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Title: Insomniac
Fandom: Torchwood
Characters: Jack, Ianto
Author: m_findlow
Rating: PG
Length: 557 words
Content notes: none
Author notes:  Written for Challenge 127 - Sleepless
Summary: Jack has some ideas to help Ianto get to sleep

Ianto tossed in the bed.

He'd lost track of just how many times he'd done that in the last few hours. He just couldn't get comfortable, and that was saying something, since for once he wasn't contorted into some bizarre position that guaranteed neither of them would fall out of the incredibly narrow space that was Jack's cot. They could make the Karma Sutra look positively comfy.

No, tonight they had the luxury of Ianto's own queen size bed in his own flat. And still he couldn't get to sleep. It wasn't even as if he wasn't tired. He felt bone tired and all he wanted to do was get a few decent hours sleep before having to confront whatever the rift decided to throw at them tomorrow.

He tossed again, tucking the pillow underneath his head and propping his arm underneath it.

He'd thought Jack had been oblivious to it all until he heard his muffled, sleep laced voice.

'Stop tossing. I don't mind you rocking the bed off its supports, but not when I'm trying to sleep.'

Ianto groaned in frustration. 'I can't sleep.'

'Why not?'

'I don't know!'

'Have you tried counting sheep?'

'Yes. There aren't enough sheep in Wales for that to work,' he replied glumly.

'Hot milk?'

'Blech. Only if you're intending on adding coffee or chocolate powder to it.'

'You have it with porridge.'

'That's different.'

'And caffeine is probably not the solution. What about that thing where you press your tongue to the roof of your mouth breathe in for five seconds, hold it for eight, and let it out for seven?'

'Tried that too. I spent so much time concentrating on counting off the seconds, that I felt more awake at the end of it than when I started.'

'Star jumps?'

'Yes, that's just the trick. Let's do star jumps and see how sleepy we feel after that. Of all the ridiculous,'

'Hey, don't get snarky at me. I'm only trying to help.'

Ianto flopped back onto the pillow and groaned again.

Jack sat up on his elbow and looked at the pale silhouette next to him.

'Why don't we try this? Lie on your stomach.'

'I don't think shagging me to sleep is going to work, Jack.'

'Shush. Lie on your stomach.'

'I don't sleep on my stomach, you know that,' he complained.

'Stop arguing with me. Do you want to get to sleep or not? You can rest your arms under your head if that's more comfortable.'

He huffed but did as he was told.

Jack pulled down the duvet and began rubbing long slow circles across his back, with the flat of his hand.

'Mmm, that feels good.'

'My mum used to do this to us when we were kids and had nightmares.'

Jack continued the gentle ministrations, round and round, round and round. He must have done it for about twenty minutes, feeling the tension ease out of his muscles as he continued his gyrations. In the darkness he could just make out the subtle droop of Ianto's head further into the pillow, and feel his breathing slow until it was almost imperceptible.

Works every time, he thought contentedly.

He carefully wrapped an arm around him, and pulled the duvet back over the top of the both of them, nestling his own head into the pillow as he closed his eyes.

'Sweet dreams, Ianto.'