torchwoodteaboy: (headscratch)
Ianto Jones ([personal profile] torchwoodteaboy) wrote2010-11-17 03:21 am
Entry tags:

[RL WITH SULU]

It'd been a week. A week since that first day that he'd come back from the hospital, and Sulu had had to help him around his flat. A week, most of which he'd spent in a sort of semi-conscious, fatigued and weary state, shuffling about trying to get the necessary things done, but only just succeeding. As Ianto sat on the edge of his bed, just having gotten up from what had been his second nap of the day, and not feeling any better after having taken it, the world spinning around him from having sat up too fast, even though he'd paced himself and been extra careful not to, Ianto had the sinking feeling that in that whole week, he hadn't gotten better at all. Sulu had stuck around until his leave had been up, like he said he would, and then once he'd left, Jack had popped in a few times during the day to help out with chores (he was surprisingly good at doing the dishes and the laundry) and then at night to lie with him (even if Jack didn't sleep and Ianto felt like he was wasting the other man's time). And yet. In that whole week, nothing had changed. Nothing had gotten better. And Ianto was getting sick and tired of being sick and tired, and Jack was great to have around, but. He didn't really understand what it was like to be ill, and sometimes that wore on Ianto even more than not having him around at all.

And now, as the sun was setting, and Jack was off on a sudden call to London, Gwen doing god knows what with Rhys, Ianto wasn't about to disturb their peace, it was all starting to get at Ianto. The darkness was creeping in, and he was beginning to think that maybe he wasn't getting better at all. That maybe he'd never get better. Maybe this was how things would be, from now on. Maybe the darkness really would come for him, because it didn't seem like it would ever really let him go again, and Ianto swallowed against the swell of panic rising in his stomach. He... He couldn't do this. He knew that he didn't want to bother Sulu. That he had specifically refrained from calling him out of the blue for anything since he'd left to go back to his ship, instead waiting for Sulu himself to make the first contact, but. He. He really needed someone there with him. Someone real. Someone who understood and could chase the demons away like he promised he would. And so Ianto did the only thing that he could think of to help, and pulled out his phone to dial the number to Sulu's comm.
parked: (getting called out)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-17 08:36 am (UTC)(link)
Sulu's communicator blinked to life, beeping out the fact that he had an incoming call just as he was entering the lift for the bridge, having just gotten off a very short break to get something to eat. He would've had more time, if only he hadn't offered to spend more time on the bridge to give his replacement some time off. It was the least he could do, really, but now he was sort of regretting it as he recognized Ianto's callback number.

With a sigh, he flipped his comm open, halting the lift for a few moments to talk without being overheard by the crew. Just because Jim was on the community again didn't mean he wanted to let the man in on everything that was happening with him right now. "Ianto," he said, sounding put out and apologetic because he knew what Ianto wanted right then and there, and also that he had another four hours before his shift was over. "Really bad time, I'm just about to get back to the helm. I'm only halfway through my shift - I still have four more hours before I can take off."
parked: (um actually)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-17 11:47 am (UTC)(link)
Ianto's tone made Sulu wince, his gut twisting as he realized how stupid and callous he'd sounded just then. But he was due on duty in only a minute, and he absolutely couldn't be late, which was the only reason he'd even jumped into it as he had. "No, no," he said quickly, a little desperately, "I'm sorry, I really am, I didn't mean to... it's just that I'm literally in the lift to the bridge..."

Making excuses for himself? How childish was he? "I'm sorry, I really am. You're not bothering me, you really aren't. What's wrong?" Because he knew Ianto wouldn't have called without a reason, and now he felt even more awful for having jumped to excuses before asking. He seriously was an idiot.
parked: (uh well)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-17 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Sulu winced, wanting so badly to regain some sort of control over the situation, to help Ianto as much as he could, to be able to leave the bridge and go to him, but he couldn't. He had a job, an important, duty-bound job to pilot a starship through uncharted territories, and it was a job he loved. And even if he didn't love it, even if it was the most trying thing in the universe, he wouldn't have a choice. He couldn't be AWOL.

Ianto hung up before Sulu could do any kind of reassuring; he almost called him back, but the timelock on the lift had run out and it shot up to the bridge, opening the doors before he could even do anything. He felt miserable, but he put on his usual attitude for the benefit of the rest of the crew, relieving the other helmsman before sliding into his seat. The worst part of it was, if there was no attack or sudden crisis, Sulu would have abandoned Ianto for four hours of nothing.

And that's exactly what it was. He'd hoped for a warbird to come out of nowhere, or for a crisis call to come in from one of the class M planets around them, but there was nothing, just space. The controls that normally made him feel so comfortable and at ease were just controls now, and the four hours dragged on for him. As soon as the Beta crew came in and he was relieved, Sulu was in the lift, taking it down with a few of the security members before veering off to his own room. He had no reason to change and so, as soon as he realized that he was alone, he shoved his hand in his pocket and pressed his fingers against the portkey, barely even stumbling as he went from one world to another, winding up somewhere in the hall. "Ianto?"
parked: (proud to be starfleet)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 12:30 am (UTC)(link)
The first thing Sulu noticed as he looked around the flat was that it was bright. Every light in the place was on, bright and blazing compared to the dark outside that he could see through the window as he made his way to the kitchen. The back door was open, a lamp on the floor illuminating Ianto's shape against the dark, and Sulu felt his heart drop at the sight. He was almost surprised he could feel even worse than he had while he'd been on the bridge, but there it was.

He wanted to grab Ianto and pull him inside, knowing the other man was already cold enough without needing the temperature from outside to get in, to apologize a thousand times over for being an ass, and then another thousand for having a really terrible work schedule that was out of his hands, but he really couldn't find the words or the energy to do either of those things. He felt suddenly very tired, from eight hours of busywork and idle chat while he'd felt horrible and from just seeing Ianto huddled in the door.

So, he settled for moving to the doorframe, crouching down and saying, "Hey." His voice sounded tight and unhappy and he wanted to try and change that, to be more upbeat and try and help Ianto out of whatever had happened these past few hours, but for all he knew, Ianto didn't want to even see him. He couldn't do optimistic at the moment. "Just got off duty."
parked: (thinking it over)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
"Maybe," Sulu conceded, voice soft as he stared at Ianto, "But I wanted to come. I would have come when you called if I hadn't been on duty. I'm sorry." He had wanted to come, didn't Ianto realize that? He'd wanted to be here, he'd told Ianto he would be here whenever he could, that yes, he had a job to do but he could balance the two. He wanted to balance the two.

"I couldn't leave my post, you have to understand. I wanted to, but I couldn't. That's just not how it works." And now he felt like he was scolding Ianto, and he knew Ianto would feel the same way, so he quickly continued, "I wish it did, because I didn't want to wait four hours before I could come see you, and if I had any say I'd have been here before you'd even said a damned word. I even had the portkey in my pocket all day."
parked: (getting called out)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
Sulu winced, realizing that no matter how hard he'd tried to change how his words had sounded, it was too late. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed and moved to sit next to Ianto, instead of crouching behind him. It was cold - way too cold, and Sulu was going to have to make Ianto go inside soon enough, but he seemed... not calm, not really, but at least he wasn't sobbing or volatile. He wanted to keep that for as long as he could.

"There's no way you could have known. We don't even really know the time difference. And it's not babysitting you," he said firmly, "I'm not trying to make you do your homework or go to bed at a reasonable hour or anything like that. I want to be here for you. I'm sorry that I couldn't this time. It was bad timing for both of us, but I promised you that if I couldn't be there right away, I'd come down as soon as I could, and that's exactly what I did here." He looked out at the darkness, away from Ianto, and wrapped his arms loosely over his knees. This whole thing was a lot harder than he'd thought it would be.
parked: (oi vey)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 03:34 am (UTC)(link)
Now Sulu had to wonder if he was doing something wrong, coming to Ianto after so long. Was Ianto handling it on his own? Wouldn't it be better to let him learn how to manage whatever upset him alone, so that he could get a handle on it sooner? But then he turned and looked at Ianto, really looked, and he knew that wasn't the case. Ianto was mad at him for not being able to come when he called, probably knowing it was irrational but unable to help himself, and he wasn't handling it.

But maybe he really didn't want Sulu there, even if he was handling it badly. Maybe he wanted to be alone. Sulu closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his arms, taking in the cold air around them. He knew he wasn't going to be able to handle this for long, not without some kind of communication, and he should have called before coming down and seen if Ianto had even wanted him around. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Do you want me to go?" he asked, dreading the answer because if Ianto said yes, he wanted Sulu to go, he might not know what to do with himself.
parked: (riiiight)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
Sulu sighed again and shook his head, too tired to try and reassure Ianto at the moment. He'd just have to be direct. "It's not some big, multiversal scheme to screw you over, Ianto. It's just a time difference and work getting in the way. It's not because of you, it's just how things worked out this time. And I'm sorry that I wasn't here before, that I couldn't be here before, but I'm here now, so."

He cut himself off before he could finish his thought, abruptly enough that it didn't even sound as though he was contemplating saying a single word more, that he'd almost said "get over it and take it where you can," because that was wrong and it was just his petty, irritable side coming out. And he wanted to keep that from Ianto for as long as he could, damn it.

He pushed himself up and stood in front of Ianto, looking down at him with tired eyes. "It's freezing out here," he said, wondering if Ianto had even noticed. He was so cold already, nowadays...
parked: (might be too much)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
Sulu heard the change in Ianto's tone and knew that he'd said the wrong thing, or used the wrong tone, or something, but he couldn't even begin to unravel it and fix it. Not out here in the cold and the dark, with Ianto looking terrible and his anxiety making his heart pound in his chest. He needed to focus on this as logically as possible and do things in order of importance. Normally, talking would be on the top of the list, but right now...

"We should go inside," he said, quietly and sadly but firmly, because there was no way they were going to be able to talk like this. Not now. He couldn't help but look past Ianto, into the kitchen, remembering how they'd been a little awkward but relatively upbeat, forcing strange teas on a sick Jack, and it made him ache. He hadn't even seen Ianto smile, not more than a little, since... "I can make something to eat, or help you upstairs." Those were the only options Sulu could even see, and he wondered for just a second if those were going to be the only options from now on. He swiped the thought away, but he knew it'd come back. One thing at a time, though.
parked: (getting called out)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 05:29 am (UTC)(link)
Sulu really didn't want to be upset with Ianto. He had no reason to be upset with him; he had failed him on a basic level and it was his fault that Ianto was feeling the way he was, that he was as sullen as he was, not Ianto's himself. But Sulu hated that fact. He didn't want to be the reason Ianto was upset, he didn't want to feel so guilty over something they both logically knew he had no control over.

When Ianto didn't respond other than to shake his head, Sulu closed his eyes and counted to ten mentally, opening his eyes again before stepping past Ianto to get into the flat. "If you sit out there for any longer, you're going to get colder than you already are," he said flatly, trying to school his voice into something calmer, less anxious and ragged than it wanted to be. He realized he'd failed, but damn it, damn it, he couldn't take that back, either, and the part of him that was irritated and tired and secretly terrified that this was all Ianto was ever going to be had won out.
parked: (uh well)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
When Sulu heard Ianto's quiet sobbing, he immediately turned to him, nearly tripping over himself to get to Ianto, feeling just... so fucking terrible that he hadn't even noticed, hadn't even realized that Ianto was so close to cracking, and that he'd let himself be petty and annoyed with him when none of this was Ianto's fault. He came around in front of Ianto and dropped to his knees, putting his hands on the other's arms through the blankets and resting his head on top of Ianto's, feeling how cool he was even under all that cover and feeling even worse for it.

"God, damn it, Ianto, I'm so sorry," he said, falling right back into the apologizing that he hadn't wanted to do before. "I didn't. I'm so sorry I wasn't here when you needed me and I'm sorry I'm here now when I can't help you. I'm sorry for the attitude." He was sorry for more than that, but he kept it to himself, not willing to tell Ianto just how sorry he was, not yet.
parked: (can't believe it)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
Sulu imagined that this was the closest he could get to the feeling of free-fall with both of his feet on the ground. He felt helpless and weak and it was an awful, gut-wrenching feeling because Ianto was too upset, too hurt by everything Sulu had done that day to reassure him, and Sulu simply had to struggle to be able to help Ianto. He was the problem here, he knew, but he was still going to try. He didn't even know what had upset Ianto to begin with, four hours earlier; he had no idea what he was supposed to be defending the other from. This wasn't something he could fight, but it wasn't something he could just accept.

"Shh," he murmured, shifting as close as their positions would allow, moving a hand to hold Ianto's, letting his grip stay as tight as he wanted on his shirt. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get short with you. It's going to be okay, I'm... I'm not going to keep failing you like this, I swear."
parked: (token sad icon)

[personal profile] parked 2010-11-18 07:11 am (UTC)(link)
"I'm not upset at you," Sulu said, momentarily staggered by Ianto's words and the voice he'd used. Even at his worse, Ianto had never been this bad and it was all Sulu's fault, for not thinking about every possibility when it came to bringing him back, for not preparing a solution to every possible variable like he would have if he'd been smart about it. And he wanted to tell Ianto that, he wanted to apologize for letting him come back when Sulu had no idea how to fix everything for him, but he knew that Ianto would just feel worse for that and he couldn't do that to him.

"I'm not upset because of you," he repeated, resigned but firm. "I'm upset because I can't do anything, and that. It's. ...I hate that I can't help you. I hate it. And I let myself take that out on you and that is my fault, that has nothing to do with you or how you're feeling. You have every right to be angry at me, because I'm being the worst kind of person in the world just because I feel useless."

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