Between The Bars

by thepsychicclam

Summary:

New arrivals at the Hub cause tension for everybody, and slowly, Jack grows more and more distant. And Ianto tries to keep everything together.

 

Notes:

For series playlist, please visit: http://clammy-fic.livejournal.com/43965.html

Drink up with me now
And forget all about the pressure of days
Do what I say and I'll make you okay
And drive them away
The images stuck in your head

The people you you've been before
That you don't want around around anymore
That push and shove and won't bend to your will
I'll keep them still
madeleine peyroux - between the bars

The music floated across the sparse dance floor as Ianto watched the mysterious man approach Jack. He walked with an easy gait, his face split into a wide grin. The blonde on his arm looked around the Hub with interest, a thin blue line of smoke trailing behind her. The song changed, and Ianto almost missed his cue as he watched the Doctor – Ten – embrace Jack. Then Jack hugged the blonde and gave her a kiss, a surprisingly extended and passionate kiss which caused a flicker of jealousy in Ianto.

Since Owen was in one of the side rooms playing poker, Jack walked behind the bar and bent down, pulling a bottle from somewhere other than the regular shelf. He poured dark liquid into a teacup as the Doctor sat on a stool. Even from Ianto’s vantage on the stage, he could see the lavishness of their dress. The raccoon coat, which the Doctor still had on, was made with dark brown fur and fell all the way to the floor. His suit was well tailored. He took off his fedora and laid it on the counter beside him, revealing disheveled brown locks. The girl with him wore one of the fanciest flapper ensembles he’d ever seen. She was elegant, and though not traditionally beautiful, she had a magnetism that demanded attention.

By the time Ianto returned to the bar, Jack, the Doctor, and the girl had moved to one of the booths along the wall. Ianto could hear Jack laughing all the way across the room. When he glanced to the booth, he noticed that Jack had brought out of one of the really expensive bottles of whiskey for them to drink. And Jack no longer looked tense. He was talking to Ten animatedly, his hands flailing everywhere and his face expressive, and all three of them were laughing wildly. It was like they were the best of friends. As he inspected the Doctor more closely, he looked thin and unassuming with his glasses sliding down his narrow nose, attractive in a pretty sort of way. He didn’t look threatening at all.

“Do you know who that is?” Gwen asked, rushing behind the bar. She clutched Ianto’s arm and peered around him at the booth where Jack sat.

“The Doctor.”

“Not the man, silly. The woman.”

Ianto glanced over at the booth and looked at the blonde girl again. “No clue.”

“That’s Rose Tyler!”

“Who?”

Gwen stepped back, hand on her hip. “Don’t you know anything, Ianto? She is the Flapper. The Queen of the Flappers even! She is only the most stylish, most influential, most popular woman in all of New York. All of the society columns talk about her, where she’s going, what she’s wearing, and who she’s with. And she’s here!” Gwen jumped up and down, shrieking. “I can’t meet her in this!” She indicated her dress.

“What’s wrong with it?”

“It’s hideous! It’s old!”

“I think you look fine.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “I can’t meet Rose Tyler in this old thing. But I have to meet her. Can you imagine? Me? Carousing with Rose Tyler?” Gwen flitted off and Ianto shook his head.

Over the course of the night, everyone went over to introduce themselves to Jack’s guest. Tosh sat down with them and had drinks, and eventually Owen and Martha joined them. But by the time the Hub closed for the night and the last guests left, Jack was the only one left sitting with the Doctor and Rose. Unsure of what to do, Ianto headed towards the back exit after he wiped down the counter.

“Leaving without saying goodnight, Ianto?” Jack called after him. Ianto turned around and walked to the table nervously. He nodded at each of them. “Doctor, Rose, I’d like you to meet Ianto Jones. Bartender, assistant, and all around go-to man.”

“Hello,” Ianto said awkwardly.

“Oh, he’s cute,” Rose cooed, leaning towards Ianto. “I definitely approve, Jack.”

Ianto blushed. “Nice meeting you both.” He smiled and then turned towards Jack. “Good night, sir.”

“Night, Ianto.”

Jack turned back to the Doctor and Rose before Ianto had even left the table. Ianto tried not to let it get to him; it’s not that he and Jack could advertise their relationship. And Ianto really didn’t want to join them. But he didn’t expect Jack to remain with them after closing time, either.

He made his way above through the secret passage in Tosh’s dressing room. When he got into the flat, he undressed, washed up quickly, then crawled into bed. He read for a bit, waiting for Jack to get in, but eventually he was so tired that he couldn’t keep his eyes open. So, he curled up and fell asleep alone.

*

The bed shifted, and he opened his eyes just enough to see Jack slipping between the sheets beside him.

“Are you just getting in?” Ianto said sleepily, shifting closer to Jack as he settled into bed.

“Yes.”

“Time is it?” Ianto draped an arm across Jack’s torso, snuggling into Jack’s warmth as Jack wrapped his arms around him.

“Six.”

“Six?” Ianto exclaimed. “Why are you just getting in?”

“Been catching up.” Jack kissed Ianto’s lips lightly, and Ianto could smell the alcohol on his breath. “Go back to sleep.”

Ianto was too tired to ask Jack any of the million questions he had, and he quickly fell back to sleep.

*

The next day, Ianto stopped in front of Jack’s office door and rapped on it quickly. He waited for Jack to call out before entering.

“Just the face I wanted to see,” Jack said as Ianto stepped inside and closed the door behind him. Papers were scattered on the desk, books stacked along the edges, his shirtsleeves rolled up.

“Do you need me to do something?” Ianto asked.

Jack shook his head. “No. I just wanted to see you.” He set the papers on the desk and pushed his chair back, motioning Ianto closer. When Ianto approached, Jack reached forward and grabbed his tie, pulling him down for a kiss. Ianto sighed into his mouth, his lips soft and warm, his tongue slow inside his mouth. “How are you today?”

“Fine,” Ianto said, perching on the edge of the desk. Jack’s hand slid inside his trouser leg, rubbing his calf lightly. Ianto tried to keep his focus on Jack, not Jack’s fingers. “Did you get enough sleep?”

Jack shrugged. “You know me. I never sleep much.”

Ianto picked up some of the papers and skimmed over them. “What are you doing?”

“Too many things at one time.” Jack ran a hand across his face. “I’m trying to schedule pick up for a shipment of liquor coming in, there’s a guy Owen heard about who operates a distillery outside of town I want to check out, and I’m still looking for property for that foreign investor.”

“What can I do to help?”

Jack leaned forward between Ianto’s legs, wrapping his arms around Ianto’s waist. “I can think of a few things.”

“I meant in regards to the work.”

“This will definitely help my work.” Jack tugged Ianto’s shirt from his trousers, revealing a bit of skin, and kissed it. Ianto’s eyes fluttered shut as his fingers disappeared in Jack’s hair. Jack’s tongue licked along the waist of Ianto’s trousers, dipping into his bellybutton. Ianto could feel the front of his trousers tightening as Jack’s tongue teased him.

Finally, Jack stood up and attacked Ianto’s mouth, and in a flurry, they were tugging shirts out of trousers, unbuttoning, and pulling ties loose and braces off. Jack tossed Ianto’s vest somewhere behind him, and Ianto slid his hands underneath Jack’s undershirt to brush his thumbs across his nipples. Jack moaned and kissed him deeply before spinning him around and bending him over the desk.

“I’m going to mess up your papers,” Ianto said, looking at invoices, letters, and documents spread under him.

“Stand up,” Jack instructed, then knocked all the papers onto the floor.

“I’m going to have to clean that up, aren’t I?” Ianto mused, looking at the mess on the floor. But all that disappeared from his mind when Jack yanked his trousers and pants to his knees, and he felt Jack’s slick finger between his cheeks, the tip circling his opening slowly. A soft moan escaped Ianto’s lips as heat spread through his limbs. Jack’s other arm was around him, hand around his cock, and Ianto leaned all his weight against the desk as Jack slipped a finger inside him, his hand lightly pumping his cock.

“You were saying?” Jack said huskily against his ear, hint of amusement in his voice.

“Fuck the papers,” Ianto said as Jack pushed another finger inside, twisting and sliding and expanding, moans crossing Ianto’s lips more frequently.

“That’s more like it,” Jack said, pressing his fingers as far into Ianto as he could. Ianto could barely breathe, and he pushed back against Jack, needing to feel more or he was going to go insane. “Kiss me,” Jack whispered, and Ianto turned his head and captured Jack’s lips with his own. He snaked one hand behind him, fingers curling in the hair on the nape of Jack’s nape, as Jack removed his fingers. He pulled away for a moment, and Ianto heard the rustle of clothing, and then Jack nudged the tip of his cock against Ianto’s opening as he captured Ianto’s mouth in a kiss again, Ianto’s tongue searching for purchase as he waited.

Then Jack pushed past Ianto’s tight opening, Ianto pressing against Jack as he fully entered him. Ianto’s knees quivered, his entire body sagging against Jack’s arm and desk, and then Jack was inside him. Ianto broke the kiss as he gasped for air, sensation cascading through his body while he bent over the desk, bracing himself on the wooden surface as Jack gripped his hips and started thrusting inside him. Ianto’s hands clawed the smooth desktop, searching for something to hold on to, and he stretched his arms further to grip the edge of the desk.

“Turn around,” Jack instructed as he pulled out, and Ianto quickly obeyed, needing Jack inside him again. Jack gently guided Ianto back onto the desk and Ianto let Jack completely remove his trousers and pants. Ianto spread his legs as Jack settled between them, feeling silly sprawled out on the desk still wearing his shirt that was pushed open, his tie still around his neck and pushed over his shoulder. Jack was still fully clothed, but his braces were down, his shirt unbuttoned, and trousers pushed around his hips. But all that disappeared from Ianto’s head when Jack thrust inside him again. Ianto wrapped his legs around Jack’s waist, pulling him even closer. Jack leaned down, kissing Ianto, and Ianto touched every part of his face, hair, neck, and shoulders he could. Ianto slid one hand along Jack’s arm, finding his fingers and intertwining them. Jack squeezed his hand as his thrusts became rougher and quicker, and Jack’s other hand found its way between their bodies, his fingers circling around Ianto’s cock. His fist pumped an irregular rhythm as he pounded into Ianto, and then he stilled. Ianto contracted around Jack’s cock as Jack came, watched the way his face contorted and listened to the way his breath escaped his parted lips. When Jack finished, he didn’t move away as his fist quickly stroked Ianto’s cock, his cock still solid and filling Ianto. After Ianto came, Jack pulled out, then leaned down and licked a spot of come off Ianto’s stomach.

“God, you’re gorgeous,” Jack said when he stood back up, eyes raking appreciatively over Ianto spread across his desk as his nails scratched lightly along Ianto’s thighs.

Ianto stared up at Jack through heavy-lidded eyes, at Jack’s kiss swollen lips, bright eyes, the flush spreading across his neck and into the collar of his shirt, his hair mussed and sweaty, the hint of flesh between the rise of his shirt and his trousers. “You’re not so bad yourself.” Ianto leaned up on his elbows, reached out, and pulled Jack down into another kiss.

*

After they had cleaned themselves and dressed, Jack helped Ianto replace the scattered papers. Then Jack returned to his chair, and Ianto reoccupied the edge of the desk.

“Is it safe for me to sit here?” Ianto teased.

“I don’t know. I can’t be held responsible for anything that I do around you. I’m helpless to your charms.”

Ianto smiled. “I really want to help you with your work if I can.”

“If I can find the invoices, you can start cataloguing.” Jack shuffled through some of the papers on the desk. “Dammit, now I can’t find anything.”

“Your own fault, sir.” Jack glared at him, and Ianto smirked. “Besides, it’s not like you had a good system before you knocked everything off.”

“Maybe I should make you organize everything for me.” Jack picked up some papers, flipped through them, then set them back down.

“I think that would be a great idea. But you’d have it disorganized in less than a week.”

“Here,” Jack said, shoving papers into Ianto’s hands. “Stop being smug and go invoice.”

Ianto laughed and leaned down to kiss Jack. Jack slapped his ass as he walked away.

Half an hour later, Ianto finished the stack and set them on a side table, away from the mess on Jack’s desk. He sat back in the chair and silently watched Jack work. Jack was bent over papers, fountain pen poised between his fingers, his shoulders hunched as he intently read something, then moved that paper for another one. Ianto studied the slope of Jack’s nose, the strong jaw line, the prominent cheekbones. Jack’s elegant fingers deftly wrote something across one of the documents.

“Did you have fun last night?” Ianto finally asked.

Jack looked up from his work and nodded. “I did, actually. I haven’t seen the Doctor in years, and it’s been even longer since I’ve seen Rose.” He smiled.

“I thought that Ten was supposed to be so menacing and threatening. He looks like a good wind would blow him away.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” Jack said. “He’s a force to be reckoned with. You want to make sure you’re on the right side.”

“I thought you didn’t want him here.”

Jack hesitated. “I don’t, not really. But I also forgot how much I missed him. We were close for quite some time and got along famously. I spent quite a bit of time with him and Rose before I came to the states.”

“I am confused by this whole ordeal,” Ianto admitted. “Before, it was all ominous that Ten was coming. Now he’s your best friend.”

“Don’t be jealous, Ianto.”

“I’m not jealous. I’m confused.”

“It’s complicated.”

“I can keep up.”

Jack shook his head. “I promise, I’ll explain everything in due time. But now isn’t the time. I still don’t even know why he’s here. Maybe he’s just passing through and will be gone shortly.” Jack sighed and turned back to his work. “One can only hope.”

*

Ten didn’t appear at the Hub that night. Ianto couldn’t deny his relief. There was more to him and Jack, something awkward that Jack wasn’t telling him, but until Jack decided to divulge that information, there was nothing he could do.

When he returned to the bar after playing the piano for Tosh, he found Diane sitting on a stool.

“Hello, Diane,” he greeted her as he took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves.

“I enjoyed your set, Ianto,” she said, then took a puff from her cigarette. She was wearing her usual casual trousers.

“Don’t encourage him, doll,” Owen said, wiping a teacup.

“Don’t call me doll,” she said, exhaling a stream of smoke in Owen’s direction. “And I’ll compliment anyone I deem worth complimenting.”

“You need better taste in music,” he said.

“I could say the same thing for you,” she retorted. Ianto smirked.

A little after eleven, Jack came over to the bar and sat on a stool. “Diane,” he said, taking her hand and kissing it lightly, “looking as lovely as ever.”

“Jack.” She smiled, cigarette burning between her fingers.

He turned towards Owen and Ianto. “I’ve got some urgent business tonight. Owen, do you want to accompany me, or,” he paused, glancing at Diane, “would you like to stay and mind the Hub?”

“I think I’ll stay back this time,” Owen answered.

Jack nodded. “I’m taking Ianto and Rhys with me. Gwen can help with drinks, and Mickey can mind the door.” Owen nodded and Jack turned to Ianto. “Go get Mickey and meet me out back in five minutes.”

Ianto went into the kitchen where Mickey was washing dishes. “Hey Mickey,” he said as Mickey turned towards him, “Jack said he wants you to watch the door for the rest of the night. Rhys and I have some business to take care of with him.”

“He’s letting me out of the kitchen?” Mickey yanked his hands out of the water, slinging suds across the room. Ianto brushed a bubble from his vest. “That’s the second time this week!”

“You must be making an impression,” Ianto said. “Just make sure to help Owen if he needs it.”

Then, Ianto went to find Gwen, Tosh, and Martha.

“Do I need to worry?” Gwen asked.

“I don’t think so,” Ianto said. “I think we’re just bringing in a shipment. Nothing too dangerous. He’s even leaving Owen here.”

“Be careful,” Tosh said.

“Keep Rhys safe,” Gwen said.

“I’ll do my best.”

He left the girls and walked towards the back of the Hub, up through a secret passage, through a small hallway before stepping out the back door. He found Jack and Rhys waiting for him beside a lorry.

“Ianto, you and Rhys will be riding in the back,” Jack instructed as he walked around to the back and opened the rear door.

“Great. First class travel,” Ianto muttered as he climbed into the truck. Jack slapped his ass as he crawled inside.

“Stop complaining,” Jack said as Rhys climbed in behind Ianto. “It shouldn’t take that long to get to the marina in Brooklyn. Just hold on.”

Rhys pulled the door shut as Jack went around front. Ianto looked around the small cargo hold. There were a few boxes stacked neatly, and he moved a few around so he could sit. Rhys opened one of the boxes and peered inside.

“Ooh!” Rhys exclaimed, digging inside and pulling out an apple. “Free food!”

“Are you serious?”

“It’s the small things, mate.” Rhys plopped down on a box and bit into the apple.

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Yes, apples do make riding in the back of a lorry bearable.”

He firmly planted his feet onto the floor as he tried to keep from falling over while Jack drove the truck through the streets of New York. Brooklyn wasn’t terribly far, but it felt three times as long being tossed around the back of the lorry. Rhys didn’t seem to mind. He ate three apples during the trip. When the truck finally stopped and the engine shut off, Ianto nearly wept from joy.

The lock clicked and then Jack raised the door, and Ianto ran and jumped down. “Beautiful ground,” he said, walking around on unsteady legs.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Rhys said as he climbed down.

“Just because you were more concerned with the apples than anything else.”

“What can I say? I’m easily pleased.”

Ianto looked out at the dark water. The spring air was cool coming off the water, the waves making soft sounds against the boats and docks. Jack led them out onto the dock, to the very end where a large motorboat was parked. He climbed inside first, then Rhys. Ianto looked at the rocking boat, unsure.

“What?” Jack asked, looking up at him with concern.

“That doesn’t look very steady.” Ianto watched as the boat rocked with the undulations in the water, and every time he thought he could put his foot on the side and step aboard, it moved again.

“It’s perfectly safe,” Jack said. He held out a hand. “I’m right here. Come on, I got you.” Ianto eyed the boat warily again, but trusting Jack, he took his hand and carefully stepped on the side, then placed his feet on the floor of the boat. “See?” Jack said, sliding an arm around Ianto’s waist, “No problem.” He quickly kissed Ianto, then sat in the driver’s seat. He cranked the boat, then backed it away from the dock. Ianto sat across from Jack, clutching the side of the boat nervously.

“Why so nervous, Ianto?” Rhys asked, completely at ease.

“I’ve never been on a boat this small.” Ianto looked into the dark water around him.

“You look terrified.” Rhys laughed.

“I think I am terrified.” The boat lurched, and Ianto tried not to scream.

“It’s fine, Ianto,” Jack said reassuringly. “This is one of the best powerboats one can buy, and I’ve been driving them for years.” He moved some levers and knobs, and the boat gained speed as it went further into the dark nothingness. “We’ve got to go out of Lower New York Bay a bit,” Jack explained, “and further into the ocean.”

“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” Ianto said.

“Just try to relax and enjoy the ride,” Jack said, reaching over and grabbing Ianto’s hand. “It’s an easy pick up.” He gave Ianto’s hand one final squeeze before replacing it on the steering wheel.

The longer they sped along the water, the less nervous Ianto became. The dark emptiness around them was a bit disconcerting, but Jack was adept behind the wheel, and soon, Ianto found he was actually enjoying himself.

After about an hour, they approached a long cargo steamer. A man tossed a rope to them, and Rhys grabbed it as the man on the boat pulled them close.

“Captain Jack Harkness?” another man called out.

“I’m Jack Harkness,” Jack answered. “Bernie Harris?”

“Yes,” Harris said. Jack grabbed the metal ladder as one of the shipmen tied the boats together. Ianto followed him aboard the other ship while Rhys stayed behind. “I’m sorry we had to meet this way. I don’t like to dock in American ports if I can help it.”

“Understandable,” Jack said, extending his hand and shaking the other man’s. “Is the shipment ready for transport?”

“Yes.” Harris called out to some of his crew, and they moved a system of pulleys and ropes and Ianto saw large crates being lowered onto the boat.

“Will the boat stay afloat?” Ianto whispered to Jack.

He nodded. “It can hold a lot of weight.” For the next half hour, Ianto watched as the crew lowered crates onto the boat while Rhys made sure they were secure. The entire time, Jack talked to the ship’s captain and first mate. Ianto was pretty sure that Jack was flirting with the first mate. When Ianto glanced at them, he didn’t really think either man was attractive, but then again, that usually didn’t stop Jack. Turning his attention back to the water, Ianto hadn’t realized just how large the motorboat was, and he was shocked by how many crates of liquor they could stack. When the final set of crates was on board, he waited beside Jack, making sure nothing went awry. But the captain was nice, shook Jack and Ianto’s hands, and promised to stop by the speakeasy if he was ever in the city. Then, Jack and Ianto got back into their boat and left.

“See?” Jack said after they were quite a ways from the cargo ship, “easy. Nothing to worry about.”

“Easy now. But we’ve got to unload these crates onto the lorry,” Ianto said, eyeing the large crates wearily. “It’s going to be a long night.”

*

With the three of them unloading the motorboat, it didn’t take terribly long to complete. The worst part, or so Ianto thought, was carrying the heavy crates from the dock to the lorry. He worried that they would get caught as they transported the crates, but Jack assured him that Andy had made sure no cop would randomly show up while they were there.

After the liquor was in the back of the lorry, they arranged the boxes of apples in front of the crates just in case they got stopped. Then, Ianto and Rhys took their earlier seats on the boxes and Ianto held on tightly as the truck jostled him along the streets of New York. Rhys dug into the boxes of apples again.

By the time they had unloaded the crates into the Hub, it was after four. Ianto’s entire body ached, and Rhys and Jack looked just as exhausted. When Jack and Ianto finally made it upstairs, they both quickly disrobed and crawled into bed, barely able to move.

“I’m going to feel this tomorrow,” Jack said, shifting his shoulders gingerly.

“We both should go soak in a hot bath,” Ianto said, “but I’m too bloody tired.”

“Poor baby,” Jack said, draping an arm around Ianto’s waist and snuggling closer to him. He dragged his nose along Ianto’s shoulder and up the side of his neck. A chill rippled through Ianto’s body, and when Jack pressed his soft lips behind his ear, Ianto shivered. “I’ll just have to make sure to take extra good care of you,” he whispered, skin tingling where Jack’s lips brushed against his ear.

“I think you may need a bit more care than me,” Ianto said, rolling onto his side. Jack’s face was so close he could only see his eyes, and he stroked a hand down his cheek. “You don’t get nearly as much exercise as I do.”

Jack laughed and pushed Ianto away playfully. “Bastard.”

“I do believe I’ll let Owen take those crates down into the cellar tomorrow,” Ianto said, fingers trailing along Jack’s side. “That’s what he gets for staying behind and leaving us to do all the work tonight.”

“It’s only fair,” Jack agreed. “I did hire Mickey to be the bar back. Perhaps he should do more than just wash dishes.”

Ianto nodded, and Jack leaned forward, placing a light kiss on Ianto’s lips before gripping his head and deepening the kiss, parting his lips as his tongue invaded Ianto’s mouth. Ianto eagerly kissed him back even though he was completely exhausted. But Jack’s hands stayed above the blankets, fluttering all over Ianto’s face, neck, arms as his lips pressed against Ianto’s, his tongue lazily swirling inside Ianto’s mouth. Ianto felt himself quickly melting into Jack’s touch, Jack’s mouth. He couldn’t remember the last time they had done this, just touched each other and kissed, without any further sexual motive. Not that Ianto minded that, not at all, but there was something simple, something intimate in just lying there, pressed skin to skin, kissing.

Jack gently pushed Ianto onto his back, then started dropping kisses on his cheek, neck, across his collarbone, on his chest. Small kisses, light as air, almost not even there. Ianto’s skin tingled each place Jack’s lips ghosted across, sensations that coursed through his veins to his fingertips clouded his brain. His fingers slid up and down Jack’s back until he was tugging Jack up, his body too sensitive from his lips, and he wanted to return the favor.

Jack’s mouth pressed against his again, and his lips felt electric, a static of tingling as Jack kissed him. Ianto rolled Jack over, palms flat against his warm chest, and Jack moaned a bit as Ianto licked behind his ear, then pulled the lobe gently between his teeth. Jack’s hands were sliding along Ianto’s back, lower and lower until his palms cupped Ianto’s ass, rubbing the flesh almost absently. Ianto trailed open-mouthed kisses down Jack’s neck, his chest, leaving wet kisses behind.

Although he wanted to keep it about the kissing, focused just on their mouths, he couldn’t ignore Jack’s erection pressing into his hip or his own aching cock between his legs. He glided his hand down Jack’s torso, fingers skimming lightly against Jack’s skin, and he could feel Jack shudder beneath his hands. As his hand moved lower, Ianto kissed his way to Jack’s mouth, covering the damp, flush lips as his hand cupped Jack’s balls in his palm. Jack moaned into his mouth as Ianto softly rolled the sack with his fingers. Jack’s kiss began to lose focus, becoming sloppier, his legs falling open even farther the longer Ianto massaged his testicles in his hand.

“God, Ianto,” Jack breathed into his mouth, his hips rising slightly off the bed. He turned his face to the side and inhaled deeply as Ianto covered a pulse point with his mouth. Jack’s fingers slipped into Ianto’s hair, and he felt Jack scratching at his scalp as he bit and laved the spot on his neck. “You’re going to drive me completely insane.”

“Mmm,” Ianto hummed against his skin, squeezing Jack’s balls a bit. Jack’s hips jerked, and he made a soft whining sound in the back of his throat. It was a sound Jack didn’t make very often, so Ianto grazed his teeth along Jack’s neck and rolled the balls around in his hand a bit more quickly. Just as he hoped, Jack made the sound again, which went straight to Ianto’s cock. “What do you want?” Ianto whispered, then took the lobe of Jack’s ear between his teeth.

“You. Anything,” Jack said, his voice deep and barely audible. It was quite possibly the sexiest thing Ianto had ever heard.

Without taking his hand off Jack’s testicles, he flung the blankets off them with his other arm and then moved down, lying down between Jack’s open legs. Jack leaned up on his elbows, his face a mixture of gratitude and desire. Ianto liked the way he’d gotten Jack so worked up, because usually it was the other way around. Jack was always horny, and he spent so much time touching Ianto and showing him new things. Ianto liked that Jack was the one making sounds, Jack the one in his hands, pushing his hips wantonly in his touch.

Ianto bent closer to Jack’s cock, so near that he could see the delicate veins underneath the skin, but not close enough to touch. He exhaled, his breath blowing against the shaft, and it twitched as Jack’s leg trembled.

“Ianto, please,” Jack said from above him, and Ianto looked up at Jack then, his eyes boring intensely down at him. He shifted his hips so his cock nudged against Ianto’s cheek, and just that contact caused Jack’s eyes to flutter shut momentarily. Making Jack wait and drawing the whole thing out crossed Ianto’s mind, but Jack’s cock was so hard, so red, that he wasn’t sure just how long he’d last. Plus, his own cock was aching underneath him, and it was nearly five a.m. So, still rolling Jack’s balls around in his palm, Ianto slid his lips around the head of Jack’s cock. “Fuck, yes, thank you,” Jack said, his hips thrusting upwards in Ianto’s mouth, catching him off guard. Ianto wrapped his fingers around the shaft as his mouth slid along it, his other hand squeezing Jack’s balls gently, and within moments, Jack was shouting and coming, his cock twitching inside his mouth. Ianto massaged Jack’s balls as he came, swallowing as much as he could as Jack bucked into his mouth, causing a bit of come to dribble out of his mouth. Finally, Jack finished, his cock still twitching a bit in Ianto’s mouth as he swallowed the last bit down. Then, Ianto let Jack fall from his lips and immediately covered Jack’s mouth with his own. “A bit messy,” Jack managed to get out as he licked at the corners of Ianto’s mouth.

Ianto settled against Jack’s side as Jack tried to regain control over his breathing. He was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, a pink flush covering his chest and cheeks. Although he was trying to be patient while Jack gathered his wits, Ianto was barely containing his own arousal. Unconsciously, he began rubbing his cock against Jack’s side.

“I get the hint,” Jack said, chuckling. “You have to give me time to recover. I’m not as young as I used to be.” Jack pushed himself up on his elbows and kissed Ianto again. “And fuck, Ianto. That was beautiful. You’re beautiful.”

Ianto smiled. Jack took another deep breath, then pushed Ianto over onto his back. Although Ianto was already painfully hard, Jack took his time, placing kisses across Ianto’s warm skin, running his hands along his sides, across his sensitive belly, down the inside of his thighs. Every place Jack touched tingled, tiny explosions across his skin. Then Jack reached into the drawer beside him and pulled out the small jar of lubricant, and Ianto pushed himself up on his elbows as he watched Jack make a show of slicking his two fingers. Ianto’s cock twitched in anticipation.

As Jack set the jar on the nightstand, Ianto spread his legs even further, and Jack lay on his stomach and lifted Ianto’s legs, hooking them over his shoulders. Jack turned his head to the right and kissed the inside of his thigh, then circled the slick tip of his finger around Ianto’s opening, causing him to shudder. Jack teased his entrance, just circling around the opening without pressing inside. The sensation went straight to Ianto’s cock, but was like an itch he couldn’t scratch, a slow, light build that pushed him just to the edge. He grunted in frustration, and Jack just smiled.

“Payback,” Jack said, a bit too smug, Ianto thought. But that thought soon disappeared when Jack slipped one digit inside; Ianto’s breath caught in his chest as he tensed, and for a moment he forgot to breathe. But then he exhaled and Jack finished sliding the finger inside, and Ianto fell back onto the bed, his eyes closing. Jack slid the finger in and out slowly - too slowly - and Ianto wasn’t sure how long he could handle this. His cock ached to be touched, yet Jack still hadn’t touched it, and all the sensation was pooling deep in his belly, his desire throbbing inside him. Then Jack slid a second finger inside him, and he moaned in appreciation, unable to form words since his brain was mush. Jack twisted inside him, working in and out, fucking him with his fingers until Ianto’s entire body was on fire from the tips of his toes to the top of his head.

Then, to Ianto’s surprise, Jack took his cock in his mouth, and it was so wet, so warm, his tongue so soft and light circling his head, Jack’s fingers still deep inside him, that he moaned and came hard. Jack’s mouth surrounded his cock, sucking, his fingers sliding quickly inside him as he rode out his orgasm. When he finished, his entire body was so sensitive that just having Jack remove his fingers was a bit too much and caused him to make an embarrassing noise in his throat.

“Ssh,” Jack said, crawling up beside Ianto and kissing him lightly. “It’s okay.”

Ianto felt raw and spent, and he snuggled into Jack’s warm arms. Jack kissed the top of his head and wrapped his arms around him tightly.

“I don’t think I have a single ounce of energy left,” Ianto said, mouth barely forming words.

“Go to sleep now,” Jack whispered against his head.

“You go to sleep,” Ianto retorted.

He heard Jack chuckle against his ear, felt the vibration against his cheek. “I love you, Ianto,” he whispered.

“I love you, too, Jack.” Ianto turned his head and placed a kiss on Jack’s chest. “Good night.”

*

When Ianto woke up, he felt like he’d been hit by a train. His arms and shoulders were extremely sore, and moving made everything hurt. He was really tempted just to lay in bed all day. And he may have done just that if Jack wouldn’t have come in later that afternoon, after Ianto had fallen back to sleep.

“Are you still asleep?” Jack asked, pulling the curtains back and causing bright light to flood the room. Ianto pulled the covers over his head.

“Go away, you chipper bastard.”

“Ouch. Not your best morning.” Jack dropped onto the bed beside him, causing him to bounce slightly. Then, Jack tugged the blankets down just enough to see Ianto’s eyes. Ianto glared at him. “You know it’s the afternoon.”

“Don’t fucking care.” Ianto pulled the blanket underneath his chin so he could talk. “It’s your fault I never get into bed until dawn.”

“If memory serves, last night it was your hand on my balls that got us distracted.”

Ianto felt himself blushing as Jack raised an eyebrow. “You kissed me first. That’s always dangerous.”

Jack looked off into space, thinking. “We share the blame.”

“Fine.”

“You need to get dressed. I brought you lunch, and then we have to go uptown.”

Reluctantly, Ianto pushed the blankets down and rolled onto his back, stretching. Jack reached over and scratched his stomach, and Ianto slapped his hand away. “Where are we going?”

“The Doctor’s flat. He ordered some of the liquor we got in last night. We’re going to deliver it to him.”

Ianto groaned and then got out of bed. “Do I have to carry crates?”

“He has men that will do it for us.” Jack watched Ianto with interest as he walked around the flat naked, looking for clothes to put on before he sat down to eat.

“Then why are we going?” He found a pair of Jack’s pajama bottoms and slipped them on.

“I’m delivering it, and I thought you’d like to go with me.”

“Is Owen stacking the inventory today?” he asked, unwrapping the sandwich Jack had brought him.

Jack shook his head. “Nope. He got Mickey to do it.”

“That rat bastard!” Ianto exclaimed.

Jack just laughed.

*

The Doctor was staying at 859 Fifth Avenue, a seventeen story luxury apartment building on the Upper East Side. The building was newly built and faced Central Park. Jack drove the car uptown and handed the keys to the valet waiting outside when they arrived. Ianto watched the car apprehensively as the valet drove it towards the parking garage; the cases of liquor were stored in the luggage compartment beneath the rumble seat.

The foyer of the building was even grander than the apartment buildings and hotels belonging to high society clients he’d visited with Jack. Every surface was covered with marble and deep mahoganies. Ianto followed Jack to the elevator, and the attendant smiled politely at them. Jack shot him his usual wide, flirty grin. Immediately, the attendant started making small talk with Jack and flirting, which annoyed Ianto immensely.

At the seventeenth floor, they stepped out into an entryway. Ianto looked around, the layout of the floor confusing.

“Which one is the Doctor’s?” he asked.

“All of them,” Jack answered, walking down the hall and around a corner. “This whole floor belongs to him.”

Ianto stopped and gawked. “The whole floor? That’s got to be…” he paused, and Jack turned around. “Bigger than the theater.”

“It’s twenty five rooms.”

“Who needs that much space?” Ianto exclaimed.

“He always has the best of everything,” Jack explained.

“It’s excessive,” Ianto said, striding down the hall to join Jack. “I don’t want to think about how much this costs.”

Jack lowered his voice. “Thirty thousand a month.”

Ianto’s mouth dropped open. “You’re kidding.”

“I never joke about real estate.” He stopped in front of a door and knocked. “Stop looking around in wonder. We’re supposed to be here on business,” Jack admonished gently. Ianto felt a bit embarrassed, but Jack followed his words with a quick peck on Ianto’s cheek.

The door was opened by an unfamiliar man who looked like a butler, and he led them through what Ianto guessed was the living room and into a drawing room. Without a word, he exited through a side door, leaving them alone. Jack sat down in a chair, and Ianto stood uncomfortably against the wall. He was pretty sure he was supposed to be playing the role of Jack’s assistant.

A few minutes later, another door opened and Rose entered, wearing a long silk robe tied around her waist, her hair perfectly curled, a cigarette holder between her fingers.

“Jack!” she cried as she crossed the room. “How lovely to see you.” Jack stood and embraced her, kissing both her cheeks.

“Rose, you look beautiful as ever.”

“Oh, Jack, you’re just saying that because I’m in nothing but my robe,” she teased, slapping his arm gently.

“You know me well,” he answered with a cheeky grin.

“Ianto,” Rose said, turning away from Jack and motioning him forward. “You mustn’t stand in the corner like you’re trying to disappear.”

“He tends to stay out of the spotlight,” Jack said with a smile.

“Nonsense. Come over here. I demand it.” She waited obstinately with her hand on her hip. Ianto looked at Jack, who was smirking, then joined Rose. “Much better.” She brushed her hands over his shoulders, then slid her fingers underneath his lapels. Ianto watched the cigarette holder closely, hoping she didn’t burn a hole in the fabric. “You are far too much a sheik to be on the periphery. Come, sit beside me on the chaise.”

Jack laughed as Rose led Ianto over to the chaise lounge by his jacket.

“Where’s the Doctor?” Jack asked, reclaiming his seat.

“He’ll be out in a few minutes. I’ve asked the maid to bring tea and biscuits into the gallery when he’s ready. She does make the most delicious lemon ones.”

Ianto sat silently beside Rose as she and Jack chatted. Her hands never left his person; she stroked his shoulder, his arm, held his hand. He didn’t mind Rose; actually, she was quite pleasant. But he was unused to being touched so much, especially by a complete stranger. Jack looked like he was enjoying himself immensely.

It wasn’t long before the butler entered and announced that the Doctor would see them now. They walked through the same door Rose had entered through earlier, into a gallery. Two French doors lined the outer wall, which opened onto a balcony overlooking Central Park. Brocade drapes framed the doors and the walls were painted in white with gold accents. The floor was covered in thick, plush rugs in rich hues.
A large crystal chandelier hung over a long table of dark cherry wood at which the Doctor sat. He was wearing a brown lounge suit and reading the paper.

He stood up when they entered, and Rose immediately walked over to him. “Darling!” Rose kissed the Doctor and took a chair on the other side of the table. “We thought you’d never grace us with your presence.”

“Ah yes,” the Doctor said, waiting until Jack took the seat to his left to be seated. Ianto stood against the wall behind Jack. “Business.” He shoved the newspapers away with disgust. “Five different newspapers, and nothing but rubbish, complete yellow journalism. Can’t believe a word you read.”

“Oh, no. Don’t start this again,” Rose said, lighting another cigarette. “We have guests.”

The Doctor ignored her. “Do you realize the state the world’s in? Just look at this city.”

“Here we go,” Rose muttered.

“Prohibition has completely fucked the country. There’s more crime than before, and the dry side’s calling the wets Bolsheviks and the wets are doing the same to the drys. Meanwhile, the Bolsheviks are gaining power in Russia. And everyone is calling everyone else a communist when their own political practices are hardly any better than the communists they are so terrified of!” The Doctor banged his hand on the table. “If anyone has a different opinion, they’re an anarchist. I think the governments need to learn the difference between an anarchist and a revolutionary. There are people who demand radical reform to fix the problems plaguing not only the US government, but the British one as well! And just look at the massive amount of unemployment since the war – “

“Doctor,” Rose cut in, “please don’t regale Jack with your political manifesto. I’m sure he doesn’t care.” She turned to Jack and smiled apologetically. “He gets so passionate about his causes. He yearns to lead the revolution and fix all the world’s problems.”

“That’s exactly what we need, a revolution, but not revolutions that help no one but the rich. A real war on the bastards in power keeping us from living with the basic civil liberties that should be afforded every human being!” He glanced at Rose, who was shaking her head. “But there’s no need for that talk today.” The butler entered the room, and began serving them tea and biscuits. Ianto passed on the tea, but took two of the biscuits when the butler walked over to where he stood. “I trust your delivery of my order caused no trouble.”

Jack swallowed a sip of tea. “Not at all. But there’s still the question of how to have it brought up. Currently it’s sitting in my car, which the valet parked when we arrived.”

“Jefferson,” the Doctor directed at the butler, “have Toby and Danny go down to Captain Harkness’s automobile and retrieve the cargo stored there.” Jefferson nodded and silently disappeared. “They’ll have no trouble bringing up the crates.”

“Good.”

“Although this is a rather pleasant social visit, I do need to talk business with you, Jack.”

Rose stood up. “I believe that is my cue to leave.” She stubbed her cigarette out in the ashtray on the table. “Ianto, would you like a tour of our little flat?”

“Would love it,” Ianto answered, though he was sure that little wasn’t the correct descriptor. Rose walked towards a door near Ianto, and he followed her through, leaving Jack and the Doctor to talk.

*

The songs he’d chosen for that night’s set were slow and sultry. He’d been singing upbeat numbers for over a week, and he was bored with them. He wanted to hear the soft sounds of the trumpets, get lost in the slow rhythm of the percussion, feel the soulful piano rising through his feet. He swayed, the metal microphone stand cool in his hand. The couples below held on to one another, losing themselves in Ianto’s smoky vocals.

He hadn’t seen Jack since the Hub opened. He was a bit curious where he was because he hadn’t missed a night at the speakeasy in months. Knowing Jack, he could be anywhere; Ianto instead focused on his singing.

Later, back behind the bar, he was mixing a drink when Gwen came over to him.

“You went to Rose Tyler’s flat today, didn’t you? Didn’t you?” She tapped her foot, her hand on her hip, and looked cross, but the large pink feather headband softened the effect.

“Yes. Why?” He slid the teacup across the bar, smiling at the patron.

“How could you go without me?” she whined. “What was it like? Was it simply perfect? I bet it was the bee’s knees. Better than the bee’s knees.”

“It was impressive,” Ianto admitted. “I’ve never seen anything so large. And the furniture and decorations? Cost more than I’ll make in my entire lifetime.”

“I’m so jealous,” Gwen said, crossing her arms petulantly. “You’ll have to take me there with you sometime. If I don’t get to see it, I’ll just die.”

“You need to talk to Jack,” Ianto said. “It’s not like the Doctor has even spoken to me. I spent most of the afternoon with Rose.” He knew that was the wrong thing to say when he did. Gwen looked absolutely jealous.

“See? You have to introduce me to her. Imagine it, me! With the Queen of the Flappers!” Gwen shook her head, then leaned closer. “Speaking of Jack, where is he? I haven’t seen him tonight.”

Ianto shrugged. “I don’t know actually. He didn’t say he was going anywhere.”

Gwen smiled. “Oh well. He’s missing quite a night. The dance floor is packed. I may have to slip in there and cut a rug before long.” With that, she disappeared back into the crowd.

When both he and Owen got a break, Ianto asked, “How are things with Diane?”

“What do you mean?”

Ianto looked at him in confusion. “I mean just that. How are things with Diane?”

“Fine. Thanks for prying.”

“I’m not prying,” Ianto replied, exasperated. “I’m honestly curious. I like her, and you seem happier when she’s around. She’s a miracle worker.”

“Such a comedian,” Owen retorted. “We’re great. She’s different than everyone here.”

“Not a criminal?” Ianto joked. “Or nocturnal?”

“Basically,” Owen said with a smirk.

They were interrupted then by loud commotion. Sighing, Ianto left Owen at the bar and ran to the dance floor where two men were fighting. When Ianto grabbed one of them by the shoulders and pushed him away, the man punched Ianto in the jaw when he was turned towards the other.

“Fuck!” Ianto said, pain shooting through his face. He spun around just as the man rammed into him, knocking the breath out of him as he was pushed backwards across the dance floor. Ianto’s feet got tangled beneath him and he tripped, falling backwards onto the floor, the man on top of him. Using the man’s surprise to his advantage, he kneed him in the crotch and then pushed him off as the man howled in pain.

“Are you okay?” Owen asked as he hauled the man to his feet and shoved him towards Rhys.

“Fucking peachy,” Ianto said, touching his jaw gingerly as he moved it around.

*

Ianto was sitting in a chair on the small balcony, watching the dark, quiet streets. Since he’d started staying with Jack, he didn’t spend any time watching the city like he used to in his own flat. When he’d lived alone, he’d sit in his armchair by the window, watching the city for hours. He liked to study the outline of the buildings, the differences in the architecture. He loved the cars and streetcars, to imagine himself inside them and going important places. He enjoyed watching the people, the different ways they dressed, held themselves, interacted. But since he started working at the speakeasy and sleeping at Jack’s, he hadn’t spent any time just watching.

After he’d come upstairs while Mickey closed up, he’d stripped down to his underwear, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and gone onto the balcony. The night air was cool, so he’d wrapped a sheet around himself. Plus, he’d wrapped a handful of ice cubes in a cloth and pressed it against his throbbing chin. The guy hit him pretty good, and it’d hurt through the rest of his shift. He sipped his whiskey and held the compress against his face and watched the night amblers as he listened to distant sirens and dogs barking.

“Here you are.” Ianto turned around. Jack was standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame. His arms were crossed, and he was smiling until he noticed Ianto’s chin. “What happened?” He leaned down as Ianto lowered the cloth. Jack touched his face gently, and Ianto craned his neck allowing for a better view. “It’s bruised.”

“Two blokes got into a fight and one of the piker’s suckerpunched me when I pulled them apart.”

Jack looked murderous. “It’s a good thing I wasn’t there. I would have broken his fucking hand. And probably ripped off his face.”

“It’s really not a big deal.” Ianto grabbed Jack’s hand and brought it to his mouth, kissing his knuckles. “I came out here to enjoy the night.” He let go of Jack’s hand and turned around, taking a sip of whiskey and nodding towards the street. “I find the view soothing.”

“I never come out here.”

“Why?”

Jack shrugged. “Never seems like there’s time or a reason.” He extended his arm and ran a hand over Ianto’s hair. “I’m glad you found both.” Ianto turned and leaned into his touch, and Jack stretched his fingers, cupping his skull.

“Where were you tonight?”

“Were you worried?”

He shook his head, causing Jack’s fingertips to slide against his skin. “No. I figured you had business.”

“I did.” Jack ran his fingers lightly through Ianto’s hair. “The Doctor needed me to help him with something.”

“What?”

“It’s not important.”

“Ah.” Ianto turned away from Jack, faced the city.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Ianto…”

“You were with the Doctor and you’re evading my questions.”

He heard Jack sigh behind him, felt his fingers lower to his neck. “You don’t like him.”

“I don’t really have an opinion. He hasn’t spoken to me, which makes sense since he thinks I’m just your assistant.”

“Do you want me to tell him that you’re my lover?”

Ianto turned his head and looked up at Jack. “Would you?” Jack hesitated. “I didn’t think so.” He turned back around.

“It’s not that simple.”

“That’s what you always say.”

“What do you want me to say?”

“Anything,” he said, shifting in the chair so he could face Jack. “You haven’t told me anything since he arrived. You keep saying that you’ll tell me something, but you don’t.”

Jack removed his hand and crossed his arms. “We met with a couple of his contacts and played poker. The Doctor is looking for somebody, but he won’t tell me who or why.”

“Why did he take you with him?”

Jack shrugged. “Protection, maybe. Reputation. I’m not sure. I didn’t do anything but lose money tonight.”

“Why wouldn’t you tell me that?”

“Because it wasn’t important. But now you know.”

“Now I know.”

“I don’t want him to know we’re together,” Jack suddenly said. Ianto stared at him, unsure what to say. “It’s not what you think,” Jack explained. “I just prefer to keep my private life separate from him. That includes you.”

“It’s not like we can go proclaiming it to the world,” Ianto said.

“No, unfortunately we can’t.”

Ianto sighed and stood up. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.” Jack straightened and Ianto slid his arms around Jack’s neck, engulfing them both in the sheet. Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto’s waist, the wool of his coat rough against his skin. Jack kissed him lightly. “You’re cold.”

“Let’s go to bed so you can warm me up.”

“That’s the best offer I’ve had all night.”

While Jack undressed, Ianto tossed the sheet over the back of an armchair, then he stretched out on the bed.

“What happened there?” Jack exclaimed, forgetting about his half-unbuttoned trousers and coming to kneel on the bed. He gingerly touched the purpling skin on Ianto’s stomach. “That same fucking guy?”

“Yeah. After he punched me, he rammed into me and we ended up falling on the dance floor.”

“Turn over.”

“Jack, it’s not a big deal. I’ve had much, much worse.”

“I don’t care. Turn over.”

Ianto sighed and rolled onto his side while Jack inspected his back. “Another bruise on your shoulder. If I find out who that guy is, I’m going to kill him.”

“No, you won’t,” Ianto said, rolling to face Jack, “I won’t let you.”

“You won’t know.”

“How will you find him? I won’t tell you who he is.”

Jack was smug. “I’ll just ask Owen.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “He really didn’t hurt me. Tomorrow, I’ll forget about it.”

“I won’t,” Jack mumbled, and Ianto pulled him down and kissed him before he went back to undressing.

Later, Jack was lying on his back and Ianto was on top of him, kissing him. Jack’s hands were sliding along his back and side, his mouth hot and insistent. Ianto was losing himself in Jack as he traced the contours of Jack’s mouth, their tongues dancing with each other as their lips brushed and hovered. His brain hummed with pleasure every time Jack’s fingers glided along his skin, every time Jack’s strong hands gripped his body. Jack’s hands cupped his cheeks, circled his neck; one hand wrapped around his shoulder as another kneaded the muscles in his back. Ianto slid his hands along the curve of Jack’s biceps, feeling the muscle flex and relax as his hands moved over his own body, fingers drifting up the soft skin under his arm. He relished in the soft feeling of Jack’s torso beneath his fingers as his other hand skimmed across a nipple. When Ianto placed a kiss on Jack’s forehead, Jack softly kissed his neck. Jack’s body felt so solid beneath his, so warm, his own body lifting with each breath Jack inhaled.

Ianto rolled to the side and Jack shifted as Ianto settled in his arms. Jack continued placing kisses across Ianto’s face and hair while Ianto’s fingers gently brushed across Jack’s chest.

“Do you agree with what the Doctor said today?” Ianto asked quietly. “About revolutions and war?”

“I think he has a point,” Jack answered, fingers trailing along Ianto’s arm.

“I don’t think he’s right,” Ianto said. He placed his hand flat against Jack’s chest. Jack’s heart was a soft lull beneath his palm. “Perhaps he’s right about the state of things, but a revolution, another war?” Ianto shuddered. “I’d rather die than go back to the trenches.”

“You don’t have to worry about that, ever.” Jack kissed the side of his face.

“How do you know? If war broke out tomorrow, they could draft every able bodied man. We’d both have to ship off, or if they started with the youngest, then I’d have to go. Jack, I don’t think I could live through that again. The destruction, the sounds of gunshots in the air, the smell of rotting flesh, the pain – “

“Stop it,” Jack said, shaking Ianto. “You’re trembling. Now stop talking like this.”

“But it’s a possibility,” Ianto whispered.

“You’re never going to have to live through that again,” Jack said, grabbing Ianto’s chin and forcing him to look at him. “I don’t care if I have to smuggle you to Canada. I won’t let you back into that hell.” Jack leaned down and kissed Ianto softly. “You don’t have to worry about anything like that.”

“If I die, I don’t want it to be in a trench, rotting in the mud.”

“You’re not going to die for a very long time. And I promise you, it won’t be in a trench.” Jack wrapped his arms tightly around Ianto, and Ianto tried to stop his body from trembling.

*

His fatigues, his helmet were too heavy, pulling him down as he ran across no-man’s land. Bullets from a machine gun pelted the earth near him, and when he looked down, he saw a landmine right beside his foot. Then, the mine multiplied until the entire field was covered, and every step landed him nearer and nearer to them. Then he heard the unmistakable sound overheard, the piercing whistle as the bomb closed in –

Ianto jerked awake, gasping for air. He was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, his heart hammering in his chest.

“Nightmare?” Jack murmured sleepily, stirring awake. He reached out blindly beside him, feeling for Ianto. Ianto was terrified; he got up from the bed and pulled the curtain back to look down into the street just to make sure everything was okay. “Ianto, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Ianto swallowed and returned to the bed, kicking the blanket to the foot of the bed. He lay on his side, drawing his knees towards his chest, and saw Jack looking at him through sleepy eyes.

“Ianto, that was definitely not nothing.” Jack reached out and found Ianto’s hand and held it. “Tell me about it.”

“I heard the whistle of the bomb, the same one I heard right before the explosion.” Ianto ran a hand over his face, his hand shaking. “I haven’t heard that sound in years. I’d forgotten it. But there’s no mistaking it.” He reached his free hand around to his back and touched it gingerly. “I can feel the burning in my back.”

“I knew we shouldn’t have had that conversation before bed,” Jack said, scooting up. He leaned against the headboard and patted his lap. “Come over here.” Ianto obeyed, laying his head in Jack’s lap and pressing his body as close to Jack’s as he could. Jack reached down and covered Ianto with the blanket, then soothingly rubbed his hand along Ianto’s hair. “Go to sleep. You’re safe and no bomb will hurt you. I’ll always protect you.”

Ianto closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing, but he just kept hearing the whistling ringing loudly in his ears. “I can’t get the sound out of my head.” He opened his eyes, trying to remain calm. “Keep talking to me. Your voice drowns it out.”

Jack didn’t talk; instead, he began singing. Ianto had heard him humming at various times, but he’d never actually heard him sing. His voice was quiet, soft, and gorgeous. He didn’t know why Jack didn’t sing at the Hub; he was better than him and Tosh combined. He was going to ask him, but the longer he lay there, with Jack’s fingers rubbing against his scalp comfortingly, he fell into sort of a trance, and the only thing that surrounded him was Jack’s voice.

*

Ianto found Jack in his office right after lunch. Like usual, he was at his desk, surrounded by paperwork. But what Ianto didn’t expect was Ten sitting on the other side of the desk.

“Ah, Ianto. Right on time.” Ianto nodded at both men. “The Doctor has requested my company today, and incidentally, also requires the company of both you and Rhys.”

“I can send a messenger to fetch Rhys if you’d like,” the Doctor offered.

“I can do it,” Ianto said.

“Fine,” Jack said, nodding. “Quickly. We leave shortly.” Ianto nodded and left the office.

He took a taxi to Gwen and Rhys’s apartment in the interest of time. When Gwen answered the door, her face immediately fell.

“Applesauce! What’s wrong?” She looked so different than when she was at the Hub. She had on no makeup, her hair pulled back from her face, and wore a simple cotton house dress.

“Who is it, doll?” Rhys called out, emerging from somewhere deep in the house in nothing but his trousers.

“It’s Ianto.”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Ianto explained. “Jack needs us to accompany him somewhere this afternoon. We need to leave immediately.”

Rhys disappeared back into the house, and Gwen stepped aside. “Please, come in.”

Ianto stepped inside, and for the first time, noticed the aroma of something baking. “Are you making a cake?”

“Yes.”

“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a cook.”

“I’ll have you know, Ianto Jones, that I can do a lot of things, cooking among them.” She jutted her chin in frustration.

“I didn’t mean to offend you, Gwen,” Ianto said. “You’ve just never struck me as the domestic type.”

“I don’t just sell cigarettes, dance, and take drink orders.” She walked over to the coffee table and pulled a cigarette from a pack and lit it. “When I lived in Wales, I was nothing but a proper housewife.”

Ianto smiled. “I find that a bit hard to believe.”

She smiled sadly. “But it’s still the truth.”

“Ready,” Rhys said, returning fully dressed in a suit. Gwen walked over and straightened his jacket and tie.

“Where are you two off to then?”

“I don’t know. The Doctor needs Jack to go with him somewhere, and Jack wants me and Rhys there, too.”

“Please be careful,” Gwen begged. She pulled Rhys to her and kissed him deeply. “Don’t do anything stupid.”

“Woman, really. I’ll be fine.” He kissed her again and followed Ianto out.

The Doctor had his chauffeur drive them across town. The car was spacious and roomy and sat six people in addition to the driver. Rhys and Ianto sat in the very back seat with Jack and the Doctor in the seat in front of them. Shortly, they entered Little Italy. Ianto hadn’t spent much time in this area, but he knew its reputation, and he suddenly got a bad feeling.

The car dropped them off in front of a nice Italian restaurant. When they were inside, the Doctor turned to them.

“Stay here and keep an eye out.” He and Jack followed the host to a table deeper inside the restaurant, leaving Rhys and Ianto near the door. Rhys stood against the other wall so he could have a different vantage point, and Ianto faced Jack’s table.

Two men, one older and one middle-aged, joined them not long after they sat down. Ianto didn’t recognize either men, but he was familiar enough with this area and with their general appearance to deduce they were mobsters, but he wasn’t sure to which mafia family they belonged.

The two men had food brought out, along with wine, and Jack and the Doctor ate, drank, and laughed with the two men like it was a normal social visit.

“I don’t understand why we’re here,” Rhys said quietly, coming to stand beside Ianto. “They just look like they’re eating lunch, and I’m getting hungry just watching them.”

Ianto didn’t say anything.

“If I say something, you won’t tell Jack?” Rhys asked. Ianto thought about it, then nodded. “This all feels wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“Us being here,” Rhys explained. “In Little Italy. Those men are real gangsters. They’re the real deal. This isn’t how Jack does business. He doesn’t carouse with mobsters.”

Ianto sighed. “I completely agree.”

“It’s that Doctor bloke,” Rhys said. “He just doesn’t do things like Jack does. It isn’t right; this just isn’t Jack.”

As Ianto watched Jack laugh with one of the men at the table, he couldn’t help but agree that this all felt completely wrong.

*

The next night, Jack didn’t come home until six a.m. Ianto heard the door open, lifted his head long enough to see Jack walking inside and removing his coat before he fell back asleep.

*

Ianto was restocking the bar before opening when he saw Jack strode across the floor towards Tosh’s dressing room. He was a bit surprised to see him since Jack rarely showed up before the bar opened. A few minutes later, he, Tosh, and Gwen all sat down at the bar.

“Where are Rhys and Owen?” Jack asked, looking around.

“Playing darts in one of the side rooms I believe,” Ianto answered.

“Owen! Rhys!” Jack yelled.

“Oi! What?” Owen yelled from another room.

“Get in here now.”

They heard Owen grumble, but couldn’t make out what he said. Moments later, Rhys occupied the seat beside Gwen and Owen joined Ianto behind the bar.

“To what do we owe this little staff meeting?” Owen asked.

“Tomorrow night, we will be attending a dinner party at the Doctor’s place.” Jack looked at Tosh. “Toshiko, you’ll be my escort for the night,” he said, shooting Ianto an apologetic glance. “Owen, you also will be accompanying me, but alone.” Ianto noticed Owen and Jack share a look he didn’t quite understand. “Ianto, Rhys, you will be attending as our protection, so you won’t actually be participating in the dinner party as much as keeping watch and making sure nothing goes awry.”

“What kind of party is this going to be?” Owen asked.

“Oi! What a minute,” Gwen interrupted, and Jack reluctantly turned towards her. “You mean, everyone gets to attend this fancy soiree. Except for me.”

“I’m sorry, Gwen, but Rhys isn’t attending socially, and it wouldn’t really be proper for me to escort a married woman – “

“Applesauce to your propriety!” she shouted. “You five get to go have fun while little Gwen stays behind. And you know how much I want to meet Rose Tyler, but no.”

“I was hoping you’d stay behind and help run the Hub,” Jack said, his voice careful. “You, Mickey, and Martha can hold down the fort, so to speak, since we’ll be away.”

“That’s just great. Thanks a lot for thinking of me, Jack. I’ll be working like every other bloody night while you five go have a party.”

“Technically, we’ll be working, too,” Ianto interrupted, and when she turned her knife-like gaze on him, he knew it’d been the wrong move.

“Gwen, I – “

“Fuck your excuses, Jack Harkness,” Gwen said, shooting from the stool. “I’ll stay behind and mind your bloody speakeasy like some pill while pretending everything’s jake!” With that, she stomped across the floor towards Tosh’s dressing room, her heels echoing loudly in the quiet room. Everyone stared in shock until they heard a door slam.

“I didn’t realize she’d take it that hard,” Jack muttered.

“At least you don’t have to go home to her now,” Rhys said, shuddering.

“Perhaps I should buy her something,” Jack said.

“And then she’d just slap you,” Rhys said. “She’ll calm down.”

Ianto wasn’t so sure.

*

Gwen, in fact, did not calm. She brooded all night and glared at everyone she came in contact with. Ianto was quite glad he didn’t have to see her right before they left for the party. He felt for poor Rhys.

Ianto was dressed in a new black evening suit he’d gone to the tailors and purchased earlier that day. Jack had told Tosh that the affair was formal, so he wanted to at least blend in even if he wasn’t going to be participating. Owen and Rhys wore similar suits, and Tosh of course was dressed to the nines. Jack, however, wore his usual light blue shirt, red braces, and trousers, all topped off with his coat.

The dinner consisted of more people than Ianto anticipated. All in all, there were around fifteen guests, all of whom he didn’t recognize. He felt rather relieved there were no mobsters among the attendants. Everyone just looked like high society couples.

Ianto and Rhys stood along the wall inside the dining room. On the other side of the room were three other men who Ianto figured worked for the Doctor.

“Dear Doctor,” one of the women asked halfway through appetizers, “do tell me where you attained the exquisite wine.”

“Yes, do,” her husband added, “the last person we purchased alcohol from sold us product that was half water.”

The Doctor smiled and pointed to Jack. “He’s right there. Jack is the only person I trust to supply me with liquor this side of the pond.”

“You’re too kind,” Jack said.

“Tell me your name again,” the woman said. “Jack…”

“Captain Jack Harkness.”

“I believe I’ve heard that name somewhere, yes. Elton, where have we heard it?”

Elton wiped his mouth with his napkin. “Do you sell to the Wainwrights on Park Avenue?”

“I do, yes.” Jack grinned.

“I’ve had scotch with Benjamin, and it was the Real McCoy.”

“Jack only serves the best,” Owen added. “You get what you pay for with him, unlike a lot of the busthead or coffin varnish you might get from some gin mill.”

“I make it a point to provide my customers with only a quality product. You’ll find no watered down spirits from me or at my speakeasy. It’s a matter of principle.”

“Darling, we just must order something from Captain Harkness,” the woman said. A murmured agreement spread among the other guests.

“I think I inadvertently made you a handful of sales, Jack. How marvelous!” the Doctor said with a grin.

“After dinner, we can go over the details,” Jack said.

Ianto watched in amazement at how easily Jack navigated the conversations. He got them all to promise to buy liquor from him, discussed politics and literature, flirted with the women and the men, and argued about baseball all before the main course. And what struck Ianto as particularly interesting was that Jack hadn’t come from fine breeding or upper class. He had worked his way to the top, yet had just as much class and dignity as everyone sitting around him. Even Owen acted the part of a gentleman; he was a doctor, Ianto reminded himself, and he wondered not for the first time about his background. He knew very little about Owen; he could be from a fine family for all he knew.

The conversation really turned interesting when the Doctor started talking about his time spent with Jack. Ianto tried not to look too interested.

“You should have seen this goof,” the Doctor said, pointing at Jack. “There he was, standing inside a locked park, with no trousers!”

Everyone laughed as Rose continued, “The cops didn’t know what he was doing. They thought he was trying to rob the jewelry store next door, and when they accused him, Jack asks, ‘Where do you think I hid the jewels?’ And then, being the cheeky bugger he is, grinned and said, ‘I guess there’s one place, and I definitely don’t mind if you search me just to check, Officer.’ It was a hoot!”

“You didn’t!” Tosh exclaimed. “Jack, you won’t do.” She smiled, placing a hand on his arm and her head on his shoulder. He turned and kissed the top of her head.

“The copper arrested him,” the Doctor said.

“But you had me out in less than an hour.” Jack grinned.

“Not like that was the only time you got arrested,” Rose teased.

“Remind me to never go out with you again,” Owen joked.

“My word, Captain, what did you used to do?” Elton asked, well into his drink.

“Misunderstandings, dear Elton. All misunderstandings,” Jack said as Rose poured him another glass of wine. “But I seem to remember a time when you two nearly got all three of us killed.” Jack smiled. “That poker game in Prague?”

“Horsefeathers!” Rose said, blushing. “I haven’t thought about that in years!”

“We’re playing poker with these mean looking Czechs – “

“I think they were demons, all three of them!” Rose interjected.

“They weren’t demons, doll,” the Doctor said.

“The Doctor lost money we didn’t have – “

“We owed them a thousand clams!” Rose exclaimed.

“And right when we thought the guys were going to pound us to death,” Jack continued, “Rose stands up and lays down her cards.”

“I had a straight flush,” she declared proudly.

“She cheated,” the Doctor said.

“That was never proven,” Rose grinned.

“We took all their money and ran out fast, before the Czechs figured out what we’d done. We hopped a train that night out of Eastern Europe.”

“You played poker with the men?” Elton’s wife asked.

Rose took a long drag from her cigarette, then exhaled with a smile. “I do whatever I want with the men. I find this decade to be so liberating. Women don’t have to do the same things they’ve always done. Don’t you agree, Tosh?” Tosh just smiled. “I mean, you couldn’t find a finer lady than Tosh here, and she spends every night singing in Jack’s drum.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” Owen said sharply. “She always conducts herself properly.”

“You can see that my friends are very protective of each other,” Jack said with a smile.

“I don’t mean that, Owen,” Rose argued. “Five years ago Tosh wouldn’t have even been able to sing in public, night after night, the kinds of songs she’s singing, while people danced.”

“Unless it was in a bordello,” one of the men suggested.

Rose rolled her eyes. “Typical male answer. Women don’t have to remain in prescribed gender roles any longer. I’m not inferior to any man.”

“I don’t want my woman getting into anything like that,” one of the other men said. Ianto glanced at his wife and decided he didn’t have to worry about that. No man would touch her, he was sure.

“Well, some men can handle strong, independent, free-thinking women.” Rose sucked the tip of her cigarette holder, then exhaled. “Like the Doctor.” The Doctor hid his laugh in his drink, but Jack laughed out loud.

“Oh Rose, you bearcat.” Jack grinned and lifted his glass.

“Life has calmed down quite a bit in the last few years,” Rose said. “Especially since Jack left us.” She paused, snapped her finger, and pointed at Ten. “Doctor, what was it Jack did that one time? With the car?”

The Doctor laughed. “Oh yes! Jack stole a car – “

“Borrowed,” Jack corrected.

“Stole a car to go joyriding. You weren’t alone that time, though, were you?”

To everyone else, nothing changed. But Ianto knew Jack better than everyone else. It wasn’t much, just a minute stiffening of his shoulders, a slight change in his smile, a variation in his laugh. Even the way he touched his wine glass was different.

“I can’t say I remember,” Jack answered. Ianto didn’t miss the quick look that the Doctor exchanged with both Jack and Rose.

“Didn’t we spend that night on a train to Belgium?” Rose quickly added.

“Oh yes,” the Doctor said, “and Belgium is where Rose…”

Ianto stopped listening to the story. He was watching Jack. Jack was seemingly part of the conversation, but his eyes were distant, his body tense. And the way Rose had changed the subject hadn’t been a coincidence.

*

A few hours later, Ianto stepped out on the balcony for some fresh air. He was bored and he was tired. The Doctor and Rose had invited everyone into the parlor for cards, and Ianto and Rhys had remained seated in the sitting room. Owen escorted Tosh home not long after that, but Jack remained inside. They both read while they waited, but Ianto couldn’t concentrate on the words. His mind kept floating to Jack.

He was worried. Not long after the incident at dinner, Jack switched from wine to scotch. Ianto saw him throw back four glasses before they disappeared into the parlor.

“Nice night, eh?” Rhys said, joining Ianto outside. “What’s wrong?”

“Just tired,” Ianto answered. It was half true.

Rhys pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his shirt pocket and placed one between his lips. When he saw Ianto watching him, he offered him the pack. Ianto thought what the hell and took one.

“I didn’t know you smoked,” Ianto said as Rhys lit the tip of his. He handed the matches to Ianto.

“I don’t often. It’s a habit I picked up from Gwen.”

Ianto held the flame to the tip as he inhaled. He succeeded in lighting the tip, but coughed when the smoke entered his lungs. Laughing, Rhys hit him on the back. “Doesn’t seem like you smoke much, mate.”

“Nope,” Ianto managed. He inhaled again, this time easier. They leaned on the railing, the view overlooking Central Park. It was mostly dark, with streetlamps dotting it like stars. “Did you ever think you’d be in a flat like this, smoking a gasper, staring at Central Park?”

“Not in a million years.” Rhys flicked ashes from the tip as they stood in silence. “The Doctor isn’t what I expected,” Rhys said after awhile.

“How so?”

“Tonight he seemed like such a normal guy,” Rhys explained, “he was even funny and seemed like he’d be a hoot to hang around.” Ianto nodded in agreement. “I just don’t know how to take him.”

“I don’t care what he does as long as Jack doesn’t end up getting hurt.”

Rhys turned and looked at him closely. “You’re really worried about him, aren’t you?”

“I’m always worried about Jack.” Ianto sighed and flicked his cigarette off the balcony.

A few minutes later, the butler informed them that Jack was ready to leave. Ianto didn’t hide his relief. But when he entered the parlor, he wasn’t prepared for what he found. Jack was slumped in the chair, extremely drunk. From the looks of everyone else, he wasn’t the only one.

“Ianto!” Rose exclaimed, walking unsteadily towards him, liquor sloshing over the rim of her glass. “I’m so glad you could come tonight.” She draped her arm around his shoulder and leaned all her weight onto him. Her breath reeked of alcohol.

“Thanks,” Ianto said, trying to maneuver her to the sofa along the wall. When she was lying down, he walked over to Jack, who was in deep conversation with the Doctor, also quite zozzled.

“But you don’t understand,” the Doctor slurred, “if we started a revolution and let the government pigs know that we weren’t going to take it anymore – “

“War won’t get you anywhere!” Jack proclaimed. “It’s better just to do what you want regardless of laws.”

“That’s the coward’s way out!” The Doctor straightened and pointed his finger at Jack. “You hide in your underground speakeasy, afraid to stand for what you believe in.”

“I believe in two things Doctor,” Jack said, “good liquor, money, and great sex.” Jack grinned, his eyes bloodshot and glassy.

“That’s three things,” Ten said.

“I don’t believe in war,” Jack explained.

“But you kill people!”

Ianto glanced at the other people, but they were nearly passed out themselves and not paying any attention to the two men.

“Reluctantly, and only those who deserve it.”

“I don’t want to go to war, Jack old boy, but you have to stand up for what you believe in, for the right way of living. And the way things are going, they aren’t right. We have to do something to help the human race become the good people I know they can be!” The Doctor slammed his hand on the table, startling the people on the other side.

“Captain Harkness,” Ianto cut in. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, Ianto. Such a wonderful assistant.” Jack grinned and stood up, but swayed unsteadily on his feet. “I don’t believe the room should be spinning so fast.” Rhys went over and grabbed Jack around the waist to help steady him. Ianto shot him a grateful look; he was a bit unsure what Jack might say if he touched him while drunk. If Jack was going to make any sexual remarks about him, they needed to be out of the earshot of everyone.

“Good night, Jack,” the Doctor said, head lolling on the back of his chair.

Jack waved as Rhys helped him out, Ianto leading the way. Jack was rather quiet on the way, and Ianto kept looking at him to make sure he was still awake. When the valet handed Ianto the keys and walked away, he turned and stared at Rhys helplessly.

“Jack’s drunk. How are we getting home?”

“I can drive.” Rhys nodded at Jack. “Let’s get him in the car.”

Ianto pulled up the rumble seat and helped Rhys get Jack into it, and then crawled in with Jack. Jack scooted close to Ianto, humming happily as he nuzzled his neck and placed a kiss on it. “Not here,” Ianto warned. “Wait until we’ve at least driven away from the building.”

“So bossy,” Jack said, trying to look serious. “I like it.”

“Ready to go,” Rhys said, starting the car and pulling away slowly.

Ianto wrapped an arm around Jack’s shoulders to keep him steady. Jack leaned against him as he slouched in the seat, his legs nearly bent in half in the little space they had. Turning his head, Jack began kissing Ianto’s ear and sliding his hands all over Ianto’s chest.

“Jack, what are you doing?” Ianto asked.

“Touching you. I wanted to touch you all night,” Jack explained, tugging Ianto’s shirt from his trousers.

“Rhys is in the car.”

“Yes, hello! I’m up here, in the front!” Rhys waved his hand as Jack turned his attention to Rhys.

“Rhys! The most loyal employee I have. I love you, Rhys, do you know that?”

“Oh god,” Ianto groaned.

“Don’t be jealous.” Jack slapped Ianto harder than Ianto thought he intended. “You know, Gwen is a lucky woman to have you, Rhys. You’re quite the looker. Hot even. I’d have sex with you.”

“Jack!” Ianto exclaimed as Rhys laughed.

“I guess coming from you, Jack, that’s a compliment.”

“I don’t know,” Ianto said, “His standards are pretty low. He’ll sleep with just about anyone.”

“Are you saying I’m easy?” Jack asked, but got distracted when they slowed at a traffic stop. He looked at the sidewalk, which was empty. “Rhys, I think you’re actually a lucky man to have Gwen. She’s quite a skirt.” Jack paused, then exclaimed as if he just got an idea. “I could have sex with both of you!”

“Jack, you really should stop talking,” Ianto said, trying to put his hand over Jack’s mouth. Jack opened his mouth and tried to pull Ianto’s fingers in his mouth with his tongue.

“You know,” Jack said after Ianto pulled his hand away, “Everyone I’ve hired at the Hub is attractive.” Jack turned to Ianto, stricken. “Am I shallow?”

“Excuse me?”

“Am I shallow because I’ve only hired attractive people?” Ianto stared at Jack in disbelief while Rhys laughed in the front seat. “Maybe I should hire some ugly people, just to be fair.” Ianto shook his head, and Jack got interested in Ianto’s body again. “You are the first person I’ve hired that I wanted to sleep with, like, on a regular basis.” Jack kissed Ianto’s jaw, and Ianto tried really hard to stay focused, but Jack’s hands were sliding along his thighs.

“Jack, we’re in the car. Stop it.”

“I want to fuck you so hard,” Jack said, cupping Ianto’s crotch. Ianto’s hips involuntarily bucked forward, and he pushed Jack’s hand away. “Or better yet, let you fuck me until I can’t stand.”

“Rhys is still in the car!” Ianto yelled, voice squeaking. He felt his cheeks burning from embarrassment.

“You’re no fun,” Jack pouted, lying his head on Ianto’s shoulder. Ianto sighed and shook his head.

“How much longer til we’re at the theater?”

“Few more minutes.”

“Did you hear that?” Ianto asked Jack. “Almost home.” Jack didn’t answer, so Ianto looked down at him. Jack had passed out.

When they finally got to the theater, Rhys left the car by the side door as he helped Ianto get Jack upstairs. Jack was only half awake, so it took both of them.

“I’m so sorry for everything Jack said in the car,” Ianto said as they struggled to get Jack up the stairs without falling over.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Rhys said with a laugh. “Working for Jack, I’ve seen and heard a lot of things. Though everything he said in the car tonight was a first.” He laughed and Ianto felt embarrassed again.

“You won’t tell anyone what he said to me, will you?” Ianto asked. They finally got to the door, and Ianto unlocked it with difficulty.

“Like any of them will be surprised that Jack wanted to have sex with you. We all know that’s what Jack wants from you ninety-five percent of the time.” Rhys laughed at Ianto’s horrified expression. “No, I won’t tell anyone.”

“You’re a good man, Rhys.” They finally dropped Jack onto the bed.

“I’ve never been in here,” Rhys said, looking around as Ianto escorted him back to the door. “It’s smaller than I expected.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s nice, and bigger than me and Gwen’s flat, but I expected something more like what the Doctor had.” Rhys shrugged. “I’m going to move the car to the garage. I’ll return the keys tomorrow.” With a wave, Rhys left.

Ianto returned to Jack, who was stirring on the bed.

“Where am I?” Jack lifted his head and looked around as Ianto bent down and started unlacing his shoes.

“Home.” Ianto set the shoes to the side as he stood up and sat on the bed beside Jack.

“Oh god, I’m so drunk.” Jack rubbed his eyes as Ianto started unbuttoning his trousers. “I’m so sorry, Ianto.”

“Not a problem.” With some maneuvering, Ianto managed to pull off Jack’s trousers, and he folded them and laid them on a chair.

“Can’t believe…” Jack started as Ianto walked back over. He stopped and looked down at Jack, splayed out on the bed, in his underwear and his coat. Ianto laughed at the sight as he sat back down. “After all these years,” Jack said as Ianto put a hand under his back and helped him sit up. He was trying to figure out how to get the coat out from under him, and decided to just pull it. He let go of Jack and yanked, but Jack fell back against the bed. Ianto sighed. “Can’t believe he mentioned him…James…”

Ianto stilled and looked at Jack sharply. He waited, but Jack didn’t say anything else. He wanted to know more, so taking advantage of Jack’s loose tongue, Ianto asked.

“James?” He began unbuttoning Jack’s shirt as he waited.

“James.”

Ianto pulled Jack onto his feet, and Jack leaned against him as Ianto slid the coat and shirt from Jack’s arms.

“Who’s James?”

“Oh Ianto,” Jack said, surprising Ianto by kissing him. It was sloppy, Jack half-kissing his lips and his chin. Jack kept kissing him as he removed the garments, and then Ianto guided Jack back down on the bed. Jack pulled him down with him, trying to kiss him again.

“I have to get undressed,” Ianto said, pulling away from Jack’s roaming hands. They weren’t really touching with any purpose, just aimlessly sliding around Ianto’s body.

“I do, too,” Jack said, pushing himself onto his elbows.

“I’ve already undressed you,” Ianto explained as he hung his suit jacket on the coat rack in the corner of the room.

“I love you, Ianto,” Jack said, dropping back onto the bed.

“I love you, too,” Ianto said as he shed his waistcoat and shirt.

“You take such good care of me. You’re the only person who’s ever taken care of me. I don’t know how I made it without you.” Jack rolled onto his side as he watched Ianto finish undressing. “I rely on you, do you know that? And it’s not just stuff in the office. You’re here when I come home.” Ianto looked at Jack, a bit surprised at his drunken ramblings.

“Come on, sit up,” Ianto instructed gently, kneeling beside him on the bed. “Let’s get this undershirt off and then go to bed.”

“I used to come home to an empty, silent apartment,” Jack continued, raising his arms while he let Ianto pull the white shirt over his head. “I got so lonely. There were so many nights I came home and had such bad things in my head because I had done bad things, Ianto. I’ve done so many bad things.”

“Ssh,” Ianto said, “It doesn’t matter, Jack. Crawl under the blankets and get some sleep.”

Jack began half-crawling, half-rolling towards his side of the bed. “You chase the bad things away, Ianto. When I come home, I don’t have to be scared of an empty room anymore. You’re always here, waiting on me. I don’t think you know what that means to me.” Ianto pulled the blankets around Jack, then leaned down to kiss his head.

“I’ll be right back. I’m getting you some water.” Ianto left Jack laying there, his mind swirling with Jack’s words.

“You always take such good care of me,” Jack called after him. “That’s why I knew I could get drunk tonight. I knew that my Ianto would take care of me.” Jack smiled at Ianto when he came back with the glass. “You’re the only person I trust enough to let myself let go like this. I haven’t been this drunk…in a long time. I trust you. You won’t let anything happen to me.”

Ianto felt a familiar tug inside his chest, and he helped Jack sit up. “Drink some water for me.”

Jack obeyed, then handed the glass back to Ianto. “I won’t let anything happen to you, either.”

“I know, Jack.” Ianto crawled into bed beside Jack, and Jack immediately attached himself to Ianto.

“I’ve never felt like this about someone,” Jack said. “I never wanted to fall in love with you, or anyone. I will protect you no matter what.”

“I know.” Ianto hugged Jack tighter to him. He knew Jack was drunk and this was all alcohol-induced ramblings, but there had to be truth in there somewhere.

“I’ve lost too many people, I refuse to lose you, too.” Jack closed his eyes and Ianto looked down at him sadly. He kissed his forehead and combed through Jack’s hair with his fingers. “The Doctor…stupid big mouth…” Ianto waited, listening closely, “so glad you were there tonight. Couldn’t deal…” Jack sighed and held Ianto tighter. “James….” he muttered sleepily.

That name again. Ianto wondered what part of Jack’s past that was; he wondered if Jack would ever tell him about it. Was it an old lover? Jack had mentioned old loves, but not by name. A friend? Family member? Obviously someone who meant something to Jack and had caused him pain.

Ianto looked down at Jack, sleeping heavily against him, his breath coming slow and even. Each time he exhaled, Ianto smelled the scotch still on his breath. He hated how sad Jack looked sometimes and how sad he’d been looking lately. He didn’t know what he could do, he just hoped that one day Jack would feel comfortable enough to open up to him. Even if he couldn’t do anything, he wanted to help Jack carry the pain.

*

Ianto stirred and rolled over, bumping into a warm body. He opened his eyes and saw Jack asleep beside him. The sun was well up in the sky, so he lifted his head and looked at the clock on Jack’s beside table. It was a little after eleven. And Jack was still asleep. Ianto looked at Jack beside him, sprawled out on his back, his hair matted on one side of his head, and smiled. He didn’t get to wake up with Jack beside him nearly enough, and even if it was because of the alcohol, Ianto wasn’t going to complain.

Reluctant to leave the bed, Ianto padded into the kitchen and as quietly as possible made breakfast. He made oatmeal for both of them, poured juice and milk, and added a glass of water with headache tablets for Jack. Then, he carried the tray back into the bedroom. Sitting it on the table, he called Jack’s name softly. Jack didn’t even budge.

“Jack,” Ianto said again, walking over and stroking his head softly. Jack jerked awake and looked at Ianto, confused.

“What’s wrong?” Jack sat up, his hand immediately going to his head as he groaned. “Oh fuck, my head.”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“I disagree. I think I’m dying, Ianto.” Jack dropped back onto the pillow and closed his eyes.

“You’re not dying; you’re hung-over.” Ianto leaned down and kissed Jack’s forehead. “Sit up, I made you breakfast.”

Jack pushed himself up slowly, his face betraying his discomfort. When he finally sat up, Ianto placed the tray on his lap and went to his side of the bed.

“Shouldn’t be too hard on your stomach, plus I brought you headache pills.”

“Should have brought the whole damn bottle.”

“Such a baby.”

“Shut up.” Jack glared at Ianto, but it looked more like a grimace. Ianto leaned over and kissed him again as he took his bowl of oatmeal.

“Fuck,” Jack said, looking at the clock. “Why did I sleep this late? I had meetings this morning.”

“You always have meetings,” Ianto said. “I’m sure they can be rescheduled. Nothing is going to happen if you take a day off.” Ianto spooned oatmeal in his mouth, watching as Jack stirred his more than ate it. “Honestly, you should take more days off. You work too hard.”

“We all do,” Jack said. “But the city never sleeps, nor does it take a day off. So there you go.”

“Please eat for me,” Ianto pleaded. “You’ll feel better if you do. And drink your juice and milk.”

“You sound like my mother.”

“Maybe you need a bit of mothering.” Jack rolled his eyes, but began to eat.

After they finished breakfast (which Jack ate almost half of, just to please Ianto), Ianto grabbed Jack’s hand and pulled him up. “Come on, you’re getting in the bath now.”

Jack groaned. “Ianto, I usually jump at any chance to be naked around you, but I’m really not in the mood.”

“A bath doesn’t mean sex, Jack.”

“It doesn’t?” he joked, and Ianto could already tell he was feeling better.

“No. It means a bath. Now come on.” Jack reluctantly let Ianto drag him into the bathroom. Ianto began running water in the large tub while Jack removed his pants. Ianto looked over at him, raking his eyes down Jack’s naked body appreciatively. He stared at the strong shoulders, the softness around his middle, his cock, his muscular thighs.

“I thought you said it doesn’t mean sex,” Jack said when he caught Ianto looking. Ianto blushed and looked away.

“It doesn’t.” The tub had started to fill, so Ianto stood up and pointed. “Now get in.”

Jack chuckled as he climbed in the tub, exhaling loudly as he settled against the side. Ianto slipped off his pants and stepped in, settling against the other side facing Jack. He extended his arm and grabbed Jack’s hand, intertwining their fingers. Jack smiled at him.

“We should get naked more often in daylight,” Ianto said.

Jack laughed. “And why is that?”

“I don’t think I get to fully appreciate the way your body looks. It’s always at night, either in the dark or in bad lamplight.”

“We have sex during the day,” Jack said, sliding his foot along Ianto’s thigh.

“I know, but it’s always quick and in your office or some other random place. I want to take my time, see you, fully appreciate you.” Ianto felt his cheeks color as he spoke.

“I love how you still blush so often. You know nothing you could ever say to me, especially about sex, is a cause for embarrassment.”

“I know.”

“We can have sex whenever you want, however you want. I won’t mind.”

For some reason, Ianto felt slightly annoyed. “What about you? Don’t you ever feel that way? Don’t you want to see me?”

Jack’s expression changed. “I always want to see you, Ianto. It’s just difficult because of the hours we keep.”

“Just another thing to settle on, I guess,” Ianto muttered.

“Hey,” Jack said, leaning forward and touching Ianto’s neck softly. “Are you mad?”

“I’m not mad.” He wasn’t sure what he was or where these feelings were coming from. But they overcame him all of a sudden and Jack seemed like a good target.

“I didn’t know having sex in the daylight was so important to you.”

“It’s not that.” Ianto sighed and looked away.

“Then what is it?” Jack laid his hand on Ianto’s shoulder.

“Sometimes, I get tired of you always saying that we’ll do whatever I want, you won’t mind.”

Jack leaned back, removing his hand, and looked at Ianto in utter astonishment. “Do you want me to deny you?”

“Of course not; don’t be ridiculous.”

“Then I’m not following.”

“Sometimes, it’d be nice to hear, ‘Yes, Ianto. I’d like to see your naked body in the daylight, too, so I can look at you and your body instead of pretending I know what it looks like in the dark or pretending you’re someone else completely.’” Ianto felt the heat rush to his face, and he knew he wasn’t exactly being fair to Jack, but he didn’t care.

“Now you’re being ridiculous.” Jack rubbed his temples. “I always want to see your naked body. I actually prefer it to you in clothes, any time. Except your waistcoats, I do love your waistcoats.”

“They are dashing, aren’t they?” Ianto agreed.

“I never say what I want specifically because you always give it to me. As long as we’re together, I don’t care what we’re doing. Whether it’s in the daylight, the dark, the office, the bed, or the fucking rain. I don’t care as long as it’s you I’m doing it with.” Jack looked at him seriously. “And you know that, don’t you? If not, you’re one dumb fucker.”

“Don’t be an ass.” Ianto kicked his foot, splashing Jack with water.

“Seriously, just because I don’t outright say it doesn’t mean I don’t always want to look at you. You’re beautiful, especially when you’re naked. Never forget that I think that.”

Ianto felt a bit sheepish, but his anger abated. “I think I need more sleep.” He sighed. He decided the late nights were getting to him. And probably the Doctor’s sudden appearance, but he wasn’t going to tell Jack that.

“What did I do last night?” Jack asked. “I didn’t do anything stupid, did I?”

“Not that I know of.”

“I remember playing cards, but that’s a big blur. Then we were going home…oh god, did I hit on Rhys?”

“And Gwen, actually.”

“Gwen was there? I really did get drunk…” Jack covered his eyes with his hand.

“No, you hit on Gwen to Rhys,” Ianto explained.

“Oh shit…did I…” Jack removed his hand and looked at Ianto in horror. “I offered to have a threesome with them, didn’t I?”

Ianto laughed. “Yes, you did.”

“Oh god. I’ve got to apologize.”

“I don’t think Rhys was offended.”

“I should give him a bonus or something.” Jack shook his head. “What else did I say? Though, I’m not sure I want to know.”

“You talked about us fucking quite a bit in front of Rhys.”

Jack sighed. “At least that part he knows about.”

“Do you really want to have a threesome with them?” Ianto asked, curious.

“I would, but it’s not like I think about it.” Jack paused. “I’d probably sleep with anyone I’ve hired. With you, of course.”

“We discussed that last night, too.” Ianto grinned, enjoying Jack’s embarrassment. “You told me how much you loved me. Multiple times.”

“That part shouldn’t have come as a surprise.” Jack smiled, sliding his foot along Ianto’s chest and stomach. “Anything else?”

Ianto thought about mentioning James, but decided against it. “Not that I recall.”

“Are you sure? Nothing else?” Ianto noticed Jack’s change in expression, the slight note of panic and anxiety in his eyes.

“Nope.” Jack relaxed, an easy grin spreading across his face. Ianto realized just then that whatever the Doctor had brought up last night was important. And it was going to be difficult to get Jack to talk about it.

*

Ianto and Jack had spent the afternoon sleeping, talking, and reading. Even after a bath, food, and copious amounts of headache medicine, Jack still didn’t feel the best. Ianto enjoyed their lazy afternoon; it had been a long time since they had just spent time together without being exhausted or having sex. Not that Ianto minded the sex, but there was something pleasurable about lying in bed with Jack’s head in his lap while they just enjoyed being near one another.

When it was time for Ianto to go to work, he reluctantly left Jack in bed and walked downstairs. Jack promised to come down later, but Ianto doubted if he would. If he was Jack, he wouldn’t move from that bed.

Not long after opening, Gwen came to Ianto. “How’s Jack?” she asked. At Ianto’s surprised expression, she added, “Rhys told me about last night.”

Ianto’s eyes got wide; he wondered just how much Rhys had divulged. “He’s been in bed all day with a hangover. He’s feeling pretty rotten, actually.”

“Poor baby,” Gwen said, chuckling.

“That’s exactly what he is, a baby.” Ianto smiled.

Owen joined them. “You should have seen him, Gwen. I’ve never seen Jack so bent.” Owen hesitated, looked at Ianto, then said, “He wasn’t himself. Did you notice it, Ianto?”

Ianto thought about lying, but realized there was no use. “Yeah, I noticed something was off. I can’t figure it out, and Jack’s not talking.”

“Not surprising.”

“Maybe he just wanted to have fun,” Gwen said, picking up her cigarette tray. “He was with friends, at a fantastic party - that I wasn’t invited to,” she growled, “maybe he just let loose for once. It’s okay to have fun sometimes.” She looked at them both pointedly before waltzing into the crowd.

“Is she trying to say we’re not fun, Jones?”

“I think she is.”

“If she only knew.” Owen snorted. They stared at the crowd. “We’re really not a lot of fun, are we?”

“No, definitely not.”

The night was thin, so after an hour or so, Owen walked over to Ianto and handed him an empty gin bottle.

“Thank you, Owen. It’ll go so well with my collection.”

Owen rolled his eyes. “I have an idea to make us more fun.”

“You’re really not worried about this, are you?” Ianto asked, bemused.

He gave Ianto a hard stare. “Dry up.” He pointed to the bottle in his hand. “I think we should start doing tricks. Some kind of show.”

“With bottles?”

“No, with a dog and pony. Yes, the bottle. Like juggling them, tossing them in the air.”

“Oh great, the two juggling bartenders. We’ll take it on the road, become famous.”

“Why do you have to make everything complicated, Jones?” Owen exclaimed. “Just throw the bloody bottles with me, okay?”

“I’ll try.” Ianto looked at the bottle in his hand warily. “I don’t know what to do.” Owen looked at his bottle, shrugged, then tossed it from one hand to the other. “Impressive.”

“Shut up, Jones.”

Ianto began imitating Owen’s actions. “I think we look ridiculous,” Ianto said. He turned around and watched himself in the mirror. “Yep.”

Owen turned around to face the mirror, too. “We need to add something to it.”

“Hand tossing not dangerous enough?”

“I’m going to shove this bottle up your arse.”

“I’m terrified.”

“You’ve been with Jack long enough that it shouldn’t be any trouble.”

“You’re hilarious. Such a comedian.” Ianto rolled his eyes.

“Here, face me.” Ianto and Owen faced each other. “Now, toss me the bottle.” Ianto obeyed, and Owen caught it with his free hand. “I’ll toss it to you.” Owen gently swung underhanded, and the bottle fell softly in Ianto’s hands. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “I’ve seen kids on the street do better than this.”

“We’re novices, okay?” Owen looked at the bottle, then said, “Let’s throw them at the same time.” He counted, and then they both tossed the bottles across, somehow catching them. “This is going to be really jake.”

“Come to the Hub! Hear jazz music! Drink quality alcohol! See the bottle toss!”

“You just wait, Jones.” Owen turned back to the counter and took an order. When the patron left, he picked up the bottle again. “We need to do fancy tricks when we make drinks.”

Ianto held the bottle by the bottom, then flipped it up in the air, causing it to do a few spins before catching it around the neck. He smiled smugly.

“How did you do that?” Owen asked, looking at his own bottle.

“We used to do it with our rifles in the army. I figured it wouldn’t be much different, just a smaller area to catch.”

Owen copied Ianto, sending his too high and barely catching it on its way down. He glanced over at Ianto grumpily. “Not all of us were lucky enough to be lowly infantry men. Some of us had more important jobs, like a doctor.”

“Say what you want. You can stitch up a wound, but you can’t toss a bottle.” Ianto repeated the movement, this time catching it with his arm behind his back.

“Show off.”

Ianto grinned. They started throwing bottles up in the air, trying different angles of catch. After a few minutes, they attracted a small crowd. Then, Ianto missed a rather daring catch and the bottle hit the floor and shattered.

“Serves you right, Jones,” Owen said as he tossed his bottle up, but also missing it. It shattered beside Ianto’s.

“You were saying?”

“Fuck you, Jones.” Ianto smiled and grabbed a broom while Owen turned to the crowd. “Go on, get outta here. No show to see. Scoot!”

“What is going on over here?” Gwen exclaimed as she fluttered over. “Please say you two didn’t throw those at one another.”

“We’re not children,” Owen said. “We’re working on an act.”

Gwen rolled her eyes. “You’re disturbing Tosh’s act with all this ruckus. Behave!” Owen stuck his tongue out at her when she walked away.

A bit later, a man approached the bar and ordered two gin fizzes. After he left, Ianto watched him take it over to a booth along the wall. He handed the drink to the man sitting in the booth, then slid in very close beside him. His interest peaked, Ianto watched the two men closely. They were leaning towards one another, their faces barely inches apart. Then he saw one man place his hand lightly on the other man’s arm. Ianto smiled.

They got same-sex couples, women who dressed like men, and the occasional man who dressed like a woman in the speakeasy. Jack felt very strongly about running a bar that catered to anyone; he said anything to the contrary would be hypocritical. But something about them struck a chord with Ianto; he thought it was the fact that they looked like they were on a date or were two people who really cared about one another instead of just drunken, lust-crazed men. Not that Ianto judged those men, but it was comforting to see two men so into one another. He wondered if he and Jack ever looked that way.

A surge of customers came to the bar, so Ianto got distracted as he and Owen served drinks. He was pouring whiskey when he heard a faint noise. He saw a man yelling at the two men in the booth. Ianto excused himself, set the bottle on the counter, and rushed over to the booth just as the man pulled the closest guy from the booth.

“Fucking fag. We don’t want your kind here. You’re an abomination. You’re going to hell.”

“Let me go, you stupid asshole.” The man from the booth pushed the other man, but he was much larger and much stronger.

He reared back his fist and punched the man. “Fag!” he cried over and over as he hit the man.

Ianto finally arrived at the booth and grabbed the aggressor by the shoulders. Surprised, he let go of the other man, who fell back into the booth as his partner wrapped his arms around him.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Ianto yelled.

“Throw these fags out,” the man yelled. “They’re ruining my night.”

“You’re the only bloody piker I’m throwing out,” Ianto yelled. By that time, Rhys had joined them.

“Fucking figures. Can’t hide the fact that you’re a goddamn three-letter man, too. Fucking queers, whole place full of them.”

Rhys grabbed the man by the collar and punched him. “Better watch that fucking mouth. My wife makes your theory a big fucking joke. And even if I was into guys, that’d be okay, too. I still would be ten times the man your sorry arse is. Now let’s get you the fuck out of my bar.” Rhys punched him again for good measure before dragging him to the door.

Ianto immediately turned towards the men in the booth. “I am so sorry,” he said, sliding in the booth across from them. “You are most welcome here. Anything I can do to make it up…”

The man raised his hand. “It’s not your fault.” He pulled the rag away from his lip, which had stopped bleeding. “It’s not the first time we’ve been attacked.”

“And probably won’t be the last,” the other man said. Ianto looked between the two of them, at the concerned way the man looked at his wounded partner, the casual way they leaned towards each other without even knowing it. He ignored the stirring in his chest and stood back up.

“My name is Ianto. If there is anything we can do, don’t hesitate to let us know. And please, allow us to put these drinks and the drinks you order the next time you visit on the house.”

“Thank you very much,” they said in unison.

Ianto walked back over to the bar, where Owen was watching him carefully. “You dealt with that pretty quickly,” he observed. “Are they okay?”

“Yeah.”

“What’s wrong? Did that guy hit you?”

Ianto shook his head. He couldn’t stop thinking about what happened. He sighed and turned to Owen. “We sure have had a lot of fights lately, haven’t we?” he asked in an effort to change the subject. He was glad when Owen began talking about that instead.

*

Ianto was surprised to find Jack gone when he went upstairs. It was around one when Owen had said he’d close up, and Ianto expected Jack to be asleep. Instead, he found a note on the nightstand.

Ianto –

Had to go take care of some business. Won’t be out too late. Don’t wait up.

All my love,
Jack

PS – I think I should be hungover more often.

Ianto laughed incredulously at the last line. He was slightly irritated that Jack had waited until after he left to leave, but there wasn’t anything he could about it now. He undressed, then crawled into bed. He was exhausted, and it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep.

*

Ianto woke when he heard Jack come back into the flat. He lifted his head as Jack turned on the overhead light. When he caught full sight of Jack, he shot out of bed. Jack was covered in blood and dirt.

“What happened?” Ianto screamed. Fear gripped his body as he quickly scanned over Jack for any signs of wounds or distress.

“Calm down. It’s not mine,” Jack said, voice deflated. “Most of it, anyway.” Ianto stood dumbly as Jack removed his coat. Ianto hung it on the rack. “That’s going to have to be cleaned,” Jack said, sighing.

“Jack, tell me what happened,” Ianto said, voice slightly calmer although he didn’t feel calm. His heart was pounding, his nerves tingling with panic. He ran his hands over Jack’s shirt, looking for bullet holes or knife slashes.

“I was with the Doctor.” Ianto looked at him sharply, then continued his inspection while Jack stood still for him. “We had to get some information. That information wasn’t easy to come by.”

Ianto’s hands moved to Jack’s hands, where his knuckles were bruised and open, already drying with blood. He looked up at Jack, and Jack answered him with a mixture of resignation and contrition. It was then that Ianto noticed the gash near Jack’s hairline. “Oh Jack, what did you do?” Instead of waiting for an answer, Ianto kissed Jack’s cheek and then led him into the bathroom. “Take off your shirt while I get the ointment.”

Ianto went over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out the peroxide, iodine, and bandages, then grabbed a washcloth from a shelf. He turned around to see Jack slumped on the toilet, his soiled shirt tossed in the floor. Jack had a bruise on his side and another on his abdomen. “Bruises, too?”

“It was a rough night,” Jack said as Ianto knelt beside him, the tile hard on his knees. “This gash hasn’t made my headache feel any better, I can tell you that.”

“You should have stayed in bed.” Ianto didn’t mean to admonish Jack, but his original panic had turned into full-fledged worry.

“I couldn’t. The Doctor needed me.”

Ianto didn’t respond; instead, he gently pulled Jack’s hand towards himself. The knuckles had open wounds surrounded by dirt and blood, so first he cleaned them with warm water. Jack jerked his hand back with a sudden intake of breath as Ianto wiped his wounds clean.

“How did the other guy look?” Ianto finally asked.

“Much worse.”

Ianto sighed. With the blood and dirt gone, Jack’s hand didn’t look so bad. Ianto was sure most of the blood hadn’t been Jack’s. He cleaned the cuts with peroxide, then covered them with a layer of iodine. The smell was strong, the iodine turning Jack’s hand orange.

“Now for your head,” Ianto said, standing up with some difficulty. His knees ached, and he rubbed them for a few moments.

“Here,” Jack said, pulling Ianto down into his lap, “this is more comfortable.”

Ianto straddled him. Jack’s body was warm, and he could feel the uneven breaths he took. Jack was definitely shaken up. Ianto softened towards him, though still too worried.

He carefully cleaned the dried blood around the gash, getting a better picture of it up close. It wasn’t very long, maybe a few centimeters, and near the hairline.

“It’s not very deep,” Ianto observed, “it shouldn’t scar.”

“Thank god. I don’t know how I’d take losing my looks.” Ianto could see Jack’s eyes crinkle in a smile.

“A scar might make you look dignified. Or tough. Could increase your reputation.” Ianto dabbed a bit of peroxide on the wound.

“I don’t want anything to mar these good looks, not even for my reputation.”

“Nothing could make you ugly, Jack,” Ianto said. “It’s impossible.”

“I’m sorry, Ianto.” Jack leaned his head against Ianto’s shoulder even though he wasn’t finished with the ointment.

“You don’t have anything to apologize for.”

Jack pulled back, looking Ianto in the eyes. Ianto didn’t like how sad his blue eyes looked; they almost looked dim. “I saw the way you looked at me. Panic, worry, with a hint of disapproval.”

“Is it that obvious?” Ianto asked, slouching.

“I’ve learned to read you pretty well, Ianto.” Jack reached out a hand and stroked Ianto’s cheek lightly. “It’s just one of those things I had to do,” Jack explained. “I was perfectly safe.”

Ianto ran his finger beside Jack’s wound. “I can see that.”

“Freak accident.”

Ianto reached over to grab the iodine and brushed some over the gash. Then he placed a kissed right under it. “There. All cleaned and ready to heal.”

“Thank you.” Jack wrapped his hand around Ianto’s head and pulled him down for a kiss. Ianto breathed into Jack’s mouth as Jack’s tongue slipped inside his mouth. All the anxiety and nervousness from the night melted into Jack’s mouth, leaving Ianto drained. He pulled away, and saw the same exhaustion on Jack’s face.

“Let’s get you to bed.”

“Let me wash up first.”

Ianto sat on the toilet seat and chatted about nothing as Jack moved around the bathroom and washed up. He tried to lighten the mood and take Jack’s mind away from whatever happened earlier. He didn’t like the haunted look in Jack’s eyes, and he wanted to help it disappear.

When they finally got into bed, Ianto pulled Jack to him, wrapping his arms around him closely. “Are you okay?” Ianto whispered.

“Sing to me, Ianto.”

“Really?”

“Please?”

Ianto almost broke into a sob at the desperation in Jack’s voice. He sounded so small, so unlike himself. Ianto held him tighter and sang whatever bits of song popped into his head and tried to ignore the way Jack was trembling in his arms.

*

The next morning, Ianto took Jack’s coat to the cleaners before meeting him in his office.

“Coat’s at the cleaners. Should be ready by this evening,” Ianto said as he entered. Jack looked up, smiling. “I dropped your name, and it became a priority order.”

“You’re wonderful,” Jack said. He went back to his papers while Ianto got out the ledger. After they had been working for awhile, Ianto closed the ledger and sat up.

“Why don’t you live somewhere else?” he asked suddenly.

Jack sat up, absently tapping his pen against the documents laid out before him. “It’s more convenient to live here.”

Ianto shook his head. “That’s not what I mean.” He pointed to the ledger. “You have more money than you’ll ever spend. You could easily live somewhere nicer.”

“Are you trying to say our theater apartment isn’t nice?” Jack joked.

“You could live in one of those luxury flats on Park Avenue like the Doctor. Or permanently stay at one of the hotels, like the Ritz-Carlton.”

“Why would I want to stay somewhere like that? I’d have to either drive or walk back and forth to the speakeasy at night, and to my office during the day. It makes the most sense to just live here.”

“When Rhys helped me get you to bed the other night, he remarked that he expected you to live somewhere nicer.”

Jack set the pen down and leaned back in the large leather chair. He steepled his fingers under his chin. “You’re right; I could have luxury and grandeur like the Doctor. And there are things I spend money on; I have my car, the cottage, the liquor that I drink. But other than that, what do I need?”

“Nice clothes, a larger flat, more cars?” Ianto suggested.

“I like my clothes. As long as I have my coat, I’m content. Why do I need another car when I rarely drive the one I own? As for where I live, I like my modest apartment. It’s nice enough, and there’s plenty of room for me.” He smiled and added, “And for you.”

Ianto studied him carefully. “I just think it’s interesting. Most people throw money around and live extravagantly, but you don’t. You wouldn’t know you had as much money as you do.”

“I’m simple, and I like it that way. The Feds don’t get suspicious, and if something happens, I’m good. Plus, I can be generous to my employees. I like to give Tosh, Rhys, and Gwen little bonuses.” He grinned.

“But not me?”

“Oh, I give you plenty of bonuses.” Jack stood up and walked to the door, then closed it. As he passed Ianto, he grabbed his hand and tugged him up. “I’ll give you one right now.”

“Are you sure this isn’t favoritism?” Ianto teased. “I just want to be treated fairly, sir.”

“I have no intention of treating you like everyone else,” Jack said, falling into his chair and tugging Ianto down with him. Ianto slid a knee on either side of Jack’s lap, leaning over him. “Unless,” Jack said, yanking Ianto’s tie so their mouths were closer, “you’d like me to have all my employees suck my cock.” Jack placed a kiss on the underside of Ianto’s chin.

“Tempting as that is,” Ianto said, moving closer and licking Jack’s lips lightly, “I prefer that particular job to be delegated just to me.”

Jack grinned and wrapped an arm around Ianto, bringing their mouths together for a kiss. Ianto grabbed Jack’s hair, tugging it playfully as Jack worked the buttons on Ianto’s vest and shirt. Ianto’s hands lost in Jack’s hair, he angled his head to kiss Jack deeper, working his tongue further inside his mouth. Jack’s tongue was soft, his breath hot against Ianto’s mouth as their lips opened and closed in quick rhythm. When Jack got Ianto’s shirt open, he pressed his palms against his chest, thumbing across Ianto’s pert nipples lightly. Ianto moaned into Jack’s open mouth.

“Like that, huh?” Jack breathed against Ianto’s mouth, his voice low and husky. Ianto rocked his hips against Jack’s, felt Jack’s hard cock against his own. As Jack’s thumbs circled his nipples, and his tongue lazily slid against his own, Ianto dropped his hand to fumble with Jack’s fly while his other hand braced against Jack’s shoulder. With every brush of Jack’s fingers against his sensitive flesh, he felt a wave of desire course through him. His cock ached, and with each swipe of Jack’s velvet tongue in his mouth, his body wanted more of Jack touching him. After making work of the buttons, Ianto slipped his hand inside his trousers and immediately felt Jack’s heat. Without wasting any time, he curled his fingers around Jack’s cock, causing Jack to buck against him.

“I like you like this,” Jack said, moving his hands around to Ianto’s back, leaving a trail of sensation behind. He shoved his hands inside Ianto’s trousers, digging his hands into his ass roughly. Ianto grunted against Jack’s ear. “I like you writhing in my lap.”

“Next time,” Ianto said, his hand making erratic strokes on Jack’s cock from the angle and lack of slickness as Jack’s hands kept squeezing his ass, “you’ll have to be in my lap.”

“We can do that now,” Jack said, removing his hands and pushing Ianto back playfully. “You can be the boss, and I’ll be the assistant.”

“Mmm,” Ianto hummed, swiping his thumb across the head of Jack’s cock. He loved the way Jack’s face went slack when he did that, so he did it again. “I can make you do all kinds of things, and then fuck you on my large desk.” He circled the head of Jack’s cock, watching the way Jack’s eyes fluttered.

At that moment, they heard a knock on the door. They both froze, staring at each other in panic before Ianto jumped up, bumping noisily into the desk

“Mr. Harkness?” Mary called tentatively through the door.

“One moment,” Jack said, standing and shoving his shirt into his trousers. Ianto fixed all the shirt buttons visible outside the vest, then buttoned the vest over the rest. He reached inside his trousers to adjust his painfully hard cock as Jack did the same.

“Okay?” Jack asked as he gave Ianto a once over. Ianto nodded, and Jack did the same. Ianto quickly dropped into a chair and grabbed the ledger as Jack sat behind the desk. “Enter,” he called.

Mary entered and looked between the two of them, unsure. Ianto glanced at Jack, who looked perfectly composed. The only indication of anything was the slight tousled look of his hair and the light flush on his cheeks. Ianto hoped it would be hard to pick up on if you weren’t looking for it. He looked down at his own clothes and willed his cock to soften. His legs were crossed and the ledger placed casually over his lap, and in that moment, he hated Jack for having that large desk to protect him.

“The Doctor is here to see you,” Mary said. Ianto watched Jack as he smiled and told her to bring him in. He was waiting right outside the door.

“Doctor!” Jack exclaimed, but remained seated. Ianto, on the other hand, stood up abruptly, carefully holding the ledger as inconspicuously as possible.

“I shall leave you with the Doctor and finish the ledgers elsewhere.” He nodded to Jack, then nodded to The Doctor as he hurried out of the office.

He really hoped no one realized what they had been doing. Ianto groaned at the thought of the Doctor knowing he interrupted them. Not much he could do about that now, though. What he could do, however, was go into the flat and take care of his erection that just wouldn’t go away.

*

“Owen, the Doctor requires Ianto’s assistance,” Jack said as he came up to the bar. It was moderately busy, and Ianto glanced at Owen hesitantly. “Martha or Gwen can help if you get too busy.”

Ianto shrugged at Owen and followed Jack out of the Hub, waving at Rhys as they walked through the main door. Jack led Ianto back up the steps, past people waiting to get in. Jack ignored all the people calling his name; he even pushed off one woman who tried to wrap her arms around his neck and talk to him. He led them out of the supply closet, then out of the back exit door, where a car was waiting for them.

Ianto silently got in beside Jack. No one was in the car except the driver, who Ianto didn’t recognize. Jack didn’t say anything; however, he did reach into the folds of his coat, pull out a gun, and hand it to Ianto. Ianto took it and tucked it into the back of his trousers.

Jack remained silent the entire ride. Eventually the car stopped down the street from a small restaurant. Ianto followed Jack out of the car, where they found the Doctor waiting for them in his raccoon coat. The Doctor said nothing; he just nodded, then turned and walked towards the restaurant.

Instead of going through the front door, the Doctor led them down an alley towards a side door. When he tried it, it was unlocked, so with hardly a sound, they slipped through the door. With each step, Ianto’s apprehension grew. He was unsure what they were doing and what he was supposed to do. He looked around, canvassing the area just in case. The Doctor led them through a darkened storage closet, an empty kitchen, then down a hall. Ianto could hear people laughing and talking somewhere deeper within the building.

They paused outside an open door, in the shadows and out of view. The Doctor pulled a pistol from his coat, and Jack pulled out his Webley. Ianto, for lack of anything better, also grabbed his gun. Then, the Doctor walked into the room.

There were four men around a table in the middle of the room playing poker. When they heard the noise, they looked up in surprise.

But the Doctor gave them no time to react. Without a word, he raised his gun and shot the first two men in the head before anyone had figured out what happened. Ianto found himself flinching in surprise with each gunshot, and he steeled himself before his body betrayed his nerves. The two remaining men reached for their guns, but the Doctor didn’t allow them to shoot. As quickly as he shot the first two, he shot the other two in the chest.

Ianto stared at the scene before him. All four men were slumped in their chairs, dead. Blood was splattered on the table and all over the floor. When the Doctor was satisfied they were dead, he turned around and left the way he came.

*

“What the fuck was that?” Ianto yelled as soon as they were safe in the flat. They had said nothing to one another since leaving; the entire ride back Ianto stared out the window, focusing on the passing city street instead of what he had witnessed. “That was a massacre.”

“That was retribution,” Jack answered as he shrugged off his coat. Ianto stared wordlessly as Jack pulled his holster from his belt and laid it on a table.

“Jack, he shot those four men in cold blood.”

Jack sighed and looked up at Ianto, frustrated. “What do you want me to say? They deserved it.”

“Why?”

“They killed some of his friends back in Britain.” Jack paused, staring hard at Ianto. “If someone killed any of you, I would do the same thing.”

Ianto couldn’t argue with that logic. “I still don’t like it.” He dropped on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through his hair. “Did you know that’s what we were doing?”

“I knew the Doctor had found those men. That’s part of what we’ve been doing since he arrived, searching for them. The Doctor didn’t tell me he planned on killing them the way he did; he just told me to meet him there with one extra man.”

“I don’t like this, Jack.”

“What?” Jack asked, exasperated. “What is it that you don’t like? The Doctor enacting revenge upon the men who killed people dear to him? What would you do if someone killed me?” Ianto flinched at the very thought. “Because I’ll tell you what I’d do if someone killed you.” Jack took a step towards him, his voice dropping dangerously low. “I’d find the motherfucker and I’d make him suffer. I wouldn’t let them off as easy as the Doctor did; I’d torture them until they begged to be killed and then I still wouldn’t put them out of their misery.” Jack had a darkness in his eyes Ianto had never seen before and it terrified him.

“This isn’t you,” Ianto said.

“It’s part of me, Ianto,” he said, turning away. “You just don’t want to see it.”

Ianto shot up from the bed. “Torture and killing? That isn’t you, Jack. No matter how much you want to self-indict yourself, you’re not a murderer.”

Jack spun around and glared at Ianto. “How many people have we killed, Ianto? How many can you count since you started working for me? Plenty. I am a murderer, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

“You were protecting us,” Ianto said quietly.

“Call it what you will, but it doesn’t change the facts.”

“This is ridiculous.” Ianto stormed into the kitchen, and Jack followed him, hot on his heels.

“What? Is this upsetting your perfect vision of everything? The happy wonderland where we’re a big happy family and nothing goes wrong?” Jack yelled. Ianto turned on him, a mixture of hurt and anger radiating from him. Jack looked cold, furious. “I told you this was a dirty business. We’re criminals, Ianto. I’m never going to be anything different.”

“I killed enough in the war,” Ianto said, “I’m tired of doing it now.”

“Then you’re fucking the wrong person,” Jack retorted. “Maybe you shouldn’t be in this business if you can’t handle it.”

“I can handle it,” Ianto shouted, “but I don’t fucking like it. You shouldn’t either. You shouldn’t accept that murdering people is the way things are, whether you’re a bootlegger or not. You’re not a bloody gangster.”

“Things still aren’t black and white,” Jack yelled. He began pacing across the kitchen, running a hand through his hair. “Maybe having you work for me was a bad idea.”

“What?” Ianto exclaimed.

Jack looked at him sharply. “Maybe having you do the dirty jobs with me, work in my bar, and fuck me every night was a bad idea.”

Ianto narrowed his eyes. “Oh, so now you regret hiring me?”

“If you can’t handle it. Maybe you should stay out of all that, let me deal with the bloody stuff.”

“Oh, and what does that mean I’ll do?” Ianto shouted. “Wait here until you’re done killing everybody so you can come back and fuck me and go to sleep?”

“We can’t have that, now can we? Because if I just try to fuck you or give you money, you’ll just feel like my whore.”

Ianto stepped close to Jack, resisting the urge to punch him. “Fuck you, Jack Harkness.”

“Yeah, fuck you, Ianto Jones and your fucking naïve, delusional view of the world.” Ianto brushed past Jack, shoving him with his shoulder, and headed for the door. “I pity you. One day you’re going to wake up and realize what the world is really about.”

Ianto yanked the door open, but turned around in the threshold. “Well, I pity you. Because I know that beyond this shit-storm we call a life, there are better things, like love and hope and beauty. You may kill gangsters and lowlifes in the street behind the safety of your reputation, but I’ve killed men worth ten of you and watched the light go out of their eyes as they bled their life into my hands.” He stepped forward and pointed with his free hand. “So don’t fucking tell me what the world’s really about.” And with that, he left, slamming the door behind him.

*

Furious didn’t adequately describe how Ianto felt. He punched the hall wall with so much force after he left the flat that he left a dent in the wall. But now, he rushed down the winding stairs of the secret passage, arriving in the Hub. It was late and the crowd had started to thin. He headed towards the bar, but saw Owen leaning close to Diane who was seated on a stool. The last thing he needed was to watch the two of them, and in his current state, he was liable to punch Owen just for looking at him.

So, he darted along the wall towards Tosh’s dressing room. He thankfully found it empty, so he pulled up the hidden floorboard and pulled out the bottle hidden beneath. Dropping onto the sofa, he twisted off the cap and started chugging from the bottle. The whiskey burned going down, but he needed something to calm his nerves.

In addition to being furious with Jack, he was also hurt. The things he and Jack had said to one another…Ianto shook his head and took another long swig. Since he had no interest in getting drunk (because the last thing he needed was to get drunk), he replaced the bottle in its hiding place and sat on the sofa, trying to collect his thoughts.

He didn’t know how long he sat there. But later, when he heard giggling growing closer, he rushed over to the secret passage and quickly stepped inside. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to anyone, even Tosh.

Leaning his head against the door in the dark, he felt the world spinning a bit. He wasn’t drunk – far from that – but the alcohol had definitely softened his limbs and shifted his mood from furious to melancholy. He either shouldn’t have drunk any whiskey or downed the whole fucking bottle.

He was trying to gather the energy to push himself off the door and go to his bed when he heard Martha shriek, then laugh. Wondering what was going on, he lifted his head and quietly slid the small door away from the opening so he could see inside.

He didn’t expect what he saw.

Tosh was laid back on the couch, wearing nothing but her undergarments. Martha was on top of her, topless, her trousers unbuttoned and revealing her lace underwear. Martha’s mouth was covering one of Tosh’s breasts, and Tosh was making small sounds, her hands on Martha’s hair.

Ianto knew he should leave; he knew he should close the slot and walk away and leave them. But he couldn’t take his eyes off Tosh’s bare breasts, the dip in Martha’s smooth back, the way Martha’s mouth moved over Tosh’s hip. He felt a stirring deep in his belly, his breath suddenly coming in short gasps. And then Martha moved further down Tosh’s body, slipping off Tosh’s underwear as she did, and then Tosh’s legs fell open and Martha lowered her mouth against Tosh’s dark curls.

Ianto had to bite his tongue not to moan aloud. Tosh was moaning and writhing on the couch as Martha worked her mouth and hand over Tosh. Ianto couldn’t see much of anything from this angle, but it didn’t matter. They were both so beautiful, Tosh’s breasts so full and bare and there, that he couldn’t resist any longer.

He leaned against the wall for support as he hastily unbuttoned his trousers and pulled out his hard cock. It was heavy in his hand, and he felt slightly bad for watching them, but he couldn’t rip his eyes from them. He stroked himself, then licked his palm to help get rid of some of the friction.

Tosh came quietly, her back arching off the couch as she barely made a sound. Ianto’s cock twitched as he watched her, wondering what it would be like to fuck her and Martha, to fuck a woman again instead of a man. Martha sat up, revealing her breasts for the first time, and Ianto suddenly was hit by an image of Lisa. Lisa’s dark breasts in the faint glow of her tiny room on base, Lisa’s dark skin underneath his pale hand as she moved under him in a tent in the French countryside. As Tosh removed Martha’s trousers, Ianto was reminded of how Lisa looked in the daylight, splayed on the grass waiting for him, and as Tosh spread Martha’s legs and bent between them, Ianto remembered how Lisa tasted on his tongue, and how she hadn’t wanted to taste him until after they were married.

He pushed those thoughts out of his mind as he watched Tosh move between Martha’s legs, Martha more vocal and insistent than Tosh had been, and then he was above Lisa, her soft voice in his ear, moaning and whispering random things as he slid into her, and Ianto ached to touch her again, to smell her, to feel her, to hear her moan his name and say she loved him. He missed her with every fiber of his being, longed for her in a way he hadn’t since right after she died, and then Ianto came over his hand, the image of Lisa beneath him burned into his eyelids.

And then, he slumped down onto the stairs and silently sobbed.

*

When Ianto had finally returned to the flat, he’d been gone for hours. He entered as silently as he could. All the lights were off, so he carefully made his way into the bedroom. He saw a lump on the bed in the small amount of light filtering through the curtains and exhaled in relief. He was terrified he’d return and Jack would be gone.

Quickly, he undressed, put on a fresh pair of pants, and then as gently as possible so as not to wake Jack, slipped beneath the covers.

“You’ve been drinking,” Jack said, startling Ianto. “I can smell it on you.”

“I thought you were asleep.” Ianto squinted at Jack’s silhouette in the darkness as his eyes adjusted. “I didn’t drink much. Just needed to take the edge off.” He could finally start to make out Jack’s features, his eyes staring up at him.

“Where did you go?”

“I never left the theater.” Ianto sat back against the headboard. Jack nodded and sat up, mirroring Ianto’s position. “I…” Ianto started, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to say it. He took a deep breath. “I cheated on you. Tonight.”

“You did WHAT?” Jack yelled.

“I cheated on you,” Ianto continued, ignoring Jack vibrating with anger beside him. “I stumbled upon Tosh and Martha in the dressing room. I didn’t mean to do it, but I was in the secret passage and heard them and opened up the slot to see what they were doing, and they were on the sofa and they were so naked and so feminine,” Ianto said, trying hard not to vomit from the guilt, “and it had been so long since I’d even thought of a woman in that way, so I stayed there, hidden, and watched them. And what’s worse, I didn’t just watch, I touched myself and then I thought of Lisa, and as I watched Tosh and Martha fuck, I thought about the way Lisa had looked, the way she sounded, the fucking way she tasted on my tongue. And I wanted her again so bad I ached inside, and then I came thinking about her moaning under me.” Ianto turned and looked at Jack across the darkness. “I am so sorry, Jack.” Ianto waited, his chest aching as he braced himself for Jack’s response.

He didn’t expect what happened next.

Jack laughed. Jack laughed loud and deep and sounded near hysterical.

“Jack?” Ianto asked, confused.

“I thought,” Jack said between laughs, “that you had gone and fucked somebody, some guy.” Jack broke into a fresh wave of laughter. “But you’re just a voyeur.” Jack started to sober and wiped his eyes.

“It’s not funny,” Ianto said, not amused. “I cheated on you.”

“Watching two hot women fuck and then thinking of your dead ex-fiancé while you jack off isn’t cheating.”

“But I wasn’t thinking of you.”

Jack reached out and touched Ianto’s cheek lightly. “If thinking of someone else sexually is cheating, the whole world has committed adultery.” Ianto tried not to feel jealous and hurt at the thought of Jack thinking of someone else. Jack reached over and turned on the light, and when he looked at Ianto, he smiled softly. “Don’t look like that; I’m not saying I’ve been thinking of other people, but I’ll be lying if I said every time I’ve jacked off in the past few months you were the only person I thought of.” Although Ianto knew the same was true about himself, he still felt hurt.

“I’m still sorry.”

“What made you think of Lisa?” Jack asked softly.

“I haven’t seen a naked woman since she died.” Jack nodded in understanding. “And I was mad at you – and myself – and didn’t want to think about you. But mostly Martha’s body reminded me of her.” Ianto looked down at his hands, the dull ache in his chest threatening to erupt again. “It surprised me. It was so violent, so vivid, and Jack, I missed her so fucking much in that moment. I just wanted to touch her once more.” He looked up at Jack, eyes damp.

“It’s okay,” Jack said, reaching out and placing a hand on Ianto’s shoulder. “It doesn’t lessen what we have.”

“It doesn’t?”

“Do you feel any differently about me?”

“No.”

“I’m sorry you felt that way,” Jack said. “I don’t like that you’re in pain.”

“It’s not just Lisa,” Ianto said quietly, looking at his hands again.

“Our fight,” Jack responded. “We both said some nasty things.” Jack sighed and Ianto looked over at him. “I don’t know what to say, Ianto. I don’t know what to do. It is what it is. The killing, the violence – I can’t change it. And if you can’t handle it, we have a problem.”

“I saw so much death when I was in the war,” Ianto started, “more than one person should. There were days when I’d see hundreds of men die, and not just see them lying dead, but I’d watch them die. From wounds, sickness, starvation. When I first began fighting, I kept a count of how many men I personally caused to die. I hit fifty within the first year.” He looked at Jack, who was watching him carefully. “By the time I got out, I had probably tripled that. Trench raiding…I’d crawl across no-man’s land, kill anyone in my path before they could kill me, and then I’d slice open or shoot anyone I came across in the enemy’s trench. There were times that I looked around, and there were piles of dead bodies around me, and the blood was so deep that it was seeping into the soles of my boots, and my uniform was drenched with black blood so thick the stench and the screams permeated my dreams. And Jack, I didn’t even remember killing them all. But the bullets were gone and I was covered in their gore.”

“Ianto, you don’t have to – “

“Yes, I think I do.” He shifted in the bed so he could face Jack better. “You have to understand. It’s not that I can’t handle it – or maybe I can’t, I don’t know. I barely sleep a night without dreaming about being over there, and I barely move without thinking about my back. Maybe I haven’t recovered, and maybe I’ll never recover. Maybe I’ll be one tenth shellshocked for the rest of my life.”

“You won’t,” Jack reassured him.

“I can kill, Jack. Shooting gangsters or lowlifes, that’s fine. But I’m scared that I’ll get to the point again where I’m killing and not remembering it.”

“Ianto, I won’t let that happen.”

“But worse than that,” Ianto said, ignoring Jack, “I worry about you. I see how you’re a bit different. I don’t want the darkness to keep creeping in on you. I don’t want you to end up like me and realize one day that you’re standing in a pile of bodies you don’t remember putting there.”

Jack stared at him for a few moments, his face unreadable. Ianto waited, the knot in his chest slowly closing on him. He took a deep breath, but that didn’t help, so he stood up, crossed the room, wrenched open the door, and walked onto the balcony. He gripped the metal railing and leaned against it, trying to control his breathing as the cool night air surrounded him. He flinched when he felt Jack place his hand on his back.

“Are you okay?”

“Rough night,” Ianto choked out.

“No matter what happens, you won’t ever have to live through that hell again,” Jack murmured reassuringly.

“I know.” Ianto lifted his head and stared down at the street. “But I have to live with it always.” Pushing himself off the railing, he turned around and leaned against it, placing both hands on it. Jack was angled against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. Ianto noted the way his hair was mussed and sticking up in places like he’d been running his hands through it. He looked deflated, smaller as he slumped into himself, so unlike the way he usually walked into a room, so unlike he looked earlier. Ianto felt the ache in his chest deepen. “Jack, what are we even fighting about?”

Jack sighed. “I’ve been asking myself that question all night.” He shifted and recrossed his arms. “When I met the Doctor, I was a con man.” Ianto stared back at him, surprised. “Nobody knows that, not even Owen. I started before the war, and after I was discharged, I just started back up. I was running a con, trying to sell some illegally obtained war vehicles and arms when I ran into the Doctor. He could have easily killed me for what I was doing, but he didn’t. Instead, he took me along with him. I owe him. He probably saved my life.” He glanced out at the street. “I wasn’t a bad man, per se, but I wasn’t a good man, either. I didn’t care who I fucked over or who got hurt. The Doctor gave me purpose. Maybe his methods aren’t what other people call right, but he is a good man, Ianto.”

“A good ganster,” Ianto joked.

Jack tore his eyes from the city and smiled. “He wants to make the world a better place. He just goes about trying to accomplish that in a very different way than most. Those men tonight, they deserved what they got, Ianto. I can’t begrudge him that. He’d help me find your killer if I asked him.”

Ianto grunted and ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll never be comfortable with the fact that we kill people.”

“Do you know why I love you, Ianto?” Ianto jerked his head towards Jack, startled at the sudden change of subject. “One of the many reasons. You keep me grounded. Before you…I fucked, I sold alcohol, I took down anyone who came in my way. True, a lot of my reputation is exaggerated, but there are a lot of people I’ve killed who didn’t deserve to die.” Jack crossed the short distance and stood beside Ianto, resting his elbows on the railing as he looked down into the street. Ianto turned his head and studied the stark relief of his profile in the orange glow of the streetlights. “When you came into my life, you made me start thinking about people again. Not just you, but Owen, Tosh, Gwen, and Rhys. And almost every time I make a decision, I think about you and how you will look at me after I’ve done what I’ve done.” He turned and looked at Ianto. “If I can’t bear the thought of your face, I can’t go through with it.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Ianto said. “Why should it matter what I think? You’re the boss. You have an empire to run.”

“None of that matters if you’re not with me.”

Ianto reached out and grabbed his hand and laced their fingers. “I didn’t mean those things I said earlier.”

“I know. I didn’t either. I’m glad you’re optimistic.” Jack smiled. “One of us has got to be.”

“You don’t have to view the world so darkly all the time, Jack. Most of the time, we live a pretty glamorous life. Think of all the things we do that other people don’t.” Ianto smiled softly.

“I’ve lived a long time and seen a lot of bad things, Ianto.”

“We both have. You keep forgetting that.”

“I never forget what you’ve seen, Ianto.” Jack looked at him seriously. “You don’t know how often I watch you while you sleep and see the pain on your face, see the way you twitch and move and wish I could remove every last memory of those years from you. It’s not fair. You’re too young to live with that on your shoulders.”

Ianto turned away and stared through the doorway into the flat. “Where does that leave us then?”

“I don’t know.” Ianto looked at Jack, the knot reforming in his chest. “That’s not the answer you expected, was it?” Ianto shook his head. “If I tell you I love you, is that enough?”

Ianto nodded. “I’ll stand by your side, regardless of what you do. You won’t have to shoulder all of this alone, even if we have to kill all of New York City. Just because I don’t approve doesn’t mean I won’t follow you and fight with you until my last breath.”

Jack pushed himself off the railing and slid his arms around Ianto’s waist, covering his hands with his own. “You never fail to amaze me. You’re a remarkable man, Ianto Jones.” Jack pressed his lips against Ianto’s, gentle yet unyielding. Ianto eagerly returned his kiss, the fear, the panic, the anger, the guilt from the past few hours manifesting itself into the urgent need to connect with Jack’s mouth. Ianto pulled his hands from underneath Jack’s grasp and wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him even closer. Jack’s arms enclosed around him, and their bodies were pressed tightly together. Ianto clung to Jack, the simple sound of his breathing, the feel of his heart beating not enough. Ianto was so involved in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed that Jack kissed him with a kind of frenzied hunger, his arms around him a vice-like grip like he was afraid he was going to disappear at any second.

“Jack,” Ianto whispered as Jack began to tremble. Jack had his face buried in Ianto’s neck, placing light kisses along his pulse point. “Jack, it’s okay.” Ianto rubbed his head soothingly as he embraced him.

“I can’t lose you,” he muttered, voice barely audible.

“You won’t,” Ianto whispered against Jack’s hair. “I’m not going anywhere.” Jack began trembling even harder and Ianto placed two fingers under his chin and made him look at him. “Jack, I’m right here. I’ll never leave you.” The look in Jack’s eyes made the knot in Ianto’s throat larger; he had never seen Jack stare at him with that amount of need, fear, and urgency before.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, kissing Ianto’s jaw as he lessened his grip, but Ianto held on tight.

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Jack kissed Ianto again, his mouth insistent like he was claiming Ianto. When he pulled away, Ianto’s knees almost gave out.

“Let’s go back to bed.” Jack grabbed Ianto’s hand and led him back inside the flat. When they had settled facing one another in bed, their hands lying clasped on the bedspread between them, Jack asked, “What was it like watching Tosh and Martha?” Ianto noticed he sounded more like himself, but his face still had a bit of desperation in it that he tried to mask.

“Incredibly sexy.” He blushed a bit at the thought. “I feel a bit bad about it. I may not be able to look at them ever again. Tosh is my best friend, for pete’s sake.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Jack said. “I watched two women once. I didn’t know them; they were these two whores in a cathouse in Berlin.”

“I’ve never seen two women together. Or even thought about it.”

“You haven’t?” Jack asked, clearly skeptical.

“It never seemed proper.”

“You and your propriety.”

“That you’ve done a good job of robbing me of.” Ianto smirked. “I wish I’d had a better view.” Jack laughed. “What’s it like watching two guys?”

Jack grinned cheekily. “Even better than that. We can arrange to do that if you want, watch two guys. I know places.”

Ianto shook his head. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

“I don’t mind. I find it interesting, though I’d much rather participate.”

They lay there for a while, just staring at each other. Then Jack said, “I’m sorry about Lisa.”

Ianto shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.”

“It is, Ianto. And I am sorry.”

“I feel guilty.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Ianto shook his head. “Not about that. I loved Lisa.”

“I know.”

“But that isn’t anything compared to the way I love you.”

Jack smiled sadly as he leaned forward and kissed Ianto. “You need some sleep. You look exhausted.” Jack shifted until Ianto was comfortable in his arms. He kissed Ianto’s head as he stroked his hair. “I am sorry about tonight. I never meant to hurt you.”

“I’m sorry, too. I don’t like it when we fight.”

“Me either.” Jack kissed Ianto’s head again. “Sleep now, love. And sweet dreams.”

Ianto kissed Jack’s chest and closed his eyes.

*

He stood in the middle of a field, surrounded by German soldiers. One by one they attacked him, and he shot each of them in turn. Blood flowed freely around him, rising over his shoes and into his uniform. The soldiers fell to the ground, piling up around him until the ones still living were crawling over the dead bodies and clawing at him. As he shot them, they began tumbling on top of him, knocking him to the ground. Then suddenly, all the dead bodies were crashing on top of him, covering him, pressing down on him, and he couldn’t breathe, the soldiers he’d killed smothering him as he drowned in their blood.

“IANTO! Wake up!” Ianto couldn’t breathe. He pushed his arms out, trying to move the bodies off him so he could get some air. But there was nothing on top of him. “Ianto, breathe. Wake up.” He opened his eyes, disoriented, and Jack’s face appeared in his vision. Jack grabbed his arms, unsure what to do, his face a mask of worry. “Ianto.”

The knot in Ianto’s chest had settled, making it hard to breathe. He sat up, Jack moving back just a bit, and slowly and deeply inhaled. The room around him came more into focus as he gained his bearings. The knot didn’t lessen, but he could breathe now.

“Are you okay?” Jack was sitting beside him, bedspread pooled around his waist. He stared at Ianto with a mixture of fear and worry.

“Fine,” Ianto said, voice strained. The room felt stuffy; he felt suffocated. Throwing back the covers, he got out of bed and walked out on the balcony. The early morning air hit him and he gripped the railing as he breathed.

“What can I do?” Jack asked from behind him. Ianto stared at the balcony floor, concentrating on his inhales and exhales.

“Nothing,” Ianto said. He straightened and looked out at the dawn. The sky was a light purple as the sun began to rise from beneath the horizon.

Jack wrapped his arms around him from behind and placed kisses along Ianto’s shoulders and neck. “You’ve never had a nightmare like that,” Jack whispered against his ear as he snuggled him close, his chin resting on Ianto’s shoulder. “You scared me. You weren’t breathing.”

“I’m sorry.” Ianto covered Jack’s hands with his own.

“No reason to be sorry,” Jack said. “Want to tell me about it?”

Ianto sighed. “I was covered by soldiers I’d killed. I was suffocating.”

Jack kissed the side of Ianto’s head. “No more nightmares.”

“If only it were that simple.”

“One day.” Jack let go of Ianto and grabbed his hand, tugging him back inside. “Let’s get back to sleep.”

*

The bed bounced, causing Ianto to wake. He opened his eyes and found Jack on top of him.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.” Jack grinned, and Ianto groaned.

“Why are you so chipper?” Ianto glanced at the clock. It was around noon.

Jack sat back on his haunches, on top of Ianto’s legs. “We’re going away for a few days.”

“Huh?” Ianto rubbed his eyes. “To the cottage?”

“Unfortunately not this time. But perhaps somewhere better.” Jack bounced on his legs, then pivoted forward, dropping his arms on either side of Ianto’s body. He leaned down and kissed him. “We’re going to the Hamptons.”

“Why?” Ianto didn’t know what was going on and was still too asleep to figure it out.

“The Doctor invited us.” Ianto couldn’t help the groan that escaped his lips. Jack tapped his arm gently. “Don’t be like that. You should really give him a chance.”

“Fine,” Ianto said. “Who all’s going?”

“Just me and you. He invited me along, and I’m bringing you as my assistant-bodyguard.” Jack grinned. “We can just use it as an excuse for a holiday.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. “Will have I have to bring your coffee and your coat and clear your dinner dishes?”

“Don’t be absurd,” Jack said. “They have people that do that for me.” He grinned widely and hopped off the bed. “We’re leaving soon, so start packing,” he called as he disappeared into the bathroom.

Ianto began packing both his and Jack’s clothes. “Should I bring suits or casual clothes?” he asked.

“One suit, casual clothes, and something beach appropriate,” Jack said, sticking his head out from the bathroom, his hair wet.

“What about for you? What should I pack?”

“The same. I trust you.” Ianto neatly folded all the clothes, packing extra pants and socks, and placed them in their suitcase, then made his way into the bathroom. Jack was at the mirror, covering his face with shaving cream. “Got everything packed?”

Ianto nodded as crossed over to Jack, took the razor from his hand, and led him over to the toilet. Jack sat down, and Ianto straddled his lap. Jack lifted his chin as Ianto carefully and slowly slid the blade over his skin. When he finished the section, he wiped the razor on the towel placed over Jack’s shoulder, then began on the next strip of Jack’s neck.

“Why did the Doctor invite you to the Hamptons?” Ianto asked, wiping shaving cream on the towel. Jack turned his head so Ianto could get the other side.

“I think there are a few things he wants me to do,” Jack said. Ianto waited for him to finish before touching the blade to his skin. As Ianto wiped the razor, Jack continued, “I also believe he wants to have a bit of holiday himself. We’ll only be there a few days, but hopefully we’ll have enough time to do a few things.” Ianto started on Jack’s cheek.

“Is he taking Rose?” He carefully shaved the uneven contours of Jack’s cheeks, saving his chin and lip for last.

“Yes.” Jack lifted his face as Ianto worked the blade on his chin, then his upper lip.

“Good. I like her.” Ianto finished, wiped the blade on the towel, then set it on the shelf behind Jack’s head. Then, he took the towel and gently wiped the remaining shaving cream from Jack’s face. When he lowered the towel, Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto’s neck and pulled him down into a kiss. Ianto let the towel drop to the floor without a thought.

Jack lowered one hand, letting his fingers press against Ianto’s groin in a constant rhythm. He moaned into Jack’s mouth as he shifted, Jack’s hardening cock pressing into his leg. Deciding the toilet was probably not the most comfortable spot, Ianto stood and pulled Jack up with him.

“Do we have time for a detour before we leave?” Ianto asked as Jack kissed all over his neck.

“As long as the detour is to the bed, then yes.” Jack lifted his head and grinned, and Ianto attacked his mouth as they made their way across the bathroom and into the bedroom. As they walked, they quickly removed their clothing, leaving a trail of garments all the way to the bed. When Ianto’s legs hit the side of the bed, they momentarily broke apart to finish disrobing. Then, Jack kissed Ianto again as he pushed him back.

Ianto fell against the sheets with a soft bounce, and he scooted up towards the pillows as Jack crawled after him.

“Guess what?” Jack said, leaning down to kiss Ianto’s thigh, then his hip. Ianto watched him as he trailed kisses up the front of his body, waiting for him to continue. “We’re having sex in the daylight.”

Ianto smiled. “I can actually see you. You’re skin doesn’t look blue or purple,” he joked. Jack kissed him, then sat back on his haunches. “Look at that,” he said, pointing to Jack’s crotch, “I forgot what your cock looked like.”

“Then we’re not doing this often enough.” Jack reached over into the bedside table and pulled out the jar of lubricant. Setting it aside for now, he dropped back on top of Ianto, kissing him hungrily as their hands moved across their bodies. The only friction against Ianto’s cock was from being caught between their stomachs, so he pressed his hips further against Jack, trying to find more contact. Jack ground his hips against Ianto in response.

Jack moved down between Ianto’s legs, urging Ianto’s hips down and his legs up before leaning down and sliding his tongue along the crease of Ianto’s ass. Ianto made a content and needy sound in the back of his throat as Jack gently tugged one of his balls into his mouth and sucked on it. A wave of sensation went through his limbs, causing him to feel disoriented and completely exposed, and the feeling intensified as Jack licked his tongue behind Ianto’s balls and then along the flat space to his opening.

“Fuck,” Ianto breathed as the flat of Jack’s tongue repeatedly slid along the sensitive area; just when he thought he’d done everything humanly possible with Jack, he did something new to pull Ianto into completely new throes of ecstasy. When Jack tired of that, he spread Ianto’s cheeks and licked around his opening, then teased it with light, easy swipes. Then he licked it fully, the flat of his tongue solid and wet as it glided across his opening over and over. Ianto had never come just from that, but he was pretty sure it was possible if Jack continued what he was doing.

Then, Jack removed his mouth, causing Ianto to grunt in disapproval, but he replaced tongue with his hand between Ianto’s spread legs. Gently, he slipped two fingers inside Ianto, twisting them around as Ianto squirmed and pulled at Jack’s hair and shoulders, urging him into a desperate kiss. Too soon, Jack removed his fingers, but then the tip of his cock was nudging Ianto’s opening, and Jack lifted up, bracing himself with one hand beside Ianto’s head as the other helped guide his cock inside Ianto. Ianto tensed at first, then relaxed as Jack slid further inside, stretching and filling him. He grabbed Jack’s neck and pulled him down for another kiss.

Jack set up a lazy rhythm, slow and steady as they kissed and touched. Ianto wrapped his legs around Jack’s waist, angling his hips just the right way until Jack was hitting him at just the right spot, and he started kissing Jack harder, murmuring things against his lips as Jack gripped his hip, fingers digging into flesh as he thrust in faster. Removing his fingers from Ianto’s hip, Jack grabbed Ianto’s cock from between their bodies and started pumping his fist in time with his thrusts, and then Jack jerked and paused as he came. He held himself in the same position, pushing his hips into Ianto as his fist worked on his cock, and after not too long, Ianto came between their bodies.

Jack collapsed and rolled to the side, kissing Ianto’s shoulder as he stretched back on the bed. He grabbed the sheet and cleaned off his and Ianto’s bellies, then Ianto curled against his side.

“What time do we need to leave?” Ianto asked.

“Soon.” He glanced at the clock. “We’ll stop and get lunch somewhere. And I need to put gasoline in the Packard.”

“We’re taking the car?” Ianto asked excitedly.

“We’re definitely not taking a train.” Jack smiled and kissed Ianto. “But right now, I’m just going to lie here with you.”

“Sounds perfect.”

“We’ll get to the Hamptons when we get there.” Jack pulled Ianto up into another kiss.

*

The sun felt good on his skin. After they had driven out of the city, Ianto slid down into the seat, angled his face upwards, and closed his eyes as he let the sunlight soak in and the warm air rush over him. Before he realized it, he had fallen asleep. He woke when he heard the sound of a door shutting.

Opening his eyes, he turned his head and saw Jack heading inside a store. Ianto sat up and stretched. When Jack returned, he handed Ianto a Coca-Cola.

“Thought you might be thirsty,” Jack said, sliding onto the seat.

“Thanks.” Ianto sipped the soda eagerly, exhaling in appreciation as he swallowed. “I have got to buy some of these for the flat.”

“Did you enjoy your nap?” Jack said as he started the car and pulled back onto the road.

“I did,” Ianto said, shifting in the seat. “How long was I out?”

“About an hour.”

“Sorry.”

“Not a problem. You didn’t sleep the best last night.” Jack reached over and squeezed Ianto’s thigh gently, and left his hand there.

They rode along in silence, Ianto watching the rolling country go by. When Jack pulled into a gas station later, Ianto watched a young couple in a similar car on the other side of the parking lot. They were laughing at something the man had said, and the girl leaned close and kissed him quickly. Ianto sighed as he looked up at Jack pumping gas, the strong line of his profile, the sunglasses on his face, the wide sweep of his shoulders, the tan skin of his forearm, the solid weight of his body. Ianto shook his head to clear the thoughts from his head.

When they were on the road again, Ianto asked, “Did Owen tell you about the fight at the Hub the other night?”

Jack shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“I broke it up. There were these two men there, a really lovely couple. They were sitting in a booth, minding their own business. You should have seen them, Jack. They really looked like they were in love. A few minutes later, I look back over and a man is beating one of them and calling him names.”

“Were they okay?”

“Just a bit bloody, but otherwise, fine.” Ianto shook his head and crossed his arms in front of him. “It really upset me. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it.”

Jack glanced over at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ianto shot him a dubious look. “Not like we’ve had a lot of time to discuss anything.”

Jack turned his attention back to the road. “What bothered you so badly?”

“I thought about us.”

“If someone attacks you, I think you can defend yourself.”

Ianto shook his head. “It’s not that. They reminded me a bit of how I imagine we look, or we would look if we were out in public together like that. I’ve seen you look at me like that, and I know I’ve looked at you that way.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Jack offered. “What’s the problem?”

“We won’t ever be able to share our love with the world. They came to a gay-friendly speak, and look what happened.”

“Ianto,” Jack said, reaching across the seat to grab his hand. “You can be such a romantic sometimes.”

“I’m not being a romantic. It fucking sucks.” Ianto covered Jack’s hand with his other one and glanced down at their clasped hands.

“Why do you have to share it with the world? Isn’t knowing how I feel about you enough?”

Ianto sighed. “It’s enough, of course. But we should be able to, also. I mean, Rose and the Doctor can parade around in their relationship, unmarried and obviously fucking, and no one cares because they’re the right genders. We have to hide the way we feel about each other to everyone except the people we really trust.”

Jack brought their hands to his mouth and kissed the back of Ianto’s palm. “You’re right. It’s not fair. But there’s not much we can do to change it now. One day maybe things will be different. Until then, we’ll just find comfort in the fact that we’re happier than most of those marriages.”

Ianto stared back out the window, but didn’t let go of Jack’s hand.

*

“This house is enormous.” Ianto stared open-mouthed as Jack drove down the driveway of what could only be called an estate. It was one of the largest houses Ianto had ever seen. The house was only two stories, but it spanned the length of a city block. “That’s all one house? I’ve never seen a house that long.”

The driveway passed large expanses of rich green lawn, perfectly manicured, before stopping in front of a walled off garden. A fountain sat near the front of the house, and somewhere behind the massive structure, Ianto could hear the ocean.

As soon as Jack stopped the car, the Doctor and Rose walked out of the front door. The Doctor wore his usual blue suit, but Rose had on a pastel sun dress. She looked less like a flapper and more like a society girl. Ianto wondered what Gwen would think.

“Jack!” The Doctor gave Jack a hug when he got out of the car, and Rose gave him a kiss. “Welcome. I did expect you sooner. It’s almost sunset.”

“I got a bit of a late start,” Jack explained.

“Gerald,” the Doctor alerted a nearby valet, “show Ianto where to take Captain Harkness’s things.”

“Certainly, sir.” Gerald bowed to the Doctor, then turned to Ianto. “This way.”

Ianto retrieved the suitcases from beneath the rumble seat, then followed Gerald. Before he went inside, though, Rose stopped him and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek.

Gerald led Ianto through the cavernous rooms. He had thought the apartment in the city was luxurious; this was complete grandeur and decadence. Ianto was pretty sure the speakeasy’s patrons on a busy night could live here easily and still find room for more.

“This is Captain Harkness’s room,” Gerald said, pausing before a door. He waited outside as Ianto entered. The room was twice the size as theirs at home, with twice as much furniture. The bed was huge, the outside wall was covered completely in windows, and just beyond was a private bath. “I do hope this is to his liking,” Gerald said suddenly behind Ianto, startling him.

“I’m sure it will suffice,” Ianto said.

“When you’ve deposited Captain Harkness’s things, I shall show you to your quarters.”

Ianto hadn’t thought that they would be sleeping in different rooms, but it made complete sense; the Doctor thought Ianto was his assistant, not his lover. Why would they share a room? Ianto glanced down at the suitcases he was holding, realizing that he had packed their clothes together instead of separately. Oh well, he thought, he’d figure that out later. Now, because Gerald was impatiently waiting behind him, he placed one of the suitcases on the bed and headed for the door.

Gerald led Ianto to a different wing of the house, still grand, but smaller and less luxurious. Ianto knew he was now in the part of the house designated for the help. After Gerald left him in his room, Ianto threw his suitcase on the ground in frustration. If Jack wanted to know why he’d been so upset in the car about what had happened in the Hub, this was a perfect example. Jack couldn’t admit to Ianto being his lover, so Ianto got treated like the help, like a nobody.

Oh well, he thought. Not much he could do about it now. He walked over to the window, facing towards the road, of course, and pulled the curtains back. It was still a lovely view, even if the window was normal-sized and didn’t face the ocean like Jack’s. The sun was going down, and he was staring out when he heard a knock on the door.

Gerald entered. “Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes. Don’t be late.”

This room also had a private bath, so Ianto went inside and washed up, then went to the suitcase. He hoped that he had a suit packed in this one, and that Jack had something appropriate packed in the one he’d left in the other room. Luckily, the suitcase contained his suit, so he changed clothes and went downstairs.

*

The dining room was communal and held multiple tables. Jack was eating with the Doctor, Rose, and other guests while Ianto sat at a table with who he guessed were other bodyguards. He noticed when Jack had entered that he’d found something suitable to wear in the other suitcase.

Halfway through dinner, Ianto heard Rose’s laughter float all the way to his table. Though it hadn’t been difficult to hear their conversation since the tables were situated close together and no one at his table had said a word the entire meal.

“Jack, I don’t understand why you’re still single,” Rose said. Ianto felt his pulse race as he nervously listened more closely to the conversation.

“I haven’t found a reason to settle down,” Jack answered. Ianto was surprised at how easily the lie rolled off his tongue. “I don’t have much free time, and I tend to like the vast array of choices I have every night.” Ianto could practically hear his lascivious grin.

“You’ll never change, will you, Jack?” Rose laughed.

“Do you really expect him to?” the Doctor asked.

“What’s the point of settling down? I’d find monogamy and the same person incredibly dull,” Jack explained.

“We should set you up with a nice woman,” Rose suggested. “I have plenty of friends, many with specific talents I’m sure you’d appreciate.” They all laughed.

“I’d love that.”

Ianto had to remind himself that Jack was lying. Putting on airs. That didn’t change the way hearing those words made him feel.

*

After dinner, the Doctor, Rose, and Jack had gone for a walk out on the beach, but since the estate was safe, Ianto’s services were unneeded. So, he retired to his room. He tried not to be upset, tried not to be jealous. He was finding that very difficult. Jack had dragged him to this damn place, under the pretense of a holiday, and he was stuck in this stupid room.

He found a robe folded on a chair, so he stripped down to his pants and slid it on. He didn’t expect it to be so soft, so he chose a book from the shelf and curled up in the armchair.

He’d been reading for nearly three hours when someone knocked on his door. Figuring it was Gerald alerting him to something else, he set the book on the table and crossed the room. When he opened the door, he didn’t expect Jack to be standing on the other side.

“What are you doing in here?” Jack asked.

“Reading.”

“Why?”

“I’m not really tired.”

“I mean, why are you here?”

“It’s my room.”

Jack shook his head and stepped inside the room. “It may officially be your room, but like hell you’re sleeping anywhere but with me. Grab the suitcase and let’s go.”

“Won’t someone see us?”

“Not if we hurry.” Ianto rushed over to the suitcase, picked it up off the floor, then followed Jack through the halls, still in his robe. They made it safely inside Jack’s room without anyone seeing. “Much better.” Jack grabbed Ianto around the waist and pulled him into a kiss. “God, I’ve missed you. I wanted you out there on the beach with me so bad I couldn’t stand it.”

“Was it fun?”

“Not as much fun as it would have been with you.” Ianto smiled, feeling slightly mollified. “Why are you looking at me like that? Did you really think I was going to make you sleep in another room?”

Ianto shrugged. “I honestly didn’t know what was happening.”

“Poor baby,” Jack said, pulling Ianto closer. “All evening you’ve thought we were going to have to be apart. I’m sure dinner didn’t help.” He gave Ianto an apologetic smile.

“So, I’m sleeping here?” Ianto glanced over Jack’s shoulder at the bed. “It looks a lot more comfortable than the one in my room.”

“Ianto Jones, I haven’t spent a night away from you in over six months. What makes you think that I would start tonight?”

Ianto felt himself blush, and Jack kissed his cheek.

“Come on, let’s go test how soft the bed is.” Jack let go of Ianto and ran towards the bed, jumping right in the middle of it. Ianto laughed, then followed suit.

*

Ianto was having a very good dream. His entire body was thrumming with desire, and as he slowly gained more awareness, he realized he wasn’t asleep. He glanced around, disoriented. The clock read just after seven, and Jack wasn’t beside him, but at the foot of the bed, his head between Ianto’s legs, mouth on his cock. Ianto couldn’t see him, just the lumps in the white blankets moving.

“Fuck,” Ianto murmured sleepily, the world barely intelligible as Jack’s wet tongue and warm mouth slid along his shaft. He bucked his hips as Jack’s tongue brushed the sensitive part on the underside of the head.

Flinging the blankets back, Jack sat up on his elbows, letting Ianto’s cock drop from his lips. The saliva caused it to glisten in the morning sun filtering through the large expanse of windows, the shaft and head a deep pink as it stood just before Jack’s mouth. “Morning.” Jack licked from the base of Ianto’s cock to the tip. “I do love to wake up to a hard cock pressing against me.” Jack slipped his lips over the head, then held himself there and gently sucked. Ianto grunted, his brain still half-asleep. He’d never woken up quite like this before.

“What are you doing?” he asked dumbly, his accent thicker with sleep.

Jack’s face scrunched, and he let go of Ianto’s cock, much to Ianto’s disappointment. “It’s called a blowjob. I think you’re familiar with it.” Ianto bucked his hips, poking Jack in the side of the face with his cock.

“Arse.”

Jack smiled and resumed sucking his cock. Ianto watched him, the way his eyelashes fluttered against his cheeks, the concave hollows of his cheeks as his pink lips slid along his shaft. “This is my preferred wake up method,” Ianto said, voice low in his throat. He tried to hold off on coming, just to prolong it. Jack smiled around his cock.

Then, Jack crawled all the way up Ianto’s body, and Ianto had a chance to breathe until Jack kissed him. Jack’s mouth was lazy and unhurried, and he could taste remnants of himself on his tongue. “Roll over,” Jack said against his mouth. Still sleepy but now extremely turned on, Ianto obeyed, his eyes closing as he waited for whatever Jack had in mind next. He didn’t care what they did; he just wanted to feel Jack, then fall back asleep.

He heard Jack rummaging around, then felt the bed shift as Jack settled behind him. “Ianto,” he whispered against his ear as he grabbed Ianto’s leg and hooked it back over his hip. “Kiss me.” Ianto shifted his shoulders slightly so Jack could lean down and kiss him as he nudged his cock against his opening, then gently guided himself inside. Jack slid inside slowly and without much resistance; Ianto was completely relaxed as Jack’s tongue delved into his mouth, dancing with his own tongue languidly. Jack held onto his hip lightly as he pushed inside Ianto, his thrusts slow and measured. Jack obviously was in no hurry, and that suited Ianto fine. He relished the feeling of Jack inside of him, the feel of his mouth and tongue against his own.

The angle was odd, with him craning his neck and hooking his leg over Jack’s legs, but the slow rhythm caused a gradual build of sensation, a tiny coil of desire that grew each time Jack thrust inside until it was curling into every limb, every vein and nerve ending. Just the light pressure of Jack’s fingertips against his skin caused a jolt of electricity through him, and when Jack lifted his hand to touch his chin lightly and rub a thumb across his bottom lip, his entire lip tingled and sent a chill through his entire body.

“Jack,” Ianto said as Jack looked down at him, his eyes heavy lidded and full of desire. Jack adjusted Ianto’s leg and thrust deeper. “Oh!”

Jack recaptured his mouth as he finally wrapped his fingers around Ianto’s forgotten cock, and Ianto jerked at the contact. Jack dragged his thumb down the underside, circled the head as he continued his slow thrusts. His hand adopted the same unhurried rhythm as his cock, and every time Jack slid inside him, his hand glided along his shaft, his tongue so hot inside his mouth. The sensation uncoiling through Ianto’s body finally became too much, and he felt like he was about to snap completely in two. He wanted to hold on just a bit longer, never wanted it to end, and began to tremble.

“Ianto,” Jack whispered against his mouth. “Go ahead; it’s okay. Come for me.” Ianto’s eyes flew open and he stared up into Jack’s blue eyes, staring down at him so close and so full of love. His entire body shuddered as he came, harder than he had in a long time, his entire body pressed back into Jack as he bucked into his hand, soft cries escaping his lips. He never thought he was going to come down as Jack continued fucking him, his hand still sliding on his cock, and then he reached down to still Jack’s messy hand.

Then, without giving Ianto time to breathe or recover, Jack pulled out, leaving Ianto feeling empty as he rolled him onto his back. He kissed him as Ianto spread his legs so Jack could situate himself between them. Ianto shifted as Jack guided himself inside again, fucking Ianto with the same slow, steady rhythm. His hands fluttered across Ianto’s face, shoulders, chest, and side, leaving fire behind on Ianto’s skin with each touch. Jack grabbed Ianto’s hands and squeezed them as he thrust a few times, harder and more determined, then held himself still as he came. Then, he kissed Ianto again.

“Jack,” Ianto said, inhaling deeply as Jack kissed his way down Ianto’s neck. “That was amazing.”

“I agree.” He kissed Ianto again before slowly pulling out and getting up.

“Where are you going?”

“I have a meeting this morning,” Jack said. “Go back to sleep.” Jack kissed him again, and then Ianto rolled onto his side, away from the wet spot. He’d deal with that when he woke up. Jack leaned over and arranged the blankets around Ianto’s shoulder, brushed his hair back, and placed a light kiss on his forehead. Before Ianto knew it, he was asleep.

*

Ianto heard the door open, waking him. He sat up to speak to Jack, but instead was greeted by the maid. Who screamed. Loudly. He screamed, too.

“Miss!” Ianto said, trying to calm her before she alerted someone.

“Mr. Harkness isn’t supposed to be here,” she said, reaching for the door. “Who are you? I’ll call the police, I will.”

Ianto shook his head in a panic. “No need for that! I’m…” He sighed. “I’m with Mr. Harkness.” Ianto felt himself blush. Then he saw the same coloring in the maid’s face.

“Oh!” Her eyes glanced at Ianto’s bare chest, then down onto the floor where the previous day’s clothes were scattered around the room. “Oh! I am so terribly sorry. No one told me…”

“It’s, um…”

“Yes, sir.” She nodded and bowed. “Discretion is of the utmost importance, sir. I shall return later. I do apologize.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Ianto said.

She quickly hurried out, and Ianto dropped back onto the mattress, laughing. He wished Jack had been around to witness that; he would have certainly gotten a kick out of it.

He glanced at the clock to check the time and noticed a note on the nightstand. He grabbed it and opened it.

Ianto –

I have business with the Doctor today. I should be back by early afternoon, at the latest.

I look forward to spending the day with you. I don’t know how I’ll ever concentrate after this morning.

All my love,
Jack

PS – You looked so peaceful sleeping this morning. I do hope you had pleasant dreams.

Ianto smiled and replaced the letter on the table. He stretched out in the large, soft bed, reveling in the luxurious comfort. He decided he and Jack must buy a new bed, mattress, and linens. He’d pay for it himself if he had to.

He rolled onto his side and saw it was just before noon. Jack said he should be back by early afternoon, so that would give him enough time to take care of a few things.

Ianto hopped out of bed, and seeing the scattered clothes on the floor, remembered the maid. Chuckling, he picked up the discarded garments, refolded them, and placed them in the suitcases. Then, he went into the bathroom and drew himself a bath in the large tub. Perhaps he and Jack should remodel the bathroom, too. As Ianto lowered himself into the hot water, he realized that although Jack wasn’t interested in the type of grandeur the Doctor indulged in, he wouldn’t mind a few luxuries here and there. Starting with a soft bed and massive tub.

After soaking and bathing, he got dressed in his suit from the night before and walked towards the kitchen. His stomach was growling quite loudly.

Along the way, he ran into Gerald. He inwardly groaned.

“Afternoon,” Ianto said, nodding his head as he passed. And before Gerald got too far away, he stopped and asked, “Do you know when Mr. Harkness will return?”

Gerald turned around, eyeing Ianto carefully. “Captain Harkness left with master early this morning upon misses and his yacht. They are not scheduled to return until after dark.”

Ianto steeled his face so as not to let his utter surprise show. “And you are sure?”

“Yes. I do believe I can remember specific details of my master’s day.” And with that, Gerald continued walking down the hall.

After dark? Jack had said he was going to return in early afternoon, but now that was obviously not going to happen. Ianto stood in the hall, trying to decide what to do. He could sit around the house and wait for Jack to return, but that honestly sounded horrible. Instead, he decided to get out of the house.

He returned to Jack’s room and changed from his suit into a more casual ensemble. A white button up with the sleeves rolled up, casual fitting tan linen trousers, and a matching hat. He felt this was more suited to enjoying the Hamptons than his usual nice suits.

Town was only a few miles away, so he walked. The weather was lovely, the sun warm but not too hot in the late spring afternoon. He could catch glimpses of the ocean as he walked and hear the rolling waves in the distance. When he arrived in town, he noticed how different the small village of East Hampton was than New York. Some of the buildings were still tall, but the streets less crowded and congested. There were multiple restaurants and cafes, ice cream shops, bakeries, boutiques, and other assorted shops designed for the uber-rich and tourists.

Ianto ate a sandwich on the patio of a posh deli (the meal costing him more than he usually paid for his and Jack’s dinners back home), then he got an ice cream before walking towards the pier. The sea breeze blew steadily off the water, and he had to remove his hat and carry it under his arm. He wished he’d just left it at home.

He licked the melting ice cream from his fingers where it had dribbled down as he walked the length of the pier. A variety of people populated the pier, from young couples in bathing suits to posh couples strolling arm in arm dressed in fancy daywear to men in casual clothes fishing. Ianto made his way all the way to the end and leaned against the railing, staring out at the water as he finished his ice cream cone. The sun reflected from the blue-grey water like tiny crystals, the bright glare blinding even with sunglasses. The roar of the waves muffled most other sounds, the people’s conversations a quiet lull behind the ocean and the seagulls.

Ianto looked beside him and saw an older man fishing with three poles. He’d never been fishing, so he watched with interest as the man baited hooks and cast them into the water. Then, much to Ianto’s delight, the man caught something. When he reeled it in, he jerked the rod, slinging the fish onto the wooden floor. The fish wasn’t very large, and it flapped around wildly. The man ripped the hook from its mouth, then tossed it back into the water. Ianto wasn’t sure what was wrong with the fish, or why the man just yanked the hook cruelly. Maybe, he thought, fishing wasn’t his sport.

“I don’t have the stomach,” Ianto heard a voice beside him say. He turned and saw a man, probably early twenties. The man smiled, and Ianto immediately noticed how attractive he was. “For fishing,” the man added helpfully, pointing to the fisherman Ianto had been watching. “I can’t stand the blood and the idea of killing an innocent animal. Everyone here hunts, they throw these extravagant fox hunting parties, but I like that even less.”

“I don’t believe I do either,” Ianto agreed. “I do find it fascinating to watch, though.”

“I’m Jonathan,” the man said, holding out his hand.

“Ianto.”

“British?” Jonathan asked, releasing Ianto’s hand.

“Welsh, actually.”

“My apologies.”

“Common misunderstanding.” Ianto smiled.

“What brings you to East Hampton?” Jonathan asked, leaning back casually with his elbows on the railing. He faced the rest of the pier, but continued watching Ianto.

“My boss,” Ianto replied.

“Ah,” Jonathan said. “My family owns a summer home here. I’ve lived here off and on my entire life.”

“Must be nice.”

Jonathan smiled. “It gets as boring as anything if it’s all you’ve known.” Ianto turned back to the ocean, trying not to pay attention to the way that Jonathan’s smile and intense gaze made his pulse quicken. “Want to do something a bit more fun than watching old men fish?” Ianto turned to him, curious. Jonathan leaned closer, his voice low. “Interested in a bit of cards and libation?”

Ianto smiled. “Oh yeah.”

Jonathan led Ianto through the streets of the small town. While they walked, he asked, “So, where do you work for this boss that brought you here?”

“New York City.”

“Ah,” Jonathan said as they turned a corner onto a residential street. “The big city. Are you any good at the tables?”

Ianto shrugged. “I’m okay.”

“I’m guessing being from New York, you aren’t scandalized by a speakeasy in the Hamptons.”

“Hardly.”

Jonathan turned to him, interested. “Do you visit them often?”

Ianto hesitated. “I’ve seen my fair share.”

“I wish I could get to the city more often,” Jonathan said as he led Ianto onto the porch of a mundane looking home. “Other than the Hamptons, I don’t get a chance to see much more than Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.”

“Why’s that?”

“My family owns a string of vineyards.” Jonathan knocked on the door.

“Doesn’t that prove difficult now with Prohibition?”

Jonathan smiled. “Lots of things you can do with grapes.”

The door opened and a squat woman stepped aside to let them in. Ianto followed Jonathan up two flights of stairs into an attic. Seated around a large, round table were four men, and in the corner was a young woman no older than twenty who Ianto guessed was the bartender. The four men were around Jack’s age, all dressed in impeccable suits, but they had the air of old money instead of illegal money. Ianto sighed and relaxed. He realized he’d been hanging around Jack, The Doctor, and the speakeasy for so long that he forgot there were large portions of the country where no gangsters, bootleggers, or violence existed.

Taking the chair beside Jonathan, he placed his money on the table and ordered whiskey.

*

Ianto had been in the attic playing for hours. He and Jonathan were getting along smashingly, he was half-drunk, and the other guys weren’t too bad, either. They were bankers or businessmen or something – Ianto couldn’t remember. The one thing he did know, however, was that he was both a better drinker and poker player than all these men.

“All in,” the man across from him said, pushing his chips into the pile. It was down to him and Ianto, and the pot was well over five grand at this point.

“Pretty steep pot, kid,” one of the others said, laughing as he drained the rest of his beer. “This here is more than just a couple clams.”

Ianto knew exactly how much money was in the pot; he also knew that this was the end of the betting man’s money. And that the other man was bluffing. Over the last few hours, Ianto had been watching them all very closely, although they were none the wiser. The man across from him bit the inside of his mouth and tapped his foot under the table if he was bluffing; right now, his foot tapped a steady rhythm. It hadn’t taken Ianto long to know that these men weren’t serious gamblers, though they tried to pretend they were. They were weekenders, people who pretended they were harder than they were. They’d be eaten alive in a few minutes in New York. He’d seen men in the Hub with less talent and less money come to blows over a pot much smaller.

This was a cinch.

“Okay.” Ianto matched the amount the man bet. “I call.”

Jonathan let out a low whistle. “Ballsy, Wales.” Ianto smiled as the man across the table tried to stare him down. Ianto wondered what the man thought of him, wondered if he thought he was nothing but a naïve kid here on vacation, an easy target to take advantage of. The things Ianto’d done in just the last week would make the men around this table faint from shock.

Ianto flipped over his cards. “Two pair,” he declared as he revealed kings and tens. The other man growled in frustration and slammed his cards down – two pair, kings and twos. Ianto smirked as he raked in his chips.

“You fucking limey, you cheated me.” The man shot up, knocking his chair over behind him. Ianto looked at him, shocked. This was the last thing he’d expected. He tried to decide how to react.

“Ed,” Jonathan said, holding his hands up in a peace offering, “how in the world did Ianto cheat? He’s not even dealing.”

“Can’t trust the fucking limey scum,” Ed said, his face purpling. “Goddamn Brit cowards. Had to get American soldiers to come rescue you at the end of the war because you’d had your nuts handed to you on a plate.”

“What did you say?” Ianto seethed, standing up to look squarely at Ed.

“Touched a nerve, did I?” Ed laughed. “Should’ve known you were a fucking soldier. Probably wet his pants at the Battle of Verdun, if you were even out of diapers yet.”

“I’m guessing you didn’t fight. You don’t have the honor, or the courage. One day in battle and you’d have had your brains splattered against the side of a trench,” Ianto barked, adrenaline coursing through his veins, his hands shaking.

Then, Ed pulled out a knife and pointed it at Ianto. “Want to talk about courage, Ianto? Fucking limey name ain’t even American.”

Jonathan stepped in front of Ianto just as Ianto started to lunge across the table. He pushed Ianto’s shoulders, trying to push him away. “Ianto,” Jonathan said, face close to his. Ianto’s eyes were trained on Ed, his hand on the gun at his back. “Ianto!” Ianto flicked his eyes over to Jonathan and took a deep breath. He shrugged out of Jonathan’s grasp and headed for the door.

“Yeah, you run, you fucking piker.”

Before anyone could blink, Ianto spun around, gun aimed at Ed’s head, hammer pulled back. The men cried out, and Ed raised his hands.

“Whoa! You crazy fuck! What are you doing?”

Ianto’s finger begged to squeeze the trigger, put a bullet between the man’s eyes for his disrespect. Instead, Ianto turned and rushed down the stairs.

Out in the sea air, he gripped the side of the house, his body clammy and shaking.

“What was that?” Jonathan asked. “What is wrong with you? Who do you think you are? Some sort of gangster?” Ianto didn’t respond; instead, he concentrated on his breathing.

“I believe I may have made things difficult for you with your friends,” Ianto finally said, straightening up and pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe his face.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ianto said. He started back towards town.

“Let me guess, it was Ed I should have been worried about.” Ianto stared straight ahead and didn’t say anything. “I do have to say, I have never seen someone stand up to him like that before.” Ianto turned his head and smiled. “I need another drink now. You?” Ianto started to protest, so Jonathan quickly said, “for my asshole friends, before you go.”

“Sure,” Ianto said, glancing at the sky. It was almost dusk, but Ianto didn’t really want to go back to the estate. He couldn’t bear the thought of eating alone at the table with those other people, and he doubted if Jack was even back. And what if Jack was back? He’d spent his fair share of time waiting around for him; now it was his turn. Jonathan was nice. It was nice to have a friend again who wasn’t part of the Hub.

“Good. It can be your treat,” Jonathan said as he held up the money Ianto had won. “Though, I’d contemplated keeping it since you ran off without taking it with you. You’re either incredibly stupid or have more money than sense to leave thousands of dollars.”

“Consider dinner and drinks my way of apologizing for that little mishap back there.” Ianto smiled as Jonathan handed him his winnings.

Ianto was surprised by how much he enjoyed dinner and conversation with Jonathan. It was obvious Jonathan had seen very little, even though he was only a few years younger than Ianto. He’d gone to boarding school, Harvard, and now worked for the vineyard. But he was well read, intelligent, and knowledgeable about rugby, which led them into a long conversation and slightly heated debate. But the entire time, they were laughing, and Ianto couldn’t remember the last time he’d laughed that much. It felt good. When they were done with dinner and Ianto couldn’t stand another drink, they walked through the dark town, towards the road that led to the estate.

“Your boss’s friend must have a lot of money if he lives this way,” Jonathan observed.

“He does,” Ianto replied.

“I keep trying to tell my father that we should get into the bootleg wine business. He’s against it, but if we don’t do something, we’re going to lose our entire operation, including our house. Difficult to keep a winery open when it’s illegal.”

“I thought there were many uses for grapes,” Ianto said.

Jonathan gave him a wry smile. “Raisins only bring in so much.”

“If you get into that, just be careful,” Ianto said, feeling like Jonathan wasn’t quite sure what he was suggesting. “Probably a lucrative enterprise, but just be careful. It’s dangerous.”

“You sound like you speak from experience.”

Ianto nodded. “Just a bit.”

“Which explains the gun,” Jonathan said, halting. They were outside of town, near the road that led in a different direction to Jonathan’s estate on a different part of the island. They were surrounded by sand dunes, and Ianto could hear the ocean nearby. “Should I be scared?”

Ianto actually laughed, and Jonathan looked both nervous and embarrassed. “No. I’m hardly a threat.”

“I don’t know about that,” Jonathan murmured, stepping close. Ianto’s brain screamed at him, and before he could do anything, Jonathan closed the distance between them and kissed him. Ianto pushed him away gently, his brain buzzing. “Shit. I thought…”

“I’m involved with someone,” Ianto explained. “And he…he’s the one you should be scared of.”

“Your boss?” Ianto didn’t answer, and Jonathan took a step back. “My apologies. I didn’t know.”

Ianto stood awkwardly, unsure what to do. “Thank you for today. I had a great time, even with the debacle.”

Jonathan smiled and held out his hand. “It was nice meeting you, Ianto.” Ianto shook his hand. “And if you’re ever around these parts without your boss, look me up.” He let go of Ianto’s hand, turned, stuffed his hands into his pockets, and walked away.

Ianto hurried towards the estate, guilt beginning to crash over him. The whole situation took him so off-guard; and it was so odd kissing another man. The only man he’d ever kissed was Jack, and Jonathan’s mouth had been so different; he’d even smelled different.

What was he doing? He thought of Jack, thought of losing him, thought of him kissing someone else, and he felt sick.

He realized, the closer he drew to the house, that something wasn’t right between him and Jack, and it hadn’t been for awhile now.

*

Ianto was reading when he heard the soft knock. He snapped the book shut as Jack stuck his head around the door.

“There you are,” Jack said, stepping inside and closing the door behind him. “Where have you been?”

“I went out today,” Ianto answered. “I’ve been back awhile.”

Jack crossed the room, took the book from Ianto’s hands and laid it on the side table before dropping into his lap. He hooked his hands behind Ianto’s head and kissed him.

“What did you do today?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Ianto replied, not bothering to hide his irritation. Jack pursed his lips. “You were supposed to be back by afternoon. How was the yacht?”

Jack pulled back and dropped his arms from around Ianto’s neck. “Are you mad?”

Ianto sighed and glanced at the far wall. “I’m not mad. I’m just…frustrated.” He looked up at Jack. “You’re always disappearing with the Doctor, and I never know when you’ll be back or what you’re doing. I don’t like waiting around for you, and more than that, I don’t like not knowing what’s going on. I had to find out from fucking Gerald where you were; he doesn’t think very highly of me.” Ianto snorted.

Jack ran his fingers lightly through Ianto’s hair. “I’m sorry you feel that way. Things are…complicated.”

“I know. I still don’t like it.”

Jack leaned down and pressed a kiss on Ianto’s forehead. “Regardless of all the shit that goes on around us, I still love you.”

Ianto grunted. “Of course we still love each other.”

Jack chuckled and stood up, pulling Ianto along with him. “Let’s go to bed.”

*

The next day, Ianto found himself on the Doctor’s yacht with Jack. Alone. It was the first day they’d spent, just the two of them, in quite some time.

“How are you doing?” Jack asked from the wheel. Ianto sat on a bench along the side, gripping the edge.

“I don’t like boats,” he replied.

“It’s perfectly safe,” Jack explained. “If you relax a bit and trust me, you’ll enjoy yourself. I don’t want you to miss how beautiful it is.”

“There’s nothing to see except water.”

“Ianto.”

“Besides,” he continued, ignoring Jack’s warning, “it’s not you I don’t trust.”

Jack sighed and continued steering the boat. When he’d found a suitable spot, he dropped anchor. “See,” Jack said, crossing to Ianto and tugging him up. “Look how beautiful it is.”

Ianto surveyed the horizon. “There’s nothing but water everywhere.”

“Water, water, everywhere; Nor any drop to drink,” Jack recited. When Ianto looked at him, brow furrowed, Jack explained, “Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Coleridge.”

“We’re stuck in the middle of the ocean, and you recite poetry,” Ianto grumbled.

Jack chuckled and slid his arms around Ianto’s waist. “We’re not stuck.” He kissed the side of Ianto’s head. “Relax,” he breathed against his ear. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You should know that.” He pulled away, grabbed Ianto’s hand, and led him towards the side of the boat. He stood behind Ianto, arms loose around his waist. “Look out there.”

“At what?”

Jack covered the back of Ianto’s hand with his own, twined their fingers, and lifted their hands. Uncurling Ianto’s finger, he pointed towards the horizon. “That. It’s the world. Home’s that way. Just over the horizon is Wales.” He kissed Ianto’s cheek. “We’re going to see it one day.”

“Wales?”

“The world.”

“New York is my home now,” Ianto said, “Wales stopped being that for me a long time ago.”

“One day I’ll show you Paris, and Rome, and India and the Great Wall of China and the pyramids in Egypt.”

“You have big plans for us,” Ianto said, relaxing into Jack’s arms.

“Don’t you?” Jack asked, turning; Ianto craned his face back to look at Jack.

“I learned a long time ago plans were pointless. I prefer just to live day to day.”

“So cynical. I hoped you’d want to make plans with me.”

“Jack, as long as we’re together, I don’t care where we are. New York, Paris, or a field somewhere.”

“Even a yacht.”

“Clever.” Ianto pecked Jack on the lips quickly.

“You seem more relaxed.”

“It’s your fault.”

“Then please forgive me,” Jack replied, grinning widely. Ianto rolled his eyes and walked towards the picnic basket Jack had brought. “Hold on there,” Jack said, grabbing Ianto’s hand and pulling him back. “I’m not quite ready for that yet.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I’ve never had sex on a boat,” Jack said, slipping his fingers underneath the back of Ianto’s shirt. His fingers played along the skin right above his trousers.

“I’m surprised there are places left you haven’t had sex.” Ianto unbuttoned the first few buttons on Jack’s shirt.

“I plan to remedy that. I have a list, you know.”

“Of places you want to have sex?” Ianto asked, finishing the last button and pushing Jack’s shirt off his shoulders. Jack hadn’t worn an undershirt, so Ianto brushed his fingers across Jack’s bare skin. It was warm from the sun, the sunlight almost making it glow.

“Yes. I hope we can cross them off by the time we die.”

“That’s morbid.”

“It’s a long list,” Jack said with a grin.

*

Jack got up from where he’d been laying with Ianto, stepped onto the bench, and jumped over the side of the boat. Ianto jumped up and leaned over the side, where Jack popped his head above the surface and flung water from his hair.

“Come swimming with me!” Jack said, moving his arms to stay afloat.

“You’re joking, right? You don’t really expect me to jump in the ocean, do you?”

“Live a little, Ianto.”

“I’ll live just fine from this seat, thank you.”

Jack pursed his lips, but began swimming around. Ianto slipped on his underwear and went over to the picnic basket to set out their lunch. About ten minutes later, Jack climbed up the ladder and over the side of the boat, dripping a pool of water beneath him.

“Here,” Ianto said, tossing him a towel. “I’d prefer not to swim inside the yacht either.”

Jack toweled off, and then walked over to where Ianto had spread their picnic on the floor. “You put on clothes.”

“I do apologize,” Ianto responded. Jack shook his head and slipped on his trousers. As they were eating, Ianto said, “I need to tell you something.”

“Sure.” Jack popped a cracker into his mouth.

“Yesterday, I went into town.” Ianto relayed to Jack the events that had occurred at the speakeasy.

“I bet they almost pissed themselves,” Jack said with a grin. “You’re terrifying when you’re angry.”

“That’s not the worst of it.” Ianto sighed and pushed his food away.

“You didn’t kill anyone, did you?”

Ianto shook his head. “I…Shit. After we left the bar, Jonathan and I walked from town together and he kissed me.” Ianto saw Jack’s features shift into something very dangerous. “I told him I was involved with someone; he didn’t know. And then he left.” Ianto shrugged. “I just wanted you to know.”

Jack shifted, his mouth a hard line. “Okay.”

“Jack, nothing happened. It was just…miscommunication.”

“I know.”

*

Ianto walked through the large, empty halls. The estate was quiet; he suspected it was so large that sound got lost. He had no plans for the day. Jack was somewhere with the Doctor, the party wasn’t for a few more hours, and after what happened the day before, he surely wasn’t going back to town. Instead, he decided to explore.

And, of course, as soon as he crossed into the part of the mansion which held Jack’s room, he ran into Gerald. He cursed under his breath.

“Ah, Mister Jones.” Gerald shot him an exasperated look. “Captain Harkness is not here, which I’m sure you are aware of.”

“I am, actually.”

“Then may I ask what you are doing?”

Ianto sighed. “Killing time.”

“The servants do not kill time in the main part of the house. You are not allowed to roam freely.”

“Oh Gerald, must you always be such a stickler?” Rose said as she appeared around a corner. “Ianto is our guest.”

“Yes, ma’am, but master said – “

“I do not care what The Doctor said,” she snapped. “This is my home, too. You will treat Ianto with respect.”

Gerald bowed. “Yes ma’am. As you wish.” He turned to walk away, glaring at Ianto.

Rose crossed the hall and hooked her arm into Ianto’s. “I apologize for Gerald. He’s…honestly, he’s quite a wet blanket. I don’t know why The Doctor keeps him around. Apparently, he’s rather loyal.” Rose led Ianto through the labyrinthine halls, and then through two large doors into a room larger than his flat. She let go of his arm and walked to a table along the wall. “Would you care for something to drink?”

“Yes, please,” Ianto said, standing awkwardly. When Rose brought him a tumbler, she pointed to an overstuffed armchair.

“Please, sit.” She drained her drink as he sat down, and then she walked over to a large wardrobe and opened it. “I need you to assist me in something.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t know what to wear tonight.” Rose pulled multiple garments still in bags from the closet.

“I’m not sure I’m quite the person for the job.” He slowly took a sip of his drink.

She spun around, hand on her hip. “I think you’re copasetic. Just look at you. You’re always so impeccably dressed.” Ianto glanced down at his suit and felt himself blush. It was actually an older suit; he hadn’t purchased any new ones lately. “I trust your opinion.” To his utter surprise, Rose slid off her robe and tossed it on the chair beside her, now standing in nothing but her undergarments.

He stood abruptly. “Rose, I. Uh. This…” He swallowed. “I should go.”

Rose turned towards him, and he couldn’t help but glance at her chest, where her nipples were visible through the thin white silk. He quickly looked away. “Nonsense. Besides, Jack has seen me in a lot less than this.”

Ianto’s face scrunched. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Well, you two are together. He’s seen me completely nude, and neither of us want to sleep with each other, so I fail to see a problem.” She grinned and grabbed the nearest dress.

“Together?” he nearly squeaked. “I have absolutely no –“

“Save the lies,” Rose said, slipping the sleeves onto her shoulders. “Here, come help me with the clasps.” Ianto reluctantly stepped forward. “I’ve known for quite some time. I suspected when I met you in the Hub, but it wasn’t until you two showed up here that I knew for sure.”

Ianto swallowed. “Does everyone – The Doctor – know?”

Rose shook her head as Ianto stepped away. She turned from side to side, studying her reflection. “No. You two are very discreet. But I’ve known Jack for a long time. Plus, The Doctor doesn’t think about things like that. Unless it deals with business or his revolution, he doesn’t put much thought into it.” She turned to face Ianto. “What do you think of this dress?”

The dress was a deep shade of red with cap sleeves and with an uneven hemline. “It’s quite pretty, but rather plain.”

Rose turned back to the mirror. “I could add to it.” Ianto helped undo the clasps so she could try on another.

“Do you find it offensive? Jack and me, that is.”

“Hardly. I don’t care who’s fucking who. If Jack’s happy, then I’m happy.” Rose pulled a light blue dress over her head, then turned around. “Ianto, I’ve seen Jack fuck men, women, together and separately. I also quite vividly remember Jack saying he would never settle down with one person. Yet, here you are. I never thought I’d see the day, but I’m glad. Jack used to seem so lonely, though he tried to hide it.” Rose sighed. “This one?”

The bust line was deeper, the back lower, and the fabric covered in numerous crystal beads. “You look amazing.”

“Then this is the dress.” She removed the dress again.

“Can I ask you a question?” Ianto asked as Rose wrapped her robe back around herself.

“Of course.”

“Does it ever bother you, what The Doctor does?”

Rose sighed as she took both glasses and refilled them. “Sometimes. He doesn’t tell me where he goes many nights, which really bothers me. I think he wants to protect me from what he does, but when you’ve been with someone as long as I’ve been with him, it’s impossible. I’m not stupid. I see the blood, the bruises, hear the rumors.”

“I know most of what Jack does,” Ianto explained as Rose handed him the tumbler. “But then again, I started as his assistant, not his lover. It’s difficult sometimes, knowing all of that. But what’s worse is that since you and Ten came into town, he doesn’t tell me things. The other night, he came home covered in blood and wouldn’t really tell me what happened.”

“The Doctor has been gone quite a bit recently,” Rose agreed. “I wish I knew more, but I don’t.” Rose lifted her glass and smiled. “To our men and their secrets.” Ianto clinked his glass against hers before draining it.

“Do you know who James is?” Ianto asked suddenly. Rose stilled and looked at him, unable to hide her surprise. “I’m guessing you do.”

“Why do you ask?”

Ianto decided to go with the truth. “The night of your party, Jack mentioned him while drunk. He doesn’t remember, though.”

“You haven’t asked him, then?”

Ianto shook his head. “No.”

Rose sighed. “That is not my story to tell. I am sorry, Ianto; I wish I could help. I don’t even know everything anyway.”

Ianto nodded, then Rose stood up and grabbed both his hands. “Now, let’s find you something to wear tonight.”

*

The party was full of people Ianto didn’t know. He’d arrived early, of course, before Jack, Rose, or Ten were present. Rose showed up soon after the guests began arriving and circulated through the crowd, ever the gracious hostess. Jack and Ten showed up fashionably late, both dressed in expertly tailored tuxedos. Ianto felt a wave of gratitude when he saw what the other men wore; Rose had helped dress him in an expensive navy suit with a matching silk tie and fedora. It wasn’t a tux, but if Ianto was being honest, he looked better than most of the men parading around in tuxedos.

“I could fuck you right here,” Jack growled into Ianto’s ear as he came up from behind. Ianto looked over as Jack came to stand beside him, glass of scotch in hand. Of course, Jack looked perfect in his tuxedo. “You look absolutely fantastic. I haven’t seen that suit on you before.”

“Rose picked it out for me,” Ianto explained.

“I will have to commend her on her exquisite taste.” Jack grinned at Ianto before taking a sip of his drink.

Jack spent most of the night mingling. That was the difference between him and Jack; Jack could make friends with anyone, while Ianto preferred to blend into the background. Which was exactly what he was doing. He was standing along the wall, watching. Rose and Ten spent a large amount of time dancing together, and Jack danced with a variety of women, including Rose.

A few hours later, Jack brought Ianto a drink. “Thought you might want something to cheer you up. You look like you’re at a funeral instead of a party. No one who looks as good as you do should look so sour.”

“I’m fine, sir,” Ianto said, setting the drink on the table beside him. Jack looked at the glass in disapproval.

“You could try and have fun instead of pouting,” Jack said quietly. “Just because we can’t be together doesn’t mean you can’t have fun. Ask someone to dance.”

“I don’t like to dance,” Ianto explained.

Jack raised an eyebrow. “I would offer evidence to the contrary.”

“That’s different. It’s after hours, no one around…and it’s you.”

Jack smiled. “Still doesn’t mean you can’t have fun.” He scanned the crowd, then turned to Ianto, an idea clearly formed. “Come sit with me while I play cards.”

“Fine.” Ianto followed Jack through the crowded ballroom to a smaller parlor off to the side. Three men sat at the table Jack joined. For the next hour, Ianto studied the players as they gambled. It didn’t take long for him to discover all of their tells, even Jack’s. After Jack had won over a thousand dollars, he cashed in and led them back into the ballroom. “You know,” Ianto said, “if I ever played you at poker, I’d win.”

“Oh really?”

Ianto nodded. “I discovered all your tells by watching you. They are subtle, I’ll give you that. Much more subtle than the other three. I may have an unfair advantage, though. I know you well.”

“Perhaps we’ll have to play one night to test your theory,” Jack said, then lowered his voice. “Strip poker, or maybe something much more interesting.”

“You won’t win.”

“Oh, Ianto, but I will. No matter what happens.” Jack grinned and Ianto laughed slightly.

Rose finally coaxed Ianto off the wall and onto the dance floor, forcing him to do a Charleston with her, then a fast-faced waltz. Jack smirked at him as he twirled with Rose across the floor, and sometime while he danced with one of Rose’s acquaintances, he saw Jack and the Doctor disappear into another room. After he tired of dancing (and the girl’s insipid conversation that he was pretty sure was her attempt at flirting), he left the ballroom in search of Jack.

He moved through the dark halls, nearing the sound of voices. As he approached, he heard the Doctor say, “I don’t care what you think, Jack. I’m going after him.” Knowing he shouldn’t, Ianto pressed himself against the wall just outside the door and listened.

“It’s suicide,” Jack replied. “I won’t let you get yourself killed.”

“I won’t. I’ve almost gathered enough information. It won’t be long before we can take him down.”

“We?”

“You can’t leave me now, Jack. I need you.”

“I don’t want to fucking die because of your vendetta.”

“It’s not a vendetta. You know what this means to me. Besides, I thought you’d want to take your revenge, too.”

“I don’t know.” He heard someone shift. “I’ve got to think about it.”

“I need to know soon,” the Doctor said, and then Ianto heard more movement, so he quickly made his way back the way he came, trying to figure out what in the hell he’d just heard.

*

Jack and Ianto left the Hamptons early the next morning. Ianto would be lying if he said he was sorry; he had never been so happy to leave a holiday in his entire life. When they returned to the theater, Jack went to his office to catch up on work while Ianto went downstairs. He told Jack it was to make sure that Owen or Mickey hadn’t torn the place down, but really, he missed it. Standing behind that bar, that was home.

Everything looked in order, except his entire system of alcohol storage was in disarray. Whiskey was where gin should be, scotch next to the rum, and he couldn’t find the brandy. It looked like Owen rearranged everything on purpose. Ianto spent a few hours putting everything back into order, cutting up the night’s limes and lemons, and doing a bit of cleaning. Then, when all of that was finished, he went to the piano and started playing.

He hadn’t played the piano for enjoyment in a very long time. Playing night after night was more perfunctory than anything; yes, he still enjoyed it, but this was different, just him alone on the stage, playing for no one. His fingers glided across the keys, playing old songs he used to play growing up, ones his teacher made him learn and play until he was sick of the sound of each keystroke. They were the songs his mother and sister had loved, the ones he played in the family room in their small house back in Wales. They were second nature, muscle memory.

“That was beautiful,” Jack said from somewhere on the dance floor when he finished the song. Ianto glanced over in surprise, scanning the dim light. Jack was seated in a booth, watching him.

“How long have you been sitting there?” Ianto asked, his fingers lightly drumming a new melody on the piano.

“Long enough to realize your piano talents aren’t being utilized as they should.” Jack stood up and walked onto the stage. “Why didn’t you pursue music?”

Ianto nearly snorted. “That required money and time, neither of which I had. The only reason I have the training I do is because our neighbor was a piano teacher. She taught me in return for my mother’s sewing abilities.”

“I have to go out,” Jack said. He reached out and placed a hand on Ianto’s shoulder. “I don’t know what time I’ll be back.”

“Okay,” Ianto said, switching into a slower classical number as Jack kissed his head and then left, his fingers growing in intensity, the loud notes filling the room as Jack slipped out of sight.

*

“You’ve got to tell me everything!” Gwen said, rushing behind the bar when she arrived. “What was the estate like?”

“Large, empty.” Ianto toweled off a glass and set it down in line with the others he’d finished.

Gwen leaned back, hand on her hip. “You’re in a mood.”

“I’m not in a mood,” Ianto replied, “I’m just really fucking glad to be home.”

“Aww, Jones, were you homesick?” Owen said as he brought a crate behind the bar and set it on the floor. Ianto immediately started helping him unpack the bottles.

“No, but the trip was…” Ianto straightened, two bottles in hand, and tried to figure out what to say. “I’ll reiterate that I’m glad to be home.” Ianto put a bottle on a shelf, and stilled Owen’s hand when he went to do the same. “That’s not where that goes.”

“Why do you care? It doesn’t matter,” Owen said, holding the bottle in front of him. “Where does it go then?”

As Ianto showed him, Gwen asked, “So, what was so bad? Did you and Jack have a fight?”

Ianto shook his head. “Nothing like that. I actually hardly saw him.” He glanced over his shoulder at Gwen and grinned. “I did help Rose choose her dress for the party.”

Gwen squealed. “You’ll have to tell me all about it!”

“Later, please. I’d like not to upchuck all over the counter,” Owen said.

The night moved with a sense of normalcy that Ianto had been missing the last few days. The routine was comforting. The songs he sang during his set were refreshing, and he felt good standing on that stage; then when he played behind Tosh, the feel of his fingers across the ivories as Tosh’s voice rang out over the soft thrum of the Hub helped dissipate some of the tension he’d felt over the past few days.

When he returned behind the bar, Diane was sitting on her usual stool. “Evening, Diane,” Ianto greeted her. She smiled before taking a drag of her cigarette.

“I know that man,” she said, pointing through the crowd at a gentleman sliding into a booth. “He was at the hangar the other day.”

“Who is he?” Owen asked, and Diane shrugged.

“You’ve got me,” she answered, exhaling a long stream of smoke. “He was talking to Jack’s friend, the squirrely looking one.”

“Who?” Ianto asked.

“I don’t know him; the one that’s been coming here lately with the blonde.”

Ianto glanced sharply at Owen, but he was pouring a drink. Ianto wasn’t sure why the Doctor was at the hangar, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with the conversation he overheard. He wondered just what exactly was going on.

*

Ianto awoke and rolled towards Jack’s side of the bed when he felt the bed shift. He lifted and glanced at the clock, which read 7:13. And Jack was just getting in.

*

Jack being gone all hours of the night became a regular routine over the next few weeks. Ianto stopped asking; every time he did, Jack gave him a vague evasive answer, and Ianto got tired of listening to Jack avoid his questions.

Ianto didn’t know what to do, and that’s why he was seated on a barstool near the end of his shift drinking straight from a bottle of whiskey.

“This is never a good sign,” Martha said, occupying the seat beside him. Tosh took the one on his other side. “A man drinking alone only means one thing. Love trouble. So spill it. What’s going on with Jack?”

“Martha,” Tosh admonished. “It’s none of our business.”

“Like hell it’s not. Ianto’s our friend, and even you’ve been saying he’s looked miserable lately.” Ianto glanced at Tosh sharply, who smiled sheepishly.

“I’m worried, that’s all.”

“It’s nothing,” he lied as he poured himself another shot.

“That shot says that it’s more than nothing,” Martha said. When it was obvious Ianto was going to remain silent, she reluctantly stood up.

“We’re here if you want to talk,” Tosh said softly, kissing his cheek. Then they were gone, and Ianto was once again alone.

That night, Jack didn’t come home at all.

*

The Doctor threw another party, much larger than the last one. Tosh accompanied Jack again, and this time, Ianto wanted to bring a date.

“Hey Gwen,” he asked before work one day. “What are you doing tomorrow night?”

She shrugged. “Working like usual. Why?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he said coyly, shrugging like it was nothing, “I just thought maybe you’d like to be my date to the Doctor’s party tomorrow night.”

Gwen screamed. She screamed so loudly that Ianto’s ears rang. “Are you fucking serious?”

Ianto nodded, finger in his tender ear. “Yes, though you didn’t have to burst my eardrum.”

She squealed and engulfed him in a hug. “Ohmigod, thank you so much! Eeee!” She grabbed his hands and jumped up and down.

“What’s all this commotion then?” Rhys asked, coming in from one of the side rooms.

“Gwen’s my date to the Doctor’s party tomorrow night,” Ianto answered. “I hope you don’t mind.”

“Doesn’t matter if he does,” Gwen said. “I’m going no matter what he says.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Gwen walked up to him, hand on her hip. “Yeah.” She giggled and kissed him. “Me! At Rose Tyler’s party! Imagine!” She suddenly covered her mouth with her hand. “I have to go shopping.”

The next night, Gwen met Ianto and Tosh at the theater. Jack was meeting them at the party because he had, of course, been gone all day. Tosh looked stunning in a long, sleek deep green dress and a white fur shawl. Ianto wore a new tuxedo he had purchased earlier that week. Ianto’s mouth dropped when he saw Gwen. She always dressed stylish, but she looked beautiful and sophisticated as she walked into the theater. She was wearing a simple, sleeveless champagne-colored silk dress that was straight and rather plain until the skirt, which was full of ostrich feathers. Accenting it was a simple hat with matching feathers.

“Gwen, you look gorgeous!” Tosh said. “That dress!”

“I know, isn’t it the cat’s pajamas?” She twirled in a circle, the skirt flying out just a bit.

“I think even Rose will be envious,” Ianto said, offering his arm. “Shall we?”

They took a cab uptown to the Doctor’s apartment. Gwen shook anxiously the entire elevator ride up, and could barely compose herself as they walked towards the door. Music floated out even into the hall. A man Ianto recognized let them in, nodding politely to Ianto as he passed.

The entire apartment was alive with music, voices, and sound. The rooms were decorated in rich gold hues, and each room was packed with people.

“Who are all these people?” Tosh asked quietly.

“No idea,” Ianto responded. He led Tosh and Gwen through the crowd on both his arms. It was unlike anything Ianto had ever seen. Couples were dancing on a large dance floor almost as big as the one in the Hub in one of the rooms, a live band on a stage in the far corner. Many of the couples were dancing the Charleston, but others were hanging onto one another wantonly, much closer than Ianto was used to seeing. Every room had a bar filled with people drinking. Ianto had procured all of the alcohol for the party earlier in the week.

Finally, Ianto found Rose in the company of people he didn’t recognize, but when she spotted him, she immediately left them and came over to him.

“Ianto!” she exclaimed, opening her arms. Tosh and Gwen dropped his arms so he could hug her. “I am so glad to see you again. It’s been dreadfully dull around here since we’ve returned from the Hamptons. The Doctor has been gone almost every day. I’ve found myself saying multiple times how I wish you were here with me.”

“You know how to find me,” Ianto smiled. He felt Gwen nudge him gently, so he turned to his companions. “Rose, you know Tosh.”

“Yes, so wonderful to see you again.” She hugged Tosh and kissed her cheek. “And who is this lovely creature?” Rose turned to Gwen and surveyed her. “That dress is fabulous. You must tell me where you got it.”

Ianto hid his grin behind his hand as he watched Gwen light up like a candle. “This is Gwen, one of my dearest friends. She works at the Hub.”

“Any friend of Ianto’s is a friend of mine,” Rose said with a smile.

“Your dress is lovely, too,” Gwen finally said. She sounded like she was having trouble speaking.

“This old thing?” Rose motioned towards her a dress, an intricate sleeveless black drop-waist with gold beading.

“Old thing?”

“I got it in Paris last fall. I just didn’t have time to buy a new one for the party.” Rose slipped her arm through Gwen’s. “Come, we must talk fashion. It’s so refreshing to find someone else with exquisite taste.” Rose whipped them off through the crowd, leaving Tosh and Ianto alone.

“She’s in heaven,” Tosh observed.

“I think I’ve lost my date to Rose.” Ianto laughed and walked with Tosh towards the bar. “When do you go on?”

“Soon. I’m nervous, Ianto.”

“Why?” Ianto ordered himself a whiskey, but Tosh declined.

“I’ve never sung in front of an audience like this before. It’s different than the Hub.”

Ianto put an arm around her shoulders. “You’ll be brilliant. I guarantee it.”

Tosh left to get ready for her set, so he was alone at the bar. He ordered another whiskey and wondered where Jack was. He was lucky to have found Rose so easily; the place was so packed you could barely distinguish a face among the crowd.

“I don’t envy your job tonight,” Ianto said as the bartender handed him his drink. “I know what serving a crowd like this is like.”

“And how would you know that?” Ianto turned towards the voice in surprise. A tall, dark haired woman was standing beside him, staring at him evenly.

“I’ve done my share of bartending,” Ianto answered. The woman reached forward and took Ianto’s drink from his hand, her fingers trailing lightly against the back of his hand, and finished it. Ianto looked at her dumbly. She was flirting, Ianto realized, and it had caught him so off guard he just stood there. “Thanks for the drink.”

Ianto watched as she walked confidently away from the bar. That was different, he decided. He put her out of his head as he maneuvered through the crowd. He looked for Jack, but didn’t see any signs of him or the Doctor. He watched Tosh on stage for awhile, but his attention eventually got distracted by the cards games in the next room.

He joined a game with four other men. They were much better players than the men in the Hamptons, and Ianto was losing money until his luck changed. He ended up winning over a thousand dollars, much to the chagrin of the other men. After he cashed in his money, he wandered back over to the bar.

“Back, I see,” the woman said when Ianto sidled up to the bar.

“Two gin fizzes,” Ianto ordered before turning towards the woman. “What’s your name?”

“Alice Guppy,” she answered as he handed her the drink. “You?”

“Ianto.”

“Here alone, Ianto?”

“Yep.” It was mostly true.

“I’d say that’s too bad, but I’d be lying.” Alice took a slow, even sip from the tumbler. Ianto looked at her closely. She was very pretty. Long dark hair, a lovely black dress with a bustline low enough to keep Ianto’s interest. Maybe it was a bad idea, but Ianto was going to flirt. It was a party after all, dammit.

Ianto stayed at the bar with Alice for almost an hour. He was leaning on the bar, turning the glass absently in his fingers, Alice standing beside him. They were talking quietly, Alice not-so-accidentally touching Ianto’s hand, arm, or shoulder every so often, when someone slid in at the bar beside him. Ianto didn’t even glance over.

“Can I buy a stranger a drink?” a low voice said in his ear. Alice glared as Ianto felt his entire body tense. He looked over at Jack, leaning on his elbow beside him, eyebrow cocked.

“I don’t know,” Ianto replied. “Depends on what you’re drinking.”

Jack grinned and glanced at Ianto’s tumbler. “Looks like you’ve already been doing some drinking.”

“I’m not drunk, if that’s what you’re insinuating.”

Jack put his hands up. “I’m not saying anything.” He turned to Alice and grinned widely. “I’m Jack.” He offered Alice his hand, who took it reluctantly. Then, he turned back to Ianto and dragged his fingers along Ianto’s wrist and hand, making sure Alice saw. Without taking his eyes off Ianto, Jack called, “Bartender, can I have a scotch?”

“Yes sir,” the bartender replied.

“On second thought, I think I have all that I need right here.”

Alice walked away, and Ianto said, “You could have just pissed on me.”

“She needed to know that you were taken.” Jack grabbed Ianto’s glass and drained the rest of it.

“It was innocent,” Ianto explained.

“Your innocent flirting had her thinking she was getting lucky tonight. And I’m the only one who gets that privilege.”

“Are you jealous?”

“Of my boyfriend flirting with a gorgeous woman all night?” Jack scoffed. “Hell yes, I’m jealous.” He leaned a bit closer. “You look fucking sexy tonight.”

“So do you,” Ianto observed. Jack also was wearing a tux, and Ianto thought Jack wore it much better than he did. “Where have you been? I couldn’t find you.”

“Come on,” Jack said, pushing himself off the bar, “I’ll show you.” He led Ianto through the crowd, through multiple rooms, and past some bodyguards into a room further inside the apartment. Ianto couldn’t believe his eyes when he walked in. Topless women were dancing around, a few of them completely naked and in the laps of guests. The Doctor was at a table playing cards while a small group was dancing rather suggestively to a record. In the back of the room, naked women were doing all sorts of things to men in various states of undress. One woman was spanking one of the men while two women made out nearby, and one woman was giving a man a blowjob.

“What in the hell is this?” Ianto asked.

“The real party.” Jack grinned and rejoined the card game.

Ianto watched him for awhile, his eyes drifting to the sex games in the back of the room, the dancers, and a few couples drinking and smoking opium. But he soon got bored. Jack was involved in the game and deep in discussion with these men about things Ianto didn’t care about, and he hadn’t spoken to Ianto since he sat down.

As quietly as he came in, he slipped back out. He looked for Tosh and Gwen. Gwen was nowhere to be found, and Tosh was cozied up with a tall man and looked completely content, so Ianto didn’t disturb her. He returned to the bar and saw Alice, but she didn’t even look at him. Jack had made sure to cut off even that avenue of entertainment. So, Ianto found his way out onto the balcony and spent the rest of the party out there alone.

*

“You and Rhys are coming with me tonight,” Jack announced as he walked into the Hub. Ianto had barely seen him in three days. He looked tired although he tried to hide it with a large grin as he sat on one of the barstools.

“Where?” Ianto asked. He stopped unloading the freshly washed glasses and leaned against the counter, towards Jack. Jack reached out and covered his hands with his own. Ianto turned his palms over and brushed his thumb across Jack’s bruised, busted knuckles.

“It’s nothing,” Jack muttered as he tried to snatch his hands away. Ianto held onto them, looking squarely at Jack.

“What’s going on, Jack?”

Jack shook his head. “Nothing.” Ianto didn’t try to hide his frustration and disapproval. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m trying to protect you.”

“So you say.”

“Please, Ianto,” Jack begged, lifting Ianto’s hands to his mouth and brushing his lips against them. “God, I’ve missed you.” He let his eyes drift shut as Jack pressed Ianto’s hand against his cheek, kissing the inside of his palm. “I know it’s tough. I’ve been working some leads with the Doctor.” Ianto opened his eyes. “Will you please trust me?”

“I always trust you,” Ianto said, “I just don’t like that you’re gone. Or what’s happening to us.”

“What do you mean?” Jack’s thumb rubbed gently across the back of Ianto’s hand.

Ianto shot him a dubious look. “It’s no secret we’re, um, going through a rough patch.”

Jack sighed and kissed Ianto’s palm again. “This will be over soon, and then things will go back to normal.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.” Jack stood and leaned over the counter, kissing Ianto. “I have to go now.”

“Why am I not surprised?” Ianto snapped.

Jack sat back on the stool and looked weary. “Meet me behind the theater with Rhys at nine.” Jack kissed Ianto again, and then he was gone.

*

Ianto and Rhys accompanied Jack and the Doctor to the Lower East side, deep into a section of Irish mob territory. The Doctor drove them in a nondescript black car and parked it on a side street. They entered a restaurant and were led upstairs before being stopped in front of a closed door and patted down.

“You gotta leave your weapons out here,” the doorman said.

Ianto saw Rhys stiffen beside him and shared the sentiment. But the Doctor nodded and handed over his gun, and Jack reluctantly handed over the Webley. Ianto and Rhys emptied all their weapons from the various holsters on their body. When the doorman was satisfied, he opened the door. Ianto felt naked and exponentially more anxious without his guns and knife as he stepped inside the large room.

Four large leather-bound armchairs were arranged in the middle of the room facing one another, with a desk along a back wall. Two men stood up from the armchairs when they entered, two larger men remaining still against the wall behind them.

“Doctor,” the taller man greeted, holding out his hand. The Doctor and Jack shook it. “Please, sit.” Ianto and Rhys occupied the wall behind Ten and Jack after they were seated. “What brings you so far from home? Thinking of chasing the elusive American Dream now?”

The Doctor shook his head. “I’m in need of information, and I believe you may be just the man to help me.”

“Oh?” The man steepled his fingers beneath his chin.

“I do prefer to speak alone if that’s okay with you.” When the man hesitated, the Doctor added, “We’ve had all our weapons confiscated outside.”

“Fine.” The man turned to the men behind him and pointed to the door. Jack did the same. Ianto raised his eyebrow in question, and Jack mouthed it’s okay.

Ianto followed Rhys out and stood against the wall to the right of the door. The other men stood to the left.

“I don’t like this at all,” Ianto whispered.

“Me, either,” Rhys replied. “Especially without our weapons. Do you know what’s going on?” Ianto shook his head. “I don’t know why Jack is dealing with thugs like Aaron Copley.”

“Who’s Aaron Copley?”

“A smuggler who’ll shoot you in the head for sport. You’ve really never heard of him?”

“No.”

Ianto and Rhys stood there anxiously for almost half an hour before Jack and the Doctor reemerged. When they were back in the car, Jack turned around and said, “We’ve got to go talk to someone else.”

“Do we get to keep our guns this time?” Rhys asked.

“Didn’t like that, did you?” Jack asked with a grin.

“Hell no. It’s a lot of fucking trust to put into some cutthroat smuggler.”

“But he came through for me,” the Doctor explained. Ianto glanced at Rhys, who looked like he didn’t care about that.

Next they drove to a cathouse. Ianto was relieved when they were allowed to keep their weapons. The Doctor led them through the large rooms filled with half-clad women and men, voices, laughter, and music causing quite a din. At a bar located in the back room, Ten and Jack shook hands with a thin older man. They sat on barstools, and Ianto and Rhys stood over to the side of the counter. Ianto scanned his surroundings, his unease not lessening even in this benign setting. He also tried to listen to the conversation Jack and Ten were having with the man.

“I’ve seen him, yes,” Ianto overheard the man say.

“Can you tell me where he is?” the Doctor asked.

“No one knows where he stays, but I do know where a few of his operations come out of.”
Ianto stepped a bit closer for better hearing, but then two girls came up to him and Rhys, wearing nothing but silk robes tied around the waist but open enough to make their breasts visible.

“Hi boys,” the dark-haired one cooed, sliding her arms around Rhys’s neck.

“Why are two sheiks like yourselves standing over here alls by your lonesome?” the blonde one asked as she reached out to play with the buttons on Ianto’s vest.

Ianto stared straight ahead. “We’re here on business, ladies,” he said.

“We can make it business if you want,” the blonde said, cupping Ianto’s crotch lightly. He jumped back and into a plant, disturbing the discussion beside him.

“Carrie!” the older man yelled. “Go find someone else. These gents ain’t here looking.”

“Aww, that’s too bad,” the dark-haired one said, kissing Rhys lightly on the lips. “I think we coulda had fun, big boy.”

“Megan, now!” the man exclaimed.

“Fine, Johnny, we’re going, geez,” Carrie said, walking away with Megan.

Johnny went back to his conversation with Jack and Ten, and Rhys glanced at Ianto in horror, his face a deep shade of red. “Don’t you ever tell Gwen about this. She’ll kill me!”

“Or the girl,” Ianto retorted.

“Or that.”

Ianto strained to listen to the conversation again, and all he heard was something about a drug and alcohol warehouse and an address. Then, Jack and the Doctor stood up.

“You boys can stay if you like,” Johnny said, motioning around. “I’ll even give you a discount and direct you to my best girls.”

“Maybe another time,” the Doctor said, shaking Johnny’s hand. “Thank you for this. I owe you one.”

“Get the bastard. I got three girls and a handful of good boys dead because of the sonofabitch.”

Ianto glanced at Jack, who caught his eyes. Ianto wanted to ask him a million questions, but he knew from the look on Jack’s face he’d never answer them.

As they were leaving, Carrie and Megan waved at them, and Megan yelled, “Bye, big boy. You know where to find me if your girl turns into a pill.” Ianto stifled his laugh as Rhys looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him.

“You sure made an impression on her,” Jack said as they walked down the street towards the car. He slung an arm around Rhys’s shoulders. “Big boy, indeed.”

“Dry up,” Rhys grumbled as the others laughed.

Ianto was laughing, so he didn’t see the car as it rounded the corner. He heard Jack shout, “Get down!” and then turned just in time to see a car slow and the barrel of a gun stick out of the window. He reached for his gun, but as the rapid fire of bullets exploded, he was knocked onto his back. It all happened so quickly that by the time he caught his breath, the shooting had stopped and the car had already turned onto the main road.

“Are you hurt?” Jack said urgently from on top of him, his hands touching Ianto’s chest and arms.

“I’m fine,” Ianto said, sitting up and grasping Jack’s upper arm. He felt something warm and wet, and when he pulled his hand away, it was covered in blood. He went into full panic mode. “Jack, you’ve been shot!”

“It’s nothing.” Jack shrugged it off, glancing at his arm. “Just a graze. Mostly got the coat.” A huge wave of relief swept over Ianto.

“Jack!” the Doctor shouted. “Rhys’s been shot!”

“Rhys!” Jack leapt off Ianto and ran over to Rhys, Ianto quick on his heels. Rhys was lying on his back, his eyes closed, blood covering his chest. Jack dropped beside him and placed two fingers against his neck to find a pulse. “He’s alive, but barely. Fuck.”

“Here,” Ianto said, stripping off his suit jacket and pressing it to Rhys’s chest. “This’ll help staunch the bleeding.”

“We’ve got to get him in the car,” the Doctor said. “Owen can look at him.”

“This looks bad, Jack. Maybe a hospital – “

“No hospitals,” Jack snapped. “Help me pick him up.” Ianto grabbed Rhys’s feet as Jack lifted him under his arms. As they carried him to the car, Ianto noticed for the first time a few people had come out of their apartments to see what had happened, and the Doctor was talking to them. “Doctor, come on!” Jack yelled after they had secured Rhys in the back of the car.

“Hold on, Rhys,” Ianto murmured, pressing the jacket firmly to his chest. “You can’t do this to Gwen.”

“He’s going to make it,” Jack said. “He’s got to make it.”

The Doctor flew through the streets, the car going faster than Ianto thought was generally advisable, but he didn’t care. They weren’t very far from the Hub, but he knew every second counted. He tried to keep his hands from shaking, but couldn’t. The gunshots, the blood on his hands, the man down – he was back on the front, in the French countryside somewhere as he held another dying soldier in his arms. He saw the flashes of bombs, heard the piercing whistles as they soared through the air.

“Ianto,” Jack said softly. Ianto blinked and looked up at him. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, sir.”

When they arrived at the theater, Ten pulled behind the theater. Jack ran to open the theater door as Ianto and the Doctor carefully moved Rhys from the car and through the back door. Jack glanced down the hall to make sure no movie goers were walking around before carefully leading them down the secret passage into Tosh’s dressing room, where they laid Rhys on the couch.

“Go get Owen,” Jack ordered, and Ianto rushed out. He cut along the very edge of the Hub, trying not to attract attention by moving too fast. Owen was behind the bar, leaning on the counter and talking to Diane.

“Owen,” Ianto said as he stepped behind the counter. “Come with me now.”

“Jones, you could ask – what the fuck?” Owen exclaimed, taking in Ianto’s appearance.

“Is that blood?” Diane asked.

“Now, Owen.” Ianto didn’t wait for a response and quickly made his way back to Tosh’s dressing room, glancing down at his clothes as he did. Blood was smeared on the front and sleeves of his white shirt. Ianto was thankful he wore a dark vest so hopefully the patrons wouldn’t notice. Almost no one even glanced his way as they danced and drank.

“What the fuck happened?” Owen shouted after he entered the dressing room and raced over to the couch.

“Drive by,” Jack explained.

“Another one?” Owen asked, yanking open Rhys’s shirt and sending buttons flying. “Fuck.” He ran a hand over his face. “This is bad. Very bad.”

“Can you fix it?” Jack asked.

Owen shook his head as he stared at the wound. “Yes, but it’s not going to be easy. He needs a hospital, but I know the rules.” He sighed.

“Tell us what to do.”

“I need hot water, clean towels, and alcohol. And my med kit, which is in the storeroom.”

“Should we get Gwen?” Ianto asked as they headed out of the dressing room, but Jack shook his head.

“Not yet. Owen needs to work, and we need to keep up appearances. Lie if you have to.”

Ianto went into the kitchen and gathered the towels and a large bucket of hot water. He walked as closely along the wall as he could, trying to not draw attention to himself. Walking through the Hub carrying a large bucket of water might be a touch suspicious.

“Here.” Ianto set the bucket beside Owen and handed him the towels. Jack was on the arm of the couch, watching Rhys closely while Owen opened his med kit.

“I need someone to hold him down,” Owen explained. “I’ve got a little bit of anesthetic, but it won’t do much to mask the pain.” Jack and the Doctor nodded as Owen injected local anesthetic near the gunshot. When Owen began working to try and extract the bullet, Rhys started screaming. His eyes flew open, and he started mumbling gibberish and calling for Gwen.

“Muffle his mouth,” Jack told Ianto, and he reluctantly placed a towel over Rhys’s mouth to try and quiet some of the screams.

“Fuck,” Owen said, digging around the wound. “I can’t find the bullet.”

“What’s that mean?” Ianto asked.

“I’m gonna have to fucking cut him open if I can’t get it.” Owen dug deeper into Rhys’s chest, and Rhys howled in pain again.

“Don’t paralyze him,” Jack said.

“Would you like to do this, Jack?” Owen snapped. “Doctor, press a towel on the wound.” He slung down the tool he was using and sat back on his haunches. “Fuck! I’m not prepared to do fucking surgery on him.”

“Do whatever you have to,” Jack said. “He can’t die.”

“Well, since I’m bloody god, I’ll make sure to spare him.”

“Stop being a smart-ass and concentrate,” Jack yelled.

“You two need to calm the fuck down,” the Doctor shouted from over Rhys. “The man is dying. You can beat the shit of each other afterwards, but now, you need to save your friend.”

“What do you need me to do?” Jack asked.

“Just get ready to hold him again. And do whatever I say during this, okay?”

Jack nodded at the same moment someone opened the door. “What’s going on back here?” Gwen asked as she led Tosh and Martha through the door. The moment she saw Rhys, she started crying and ran over to him. “Rhys!”

“Ianto, get her away from him!” Owen yelled.

Ianto grabbed Gwen’s arms and dragged her away, but she fought him, kicking her feet and struggling to get back to him. “Rhys! Oh, Rhys…”

Tosh and Martha were standing away from the scene, staring at them in horror. “Tosh, get her out of here,” Jack instructed.

“You!” Gwen turned on Jack in a rage and somehow broke free from Ianto’s grip. She ran to Jack and started beating on his chest. “This is all your fucking fault! How could you? How could you do this to him? HE TRUSTED YOU!”

Ianto, Tosh, and Martha rushed to her and pulled her away with difficulty. Jack’s anger reflected Gwen’s. Ianto and Martha held her firmly as she glared at Jack.

“Calm down, Gwen,” Ianto muttered.

“Jack, I will never forgive you if he dies,” Gwen seethed. “Twice! He’s got shot twice for you and your bloody business, and you don’t have a fucking scratch on you! And for what? Was it worth it? WAS IT?”

“Gwen, you need to shut up,” Ianto said.

Jack’s face darkened, and he stepped towards her and opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it again. “Get her the fuck out of here,” he said, his voice dangerous.

“Where should I take her?” Ianto asked.

“I don’t fucking care.”

“Gwen,” Owen said, turning around and casting Gwen a softer glance than Ianto expected. “I’ve got to operate on him. Please let me do my job so I can save him. Trust me, okay?”

Gwen looked at Owen, then looked at Jack helplessly. “He can’t die,” she sobbed, “he’s all I’ve got.” She turned in Ianto’s embrace and buried her face against his chest. As Owen instructed Jack and the Doctor, Ianto led Gwen through the passage door, and with Tosh and Martha on his heels, carefully guided them through the dark corridor. When they emerged on the second floor, Ianto sat on a hallway sofa and pulled Gwen beside him. She curled into him, crying.

“What happened?” Tosh asked.

“Drive by,” Ianto answered. He ran a hand through his hair, then looked down at his bloody shirt.

“Do you want me to stay with her?” Ianto shook his head. “Tell us what you need us to do.”

“Someone needs to go serve drinks since there’s no bartender.”

“I got it,” Martha said. “Don’t worry.”

“Work with Mickey to make sure everything runs smoothly. Get Diane to help if you need.”

“What are you going to do?” Tosh asked.

Ianto ran a hand over Gwen’s hair. Her fists were curled into his shirt, her body shaking with her cries. “I’m going to stay with Gwen. Leave Owen alone; if anything comes up, come and get me.”

The women nodded and the disappeared through another passage that led to the basement. Left alone with only Gwen, Ianto felt exhaustion overwhelm him. The theater was silent except for Gwen’s sobs, which were starting to subside. She was trembling fiercely in his arms, and he rubbed his hands along her back and arms soothingly.

He wasn’t even sure he was prepared to take care of Gwen. He was covered in blood – his friend’s blood – after being shot at. Glancing down at his hands, he realized one of his hands also still had Jack’s blood on it. It was all too familiar, and after a few minutes, he wasn’t sure if it was Gwen or himself shaking.

Ianto tried not to think of Rhys, but he couldn’t help it. There was a knot in his chest that wouldn’t loosen; he’d seen the look on Rhys’s face, he’d seen the pallor of his skin and the amount of blood and had heard the screams of pain. They still rung in his ears, accompanied by the spatter of gunshots.

He didn’t know what Jack and the Doctor were doing, but he wasn’t sure it was worth all this.

*

An hour later, Gwen was clinging to Ianto, the front of Ianto’s shirt and vest wet, as she sniffed and hiccupped. She hadn’t said a word since they came upstairs. The time had done nothing to quell Ianto’s nerves; he was wound tighter than he had been when they’d returned.

Ianto started when he heard a door open, and Gwen sat up quickly, staring hopefully at the door. It was the Doctor. Ianto felt the knot in his chest expand until he couldn’t breathe.

“Owen’s finished,” he said, his hands stuffed in his pockets. He rocked back and forth on his heels. “Rhys is fine.” Gwen slumped against Ianto and started crying again.

“When can we go see him?” Ianto asked, able to breathe again.

“He’s out right now. Owen gave him quite a bit of laudanum for the pain. But she can go down there.”

Without a word, Gwen raced to the passageway. The Doctor went through after her, but Ianto stayed upstairs. Rhys was going to be fine. There was nothing to worry about. But somehow, that didn’t make him feel any better.

Ianto went into the apartment, washed up, changed into a fresh suit, then went to the Hub to check on everything. The music was still going strong, people were dancing, smoking, and drinking; everything seemed fine.

He found Martha behind the bar, serving shots to a couple of people. When he joined her, she smiled and said, “Just couldn’t stay away, could you? Had to check up on us.”

“Any problems?”

She shook her head. “Nope. Everything’s jake.”

“Where’s Tosh?” Martha pointed towards a cluster of tables, where Tosh was serving drinks. Nearby, Diane was skirting around tables, Gwen’s cigarette case around her neck. “Diane decided to help?”

“She’s been a real peach.” Ianto nodded, feeling a bit of relief. “How’s Rhys?” Martha asked after the customers had walked away.

“The Doctor says he’ll be fine. Gwen’s with him now. I haven’t seen him yet.”

Martha shook her head. “I can’t even imagine what she’s going through.” She reached out and placed a hand on Ianto’s arm. He jumped. “Are you okay?”

“I just need some sleep.”

“Are you always like this?”

Ianto looked at her in confusion. “Like how?”

She waved her hands around. “All stoic and aloof. You’re clearly not okay, but you just keep saying you’re fine. You’re not. It’s all this stuff Jack’s been doing, isn’t it?”

“Owen and Rhys were both shot before all this even started.”

“You can make your excuses to me as much as you want. Just make sure to take care of you.” She smiled and squeezed Ianto’s arm before turning to a man standing at the bar.

Ianto wandered slowly towards the dressing room, trying to pull himself together. For some reason, he couldn’t quite get himself into soldier mode and turn everything off. Instead, he felt like all his emotions, his nerves, his fear was pouring out of every part of himself. As he reached for the doorknob, his hand was shaking.

Inside the room, he found Gwen on the edge of the couch beside Rhys and Owen in the corner cleaning his instruments. He walked over and placed a hand on Gwen’s shoulder.

“How is he?” he asked.

“Alive,” she croaked out, then sniffed. “He’s not awake, but Owen said it was better that way for now.”

Ianto leaned down and kissed her head, then made his way over to Owen. “How is he really?”

Owen glanced over his shoulder, then back at Ianto. “He’ll be fine. He was bloody lucky, though. A centimeter the wrong way and he’d be dead.”

“Did you get the bullet?”

“Eventually. That wound isn’t going to heal quickly. He’s going to be out of work for quite awhile.”

Ianto sighed. “Jack is not going to like that.”

“Jack should be thankful Rhys is alive.” Owen placed his freshly cleaned scalpel in his med kit, then toweled his hands. “How are you?” he asked suddenly. “Do you need anything?”

“Like what?” Ianto looked at him in confusion.

“Something to help you sleep, calm your nerves.”

Ianto felt a flare of anger, then it deflated and he shook his head. “I’m fine.”

“Just let me know.” Owen clapped Ianto on the back, then made his way over to Gwen. “I’m going to stay here tonight to monitor him.”

“Thank you,” she said, her eyes never leaving Rhys. She surrounded one of his large hands with both of hers.

“Where’s Jack?” Ianto asked.

“He and the Doctor went upstairs through the passage.” Ianto nodded and headed for the passage as Owen walked back into the Hub.

Ianto didn’t know what he was going to say when he saw Jack – didn’t know what to say about any of it – but he had to see him. When he got to the door to the apartment, he saw it was slightly open and overheard voices, so he paused just outside to listen.

“We’ll strike him there. It’s the only way, and we have to take him down,” the Doctor said.

“It’s not worth this,” Jack said, voice raised. “That’s my man lying down there half-dead.”

“I am sorry about that, Jack. You know it was him.”

“Of course I know it was him.”

“The Master won’t stop there. He’s not going to stop until I’m dead, and he knows you’re working with me now.”

“Then we strike hard and fast,” Jack said. “Who can we take?”

“Ianto’s a liability. He’ll get us killed. And not Owen either.”

“I know; you’re right.” Ianto gripped the doorframe, his heart pounding so loudly in his ears he almost couldn’t hear the conversation.

“We’ll go alone, just the two of us.”

“Okay.”

Ianto heard movement, so he silently crept down the hall and slipped into the library. As soon as the door closed, he slumped to the floor. There’s no way Jack meant what he said, was there? And the Doctor thought he was a liability – was he? Did he get Rhys shot? He should have been paying attention instead of laughing, and if he’d been doing his job, Rhys wouldn’t be down on that couch unconscious.

When he thought enough time had passed, he stood up and reluctantly walked towards the flat. He felt like hell, and hadn’t felt this way in a long time. He wanted to scream and punch a hole through the wall and run away. Instead, he squared his shoulders and walked into the apartment.

“Jack?” he called out, his voice cracking.

“There you are,” Jack said, walking from their bedroom. He wasn’t wearing his coat, so Ianto could see the dried blood on the sleeve of his blue shirt. “Where were you?”

“I went downstairs to make sure everything was running smoothly. Martha, Tosh, Mickey, and Diane kept everything together,” Ianto said. But inside, all he could do was replay the overheard conversation in his mind. Jack looked glad to see him, relieved even, and he reached out to pull Ianto close. But Ianto could only see those lips saying the words echoing in his head. He felt his whole body trembling, everything holding together with the tiniest of threads. One wrong tug, and he knew he’d completely fall apart.

“What’s wrong?”

Instead of going to Jack, Ianto placed a hand flat on the nearby counter, leaning all his weight on it. “Jack, I...I don’t know anything anymore.”

Jack shook his head, brow furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“Jack, I haven’t seen you in almost two weeks. I have no clue what you’ve been doing, where you’ve been going, and now Rhys almost died. And it was all my fault.” He deliberately left out what he had overheard.

Jack grabbed Ianto’s arms and shook him hard. “Don’t you ever say that again! Do you hear me? It’s not your fault.” Ianto opened his mouth, but Jack shook him again. “No matter what you think! You are not responsible.”

“Are you?” Ianto asked. All of Jack’s anger faded, and he seemed to shrink right before Ianto’s eyes.

“Maybe.” Jack’s voice was more vulnerable than Ianto expected. He dropped Ianto’s arms and sighed. He stood away from Ianto, alone in the middle of the room, looking as defeated as Ianto felt. Ianto was torn; part of him wanted nothing better than to go out that door and leave Jack and all his bullshit behind, blame him for everything that had happened. The other part of him needed to be with Jack as much as Jack looked like he needed to be with Ianto.

Ianto shook his head. “It’s not your fault either.” He closed the distance between them and reached out to finger the bloody rip in Jack’s shirt. “Does it hurt?”

“Not really.”

Ianto took Jack’s hand and led him into the bathroom. Jack sat on the edge of the bathtub and removed his shirt while Ianto gathered the supplies. He heard Jack hiss in pain as he rummaged through the cabinet. When he turned around, Jack was tossing his shirts onto the floor.

“Why didn’t you get Owen to do this?” Ianto asked, wiping the blood away with a warm wet cloth.

“I honestly forgot about it.” Jack watched as Ianto cleaned the wound enough so they could see it. “It’s not too bad.” The bullet had left a small gash on his arm.

“Does it need stitches?”

“Just tape it up. I’m more worried about the hole in my coat.”

Ianto spread iodine over the wound. “I’ll take it to the tailor’s.” As he started wrapping the gauze, he said, “I seem to be doing this a lot lately, patching your wounds.”

“You take such good care of me.” Jack placed his hands on Ianto’s hips and rubbed his fingers along the seam of his trousers.

“If you’re not careful, you’re going to end up like Rhys – or worse.” Ianto placed some tape over the gauze and lifted his eyes.

“That won’t happen,” Jack said. “They don’t call me the Immortal for nothing.” He grinned widely, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“You’re not invincible, you know.”

“I’ve been in more life-threatening situations than any man should, and I’ve always escaped with just a few scratches.”

“I hope your luck doesn’t run out,” Ianto said.

Jack slid his arms further around him, pulling him between his legs. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.” He kissed Ianto’s chest lightly.

Ianto leaned down and rested his forehead on the crown of Jack’s head. “We can’t go on like this, Jack,” he said quietly. “I can’t keep doing this. And neither can you. It’s not fair to either of us.”

“I know.” Jack anxiously played with the belt loops on Ianto’s trousers. “What now?”

“Can we just be Jack and Ianto tonight? Leave everything else outside that door and just be us? I feel like I’m going to fall apart.”

“I don’t want to be alone,” Jack replied quietly, so quietly that Ianto barely heard him. “Not after what happened to Rhys, and everything with the Doctor – “

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Ianto murmured, straightening and lifting Jack’s chin with his finger. “Just Jack and Ianto.” Jack stood without letting his arms drop and kissed Ianto deeply.

After they both washed up and changed clothes, Jack crawled into bed while Ianto brought them both cups of tea.

“I’ve missed you,” Jack said, draping an arm around Ianto’s shoulders and pulling him close. “I don’t like being away from you so much.”

Ianto looked at Jack, gazing at Ianto with such love in his eyes, and thought about what he’d said earlier. Could Jack really feel that way about him? He was an admitted con man, after all. Maybe Ianto was his biggest con of all.

But with Jack looking at him like that, talking to him softly, and his fingers playing absently across his skin, Ianto wouldn’t let himself believe that. There had to be another explanation. A reason he said all of that, because they belonged together, him and Jack. There was no other place in the world he should be than in that bed with Jack beside him. Outside the walls of the flat there would always be wars going on, but they were safe here with each other. They could be themselves, be vulnerable, be weak and the other would be there to carry them through.

Ianto had to believe it, had to believe they would make it through whatever bump in the road they were going through. They’d already worked too hard to get where they were to let it go.

“What’s going on behind those beautiful eyes of yours?” Jack asked. His fingers brushed through the front of Ianto’s hair.

“Nothing,” Ianto said. “Just thinking about us.”

Jack smiled and snuggled closer to Ianto. “That’s a good thing to think of.”

“I’m glad you’re here tonight,” Ianto said softly.

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” He leaned down and kissed Ianto gently, and as the kiss turned more passionate, he realized they hadn’t been together in almost two weeks. That was the longest they’d ever gone without having sex, and Ianto’s body felt it. And as Jack draped himself on top of Ianto, he knew Jack felt the same way.

They were slow as they kissed each other, their hands roaming without haste. Although Ianto’s cock yearned for Jack to touch it, he needed to feel Jack around him even more. As Jack kissed his way down Ianto’s chest, he felt something inside him open up and ache. Jack’s absence, the fighting, the distance, the kiss with Jonathan – it all weighed heavily on him. But as Jack’s tongue circled Ianto’s bellybutton while Ianto threaded his fingers through Jack’s hair, he felt some of it lifting. Jack filled the places he’d left empty, but Ianto couldn’t completely quell the voice in the back of his mind saying that it would be that much worse when Jack left again.

Jack slowly removed Ianto’s pajama bottoms and then his own before pressing their naked bodies together. Jack’s mouth was warm, his lips urgent, his tongue soft as it explored Ianto’s mouth. Ianto wrapped his legs around Jack, encircled his arms around his neck, trying to pull Jack as close against him as he could. He thought that maybe, just maybe, if he held Jack tight enough, he’d never disappear. And as Jack slid inside him, filling Ianto completely, he gripped Jack tightly and tried to pull him even deeper, hoping that they might slowly melt into each other.

Ianto watched Jack as he thrust inside him, saw the tenderness in his blue eyes, the softness in his face. He lifted a hand and cupped Jack’s cheek softly, and Jack turned his head and kissed the inside of Ianto’s palm. He felt the battle inside himself, once again asked himself how this man could feel anything but love for him. Maybe there were things bigger than both of them, but Ianto knew sometimes that those things could destroy relationships, even ones like his and Jack’s.

Later, Ianto lay in Jack’s arms, the warmth of Jack’s skin seeping into his own, the comforting thump of his heartbeat against his ear, the measured rise and fall of his chest beneath his head. He wanted to say something, wanted to fill the night with everything he knew they should say to one another, but instead, he listened to sounds of the city outside the window, Jack’s fingers brushing through his hair.

*

They were lined up side by side, Ianto, Gwen, Rhys, Tosh, and Owen. A nondescript man in shadow stood before them, pointing a gun. The Master. He pulled the trigger, and Owen crumpled to the ground, blood pooling underneath his skull amid the bone and brain matter. One by one he pulled the trigger, each shot an ear splitting blast that dug into Ianto’s skull. Tosh fell on top of Owen, her pretty face nothing but a bloody hole, then Rhys and Gwen. A mountain of blood and bone and sinew.

And then the Master reached down beside him and pulled Jack to his feet, bound and gagged, and tossed him at Ianto’s feet. Ianto screamed, but his ears were bleeding from the previous shots, and he couldn’t hear the Master’s laughs as placed bullets into Jack – his legs, his stomach, his chest, and then last, as Jack looked up at Ianto, his face. Nothing was left but the bloody inside of his skull. Ianto screamed and tried to move, but he was frozen.

“Ianto! Wake up!”

Ianto jerked awake, his body covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He’d kicked the blankets completely off of him, and he looked over and saw Jack sitting up, watching him. He couldn’t get the image of Jack’s bloody face out of his mind; his entire body was gripped in terror. He was terrified the Master (or someone else) was going to kill him.

“You’re shaking,” Jack said as he slid down against his pillow. Ianto wrapped his arm around Jack’s waist, pressing as closely as he could. “What was it?”

“You can’t die,” Ianto whispered.

“Is that what you dreamed?” Jack scooted further down into the bed, wrapping his arms more securely around him. “Oh, Ianto.” He kissed Ianto’s head. “Don’t think about those things. I’m not going to die.”

“You don’t know that.”

“You have to promise not to die on me either, then.”

Ianto angled his head. Jack was staring at him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. “You worry about that?”

“Every time we go out. I can’t imagine what Gwen is going through right now. I know how I’d feel if it was you lying there.” Jack kissed Ianto’s lips softly. “It’s only stress from today. That’s the only reason you dreamed that. Try to fall back asleep.”

Ianto held onto Jack tightly, willing the images out of his head, but the only thing he could see was Jack lying dead on the ground.

*

When Ianto entered Jack’s office the next day, he found Jack deep into a large stack of papers.

“I’m so behind,” Jack said without looking up. “With everything that’s been going on, I’ve gotten behind.”

“I can help,” Ianto offered, sitting in the chair in front of the desk. Jack spent the next fifteen minutes outlining the things he needed Ianto to do. There was a mountain of paperwork, letters, and meetings he needed to do in regards to real estate, but Jack said to save those until the next day because the first thing he needed to do was go set up a liquor shipment with a boat captain who had docked earlier that day, and then he had to hire a temporary replacement for Gwen.

“What about Rhys?” Ianto asked.

“Between you, Owen, and Mickey, I think we can manage, especially if Martha will help tend bar. If she’s unwilling, we can get Tosh to help out and hire someone else.” Jack snapped his fingers suddenly and stood up. “I need your help with something.” He walked over to small closet and pulled out three duffle bags from inside. “Here, follow me.” They walked to the library, the bags heavy and bulky in Ianto’s grip. Jack waited for Ianto to step inside before making sure that the door closed securely behind him.

“What’s in the bags?” Ianto asked.

“Guns and ammunition.”

“For what?” Ianto asked in surprise.

“Just in case.” Jack walked over to one of the bookcases and moved one of the books. “The Jungle Book,” Jack informed him with a smile. Ianto felt a wave of emotion come over him. “Come here.” Ianto crossed the room and watched as Jack moved the tome to reveal a hidden button. He pushed it and part of the opposite wall moved forward. “No one knows about this, not even Owen.” Jack slid the wall further open, revealing a tiny closet filled with arms. Machine guns, hand guns, rifles, shotguns, knives of all sizes, and stacks of ammo.

“Are you planning on fighting a war?” Ianto asked, gaping at the contents inside.

“I want to be prepared for anything,” Jack said. “Help me unload these weapons.” The three bags were filled with more knives, guns, and ammo. Ianto reckoned there were enough guns to arm fifty men easily. After they finished, Jack turned to him and said, “Don’t tell anyone about this unless absolutely necessary.”

“Why are you showing me this?” Ianto asked uneasily.

“Just in case,” Jack repeated. Back in the hall, Ianto started for the stairs, but Jack said, “I want you to get off around nine. We have a date tonight.”

“Really? Doing what?” Ianto asked, pausing on the top step.

Jack shrugged. “Whatever you want to do.”

Ianto smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

“I’ll meet you in the flat around nine.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

*

“Think the new girl’s gonna cut it?” Owen asked as he upended a bottle into a shot glass. Ianto watched as Gwen’s replacement, a young girl named Annie, maneuvered through the crowd. She was slight and plain, but dressed in a simple low-waisted dress with fringe and a hat, she fit right in. One man stopped her, and she seemed to flirt and talk with him easily.

“I think she’ll be fine. She’s no Gwen, but she should be okay for now.”

Owen harrumphed as Ianto glanced at his pocket watch. It was just after nine. “I’ve got to go.”

“What?” Owen exclaimed. He pointed at the line of patrons at the bar. “You’re leaving me alone, Jones?”

“Jack’s orders,” Ianto replied. “Besides, I think you can handle it.”

“Maybe if I fucked the boss, I’d get to leave whenever, too.”

“Goodnight, Owen.” Ianto waved as he made his way to Tosh’s dressing room, and then up through the secret passage. He eagerly opened the door and called out, “Jack?” He was met with silence. He searched the entire flat, but Jack wasn’t there. It didn’t surprise him that Jack got delayed, so he washed up, ate a snack, and then started reading before he began to get anxious.

He knew Jack said nine, and it was now after ten with no sign of him. He decided to return back downstairs to the Hub to double check. Maybe he was down there, but he doubted it. Ianto had an uneasy feeling in his gut that he was ignoring.

He found Owen behind the bar, pouring a drink. “Have you seen Jack?”

“I thought you two had something so important to do you had to leave work,” Owen said, pulling down a tumbler and mixing a drink.

“We had plans, but he never showed up.”

“Maybe something better came up.”

Ianto didn’t say anything, but he was afraid of that same thing.

He went behind the counter, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, and sat at the end of the bar with a shot glass. He knocked back the first and then poured another.

“So you’re going to sit there and get ossified while I work, Jones?” Owen slung a towel over his shoulder and scowled.

“Yep. Whether or not Jack shows up, he told me to get off at nine. So, I’m going to enjoy my night off.” Ianto lifted the shot glass at Owen and then downed it.

Not too long after he began drinking, Martha and Tosh came over to him. “What are you doing?” Martha asked. “Getting drunk alone again?”

“Yep.”

“Then let us keep you company,” Tosh said.

“Yeah, okay.”

“Really?” Martha asked. Ianto shot her a look. “I didn’t expect you to say yes. You generally like to brood in silence.”

“Shut up,” Ianto said as he stood and followed Tosh and Martha to one of the empty booths.

*

He was drunk. Really drunk. Drunker than he’d been in a long time. He wasn’t quite sure how much he’d had to drink, but judging from the empty bottle between the three of them, it’d been quite a bit. He wasn’t sure how all three of them had drunk that entire bottle of whiskey, plus a bit of gin that Martha had obtained before the whiskey had been finished off. Perhaps that’s why Martha was all but sitting in his lap, and Tosh was curled against his side. Martha was sucking on a cigarette and telling a joke, but Ianto hadn’t heard the beginning of it, so when she got to the punch line, he didn’t react.

“How do you not find that funny?” Martha asked.

“He has no sense of humor,” Tosh said through a fit of giggles. “He’s dead inside.”

“The cat – “ Martha shook her head. “Oh fuck it. Let’s get out of here. I’m tired of sitting in this booth. I wanna get more comfortable.”

“Where are we going?” Ianto asked, following Tosh out of the booth.

“My dressing room?” Tosh suggested.

“I was thinking Ianto’s flat,” Martha said. “Fuck staying down here.”

“You’ve got a dirty mouth for a woman,” Ianto said.

Martha grinned at him. “Oh, you have no clue just how dirty my mouth is.” Ianto felt himself flush in all the wrong places, but he didn’t have the resolve to care.

He led them into the secret passage, which turned out to be a bad idea. Three drunk people, in the dark, on stairs wasn’t his brightest idea.

“Be careful,” Ianto whispered as he held his arms wide to hold on to the walls. With the absence of light, he felt like he was going to fall over.

“Why are you whispering?” Tosh asked.

“Because the passage is a secret,” Ianto replied. Tosh giggled, and he heard Martha curse. “I said be careful.”

“I can’t see a fucking thing,” she yelled.

“Take my hand,” Ianto said, reaching out behind him. Martha (or Tosh – he wasn’t sure which) grabbed his hand, then stopped and tugged him towards her. “What are you –“ He didn’t get to finish the sentence because soft lips covered his, and he immediately wrapped his arms around the small body before him.

“What’s going on?” Tosh said beside him. So, he was kissing Martha. He hadn’t kissed a woman since Lisa, and Martha was so small, her lips soft and sweet, and she smelled of vanilla. He reached out, found what he thought was Tosh, and pulled her to them. “Martha, what are you doing?” Ianto felt around, trying to find Tosh’s face. “Martha! Watch where you’re grabbing!”

“That wasn’t me, doll.”

“Ianto?” Tosh squeaked.

“I’m looking for your face.”

“That wasn’t it.”

“If it’s any consolation, you have lovely breasts.”

“Why are we still in the dark?”

“Ask Ianto. He’s the one feeling me up.”

“Shut up and fucking kiss me, Tosh.” Ianto suddenly felt lips on his again, and from the shape and size, different lips than before. Tosh and Martha felt so different in his arms, so different than Jack, so much smaller. They barely filled his arms, and he decided he preferred the fullness of his arms around Jack.

“Let’s get to the flat,” Martha said as Ianto kissed Tosh. “I want to see this.”

Ianto made his way up the stairs as quickly as he could. He tripped a few times, and almost fell backwards when he ran into the wall because he forgot where it veered, but they finally made it onto the second floor of the theater.

Inside the apartment, Martha was immediately on Tosh. Ianto stared at them open-mouthed as Martha’s hands roamed all over Tosh’s body, cupping and squeezing her breasts through her dress.

“I think Ianto likes watching,” Martha murmured against Tosh’s mouth. They both glanced at him, and he nodded, his head swimming something fierce.

“I am definitely not complaining.” Martha and Tosh resumed their kissing, and Ianto just leaned against the counter, watching. Finally, Martha broke away and went into the small kitchen.

“Where do you keep the booze?” Ianto pointed to the cabinet, and she opened it and pulled down a bottle. “Let’s go resume our drinking somewhere more comfortable.”

Ianto nodded and led them to the bedroom, stealing the bottle from Martha and taking another drink on the way.

*

“What in the hell?”

Ianto sat up quickly, but instantly regretted it. “Oh fuck,” he muttered, grabbing his head gingerly. It was throbbing, the room was spinning, and he was pretty sure he was going to vomit. He opened his eyes and saw Jack standing in the doorway, wearing his coat and clothes from the day before. “Oh fuck,” Ianto said again. “This is not what it looks like.”

Ianto slowly sat up all the way and looked around. He was on the floor in nothing but his underwear, an empty liquor bottle beside him. The room was in disarray, with clothes, records, and empty plates strewn everywhere. There was a bruise on his leg and a knot on his head.

“Actually, I have no clue what this looks like,” Ianto admitted.

“Fuck, please stop all the fucking yelling,” Martha said as she sat up in the bed.

“Well, well,” Jack said, and when Ianto glanced up at her, his eyes grew wide. She was topless. “Good morning, Martha Jones.”

Martha just grinned. “Morning, Jack.”

“What’s going on?” Tosh sat up, also topless. Jack suppressed a laugh, and when she saw Jack and Ianto looking at her, she let out a squeal and grabbed the sheet to cover herself. Martha just laughed.

“Whatever happened last night, I am extremely disappointed I missed it.” Jack grinned widely and pulled off his coat. He hung it on the coat rack.

“You should be,” Martha said, leaning against the headboard and resting her arms behind her head. She grinned at Jack, who laughed.

“You’re something else, Martha.”

“Jack, I am so sorry. We’ll get out of your hair,” Tosh said, looking at the floor. “You don’t happen to see my undergarments anywhere, do you?”

“No need to apologize. I have absolutely no problem walking in to find two gorgeous naked women in my bed.” Tosh turned a deep shade of red as Jack handed her her underwear and dress. “I am, however, confused about why my boyfriend is on the floor.”

“Oh god, Jack. I’m so sorry I slept with them,” Ianto said, everything finally catching up with him. On top of a monstrous hangover, he wanted to die from embarrassment and guilt.

“You didn’t have sex with us,” Martha said.

“He didn’t?” Jack asked, surprised and relieved.

“I didn’t?”

“He was a very good boy last night.” Martha smiled as she leaned down from the bed to grab her clothes. “He kept rambling about how he couldn’t cheat on you, even if we were women, and how much he loved you. I think there was some talk about how good you were in bed.”

“Oh?” Jack turned to Ianto, eyebrow raised.

“There was,” Tosh said. “In detail.”

“Oh fuck,” Ianto said, dropping back onto the floor. “I wish I was dead.”

“It almost made me want to fuck guys,” Martha said as she got out of bed. Ianto tried not to look at her naked form, but Jack didn’t hide his appreciative gaze.

“Too bad you don’t. Me, you, and Ianto could have some fun.” He glanced at Tosh with a coy smile. “You could join, too.”

Ianto didn’t think it was possible, but she turned an even deeper shade of red. “Jack, I am so sorry,” she repeated. “Please don’t think any less of me.”

“For this?” Jack waved a hand over the scene. “Please. I’ve been in much more compromising and embarrassing situations, many of which Martha has witnessed. This? Is nothing. Don’t worry.” He crossed to her and kissed her lightly on the cheek. “I’m glad to see you loosening up a bit and having some fun.”

“Jack, really,” Tosh said all flustered, but Ianto could tell she was relieved.

“All Ianto did was watch me and Tosh have sex,” Martha said as she pulled on her trousers.

“What?” Ianto exclaimed as Tosh yelled, “Martha!”

“What?” she asked, glancing at Tosh and shrugging. “He did.”

“I don’t think Jack needs to know that we, um…”

“Tosh, I think we all know that you and Martha have sex,” Jack said, amused grin on his face. “That’s something I definitely wish I could have seen.”

“Ooh! You and Ianto are perfectly matched. He really enjoyed watching, more than I think he would have participating.”

“I want to die,” Ianto muttered from the floor, his hand over his eyes.

“I can say it was interesting to watch him jack himself off. I’ve never seen a man do that before.”

“Ianto!” Jack said gleefully.

“Someone please shoot me now,” Ianto said, curling into himself. His brain was too fuzzy to remember any of that. The whole night was a blank.

“Aww, he’s so bashful now. He wasn’t so bashful last night. And for good reason.” Martha winked at Jack and pulled on her jacket. Ianto opened his eyes and peered up at them. Tosh looked as embarrassed and horrified as he did. At least he wasn’t alone in this.

“Jack, please don’t tell anyone else about this,” Tosh said, looking anywhere but at Jack. “I don’t think I can handle it if anyone knew.”

“I promise not to tell Owen,” Jack whispered as he pulled her into a half-hug. She blushed again and made for the door.

“It was fun, Ianto,” Martha said, smiling down at him. “Don’t be too hard on him,” Martha told Jack as she walked past him. “He was a very good boy.”

While Jack walked them to the door, Ianto struggled to get up from the floor and then dropped onto the bed. His back hurt from passing out on the floor, his head hurt both from the knot and the booze, and his leg hurt although he didn’t know why. He stretched back onto the pillow, placing his arm over his eyes and tried to make the world stop spinning.

“What happened last night?” Jack asked as he returned to the bedroom. Ianto felt the bed shift when he sat on the edge and turned his head to see Jack unlacing his shoes and pulling down his braces.

“I don’t actually remember.” Ianto rubbed his eyes and tried to piece together the night. “We were down in the Hub drinking, and after that…we came up here through the passage.” Suddenly, Ianto remembered kissing them both. “Oh fuck. I kissed them, Jack.”

“You did?” Jack swung his legs onto the bed and propped himself up on his elbow. “How was it?”

“Different. They’re so…small.”

Jack chuckled. “What are you trying to say, Ianto? You prefer things large?”

Ianto narrowed his eyes. “Only you could turn this into a dirty joke.”

“So, you kissed Tosh and Martha and watched them fuck. It’s not like anything happened.”

“You’re too good to me.” Ianto placed his arm back over his eyes.

“You worry too much, Ianto. Besides, I’ve just got a looser idea of sex than most people. People get way too up-in-arms about sex, are way too tightly wound. Getting drunk, kissing your best friend and her girlfriend, and wanking as they have sex? Not that big of a deal.”

Ianto groaned. “I can’t believe I did that.”

“It’s not the first time.”

Ianto glared at Jack, who smirked. “And I thank you for not telling them that.”

“I wouldn’t rat you out,” Jack said, wrapping an arm around Ianto’s waist. “I just am going to give you shit about it.”

“I’m a voyeuristic pervert,” Ianto stated.

“We should use that some day.” Jack’s face took on the lascivious look it had so often. “I could watch you, you could watch me…”

“Maybe.” Ianto tried to remember the events of the night before. He knew he got the knot on his head from bumping into the wall in the passage, he thought he tripped at some point dancing with Tosh and bruised his leg. He tried to remember Martha and Tosh having sex, but there were only blurred images that may or may not be real. “I can’t even remember watching them.”

“Poor baby.” Jack kissed Ianto’s forehead lightly. “You want something to eat?”

“I just want to go back to sleep.” His eyes flew open. “I’m sure you do, too, since you didn’t come home last night.”

Jack moved off the bed and finished removing his clothes. “I’m sorry about that. I got held up.”

Ianto sighed and put his hand back over his eyes.

*

“Where is this guy?” Owen asked, tossing a cigarette onto the ground. “We’ve been waiting forever.”

“It’s only been fifteen minutes,” Ianto replied, looking at his pocket watch. “Rhys never complains this much.”

“Yeah, I’m not Rhys.”

They were standing on the bank of the river, awaiting the shipment of alcohol Ianto had arranged a few days prior. Owen had grumbled about having to go the whole night. Ianto had been thankful when his set rolled around so he could get on stage and away from Owen’s complaints. They had left the Hub early, leaving Martha in charge of the bar.

“There he is,” Ianto said, motioning to the men by the cars. When the boat arrived, Owen supervised the men unloading the liquor from the small boat into the cars while Ianto paid the man and settled up a few final details. Then they returned to the cars and drove back to the Hub.

“You could have done that by yourself,” Owen said as they got out of the car on the street behind the theater.

“Probably, but we need to be extra cautious these days.”

Owen mumbled under his breath as he walked towards the back door. Ianto went around to the back of the first car to start unloading it.

“Oh fuck,” Owen exclaimed. “Ianto!”

Ianto ran over to where Owen was standing on the back stoop. “Oh fuck.” Mary and Eugene were lying in front of the door, eyes wide open, tied up and full of bullet holes and blood. Owen was bent over their bodies, checking for a pulse, but Ianto knew that look. The look of death.

“What the fuck?” Owen shouted as Ianto pulled out his gun and surveyed the alley. He knew the perpetrators were long gone, because if not, they wouldn’t still be alive. This was a message. “What the fuck is going on?”

“You can unload your own booze,” one of the men said, backing away. “I ain’t getting dead over no few crates of hooch.”

“You will fulfill your agreement with Captain Harkness,” Ianto said.

“Like hell.”

Ianto pointed the gun at the men. “If you don’t unload these cars, whoever did this isn’t the one you’ll have to worry about.”

They muttered among themselves and started to leave, but Ianto pulled back the hammer. “Just try me.”

The men began unloading the trucks begrudgingly and taking them inside the back door while Ianto glanced at Owen. “What do we do with the bodies?”

Owen shrugged. “Where’s Jack?”

“Fuck if I know. Probably doing god knows what with the Doctor.” Ianto opened the back door and held it with his foot as he grabbed Mary under the arms. “Help me get them inside.”

“Are you insane?”

“We can’t very well leave them out here, can we?” Ianto dragged Mary through the door and placed her against the wall in the hall. Owen laid Eugene alongside her.

“What now?”

“Make sure the men unload the trucks and then pay them. If they try to run off, shoot them.”

“You’re serious about that?”

Ianto looked at Owen evenly. “We’ve got too much to deal with tonight to have them fucking off. You can fire a warning shot.”

Ianto walked through a secret passage into the Hub, which was nearly empty. He found Tosh sitting in a booth with Martha and Mickey. “Have you seen Jack?” They shook their heads. “Get everyone out of here. We’re closing a little bit early.”

“Ianto, what’s wrong?” Tosh asked. “Who got shot?”

“No one got shot,” Ianto explained. “Just get everyone out of here.” He turned to Mickey. “Come with me.” Mickey followed him to the main door. “You got a gun?” Mickey nodded and pulled out a revolver. “Good. Sweep the theater. Make sure everything is in order. If anything, anything, seems suspicious or out of place, investigate it. Do you understand?”

“Ianto, what happened?”

Ianto sighed and glanced around to make sure they weren’t within earshot of anyone. “Eugene and Mary are dead.” Mickey blanched. “Now go. And be careful.”

Ianto went upstairs through the secret passage which led into Jack’s office. Jack wasn’t there, so he went into the flat. Still no Jack. Back in the office, he called Rose, but she hadn’t seen them either. So, he returned downstairs. Owen was behind the bar, pouring himself a shot. When he saw Ianto, he grabbed another shot glass.

“Can’t find Jack.”

“Of course not,” Owen retorted. “He’s always missing these days.”

“I left a note on the door to come down here when he returns, but lately that means it could be right now or after the sun comes up.” Ianto nodded in thanks when Owen slid the shot over to him and he downed it.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Tosh asked. She sat on a stool, Martha standing beside her with a protective hand on her shoulder.

“Eugene and Mary are dead,” Owen replied. Tosh covered her mouth and stifled a sob.

Ianto looked at Tosh and Martha. “You should stay here tonight.” Martha started to protest, but Ianto held up his hand. “Martha, they left their bodies on our doorstep. I don’t know what’s going on, and I’d prefer not to find you two dead, also.”

“What about Gwen and Rhys?” Tosh asked.

Ianto ran a hand over his face. “We should warn them. I’ll go.”

“No,” Owen said. “We need to stay here and figure out what to do with those bodies.”

“They’re here?” Tosh exclaimed. Ianto glanced at her, then Martha.

“Martha, why don’t you two go upstairs to the flat?”

Martha glanced at Tosh, pale and trembling, and nodded. “Yeah, okay.”

After Martha and Tosh left, Mickey returned. “Place is secure,” he said, coming up beside them. “Nothing weird or suspicious.”

“Good.” Ianto ran a hand over his face. “I need you to go to Gwen and Rhys’s and tell them what’s going on. Warn them to be careful and stay inside. And Mickey,” Ianto said, looking at him pointedly, “Be careful.”

Mickey nodded. “I didn’t think I’d be doing this when I got a job washing dishes,” he joked. “I think I need a raise.”

“We can talk about it tomorrow,” Ianto said, giving him a tired smile. When he was gone again, Ianto slumped on the stool. “Fuck, Owen. FUCK!”

“Do you know what’s going on?”

Ianto shook his head. “A little bit, but not much. Jack won’t tell me what he’s been doing. But I’ve overheard a few things that Jack’s unaware of. The only thing I know for sure is that the Doctor has been after a man named the Master.”

“The Master?” Owen asked.

“Do you know the name?”

“I think so. He was some psychopath reigning terror on Britain during the war. I heard he’d disappeared.”

“Apparently not.”

“Do you think he’s behind this?” Owen asked.

Ianto shrugged. “I can’t be sure, but I did hear the Doctor tell Jack that he knows Jack’s working with him now. And apparently they’re getting close.”

“The Master obviously wants them to know he’s closer.”

“Poor Mary and Eugene.” Ianto dropped his head into his hands. “They were so young, Owen, and knew nothing. They were innocent.”

Around three a.m., Jack rushed into the Hub. Owen was dozing on the stool, slouched over the bar with his head buried in his arms. Ianto was obsessively rewashing and rearranging the teacups.

“What’s going on?” he asked as he came into the room. “I saw your note and found Martha and Tosh asleep on our sofa.”

“What?” Owen said, sitting up groggily. “Jack, nice of you to join us.”

“Follow me,” Ianto said, leading Jack up the stairs and into the back hall. Jack gasped when he saw the bodies.

“Oh, Mary. Eugene.” Jack dropped to his knees and tenderly ran a hand across Mary’s face.

“We found them like that by the back door when we returned from picking up the shipment,” Ianto explained.

“I’m pretty sure they had been dead for a few hours,” Owen said, yawning. “Jack, what’s going on?”

“Come on,” Jack said, standing up. “We’ve got business to attend to.”

Jack stalked outside and got into one of the non-descript black cars they used for deliveries. Ianto and Owen got in with him, watching him uneasily.

“Jack, where are we going?” Ianto asked.

“This is going to end soon,” Jack said. “First Rhys gets shot, now two people are dead, and under my protection?” Jack gripped the steering wheel so tightly his knuckles turned white.

“Do you know who did this?” Owen asked.

“I have an idea.”

“Are you going to, I don’t know, tell us?”

“The less you two know, the better.”

“That’s bullshit, Jack, and you know it.”

Jack slammed on the brakes and turned around to glare at Owen. “If you don’t like it, you can get the fuck out of the car. You have no clue what you’re asking to get pulled into. So, either you shut the fuck up and do things my way, or you get the fuck out.”

Owen’s face scrunched in anger, but he just nodded. Ianto stared at Jack in shock. The only other time he’d seen Jack this angry was when he was beating on Tosh’s stalker. He wasn’t even this angry when he killed Suzie.

Jack stopped the car in front of an automobile garage. “There’s an apartment around the corner, 4C. Inside is a man named Ed Morgan. Drag him out of bed and down into this garage with any force necessary. Shoot anyone who gets in your way.”

“What are you going to do?” Ianto asked.

“Get ready.” Jack got out of the car and pointed to the garage. “I’ll be in there. Hurry.”

Owen and Ianto raced around the corner and up four flights of stairs. They found apartment 4C and banged on the door. A small woman answered the door, and they easily pushed past her. She screamed at them, begging to know what they were doing, and Ianto ignored the pang of sympathy he felt for the woman. They found Morgan in bed, so they grabbed his arms and dragged him through the apartment.

Before they left, Ianto pulled out his gun and pointed it at the woman. “You call the cops, and I’ll kill him and then come back and kill you.” She sobbed quietly, but nodded.

The man was screaming for them to let him go, so Ianto paused while Owen punched him twice in the face. “Now shut the fuck up before I find a more permanent solution.” Morgan stopped screaming and began whimpering softly.

They dragged him through the empty, dark streets, the streetlights casting dark shadows across the sidewalks. The door to the garage was unlocked, so Owen opened it and stepped through, Ianto pushing the man through it in front of him.

Jack was standing in the middle of the room, hands behind his back. He was eerily calm. Ianto felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle.

“Ed Morgan, so glad you could join us.” Ianto pushed the man towards Jack, never lessening his grip.

“What do you want, Harkness?”

Jack stepped towards him. “Oh, I think you know what I want.”

“I ain’t telling you nothing. I ain’t no rat.”

Jack sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that.” He grabbed a nearby chair and pointed to it. Morgan struggled as Ianto and Owen forced him into it and secured his arms and legs.

“You bastard,” Morgan spat. “When the Master finds out about this, you’ll be dead.”

“I’d worry about myself if I were you.” Jack grabbed a baseball bat and held it loosely at his side. “Now, where is he?” Morgan spat at Jack, so Jack swung the bat forcefully, cracking on Morgan’s left kneecap. He howled in pain. “Care to reconsider?”

“Fuck you.”

Jack busted Morgan’s other kneecap, then dropped the bat and punched him in the face several times. Owen shifted nervously beside Ianto, and Ianto felt uneasy. Jack was furious and ruthless, and it terrified him.

“I will find out what I want to know,” Jack seethed, his fist covered in the other man’s blood, “if I have to break every goddamn bone in your body.” It took half an hour, and four broken fingers, brass knuckles, and two broken ribs before he gave up the information Jack wanted.

“Thank you,” Jack said, kicking Morgan, now laying on the floor after Owen and Ianto had untied him. “That could have been so much easier, you know.”

“You’ll live,” Owen said after checking him over. “Nothing is serious.” They left him lying in the floor, writhing in pain.

“Forget everything you just heard,” Jack instructed as they got back into the car. “I do not want you two mixed up in this for any reason, do you understand me?”

They both nodded, and Ianto swallowed down the lump in his throat.

*

When they got back to the theater, Jack left Owen and Ianto while he took Mary and Eugene’s body to an undertaker associate he had. “They deserve a proper burial,” he declared. “I’ll inform Andy and we’ll come up with a story.”

Later, Ianto awoke the moment he heard the door open. He jumped out of bed and rushed to the doorway. Jack walked slowly into the room, his head hung low. Ianto glanced at the couch, now empty; he figured Tosh and Martha must have left sometime earlier that morning.

“Get everything with Mary and Eugene taken care of?” Ianto asked, but Jack didn’t respond. He didn’t even look up. “Jack?”

Jack walked further into the room, and Ianto went up to him and pressed a hand against his shoulder to stop him. “Jack?” Jack looked up, and what Ianto saw made him shrink back in terror. His eyes were empty, haunted, with deep circles underneath them. When he looked at Ianto, he looked straight through him.

“Jack!”

Jack made a sudden movement towards Ianto, attacking his mouth and pushing him back until Ianto hit the wall. Jack’s mouth was insistent and rough, more teeth than tongue, his hands frantic as they moved over Ianto’s body. He gripped Ianto’s hips roughly and spun him around, painfully pressing him face first into the wall.

“Jack?” Ianto called out as Jack’s fingers shoved Ianto’s pajama bottoms down and then pulled out his own cock from his trousers. Ianto felt it brush against his ass, and so he shoved back, knocking Jack off balance enough to turn around. Jack’s gaze was still vacant, so Ianto did the only thing he knew. He reared back and punched Jack in the jaw. “Snap out of it!”

Jack staggered backwards, his hand to his jaw. Ianto pulled up his pajamas as Jack seemed to regain control of reality. He glanced around, at Ianto against the wall, his hand against his face, and then down at his half-hard cock hanging from his trousers.

“Ianto?” He reached down and rebuttoned his trousers. “I’m sorry. I…I don’t know what just happened.”

Ianto stepped close and folded Jack into his arms. He’d seen that look enough on the battlefield, had it himself more times than he’d like to remember. “You never have to apologize for that,” Ianto murmured against Jack’s hair. Jack’s hands gripped Ianto’s bare arms tightly as he shook against him. “I know more than anyone what it’s like.”

“It’s my fault,” Jack whispered. “Mary and Eugene are dead because of me.”

“Ssh,” Ianto cooed. “Don’t do this.”

“And Rhys. I can’t protect any of you.”

“Hey,” Ianto said, pulling away and taking Jack’s face between his hands. “You can’t do this.”

“But it’s true.”

“That’s irrelevant.” Ianto grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bed. Jack crawled against Ianto without even taking off his coat.

“I killed him,” Jack murmured, his arms wound about Ianto’s waist.

“Don’t think about Eugene,” Ianto said, fingers scratching along Jack’s neck.

Jack shook his head. “Ed Morgan.” Ianto tensed, and it didn’t go unnoticed by Jack. “I checked out the place he told me. It was empty. He lied to me, Ianto. And I…” Jack shook his head. “He was still on the floor, writhing in pain. I just looked down at him in disgust, looked into his eyes and pulled the trigger. And I didn’t feel bad about it. I was just furious that my one good lead was gone.” Ianto didn’t know what to say, so he kissed Jack’s head lightly. “I’m a monster.”

“You’re not a monster.”

Jack didn’t respond; he knew Jack didn’t believe him.

*

The next day, Ianto found Jack in his office doing paperwork. “Feeling better?” he asked with concern as he entered the room.

Jack looked up at him, his face weary and ragged. “I’m fine.” He smiled and leaned back, motioning Ianto towards him. Ianto sat on the edge of Jack’s desk, and Jack slid between his legs and rested his head against Ianto’s stomach. “Thank you for last night,” he said against Ianto’s vest. “I’m sorry I lost control. You should never have seen any of that.”

Ianto’s fingers played in Jack’s hair. “How many times do I have to tell you that you don’t have to apologize?”

Jack pulled away and smiled sadly. “Have you come to help me with all this paperwork?”

Ianto nodded and stood up, grabbing his stack of work. It was carefully sorted and piled, a stark contrast to Jack’s messy, unorganized desk. “That’s my only goal today.”

“I’m still trying to find those properties for that foreign investor. He’s getting a bit frustrated. I haven’t been focusing much as of late.” Jack slammed his pen down. “This will mean millions for me.”

“We’ll find it,” Ianto said, sitting in the chair across from Jack. “I will make it my mission to find the property.”

“By the way,” Jack said as he picked up his pen, “I won’t be here tonight.”

“More work with the Doctor?”

Jack nodded. “We’ve got to find a lead. Eugene and Mary must be avenged. I will find out who killed them.”

*

The Hub was pretty quiet. They had a small crowd, which Ianto was grateful for. They were down two people, plus Tosh wasn’t quite herself after the events of the night before. She didn’t show it on stage, but Ianto could see the constant crease of worry on her brow.

The news of Mary and Eugene had spread to the rest of the staff, so most of them had bombarded Ianto with questions and concerns. He heard multiple cries of “Are we safe?” and “Are we going to die?” Two people who worked in the kitchen quit, along with one of the musicians. Ianto offered the rest of them an opportunity to walk away, but the rest stayed. He warned them all to be careful and mindful at all times.

The patrons, however, were ignorant of the previous night’s events, so they danced and drank and laughed like any other night.

Not long after opening, Diane came over and took her usual seat at the bar. “I’m surprised to see you here,” Ianto said, grabbing a teacup and mixing her favorite gin fizz.

“Owen tried to make me stay at home, but I asked him since when did he know me to listen to any order a man gave me.” She sucked on her cigarette and exhaled with a smile. “Besides, I figured here was safer than anywhere else.”

Ianto looked at Owen, who rolled his eyes. “Try talking to her. She’s a stubborn old pill is what she is.” Diane just laughed.

“You don’t really think someone will do anything tonight, do you?” Diane asked.

Ianto shrugged. “I honestly don’t know.”

“Well, whatever this Master guy has planned, it’s lost the element of surprise,” Owen said.

“Master?” Diane asked. Owen nodded. “I think I’ve seen him, at the hangar.”

“You have?” Ianto exclaimed, leaning on the bar.

“There’s been a lot of new faces around lately, rich patrons like Jack’s squirrely friend, but I’ve overheard some of the pilots mentioning someone they referred to as ‘Master’. He was in there a few days ago.”

“I need to tell Jack,” Ianto said.

“Not if it gets Diane involved,” Owen replied.

“Owen, if it’ll help, he should tell Jack,” Diane said. She and Owen exchanged a few heated glances before he threw up his hands in defeat. She just smiled in triumph.

Half an hour later, Tosh came up to the bar. “I’m going home,” she said quietly. She looked awful.

“Are you okay?” Owen asked, coming up and rubbing her arm gently.

She shook her head. “I just…everything the last few days.” She pressed a handkerchief to her mouth and sniffed.

“Do you think it’s safe?” Ianto asked.

“I can escort you home,” Owen quickly offered. Ianto looked at him thoughtfully.

“That’d be nice.”

Ianto hugged Tosh and kissed her cheek. “If anything weird happens, return immediately.”

“I promise.” She smiled. “Don’t worry about me.”

“I think I’m going, too,” Diane said, standing up and tapping out her cigarette. “I’ve got an early flight in the morning.”

“Do you want me to walk you, too?” Owen asked. She put her hand on her hip and looked at him incredulously. “What? I was trying to be a gentleman!”

“You’re little helpless woman will be fine.” She kissed Owen softly and then left.

Owen put a protective arm around Tosh’s shoulders. “I’ll be back as soon as I drop Tosh off safely.” Ianto nodded and took a drink order.

*

Owen and Ianto were closing up when they heard a banging on the front door. Ianto pulled out his gun as he looked anxiously at Owen. When he got to the door, he opened the small door and saw Diane standing on the other side, so he opened it.

“Diane?” Owen exclaimed as she ran towards him. “What’s wrong?” He held her arms as he stepped back and looked her over. Her hair was mussed and she’d been crying. Owen gingerly touched a large red mark on her face. “Diane, what happened?”

She let out a sob, but then took a deep breath and looked at Owen. “I went by the hangar to double check something for my flight tomorrow. Someone was there.”

“The Master?” Ianto asked.

Diane nodded. “Or one of his people. I overheard them discussing shipments and hits and names, and I thought about what happened here, and I ran.” Owen ran a thumb over the red mark on Diane’s cheek that was turning into a bruise. “Two men found me. One gave me a good lick before I managed to fight them off. I don’t think they expected me to fight back. I got into my car and came here immediately.”

“Well, you’re safe now,” Owen said, pulling Diane to him.

She pushed away, shaking her head. “I’m not. One of those men works for the hangar. I can’t go back there. They know who I am. What do I do? I don’t want to die, Owen.” He embraced her, her face buried against his chest. He glanced at Ianto over her head.

“What do we do?” Ianto asked.

“I don’t know.”

“I’ll find Jack,” Ianto said, but Owen shook his head.

“No.”

“No?”

“We can’t trust him.”

“Owen, he’s Jack. Your partner and old friend!”

“It’s not him,” Owen said. “It’s him and the Doctor at the hangar and the Master. The less Jack knows about this, the better for him. What if he tells the Doctor, and he wants to use Diane for information?” Owen glanced down at her, still sobbing in his arms. “I can’t allow that.”

Ianto stood there, undecided. Could he go behind Jack’s back to save Diane? He trusted Jack – Owen trusted Jack – but could they trust the Doctor, or Jack’s actions over the past month? Owen stared at him, pleading with his eyes. Ianto knew that look, the look of desperation to save the one you love at whatever cost. And it was coming from Owen, of all people. Finally, Ianto relented.

“Just tell me what to do.”

“I’ve got a sister in Canada,” Diane said, lifting her head. Owen handed her a handkerchief, and she wiped her eyes and nose. “Just over the border. I should be safe there.”

“Then we get you out of the country,” Owen said.

Ianto told Mickey to finish closing up and left a note for Jack on the bed that read, Ran an errand. Be back soon. He figured that would be enough to keep him from being too suspicious at least at first.

Owen drove the three of them to the harbor in Diane’s car. “We can’t leave it at the Hub or the train station,” Owen explained, “in case they know what kind of car to look for. Hopefully, with any luck, they’ll think that she took a boat somewhere.” After they left Diane’s car, they walked a few blocks before hailing a taxi to the train station. The next train for Canada left in an hour, so they bought three tickets for two sleeper cars, but didn’t board the train yet. Owen wanted to watch and make sure they hadn’t been followed or made. They boarded the train minutes before it left.

“We should be safe now,” Owen said, leading the way to their cars.

Ianto went on to his own car. He hadn’t had a chance to process everything that had happened the past few hours. Everything was getting too close; the Master, or whatever Jack was mixed up in, was becoming entirely too dangerous. If something didn’t happen soon, they all were going to die.

When they’d been on their way for awhile, Ianto heard a soft knock at the door, and anxiously went to the door. It was Owen.

“Is Diane okay?” Ianto asked, sitting on the bed. Owen ran a hand through his hair and sat in a chair.

“She’s asleep.” He looked around helplessly. “You didn’t happen to bring anything to drink, did you?” Ianto opened up his hastily packed bag and pulled out a bottle of alcohol. “Bless you, Jones.”

“I thought you might need some,” Ianto said, handing it to Owen. He opened it and drank straight from the bottle. “Did we make the right decision, not going to Jack?”

Owen shrugged. “If we could have even found him.” He took another swig from the bottle and offered it to Ianto. “Did Jack ever tell you how we met?”

“A little. He said you both moved to the US right before Prohibition.” The train jerked a little beneath them, causing them both to sway a bit in their seats.

“Yep. We met in the war, but really only passed by each other. I was an army doctor and his platoon came through where I was stationed. I mended and operated on many of his men. But I only knew him as Captain Harkness then.” Owen took another drink. “We reconnected in 1919. Jack had been shot and almost died. The Doctor had heard of me and requested my expertise to save him.”

“I didn’t know that,” Ianto said.

“Jack almost died on a kitchen table in the back room of a restaurant outside of London,” Owen said, nodding his head. “I saved him, then didn’t see him for a few months. I heard rumors that Jack was into some dangerous stuff – smuggling, disposing of bodies, stuff like that; anything for hire – but I don’t actually know much about Jack before we moved to America. When I met back up with him, the Doctor was gone and Jack was alone. He suggested we come to New York, so I did.”

“How did the Doctor know you?”

Owen smiled wryly. “That, Ianto, is where our story truly begins. After the war, I left the army and my post at the hospital back home. Started doing jobs for people who either couldn’t afford medical care or who wanted no dealings with the police. I stopped that when I came to this country. Neither Jack nor I wanted to get mixed up with the mob.”

“Why did you quit?” Ianto asked, the train slowing as it neared a stop.

Owen stared at Ianto with narrowed eyes. “That’s none of your concern.”

“Owen, I’m helping you smuggle your girlfriend out of the country. The least you can do is finish the story.”

Owen sighed. “I was engaged. Did you know that, Jones?” Ianto shook his head. “Before I left for the war. Her name was Katie.” Owen smiled sadly, a faraway look in his eye. “She was beautiful. Wrote me letters every week I was away.”

“What happened?” Ianto asked quietly.

“Spanish influenza.” Owen took another drink from the bottle. “Before I got home. I didn’t get to see her or say goodbye. She had been dead for months before I heard about it. The war ended soon after that, and I quit practicing medicine and disappeared. I couldn’t see anyone from my old life; they just reminded me of Katie. Plus, my mother expected me to keep up appearances. She never liked Katie anyway, didn’t think she had the right pedigree for her son. She wanted me to immediately get married and set up a practice. So, I disappeared. And then I met Jack, and here I am.” The train began moving forward again, jerking them with it. “So, now you know my sad story, Jones.”

“My fiancé also died in the war,” Ianto said. “Air attack. She was a nurse.”

“What was her name?”

“Lisa.” Ianto sighed. “It also got me.”

“I saw what it did.” Ianto looked at him in confusion. “Back when you first started, when that guy beat you bad. I treated your wounds. It was hard to miss.”

“I was in the hospital for a very long time.” Ianto ran a hand through his hair. “Then I got as far away from Wales as I could. And that’s my sad story.”

Owen lifted the bottle. “To dead fiancés.” He took another drag.

“What happens when we get to Canada?” Ianto asked.

“We leave Diane with her sister.”

“And then what?” Ianto really wanted to asked, What will you do?

“We go back to the Hub and hope Jack kills everyone.”

“I have something that may help her,” Ianto said, grabbing his bag again. He reached in and pulled out a large, bulging envelope. Owen took it curiously. “It’s money to help her along until she can get sorted.”

Owen opened the enveloped and gaped. “Ianto, there’s at least two thousand dollars here.” He handed the envelope back. “I can’t accept this.”

“It’s not for you to accept or decline,” Ianto said, pushing it towards Owen again. “Besides, the money won’t be missed. It’s for situations just like this.”

Owen stared at the money for a few moments before standing up and walking to the door. “Jones, this will never leave this room and I won’t admit to it tomorrow, but thank you. For helping me with Diane and everything. You’re not half-bad, you know.”

Ianto smiled. “I’ve always got your back, Owen.”

Owen nodded and left the room, still carrying the bottle of alcohol. Ianto stretched out on the bed and stared at the ceiling, his hands behind his head. Owen’s story bounced around in his head, and it made him sad. He understood Owen’s pain. He’d lived with the same tragedy, had even dealt with it in a very similar manner. He chuckled to himself as he thought about how he wasn’t so different than Owen. Except the grumpy, cold-hearted bastard part. Instead, he was a stoic fucked up solider. To each his own, he guessed.

He also thought about Jack, about him almost dying on the table, but surviving. The Immortal indeed, he thought. A con man, man-for-hire to any lowlife in Britain – that wasn’t the Jack he knew. Yes, the Jack he knew was ruthless and a killer – he’d demonstrated that time and time again – but he wasn’t some two bit crook with no principles.

Between the exhaustion and the lull of the rolling train, Ianto eventually fell asleep. But he snapped awake immediately when he heard the latch to the door turn. He grabbed his gun from under his pillow and aimed it at the door.

“Jack?” Ianto said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and placing his gun on the side table. “What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get on the train?”

“I could ask you the same fucking question.” Jack closed the door behind him and sat in the chair opposite. He stared hard at Ianto. “Why did you think you could get Diane out of the country without me finding out?”

“Let me guess. Mickey told you about Diane coming back to the Hub and us leaving with her, and then your many eyes and ears over the city supplied you with the rest.”

Jack nodded. “I would have helped, you know.”

Ianto shook his head. “We were protecting you.”

“Protecting me?” Jack stood up and motioned for Ianto to scoot over. He complied, and Jack stretched out beside him.

“We didn’t want you getting mixed up in all of this. We didn’t want to make things precarious for you.”

Jack grabbed Ianto’s hand and threaded their fingers. “You and Owen and the rest of my team are my first priorities. No matter what else.” He squeezed Ianto’s fingers. “Tell me what’s going on.”

Ianto sighed and explained everything to Jack. Afterwards, Jack was silent for a long time. “I’ll make sure no one finds her,” Jack said. He leaned over and kissed Ianto. “I need to go talk to Owen.” He got off the bed and crossed the small space to the door. “I’ll be back.”

Ianto waited while Jack and Owen talked, falling asleep again before Jack returned. He woke back up when he felt soft lips against his mouth. When he opened his eyes, all he saw was Jack’s face hovering above his.

“Owen okay?” Ianto asked, shifting so Jack could get on the bed.

Jack nodded. “He told me you took care of Diane, gave her money. Said that you told him it was for situations like this?” Jack raised an eyebrow.

“He wouldn’t have taken it if he’d known it was my own money.”

Jack threw an arm around Ianto’s shoulder and pulled him close, kissing his head. “You know where I keep my money. You didn’t have to use your own.”

“I didn’t want to steal from you.”

Jack pulled away and looked at Ianto seriously. “Ianto Jones, anything I have is yours. That includes money.” Jack settled back against the pillow. “I’ll pay you back.”

Ianto shook his head. “You don’t have to.”

“It’s my responsibility. My fault she’s in this predicament.”

“Jack,” Ianto warned.

“It’s true.” He sat up. “I’m hungry. Want to join me for an extremely late dinner?”

Ianto nodded and followed Jack through the narrow hallways, through a passenger and two sleeper cars into the dining car. At this late hour, it was empty except for the waiter.

While they waited on their food, Ianto studied Jack as he sipped his glass of water and stared out the window at the passing landscape. He looked preoccupied, his face pinched in worry and concentration. His entire body posture was tense. Ianto expected Jack to be furious when he found out about the whole Diane thing (though he didn’t expect Jack to find out so soon), but as Ianto watched Jack, he realized that neither one of them had it in them anymore to fight. Jack looked as tightly wound as Ianto did; he was scared that if something didn’t give soon, Jack would completely come apart. And he wasn’t sure he could help put him back together.

“Who’s James?” Ianto asked suddenly. Jack got very still and turned towards Ianto slowly. “Why are you and the Doctor so obsessed with going after the Master?”

“How do you know that name?”

“I need answers, Jack. I think I’ve been patient enough, and I deserve to know, regardless of my safety.”

Jack wiped his hand across his face and leaned forward on his elbows. “Here?”

Ianto looked around. “We’re alone.”

“First, tell me how you know that name. James.”

“You mentioned him the night you got drunk after the Doctor’s party,” Ianto replied.

“You’ve known all this time and didn’t say anything?”

“Would you have told me anything?” Jack shook his head. “I thought not.”

They were interrupted when the waiter brought their food, two plates of steak with salads. Jack stared intensely as he cut his meat, then popped a piece in his mouth.

“Ianto, is there anything in your past you haven’t told me? That you want to keep just to yourself?”

Ianto shook his head. “I want you to know everything.”

“You’re a lot younger than me, Ianto. Your life has been a lot more sheltered.”

“Sheltered?” Ianto retorted.

“I’ve had a lot more time to make mistakes. There are a lot of things in my past I am not proud of, Ianto.” Jack put his knife and fork down and looked at across the table. “I don’t want you to look at me differently once you know.” Jack lowered his voice. “I never want you to know.”

Ianto reached out his hand and covered Jack’s. “Jack, we’re partners. I love you – all of you. That’s not going to change if you tell me something. I want to know every single thing about you, the good and the bad. I want to look at you and understand you the way no one else does.” He squeezed Jack’s hand.

Jack glanced around, saw the waiter at the end of the car, and then lifted Ianto’s hand to his lips and kissed it briefly. “It would take a long time to tell you everything,” Jack said with a smile. “But I guess I can start here.”

He grabbed his fork and knife again and cut another piece of steak. “James was my best friend. We left home together, ended up in the city. We lived on the streets, got into a lot of trouble, and then I convinced him to join the army. Said it’d be an adventure.”

Jack took a sip of water. “We both ended up in England after the war, and we went back to being con men. I met the Doctor, started travelling with him. James didn’t like that much because I was gone a lot, but he had a girl and I was tired of conning my way across the UK.” Jack pushed his plate away and crossed his arms. “One night, James and I went on a mission for the Doctor. We were to gain intel on a growing threat who called himself the Master.” Ianto felt his heart pick up speed as Jack glanced at the table, trying to find the words. “We ended up in a warehouse. We both got captured. They tortured him for days…and made me watch.”

“Oh, Jack, I’m so sorry.”

“The Doctor found me, but after they had killed James and shot me and left me for dead. Owen saved my life that night. He tried to save James, but he’d been dead for awhile.” Jack sighed and lifted his eyes. “For a long time, I blamed the Doctor. It was his mission that got James killed. We didn’t even know who the Master was, didn’t have anything to do with him. The Doctor and Rose disappeared after that, and I searched for him for a long time. I was angry and bitter and wanted to kill him because of what happened to James. Because he left me alone.”

“What changed your mind?”

Jack shrugged. “Time. Experience. Maturity. It’s still difficult sometimes to be around him. He reminds me of James, and there’s a part of me that will always blame him. But he also saved me.” Jack picked his fork back up and pushed food around his plate. “After I met the Doctor, he showed me there was a better way of life instead of being a con man. I wanted to change, James didn’t. It’s why the Doctor took me along but left him behind.”

Finally, all the pieces began to fall into place. Jack’s tense relationship with the Doctor, his obsession with the Master. It hurt Ianto that Jack was still so full of pain over things that happened years ago, before he’d even entered the picture.

“He’s taken enough of my people away from me,” Jack continued. “But nothing we do can seem to stop him. And now, he’s taken Diane away from Owen.” He looked at Ianto. “I’m terrified he’s going to take you away from me, and that’s the one thing I can’t handle.”

“We’re going to be fine,” Ianto said, though he wasn’t sure he believed it. He’d had a knot in stomach for weeks now, and it wasn’t lessening. He knew something was coming, something was on the brink of happening, but he didn’t know what. He was terrified to find out.

*

Back in the sleeper car, Ianto was sitting on a chair and placing his socks on his already discarded vest and tie when Jack stepped near him, hand outstretched. Ianto looked up at Jack, staring down at him expectantly.

“Care to dance?”

“There’s no music,” Ianto observed, but Jack didn’t budge, so he stood up and took Jack’s hand. Jack pulled him close, intertwining their fingers and wrapping his free arm about his waist. Ianto easily melted into Jack’s embrace, his feet innately matching Jack’s leisurely rhythm. Even with no music, they swayed slowly, aided by the soft swaying of the train. Jack’s cheek was warm against him, stubble scratching Ianto’s face as it pressed into his skin. Ianto curled his fingers around Jack’s bicep, pushing his fingers underneath the sleeve of his undershirt and feeling the soft skin beneath his fingers, the faint shifts in the muscles under his touch. He sighed contently and let his eyes drift shut as Jack’s thumb played against the back of his hand.

“I’ve missed this,” Jack whispered. Ianto hummed and nodded. It had been entirely too long. And standing there in Jack’s arms, moving gently together, he felt closer to him than he had in weeks.

Moving nearer, he stepped wide and started them turning in a slow circle, their bodies touching as much as humanly possible. It wasn’t close enough; Ianto knew that nothing would ever be close enough for him.

They moved at a slow, steady tempo as they enjoyed the simplicity of being near one another. Ianto listened to the soft sound of Jack’s breath, felt the subtle shifts as he swallowed, felt the constant beat of his heart. He could have stayed like that forever, in Jack’s arms, dancing to only the music of the moving train.

“Make love to me,” Jack whispered, his lips brushing lightly against Ianto’s ear.

Ianto reluctantly pulled himself from his pleasant daze and looked at Jack. “What?”

“I want you inside me.”

“Here?” Ianto glanced over his shoulder at the tiny bed.

“Why not?” Jack moved around Ianto and dropped on the bed, pulling off his t-shirt. “There’s plenty of room if we get close enough,” he grinned widely, “and we’ve got plenty of time before we reach our stop. Besides,” he said, pulling off his trousers, “I’ve never had sex on a train.”

“I find that hard to believe,” Ianto said as he unbuttoned his shirt. He laid it neatly on the nearby chair; it was the only shirt he’d brought.

“I haven’t, honest.” Jack slipped off his pants and waited, naked and half-hard, as he watched Ianto.

“How is this going to work?” Ianto asked, unbuttoning his trousers. “I obviously didn’t pack any lubricant.” Jack smirked as he walked over to his coat, reached deep into it, and pulled out a small jar. “Seriously?”

“Just in case. I never know where we’re going to end up. I like to be prepared.” Jack tossed it at Ianto, who fumbled as he caught it. “Good thing one of us is.”

“Next time I hastily and secretly try to smuggle someone out of the country, I’ll make sure to bring the lubricant.”

“Good.” Jack grinned as he stretched out on the bed. When Ianto was naked, he placed a knee on the bed as he leaned down to kiss Jack. Jack responded eagerly, his arms wrapping around Ianto’s neck and pulling him down on top of him as his tongue slid into his mouth. Ianto opened his mouth and moaned as his cock pressed between their bodies. They had not been having sex enough as of late, and Ianto and his cock decided they needed to remedy that.

Jack pushed Ianto back. Ianto glanced down at him in confusion, his brain clouded by desire. There was no reason Jack should be removing them from each other. “I have an idea.” He pointed to the other end of the bed. “Go sit over there for a moment.” Perplexed, Ianto obeyed. Jack grabbed the jar of lubricant, generously coated two of his fingers, then comfortably laid back against the pillows.

“Oh god,” Ianto groaned as his brain figured out what was about to happened.

“You said you liked to watch,” Jack said, voice low and rough. He spread his legs and planted his heels into the mattress before reaching his hand underneath him. Ianto watched with his heart racing as Jack’s finger disappeared inside of himself. His cock throbbed as Jack’s hand moved slowly, encumbered slightly by the awkward angle, but Ianto didn’t care. It was quite possibly the hottest thing he’d ever seen. And then Jack added a second finger, and Ianto couldn’t deny himself anymore. He wrapped his fingers around his cock, moaning quietly at the contact as Jack fucked himself.

“Jack,” Ianto managed to get out as he stroked his cock, his accent heavy in his mouth. Jack watched him hungrily, his cock twitching slightly as his fingers moved. Ianto stared at the deep pink of the head and leaned forward without taking his hand from his own cock and wrapped his lips around it. Jack moaned and bucked his hips forward erratically. Ianto swirled his tongue around the head, more teasing than anything since he refused to slide his lips any slower.

“Now, Ianto,” Jack growled, “Fuck me now.”

Without wasting a moment, Ianto dipped his fingers into the jar and coated his cock, then moved onto his knees between Jack’s legs. He lifted one of Jack’s legs, hooked it over his shoulder, and positioned himself against Jack’s opening, nudging it lightly with the tip. Jack narrowed his eyes in impatience and pushed his hips down, and Ianto couldn’t handle any more teasing himself. He pushed forward, burying himself deep inside Jack.

Jack clawed at his back, pulling him close and down into a kiss. Jack was tight around him, and he struggled to control his desire as he set up a quick rhythm; he just wanted to give in and come right away, but he wasn’t ready for it to end, wanted to stay buried in Jack for as long as he could. Jack’s fingers dug into the skin of his back, gripping him tighter as he thrust inside. Ianto raised a hand and caressed it along Jack’s calf as he turned his head and kissed the inside of Jack’s knee.

He rubbed his cheek against the soft skin as he glanced down at Jack, eyes closed and lips slightly parted, his face moving slightly as Ianto pushed inside him. Ianto felt a surge of emotion coursing through him. He couldn’t imagine a day going by without the man beneath him, a day without the sound of his laugh, his wide grin stretched across his face, his stupid endless suggestive comments, or the touch of his skin beneath Ianto’s fingers. Jack opened his eyes and stared up at him with such unabashed love and desire that Ianto ached inside that Jack was real and he was lucky enough to have him.

He let Jack’s leg fall as he moved down to capture Jack’s mouth in a kiss, Jack’s legs wrapping around him as they urged him faster and deeper. Ianto reached out and braced himself against the wall, his other fingers holding Jack’s hip roughly as he thrust, the wet slap of their skin audible over the roar of the train. Jack pulled Ianto down into another kiss, trapping Jack’s cock between their bodies, and Ianto felt Jack contracting around his cock, so he grabbed Jack’s arm for support as he began moving faster and harder. Jack arched upwards, exposing the long line of his neck; Ianto bent forward and licked the sweat from his skin.

Jack came with a low moan, his come sliding slick between their bodies, and Ianto rose up, grabbed Jack’s hips, and thrust a few deliberate times before gripping Jack’s sides roughly as he came. Taking a few deep breaths, Ianto slowly lowered himself to Jack’s side. Jack grabbed a towel lying on a nearby shelf and wiped them off. Ianto rolled onto his back as Jack shifted and tossed the towel aside, resting his head on Ianto’s chest, his leg draped across both of Ianto’s.

Within moments, Ianto fell asleep.

*

They left Diane with her sister with relative ease, but everyone was tense and no one said a word. Jack and Ianto sat in the waiting area of the station while Owen said goodbye. Ianto couldn’t watch; it was too painful. He couldn’t stop thinking about what Owen must be going through, what it would feel like if he had to say goodbye to Jack.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Jack said quietly beside him. Ianto tore his eyes away from the far wall and sighed. “You look like you’re the one saying goodbye.”

Ianto flicked his eyes over towards them, where Owen was holding Diane tightly, his face buried in her dark hair. “I just can’t stop thinking about what it would be like if that was you.” He shook his head. “What he’s going through…”

“I don’t envy him,” Jack said, following the line of Ianto’s gaze. “But there’s one big difference between me and Owen.”

“What’s that?”

Jack eyed Ianto seriously. “If you had to be smuggled out of the country, there’s not a force on this planet that would keep me from staying by your side, no matter where you were.”

“Are you saying he doesn’t love her?”

“I’m saying that I think Owen’s feelings are more complicated.”

“Tosh?”

Jack shrugged. “Tosh, us, his life. There’s something he’s not willing to give up back home, or else he’d disappear with her.”

“You’d leave everyone else for me?”

“I’d leave this earth if it meant that I could be with you.” Ianto felt his cheeks grow hot. “I apologize. I made you blush,” Jack said with a chuckle.

Finally, Diane exited the train station with her sister, and Owen was left alone. Ianto and Jack waited patiently until Owen decided to join them.

“Owen, I – “Jack started, but Owen interrupted him.

“Don’t say a fucking word, Jack.” Owen leaned close and pointed a finger in his face. “This is your fucking fault, and don’t you forget it.”

Ianto jumped up. “Owen, calm down. It’s not Jack’s fault that – “

Owen spun around and faced Ianto with such open fury and pain on his face that Ianto stopped talking. “Don’t take up for him. It’s your fault, too.”

“My fault?” Ianto exclaimed. “I helped you with everything.”

“Riding shotgun and throwing money around like you’re Jack? You think you’re a hero now? Yeah, well, fuck you, Jones.” Owen stormed towards the train. Ianto called after him and made to follow, but Jack grabbed his arm, shaking his head.

“Let go. I have to go talk to him.”

“He’s hurting, Ianto,” Jack said. “Let him grieve in peace.” Ianto sighed, his shoulders slumped. Jack placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

*

“Gwen! Rhys!” Ianto exclaimed as they slowly entered the Hub. Rhys was walking with some difficulty, but he looked healthy and in good spirits. “What are you doing here?”

“Got cabin fever, we do,” Rhys said, sitting gingerly in a booth. Gwen slid in the other side, Ianto beside her.

“He has cabin fever,” Gwen said, “I was perfectly fine sitting around, crocheting, baking, and listening to the wireless.”

Ianto raised an eyebrow. “You? Crocheting?”

Gwen slapped his arm. “Behave, Ianto.” She slipped her arm through his and hugged close to him. “I’ve missed you so much!”

“Should I be jealous?” Rhys joked.

“Of course,” Gwen retorted, kissing Ianto’s cheek lightly.

“Everything okay, Ianto?” Rhys asked.

“What he really means is has the place completely fallen apart without him to keep an eye on it?”

“Oi!”

“He sits around all day worried that the whole place is going to burn to the ground or be shot up without him here to man the door or protect everyone.”

Ianto smiled as he watched the two of them bicker. He was glad they were back; it was a bit of normalcy returned. It hadn’t been the same without Gwen flittering about while Rhys was perched in a corner somewhere. Plus, seeing Rhys on the mend and looking like himself aside from his arm in a sling, it lessened some of the worry Ianto had been feeling.

“Where is everybody?” Gwen asked. “Have they decided you were so good at everything that you’ve just started doing everyone’s job?”

Ianto explained about what happened with Owen. When he was finished, Gwen said, “Poor Owen. What can we do?”

Ianto shrugged. “I haven’t seen him for days. Jack said not to be worried. I think we’d know if anything had happened to him. Apparently, he just needs some space.”

“Well, the stupid git could let his family know that he’s not lying in a gutter dead somewhere,” Gwen huffed. “Whether he wants it or not – or deserves it, for that matter – there are people who love him. And he should know better! What, with our people getting shot and murdered and left on doorsteps. He shouldn’t be so fucking stupid!”

Ianto didn’t know whether or not to laugh or cry. Gwen was so furious, her eyes wide and nostrils flaring. But he knew exactly how she felt. Instead, he said, “Owen’s a grown man. He’s capable of taking care of himself.” He patted Gwen’s shoulder. “Besides, if anything was amiss, Jack would take care of it.”

Gwen and Rhys stayed in the Hub and kept him company while Ianto got everything ready to open. When Tosh came in later, Gwen went backstage with her to help her pick out an outfit for the night’s performance. Rhys and Ianto chatted idly, and then Ianto ran a new list of songs by Rhys that he wanted to sing that night. Rhys wasn’t much help, but Ianto didn’t care. He was glad to have his friend around again.

Later, Ianto was the only one behind the bar. He’d been bartending alone during Owen’s absence, Martha and Annie helping with the slack when he was on stage with Tosh, and one night even Jack tended bar. Currently, Jack was sitting in a booth with the Doctor, Rose, Rhys, and Gwen. Gwen and Rose were chatting happily; Ianto smiled.

Half-way through the night, Jack came over to the bar, the Doctor behind him. “I need you to come with me,” he said, leaning on the counter.

“Where?”

“The Doctor found a contact with some information,” Jack said, looking at Ianto pointedly. “I want you to come along as protection.”

Ianto flicked his eyes over to the Doctor, his back to them and facing the crowd, then back to Jack. “Protection? Does he say it’s okay?” Ianto murmured quietly.

“I say,” Jack said, pushing himself off the bar. “Now get your ass moving.”

“I’ve got to find someone to cover me.”

“Meet us out back.”

Jack and the Doctor left while Ianto went and found Martha on the dance floor. “I need you to take over at the bar,” he said after pulling her aside. “I’ve got to go somewhere with Jack.”

“You should really start paying me,” Martha said with her arms crossed.

Ianto kissed her head. “You’re the best. I love you, you know that?”

She pushed him away. “Yeah, yeah. Go, do your important stuff.”

Ianto made his way through the crowd and into Tosh’s dressing room, then up through the secret passage and out the back door. Jack and the Doctor were waiting for him in the Doctor’s car.

They drove to the Bowery district. As the Doctor parked on an empty, littered side street, Ianto wondered what they were doing there. Men were walking around aimlessly, some of them obviously drunk. Ianto put his hand on his gun, just to be safe.

The Doctor led them into the basement of a warehouse. Ianto could hear the swell of voices and cheers as they neared a door. A guard let them through, and Ianto was dumbfounded by the size of the crowd. There were hundreds of people crammed inside, all watching two guys beat each other. From what Ianto could see, they were both bleeding profusely from their faces.

They pushed into the crowd, finding three seats in a back row. Something happened down in the ring, and the crowd surged to their feet, cheering loudly. Jack waved over a man prowling through the aisles. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple hundred dollars.

“Two hundred on the underdog of the next fight.” He turned to Ianto. “Wanna make a bet?”

Ianto shrugged and pulled out a hundred. “Same as him.”

“Are you two sure? Janet’s undefeated. The other bastard ain’t got a chance.”

Jack smiled. “Let’s just say I like the odds against me.”

The guy shrugged and wrote down the bet in a small book. “It’s your money, boss.” He walked away and Jack turned his attention back to the match as one of the men knocked the other man to his back. There were no referees, so the man just kept pounding on the downed fighter until he was satisfied. When he stood back up, his fist was covered in blood.

“This is disgraceful,” Ianto muttered.

“It’s probably fairer than legitimate boxing matches. Less people on the take,” Jack said.

Ianto huffed as another man joined them on the other side of the Doctor. While Jack and the Doctor talked, Ianto watched them drag the loser from the ring, now unconscious, and then mop up the left over blood. A few minutes passed as they set up the next match while the audience chatted restlessly. Ianto glanced around, surprised at the mix of people. It wasn’t just ruffians or low-lifes from the streets; there were businessmen and ladies, even young kids. He shook his head in disgust at the whole thing. He couldn’t fathom why men would want to waste their lives so, would voluntarily turn to violence.

Suddenly, the crowd was on their feet. The next match was about to begin. Jack, the Doctor, and the other man were huddled together talking, but Ianto stood so he could get a better view.

“Our next champion is undefeated!” the announcer said. “But his opponent is a loose cannon and unpredictable, so ladies and gentleman, anything can happen. The match of Janet versus Harper begins now.”

A bell rang out and the crowd shouted as Janet walked into the ring. He was a large man with an extremely ugly face, a big mouth and large teeth. He almost didn’t look human. Then his opponent walked out. Short, compact, dark hair…

Ianto rubbed his eyes and strained to get a better glimpse. Janet versus…fuck.

“Jack.” Ianto gripped Jack’s shoulder without taking his eyes off the ring, panic rising in his throat. Janet rushed at Owen, punching him in the stomach. Ianto flinched.

“Not now, Ianto,” Jack said, pushing his hand off his shoulder. Owen swung at Janet, but he ducked.

“For fuck’s sake, Jack, look!” Ianto glanced at him urgently and pointed to the ring. Jack stood up quickly. “It’s Owen.”

“What the fuck?” Jack exclaimed. Owen’s fist finally connected with Janet’s face, and the crowd cheered. “What is he doing in there?”

“What’s going on, Jack?” the Doctor asked.

“Owen’s in the fucking ring!”

“Then he’s a dead man,” the other man said. “Janet has killed four people this year already. He’s a ruthless fighter.”

Nausea crept on Ianto as he watched the fight. Owen got in a few good licks, then was pushed onto his back. Janet went to stomp on him, but Owen rolled away just in time and knocked Janet to his knees.

“We’ve got to do something,” Jack said, motioning for Ianto to start squeezing his way to the edge of the row.

“I’ll finish this,” the Doctor said, pointing between him and the other man. “Go take care of Owen.” Jack nodded and followed Ianto to the aisle. They rushed to the bottom, but were barred by two large security guards.

“You’ve got to let us through,” Jack said in a panic. He pointed past the men’s shoulders. “That’s our friend in there!”

“Don’t care,” the bodyguard replied. “Nobody gets through.”

Jack growled in frustration and stepped away. He paced the small space of the aisle and ran a hand through his hair. “You stay here and watch Owen. I’m going to go find someone to help me.”

“What should I do?” Ianto asked helplessly.

Jack shrugged. “Pray.” He rushed back up the aisle, coat billowing behind him as Ianto pressed into the nearest row. He dropped heavily to the seat and clutched onto the arm tightly. Owen and Janet were circling each other now, both a bit bloody, but not too bad. Now that Ianto was closer, he could see that Owen had the markings of old bruises, probably from previous fights. Why in the hell would Owen do something like this? If he got out of this alive, Ianto was going to beat the shit out of him.

Suddenly, Janet pounced forward, but Owen sidestepped him and elbowed him in the back of the neck. Janet fell to the floor and Owen stomped on his lower back, then he straddled his back and took Janet’s head and slammed it into the floor. The crowd exhaled a loud “ooh!” as Ianto tensed. Owen was brutal, driven by pure violence. It made Ianto sick.

Owen stood up and rolled Janet onto his back. Janet punched Owen in the nose, and he was stunned for a second, but not long enough for Janet to get up. Face now covered in blood, Owen held Janet by the shirt and started punching his face repeatedly. Ianto could almost hear the sound of his fist over the din of the crowd, Owen’s fist covered in more blood every time he pulled it back. Then, Owen stood up and walked away. By the way he bent forward to catch his breath, he thought the match was over. But Janet stood up on shaky legs and ran at Owen, tackling him face first into the floor.

Ianto stood to get a better view. His heart nearly stopped when he saw Owen lying there face down and not moving. This can’t be happening, he thought. They didn’t survive war and gunshots and everything else to die in a boxing ring in the fucking Bowery.

To Ianto’s relief, Owen moved, but with difficulty, and he jumped up from the floor and pounced on Janet. They fell backwards, and Owen knocked Janet’s head back against the floor repeatedly, a pool of blood beginning to gather underneath him. Then with a final violent shake, he knocked Janet’s head back with a sickening crack, and it fell to the side.

“Oh fuck,” Ianto murmured. He knew that look – the man was dead.

Someone stepped into the ring and lifted Owen’s arm above his head and declared him the winner. Owen’s face was covered in blood, and he limped out of the ring. But he was alive – that was all that mattered right now.

Ianto rushed back to where the Doctor was sitting, but Jack hadn’t rejoined them, so he ran to the back of the room. Jack ran towards him, followed by Andy.

“How’s Owen?” Jack asked, his face covered in fear and worry.

“He won,” Ianto said. Jack bent over and placed his hands on his legs, sighing in relief. “But there’s a problem.” Jack lifted his head. “I think Owen killed the other man.”

“WHAT?” Jack shouted. He turned to Andy. “You have to get me back there.”

“Yeah, okay. Follow me.” Andy led them around the crowd towards a door. The doorman nodded at Andy when he approached and opened the door. They stepped into a small locker room. Owen was seated on a bench on the other side of the room, facing away from them.

“Owen!” Jack called, running towards him. Owen turned around sharply, and Ianto gasped. Up close, he looked even worse. Ianto knew he was in pain, but this was…this was horrific. Owen’s face was bloody, his left eye black and swollen shut, his hands busted, blue, and covered in blood.

“Ah, fuck,” Owen muttered when he saw them. He glared at them.

Jack said, “You’re coming with me. Now.” Owen opened his mouth to reply, but when he saw Jack’s face full of fury, he just hung his head in submission.

Jack turned and led the way out. Owen reluctantly followed, limping the entire way. They didn’t speak the entire ride home. Ianto was glad; he wasn’t sure what would happen if either one of them said anything. He sat in the back of the Doctor’s car with Owen. He hadn’t had a chance to clean the blood and sweat from his body. From this close, Ianto could see all of the cuts, bruises, and abrasions covering Owen. He looked three steps away from death.

By the time they got to the Hub, it had closed for the night, but they found Gwen, Rhys, and Tosh sitting and drinking at the bar.

“Owen!” Tosh exclaimed when she saw him.

“What the?” Rhys asked.

“WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?” Jack shouted once they were inside. Everyone flinched; Jack was furious.

“Save it, Jack. I don’t really need – “ Owen started, but Jack cut him off.

“Like hell. You killed a man, Owen,” Jack seethed. Tosh made a small sound while Gwen and Rhys watched him open-mouthed. “Regardless of whether or not it was a fight or an accident, you still beat a man to death.”

“Oh, like you care,” Owen retorted. “You’ve killed plenty of men, even beat a few to death. What’s one more?”

“Owen, I know you’re upset about Diane, but you – “

“Don’t say her name,” Owen interrupted, voice dangerous. “Don’t you even fucking say her name, Jack Harkness. You don’t get to say her name. You finally show up one night and you decide to be our leader again?” Owen shook his head. “I don’t think so. Where were you when Diane was in trouble? Or when Eugene and Mary were murdered?”

“You’re walking on dangerous ground, Owen.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are, Jack? That you can just pop in any time you want and expect us to bow down and do your bidding. What makes you our leader? Who the fuck are you anyway? We know nothing about you, we know nothing about why our people are dying. All we know is that they’re dying for your bloody crusade, but none of us, not even Ianto, know what the fuck it is!”

“Owen, I think – “ Ianto started, but Owen turned on him.

“Don’t you fucking take up for him!” Owen screamed. “I’ve seen the way you’ve looked lately. We all have. You’re as fucking pissed off at Jack as the rest of us, but you’re too much of a pussy to tell him because you’re afraid he won’t fuck you and love you best anymore.”

“Owen!” Tosh exclaimed again.

“You can’t deny it. We’re all getting shot and killed and losing people because of you, Jack. So why don’t you get your head out of your fucking arse and be our fucking leader.”

“You don’t like how I lead, then you can get the fuck out.” Ianto’s eyes got wide as he stared at Jack. His jaw was rigid as he stood firmly before Owen. Owen just glared back. “You heard me,” Jack said, leaning closer. “Get the fuck out of my bar.”

“Jack, you don’t mean that,” Gwen said.

“I most certainly do.” Jack glanced at the rest of them. “And if any of the rest of you feel that way, you can leave with Owen.” Owen stared dumbly at Jack and didn’t move. “GET THE FUCK OUT!” Jack yelled.

Owen hastily got to his feet and moved towards the exit, glancing back over his shoulder. Tosh’s eyes were wet, and Gwen and Rhys stared after Owen helplessly. Ianto looked at Jack, but dared not say anything. Owen limped towards the door, then disappeared.

Without a word, Jack strode across the empty dance floor towards Tosh’s dressing room. Ianto hesitated, then went after him.

“Jack!”

Jack stopped at the door and turned around, glaring at Ianto. “Leave me the fuck alone,” Jack snapped. “Because I’m not sure what I’ll say, and I’m not sure I’ll mean it, so I advise you to get the fuck out of my face.” Jack disappeared through the door, leaving Ianto standing there feeling like someone had knocked the air from him.

“Ianto, what the fuck just happened?” Gwen yelled. Ianto relayed everything they’d seen at the boxing match to the others. Tosh was full out crying now, and Gwen just shook her head repeatedly. “What’s happening to us?” she whispered. “We’re falling apart.”

Ianto walked behind the bar and grabbed a glass. He poured a generous amount of alcohol in each of the tumblers, and then set the bottle down heavily before downing his in one gulp. It burned going down, but he poured himself another.

The outside door opened and Ianto aimed his gun, but it was just Owen.

“What are you doing?” Ianto asked, laying his gun on the counter. “Jack told you to leave.”

“What? You gonna shoot me now?” Owen asked, sitting beside Tosh and grabbing the bottle.

“Of course not.”

“Good.” Owen grabbed the gun and pointed it at Ianto. Ianto raised his hands, eyes going wide.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

“Owen!” Gwen and Tosh yelled. Rhys tried to get up, but he was still too injured.

“I’m not going to shoot him. I just need him to listen. I own half this place, so I have as much right as Jack to be here. Besides, I have an idea.” Owen sat down and looked at Gwen and Rhys, but kept the gun trained on Ianto. Ianto watched it, knew he could easily overtake Owen, but Owen was hyperalert. Every time Ianto made a move, Owen compensated for it.

“Jack owes us,” Owen said, “for what we’ve lost, what he’s taken from us.”

“He’s given you everything,” Ianto shouted. Owen glared at him and pointed the gun closer.

“What has he given you, Ianto? He just fucks you, and the moment the Doctor shows up, he leaves you.”

“Jack needs me,” Ianto said. “He loves me.”

“And he’ll leave you and ruin your life, just like he has everyone else’s.” Owen turned to Gwen and Rhys. “Look at what he’s done to you. Gwen, you were tied up and left for dead. Rhys has been shot twice and almost died, and for what? Because of Jack.”

“No,” Rhys said, shaking his head. “It’s not like that.”

“Yes, it is,” Gwen said slowly, standing up and looking at Rhys. “It’s always you getting hurt,” she said, her voice cracking. “And for what? A case of hooch? A few clams?” She shook her head, eyes brimming with tears. “No, Owen’s right. Jack can’t just use us like we’re disposable.”

“So, this is how it is.” Everyone glanced at the back of the room where Jack was standing in the shadows, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “You too, Gwen?” He stepped forward slowly. Ianto thought about making a move to get his gun, but Owen swung the gun towards Jack before he had a chance and Ianto couldn’t risk Jack getting shot. “So, you’re a united front now?”

“Jack, things have got to change,” Owen said, limping towards him, gun still pointed. “We can’t keep losing everything because of you! It’s all your fault!” he shouted, moving closer.

“So what’s your plan?” Jack replied icily. “What do you suggest we do?”

“Kill the Master like you should have done a long time ago. Like a real leader would have done.”

Jack sneered. “You want to be in charge, Owen? You’ve got to have significantly bigger balls.”

Owen pulled back the hammer on the pistol. Ianto felt his whole entire world stop. Everything slowed as he tried to figure out how to get the gun from Owen without him shooting Jack.

“Come on then,” Jack said, spreading his arms. “Prove yourself. Shoot me.”

To everyone’s surprise, Owen pulled the trigger. Ianto felt his world shatter with that one shot, and he rushed around the bar to find Jack, still standing. Tosh had moved towards Owen at the same time he pulled the trigger, pushing him just enough that the bullet caught Jack’s arm. Jack was holding his arm, and Ianto just stood there, relieved and unsure what to do.

Tosh stepped in front of Owen, placing herself directly in front of the gun. “Owen, listen to me,” she said. Owen seemed to snap out of his daze and look at the gun, then Tosh. “You’re just hurting, and you’re confused.” She reached out with a shaking hand towards the gun. “Give me the gun, Owen. I know Jack is your friend. You don’t want to kill him.”

“But Diane,” Owen said, his voice cracking.

Tosh nodded, tears rolling down her face as she slowly moved towards Owen. “I know. She’s gone.”

“She’s gone, Tosh. She’s gone.” Owen hung his head and Tosh quickly grabbed the gun. She handed it to Ianto before wrapping her arms around Owen, who buried his face into her shoulder. Jack rushed past them towards Gwen and Rhys.

“Do you need a lift home?” he asked Gwen and Rhys.

“Your arm,” Rhys said. Ianto still couldn’t quite speak.

“It’s fine.”

“Oh, Jack,” Gwen said through her sobs.

Jack shook his head and wrapped his arms around her. “Ssh,” he said as he stroked her hair. “Don’t worry about it.”

“But I – “

“I understand.” He kissed her hair gently, then pulled away to look at her face. “We’ll talk about it later if you want, but now, I want you to go home and get some rest. And don’t worry.” He kissed her again and then clapped Rhys on the shoulder.

Jack then walked towards the secret passage, leaving Owen and Tosh in the middle of the floor without a glance. Ianto followed.

“What about Owen?” Ianto finally asked.

“What about him?”

“Um…what do I do if he shows up tomorrow?”

“If he doesn’t show up for work like usual, go to his apartment and threaten to shoot him.”

*

Ianto patched up Jack’s arm with shaking hands. The bullet cut a deep gash on his arm, but not enough for Jack to get upset about. He didn’t even want stitches; Ianto just cleaned it and wrapped gauze around it. Just like the last time.

Jack didn’t say anything as Ianto worked. He stared at the far wall, his eyes a thousand miles away. Ianto wasn’t sure what to do, so he waited for a signal from Jack.

After Ianto finished taping up the gauze, Jack immediately pulled off his clothes and crawled between the sheets without a word. When Ianto got into the bed, Jack’s back was towards him and he didn’t move. Ianto wanted to reach out and touch Jack, feel the heat of his skin beneath his palm. He wanted to crawl inside Jack and erase the moment when he’d thought Owen had actually shot him, erase that split second when he thought Jack was dead and his world had ended.

But instead, he rolled away from Jack and tried to fall asleep.

*

The Doctor found the information he needed from the contact at the boxing match, so the next night Jack and Ianto accompanied him to a restaurant in Irish territory. According to the contact, one of the Master’s men lived in a brownstone. The Doctor parked in front of it and remained behind the wheel while Ianto and Jack went to the door.

Jack didn’t wait; he pulled out his gun and kicked in the door. Ianto provided back up while Jack ran over to the man, sitting alone at a table, and punched him in the face before placing a cloth bag over his face and punching him again. Now knocked out, Ianto swept the area while Jack dragged the body into the car. As soon as they were inside, the Doctor drove off.

They ended up in an abandoned warehouse near the river. Ianto tied the hooded man to a chair, and then Jack removed the hood and threw a bucket of water on his face. He came to with a gasp.

“Where is he?” the Doctor asked. “Where’s the Master?” The man remained silent. “We can do this the hard way or the easy way.” Still nothing. The Doctor pointed to Jack. “If you don’t cooperate, I’m going to turn you over to my man here, and believe me, you don’t want to be on his bad side. See, he’s had a really bad week, and I do believe that he will take it out on you.” The man spat at the Doctor’s feet in response. “I warned you.” With that, the Doctor left the room, leaving the man alone with Jack and Ianto.

Jack didn’t ask any questions. He just started punching the man’s face. When that didn’t loosen his tongue, he slipped on a pair of brass knuckles and hit him a few more times. The man’s face was bloody and grotesquely swollen, Jack’s hand covered in blood.

“Where is he?” Jack asked. “Tell me, you worthless piece of shit.” The man spat a wad of blood on Jack’s shirt. That just pissed him off. He pulled a knife from his belt and started slowly carving into the man. He remained stoic for awhile, but Jack soon lost patience and began cutting deeper. The man started howling in pain.

“You will tell me where to find him!” Jack yelled as he cut a gash in the man’s chest. “He will pay for what he did to my people. I will find him and I will slaughter him like the animal he is.” Jack stuck his thumb into one of the cuts on the man’s arm, which made him scream in pain. “So, really, it’s not you that I want. Why don’t you do yourself a favor and tell me what I want to know?”

“He will kill you before you ever touch him,” the man said, laughing through a mouthful of blood. “But after he breaks you and makes you beg him to stop.” Jack punched him again.

Outside the door, they heard a commotion. Ianto pulled his gun and jogged over to the door. The man laughed. “It’s him. The Master has found you. He’s come for me.”

The Doctor opened the door and ran in. “His men.” He glanced at the captive, tied and bleeding. “Come on.”

Ianto followed the Doctor further into the warehouse. Behind him, he heard a loud gunshot. He spun around to see Jack lowering the gun, the man in the chair slumped over. Jack ran after them as five men entered the warehouse and started shooting at them.

Ducking behind a large crate, Ianto started firing at the men. When he chanced a glance over the edge, he saw they had dispersed. Then, someone came up behind him, catching him off guard, and knocked his gun to the ground. Ianto jumped at the man and tried to wrestle his gun away, and the man fired off a shot towards the ceiling. Finally, Ianto knocked the gun from the other man. He heard gunshots elsewhere in the warehouse, but he couldn’t worry about that now.

The man lunged at him, and they started fighting. The man punched and jabbed at him, and it took Ianto quite awhile to gain the upper hand. The man pulled out a knife and shoved it into Ianto’s ribs before Ianto saw it. Ianto felt a flare of pain, but he ignored it as he continued fighting the man. Finally, he managed to knock the man out. He inhaled deeply and felt a sharp pain. He reached down and quickly pulled out the knife, covered in his blood to the hilt, and dropped it to the floor. When he reached down to touch the wound, his fingers came back soaked.

He called out, but his voice was weak and the pain was so bad he could barely see. He pressed his hand to his side, which was bleeding profusely now, and began looking for Jack. After walking a short ways, he fell to his knees in pain. The stab must have been larger and deeper than he originally thought. He’d been stabbed on the battlefield, but it felt nothing like this.

He attempted to get to his feet, but fell back again. So he lay there, waiting. He hoped Jack or the Doctor were still alive and would find him. He heard more gunshots, which was good because that meant they were still fighting. But it was growing increasingly difficult to focus on anything but the pain, and his eyes were getting heavy. He’d close them, just for a moment.

“Ianto! Oh no. IANTO!” Jack screamed, shaking him. Ianto opened his eyes.

“Jack, you’re okay.” He reached out and patted Jack’s arm lightly.

“Are you okay? What happened? Oh god.”

Ianto shook his head. “Nothing. I’m fine.” He was fine now. Jack was there. Jack would take care of him; Jack always took care of him.

“Jack, what happened to him?” the Doctor asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Stabbed,” Ianto said quietly as he moved his hand. Jack gasped as he surveyed the wound. Ianto didn’t like that look on Jack’s face, so he closed his eyes. He didn’t want to see Jack look worried.

“He’s lost so much blood,” Jack muttered.

“Jack, get him to Owen.”

“But, the bodies – “

“Now, Jack. I’ll clean up. Take care of Ianto.”

“We’re leaving?” Ianto asked. He tried to push himself to his feet, but the pain was so severe that he yelled.

“Ianto, stop,” Jack said, worried.

“I’m sorry,” Ianto said, looking at Jack sadly. “I didn’t know he had a knife.”

“Ssh,” Jack said. “Don’t worry about that.”

“I’m not worried,” Ianto said, eyes fluttering shut. “You’re here.”

“Come on, love,” Jack murmured. He slid his hands underneath Ianto’s body and carried him from the warehouse. Ianto’s head bobbed slightly as Jack walked, and it made the world go even fuzzier than it already was. “Stay with me, Ianto,” Jack said quietly. “Please don’t leave me.”

Carefully, Jack set Ianto in the passenger seat and then got in the other side. “Talk to me, Ianto,” Jack grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“Why?” Ianto said, eyes still closed. “I’m tired.”

“Don’t go to sleep.”

Ianto groaned. “It hurts, Jack. Don’t let them get me.”

“Who?”

“The Germans. They’re attacking the trench. The captain’s already dead, and Bagley was shot in the head. I left him in the mud.” Chaos surrounded him. He heard and saw the flash of gunfire overhead. Bagley had been behind him, but he’d fallen. He heard the sound of German up ahead, and he braced himself.

“Ianto, the war is over. You’re not in a trench. You’re in a car with me, Jack.”

“I’m out of bullets. I robbed a dead jerry of his gun, but he was out, too.” Ianto shifted and choked out a sob. “I don’t want to die.” He sat in the mud, looking helplessly at his empty, worthless gun. His hands shook so bad he could heard the clinking of metal against metal.

“You’re not going to die, Ianto.” Jack ran a hand over Ianto’s hair. “Not if I can help it.”

“They’ve broken through the wire. I hear their guns and the screams.” He was alone, no back up, no weapon. He didn’t know how he was going to get through this. He wanted to make it through the war, wanted to get back to Jack at the base.

“Ianto!” Jack yelled. “Open your eyes.”

Ianto’s eyes flew open. “Give Jack my dog tags if I die. Don’t let them bury me with them.” He clutched his dog tags in one hand, his empty rifle in the other. He thought of Jack, the mud and the stench of death surrounding him.

“Ianto, look at me,” Jack pleaded.

“I stabbed all of them, captain,” Ianto said. “They just kept coming, but I killed them all. Seventeen dead jerries, but they got me, cap. Stabbed me, too. But I wouldn’t let them take the bodies. Bagley and Peters and Lowell and the others.” The knife he found on the dead jerry was in his hand, covered with the blood of multiple men. He didn’t think of anything as they attacked, just focused on staying alive and protecting the bodies of his unit.

Jack stopped the car behind the theater and then rushed around to gingerly get Ianto out of the car. He kissed him lightly as he walked towards the door.

“Ianto, we’re home. I’m going to get Owen, and you’re going to be fine.”

“Jack? Where am I?” Ianto looked around, confused. He was on the battlefield, but Jack was here, and he’d fought everyone off. “That German bastard stabbed me, Jack.”

“No, Ianto, that happened years ago,” Jack said as he struggled to get the door open. “You were stabbed in a warehouse.”

“I love you, Jack,” Ianto said. “Do you know that?”

“I do,” Jack said, hurrying up the stairs to the second floor. “I love you, too. Do you know that?”

“Sometimes.”

“All the time,” Jack said. “I love you all the time.”

“The Doctor was right,” Ianto murmured. “I’m a liability.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I overheard you talking,” Ianto muttered. He felt Jack shift him in his arms and open a door. “He said I couldn’t help you with the Master.”

“You heard that?” Jack laid Ianto gently on the bed and brushed his damp hair from his forehead. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get Owen. Ianto,” Jack yelled, and Ianto opened his eyes. “Ianto! You must stay awake.”

“But I’m tired.”

“For me? Please?”

Ianto nodded. “Okay. For you.”

Jack rushed out, leaving Ianto alone. He wasn’t sure what was happening. His brain was mixed up between being in the apartment and lying in a trench; he heard a car outside and thought it was the whistle of a bomb. And he was tired, so tired. His side hurt so badly, and his head was swimming. The room was spinning, and he just wanted to sleep. He let his eyes drift shut.

“Ianto!” Jack yelled. Ianto’s eyes flew open, and Jack and Owen were staring down at him.

“Jack, this is bad,” Owen muttered as Jack removed Ianto’s shirt and vest. “He’s lost a lot of blood.”

“Please, Owen,” Jack said, eyes damp. “Please save him.”

Owen pulled a small bottle and syringe out of his bag. “Ianto, I’m going to let you sleep for awhile, okay?”

“Owen, you’re nice. Jack’s not; he wouldn’t let me sleep.” Ianto felt a small prick, and then he finally succumbed to sleep.

*

The sound of artillery fire could be heard even outside the hospital. The bombs were getting closer, but when Ianto opened his eyes, Jack was staring down at him, and it wasn’t bombs. It was the sound of ten thousand footsteps as the Master’s men marched on the hospital.

“Jack, run,” Ianto muttered.

“Ianto, it’s okay. Ssh, I’m here.”

“No, run, please,” Ianto begged as the men surrounded the hospital.

They entered the hospital, led by Owen. He lifted his gun, aimed, and shot Jack in the head, splattering blood and bone all over Ianto. Ianto screamed, screamed so loudly the men covered their ears, and then the Master came up and punched him.

When Ianto came to, he’d had his torso blown off to match his back, and Jack’s dead, decomposing body was still weighing heavily in his lap.

*

Ianto awoke with a start. Immediately, he patted his chest and looked down. Everything was still intact. The only thing that was different was the bandage on his right side. He touched it gingerly; the wound was still extremely sore.

“Don’t mess with it.”

Ianto flicked his eyes to where Jack was sitting in chair beside the bed, reading. He snapped the book shut.

“I’m having a sense of déjà vu. Me lying in this bed, waking up from an attack, you in a chair reading.”

“Yes, we do have to stop meeting like this, don’t we?” Jack smiled as he carefully sat on the edge of the bed. He leaned down and kissed Ianto’s head. “How are you feeling?”

“Groggy.” He rubbed his eyes. “Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

Jack shook his head. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.” He trailed his fingers over Ianto’s forehead and cheek, along under his chin to his neck, across his chest. Ianto’s eyes fluttered shut and he smiled contently. “You’re very lucky. Owen said if it would have been just a centimeter either way, it would have punctured something and you would have died.”

“Owen? I thought you two – “

“You are more important than any rift. We still haven’t talked, though; I haven’t left your side.”

Ianto opened his eyes. “I’m fine. I know you have work to do, like finding the Master.”

Jack took Ianto’s hand. “Everything will wait.” Jack’s other hand fluttered around the bandages. “Owen had to do surgery on you. There was some internal bleeding; the knife nicked something inside, I don’t remember what, but he fixed it. You’ll be good as new soon.”

“Good.” Ianto squeezed Jack’s hand, but it wasn’t very hard. He still didn’t have a lot of strength.

“Do you need anything? Morphine or laudanum?”

“Explains the groggy.” Ianto chuckled softly. “Just sleepy.”

“Go back to sleep, my love,” Jack said, kissing Ianto’s head again. Ianto held on tightly to Jack’s hand and drifted off.

*

When he awoke again, he finally felt normal. Carefully, he stretched, but couldn’t extend his arms much because it made his side hurt. Dropping his head to the side, he saw Jack was still in the same chair beside the bed, but he was asleep. An open book had fallen flat against his chest.

Ianto struggled to push himself into a sitting position. Just that little bit of exertion winded him. He studied Jack closely. He was sleeping soundly, breathing in the slow, measured way Ianto knew meant he had been out for awhile. His clothes were wrinkled and looked like he’d been wearing them for a few days. Ianto tried to figure out what day it was, but couldn’t; the night in the warehouse seemed like yesterday. Deep lines were etched into Jack’s face, making him look years older and weary. Even in his sleep, Jack looked worried.

Ianto managed to get to his feet, and he brushed Jack’s messy hair off his forehead with his fingers before leaning down and placing a kiss there. He stood and looked down at Jack sleeping for a few moments, thinking about him sleeping uncomfortably by his bedside for days, and smiled.

Although still a bit weak, Ianto could walk with difficulty. As he crossed towards the bathroom, he noticed it hurt a bit to breathe.

He moved slowly, more slowly than he liked. In front of the bathroom mirror, he stared at his reflection. His face was paler than usual, and there was a faint bruise across his cheek and his lip was healing from a split. There were other abrasions across his body, but they were minor.

Slowly, Ianto removed the bandages wrapped around his torso, finally revealing his wound. At the sight of it, he felt lightheaded and had to steady himself on the sink. It was much longer than he expected, running from the middle of his chest around his side. He fingered it lightly, touching the dark threads that held the enflamed, angry flesh together.

He had a flash of being helpless in the hospital in France. The bandages, the antiseptic, the feeble attempts to sew bits of him back together like a ragdoll. He thought of the months lying in the hospital bed, men festering and dying around him, remembered the sounds of their screams at night, remembered the pain that was so severe he wished he was dead.

“Ianto?” Jack stepped into the bathroom. Ianto was gripping the side of the sink with white knuckles. “What are you doing out of bed? Are you okay? You’re so pale.”

“After the explosion, they tried to sew me back together, but there was nothing left,” Ianto said, staring at the white porcelain. His arms were shaking slightly. “I heard screams every night, heard the saws when they amputated. I was in pain so bad that I begged a nurse to kill me. I told her it would be a mercy killing.” Jack came up behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “When Adam beat me, it didn’t bring it back so fiercely. I don’t know why it’s happening now. I keep hearing the sounds of the hospital around me.” Jack gently slid his arms around Ianto’s waist and kissed his shoulder. “It’s worse than I thought,” Ianto said, staring down at it again. “I look like Frankenstein’s monster.”

“Don’t be absurd,” Jack responded. He tugged Ianto’s hand away. “Don’t mess with it, it’ll get infected.”

Ianto stared at it in the mirror, his stomach turning more and more with each passing second. “Just one more ugly scar to mar me. I’m hideous.”

“Ianto.” Jack grabbed his hand and spun him around in his arms, away from the mirror. “You’re not hideous. Besides, I’d rather have you covered in scars than dead.” Jack led Ianto back to the bed, and resettled, Ianto fell asleep to the sound of Jack talking.

*

“You have a letter,” Jack said. Ianto was still on bed rest, his body still in pain. Ianto took it curiously and saw it had been forwarded from his apartment. He also noticed the stamps, which caused his heart to leap into his throat. “What is it?”

“It’s from home.”

“Really?” Jack sat beside him on the bed. “That’s good. Isn’t it?”

Ianto shrugged. “I haven’t heard from them in years. Not since my sister had her second child.” Jack watched him closely as he opened the letter and read it.

When he finished, he lowered the letter with shaking hands, and then folded it and shoved it in his bedside drawer.

“What?” Jack asked. “Is everything okay?”

“My mother’s sick. Rhiannon asked me to come home.”

Jack covered Ianto’s hand with his own. “You should go to her. Be with your mother and sister.”

“I’m on bed rest.”

“Afterwards.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Why?”

“I just don’t!” Ianto exclaimed.

Jack looked taken aback, but said, “Ianto, she’s your mother.”

“I’m not going, and that’s final.” Ianto rolled onto his side, away from Jack.

“Maybe you’ll change your mind after a few days,” Jack said.

Ianto didn’t answer, but he knew that would never happen.

*

Ianto had been in bed for over a week, and he was going stir crazy.

“I want to go back to work,” he told Jack one day. The only positive thing about being bedridden (doctor’s orders, Owen had made sure of that) was that Jack had rarely left his side. He’d joked that if he’d known that’s what it’d take for them to spend more time together, he’d have gotten stabbed much sooner. Jack, however, did not find it amusing.

“Absolutely not.” Jack laid the book he was reading in his lap and glanced over at Ianto.

“I’m bored, Jack. And I’m feeling much better.”

“Can’t you just enjoy spending time with me and relaxing?”

“You know that’s not it. I want to get out of this bed, move around, do something.”

Jack closed his book and set it on the side table. He stood up and walked around to Ianto’s side of the bed, holding out his hand. Ianto took it tentatively. Jack led him to the center of the room, then left him standing there.

“You want to move around? I have the perfect solution.” Jack put a record on the victrola, and as the slight scratch of the needle sounded before the first notes, he held out his hand. “Dance with me.” Ianto looked at Jack in surprise when the first bars of Let Me Call You Sweetheart floated in the air.

“You’re such a romantic,” Ianto teased as he took Jack’s hand.

“You think I don’t remember the things we do,” Jack said as he carefully pulled Ianto to him, “but I remember everything. I haven’t forgotten a single moment I’ve spent with you.” Ianto carefully wrapped his arms around Jack’s waist, Jack’s fingers hooked behind Ianto’s head. He played absently with Ianto’s short hair.

They swayed slowly. Ianto couldn’t move fast, but it didn’t matter. They made small steps side to side, their bodies pressed close together. Jack rubbed his face against Ianto’s, then dragged his nose along his cheek.

“I’m not hurting you, am I?” Jack asked. “Let me know if I’m too close.”

“You’re fine,” Ianto replied, urging Jack a bit closer with his hands. “I’m sorry I can’t do more than this. None of our usual fancy moves, I’m afraid.”

“I’ll have to find another Charleston partner then,” Jack said with a smile.

“Damn.”

“This is perfect. Being close to you, having you in my arms, that’s all I need.” Jack looked at him with such open adoration and love that Ianto couldn’t do anything but lean forward and kiss him. Jack’s arms around his neck grew tighter as they kissed, Jack’s mouth soft and gentle against his own. Ianto pulled away and began dropping slow kisses across Jack’s face – against his cheek, forehead, chin, neck. Jack’s skin was warm beneath his lips, the prickle of stubble tickling him. He kissed Jack’s ear, then gently pulled the lobe between his teeth. Jack’s soft puffs against his neck sent chills through him. He leaned his head against Jack’s and sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Jack asked, pulling back and looking at Ianto with concern. “Do you need to stop?”

“No. I want to keep dancing,” Ianto said, shaking his head, “I want to keep dancing with you forever.”

*

Ianto decided to go down to the Hub the next evening. He had been cooped up in the room for almost a week and needed to stretch his legs. Plus, Jack had disappeared – probably on some Doctor business – and Ianto wanted to see his friends. When he saw Rhys at the door, he approached him with a smile.

“Good to see you up and about,” Rhys said, patting him gently on the back.

“You, too.” Ianto pointed to his arm. “No longer in the sling, I see.”

“Getting there,” Rhys said, moving his arm slowly. “With you out of commission too, Gwen and I decided to come back. I can sit and watch the door without issue. Someone else will have to break up any fights.” Rhys grinned, then nodded at Ianto. “How you doing?”

“Better. Still hurts and I can’t move around as much, but I’m okay.”

Gwen was hidden among the crowd and Tosh was on stage being backed by one of the other piano players, so Ianto took a seat at the far end of the bar. Owen came over to him when finished with his customers.

“Jones, you look like shit,” he said.

Ianto laughed. “You look worse than I do.” It was true. Although Owen had healed a bit over the last week, his face still had remnants of abrasions and faint, yellowing bruises. Ianto glanced at Rhys. “We’re a sad lot, me, you, and Rhys. We’re falling apart.” It was a joke, but it left a bad taste in Ianto’s mouth.

“How’re the stitches?”

“Itchy.”

“Good. You’re healing.”

“How are you doing?” Owen glared at him. “Glare all you want, but you can talk to me, you know.”

“Fuck you, Jones.”

Ianto rolled his eyes. Owen turned away and ignored him as he waited on more customers. When Martha came and found him, she said, “Bumming it now, are we?”

“What?” Ianto looked down at his clothes. He was wearing his usual trousers and button up, but no vest, tie, or jacket.

“You’re usually so impeccably dressed.”

“It hurts to have all that on; plus, it’s hard to dress myself alone. It hurts to move.”

She pecked him on the cheek and went to the dance floor. It was nice to be back in the hustle and bustle of the Hub, even if he was nothing but a quiet observer. The music was loud and entertaining, and the energy from the dancers and people drinking around him helped shake some of the lethargy he’d felt.

“Have you talked to Jack yet?” Ianto asked when there was a lull at the bar. Owen glared at him again. “I take that as a no.”

“Why are you so goddamn nosy all of a sudden?” Owen asked. “Usually you’re maddeningly quiet and aloof. Where is that Ianto?”

“He’s out cage fighting for fun. Oh wait, that’s you with the death wish.”

“I don’t have a death wish,” Owen muttered.

“Could have fooled me.”

“I was blowing off steam,” he muttered.

“There are healthier ways to do that, you know,” Ianto replied. Then more gently, he added, “Look, I get whatever it was that you were doing. Just be careful. There are a few people who may give a damn if you suddenly die.” Then more lightly he said, “I can’t think of any right now, but there has to be someone.”

Owen tried to look mad, but Ianto saw the beginnings of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

*

Ianto waited up for Jack until he fell asleep sitting up. When he awoke the next morning, Jack still hadn’t returned.

And he didn’t return the next night. Or the one after that. Or the one after that.

*

When Jack had been gone four days, Ianto called Rose. But she just laughed and told him, “The Doctor does this all the time. He disappears and then returns perfectly fine.”

He wanted to scream at her. He wanted to shake her and explain that was the difference between Jack and the Doctor. Jack would never disappear for days without telling him. Jack was considerate. Jack told him almost everything. Jack would have at least left a note.

*

When Jack had been gone five days, Ianto finally confided in the others that he was worried.

“Maybe he and the Doctor got a lead,” Rhys suggested, and Ianto didn’t miss the worried look he and Gwen shared. They knew it as well as he did; something was wrong.

Ianto and Owen spent the day combing New York, contacting everyone they could think of for information, but no one knew anything. Ianto was starting to fear that the Master had kidnapped them, was convinced of it. “That’s not possible,” Johnny told him when he and Owen visited the brothel, “If the Master had Jack and the Doctor, you would know it.”

Ianto was certain the Master had something to do with this, but maybe Johnny was right. Eugene and Mary had been left on the doorstep where they were sure to be found. The drive-bys, the deaths of all Jack and the Doctor’s people he’d killed in the past had been obvious. But somewhere in the back of his mind, Ianto still believed that’s where Jack was.

*

When Jack had been gone six days, Ianto began to panic. Maybe the panic was premature, but he didn’t care. Something had happened, and it was driving Ianto crazy being unable to figure it out.

It wasn’t just that Ianto missed him; Jack had left work that needed to be done. Ianto didn’t realize that he’d missed a property deal Jack had been working on for weeks until he’d gotten a phone call from one of the owners. There had also been a liquor shipment that they’d have never gotten if the boat captain had not been so fond of Jack and sent Ianto a message. Ianto and Owen had to go pick up the shipment in the middle of the night. And there were other, smaller business dealings Jack had left unattended, which Ianto had to sort out so Jack would not only retain his money, but his reputation as well.

So, there was no way that this was just Jack going away on business with the Doctor.

While curled into a chair on the balcony, Ianto stared down into the darkening street while his mind conjured all sorts of images of what could be happening to Jack. He’d seen torture in the war, and his mind replayed each scene in stark detail

The thoughts gripped Ianto so violently that he ended up throwing up his dinner, and then lying alone on the bathroom floor in a cold sweat.

*

When Jack had been gone a week, Ianto finally realized the truth.

After everything, Jack had finally left him.

 

*

When Jack had been gone over a week, Ianto heard the knock on the door, but he ignored it. He hadn’t left the apartment in two days, and he wasn’t planning on moving anytime soon.

It was probably Gwen. When he didn’t show up for work two nights ago, she came up to find him. He told her he didn’t feel well; she looked like she didn’t believe him, but she didn’t pry. He didn’t give her much time, anyway; he shut the door in her face before she could say anything.

The knock sounded again. When he heard the door open and the soft click of heels on the floor, he didn’t even roll over.

“Ianto?” Tosh asked uncertainly. “I brought you some dinner.”

“Not hungry,” Ianto muttered.

She set the container on the table and sat on the other side of the bed. Ianto glanced over his shoulder when she shifted to make herself more comfortable.

“What are you doing?”

“Well, I’m not going to stand.” She pulled her knees up to unbuckle her shoes.

“Go away, Tosh,” he sighed as she placed her shoes on the floor.

“Jack loves you,” she said, looking at him sadly.

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He turned away from her.

“You need to!” she exclaimed. It surprised him so much he rolled onto his back. “This isn’t healthy, Ianto. You can’t hide away forever.”

“I don’t care about what is healthy. I only care about – “ He stopped, his voice breaking. He took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead.

“That’s good,” Tosh said. Ianto looked at her sharply. “You need to get it out. Talk to me.”

Ianto didn’t say anything. Instead, he switched sides and curled up against her, resting his head in her lap. She didn’t press any further and combed her fingers soothingly through his hair.

He didn’t want to talk. What would he say? Everything he thought about saying made Ianto want to die.

He didn’t realize he was sobbing until Tosh wrapped her arms around him and started murmuring against his hair. He’d lost way too much in his life for this to happen. Lisa and his father and his back and his family and his youth and even his sanity. There was no way that he could lose Jack, too.

*

When Ianto returned to work the next night, no one quite knew how to act around him. They looked at him with concern and pity in their eyes, and he wanted to dig them out of their sockets. He didn’t want anyone to look at him; he wanted everyone to leave him the fuck alone.

He’d steeled his mind against everything. Somehow, Tosh believed he needed to keep going on day after day, but for the life of him he couldn’t understand why. The last thing he wanted to do was return to the dark place he’d inhabited before he came to the speakeasy.

Serving drinks and playing the piano did little to distract him. He refused to sing, much to Tosh’s chagrin. He had barely spoken in days, and there was no way he was going to get up and sing for these insipid patrons. He hated them and their laughter and their joy. It took everything he had not to pull out his gun and shoot them all just to make them shut up.

“Here,” Owen said near closing time as he slid a bottle of whiskey towards him, “Now you know why I climbed into that cage night after night.”

Ianto didn’t touch the bottle; it just reminded him of Jack.

“Buddy, you gotta go,” Rhys said, nudging a guy who had passed out by the door.

“Just leave him,” Owen said. “We can throw him out as we’re leaving. If he gets stepped on, oh well.”

The Hub was almost empty now, thankfully. One last couple was dancing happily on the dance floor, and two guys were finishing their drinks in a booth. Ianto welcomed the quiet, and was on his way to say goodnight to Gwen when he heard a commotion by the door. He glanced over his shoulder right as the drunk bum on the floor pulled a gun on Rhys.

But he wasn’t the only one. The men in the booth and the dancing couple also pulled out guns and aimed them around the room. Ianto didn’t think; he reacted. Ianto leapt for Gwen, tackling her to the ground as one of the men fired a shot. He wasn’t sure who, but he pulled out his gun and fired two shots towards the nearest people, the dancing couple.

Chaos erupted. Shots were ringing out all around the room. Two additional men appeared from the poker room, which made seven of them. A bullet grazed Ianto’s arm as he just made it into Tosh’s dressing room.

“What’s going on?” Tosh screamed as Ianto pushed himself against the door.

“We’re being attacked,” Ianto explained, pulling the small gun from his ankle holster and checking the bullets. He only had five bullets left.

“Rhys!” Gwen screamed as she launched herself towards the door. Ianto pushed her away.

“You’re not going out there,” he said, his stomach turning sour as he noticed the lack of gunfire. “Go upstairs through the passage and get the fuck out of here.”

“Like hell,” Gwen said, rushing over to her handbag and pulling a gun from it. “I’m not leaving my husband.”

“We’re not going either,” Martha said, unholstering her gun.

Ianto looked at them, then sighed. “Look, we need more guns. I have five bullets left. I need you to go upstairs to the library and bring down some extras.” He explained to Martha and Tosh where to find the arsenal Jack had shown him. “Bring whatever you can. Shoot whoever tries to stop you.” They disappeared, leaving Gwen and Ianto alone.

“What’s happening?” Gwen asked. “I don’t hear anything.”

“I’m guessing that since their initial surprise attack is over, they’re regrouping.” Ianto left out the part about how he was sure they’d burst through the door he was leaning against at any moment.

“What if Rhys is dead?” Gwen whispered hysterically.

“He’s not dead,” Ianto said, though he wasn’t sure of that himself.

“Who’s still here?”

“Us, Rhys, Owen, Annie, and Mickey. There are at least seven of them.”

“Who are they?” Gwen asked.

“I have a guess,” Ianto muttered. Just then, Martha and Tosh returned carrying armfuls of guns. Ianto grabbed them and started distributing. “You don’t have to do this, you know,” he said, handing Tosh a revolver.

Gwen grabbed a shotgun and cocked it. “My husband is out there, and those motherfuckers don’t know who they’re messing with.”

Martha slid the strap of a tommy gun over her shoulder as Tosh grabbed another gun. Tosh said, “If my friends are going to die, I’m going to die alongside them.”

“Let’s hope no one’s doing that,” Ianto said, arming himself with multiple guns.

“Are you okay?” Martha asked. “Does your stab wound hurt?”

“I’ve fought battles with a lot more wounds than this.” He turned to the door, holding guns in both his hands. “Let’s go, soldiers.”

Martha opened the door, and Ianto stepped through. He scanned the dance floor quickly, spotting movement near the poker room as Gwen ran behind the piano. Without hesitating, Ianto fired off two shots, causing the man in the doorway to fall to the ground. Gwen shot from behind him, so he ran the opposite way, hugging the wall as he looked for movement. Someone started shooting at him from across the room, and he peered closely to find them in the dark. Ianto was about to take his shot when another bullet got the other man. Ianto glanced over and saw Tosh’s hand sticking out from her dressing room.

Ianto ran across the dance floor, and someone started shooting again. He felt something hit his thigh, but it was shallow, so he turned and fired off a round of shots. He ran towards where he just shot and found another man lying on the ground, wounded. Ianto aimed and put a slug between his eyes.

“This side of the room is clear,” Gwen yelled from across the Hub.

“Stay there,” Ianto ordered as he finished surveying the room. He found no other gunmen, but none of his people either. “All right, come out.” Tosh and Martha walked tentatively across the floor while Gwen approached from the side. “Three men down. I haven’t seen Rhys, Gwen, which is a good sign. I also didn’t see anyone else.” Ianto turned to Martha. “Martha, you check the kitchen, then go with Tosh back up to the second floor through the secret passage. Gwen and I will take a different route. And be careful.”

They nodded and went off as Ianto led Gwen out through the entrance. They found one of the men dead in the theater, then slowly exited into the main hallway. All of the lights were turned off, and Ianto stood listening. He didn’t hear anything, so he and Gwen slowly crept down the hallway.

“Ianto!” Gwen pointed to theater two. The door had blood on it, so they carefully entered. The trail of blood led between the last row of seats, where they found Annie slumped over. “Oh no!” Gwen dropped beside her and felt for a pulse. “She’s alive.”

“Leave her for now,” Ianto said. “Let’s find the others.”

They returned to the hallway, and as they approached the lobby, Ianto saw something move out of the corner of his eyes. He put out a hand to stop Gwen, and they both pressed against the wall. Ianto peered around the corner and saw one of the gunmen moving around the lobby. He carefully aimed and squeezed the trigger, getting the guy in the shoulder, so he shot again and the man dropped.

Just then, Owen came from one of the other hallways off from the lobby. He was holding his side.

“Are you okay?” Ianto asked, approaching him with Gwen on his heels.

“It’s not bad,” Owen explained.

“Where’s Rhys?” Gwen asked.

“I don’t know,” Owen answered as they heard another shot upstairs. All three took off running up the stairs. They found Rhys in the hallway in a standoff with a man, Tosh and Martha behind him pointing guns at the other man. The man made the mistake of cutting his eyes to Ianto, Owen, and Gwen as they came up the stairs, allowing Rhys an opportunity to shoot him. He fell with a loud thud onto the floor.

Gwen dropped her shotgun and ran the short distance to throw her arms around Rhys’s neck. He kissed her hair.

“Mickey’s been shot,” Rhys explained, still clutching Gwen. Ianto noticed that near the fallen man were a woman and Mickey.

“It’s not too bad,” Mickey said, though he was ashen and lying in a large pool of blood. Suddenly, he exclaimed, “Look out!”

The world came into stark focus as Ianto spun around. Owen quickly fired a shot before anyone could even react. The man fell to the ground and tried to raise his gun as Ianto rushed over to him. Everything around him was a blur as he focused entirely on the other man. The anger and fear he’d suppressed over the last half hour exploded, and Ianto fired the rest of the bullets in his gun into the man’s face.

“Ianto!” Owen shouted. “That’s enough, for fuck’s sake.” Ianto blinked, his hand gripping the gun so tightly that his fist hurt. The man’s head was now nothing but a pool of blood and sinew. Slowly, Ianto lowered his gun and turned to the others. Owen looked at him like he was crazy while the others stared at him in fear.

“Get Mickey into the library,” Ianto instructed, his voice hoarse. “I’ll do a final sweep while someone goes to get Annie. Someone also needs to get Owen’s medical supplies.”

“You’ve been shot, too,” Tosh observed, her voice shaking. She looked like she wanted to go over to him, but was too frightened. Ianto glanced down at his leg, which was damp with blood.

“It’s nothing,” Ianto said. “Owen can deal with it when he’s done with Annie and Mickey. Now, go!”

While Owen patched up gunshot wounds, Ianto, Rhys, and Martha rounded up the dead bodies. Tosh and Gwen started trying to clean up the blood stains where they could. Ianto had called Andy, and he showed up as they were putting the bodies in the back of the delivery truck.

“You say seven guys just jumped you in the Hub?” Andy asked.

Ianto nodded and pulled back the fabric to show Andy the bodies in the truck. “And one woman. Do you know them?”

Andy crawled into the back of the truck and studied them closely. “They’re part of the Irish gangs.”

“Her, too?” Rhys asked.

“One of the guys’ wives. They’re a team. The rumor is that this particular group has been working for that guy Jack’s been after.”

“The Master?” Ianto asked sharply.

“Yeah, him.”

Andy helped Ianto and Rhys with a few of the details before he left, and then Ianto, Rhys, and Martha drove the truck out of the city and into the woods. They left the bodies deep in the woods, away from the road. No one would find them for a long time, and if they did, Andy would help cover it up. Besides, no one would look too hard into the deaths of seven gang members.

By the time they got back to the Hub, it was after four. Annie and Mickey were sleeping in the library, and they found Owen, Gwen, and Tosh downstairs at the bar.

“Everything okay?” Tosh asked as Gwen embraced Rhys again.

“Bodies are taken care of,” Ianto explained, dropping heavily onto the stool.

“I need to look at your leg,” Owen said.

Ianto waved a dismissive hand. “How’s Mickey and Annie?”

“They’ll be fine.”

“Who were those men?” Martha asked.

“Andy said they had ties to the Master,” Ianto explained. His brain was buzzing with this information; he wasn’t quite sure what to do with it yet.

“Were they looking for Jack?” Rhys asked.

“Maybe they can’t find him either,” Owen said. “Maybe killing us was a way to get his attention.”

“Do you think we’re still in danger?” Tosh asked.

Ianto shook his head. “I don’t think so. I think that’s the last we’ll see of them.”

“What makes you say that?” Owen asked.

“It’s the only thing that makes sense.” Ianto ran a hand across his face. “We’ll close for the next few days. We need to finish cleaning up.”

“The carpet has to be replaced,” Tosh said.

“Take care of it tomorrow.” Ianto stood up. “I’m going to bed.”

Owen followed him to check his leg. The leg was fine, but Ianto had torn open his stitches during the course of the night. After Owen sewed him back together, he left. Ianto was in a daze. His entire body was wrenched with exhaustion, and everything hurt. He took a quick shower, then crawled into bed. His mind raced, making it difficult for him to sleep. What did it mean that the Master’s men came after them? Did that mean they didn’t have Jack after all? Were they really safe now? It didn’t make sense to attack them again, but Ianto couldn’t be sure. All he knew was that he was tired of this; he couldn’t go on with the way things were. With those thoughts floating through his mind, he fell asleep.

*

Two men held him tightly, forcing him to watch. Jack’s arms and legs were bound, and the Master stood over him. The knife in hand glistened in the light. Slowly, he chopped off Jack’s limbs, one by one, forcing Ianto to watch as Jack screamed and bled. Jack’s screams were so loud it blocked everything out. The Master went to use Jack’s arms to play baseball with in the hallway before coming back to chop off his head to use as a ball.

Ianto woke up and rolled over and threw up.

*

Weeks went by. And life continued on. Liquor shipments came in, the Hub opened for business every night, real estate was sold and bought, and the world kept spinning. Everything went back to normal just like Jack had never disappeared. Everything but Ianto.

If Ianto was honest with himself, he didn’t know how to feel. He’d been through things far worse than this, and he was no stranger to loss. But this, this he felt deeper than anything he’d ever experienced. During the day, he continued Jack’s business in his absence, making up excuses when people asked for him. No one knew what to say, because they didn’t know anything. Every evening, he served drinks at the bar, sang, and played the piano. But it was all autopilot. He soldiered on because he was used to shoving everything aside and going through the motions. He almost fooled everyone, too. They talked to him and joked with him like usual, but occasionally there’d be something. A look from Owen, an exchanged glance between Gwen and Rhys, a hand on his arm from Tosh. As much as he tried to hide it, they saw underneath his mask.

At night, Ianto lay alone in bed, staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t sleep; inside his head screamed so loudly it echoed in his dreams. The apartment felt empty, the bed cold. He could barely even be inside the walls without wanting to claw his way out from his skin, but he couldn’t face the despair that awaited him back at his own flat. Even in his sleep, he waited and listened for the sound of the doorknob turning, for the sound of Jack’s footsteps echoing across the floor. But it never came.

The first few days after Jack left, Ianto surrounded himself with things that reminded him of Jack. Records he liked to listen to, books he liked to read. Ianto even wore one of his shirts around the apartment because it still smelled like Jack. When he slept, he slept on Jack’s side of the bed, his face buried against Jack’s pillow. If he concentrated hard enough, he could almost convince himself Jack was right beside him.

But after he’d been gone a week, then two, Ianto hid everything he could. The records, books, and clothes went into the closet. As Ianto stood in the middle of the apartment and looked around him, shelves and surfaces bare, he’d never felt so alone.

He had to figure out how to survive without Jack. Ianto had been with Jack almost a year. There were only a few months before their one year anniversary. That wasn’t a very long time, but it was the longest relationship he’d ever had. And he’d experienced more in the past year than he had in his entire life. He’d never felt so alive, and now…now he felt hollow.

So, Ianto kept doing what he thought everyone expected him to. He and Owen managed the Hub with no problems, and Owen and Rhys even stepped in to help with the legitimate business. It was like it didn’t matter that Jack was gone, and Ianto may have continued with life as if it didn’t matter, but he felt Jack’s absence in every move he made, every breath he took.

One day, Ianto had to go into Jack’s office. He’d been conducting all the business in one of the unused rooms down the hall because it felt awkward to be inside Jack’s office with him gone. It felt so empty, so quiet. But there were things he needed to find, so Ianto endured.

As he was looking for one of Jack’s ledgers, he moved around some piles on a cabinet and spotted a bit of blue cloth. Heart pounding in his throat, he pulled it out. It was one of Jack’s shirts that he must have tossed aside when he’d changed in his office. Ianto sat heavily in Jack’s chair, the shirt still clutched in his fingers. He lifted it to his nose and inhaled; it still smelled exactly like Jack.

Ianto twisted the fabric in his fingers as he held it to his face, the tears that he’d been holding back for weeks erupting from him in shoulder-shaking sobs.

*

After Jack had been gone for over a month, Rose came by the Hub near closing time. Gwen was positively atwitter until she saw Rose’s face. Although made up and dressed to the nines, Rose looked nothing like her former self. Her face was dark and closed, a smile no longer spread across her face.

“Can we talk?” she asked Ianto. He nodded and joined her in a booth. “He hasn’t returned,” she said quietly. “He’s never been gone this long, not without a word.” She pulled a handkerchief from her handbag and dabbed her eyes. “Have you heard from Jack?”

Ianto shook his head. “Not a word.”

“I’ve asked around. No one knows anything.” Ianto didn’t say anything. “I’m being silly, aren’t I? They’re probably in Europe carousing around and living it up. We’ll both get a postcard in the mail soon, don’t you think?”

Ianto could tell she was trying to convince herself and looking for reassurance. Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. And now that Rose was worried, that made Ianto’s own fears that much stronger.

And what was worse, there was nothing he could do.

*

“Did you hear me, Ianto?” Martha yelled, snapping her fingers in front of his face. He blinked and couldn’t for the life of him recall what she had said. She huffed and stalked away from the bar.

Ianto grabbed another teacup from behind him and poured a drink. It was easier if he just blocked out everything anyway. It’s the only way he’d gotten through the last few weeks.

The night went on like usual, until two men got into a fight.

“Jones, you gonna take care of this?” Owen asked as he poured a drink. Ianto sighed and set his bottle of liquor on the counter. Rhys was by the door, arguing with someone who was trying to get in.

“Hey, break it up,” Ianto said as he approached them. “Cool it and let me buy you a drink.”

“The fuck you think you are?” one of the men asked. Ianto motioned for the other man to step away, and he complied.

“Sir, don’t turn this into a spectacle.”

“Oh yeah?” The man quickly punched Ianto in the jaw, which set Ianto off. He entered into tunnel vision, seeing nothing but him and the man in front of him. He got in a few punches before the man started hitting him again. Ianto was unprepared for how good of an opponent the other man was. He knocked Ianto off guard several times, and when other guys tried to pull him away from Ianto, he punched them, too.

Then, the man swung his arm, and Ianto felt a slight sting in his thigh. He reached down and pulled out whatever it was, realized it was a small knife, and then thrust it as hard as he could into the man’s stomach. He howled in pain, his attention diverted, as Ianto knocked him onto the floor and started pounding on him. He didn’t even see the man under him anymore; he felt nothing but the quiet, white rage he’d felt for over a month exploding through his fists, and he wanted nothing more than to destroy the man beneath him.

But that didn’t happen. Someone pulled him off as they yelled, “Get him the fuck out of here,” and then he was being dragged through the Hub. It took him a minute to realize he was being shoved into Tosh’s dressing room. He stumbled and turned around to see Rhys standing by the door with his arms crossed, his face a mixture of concern and stern authority.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Ianto yelled.

“Take a breather, Ianto,” Rhys said more gently than Ianto expected.

Ianto wanted to say something – he wanted to punch Rhys in the face – but instead, he sat on the sofa and dropped his head into his hands. For the first time, he realized his fist was covered in blood.

A few minutes later, Owen stormed into the room, followed closely by Gwen and Tosh.

“What the fuck was that?” Owen yelled. “You nearly killed that guy!”

“He hit me first!” Ianto argued. He realized how lame it sounded.

“You’re gonna scare all the patrons to death!” Owen exclaimed.

“Good. Maybe they won’t be stupid enough to fight anymore. I’m sick of breaking up fights.”

Owen ran a hand through his hair and turned towards Rhys, Gwen, and Tosh. Ianto noticed the silent communication passing between them, and it pissed him off.

“What?” Ianto asked, standing up quickly. “What is it?”

“Oh my god, Ianto! You’re bleeding!” Tosh exclaimed, rushing over to him.

“It’s nothing,” Ianto said, not even glancing down.

“That’s not nothing,” Tosh said. Ianto looked down at his thigh, which was soaked with dark blood.

“Let me see.” Owen crossed over to look at it, but Ianto stepped away. “Stop being a prick.”

“Fuck you.”

“Ianto, you can’t do this anymore,” Tosh said.

He cut his eyes over to her. “What do you mean by that?”

“Jack left, Ianto! You need to fucking accept it,” Gwen yelled.

Ianto felt a hole opening up inside of him. He pointed his finger at her and growled, “Don’t you fucking talk to me about Jack.”

“He left all of us, Ianto!” Gwen continued. “He didn’t just leave you. But you’ve got to fucking deal with it.”

“Why don’t you mind your own fucking business,” Ianto snapped.

“Oi! That’s my wife you keep talking to like that,” Rhys interjected.

“Yeah? Fuck you.” He looked around at all of them. “Fuck all of you.”

“Jones, you’re starting to scare us,” Owen said. It surprised Ianto so much when Owen spoke that he stopped dead. “You don’t even realize that you’re hurt, and that’s one nasty fucking cut.”

Ianto looked at the faces around him, all staring at him with fear and concern. Fear. He’d seen that fear before, from men in his unit, men he’d come face to face with in the trench. He’d never wanted to see it on the faces of his friends. And all because of him.

Defeated, he dropped back onto the couch. Tosh sat beside him tentatively while Owen began looking at his leg. All the while, he said nothing. Rhys and Gwen returned to the Hub, but Tosh remained with him while Owen gave him more stitches.

“Maybe you need to get away,” Tosh suggested. “We can go somewhere, just for a few days, help you clear your head.”

Ianto didn’t say anything. He just stared straight ahead.

*

Ianto jerked awake, his body covered in a cold sweat and gripped in terror. His mind was fuzzy, making it difficult to remember the dream. He was trembling and rolled over to curl up against Jack. But Jack wasn’t there. Ianto opened his eyes and stared at the emptiness where the outline of Jack’s body should have been. But there was nothing, and the sheets were cold.

Flinging the blankets aside, Ianto sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the light. He could hear Jack’s voice murmuring in his head, could feel his secure hand on his back.

This wasn’t working. If Ianto continued this way, he was going to go completely insane. The others were right – he had to face the reality that Jack wasn’t coming back – for whatever reason. But there was no way he could do that there. Not in New York, not in that bed.

A thought occurred to Ianto. He picked up the book lying on the bedside table and opened it. He pulled out a folded letter, the letter from his sister. It had been over a month since he’d received, but as he reread it, he thought about what Jack had said. That he needed to go to his mother, be there for his sister. And Wales was just about the farthest away from Jack that Ianto could get.

It didn’t take long to pack. There wasn’t much to take with him; if he needed anything, he could buy it when he went home. He wrote a short letter to Owen, outlining certain things about the Hub and Jack’s business, a quick goodbye to Rhys and Gwen, and then a longer letter to Tosh. But as he stared at the piece of paper, he couldn’t quite figure out what to say to her. He knew she’d never understand, and he didn’t know how to say goodbye to her, or to any of them for that matter. As he sat there writing those letters, he came to understand just how much he loved each of them. They were his family, much more than the people he was going to, but Ianto just couldn’t be there any longer. He had to get away, and he tried to express that to Tosh the best way he knew how. He told her he didn’t know when he’d return, if he ever would, and left her his address.

Then, just before dawn, Ianto took one last look around the apartment. Everywhere he looked, he saw remnants of Jack in the emptiness, his ghost walking across the floors, his voice filling the empty spaces. Ianto’s eyes drifted shut and he sighed as he felt Jack’s fingers against his skin, his arms around him tightly.

But when Ianto opened his eyes, there was nothing but an empty apartment.

Picking up his suitcase, Ianto walked out and shut the door without glancing back.

*

The voyage to the UK took six days. Ianto bought a cheap ticket for the voyage that left only hours after he arrived at the harbor, and he spent the entire passing either curled up on his bed or staring out at the passing ocean. He tried not to think, tried to push Jack and Tosh, Owen, Rhys, and Gwen from his mind. He thought of the things he’d miss, like playing the piano and singing and even tending bar. He thought of the excitement of his life in New York compared to what his life would become in Wales, but he knew that none of the excitement would mean anything without Jack.

Halfway across the Atlantic, Ianto realized that the last time he crossed the ocean he was running from Lisa and the war. Once again, he was running from something he’d lost. He knew that would always be his life, running and losing. Because after Lisa and Jack, Ianto knew he would never love again. There was just nothing left of his heart except scars.

*

The house looked exactly the same as it did seven years ago when Ianto had last seen it. The only difference was that the yard was more unkempt and there were toys strewn along the lawn. Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart, Ianto raised a trembling hand and knocked on the door. When his sister opened the door, she looked as if she’d seen a ghost.

“Ianto?” she whispered.

“Rhiannon.” He stood awkwardly, waiting for her to move. Finally, she flung her arms around him, crying. “You’re choking me, sis.”

“I’m sorry,” she said, pulling back to look at him. Ianto pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her. She dabbed her eyes with it, then looked at it closely. “Fancy, monogrammed handkerchiefs. This had to be expensive.” She finally looked at him closely. “And your suit. You barely look like yourself.”

“You mean dressed in rags and covered in dirt?” he retorted.

“I didn’t mean that,” she said quietly, handing Ianto back the handkerchief. “I just meant it’s been a long time.” He folded the handkerchief back into his pocket with a pang. They’d been a gift from Jack. Even thousands of miles away, Jack still haunted him.

Rhiannon led him into the house. He set his suitcase by the door and stood awkwardly in the living room. “Johnny’s out with the kids,” she explained.

“Oh.”

“Mom’s in her bedroom,” Rhiannon said. “Do you want to see her?”

Ianto slowly made his way through the house, which was exactly as he remembered it, down to the arrangement of furniture and knickknacks spread on shelves. He knocked on the door and entered nervously when his mother called out.

“Hi Mum.” He stood in the doorway as his mother stared at him in shock.

“Ian-Ianto?” she croaked. Her voice was hoarse and thin, and she’d lost quite a bit of weight. “Oh, bless the saints, my baby has returned!” Ianto crossed the room and hugged her. She clung to him, crying and muttering prayers. “What are you doing here?” she finally asked.

“I was wondering the same thing,” Rhiannon said from behind them. Ianto didn’t even realize she was standing there.

“I got Rhiannon’s letter,” Ianto explained.

“I sent it two months ago,” Rhiannon said icily.

“When I received it, I was on bed rest,” Ianto said.

“Are you ill?” his mother asked.

Ianto shook his head. “I was injured on the job.”

“What do you do now?” his mother asked. “Are you still in the service?”

“You know he left after he got hurt,” Rhiannon said. “That’s when he ran off to America.”

“Rhiannon,” his mother warned. Rhiannon turned and stormed down the hall. “I’m sorry about Rhiannon. She’s still sore that you left. I tried to explain that boys will be boys.” She took his hand in hers and held it tightly. “I can’t believe you’re here. You look so good, so handsome. And so sharply dressed. You must be somebody important back in America.”

“I’m not,” Ianto said. “I worked for a man who was. He treated me well.”

“Do you have a woman?” she asked. “Someone to take care of you?”

Ianto shook his head, the pain in his chest increasing. “No one.”

His mother patted his hand. “No worries. You will meet someone and give me lots of grandchildren like Rhiannon.” She smiled.

After he talked with his mother awhile, he left her alone to sleep. He found Rhiannon standing at the counter in the kitchen making dinner.

“She’s asleep,” he said, sitting at the table. “What’s wrong with her?”

“A lung condition,” Rhiannon explained. “It started out as pneumonia. They’re hopeful, but she’s not out of the woods yet. They have thankfully ruled out consumption.” Ianto didn’t respond; he didn’t know what to say. Rhiannon slammed the bowl onto the counter. “Ianto, why are you here?”

“I thought you wanted me here.”

“I did. I do. I just don’t know why now. Where have you been? What have you been doing? Why were you on bed rest?” She looked at him and shook her head. “It’s like there’s a stranger sitting in front of me. You’re not the same mischievous, smiling boy I remember.”

“He’s long dead,” Ianto answered.

“What’s happened to you?” she asked, dropping into the seat across from him and wiping her hands on her apron.

“You don’t want to know,” Ianto said.

“I do! You’re my brother. I love you.”

“I just came off a six day voyage, and I’ve reunited with my family who I haven’t seen in seven years. I don’t exactly feel like discussing everything right now.”

Rhiannon stood up and returned to the counter. “Fine.”

Ianto sighed. “I’m going outside. I need some air.” He left Rhiannon slamming things around the kitchen.

*

At dinner, Ianto met his niece and nephew for the first time. They were hesitant at first, but then David asked, “Is this the war hero? The one who killed all the jerries in France that Grandma talks about all the time?” Ianto couldn’t help but smile. Plus, he’d gained a fan for life.

Later, Ianto sat in the floor with David and Mica and played a board game Mica brought him before crawling into his lap and not moving for hours. David showed him all his toy soldiers and made Ianto play war with him. Ianto didn’t have the heart to tell him no.

After Rhiannon put them to bed, she found Ianto sitting on the couch reading a book. “You were a big hit with the kids,” she said.

“They’re lovely, Rhiannon. Truly.”

“What am I to tell them when you disappear again?” She glared at him. “Are you going to leave again?”

Ianto shut the book and wiped his hands over his face. “I don’t know.”

“That’s not an answer!” She crossed the room and dropped beside him on the sofa. “I deserve answers, Ianto. I’m your sister. At one time, we were close.”

“Before Da died leaving us nothing so I had to knick every bite of bread we ate?”

“Are you still mad at him? After all these years?”

“I’ve been mad at him my whole life,” Ianto muttered. He grabbed the cushion beside him and clutched it tightly.

“He did the best he could, you know. To feed us and keep this house.” Rhiannon shook her head. “I don’t want to fight about Da. I want you to tell me what happened to you. I want to know my brother again.”

“Fine.” Ianto shifted to face her more fully. “What do you want to know?”

They spent the next few hours talking about their lives over the last seven years. Rhiannon told him about what it was like after he left for the war, how difficult it had been to make ends meet until she met Johnny. She talked about getting pregnant and having David and then Mica. Ianto told her about the explosion, and Lisa, and being alone in New York before he ended up working in a speakeasy. He left out the parts about killing men and falling in love with Jack.

When she finally went to bed, way after midnight, Ianto stretched out on the couch, trying to convince himself he was finally home. The problem was, home was miles and an ocean away. He was just sleeping in the house of his past.

*

Ianto quickly fell into a routine. He slept every night on the couch since his old room now belonged to David and Mica, and spent his days doing yard work and other various chores around the house. Johnny worked at the factory in the nearest town, so Ianto did a lot of the repairs and maintenance that Johnny hadn’t had the time to get to while working. He read to his mother during the day, just because she said, “I like to hear my successful son’s beautiful voice.” He played with David and Mica at night, helped Rhiannon with the dishes, and even accompanied her on the piano when she sang for everyone after dinner. It almost felt like being part of the family again, except Ianto never quite could get his rhythm. Something was off, and he was afraid he’d never find it.

One day after he’d been there for almost a month, Ianto was fixing a broken chair in the front room when he heard a knock on the door. Rhiannon was in the kitchen trying to figure out the new washing machine Ianto had bought her, so he answered the door.

What he saw on the other side, he never expected. Jack, standing tall with his hands clasped behind his back, coat billowing around him as the wind ruffled his hair. His face broke into a smile, and Ianto slammed the door shut.

It couldn’t be. There was no way Jack was standing on the other side of that door. He’d finally gone insane. And if it really was Jack, then Ianto didn’t want to see him. He was furious with him for leaving. Ianto braced himself on the wall, taking a few deep breaths to calm his pounding heart.

“Ianto?” Rhiannon called from the kitchen. “Who’s at the door?”

At that moment, the door opened, and Jack confidently stepped across the threshold. “I think there’s something to say about the severe lack of Welsh hospitality,” he said with a smirk.

“Who’s there?” Rhiannon came from the back of the house, wiping her hands on her apron. “Hello. Can I help you?”

Jack turned on his charm and smiled widely as he held out his hand. “I’m Captain Jack Harkness. You must be Ianto’s sister. Such a pleasure,” he said, lifting her hand to his lips.

Rhiannon looked at Ianto in confusion. “You’re here for my brother? Are you an army friend, then?”

“No, I never had the pleasure of serving with your brother. I’m his boss.”

“His boss?”

Ianto couldn’t listen anymore, so he flung open the front door and stormed outside. He wasn’t surprised when he heard Jack following him. Ianto glanced over his shoulder, spied Rhiannon watching through a window, and continued into the garden shed. When he was inside, he spun around to face Jack.

“Hello, Ianto.” Jack smiled. Ianto didn’t say anything, didn’t move. He felt paralyzed with emotion. “Are you ever going to speak to me again?” Anger flared in Ianto; he stepped forward and grabbed the lapels of Jack’s coat, debating whether or not to punch him in the face. Finally, he pushed Jack roughly with as much force as he could muster, causing Jack to stumble backwards.

“Where…why…how…!” Ianto growled as he dropped onto the ground. He didn’t know what to do or to say. Jack sat down beside him, deliberately leaving room between them.

“I’m sorry,” Jack said.

“Sorry?” Ianto scoffed. His anger hadn’t ebbed, not even a little.

“I didn’t leave you, Ianto. I swear.”

“Then what happened?” Ianto asked. Although angry, he couldn’t believe Jack was actually beside him, alive and breathing.

“The Master.” Ianto turned his head sharply and looked at Jack closely. For the first time, he noticed faint bruises on Jack’s face, a healing split on his lip, his eyes dark with fatigue, his coat tattered and threadbare in places. He looked terrible. The thought of what lay underneath Jack’s clothes made him nauseous. “I don’t want to talk about it, not yet,” Jack said quietly. He seemed to visibly shrink; he looked so small and defeated. Ianto’s anger dissolved and was replaced by concern.

“Jack, I – “

Jack shook his head. “Don’t say anything. It’s okay. I’m alive, and I’m here beside you again.” Jack reached across the gulf between them and cupped Ianto’s cheek and rubbed his thumb across it. “I wish I could tell you how happy I am to see you. I missed you so fucking much,” Jack said, and the look in his eyes made Ianto’s heart break.

Ianto reached out to touch Jack’s face, his neck, shoulders, chest. He slid his hands inside his coat and moved them along Jack’s sides. He wanted to feel him beneath his touch, make sure he was solid, warm, real. Jack chuckled softly, and Ianto could feel the vibration in his hands. “Are you going to say anything? You look like you’re not sure I’m real.”

“I’m not,” Ianto said hoarsely. “I don’t trust my sanity right now.”

“I’m very real,” Jack said, curling his fingers around the nape of Ianto’s neck. “And I’m never leaving you again. Ever.” Jack leaned forward and kissed Ianto. His lips were soft and tentative, almost hesitant. It was like he was afraid Ianto was going to tell him to stop. Ianto wanted to scream that he never wanted Jack to stop, not after he thought he’d never get to kiss him again.

Ianto slid his arms further around Jack’s back, pulling him as close as he possibly could. It still wasn’t close enough. He never wanted to let Jack go. As Jack relaxed into the kiss, he opened his mouth, allowing Ianto to slowly slide his tongue inside. His tongue was warm and soft, and Ianto couldn’t believe that this was really happening.

Reluctantly, Ianto pulled away. “We have to get back,” he explained when Jack looked so cute and disappointed. “My sister will start to suspect something.” He stood up and helped Jack up before returning to the house.

*

Ianto sat at the kitchen table after dinner, watching Jack in the floor with David and Mica. Jack was enacting some involved scene that required David’s army men, Mica’s dolls, and both the children. David was wearing Jack’s coat, and Mica was in Jack’s lap. He held her tightly before lifting her in the air like an airplane, causing her to squeal in delight. Ianto smiled.

“Are you going to tell me why he’s really here?” Rhiannon asked as she sat a cup of tea down in front of him before taking the seat beside him.

Ianto tore his eyes away from Jack. “What do you mean?”

Rhiannon shot him a dubious glance. “No boss is going to travel across the ocean for his employee. There’s another reason.” She took a sip of her tea. “Besides, I see how you look at him.”

“What?” Ianto exclaimed.

“How long have you been…seeing him?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He awkwardly took a sip of his tea and tried to hold Rhiannon’s gaze. She wasn’t fooled.

“I may not know you like I used to, but you haven’t changed as much as you think,” she said. “Since he showed up earlier today, you’ve changed completely. It’s like someone lit a candle inside you.”

Ianto ran a hand through his hair. “Is it that obvious?”

Rhiannon shrugged. “If you’re looking.” She glanced towards where Jack was now sitting against the couch, arms around both kids as he read to them. “Besides, you’ve barely taken your eyes off him all evening.”

“We’ll leave in the morning,” Ianto said. “Unless you want us out tonight.”

“What are you talking about? You don’t have to leave.”

“I just thought, with Jack and me…you wouldn’t approve. Think it was an abomination, immoral.”

“I don’t understand it, and I wouldn’t choose it for you. But you’re my brother, and I’ve finally gotten you back after all these years. I’m not going to cast you out for loving someone.” Her face colored, and then she asked, “So, does that mean…are you…I mean, you said you were engaged. To a woman…”

Ianto shook his head. “It’s weird. It’s just different. It’s not men. It’s…it’s just him. It’s only him.”

Rhiannon smiled sadly. “You know you’re just setting yourself up for a difficult life. And if people found out…you could get arrested, or even killed.”

“As long as I’m with him, that just doesn’t matter.”

*

Ianto couldn’t sleep. And from the sounds of Jack lying across the room on the cot, he couldn’t either. So, Ianto got up and started to pull on his shoes. Jack sat up and looked at him, and Ianto pointed to the door. As Jack put on his shoes and coat, Ianto grabbed his own coat and a couple of blankets and headed outside.

The night was crisp and clear, the moon casting a silvery glow over the yard. They quickly crept across the backyard and into the storage shed. Ianto shut and locked the door behind them before spreading the blankets on the floor.

“I know it’s not ideal,” Ianto said as he lit a candle and set it on the floor, “but I couldn’t lay there a second longer.”

Jack lowered himself onto the blanket. “Having you in the same room but so far away was making me crazy.” He glanced at the door. “Is this okay? What if they come looking for us?”

“They’re deep sleepers. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“Good.” Jack closed the distance between them and kissed Ianto without any of the hesitation from earlier. This time, his mouth was urgent and insistent as his hands fluttered all over Ianto’s chest and arms. They quickly shed their clothes, and although warmer in the shed than outside, the cold air was harsh against their bare skin. Jack reached behind him and grabbed the other blanket to pull over them.

“I can’t believe I’m here,” Jack said as he settled his weight on top of Ianto. “I never thought I’d see you again.” He slowly raked his fingers through Ianto’s hair.

“I feel the same way,” Ianto said.

“I love you so much,” Jack said, kissing him again. Ianto moaned when Jack’s cock pressed against his own. It had been way too long, and his body was responding in every way possible to Jack’s. Every limb, every nerve, every pore tingled when Jack touched him, and every flick of his tongue inside Ianto’s mouth sent a jolt straight to his core. Within only a few moments, Ianto was moaning and clawing at Jack while Jack moaned and rutted against him.

“I’m not going to last long,” Ianto groaned.

“Me either,” Jack agreed, so he sat up, pulling Ianto up with him. Jack rearranged himself so he was sitting between Ianto’s legs with his legs wrapped around Ianto’s waist. He licked both his palms, then took both their cocks in his hands and started sliding them along their shafts.

“Fuck,” Ianto breathed as he let his head drop back. The multiple sensations coursed through him and made his body thrum with pleasure, Jack’s hands slowly sliding along his shaft as Jack’s cock pressed hard and hot against his. Then Jack licked along his throat, scraping his teeth across Ianto’s Adam’s apple. Ianto bucked his hips in response. He opened his eyes and looked at Jack, who kissed him.

Ianto decided he liked this, Jack’s hands and lips on him, his legs wrapped around his waist. This particular position was new to them, and exciting. Or maybe having sex in a shed. Or maybe just being back with Jack. Whatever it was, Ianto felt hyperaware and sensitive, so when Jack flicked his thumb across the head of Ianto’s cock, he moaned into Jack’s mouth.

The speed of Jack’s hand increased as his grip tightened, and then Jack came. His come was slick, making his hand glide more easily across Ianto’s cock as Jack squeezed their cocks even tighter. Ianto tried to hold out, wanted to prolong the feeling, but his desire was too strong. He held onto Jack for support when he came and lifted his hips to thrust into Jack’s grip. Jack kept stroking him until he was too sensitive and stilled his hand.

After cleaning up with Ianto’s shirt, Jack curled into Ianto’s arms. The blanket was warm around them as Jack’s head lay on Ianto’s chest, his fingers drawing lazy patterns on Ianto’s side. The candle cast abstract shadows on the walls as the flame flickered slowly.

“We need to remember that,” Ianto said.

“Liked it, huh?”

“It was different. I liked the new position.”

“Two months and we’re talking about varying our sex life.”

“What should we talk about?” Ianto asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure what to say,” Jack admitted.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?” Jack didn’t say anything, but Ianto felt him tremble. “We don’t have to,” Ianto said as he ran his fingers through Jack’s hair.

“Did you see torture in the war?”

“I did.”

“Then I don’t have to explain what happened to me.” Jack’s trembling grew worse. “It was supposed to be a quick meeting. The Doctor and I had a contact. I was planning on bringing you dinner when we were finished.” He paused, his thumb finding the dip of Ianto’s hip, “The next thing I knew, the Doctor and I were waking up in a dark room. It was horrible.”

“Ssh,” Ianto said, rolling onto his side and kissing Jack’s forehead. “You don’t have to talk about it.”

“He told me you died. For a week, I thought you were dead. All of you. And I wanted to die, too. I kept hoping for it. But he wanted us to feel the pain. And when I found out you weren’t dead, it made me fight that much harder to get out. It was like you’d been brought back to me. I think I died in there numerous times. But he kept bringing me back.”

Ianto felt a pain inside like he’d never felt. He’d never ached for another person before, and he wanted to take away all of Jack’s pain and bury it inside himself so Jack didn’t feel it anymore. Anything to erase the shadows in Jack’s eyes. He knew what he’d experienced in the war was nothing like this, but there was a part of him that understood the darkness and pain. “It’s horrible, isn’t it?”

“How do you deal with it? War was never that bad.”

“I try not to think about it. And I have you. You saved me.” Ianto reached out, cupped Jack’s face, and ran his thumb across his cheek. “Before you, I was drowning. You helped me face everything. I’m not completely over it, but it’s better than it used to be.”

Jack covered Ianto’s hand with his own and turned his head to kiss the inside of Ianto’s palm. “You may have to return the favor.”

Ianto kissed him. “I’ll take care of you, I promise.” He ran his fingers along Jack’s arm. “How did you escape?”

“The Doctor.”

“Of course.” Ianto smiled; he’d never liked the Doctor as much as he did in that moment.

“On our way home, we stopped by one of our contacts. He gave us a vague update, including how you had left the country, and I went straight to the harbor and boarded the next ship.”

“You haven’t been back to the Hub?”

Jack shook his head. “I didn’t want to be anywhere you weren’t. I’d never needed to see anyone as much as I needed to see you.”

“And I slammed the door in your face because I was pissed.” Ianto groaned. “I’m such an arse.”

“You didn’t know.”

“I thought you left me.”

“I know.”

“I also thought the Master had you, but I couldn’t prove it.”

“I know.”

“I thought you had left me because I’d gotten stabbed and you’d tired of me, and I thought you were dead, and I thought the Master had you. I never could settle on the more likely theory.”

“I knew you’d think all of those things.”

“How did you know?”

“Because I know you.”

*

Ianto was finishing up the dishes when Jack came up behind him and placed a light kiss on his neck. “Really?” Ianto said, turning around. “Right here in the open?”

“Rhiannon’s outside, and your mother’s in her room.” Jack kissed him deeply, and Ianto was helpless to resist. “I can’t help myself. I just want to kiss you every time I see you. It’s like I can’t get enough of you.”

“Control yourself, Jack.” Ianto smiled. “I won’t disappear, I promise.”

Jack picked up a dishtowel and asked, “What’s it like being home?”

“This isn’t home.”

“That shouldn’t make me happy, but it does.” Jack began stacking plates in the cabinet.

“My sister and I have made up, and my mother is thrilled I’m here.”

“They’re lovely, your family. I’m glad I got to meet them, see where you’re from. It’s a part of you I never thought I’d get to know.”

“They weren’t always lovely. We had a lot of problems.”

“All families do.”

“Before my da died, things were difficult,” Ianto explained as he rinsed a glass. “And after he died, it was even more difficult. The bastard always fucked us.”

“What was he like?”

“Hard worker, kept this house and land, provided for us. But he was a hard man. Once, when I was a boy, he pushed me too hard on the swing and broke my leg.” Ianto sighed. “I haven’t spoken about that since it happened.” Jack turned his head and kissed Ianto’s cheek. “He told me I was weak. Then he died, and I started stealing so Rhiannon could stay in school because Mum’s sewing jobs didn’t make enough money to feed us.” Ianto paused, his mind swirling with old memories he preferred remain hidden. “After I went to war, Rhiannon told me that she always knew I couldn’t wait to get out. She didn’t know I’d been arrested, but she was right. If I hadn’t gotten caught when I did, I would have left soon anyway.”

“We don’t have to leave today,” Jack said. “We can stay longer, or you can stay and I can return to New York.”

Ianto shook his head. “No, it’s time I go home.” He grabbed the towel from Jack’s shoulder and wiped his hands on it before going over to the coffee pot to pour two cups. He opened the top of the sugar bowl and stirred spoonfuls into both cups.

“Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons,” Jack recited as he watched Ianto.

“Hmm?” Ianto handed Jack his cup and leaned back against the counter.

“T.S. Eliot. It’s my favorite line from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufock.” He took a sip of his coffee.

“What does that have to do with dishes?”

Jack smiled. “Nothing, really. It popped into my head when I saw you making coffee.”

Ianto reached into his pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. He turned it over and read, “And indeed there will be time, time for you and time for me.”

“I just like the idea of measuring our lives not by large, important events that only happen once or twice, but by the coffee spoons we use every evening, morning, and afternoon we spend together.”

“The little moments that we make, so to speak,” Ianto said.

Jack nodded. “Exactly. That’s not what Eliot intended when he wrote the line, but then again, Eliot was never in love with you.”

*

Ianto had said goodbye to everyone except for Rhiannon. Saying goodbye to his mother had been difficult, and she’d made him promise to write and visit more often. David and Mica had been sad, and they were currently clinging to Jack as he told them one final story before leaving.

“Are you sure you want to go back to America?” Rhiannon asked. “You can stay here as long as you like.”

“I need to get back.” She looked like she was holding back tears, so Ianto pulled her close and kissed her head. “Here,” he said, placing a thick envelope in her hand.

“Ianto, what is this?” she asked, staring at the envelope incredulously.

“For you and the family.”

She shook her head. “I can’t accept this.” She tried to give it back. “It’s entirely too much.”

“Nonsense,” he said, pushing her hands away. “I want to.”

“But you’ve already bought the washing machine, and the kids’ shoes, and – “

“Rhiannon, please let me do this. This way, Johnny won’t have to work as hard, and it’ll help Mum with her doctor bills. And please,” he said, staring at her seriously, “if you need any help paying for Mum’s doctors, you’ll write.”

Tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. “You don’t have to give us money to try and win our forgiveness. We love you.”

“I know.” He kissed her cheek. “I love you, too.”

“Please don’t wait seven years to come back.”

Ianto smiled. “I promise.”

*

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Jack said. They’d only been on the ship a few hours. Jack had reserved them a much nicer room than the shared quarters Ianto had crossed over in. Although the room was small, the bed was large and cozy, and it was quiet. Ianto glanced over at Jack, stretched out on the bed beside him, reading. Ianto had been staring at the ceiling for the past half-hour.

“Just thinking.”

“About?”

“My family.”

“We didn’t have to leave, you know.” Jack closed the book and turned onto his side, propping his head in his hand.

“I know. I just…” Ianto sighed. “I love them and miss them, even though I’m anxious to get back to New York.”

“Then you should visit them more often,” Jack suggested, his fingers playing along the skin just above Ianto’s trousers. “We can visit them whenever you want.”

Ianto smiled. “Wouldn’t that look a little suspicious?”

Jack shrugged. “We can always deflect them from the truth. People are gullible and believe what they want to believe. Besides, Rhiannon knows and doesn’t care.” He paused. “You could invite them to America.”

Ianto’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you serious? We live in a theater and run a speakeasy.”

“There is nothing wrong with where we live,” Jack retorted.

“I would like to be part of David and Mica’s life, at least remotely.”

“They’re wonderful children.” Jack smiled.

“You’re great with them,” Ianto said. “Better than I am. Did you ever want kids?”

Jack grinned and nodded. “Oh yes, a whole flock of them. Still do. I’d love to be a father. You?”

“Never really thought I’d be a fit father,” Ianto answered. “Was afraid it ran in the family.”

“I think you’d be wonderful.” He leaned down and kissed Ianto lightly.

“Too bad I can’t give you any of that,” Ianto said sadly.

“Who knows, maybe we’ll adopt an orphan. We’d make fabulous fathers.”

“Raising a kid in a theater and speakeasy? I can see that now,” Ianto said sarcastically.

“Don’t be so sour.” Jack reached out and started tickling Ianto, sending them into a playful wrestling match, which inevitably ended in kissing and clothes being shed.

When Jack was completely naked, Ianto stopped and pushed him away. “Oh shit,” Ianto said, sitting up to get a better look at Jack’s body. “I didn’t notice any of this last night in the dark.” Jack remained quiet while Ianto inspected his body. His skin was bruised in varying shades of purple, black, and yellow. There were red abrasions and healing scabs, marks in the shape of fingertips and other objects, rope burns on his ankles and wrists, and long pink knife marks. Ianto trailed his fingers along one rather nasty looking gash on Jack’s thigh. Involuntarily, he let out a sob. “Oh Jack, I…” He couldn’t find words. He touched a bruise on Jack’s hip, then a place where they had carved into his ribs. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered.

“Hey,” Jack said, lifting Ianto’s chin with his finger. “Look at me.” He waited until Ianto met his eyes. “I’m still here. And more importantly, I’m with you. Don’t worry about what happened to me. Everything will heal.” Then Jack grinned. “Now we have matching scars.”

“You shouldn’t be scarred like me,” Ianto said. “I’m scarred enough for the both of us.”

Jack lightly ran his finger along Ianto’s stab wound. “Stitches are gone I see. It’s healing nicely.”

“It’s nothing compared to yours.”

“Ianto, it was much worse. You almost died.”

“Jack, someone carved into you.”

Jack shook his head. “All my vital organs remained intact.” Jack’s fingers trailed along Ianto’s belly, then his fingers brushed across the wound on Ianto’s leg. “What happened here?”

“A long story.” Ianto leaned over Jack, hovering just above his mouth. “I don’t want to talk about sad things any longer. I just want to make love to you until we dock in New York.”

Jack wrapped his arms around Ianto and kissed him. “I like that idea.”

Ianto pulled away. “You don’t happen to have any lubricant, do you?”

“Sorry. In between getting kidnapped and being tortured, I forgot to pick some up,” Jack joked.

Ianto hit him. Hard. “That’s not funny!”

“Whoa!” Jack exclaimed softly, rubbing Ianto’s head gently. “I was just joking. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s nothing to joke about,” Ianto said.

Jack kissed him in apology. “No, love, I do not have any lubricant. But I have an idea. And I think you’ll like it.” He pushed Ianto onto his back and slowly kissed his way down Ianto’s body, obviously in no hurry. Ianto relaxed into the mattress, relishing in the feel of Jack’s lips and tongue trailing across his skin. Jack nipped at his hips, licked around his bellybutton which shot straight to Ianto’s cock, and then lower as his hands moved along Ianto’s legs. Jack ignored Ianto’s cock and instead parted his legs, and as Jack’s warm breath ghosted across the sensitive flesh of his inner thighs, Ianto felt a shudder run through him.

Jack feathered kisses across his skin, and desire coiled tightly in Ianto’s belly. Ianto threaded his fingers into Jack’s hair as his lips dragged lightly across his skin, leaving a line of tingling sensation behind. One of Jack’s hands was wrapped around Ianto’s ankle, his thumb rubbing over the sensitive flesh on the inside. Jack then pressed the flat of his tongue against the inside of Ianto’s thighs, licking in long, deliberate strokes right between his legs. Ianto had no clue what Jack was up to, but his cock twitched and ached as Jack teasingly labored over the flesh.

After Jack was satisfied, he rose up on his knees, placing his cock right above Ianto’s face. “Use your spit to make it slick,” Jack instructed as he lowered himself. Ianto lifted to meet him and closed his mouth around Jack’s length. Jack moaned as his hips made a quick, involuntary jerk forward. Ianto wetly sucked and licked Jack’s cock as Jack braced himself against the wall, his eyes shut. Then, Jack pulled away, much to Ianto’s disappointment. He chuckled. “Don’t look so disappointed,” Jack said, lying down facing Ianto. “You’ll like this more, trust me.”

Jack shifted closer until he was facing Ianto and pressed flush against his body, and then he urged Ianto’s leg up before angling his cock into the space between his thighs. “Oh!” Ianto exclaimed as Jack’s cock slid under his balls and perineum, sending a jolt of desire through his body. “Oh…”

“Push your legs tight,” Jack instructed, and Ianto complied as Jack curled his fingers around his neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. It was an entirely new sensation as Jack thrust against him, his cock brushing along the sensitive flesh between his thighs, pushed against the underside of his balls. And at this angle, Ianto could wrap his arms around Jack fully and hold him in his arms as they kissed.

Jack moved at a slow rhythm, in no rush to end this, and Ianto realized this wasn’t about getting off. Holding each other like this was intimate, more intimate than a lot of the things they’d done in the past. And it was exactly what he needed. After months of having problems, months thinking Jack had left him or was dead, he just wanted to feel Jack against him, his lips kissing him deeply and fully, his body hot and solid against his own. And the feel of his cock trapped between their bodies as Jack’s cock slid between his thighs was almost too much. The unexpected pleasure was slowly unraveling Ianto.

Jack moaned into his mouth as he came hotly between Ianto’s legs, Ianto kissing Jack’s slack mouth as his hips thrust faster and with less friction as he held tightly to Ianto until he stilled. Inhaling deeply, Jack pushed Ianto onto his back and covered his cock with his mouth, sucking and causing Ianto to moan aloud. Jack’s mouth felt so good around him, his tongue swirling around just the right spots, that Ianto came after only moments. Jack continued sucking and licking as Ianto came, his hips rolling as he rode out his orgasm. After he swallowed, Jack didn’t immediately move. Instead, he kissed and licked all around Ianto’s cock, balls, and belly, making Ianto’s now soft cock twitch.

When Jack finally covered Ianto’s mouth again, Ianto wished he could crawl inside him just to be closer. He wasn’t sure what just happened, but he’d never felt such a desperate need to be close to Jack as he did right then.

“That was fantastic,” Jack said, pulling Ianto close.

“I’ll have to try it soon,” Ianto said, kissing him.

“Oh, I can’t wait.”

“Think it’ll satisfy us until we reach New York? I mean, six days without lubricant…it’s going to be difficult.”

“Oh, Ianto. Be creative, there are many ways to get around that.”

Ianto raised up. “Really? How?”

Jack grinned. “I have a few ideas, but we have six uninterrupted days to experiment. Believe me, I’m not going to waste them.”

*

Ianto and Jack stepped into the Hub unnoticed through the secret passage. Gwen was pulling chairs off tables and Tosh was going over sheet music on stage. She spied them first. Her eyes got very large and filled with tears as she raced across the Hub to fling her arms around Jack. Then Gwen noticed them and squealed, hugging Jack and then Ianto.

Owen entered from the kitchen carrying a tray of teacups. When he saw Jack and Ianto, he stopped and shakily put the tray on the counter. Jack stepped forward, and they stared at each other for a moment before moving slowly towards one another. Owen looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“I,” Owen started, eyes full of tears.

“I forgive you,” Jack replied. Owen nodded his head, and Jack reached out and grabbed him, pulling him close as Owen sobbed against his shoulder. He rubbed Owen’s back and kissed his head. Ianto saw the relief on Jack’s face as he hugged Owen. On the ship, lying on tangled sheets in the dark, Jack had admitted he was nervous about seeing Owen again, after all that had happened. He’d told Ianto that he loved Owen like his own brother, and it was obvious how they felt as they clung to each other. But Ianto knew they were both too damn stubborn to admit it to the other.

When Jack and Owen joined Ianto, Gwen, and Tosh, Jack looked around and said, “Hey, did you redecorate? I don’t remember those bullet holes.” He chuckled.

Gwen lunged forward and pushed him. “You left us, Jack!” Now that she’d hugged them and the initial shock had passed, she was furious.

“I know, I’m sorry.”

“We knew nothing, Jack!”

“Where were you?” Tosh asked.

“With the Doctor.”

“For two months?” Owen asked.

“The Master.” Ianto watched as the others stared at Jack. “I’m fine. It’s over.”

“What happened to him?” Owen asked.

“Dead.”

“And you’re alive?” Tosh exclaimed.

“I came back for you,” Jack said, looking at Ianto. Then his eyes swept across the others. “For all of you.”

“So, it’s over then?” Gwen asked.

“It’s over.”

“Good.” She turned, punching Ianto in the arm. “Because if either of you pull a fucking stunt like that again, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“She’s not kidding,” Ianto said, rubbing his arm. “I’ve seen her use a shotgun.”

“What?” Jack exclaimed.

“Me, too!” Tosh said proudly.

“Oh, you’ll love this story,” Owen said with a grin.

“Wait, before you tell me. Gwen, go get Rhys, and everyone meet me upstairs in half an hour. We’re taking tonight off,” Jack said.

“Why?” Tosh asked.

“We’ll reopen tomorrow. But tonight, we’re going to celebrate.”

“Celebrate what?” Gwen asked.

Jack smiled. “Life.”

*

The Hub was empty. Ianto felt like himself in a way he hadn’t in months. It was late, and he knew Jack was waiting upstairs, but he needed a few moments to himself. Behind the bar, drying and stacking teacups and wiping down the counter was a familiar pattern that covered him comfortably. It seemed that life was back to normal, leaving them all with nothing more harmful than a few scars here and there. And, Ianto knew, what were a few scars?

It startled him when he heard the sound of soft music floating from the speakers. He smiled.

“Can I have this dance, Mister Jones?”

Ianto turned around as he dropped the towel on the bar. “I thought you’d never ask, Captain Harkness.” He walked onto the dance floor, taking Jack’s hand as Jack settled his on Ianto’s shoulder. Ianto dropped his other hand to Jack’s waist and then stepped to the side.

He stared into Jack’s face, feeling like he’d never get enough of it. Being apart from him, knowing what happened to him during all that time made Ianto want to hold Jack even closer than before.

He’d doubted so much in the last months, doubted Jack’s feelings for him, but watching him look at Ianto with such love on his face, something opened up inside Ianto. Jack was a lot of things, and Jack had a dark side that frightened him, but the one thing Ianto couldn’t deny any longer was how much Jack loved him. He’d been a fool to doubt it in the first place. He was embarrassed by how much it took for him to understand that.

“What?” Jack asked with a crooked smile.

Ianto shook his head. “Just thinking about you.”

“That,” Jack said, moving a bit closer to Ianto, “is a very good thing to be thinking about.” Ianto leaned forward and kissed Jack softly. “Are you glad to be home?”

“I couldn’t be happier,” Ianto said. He let go of Jack’s side and stepped back, holding his arm up so Jack could twirl underneath. Then, he moved until their arms were stretched before tugging Jack towards him. Jack spun slowly, wrapping Ianto’s arm around him as his back came flush to Ianto’s chest. Ianto dropped a light kiss on his ear as he circled his free arm about Jack’s waist tightly.

Ianto let his eyes drift shut as they swayed to the music, his nose dragging lightly along the shell of Jack’s ear, his cheek, his neck and hair. His senses were filled with Jack, and it felt like dancing with him for the first time. He was consumed by his scent, the warmth radiating from his body, the slow beat of his heart, the even breaths. Ianto found himself unable to keep his lips off Jack’s skin, kissing lightly behind his ear and along his neck.

“I can’t believe we’re here,” Jack whispered. Ianto hummed in response as he worried the soft flesh behind Jack’s ear. “Where we first danced, first kissed. Where I first fell in love with you.”

“Here? Really?” Ianto asked, pulling away.

Jack turned his head slightly. “Yes. I think I fell in love with you on the dance floor.”

Ianto smiled against his skin before tugging his arm. Jack twirled and moved in close, hooking his hands around Ianto’s neck before kissing him deeply.

“Did you talk to Owen?” Ianto asked, moving at a slower rhythm than the song. Jack nodded. “Everything okay between you two?”

“We’re fine. Owen’s like my brother.” Jack shrugged. “But I did tell him if he ever pulls a gun on me again, he better have the balls to kill me or I’ll fucking kill him.”

Ianto chuckled, but then stopped. “You are joking, right?”

“I’ll let you know if Owen ever pulls a gun on me again.”

“Do you think things will go back to normal around here?” Ianto asked.

“I hope so. With the Doctor and Rose gone, things should settle down.”

“Are you glad he’s gone?”

Jack sighed and thought for a moment. “It’s been difficult. Every time he’s around, danger seems to be lurking just around the corner.”

“Do you really think I’m a liability?” Ianto suddenly asked.

Jack scrunched his face in confusion. “Huh?”

“I overheard the Doctor tell you that. And you agreed. In the flat.”

“Oh,” Jack said, finally catching on, and tightened his arms around Ianto’s neck. “I only agreed because I thought it’d keep you safe. I never wanted you to go with us because I knew it’d be dangerous. And I was right. You and Rhys almost died, and so did I.” Jack sighed. “As much as I love him, that’s why I don’t like him around. Maybe I’m getting old, but that kind of life isn’t for me anymore.”

“Maybe you’ve just changed.”

“I just want to sell my liquor, sell real estate, run the speakeasy, and make love to you. And maybe in a few years, we’ll get a sheep farm.” Jack grinned.

“You remember that?” Ianto asked incredulously.

“Of course. But I’m having too much fun with the Hub to move to the sheep farm just yet.”

Ianto smiled. “I agree. Besides, I doubt Prohibition will last forever. We’ve got to have something to look forward to.”

“As long as I’m with you, I don’t care.” Jack pulled Ianto tighter and kissed him.

*

The spotlight was bright and hot. But as the first swells of brass began, joined by soft percussion and pianos, Ianto felt everything shift into clear focus. He grabbed the microphone, his voice ringing out clearly across the packed dance floor. He watched as couples glided along the floor through the haze of smoke hanging in the air.

Gwen moved fluidly through the tables, laughing and flirting with customers as they bought cigarettes from her. The lights reflected off the stones on her dress every time she walked. Tosh was dancing with a regular patron, her face bright and shining as she laughed. Ianto couldn’t see Owen at the bar, but could see the people crowding around, waiting for drinks. And Rhys was by the door, checking passwords. The din of voices could be heard even over the music and Ianto’s singing, but it surrounded him like a comforting tune.

And most importantly, Ianto watched as Jack did the Charleston with an unfamiliar woman, his neck thrown back as he laughed at something, the distinct sound of his laughter ringing out across the noise. He glanced at Ianto and smiled, and Ianto knew that against all odds, he was finally home.

-fin

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 3 of Speakeasy