torchwoodteaboy | [RL WITH SULU]

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Sulu hid the laughter he felt at Ianto's stammering explanation, and then felt just a bit guilty for making Ianto so flustered to begin with. He couldn't help it, though; Ianto was adorable when he stammered, and Sulu really couldn't help but enjoy the fact that he was returning to that sort of habit. It was nice. Nice, and also reassuring that Sulu had actually thought up the same thing Ianto was now hesitating to say.

He almost continued to play stupid, just to get a little more out of Ianto, but really. He liked the idea, and Ianto seemed to like the idea - he was suggesting it, after all - and he couldn't imagine being that mean to the other man right now. So, he smoothed back Ianto's hair and nodded. "I'd like that," he said, smiling at Ianto's face buried in his shoulder. "To keep you company, I mean."

Ianto sighed heavily into the fabric of Sulu's shirt. He had a sneaking suspicion that maybe Sulu had figured it out before he'd prompted him to go on, just by the fact that his tone didn't sound surprised that that was what Ianto'd been getting at, but. He gave him the benefit of the doubt, there.

"Okay. Good. That's... I'd like that too." Obviously. Since he'd been the one to suggest it. He made a little noise of frustration, not moving to pick his head up from hiding it. "You know. It's stupid that I'm more embarrassed of asking you to do that than the idea of just doing it in the first place. I mean. I shouldn't be embarrassed in the first place, I'm 27 years old, and I should be able to handle a simple question, but. There it is. Honestly," he sighed, "I don't know how you put up with me, sometimes."

Sulu shifted a bit, twisting to move his shoulder away from Ianto, hand moving to cup his cheek and guide his face up. "It's easy to put up with you," he said honestly, before adding with a smile, "Besides, I like how flustered you get over things like this. I missed it." And he didn't just mean while Ianto had been gone - he meant even now, it was so hard for them to have moments like this, and he was just glad that they weren't gone completely.

"C'mon," he said, realizing that he might be getting too serious about what should probably stay upbeat, "Let's see if we can't warm you up and get you feeling a bit better. Okay?"

Ianto let out a breath that could possibly be classified as another sigh if it were a bit louder, and gave Sulu the faintest of smiles, his cheeks still flushed bright red. This was nice. This was...this was normal. Sulu making him flustered, him being flustered. If he ignored the fact that he was freezing and that just the thought of climbing up the stairs made him feel exhausted, it was just the same as what used to be.

Ianto raised an eyebrow. "You just want me out of my clothes," he said, deciding that if things really were going to be normal, he'd try his hand at joking around again. He hoped that Sulu'd appreciate the effort. Not that he minded the more serious moments they were having lately, but. He'd take awkward joking over awkward silence any day.

"I always want you out of your clothes," Sulu said with deceptive ease. Granted, it wasn't a lie, but still. Sulu and Ianto both knew that this was going to be one of the most platonic baths any two people could ever take together. At least, that was what Sulu knew. "But this was your idea. If anything, it means you want me out of my uniform." ...Which probably wasn't a bad idea. He was going to need to get a change of clothes here, somewhere along the way.

Still, they could take things one step at a time. For now, they could worry about getting upstairs to the bathroom, and how, exactly, they were going to settle into the tub. "Are you feeling up to trying that out now?" he asked, casually but sincerely, because he knew that Ianto sometimes had trouble with the stairs. "Or do you want to sit for a while longer?"

"Well...you are pretty fit," Ianto said in response, the tiny smile on his face morphing into a tiny smirk, before he shook his head, smiling again. It was pretty obvious to both of them that there wouldn't be anything even remotely along the lines as the usual things that two consenting adults got up to when all of their clothes came off. It really was just going to be an attempt to get Ianto warmer. Sulu was just going to be getting warmer in the process as well. It was cold enough outside for a warm bath to sound good to just about anyone, really.

Ianto lowered his eyes at Sulu's questioning, though, recognizing that the other man was being sincere with him there, and figuring that it wouldn't be too horrible if he allowed himself to be open back to him, just for a little while. "Honestly," he said, "the longer we wait, the more likely I'm going to end up falling asleep on you, so... Sooner rather than later would probably be the better option, here."

Sulu found himself blushing just a little at Ianto's compliment, even if it wasn't an option at the moment to take that sort of compliment further. It was still nice to have Ianto flirting with him again, even if it was just slightly.

He also understood what Ianto was saying about how tired he really was, and honestly, it just made him more sure of their new plan. He'd much rather be there with Ianto, in case he ended up falling asleep in the the tub. That'd probably be one of the worst things that could happen at this point. "All right, yeah," he said, smiling at Ianto, "Then we'll head up now. Then," he laughed, "We can tackle how we're going to actually fit both of us in your tub."

Ianto's blush, which had started to dissipate a little by then, came back. Probably not as full force as it had before, but he definitely colored at Sulu's mention of trying to fit them both into the tub. "It's...it's possible," he said. "I mean, Jack and I have fit in there before, and we..." They hadn't just had a nice relaxing soak like Sulu and Ianto had planned at that moment, but instead more of a... Well. It had been a night full of excitement, that was for sure. Ianto'd almost knocked himself out on the tap three times, but it's been worth it in the end.

He shook his head to clear his mind of any and all thoughts even remotely along the lines of that night with him and Jack. "Yeah. We... We both could fit together in there, so. It's possible. I mean. Neither of us is going to be able to stretch out or anything like that, but... Yeah," he finished, lamely.

Sulu grinned and raised an eyebrow at Ianto's rambling response to that question, amused at the fact that Ianto was clearly remembering something that was a bit more involved than going for a soak. "Well, I'm definitely not as broad shouldered as Captain Jack, so we should be okay. That's a relief, at least." And yes, he was using Jack's title just for effect.

With a small groan as his body slightly resisted his movement, Sulu pushed the blankets aside and stood, holding his hands out for Ianto, to help him up once he was free of the blankets as well. "Okay, well. I've got to prove I can be just as convenient as Jack, then, when it comes to fitting in small places." He winked, fully aware of how overly coy he was being at the moment and not being able to care. He was just glad that he could say these kinds of things to Ianto now and not feel terrible for it.

Ianto paused and rolled his eyes at Sulu as he winked down at him from where he stood, holding his hands out to help him stand up. "Honestly, you're just as bad as he is," he scolded, gently though, blushing, obviously not being serious about it. "The pair of you..." Ianto appreciated how at ease Sulu was being at that moment, though. It'd been the first time he'd seen the other man wink and really joking around since everything had happened, and he didn't realize that he'd missed their usual bantering until just then.

Pushing the blankets aside as well, Ianto realized how much colder the air was than it had been while he was mostly shielded from it by the protection of the blankets' warmth. Unable to control a shiver, he reached up to grab Sulu's hands, and then, once he had a firm grip, used the other man's support to lever himself up from the couch. He frowned, unhappy with how much of an effort just standing up had been, and he wasn't looking forward to the stairs. Speaking of the stairs, Ianto looked over at them, sighing in defeat as he prepared himself to make the trek up. "Don't suppose you could carry me up them..." he joked, not really believing that that was an option at all.

"I can be just as bad as him," Sulu corrected as he helped Ianto stand, "I just manage to hide it better." It really was nice, he realized, to be able to do this again. This was one of those things that he'd missed - and sure, yes, he could tease and banter with pretty much anybody, but they wouldn't be Ianto, and it wouldn't be the same. He wanted to kiss Ianto for the sheer fact that he was himself, and that he was there, but he thought that maybe that should wait until after they'd gotten past the stairs.

Shaking his head a little, he smiled sympathetically at Ianto. "Sorry. I think the risk of me falling and cracking both our heads open is a little bit greater than the chance I won't, so I'm going to have to say no. I'll help you up, though. Here, hold onto me for support."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Ianto shut his eyes for a moment, steeling himself. It was embarrassing, to have trouble doing something as simple as climbing the stairs, but there was an issue of balance and endurance that Ianto really just didn't have any more, not since he'd returned from the hospital, so he was going to have to just accept Sulu's help or be stuck on the bottom floor for the night. As it was, there was absolutely no way he was coming back down after this bath. He opened his eyes again, shooting a quick glance around to see if he was forgetting anything he might need, before he nodded.

Lacing his arm around Sulu's, gripping the railing with his other hand, they slowly made their way up the stairs. It was awkward, and Ianto was self-conscious of the fact that it was awkward, but there was really very little he could do about it. When they reached the top, Ianto stopped in the hallway and leaned against Sulu as everything swayed for a moment from the effort that had taken, before it righted itself again. He sighed deeply. "Well, we made it," he said lightly, trying to cover for how awkward he felt again in that moment.

Sulu made sure that his footing was sure and his balance firm as he helped Ianto up the stairs, trying to take as much of Ianto's weight off of Ianto himself as they moved upwards. He figured quickly that Ianto wouldn't be making a return trip that night, but he hoped that if he needed anything he wouldn't hesitate to ask.

Once they reached the landing and Ianto leaned into him, Sulu wrapped both arms around him and smiled at him reassuringly. "We did. That wasn't so bad, though, was it?" He was honestly curious, and his hand moved to rub Ianto's back gently. He couldn't help but be at least a little worried about how winded Ianto was over the walk up the stairs, even though he knew that bringing too much attention to it would just make Ianto even more self-conscious.

Ianto relaxed into Sulu's arms around him, allowing himself to accept the support the other man was giving him because...why not. He was offering, and Ianto was feeling like he needed all the help he could get in that moment. He shrugged at Sulu's questioning him, though. "It could've been worse," he said, mildly. Though honestly, it had been pretty trying. More so than usual. Probably something to do with the fact that he'd been up and down them several times on his own that day, which had been tiring work.

After he took a moment, he leaned back and gave Sulu a slight smile, trying his hardest not to start shivering again. He missed the blankets already, and it'd only been a few minutes without them. "Alright, well. Shall we, then?" he asked, nodding towards the bathroom, his smile turning a little sheepish. Despite how embarrassing and exhausting the stairs had been, he was looking forward to this next part.

Edited 2010-11-20 07:36 (UTC)

At least Ianto wasn't letting the question get him down; Sulu had worried that he might've put another dent in their relatively upbeat mood at the moment. "Good," he said, smiling and nodding at Ianto's question. Of course they should; he could feel Ianto starting to shiver again, and he wanted to help him keep as warm as possible. Besides, they would be together, and he was sincerely hoping that he wouldn't say anything to ruin whatever mood taking a bath with Ianto could have.

Taking Ianto's arm again, he lead him to the bathroom, making an effort to not physically help Ianto unless he needed it. He didn't want to give off the impression that he thought Ianto needed his help, that was for sure. "Do you want to trust me with the tap this time, or do you not want to risk me making the water too hot or too cold for you?"

Ianto stood back and gave Sulu a small smile. "I think I can trust you with the taps. It's pretty straightforward, after all, you should be able to manage. C is for cold, and H is for hot, and all. And you don't even have to exert yourself and switch on the shower. It's really just as simple as that." Alright, so Ianto was being a little bit dry with his humor. He hoped Sulu didn't mind too much, though he did back off a little once he realized how he was being.

"Honestly, just make it a temperature that's comfortably warm for you. I'm so cold that anything above room temperature is going to feel pretty hot, so. It'll take some adjusting, regardless. ...warm for you, though. If it starts to get hot by your standards, then it'll definitely be hot by mine, and all." He smiled, this time a bit more sincerely. "D'you think you can handle that?"

Sulu couldn't find it in him to be offended by Ianto's dry humor at the moment, because honestly, it was true. Sulu wasn't familiar with the tap, and he'd made that clear the first time they'd showered together, so he figured he deserved a little teasing. "Okay, okay," he groused, smiling to show that he wasn't offended in the slightest, "Yeah, I think I've got it."

Leading Ianto into the bathroom, Sulu moved away from him to contemplate the tap, plugging the tub before twisting the dials until the water was (what he hoped to be) comfortably hot for the both of them. He quietly held back the vague feeling of accomplishment, embarrassed that something so simple could make him feel good. But, then again, he only ever had to press a few buttons and all the guesswork was taken care of. "See? I've got it covered. You just have to let me know when you want me to turn it off."

Ianto moved to sit down on the toilet lid, not really wanting to stay standing nor feeling all that comfortable standing there watching Sulu. He smiled at Sulu's obvious sense of accomplishment in having gotten the taps working properly. "I see you have," he said, in response. "Well done, there." He wasn't being mean about it, though. He thought it was honestly pretty charming that Sulu was just learning about all of these things that were commonplace in the 21st century. Like tub taps, and radiators, and the sorts. "You're going to turn into a regular old historian, if you keep spending enough time around here in the 21st century," he mused.

As for the tub, though. "I'd say...fill it up three fourth's of the way? There needs to be enough room at the top so that the two of us in there don't displace enough water to make the thing overflow, but. I'd prefer to be able to have it as full as we can get it before that point, so there's more water to soak in, yeah?"

Sulu blushed a little, embarrassed that he was so transparent, and turned to check on the water temperature before sitting on the edge of the tub. He knew that Ianto was being sincere with his comments, so at least he didn't feel like he was being completely mocked. That was something, he thought wryly. "I'm not opposed to that," he said with good humor in his voice, "It seems like sticking around here doesn't have any cons, so long as you don't mind me getting overly excited about things."

He nodded at Ianto's instructions for the water level; if he wanted as much in it as possible, then that's what he would get. And he knew, also, that they were going to have to undress before too long - and then he wondered how awkward this really was going to be. It was one thing to take a bath with someone; it was another to soak in a bath with them. He figured that they would just have to deal with it as they went, and with any luck, Ianto would feel better after they were through.

Ianto smiled at Sulu's comment about being excited about things. "I don't mind in the least," he said. "At least you have a reason to be excited about it all. Jack's been here for ages, and he still gets all worked up about some really pretty common, everyday things. Like... Like kitchen appliances, and the likes. You should have heard his ranting once he encountered an ice maker for the first time. He was absolutely hopeless with it. Couldn't figure out how to make it work, then couldn't figure out how to switch it to the option he wanted, and then never let us hear the end of it afterward. You're much better behaved at not understanding things, believe me."

Ianto realized that they were going to have to get undressed pretty soon as well, and that that would be when things started to get more awkward with this situation. Which was one of the reasons he was putting off taking off his clothes for as long as he could until the bath was ready. The other reason being that it was cold and he really didn't fancy sitting around naked while he waited for the tub to fill up.

Sulu grinned and ducked his head, laughing a bit at the idea of Jack having trouble with anything, and then not letting anybody forget it. "I just won't touch anything in the kitchen. Then, I've got nothing to worry about." After all, he wasn't too good with cooking in his own time - in Ianto's, he was probably hopeless. Sandwiches, he figured, weren't a great gauge.

"I try not to make an ass out of myself, anyway," he said, looking back up at Ianto before checking the water level. It definitely wouldn't be much longer, but he knew why Ianto wasn't getting ready to undress; it was the same reason he wasn't. He knew that once they were in the tub, everything would probably go fine, since they were fairly good at dealing with situations once they were settled, but... First, yeah, they had to be awkward. With an internal sigh, Sulu resigned himself to the fact that this was going to be more than a little strange, and decided to start getting ready for the inevitable. Reaching for the hem of his uniform top and undershirt, he pulled them off without thinking any more about it. They'd have to go at some point, anyway.

Edited 2010-11-20 09:39 (UTC)

Ianto smiled at Sulu's comment. "I'm pretty sure that no one really tries to put themselves in that sort of a situation, really. It just sort of happens, regardless." He turned his eyes to the floor, smiling as he thought about Sulu struggling to learn about modern, 21st century technology. "Tell you what, though. I'll make it a point to make sure that you know about whatever it is that you're using before you have to use it, so you're not making an ass of...yourself..."

Ianto stumbled through his words because it was right at the end of his sentence that he chose to look up again at Sulu, and realized that he was no longer wearing any shirt. Ianto must have been really out of it, not to even notice when the other man had taken it off, but there it was, in his hand, with his undershirt off too, and Ianto hadn't been able to help himself from being thrown off his train of thought by that. Pleasantly so. Ianto hadn't been kidding when he said that he thought Sulu was fit, and despite really not being up for anything physical at the moment, Ianto's brain stuttered for a few moments, very much attracted to the other man.

Sulu hadn't even thought about it as he'd taken off his shirt; he was so used to people just bypassing him in various states of undress that Ianto's sudden stammering took him by surprise. Ianto's expression, though, spoke volumes for how side-swept the other man was, and it made Sulu grin bashfully and duck his head, tossing his shirts into the corner by the door. "Sorry," he said, embarrassed and flattered at Ianto's reaction. It was... He had to admit, it was reassuring to know that even when the other was sick, he could still sort of pull these things on him, even by accident. "I just figured, you know..."

He trailed off, glancing at the tub filling with water, nearly to the point where he'd have to turn it off. "I don't think I want to get in with all my clothes." Suddenly, he bit his lip and looked to Ianto, "I mean, if you want, I have been submerged in my uniform before, if that'd make you feel more comfortable." He couldn't see how it would and he felt remarkably stupid for offering it, but all the same, he figured he'd rather be laughed at than make Ianto uncomfortable.

Ianto shook his head, trying to shake himself out of it in the process as well. "Oh. No, really. That's. That's not necessary. In fact. I'd really prefer if you didn't." He blushed mightily, although he managed a smile at the other man. "I wouldn't want to be the only one with all my clothes off, yeah?" he said, lightly, obviously still a bit flustered. It was silly, really, he supposed, to be flustered by Sulu standing there with no shirt on. He'd seen him in far less before, after all. It was just that...it was the first time since he'd come back where he was going to be in any sort of state of undress with the other man, and. It was nice.

Besides, it had been a while for him, and just because Ianto wasn't physically capable of anything more than platonic admiration for the other man, that didn't mean that his mind didn't wander to more...compromising situations. Like the last time they'd been in the bathroom together, what seemed then like ages ago. He briefly wondered if he was ever going to be up for physical intimacy ever again, but quickly brushed that thought aside, unwilling and unable to even contemplate the idea of it. He realized that he should probably be starting to remove his own clothes, but. He sat there, shaken a little at the thought that this was all he might ever have again, and while it was lovely, Sulu was lovely to look at, as was Jack, he. He wanted more than that.

Trying to get his mind on other things, he turned his eyes away, looking at the water filling the tub. "That's probably good, now. The water level, I mean."

"Good point," Sulu said with a small smile. He couldn't help but be pleased that Ianto still wanted something to do with him like this - even if they weren't going to do anything, even if Ianto was far too sick for it, it was still nice to know that Ianto thought about him like that. He didn't suppose there was any reason to have been unsure about that, really - but all the same, he had been, and having that worry eased let him relax just a bit more into the situation.

There was something changing in Ianto's expression as he commented on the water level, but Sulu didn't think he could really figure it out. Not without Ianto telling him, and he knew just how unlikely that was. He bent down to shut off the tap and then turned to Ianto, feeling suddenly a bit self-conscious without his shirt on, and smiled. "So," he said, "Now the fun part." The undressing, yes, that was actually going to be fun, he imagined, but the arranging themselves part... that would take some effort.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject