The Aurora Line 10
Dec. 26th, 2011 07:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
galadriel1010Title: The Aurora Line
Chapter Title: Take Me Home 3
Challenge/Fest: LongLiveIanto Bingo - Card the second
Prompt: Phobias
Rating: T
Dedication: For my mum, who will never read this but gave me inspiration by wittering on about series that ran before I was born
Summary: The Aurora Star Liner is one of the most luxurious liners in the Human Empire, crossing the spacelanes between New Earth and New Venus on a constant loop. For a boy from the outer colonies, she's not just a new life - she's a whole new world.
Characters: Jack (ish), Ianto (ish). Others when they choose to appear.
Contains:
Disclaimer: Torchwood and its environs, occurrences and persons belong to the BBC. The original characters have disowned me.
The ships decreased in size and luxury as they got closer to Genesis. They were out on the fringes of the empire, where the choice between speed and comfort reduced to... neither. Bare corridors led from the communal dining room to the simple bedrooms, which comprised a bed, a desk and a sink, and a toilet and shower behind a screen. It had shocked Jack, and brought back memories for Ianto that had turned him quiet and distant.
"You still awake?" Jack asked him, and the bed dipped as he rolled over towards Ianto. "Ianto..."
He sighed and rolled towards Jack, tucking his head under Jack's chin and snuggling against him. "Can't sleep," he admitted against Jack's chest. "Thinking too much."
"Thinking about what?"
He considered not telling him, or lying, or evading it, but eventually he pulled his head back so that he wasn't not muffled and would only have to say it once. "I hate flying."
Jack, to his credit, didn't laugh. He slid his hands down Ianto's back, shofting his hold so that he could pull Ianto towards him as he rolled over until Ianto rested against him with his head pillowed on Jack's chest. When they were settled again and Jack's fingers were playing with Ianto's hair, he pointed out questioningly, "But you live on a starliner. I've never seen you like this."
"That's different. Being on the Aurora, it's like being on a station instead of a ship." He sighed and pressed even closer to Jack. "Besides, no Star class ship has been lost in centuries."
"Ah." Jack's arms tightened around him again. "Was it when you left Genesis?"
He shook his head and rested it against Jack's chest again. "My dad and granddad went to a trade show on the Ajense market station. They'd done it dozens of times, and then this one time... The ship didn't make it through the ice belt.."
"I'm sorry."
"I can hear the ice against the ship. I know I can't really," he explained tiredly, "but I shouldn't be able to feel it against my skin either, so I don't think rationality has much hold over me at the moment."
Jack rubbed at his back in gentle circles. "Want me to shag you senseless?"
"No." He smiled. "You're out of ideas now, aren't you?"
"A bit. I could sing..."
"Nope."
"I could go and find you a strong drink..."
"You're not going anywhere." He settled more comfortably on Jack and held on tight. "Just keep talking."
Jack was silent, though, until he said, "I can only think of one thing to say. You never told me your dad was dead."
"I know. I've been trying to work out how to tell you since... I don't even know anymore. It's easier to pretend that he's still there, waiting for me to come home." Jack kissed the top of his head, and Ianto closed his eyes tightly at the sudden sting. "I left home almost immediately - it's hard reminding myself that he won't be there, let alone..."
"It's okay. I understand."
Ianto smiled again. "You do, don't you?"
Next chapter
Chapter Title: Take Me Home 3
Challenge/Fest: LongLiveIanto Bingo - Card the second
Prompt: Phobias
Rating: T
Dedication: For my mum, who will never read this but gave me inspiration by wittering on about series that ran before I was born
Summary: The Aurora Star Liner is one of the most luxurious liners in the Human Empire, crossing the spacelanes between New Earth and New Venus on a constant loop. For a boy from the outer colonies, she's not just a new life - she's a whole new world.
Characters: Jack (ish), Ianto (ish). Others when they choose to appear.
Contains:
Disclaimer: Torchwood and its environs, occurrences and persons belong to the BBC. The original characters have disowned me.
The ships decreased in size and luxury as they got closer to Genesis. They were out on the fringes of the empire, where the choice between speed and comfort reduced to... neither. Bare corridors led from the communal dining room to the simple bedrooms, which comprised a bed, a desk and a sink, and a toilet and shower behind a screen. It had shocked Jack, and brought back memories for Ianto that had turned him quiet and distant.
"You still awake?" Jack asked him, and the bed dipped as he rolled over towards Ianto. "Ianto..."
He sighed and rolled towards Jack, tucking his head under Jack's chin and snuggling against him. "Can't sleep," he admitted against Jack's chest. "Thinking too much."
"Thinking about what?"
He considered not telling him, or lying, or evading it, but eventually he pulled his head back so that he wasn't not muffled and would only have to say it once. "I hate flying."
Jack, to his credit, didn't laugh. He slid his hands down Ianto's back, shofting his hold so that he could pull Ianto towards him as he rolled over until Ianto rested against him with his head pillowed on Jack's chest. When they were settled again and Jack's fingers were playing with Ianto's hair, he pointed out questioningly, "But you live on a starliner. I've never seen you like this."
"That's different. Being on the Aurora, it's like being on a station instead of a ship." He sighed and pressed even closer to Jack. "Besides, no Star class ship has been lost in centuries."
"Ah." Jack's arms tightened around him again. "Was it when you left Genesis?"
He shook his head and rested it against Jack's chest again. "My dad and granddad went to a trade show on the Ajense market station. They'd done it dozens of times, and then this one time... The ship didn't make it through the ice belt.."
"I'm sorry."
"I can hear the ice against the ship. I know I can't really," he explained tiredly, "but I shouldn't be able to feel it against my skin either, so I don't think rationality has much hold over me at the moment."
Jack rubbed at his back in gentle circles. "Want me to shag you senseless?"
"No." He smiled. "You're out of ideas now, aren't you?"
"A bit. I could sing..."
"Nope."
"I could go and find you a strong drink..."
"You're not going anywhere." He settled more comfortably on Jack and held on tight. "Just keep talking."
Jack was silent, though, until he said, "I can only think of one thing to say. You never told me your dad was dead."
"I know. I've been trying to work out how to tell you since... I don't even know anymore. It's easier to pretend that he's still there, waiting for me to come home." Jack kissed the top of his head, and Ianto closed his eyes tightly at the sudden sting. "I left home almost immediately - it's hard reminding myself that he won't be there, let alone..."
"It's okay. I understand."
Ianto smiled again. "You do, don't you?"
Next chapter
