Only Us VI
Title: Only Us VI
Author: fluffygremlin
Characters: Jack and Ianto
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Russell T Davies and the BBC. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Notes: Based on the lovely radio play “House of the Dead”. Sixth and final part of what was supposed to be a one-shot.
Only Us
The humans who established a colony on Gliese 4 were intent on living a simple life by way of technology. Obsessed with ancient societies, they wanted a world where they could put beauty and mystique back at the forefront of their lives. The Gliesians were receptive to their mission, aiding them in developing a sprawling colony filled with fantastical machines. Some of the red men embraced the life the humans were striving for, embedding themselves in the society. Others chose to maintain their own lifestyle, farming the outlands and using their universally recognized skills as tailors to support themselves.
But the one thing that every humanoid on Gliese 4 agreed on was the Festival of the Brilliant Sun.
“They use the roots of one of the trees native to the planet,” Jack whispered into Ianto’s ear as the pair watched locals dance around a very large, very purple bonfire. “So much potassium chloride changes the color of the flame.”
“It’s beautiful,” Ianto said softly. The colors flickering amongst the flames blended into the colors cast by the setting sun. Orange and yellow and purple danced across everything and everyone. He shifted slightly so that he was pressed against Jack at shoulder, hip, and knee and smiled when the older man shifted as well so that he could rest his arm across Ianto’s shoulders.
“The Gliesians believe that the heat from the flames cleanse them of all of the negative emotions of the past year,” Jack continued. “Woman go to the flames to become more fertile and men go so they can father more sons. Widows come forward when they’re ready to end their mourning. Children to prove their ready to be adults. The faithful hope to chase away their demons.”
“And what about you, Jack? What do you want from the flames?” Ianto turned so he could watch the fire reflecting in the other man’s blue eyes. Jack stared into the flames for so long that Ianto thought perhaps he hadn’t heard him.
“Jack…” he reached out and rested a hand on Jack’s knee.
“My demons make me who I am.” Jack turned to face Ianto, his eyes reflecting the light of the fire like an animal. “I don’t want to forget them or I may forget myself. I need to remember that I have hurt a lot of people. I hurt you,” Jack finished in a whisper. He turned his body so that he was facing Ianto and reached up with rub his thumb along his cheek. “I hurt you so many times and yet you have always stood by me.”
Ianto reached up to hold Jack’s hand against his cheek as the other man pressed on.
“I love you, Ianto Jones, and I don’t deserve you but I really, really want to. I want to be the man you always saw me as. I’ve worked for a thousand years to be that man. I…”
“Jack, stop,” Ianto said firmly. When the other man opened his mouth to protest, Ianto swiftly leaned forward, pressing their lips together firmly as his tongue took advantage of the opening to slip in and lightly run along Jack’s palate. The old man groaned and moved his hands to hold Ianto’s face just so as he deepened the kiss.
Ianto felt his entire body heat up and wondered for a moment if the bonfire had spread or if Jack himself was the flame. He pulled back only once he felt like his insides were about to melt.
“Feel better?” he asked Jack gently. The other man nodded, his pupils wide despite the brightness of the fire. “Good,” Ianto continued, “because I have something to say and you, Jack Harkness, are going to listen, understand?” He waited until Jack nodded again.
“I love you, not because you’re my Captain nor because you saved me from the darkness more times than I can count, but because you are you. You are loyal and sarcastic and confident and you are so very, very frightened. You’ve lost everyone you love and yet you still love. You make the hard decisions so that no one else has to and still, despite all of that, you think you’re… What? Unworthy?” Ianto shook his head as he smiled fondly at Jack. “You can be a bloody idiot, Jack Harkness, but I love you none the less. We both have our own demons to deal with but the only person I want to be with through everything is you. Nothing is going to change that.”
Jack cocked his head for a moment, deep in thought.
“What if I told you that I went by Tom Jones in the Vegas galaxy for a couple decades?” he asked, his usual cocky smirk back in place.
“That, unfortunately, is completely unacceptable. Goodbye, Jack.” Ianto stood up as if to leave only to have Jack pull him back abruptly, causing him to tumble practically into the other man’s lap. Laughing gave way to more kissing and neither noticed the gentle whirring noise that accompanied the breeze blowing their hair about.
The sound of a man clearing his throat caused Jack to break away from his young lover and glance up.
“You’re timing still needs work,” he told the tall man standing in front of them. The other man merely shrugged as he rocked back and forth on his heels, a wide grin splitting his face. He felt Ianto shift in his arms to look up at the intruder.
“And you are?”
“This, Ianto Jones, is our ride.” Jack moved the younger man slightly so that he could stand up and then pulled him to his feet beside him. “All of time and space at our disposal. Where shall we go first?”
“I don’t care where and I don’t care when,” Ianto threaded his fingers through Jacks, “So long as they have coffee.”
THE END
Author: fluffygremlin
Characters: Jack and Ianto
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Russell T Davies and the BBC. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and no money is being made.
Notes: Based on the lovely radio play “House of the Dead”. Sixth and final part of what was supposed to be a one-shot.
Only Us
The humans who established a colony on Gliese 4 were intent on living a simple life by way of technology. Obsessed with ancient societies, they wanted a world where they could put beauty and mystique back at the forefront of their lives. The Gliesians were receptive to their mission, aiding them in developing a sprawling colony filled with fantastical machines. Some of the red men embraced the life the humans were striving for, embedding themselves in the society. Others chose to maintain their own lifestyle, farming the outlands and using their universally recognized skills as tailors to support themselves.
But the one thing that every humanoid on Gliese 4 agreed on was the Festival of the Brilliant Sun.
“They use the roots of one of the trees native to the planet,” Jack whispered into Ianto’s ear as the pair watched locals dance around a very large, very purple bonfire. “So much potassium chloride changes the color of the flame.”
“It’s beautiful,” Ianto said softly. The colors flickering amongst the flames blended into the colors cast by the setting sun. Orange and yellow and purple danced across everything and everyone. He shifted slightly so that he was pressed against Jack at shoulder, hip, and knee and smiled when the older man shifted as well so that he could rest his arm across Ianto’s shoulders.
“The Gliesians believe that the heat from the flames cleanse them of all of the negative emotions of the past year,” Jack continued. “Woman go to the flames to become more fertile and men go so they can father more sons. Widows come forward when they’re ready to end their mourning. Children to prove their ready to be adults. The faithful hope to chase away their demons.”
“And what about you, Jack? What do you want from the flames?” Ianto turned so he could watch the fire reflecting in the other man’s blue eyes. Jack stared into the flames for so long that Ianto thought perhaps he hadn’t heard him.
“Jack…” he reached out and rested a hand on Jack’s knee.
“My demons make me who I am.” Jack turned to face Ianto, his eyes reflecting the light of the fire like an animal. “I don’t want to forget them or I may forget myself. I need to remember that I have hurt a lot of people. I hurt you,” Jack finished in a whisper. He turned his body so that he was facing Ianto and reached up with rub his thumb along his cheek. “I hurt you so many times and yet you have always stood by me.”
Ianto reached up to hold Jack’s hand against his cheek as the other man pressed on.
“I love you, Ianto Jones, and I don’t deserve you but I really, really want to. I want to be the man you always saw me as. I’ve worked for a thousand years to be that man. I…”
“Jack, stop,” Ianto said firmly. When the other man opened his mouth to protest, Ianto swiftly leaned forward, pressing their lips together firmly as his tongue took advantage of the opening to slip in and lightly run along Jack’s palate. The old man groaned and moved his hands to hold Ianto’s face just so as he deepened the kiss.
Ianto felt his entire body heat up and wondered for a moment if the bonfire had spread or if Jack himself was the flame. He pulled back only once he felt like his insides were about to melt.
“Feel better?” he asked Jack gently. The other man nodded, his pupils wide despite the brightness of the fire. “Good,” Ianto continued, “because I have something to say and you, Jack Harkness, are going to listen, understand?” He waited until Jack nodded again.
“I love you, not because you’re my Captain nor because you saved me from the darkness more times than I can count, but because you are you. You are loyal and sarcastic and confident and you are so very, very frightened. You’ve lost everyone you love and yet you still love. You make the hard decisions so that no one else has to and still, despite all of that, you think you’re… What? Unworthy?” Ianto shook his head as he smiled fondly at Jack. “You can be a bloody idiot, Jack Harkness, but I love you none the less. We both have our own demons to deal with but the only person I want to be with through everything is you. Nothing is going to change that.”
Jack cocked his head for a moment, deep in thought.
“What if I told you that I went by Tom Jones in the Vegas galaxy for a couple decades?” he asked, his usual cocky smirk back in place.
“That, unfortunately, is completely unacceptable. Goodbye, Jack.” Ianto stood up as if to leave only to have Jack pull him back abruptly, causing him to tumble practically into the other man’s lap. Laughing gave way to more kissing and neither noticed the gentle whirring noise that accompanied the breeze blowing their hair about.
The sound of a man clearing his throat caused Jack to break away from his young lover and glance up.
“You’re timing still needs work,” he told the tall man standing in front of them. The other man merely shrugged as he rocked back and forth on his heels, a wide grin splitting his face. He felt Ianto shift in his arms to look up at the intruder.
“And you are?”
“This, Ianto Jones, is our ride.” Jack moved the younger man slightly so that he could stand up and then pulled him to his feet beside him. “All of time and space at our disposal. Where shall we go first?”
“I don’t care where and I don’t care when,” Ianto threaded his fingers through Jacks, “So long as they have coffee.”
THE END