fooled by that.

Moving swiftly on...] And yeah, Ianto mentioned that. I'd kinda lost track of time in that respect. I mean, I knew it had been almost five years, I just hadn't twigged what that meant.

[And he's still nowhere near as convinced about the vampire thing as Ianto is.]

[ Like he would ever shy away like a wilting flower around Jack. Their whole relationship is built around escalation of both the erotic and violent (and sometimes both) variety. Not kissing back with force and passion would've meant defeat. We can't have that.

He rolls his eyes at the distraction comment, allowing it to slide as something lewd though he of course doubts that's all there is to it. Jack's here after all. People don't come here unless they really need a break. ]

Well, time's up. He's decided, anyway. [ Spike isn't convinced this is a good idea either, probably even less than Jack. There's something else, too. Something he hasn't talked to Ianto about. ]

[Oh yeah. Really didn't expect a wilting flower reaction! Like, ever.

He's grateful that however much Spike pushes the kiss, he doesn't push for revelations, at least not yet. Let them get reacquainted first; then they can deal with the big stuff.

Like how, when or if to immortalise Ianto.] Yeah, he seems pretty set on it. I have to admit, I'm not really very sure what to do with that. [A quirk of a grin.] And by the fact that you're here, I'm guessing you're not either?

[ Probably a good thing Jack won't ever get to see what he was like pre-vampire then, huh. Wilting flower would've been a much bigger possibility back then. ]

Can't blame him. It has its perks. [ But also... he fakes a sigh. ] There's no telling how he'll take to it, even if we figure out a way to handle the soul business.

[Eh, that was then; this is now! Even with soul, he's really not William any more!

Jack gives Spike a sharp look at that comment.] What's that supposed to mean? He might not want his soul back?

No, he does. And even if he didn't, that's not exactly an option. [ He can't believe he still has to explain this whole demon-inhabiting-your-body thing after all this time, after all that drama, but that's Jack Harkness for you. ]

A soul puts the demon at bay, but that doesn't mean it's not still in there. He's going to change, there's no doubt about that. Only question is, how much.

[Give him a chance. He's doesn't exactly have the personal experience that Spike has, and he's probably missed an awful lot of discussions about this between the
two of them the last few months. He's lagging behind a bit.

But this, he does get.] Right, yeah. It'll change him. [He sighs and says, a little plaintively:] I don't want him to change. I like him just how he is.

Yeah, well... he will. He has. [ Spike's been teaching him, training him to skulk and fight, prepared him to survive because even if they're not going to go out and hunt glory and fame as Big Bads, the life of a vampire can be dangerous enough. ]

He's not the same man he was leaving that prison... or entering it.

I know. I know. [He gestures helplessly.] None of us are the same, and most if not all of that change has been for the better. I just... that's organic change, you know? This will be sudden and unpredictable and uncontrollable and, okay, I know I sound like a five year-old but I just don't want him to lose what makes him him, you know?

I know. Believe me, I know. [ He fakes a sigh. They should probably have this conversation somewhere that isn't literally outside the very house where Ianto currently lives, but this is how these things go. ]

If it's any consolation, I didn't lose what makes me me. [ Although. ] But... if it does go bad. Are you ready for what that means? What we'll have to do?

[Yeah, not the most sensible location, but it's a conversation that needs to be had, even if it's not the first and seems highly unlikely to be the last. He glances towards the house, but before he can suggest moving this Spike comes out with that.]

You mean... [He knows what Spike means, and he also knows that yes, of course he'd do it if he had to. He's killed his own grandson to save the world, for goodness' sake. He would do it. But it would break his heart to have to do so.]

No. I'm not ready. I'm not ready for any of it. I mean, yes, I'd do whatever needed to be done if things went wrong but that's not something I even want to contemplate right now! [He sets his mouth.] Before we do anything. We have to be as sure as we possibly can be that we've covered all the eventualities, and I don't feel like we're there yet.

[Of course, he hasn't actually spoken to Spike or Ianto about anything meaningful for several months, so they could well be a hell of a lot further along this path than he is...]

Agreed. [ He responds, jaw set. ] And... if it does come to that, I'll do the dirty work. No need to worry yourself about that.

[ He's done it before. He can do it again... maybe. ]

Edited 2018-10-27 19:44 (UTC)

[His eyebrows go up at that, just a little, because there's a part of him to whom Ianto is always going to be a part of his Torchwood team and therefore his responsibility. And, besides, he's the one who always has to do this sort of stuff.

Except, things have moved on. Torchwood is long gone and Spike has kind of taken over the responsibility for Ianto's welfare through, you know, actually being there. And he too is the kind of person who will do the dirty work that no-one else will touch.

The realisation is enough to give him pause, and he goes still for a moment, just processing, before he finally starts to relax a little.]

Yeah. [He nods, and glances towards the cabin again.]

We should go in. We can talk about this later.

At least, do you mind if I come in, or did you have plans just the two of you?

[ There's little Spike wouldn't do for love. Practically nothing, and after staking his own mother he's fairly certain he could handle this if it came down to it. It'd crush him, of course, grind him into dust but he's lived a long life. Maybe this would be fine.

Such a serious conversation on such a calm morning. He nods at Jack's suggestion to table this for another time and sets his sights for the cabin. ]

No, that's fine. We didn't have plans. [ He quirks a brow. ] Probably need to get used to sharing again, don't I?

[Perhaps, if it came down to it, at the very least neither of them would be on their own with it, but that's not exactly much of a consolation.

And really not something Jack's anxious to think about right now, so he's relieved when Spike agrees to leave it for now.

And grins with a bit of a leer at that next comment.] So will he!

[Because Ianto may still be the most important part of this to him, but he's missed Spike a lot too and he's definitely planning on making up for that too!

With another grin, he heads for the cabin and knocks smartly on the door.] Ianto? You in there?

[Ianto has been oblivious to the serious discussion taking place on his porch. Then again he’s been preoccupied with his own thoughts. This was the first night in years he’s slept alone and he doesn’t like how lonely it felt. What makes it worse is it’s hard to know how to resolve it. Once upon a time rotating between the two of them made sense but it feels like they’re all so far past that now. His first instinct is to spend his nights with Spike. It’s felt like them for so long especially with Jack so rarely in the picture but he also feels guilty for leaving Jack out of that equation. In the end he’s done what he always does and turned to making elaborate pros and cons list in his diary instead of getting much sleep. The knock on the door is a welcome relief and he sets it aside to go open it.]

Did you two coordinate your arrival?

[ That's the danger with places like these. Too much time to think and analyse and have deep, serious discussions on someone's porch. Then again, that's exactly why they're here, isn't it? To figure shit out. ]

Of course not. If I'd known he'd be sniffing around, I would've come a lot sooner. [ He smirks, quite happy to fall back into some lightly antagonistic ribbing. ]

Ditto! [Grinning, as he sweeps into the cabin, taking a curious look around to see how it differs from his own. He hasn't actually been inside any of the other cabins yet.

And then he pauses, glancing back at Spike:]

Do you need an invitation to come in?

Please, come in. [Ianto’s one step ahead of Jack as he steps aside for them. Inviting Spike in is something he’s gotten quite accustomed to in the past few years.

It’s nice, having the gang back together again. It’s been a long time since the three of them were in the same place together. Luckily for them all his roommates are or at the moment so they’ve got the cabin to themselves for any, well, let’s say conversation.]

It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? Having the three of us together.

Thanks, love.

[ He steps in unhindered, quite happy to play it safe with invitations. After all, chances are he'll sneak back in here come nightfall and he'd rather not get stuck on the wrong side of a window. There's a somewhat possessive peck on Ianto's cheek as he saunters in. ]

Too long. I was getting used to the peace and quiet.

[Perhaps unexpectedly, Jack doesn't edge in to kiss Ianto too. He did yesterday, when it was just the two of them, but somehow now it's all three of them together it doesn't quite feel right. Nowadays, it's very much Ianto and Spike who are the primary couple in the triangle, and he doesn't want to seem like he's infringing on that.

It still feels good when they both independently emphasise that they're glad he's here, though, and he grins round at them as he shrugs out of his coat and hangs it over the back of a chair.]

Oh, honestly, don't tell me the two of you have got all old and boring and had to come here just to find me to liven things up!

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