Torchwood Fic: Time Enough, 10/13

[veronicaluv]

Chapter Nine

"Know what, Jack? You can be a broody, sulky bastard sometimes."

"Hey, you're not exactly Mister Sunshine and Sparkles all the time, either."

"At least I don't go stomping off to the nearest building above two stories to pout in front of the entire city."

"No, you hide out down in the archives like a five year old who's been sent to his room."

"I have legitimate work to do down there."

"Yeah, right. For all I know you're reading comic books by torchlight and eating Owen's Fig Newtons."

"Oi! Who's eating my Fig Newtons?"

"You don't consume food any more, Owen, so why does it matter?"

"It's the principal of the thing. Now, are you two fighting? Don't tell me the honeymoon's over already."

"Jack's sulking."

"Am not."

"You are sulking. Tell Owen why."

Jack unsnapped the holster from his belt and tossed it onto his desk, ignoring Ianto's pained wince as he turned to Owen with righteous indignation.

"Get this. I make plans to go weevil hunting with Ianto and guess what? Ianto actually wants to hunt weevils!"

Ianto sighed as he slid out of his suit coat. "I didn't want to go weevil hunting on our weevil hunt, but when they come up to the SUV and knock on the window, they're rather hard to ignore."

"We could've ignored him but no, you had to climb into the front seat and get the spray and did I mention that you kicked me in the-"

"If you'd have let go of my foot instead of putting your tongue-"

Owen threw up his hands. "Hold it, wait. Are you saying that the two of you use the term weevil hunting for shagging in the back seat of the SUV?"

Jack folded his arms over his chest and glared at Ianto. "Among other things."

"Oh, my God," Owen muttered, backing out of Jack's office. "That's very disturbing."

"Yeah, well," Jack flopped into his chair, "it's also frustrating as hell. Talk about ruining a moment. Getting naked in the back of a car isn't as easy as it sounds, you know."

"I'm not listening!" Owen sang as he continued on his way out of the office.

Ianto slouched against the railing, legs crossed at the ankles and tie at half-mast. "I think we offended him."

Jack shrugged. "He'll get over it. Meanwhile, you need to figure out a way to make it up to me."

Eyebrows raised in polite disbelief, Ianto replied, "And this was my fault how?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll figure it out eventually."

"What's wrong?"

"Hmm?" Jack picked up a random sheet of paper from his desk and examined it. "Nothing, why?"

"You've been distracted and moody all night."

Jack lowered the paper just enough to meet Ianto's eyes. "Not all night," he said with a wink.

"All right," Ianto conceded, "I did have a few moments of your attention before that weevil tried to make it a threesome. But beyond that, well, you're not all here. Is something bothering you?"

Jack sighed and tossed the paper aside. "I'm concerned about Gwen. She's getting involved in something that could hurt her very badly if I'm not careful."

Ianto pushed off from the rail, fingers at the knot of his tie. "If you're not careful? Is she in danger?" He slipped the knot loose and stripped the tie from his neck, draping it over the pile of requisition forms in Jack's in box.

"Not physical danger, no. But she's getting into things she shouldn't and I don't know how to stop her without telling her why."

Ianto sat on the edge of Jack's desk. "Maybe you could just tell her the truth."

"No way." Jack's tone left no room for argument. "Not gonna happen."

"Why not?"

Jack laid his hand on Ianto's thigh, stroking it idly. "She's asking about Flat Holm. She doesn't know she is, but that's what it's going to come down to if I can't figure out a way to divert her."

Flat Holm. Ianto knew very little about it himself, other than Jack had forbidden him to ever go out there. The only thing he was entrusted with was ordering supplies and arranging their delivery, but even then, Jack made sure that Ianto had no idea who was asking for the provisions since all communications came directly from Jack. It was one of the few Torchwood secrets that Ianto had never been able to uncover.

"Do you want me to-"

"No, I don't want you to do anything. Not a damn thing, you got that?"

Taken aback by Jack's vehemence, Ianto eyed him with curiosity. It wasn't like Jack to react so emotionally unless the stakes were unusually high. He gathered Jack's hand in his and laced their fingers together.

"Whatever it is that's out there, maybe it's time you let someone help you. Instead of shielding Gwen, perhaps you should let her find out what it is and decide for herself if this is something she wants to pursue. You know she's not going to let it go."

"She'll have to," Jack replied flatly. "And I don't need anyone's help."

"All right," Ianto agreed with a placid nod, "if you say so. In the meantime, she's going to need a reason to stop."

Jack rubbed his thumb across Ianto's knuckles and gave him a crooked smile. "I'll think of something. It'll be okay."

~~

It was far from okay.

"Seriously, Gwen. Practically. Tell me what we should do."

"We help those left behind."

Ianto slumped deeper into his chair, his gaze lowered as Gwen and Jack continued to face off over the conference room table. Beside him he could feel Toshiko's discomfort as two strong wills battled over something only Jack knew the truth about, and he was making it very obvious it was going to remain that way, despite Gwen's passionate request.

"Close this down."

Jack stood up and stomped away, leaving Gwen slack-mouthed with anger in his wake. Before he could think it through, Ianto rose to his feet, his aim to try and come to some kind of compromise that would defuse the situation. He sympathised with Gwen, knowing how hard it was to let go of something when you knew deep down inside that you could help, but his concern was for Jack and his almost desperate need to control the situation.

Following Jack down the corridor, Ianto paused and held out his hand to Gwen, silently asking her to be patient. "I'll talk to him."

He caught up with Jack, who'd stopped to wait for him, hands on his hips.

"You're not going to change my mind on this, Ianto."

Ianto nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets, aware of Gwen's hopeful eyes watching them. "Then you have to give her a reason why. She deserves to know."

Jack's lips tightened. "She also deserves to be protected. And I can't do that if she doesn't follow orders."

"You can't expect her to follow orders she doesn't understand, Jack."

"I expect her, and you for that matter, to defer to my experience, even if it doesn't make sense. I deserve that much."

"Then let me go to Flat Holm and find her answers for her. Then I can come back and-"

Jack cut him off, raising his hand, one finger extended to emphasise his point. "Forget it. You're not going out there for the same reason she can't know it even exists. This subject is closed."

Ianto watched as Jack stormed away, shooting one more admonishing look at Ianto before turning the corner. Biting his lip, Ianto turned back to Gwen in time to see her expression crumble, not needing any words from Ianto to tell her the outcome of their conversation. Then he saw her eyes harden, her resolve visibly strengthening, and he groaned inside. The subject was most definitely not closed.

~~

It didn't take him long to decide what to do. As much as he trusted Jack to make hard choices for his team, there had been an almost fanatical edge to Jack's refusal to cooperate with Gwen's investigation. Knowing he was courting Jack's wrath, Ianto chose to point Gwen in the direction of Flat Holm in the hope that she'd find her answers and beyond that, have the ability to handle whatever those answers turned out to be. It was a calculated risk, but in this situation, he didn't think Jack was being fair to any of them, especially himself.

But his guilt at thwarting Jack's orders made him uncomfortable, playing a large part in allowing Jack to coax him into a game of hide and seek in the Hub later that night. He'd refused to participate again after the last round a week earlier, when Jack had cheated so blatantly that Ianto had threatened to deny Jack's demand for victory sex on the roof of the Millennium Centre. But, since that would have punished them both, he'd graciously given in with a stern warning about cheating in the future. When Jack had suggested another game after everyone had left for the night, Ianto had acquiesced, much to Jack's surprised delight. Ianto only hoped that the happy gleam in Jack's eyes wouldn't be extinguished for too long once he'd learned what Ianto had done. Knowing that the damning GPS was sitting on Gwen's desk while they made love in the greenhouse was distracting, but Ianto was nothing if not good at multi-tasking.

And he was fully resigned to being found out, he just didn't know when. Whatever he felt about Jack's inability to make sound decisions regarding the little island, Ianto firmly believed that there was something truly horrible out there, something so chilling that Jack would risk the trust of his team to keep it a secret. If it turned out to be something that Gwen couldn't handle, Ianto knew he would have no one to blame but himself.

Judgement, when it came, was swift and thorough.

"Where are you?"

The peremptory tone barked in his ear as soon as he answered his mobile told Ianto more than words that Jack was angry and as far as Ianto knew, there could be only one reason.

"I'm just leaving the mayor's office and then I was going home. Why?"

"Get back here. We need to talk."

"Can't we talk at home?"

"Not about this."

The connexion was severed and Ianto rubbed his hand over his eyes. They had a strict though tacit policy not to discuss certain aspects of their work at home, since early on Ianto had bluntly informed Jack that once they crossed that threshold, there would be no captains, bosses, or butlers. Just Jack, and just Ianto, and at least in that small space, in those quiet hours, they would be equal. Jack's insistence on Ianto returning to the Hub was nothing less than fair warning that the next few hours were not going to be pleasant.

Jack was waiting for him as he descended from the tourist office and a quick glance around confirmed that it was just the two of them. Standing in the middle of the Hub's main floor, arms crossed tightly over his chest, Jack made no effort to conceal just how angry he was as he launched directly into his attack.

"What makes you think," Jack ground out between clenched teeth, "that you can substitute your judgement for mine, especially when the well-being of one of your own team members is at stake?"

Ianto met his gaze calmly, even though he was shaking inside. "I didn't see it that way."

"You didn't have all the facts."

"I didn't have any facts because you wouldn't share them. With any of us."

"Do not make this out to be my fault."

"There's no blame here. But maybe, if you'd trusted her-"

"I told you, I was trying to protect her! Not every secret needs to be told, Ianto! Now she's gone home in tears and I am having serious trust issues with you."

Ianto bowed his head in acceptance. He'd expected nothing less, but he stood by his decision and Jack needed to know that.

"I know, and I'm sorry. But you can't control everything, no matter how hard you try. We all follow your lead but sometimes that just isn't enough. We have brains, Jack, and we can't turn them off just because you wish it. Gwen was right, you allow us our special projects, things that touch us or capture our imagination, like Jonathan. If you take those away, then you'll kill everything about us that you cherish."

"It's not that easy." Jack flung out a hand toward the Rift manipulator. "It's my job to make sure that doesn't destroy us all and it's not made any easier when I have to ride herd on my own staff!"

"It's not just your job," Ianto pointed out. "We're all here for the same thing-or at least I thought we were, until you left us to follow the Doctor."

"Oh, really?" Jack's tone was thick with sarcasm. "And that's why you joined Torchwood Three, because your motives were so pure?"

"No, you know why I joined. And you fucking well know why I stayed. But that doesn't mean that any of us are less dedicated than you are. You can't have it both ways, Jack. If it's a group of passive followers or mindless drones you want, then you've seriously miscalculated your hiring abilities."

Jack stared at him and Ianto could tell that Jack was finally listening.

"I didn't want to deceive you," Ianto continued quietly, "and I'm sorry that you feel betrayed. But I hope you realise how much we all trust you. We just need to know that you trust us in return."

"I want to," Jack whispered, the fight visibly flowing out of him. He swallowed and raised his eyes above Ianto's head, up to the dark spaces where Myfanwy drifted lazily on a cool updraught. "But it's not easy letting any of you see my failures, either. And there're so damn many of them."

"And Flat Holm is a failure?"

"A spectacular one." Jack dug the palms of his hands into his eyes, giving them a slow, tired rub. "But that's my problem, not yours. And I intend on keeping it that way. Gwen is under orders not to tell anyone what she saw out there. Are we at least clear on that point?"

Ianto nodded, more than willing to let the subject drop. Whatever Gwen had found out there had been as bad as he'd feared, but knowing that now didn't change Ianto's mind about his choice. He stood there uncertainly, watching as Jack stared off into the middle distance, wondering what was going through his mind.

"Still mad at me?"

Jack's head jerked up, eyes narrowing as he looked back at Ianto. "Oh, yeah."

Ianto felt his heart sink. He didn't expect Jack to hold a grudge over this, but until Jack got around his anger, things were going to be tense.

"Is Gwen going to be all right?"

"Honestly? I don't know. She thought she was ready for it, she wasn't. She thought she could help and she couldn't. She's found something broken to care about and she can't fix it. This isn't like Jonathan, someone we can pull a couple strings for and get a scholarship and some counselling. This is nothing but destruction, pure and simple, and I wanted to spare Gwen the knowledge that there are some doors that shouldn't be opened and there's not a damn thing she can do about this one. Now she has to live with that. And you have to live with the fact that you provided the key to that door."

There was no accusation in Jack's tone, only regret, and that hurt Ianto more than anything. He knew that Jack was disappointed in him and he could deal with that, but the weary tilt of Jack's head told him that whatever secrets lived out at Flat Holm, they were secrets Jack had desperately needed to keep to himself.

"I'm sorry," Ianto repeated, "but given the lack of information, I'd have made the same choice." Jack shook his head and turned toward the stairs leading up to the greenhouse, his silent dismissal of Ianto obvious. Ianto waited until Jack had disappeared behind the curtain of greenery before walking toward the steps that led down to the archives. He'd planned a quiet dinner at home for the two of them, followed by an attempt to caulk the shower that had begun to leak. However, since home repair coupled with Jack stripped down to his white tee shirt often led to spontaneous sex on the nearest flat surface-or against the nearest wall-it had sounded like a lovely if not productive way to spend the evening.

Now Jack was upset and Ianto was at a loss. He had no intention of going home and waiting around for Jack to show up, especially since the odds were good that Jack wasn't going to come home at all. He glanced at his watch and saw that although it was early evening, he wasn't hungry and he assumed Jack wasn't either. Trudging down into the depths of the archives, he decided to make good use of this awkward span of time and sort through some recently found and supposedly harmless items that had yet to be properly organised.

He had a routine for time spent in the deeper reaches of the musty archives, the ritual giving a rhythm to his thoughts. The coat and tie were removed first, hung neatly on a hook near the entrance. Next, shirt cuffs were unbuttoned and folded back before his top two collar buttons were undone, revealing a hint of pristine white under shirt. Next, the iPod he kept strictly for this purpose was removed from its resting place in a lower drawer, the setting turned on shuffle before the unit was slipped into the pocket of his trousers. He tucked the small speakers into his ears and pulled on a set of thin latex gloves with a grimace, knowing he had a dirty, thankless evening ahead of him. The last thing he did was strip off his watch and set it aside, deliberately choosing to let loose the grip of time on this exercise and allow the hours to pass unnoticed.

He'd gone through most of the backlog and when his neck and shoulders began to ache, he turned to one of the items he'd set aside. There were no chairs in these rooms and every available surface was covered with tagged and catalogued items ready to be stored, so he spread a large piece of canvas out on the floor and sat down on it to begin parcelling out an intricate alien toy that Jack had described as a cross between a set of Russian nesting dolls and a jigsaw puzzle. Owen had taken it apart and when he couldn't put it back together again, he'd stuffed all the pieces into a box and handed it to Ianto with a muttered, half-sincere apology.

Ianto had just gotten all but the last two pieces fit back together when he realised Jack had entered the vaults. Even though his view of the entrance was blocked, the subtle shift of air currents and the delicate, beneath-the-skin warning system he'd developed since he and Jack had become lovers told him that he was no longer alone.

But it didn't tell him anything about Jack's mood, and so he stayed where he was, sitting cross-legged on the canvas behind a set of metal shelves, his back to the tile wall. It wasn't the most elegant position in which to converse with a furious employer, but as he disengaged the iPod and set it aside, he hoped that Jack was at least feeling a little less antagonistic toward him.

Jack sauntered around the the shelf, his blue shirt completely unbuttoned and his braces loose around his hips. His hands were thrust in his pockets and as he leaned a shoulder against the shelf, Ianto began to relax. He couldn't read Jack's expression, but the angry tint to the high cheekbones had faded.

Jack took in the messy room with an arched brow. "What are you doing down here?"

"Hiding like a five year old who's been sent to his room." Ianto set the alien toy aside and reached for his clipboard to make a notation.

"Ah, that rankled, did it?"

"Only in that it had a ring of truth to it." He looked up at Jack through his lashes and they shared a smile before Jack waved his hand at the piles of artefacts.

"Why didn't you go home? This could've waited."

Ianto turned his attention back to his clipboard. "I couldn't go home knowing you were upset and I didn't want to sit around wondering when or if you were going to show up."

"There are plenty of nights that I don't show up."

"True, but there aren't many that begin with you walking away from me because you're pissed off that I went against your orders. You're angry because of Torchwood, and I would rather not bring that into our home."

Jack regarded him silently for a few moments and Ianto began to feel uneasy. He was afraid that Jack was regretting his decision to share Ianto's ramshackle little house, that they had crossed a barrier into an intimate fantasy that should have been left alone.

"You know something?" Jack spoke softly and Ianto's apprehension deepened. "I have no idea what to do with you."

Ianto frowned up at him. "Sorry?"

Jack straightened and withdrew his hands from his pockets. "Scoot forward." When Ianto hesitated, he made a little shooing motion with his hand, indicating that Ianto needed to leave some space between his back and the wall. Once there was enough room, Jack sat down behind him, bracketing his legs around Ianto's hips and sliding his arms around Ianto's waist until Ianto was snug against his chest. In the face of such easily offered affection, Ianto felt his worries begin to fade.

"You were saying?" he prodded gently, fitting his head into the strong curve between Jack's shoulder and jaw.

"I was saying, I have no idea what to do with you. You are unlike anyone I've ever met."

Ianto ran his tongue over dry lips, uncertain where Jack was going with this. "I'm not sure you mean that as a good thing."

"I'm not sure that it is. At least not for me."

"Oh? Why not?"

Jack touched his mouth to Ianto's temple. "Because everything about you challenges me. Because you don't react the way I expect you to." His arms tightened. "And because of all the people I've ever lost in my life, I'm terrified that losing you may be the one loss that'll finally kill me inside."

The sorrow in Jack's voice caught at Ianto's heart more than the slowly whispered words. He never wanted to be a source of pain for Jack, even indirectly, but he had no idea how to respond to such a declaration.

"You've had so many losses," he whispered, nestling deeper into Jack's embrace, seeking comfort for them both. "All of them must seem unbearable."

"Is that what you think? That you'll just be one more person I'll mourn for the rest of my life?"

"I'm not an idiot, Jack. You care about me now-"

Jack exhaled sharply. "Yeah, care, okay. If it's easier for you to think of it that way, go ahead."

"Not easier, just practical."

"Trust me, Ianto, practicality has nothing to do with what's going to happen to me on the day you and I say goodbye."

"Jack-"

"Or the way I feel about you now." Jack stroked his hand along Ianto's jaw, guiding his head around until their lips met in a tender kiss. Ianto opened his mouth, welcoming the warm, wet presence of Jack's tongue as it gently tangled with his own. They kissed languorously, the hint of passion a silent promise to be fulfilled later that night.

The kiss broke and Ianto turned back into the curve of Jack's body as Jack's hand came up, drifting through Ianto's hair, rubbing lightly at his scalp. "It's always the same," Jack said. "I fool myself into believing that I have unlimited time to spend with someone I love. And no matter how prepared I think I am, it always comes as a shock. Why now, why them, why didn't we have more time together, what could I have done differently to make that time last. I go over and over it in my head, wondering if I'll ever be able to make it stop."

"Make what stop?"

"The caring. No, the loving. And all the regret that comes later."

"When you stop caring, you won't be Jack Harkness any more and I, for one, do not want to see that day."

"But I'm not so sure that isn't the answer." Jack shifted against the wall as he rested his joined his hands low on Ianto's belly. "Because I look at the four of you and I think, this is my team. This is my family. How can I let any of you go? For any reason? You saw what I did about Owen, and every day we still have him with us is a miracle. I think of Toshiko and her amazing abilities and I'm so proud of her and yet how selfish am I to keep her tied to Torchwood? And Gwen-Rhys is good for her, but what happens the day he asks her to chose between him and Torchwood? Will I be able to let her walk away? And having her find out the truth about the negative Rift spikes was just another reminder that I can't protect her, I can't protect any of you. You're all so fragile, so damn vulnerable, and I'd give anything to keep all of you safe, and yet I throw you all into harm's way again and again. How do I live with that?"

"It's not only your choice," Ianto argued gently. "This isn't a gulag, we're not here under duress. We've all chosen to be here except Tosh, and I think if you asked her, there's no place else she'd rather be, either."

"Which brings me to you, Ianto Jones. Isn't there some place you'd rather be?"

Ianto disentangled himself from Jack's arms and turned until he could see Jack's face. Jack still looked pale and tired, his usually bright eyes dimmed but steady as he regarded Ianto, waiting for his answer.

"No."

"No?" Jack leaned his head back against the tiles. "That's it, just no? No dreams of winning a million pounds and retiring to some beach in Brazil?"

Despite the flippant tone, Ianto could hear the thread of uncertainty in Jack's voice.

"No," he repeated patiently, "there is nowhere else I'd rather be and nothing else I'd rather be doing." Jack opened his mouth to reply but Ianto touched his finger to Jack's lips to forestall him. "We both know there's only one way I'll be leaving Torchwood."

Jack grabbed Ianto's wrist and yanked his hand away. "If that's what you really think, then I'm looking into beach front property tomorrow."

Ianto cupped Jack's cheek with his free hand, one corner of his mouth lifting upward. "That would only work if you came with me, and we know that isn't going to happen, and not only because you'd probably choose a nude beach."

Jack closed his eyes, leaning into Ianto's touch as something like pain creased his forehead. "Yeah, but wouldn't it be nice," he murmured, "to just be two normal guys for once?"

Ianto stroked Jack's cheek with his thumb. "You wouldn't recognize normal if it bit you on the arse. You'd enjoy it, but you definitely wouldn't recognize it."

Jack slid his hand over Ianto's and entwined their fingers, pulling away far enough to press a kiss to Ianto's palm. "You're not helping," he complained, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Sorry," Ianto shrugged and rose to his feet, "but you're asking impossible questions and I'm officially off the clock. Impossible questions are only answered during regular business hours."

He held out his hand and Jack gripped his forearm, levering himself upward. Once he was steady on his feet, Ianto placed his arms around Jack's waist and drew him into a firm embrace. Jack went easily, sliding his hands along Ianto's waist until they met in the small of his back as Ianto ran his hand into Jack's hair, guiding his head until the smooth surface of Jack's cheek rested against his own lightly bristled skin.

"Do you know," Ianto whispered, "that sometimes, when you're asleep in my arms, and we're safe in our bed, and we've had a good day and the kitchen sink drained properly and the universe didn't blow up and no one, including you, died, I actually feel happy. Even though I realise that the next day I'll be mopping up weevil vomit or hacking into public records to plant false obituaries, this is the life that I've chosen." He kissed the curve of Jack's jaw. "And for better or for worse, it's a life I've chosen to spend with you."

Ianto held his breath, uncertain how his heartfelt, prosaic declaration would be received. He didn't move until he felt a soft, moist exhalation of breath against his neck as Jack's arms tightened around him almost painfully. He tried to lift his cheek away from Jack's but Jack wouldn't allow him, pulling him impossibly closer with a broken sigh.

"So," Ianto murmured, "now that we have that sorted, are you ready to go home?"

He felt Jack's nod against his head and his own eyes fluttered closed in relief. Jack was heavy in his arms, his weight resting on Ianto, his warm breath gusting over Ianto's collar bone. They leaned into each other, Jack's lips warm on Ianto's neck, Ianto's hands caressing the length of Jack's back as they gave comfort and received it in equal measure.

Eventually, Jack shifted until his forehead rested against Ianto's.

"What would I do without you?" he murmured. He flashed a signature grin that Ianto felt compelled to kiss before replying.

"Not planning on having you find out any time soon."

"Is that a promise?" It was a nonsensical question deserving an equally nonsensical answer, but the plea behind it made Ianto swallow hard before replying.

"Of course."

Jack brushed his mouth against Ianto's. "Thank you."

"Part of the service, sir." Ianto brushed a strand of hair off Jack's forehead. "Let's go. There's food in if you're hungry."

Jack stole another kiss and grabbed Ianto's hand to lead him out of the archives. As they passed the threshold, Ianto snagged his coat and tie and tucked them beneath his arm before turning off the light.

"You know," Jack said with the air of someone telling a great secret, "there's this little planet I know where all the beaches are nude. It's actually considered obscene to wear clothing. You could get arrested."

"I'll assume your record there is spotless." The mobile in his pocket rang and Ianto stopped to fish it out. He read the caller I.D. and held up his hand, signalling Jack to stop. "Gwen, hallo."

"Is he still mad at you?" She sounded tired, her voice rough as though she had a cold.

"I don't know, let me ask." He looked over at Jack. "She wants to know if you're still angry with me."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Tell her yes, and I'm taking you home to punish you."

"Behold me terrified." Ianto nodded and spoke into the phone. "Yeah, we're good. We're just leaving for home. Are you all right?"

There was a soft sniffle. "I don't know, I guess so. Rhys is walking around on eggshells and the stupidest things are making me cry, but I'll get through it."

"Can you talk to Rhys about it?"

"I don't know, maybe eventually. I'm still trying to figure out what to do."

"Can I help?"

"Jack has made it painfully clear he'll string me up by my toes if I involve of any of you in this any further, so no, but thank you. And thank you for trusting me. I know it made things awkward between you and Jack."

Ianto glanced over at Jack, who made a show of looking at his watch. "Awkward is being caught by a co-worker in the greenhouse with your trousers wrapped around your ankles, so compared to that, everything else is easy."

He was rewarded with a sloppy, damp chuckle. "I'm so sorry about that, but you are rather cute when you're embarrassed."

"So I've been told. We'll see you in the morning?"

"Yes, goodnight. And tell Jack not to punish you too much, yeah? Or he'll answer to me."

"A formidable threat, I'll be sure to pass it on. Sleep well." He closed the phone and frowned at Jack. "Gwen says to be nice to me or else."

Jack's smile was wolfish as he gathered Ianto beneath his arm, shepherding him toward the exit.

"I'm going to be so nice to you that you won't remember what day it is until next week."

A frisson of heat slid its way down Ianto's spine and he felt the tips of his ears grow warm. The fact that they'd worked their way through an uncomfortable patch in their relationship intact made Ianto realise how far they'd come since the first anniversary of Canary Wharf, when easy sex had been nothing but a quick way to temporarily ease the pain of two lonely men.

Stopping in his tracks, he pulled out of Jack's embrace. At Jack's puzzled look, Ianto looked at the floor, then off to one side, trying to put his thoughts into words.

"Hello, anyone home?"

Ianto met Jack's amused eyes. "Jack, are we...?"

Jack waited a moment, then spread out his hands. "Are we...hungry? Horny? Are we...what, give me a clue here."

Slipping on his jacket, Ianto shrugged. "Never mind." He draped the tie around his shirt collar and made to move past Jack, but was prevented when Jack grabbed both ends of the tie and yanked Ianto close, bringing their mouths together in a possessive kiss before pressing his mouth to Ianto's ear.

"Are we? Yes, Ianto, we are. Always."

Ianto's heart twisted at the unlikely sentiment, impossible and beautiful though it was. "You can't promise that."

"Well, what do you know." A laugh of pure Jack Harkness tickled his cheek. "I just did."

Next

Also available in its entirety here: Time Enough