PROLOGUE

The team had all gone out to the Crown & Thistle for drinks and were gathered round a table discussing what Ianto kept calling 'One hell of a day'.

“Okay, so 'Hell'...What's that all about?” asked Owen

Jack shrugged “It was 'Hell' that's all”

“Yeah, but where is it? Are we talking some dimension where your nightmares come true, or...” Owen trailed off. They all stared at Jack, waiting for an answer.

“What?”

“Hell?” asked Toshiko, carefully “The system kept a lock on Ianto, but the coordinates, well, they weren't coordinates, they were wrong.” “Hell. Is it real? Is it a real place?”

Jack paused and laughed, shaking his head “No, course not.” “The system didn't recognise the coordinates because we were in some other dimension.” “Remember Suzie? She told us after you die it's just dark, there's nothing there.”

“She also said there was something watching, waiting.” said Ianto sipping his lager.

“Well...I guess we'll never know.” Jack grinned “It's more interesting that way.

**

Jack simply shrugged off the thought, really not wanting to continue the conversation, hoping for a change in topic. He had put on a 'brave face' as it were, not wanting to reveal any details and disillusion his team, but if questioned, he knew his resolve to withhold would only last so long, despite his better judgement. How could he hurt his team by telling them what really awaited them when they died? Should he be that cruel? Could he be? No, it was best he kept that life-altering information to himself. He desperately hoped that Ianto wouldn't pay too close attention to his face, because he knew the nonchalant facade he was attempting to maintain would be utterly useless against Ianto, his Welshman knew him far too well for it to fool him for long, if at all.

Ianto had surreptitiously watched Jack while they talked and within a few moments, he knew with absolute certainty that there was far more going on with Jack than he was letting on to everyone else. Ianto said nothing, choosing to remain confident that once he had some time alone with Jack, the man would divulge what he was holding back from the others. They had grown in their 'whatever this is' and they often talked about everything and nothing late into the night/early into the mornings, sharing more between them than just incessant shagging like the others assumed.

He caught Jack's eye with a soft smile and when Jack smiled at him, though to anyone else it would seem to be a genuine Jack Harkness smile, Ianto noticed quite easily how Jack's smile was forced and never quite reached Jack's beautiful eyes, eyes that never connected directly with Ianto's and seemed to look just past him. It was proof that Jack definitely was holding something back from the team, which he often did, but more importantly, even though he trusted Ianto more intimately than the others, he was hiding that 'something' from him as well … and that worried the young Welshman.

Jack had seen the near-imperceptible, (well, to anyone but him it was) look of recognition that had flashed across Ianto's face when Jack had smiled at him. 'He's finally figured out that I'm holding something back from all of them.' That knowledge caused him to pay more careful attention and now he noticed how Ianto was watching him from the corner of his eye. Ianto's covert, but nonetheless constant surveillance left him feeling quite exposed and slightly irritated, a feeling which began to give way to enveloping warmth as he realised, 'That's only because knows me so well … and because he cares.'

**

Tosh asked Gwen how her wedding plans were coming along.

“Oh, my god...Rhys.” she fumbled for her mobile, “ Ugh, I said I'd call him, he's probably going out of mind.”

“Maybe this'll help.” said Jack, pulling an envelope out of his pocket, he pushed it across the table towards her. She looked down at it and then back up at him.

“What?”

“Open it.”

She opened the envelope and took out two plane tickets “Paris?”

Jack nodded, telling her she needed to take the weekend off and spend some time with Rhys and do 'coupley-stuff' since it had been very busy lately and she had not gotten to spend time with him. He told her that they would see her Monday morning, and he kissed her cheek, sending her on her way. She left the bar while the others stayed and finished their drinks with Owen complaining, not surprisingly about his lack of a vaction and was interrupted within a few minutes as Tosh's portable rift monitor started it's familiar beeping from her bag. Drinks were quickly emptied as the remaining team members started back for the SUV to check on the Rift.

To be continued .....

It had taken the team almost an hour of searching to back-track the exact coordinates of the rift activity before they were finally able to locate the object which had sounded the alarm, discovering the artifact hidden among the weeds surrounding a decaying factory. Jack picked up what appeared to be a small, wooden box of some kind, intricately carved with a futuristic-sort of geometric pattern.

Tosh carefully placed the box inside the super-dense alien alloy case they kept in the boot of the SUV. The case was able to safely contain any residual rift energy the items placed in it may have retained after falling through the Rift. The four of them tiredly settled into their seats for the fairly long drive back to the Hub.

Ianto noticed that while normally unflappable, Jack was suddenly unusually quiet on the drive back, none of the typical innuendos, 'colorful' jokes or leering glances. He knew when something was bothering his lover, Jack was fairly easy to read once you got to know him, but with all that had happened to Jack he thought maybe he wouldn't push for an explanation just this once.

**

Once back at the Hub, bags were dropped next to workstations, and coats slung over chairs, except for Ianto's which was carefully hung on the coat rack, as they each settled in for what appeared would be a very long night.

“I suppose we could all use some coffee, yeah?” Ianto said to no one in particular but looking at each of them in turn for an answer. “Industrial strength?”

“Yeah, and you better keep 'em coming, Teaboy!” Owen barked from the med bay as he took his turn running the first tests to determine the safety of handling the artifact. 'Looks like we're gonna be here a while' he muttered to himself.

Ianto simply rolled his eyes before looking towards Tosh, flashing a smile at his friend.

“Yes, please, that would be fantastic, Ianto” Tosh replied with her usual polite, sweet smile.

Ianto turned his attention to Jack's office, expecting him to be in the doorway, lusting after him as usual and was shocked to find he was not. In light of the day's previous events, he took the steps up to the office a little faster than usual. Ianto's arrival uncharacteristically was unacknowledged by Jack as hesat back in his chair at his desk, his hands resting on his stomach, fingers laced together and silently staring at the desk top.

He tapped on the door frame before walking to the desk. “Just about to make some industrial strength, bring you a cup?” He smiled softly at Jack, fingers gently pushing a strand of hair off his lover's forehead before placing a gentle kiss there.

“Huh? That sounds great, Ianto.” he said quietly as his arm snaked round the young man's waist, his head coming to rest against Ianto's chest. Ianto had started rubbing his back in slow circles when Jack pulled away abruptly. He walked out of the office without a word, Ianto left staring in confusion at his back before frowning and heading to the kitchenette to make some much needed coffee.

“So how's it coming with those scans, Owen?” Jack said, forcing a smile as he leaned on the rail above the med bay.

“Well...” looking up at Jack, he started but then pausing as Ianto came down the stairs with his coffee mug. He looked at Ianto eyes full of the apology he was about to give when Ianto held up his hand and shook his head “Don't worry about it, long day for everyone.” as he turned on his heel, he couldn't help but notice Jack avoided his stare.

Owen noticed the exchange but kept his tongue. “Soooo... I've run all the scans I can to make sure this thing is safe to handle and that it is not emitting any weird alien 'sex gas' or anything” he smirked at Jack who returned the smile, albeit halfheartedly. “It seems to be just an ordinary wooden box, well, ordinary except for the carvings, that is.” he shrugged. “I gave it to Tosh about 20 minutes ago, she may have something more for you.”

Jack re-entered the main part of the Hub, quickly glancing round for Ianto, wanting to apologise for his distance, but he was nowhere to be seen. Jack darted his attention to the coat rack and was heartbroken to see Ianto's coat no longer occupying a hook. He smiled, though it never quite reached his eyes and walked over to Tosh.

“Whaddaya got for me, Tosh?”

Tosh, quite frankly, was stumped. She had examined every inch of the curious looking box and discovered, much to her annoyance, it had no obvious means of opening and it would probably take her several more long hours of scans and analysis to determine it's origin and possible threat level, if any, of it's contents.

“Honestly, Jack? Well … nothing.” she answered looking rather embarrassed. “I can't even figure out how to open it, much less what's inside.” she quickly continued, determined not to give up so easily. “But give me another hour or two and I should be able to give you something.”

The box had already been scanned thoroughly and deemed by Owen to be safe or at least to not be emitting anything dangerous, and therefore could wait. Jack put his hands on her shoulders and gently squeezed, kissing the top of her head.

“Go home, Tosh.” she spun round to look at him questioningly. He nodded, indicating that she had heard him correctly. “It'll keep til morning.”

He called over his shoulder to the med bay, “You too, Harper!” using that patented Jack Harkness 'Don't even think about arguing with me' voice.

“Don't have to tell me twice.” he quipped, putting on his jacket as he headed for the door before turning back, “Come on, Tosh, I'll give you a lift.”

“No thanks, Ianto's going to give me a lift.” she glanced around the Hub, brow furrowed “Wait, where is Ianto?”

Jack shifted uncomfortably at the question. “I'll let him know you got a lift from Owen. Go.” He met Owen's gaze over her head.

“C'mon, Tosh, Teaboy'll understand.”

“Okay, but I'll be back first thing tomorrow-” Jack cut her off.

“And you'll dazzle me with your brilliance when you open it.” he flashed her a smile, “Tomorrow.”

Owen, in an uncommon mood, acted every bit the gentleman and helped Tosh into her coat before offering her his arm as they both exited the Hub once the cog door rolled open.

After the cog door rolled shut, Jack called up the CCTV footage to look for Ianto. He watched as an hour earlier, Ianto had busied himself finishing the cleaning up of work stations and going round emptying bins, then grabbed his coat to leave. Jack turned off the cameras and trudged up to his office, assuming he had gone home.

Jack sat back down at his desk, exhausted. It was finally so quiet he had time to think, not that he'd wanted to, about all that had happened. He had laughed it off in the pub, for their sake, they didn't need to know how much it had broken him, it was too personal … 'Nothing's too personal for Ianto.' Ianto always pushed, even if it was only a little, when he knew there was something troubling Jack, tried his best to sooth him if he could. But just leaving? Without saying goodbye? That wasn't like his Ianto, it was almost like … like him.

There, in that place, it had all seemed so real, they had seemed so real, when it couldn't have been further from the truth. Jack had mistakenly thought he had returned home, it was so much like any 'normal' day … all except for Ianto, like now. A horrifying thought crept in 'Am I really home or is this just another 'hell' all over again?' The sudden irrational thought had him panicked, his mind racing as dread welled up inside him. He tried desperately to process everything he'd experienced there and weighed it against his 'real' life praying that it was finally over and he really was back home … with his Ianto.

**

Ianto had come up from the archives, grabbed his coat and been almost out the door, (after having decided that if Jack was going to ignore him or shut him out for the rest of the night, he'd make it easier on himself and just go home) when he suddenly couldn't remember if he had turned off the coffee machine or not. 'Would serve Jack right if it was on and it burnt out … no morning coffee.' he grumbled to himself as he ascended the kitchenette stairs.

He turned off the coffee machine, which he had indeed left on, an oversight on his part he realised was due to his worry over Jack. Pouring himself the last cup, he sat down at the boardroom table where just hours before, he thought he had lost Jack forever and subsequently how elated he was to get him back only to now feel like he was losing him all over again.

He should be in Jack's arms right now, holding him, comforting him after all he'd been through, he thought. No, he had tried to soothe his lover and Jack had rejected him, ignored him. He obviously didn't want Ianto's comfort no matter much Ianto wanted to give it to him, the thought making Ianto's heart ache. 'Had something happened in that place to make him turn away from me?'

He was hurt and angry at Jack for pushing him away, the anger quickly fading, after all it was Jack that had been in 'Hell' or something like it and though, try as he might, the hurt remained. He remembered the anguish and terror he felt when he found Jack at the base of the water tower, so broken he was unwilling to move and thereby slowly allowing himself to drown, a breath at a time after having given up all hope. How much must Jack have endured, it must have been something unfathomable because Jack was the strongest man Ianto knew and whatever it was had obviously broken Jack, for him to just surrender his life without a fight.

Jack was home, he was still alive and that was all that mattered. Helping Jack to heal from whatever trauma he had endured while 'there' was next on Ianto's list. That was only if he could get Jack to talk to him and Ianto doubted sadly that he ever would as he still refused to talk much about his time away with the Doctor.

'Oh … Jack.' A single choking sob wrenched itself free of Ianto, he held his head in his hands and then he silently wept for the man that he loved.

An indistinguishable noise reverberated loudly in the empty Hub, shaking Jack loose from his thoughts and putting him on alert.

'Shit. How long have I been sitting here?', he wondered looking at his watch. About an hour had passed since he had sent everyone home, or at least it had been about an hour since he had thought everyone left. He entered the main area of the HUB and could see all the lights had been turned out, all except one … in the boardroom. The boardroom was illuminated with what looked to be only the soft blue light coming from the monitor on the wall. Jack's heart sped up as he was filled with anxiety while simultaneously shaking off an eerie sort of deja vu as he slowly headed upstairs to check it out.

Jack silently ascended the metal staircase and cautiously stopped just outside the doorway of the boardroom, peering inside. His heart clenched as he saw Ianto was sitting alone, with head in his hands and his elbows resting on the tabletop, silently crying and staring down at the table. Jack knew how Ianto felt about showing his emotions publicly and didn't want to embarrass him, but the sight of him so upset and instinctively knowing that he was most likely the cause, made Jack's heart ache to hold him and make everything okay.

“Ianto, please don't cry. I'm so sorry about earlier, tell me how I can fix this.” he pleaded as he sat down next to Ianto and stroked his back lovingly. Ianto never looked up, though he replied softly, “It's okay, Jack. I understand, you-.”

Jack cut him off. “It's not okay, Ianto! I hurt you, made you cry. You never cry, you're one of the strongest men I know. So don't tell me it's okay, Ianto, because I know it's not.”

There was a long silence, until Ianto said almost inaudibly, “It's just that- I thought that I'd lost you, Jack”, his gaze slowly lifted to Jack's face, showing beautiful eyes marred by tears. “And then I get you back and I was so relieved only to have you turn around and push me away.”

"I know, Ianto, I thought I'd lost you, too ..." replied Jack almost as quietly “you know, when I was- never mind, it doesn't matter.”, he put hims arms around Ianto drawing him close. This quiet, unfinished admission giving Ianto a small clue as to how horrific what Jack had endured might have been as he continued, “I didn't mean to react that way, it was just-” Jack sort of faded, his eyes glassing over as he got a faraway look on his face and sat unmoving for a long moment before he flinched a look of physical pain flashing across Jack's face.

Ianto's pity for himself disappeared instantly as his concern became focused solely on Jack “Jack, what's the matter? JACK?!” Ianto insisted as his eyes and hands searched Jack over carefully as if searching for some overlooked mark, his hand coming to rest on top of Jack's on the table, as Jack closed his eyes, nodding lightly.

“Are you sure you're alright?”

Ianto watched the awareness slowly return to his eyes and Jack spoke quietly, “Yes, I'm- I'm fine now … all thanks to you.” he said as he covered Ianto's hand with his other and smiled lovingly at him. “You … came for me … risked yourself … to save me." Jack whispered tearfully, a look of awe in his eyes, eyes that quickly turned steely. “Please promise me you'll never do that again, I couldn't live with myself if you- ” he swallowed hard, choking back the thought of Ianto hurt or worse, not able to even say it out loud, “ … because of me.”

“I had to, Jack, and I'd do it again. The thought of you stuck there, tortured, for the rest of eternity, all because you aren't able to d-” Ianto faltered, unable to finish the word, emotion welling up, “It … broke my heart, Jack, the thought of you in that kind of pain- ”

Jack reached out, laying his fingers on Ianto's trembling lips, “Shh, you brought me back.” he whispered as he stared into Ianto's eyes, stroking the side of Ianto's face gently. “That's all that matters now.”

Ianto wiped his eyes brusquely with the back of his hand and sniffed, stating self-deprecatingly, “You were the one, you know, yet I'm the one sitting here crying. God, you must think I'm such a prat.” he rolled his eyes, annoyed with himself, shaking his head.

Jack smiled adoringly at him and kissed him softly on the lips with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I think it's kinda cute … you so missed me.”

“You going to tell me about it ?” he asked quietly, thinking that just this once, Jack might really might need him to ignore the inclination that he shouldn't pry. He didn't think he should wait and hope that Jack would tell him if and when he was ready, which to be honest, would probably be never. Ianto still wasn't privy to all the events of the time Jack spent away from him with the Doctor. When Jack didn't respond, Ianto backed down. “N-Never mind, Jack … um, you don't need to- ” he trailed off as he lowered his eyes to the table again, muttering “S'none of my business. ”

Jack knew that he needed to talk this out with Ianto, he was the only one Jack trusted enough, the one who might possibly understand the despair he felt. He hated the thought of keeping it from Ianto, but hated the thought of laying himself so emotionally bare as he would have to do if he explained his version of 'Hell' to his lover. The thought of how Ianto no doubt would be hurt by the unveiling of the truth weighed heavy on Jack as well. Ianto would certainly feel personally responsible for it, even though it was logically impossible for him to be at fault. Jack knew Ianto would take the blame on himself, earned or not and in this case, logic be damned.

“Ianto-” Jack started to answer then, shuddering slightly glanced around the boardroom, a chill running down his spine, as a wave of nightmarish memories quickly flooded his brain, momentarily forcing him to relive the soul-crushing events from earlier in an exact replica of this room. Events which knew logically had taken place 'there', but his mind and body were not quite in agreement on that fact. Therefore, Jack's body reacted to the resemblance of this darkened room to the one from 'Hell' and he was swiftly swept up in the midst of a blind panic, his heart racing, mouth going dry, feeling an overwhelming and undeniable urge to run, to escape.

“Jack?” Ianto was instantly aware that Jack's normal breathing pattern had changed, becoming more rapid, though not in excitement, but in … was it fear? Surely not fear, Jack never showed fear. In all the time Ianto had been at Torchwood, this was the one emotion he had never seen displayed by his lover. The very thought of anything happening to Jack which had been damaging enough to be able to instill fear in him over it sent a chill down Ianto's spine, a chill that settled heavy and thick into his very core.

“C'mon.” Jack blurted as he visibly flinched, then unsuccessfully tried to mask his feelings with a little flirty smile, which came across as halfhearted at best. “Um … buy me a drink?”

“Sure, or we could … uh, always go back to mine?” he offered hesitantly. Ianto could see the desperation in his eyes, the need for escape etched deeply in Jack's face, all the signs screaming his frantic need to get away, to be anywhere but here. Ianto felt a pang in his heart, wanting nothing more than to give Jack whatever he needed from him, as Jack had done for him so many times before.

'Yes, please, yes' Jack thought, that's exactly where he wanted to be right now, no, where he needed to be was with Ianto, to be wrapped in his strong arms, where he always felt safe and protected. Jack still couldn't admit, even to himself, just how much he needed his young Welshman sometimes. Tonight, he desperately needed Ianto, not only to comfort him, to hold him, to love him, but to make him feel whole again.

“I like the way you think, Jones.” Jack attempted his trademark leer, still trying hard to hide his fear from Ianto and failing miserably.

No words were exchanged between the two men at all during the first fifteen minutes of the ride to the flat. Ianto concentrated on the road as Jack sat in the passenger seat silently, Ianto's hand held firmly in his, grounding him. He felt safe with his Ianto, gaining comfort and strength from his grasp, his fear slowly beginning to subside.

This was his Ianto, he reminded himself over and over like a soothing mantra, the Ianto that Jack knew and loved and the Ianto that loved him in return, not that … that other Ianto, the one who caused him such misery and heartache. Jack studied his lover openly the remainder of the ride, causing Ianto to glance at him repeatedly and smile nervously as he tried to decipher the thoughts and emotions running through Jack so that he'd know how best to help him.

“What?” Ianto finally asked after a few minutes of Jack's staring.

“What?” he shrugged “I can't just look at you?” Jack frowned playfully, then raised a mischievous eyebrow. “Besides, I seem to recall you like it when I look at you.”

“With you, sir, it's never just a look.” Ianto grinned as he saw the Jack he loved slowly starting to emerge again.

They pulled up in front of the flat and Ianto turned off the engine, but didn't make any move to get out right away. He didn't want to let go of Jack's hand, not just yet, he enjoyed the feel of Jack's hand in his. Jack made no move to let go either, they both sat staring at their hands clasped between them on the console, fingers intertwined. Ianto sighed as he flexed his fingers and used his thumb to playfully trace inside Jack's palm. When he looked up, Jack was smiling, looking at their hands. Ianto squeezed gently and Jack returned the squeeze, giving Ianto a look that clearly said 'I 'm not ready to let go, either.'

“Shall we … um, go inside, now?” Ianto asked, suddenly looking a bit nervous and unsure of himself.

“Definitely.” Jack smiled “You still owe me that drink, you know.”

They reluctantly let go of each others hand, uttering mutual sighs of disappointment at the loss of contact and exited the SUV. Jack walked round the SUV to join Ianto as they unconsciously reached for each others' hand, needing to regain contact again, both men simultaneously laughing out loud as they nervously headed upstairs towards Ianto's flat.

As they ascended the staircase, Jack suddenly realized that in all the time he and Ianto had been 'together', he had never been here before. They had always seemed to wind up back at the Hub for their 'trysts', usually due to some artifact or piece of random junk falling through the rift and setting off an alarm, much like this evening. The 'where' had never been an issue, wherever Ianto was, that's where Jack was going to be. He didn't care where they spent their time, as long as they were together, any time spent with Ianto was always the best part of the day for Jack.

With trembling hands, Ianto fumbled with his keys while trying to find the right one before dropping them on the ground. Jack bent over and picked them up, handing them back to Ianto, who found the correct one and slid it into the lock. He turned the key in the lock and opened the front door, holding it open for Jack with one hand as he gestured Jack inside with the other. It was dark inside, the only light filtering in through the open door.

“Here, let me just, uh, get the lights” said Ianto distractedly, his hand searching the wall blindly as if he suddenly had no idea where the switch was. “Yep, that's it there, got it.” soft light illuminated half of the flat, the other still left filled in shadows.

Ianto kicked off his shoes by the front door, hanging his suit jacket and keys on hooks by the door, then he helped Jack out of his greatcoat, reverently hanging it up as Jack removed his boots. Jack's eyes twinkled as he observed Ianto's usual gentle treatment of his greatcoat as he walked across the pristine white carpet, enjoying it's soft plushness beneath his feet.

Unable to resist teasing his lover about his obvious affinity for Jack's greatcoat, he quipped playfully, shaking his head, “You and that coat, Ianto. ”

Ianto's eyes were full of mirth as he tried to look affronted, “No worse than you and my suits, SIR.” Jack's only response being a raised eyebrow.

Jack looked around the flat, finding three doors on the left, two doors grouped together and one slightly offset, 'I wonder which of of those is the bedroom? ', Jack surmised with a grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

Watching him from the entryway, Ianto saw where his lover was looking as the grin spread across Jack's face. 'Leave it to Jack to locate the bedrooms straightaway', Ianto thought to himself with a smile.

It was an extremely nice flat, though longer and more narrow than most, it looked very much like Jack had thought it might. The kitchen area was just inside the front door to the right, containing a small, rectangular glass-topped table against the wall with three chairs surrounding it. The very clean and organized space and the sleek chrome appliances were not a surprise, they suited Ianto.

'A little too organized - also very Ianto' the thought bringing a smile to Jack's face.

The kitchen area then opened into the lounge over the bar-style counter, featuring a sleek black sofa on one wall, low ebony colored coffee table held up by massive steel-pipe legs in front of it, facing a rather oppressive looking flat screen occupying most of the opposite wall. Jack looked at the size of the screen, raised an eyebrow at Ianto, and grinned.

“Nice place, Ianto.” said Jack “Love the telly by the way.”

“Really, sir? I kind of thought it a bit on the small side.” he deadpanned, glancing at the television, causing Jack to laugh, effectively breaking some of the tension that began when they entered the flat.

Normally thoroughly unflappable, Ianto now looked more than a little lost as Jack watched him aimlessly wander about the kitchen looking a little nervous. Jack couldn't help but find it totally adorable the way his presence in the flat seemed to unbalance Ianto.

“What was I doing?” Ianto muttered to himself, “Oh, right … drinks.” smiling nervously, he wandered to the kitchen cupboards near the ceiling, producing glasses out of one cupboard and a liquor bottle from another.

“Here you go, Jack.” Ianto handed Jack a half-full glass and turned back to set his own, along with a full bottle of liquor, over on the coffee table.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the room just beyond the light's reach, Jack was staring out the large floor to ceiling windows at the gorgeous view of the city lights at night, deep in thought. Ianto removed his waistcoat and tie, taking care in folding them and placing them neatly over the back of an armchair. Ianto unfastened his cuffs and did up his sleeves as he stared at Jack with a little more than his usual amount of awe.

Moonlight was cascading through the window bathing Jack in an ethereal glow, further enhancing his already chiseled features. Ianto silently crossed the space between them and put his arms lovingly around Jack's waist, and nuzzled his neck. Ianto felt Jack relax into him and sigh heavily.

'I know that sigh' thought Ianto, though he could not see his face, he knew that Jack's eyes had now closed. It was the same contented sigh Ianto heard when he nestled close to Jack's neck in bed.

Ianto was shaken from his thoughts, as Jack's arm come to rest on top of his, Jack's fingers seeming to melt between his own. Jack tilted his head back to rest against Ianto's shoulder as he lovingly squeezed and stroked Ianto's hand with the side of his thumb. They stood there in complete silence for what felt like an eternity before Jack sort of whispered.

“Are you sure you want to hear it all? It was … really horrible.”

Ianto turned his head, pressing his lips to Jack's neck in a silent gesture of comfort, holding them there for a moment as he thought carefully before giving him an answer.

“I know how bad I am imagining that it was … so, yes I want to know, but only if you are ready to tell me, Jack.”, softly whispering in Jack's ear as Jack slowly nodded.

“God, Ianto, I was so scared … ” his whispered admission drifted off into the ether.

'Jack is never scared of anything.' Ianto felt the color drain from his face as his blood ran cold. 'Shit, this is gonna be worse than I thought.'

Ianto silently pondered Jack's admission of fear, suddenly feeling nervous and unsure, reconsidering his request that Jack confide in him about his ordeal. 'Can I handle hearing what Jack had endured, especially if it was harrowing enough to instill fear in his normally fearless lover? When Jack turned in Ianto's arms to face him, his hand cupping Ianto's face while kissing him softly on the mouth, Ianto thought, 'For him, I can do anything, just as he would for me.' Ianto let Jack leading him almost shyly by the hand across the room to the comfort of the sofa. Jack set the yet to be touched glass of amber liquid on the coffee table and sat down, pulling Ianto gently down beside him.

The lovers sat facing one another, Ianto with his leg bent between them up on the sofa while his arm draped across the back, comfortingly resting his hand on the back of Jack's neck as he feathered the soft hair there. Ianto gave it a light and reassuring squeeze as he turned his attention to his own forgotten glass. He quickly downed it in one gulp and exhaled sharply at the heavy burn.

“Easy, Ianto. Though I'm sure you're gonna need it … and probably a few more, too.” Jack muttered.

Ianto grabbed the liquor bottle of the coffee table as Jack emptied his own glass. Ianto tipped the bottle in the air towards Jack with a questioning look and Jack nodded. Ianto started to pour a few fingers worth of the rich amber liquid for Jack, when Jack reached out and tipped the bottle bottom to pour a full glass with a wry smile.

“I think we deserve to over-indulge a little, tonight, don't you?”

Ianto nodded in silent agreement, not quite sure of what subjects this discussion would entail anyhow and he threw caution to the wind, pouring himself a whole glass as well. They both held their glasses aloft in silent toast and then they both tipped and drank until their glasses were drained.

Jack told Ianto, in agonizing detail, all that had transpired, the tale-telling spanning an hour or two's time and several more subsequently refilled/quickly drained glasses. Jack began his tale with being sent to 'Hell', realizing where he was and (as Jack had mistakenly thought) a means of escape. He then began describing to Ianto about his miraculous 'return', how his joy and relief were short-lived, as he quickly began discovering little inconsistencies upon his return. Inconsistencies which when added together, ultimately led Jack to the realisation that while he had thought he'd escaped and was 'home', he had merely been deceived into believing he had and he was still 'there'.

While starting a second bottle, most of which was being consumed by him, Jack talked of how he murdered Jefferson down in the cells, sadistically breaking the man's arm before ruthlessly stomping on his head without a second thought. Jack paused and began tearing up, though trying to remain composed while describing in heart-wrenching detail how he had shot Gwen point-blank through the heart in cold blood. The tale of his harrowing ordeal continued further as he told Ianto how he then was informed of Owen and Tosh's fatal car accident.

The final two refills of the glass preceded Jack's halting description to Ianto of how the alien creatures had come to Earth and killed everyone on it by destroying every power plant on the planet and therefore plunging it to darkness and chaos. Every single other living being on Earth, that is, with the exception of himself, who was left to suffer, alone and desperate in complete darkness for all eternity.

Jack had quickly decided against telling his young lover how he had been trapped there in endless torment, spanning the course of five years for him, while for Torchwood it was only a day. Jack also withheld that while he was imprisoned there, he had tried to end his torture and his life by shooting himself repeatedly, to no avail. Jack knew Ianto far too well, and fearing what that single piece of knowledge alone would do to him on top of everything else, he kept quiet.

Ianto had listened in silent sympathy as Jack spoke, feeling Jack's pain as physically as if it were his own, and one thing had been nagging at him, but his usually sharp mental clarity had diminished more with every drink he'd consumed, so he was finding it difficult to suss out exactly what that might be. After a few moments of silent deliberation, it hit him. Jack, during the entire retelling of his hellish ordeal, had not mentioned Ianto, not even once. In fact, the more Ianto thought about it, it almost seemed as if Jack had purposely gone out of his way to avoid making any mention of Ianto at all.

This glaringly blatant avoidance to mention Ianto began a surging storm of anxiety deep inside the Welshman. His mind, though muddled by alcohol, struggled to think and began creating hellishly tormenting scenarios and as horrible as the events Jack had already told him were, it seemed that at least in Jack's opinion, all that he had already told Ianto was obviously far less torturous than whatever he was trying so desperately to hide from Ianto now.

Ianto furrowed his brow, his clouded brain valiantly refusing to give up working the puzzle. 'What could be worse than all Jack had told him? What had happened to Jack that could possibly be so horrible that he couldn't tell me? And why don't I have any part in this 'hell' of his? Wait, is that it? What happened to me? Did Jack-? Bloody hell! He'd shot Gwen, had Jack hurt him as well? Is that what he didn't want to tell me? No, Jack would never hurt me, so then maybe it was-' Wait! That had to be it! I must have done something. Why else would he not mention him? God, what had he done?

A look of dread slowly crept across his face, “You … haven't mentioned me, Jack, not once-”, he swallowed the lump in his throat as Jack refused to look Ianto in the eye. “why everyone else … but not me. What did I do there, Jack?” Ianto's voice broke, “Oh, Jack, what did I do to you?”

Jack was silent for a few minutes before he haltingly started to speak. “I had thought, that … that I was here, I thought I had … you know, made it back home.” Jack began a rambling whisper, getting lost in his thoughts, talking to himself and forgetting Ianto was there. “You just don't understand, no one can, that place seemed so real, so much like this one, just like this one. But it wasn't this one, couldn't be this one. Everything looked the same, everyone acted the same, and it felt the same. I should've known, you weren't you, it wasn't you, but it was you, so confusing, but you seemed so real and it looked like you, and it sounded like you, but that- No, I should've known it wasn't you, it was never really you-”

Ianto watched, horrified as Jack began talking to himself, faster and faster as his eyes glassed over again, totally unaware of Ianto's presence, just like Ianto's mum used to before they had put her in the institution.

Panicking, he grabbed Jack's face with both hands and tilted it up at him, “Jack? Jack, please? Jack, stop it!”

Jack slowly came around and stopped rambling as Ianto shook him. “It will be alright, Jack. Whatever it is you're keeping from me, just tell me, Jack. Please, I can't help if you don't tell me.”

Jack pulled Ianto tightly against him, dread filling him at the thought of the hurt he knew he was about to bestow on Ianto as he nestled Ianto's head in the crook of his neck. “Alright, Ianto, I will. I don't want to, but I will.”

* ~ TW~ *Start of excerpt from the audiobook, 'In the Shadows by Joseph Lidster* ~ TW~ *

He wasn't thinking about Gwen, not anymore, not at all. Not thinking about her eyes staring at him as they clouded over, all the blood spreading across her shirt and staining his. He wasn't thinking about it. He wasn't going to think about it. He was going to find Ianto Jones and everything would be okay, he'd help him. Ianto loved him, he'd forgive him. He'd rescue Jack from the shadows.

He burst through the boardroom doors and Ianto was there and he was with Darren Soursby. He had his arms around Darren and they were...

Suddenly, Ianto broke away from the kiss and turned to Jack with a leering grin “You always forget about the little people, don'tcha, Jack?”

Ianto shouted at Darren at the back of them room, “Get dressed and get out. This is between me and Jack.”

“I-I don't understand, Ianto … ” Jack had fallen back against the door frame. He felt sick.

Ianto leered at him as he pulled on his shirt. “Well, it's not like you've stayed faithful, is it sir? I've spent months watching you flirt and kiss and carry on. If I'd ever trusted you, I'd say my ickle heart would be breaking right now.”

Jack watched as his … “friend” buttoned up his shirt and pulled on his suit jacket.

“Thing is, sir … I never trusted you.”

Suddenly Ianto turned and roared at Darren. “I SAID GET OUT!” The young man, still only half-dressed, ran through the room and stumbled past Jack.

Jack, staring at Ianto, didn't even notice. “Sit down … SIR. Let me get you a coffee.”

Jack, his hurt starting to give way to a cold anger, sat down at the head of the desk.

Ianto, for once not bothering to put his tie on, went over to the side table and prepared some coffee.

“Did you really trust me, Jack? Oh, no, that's sweet. I mean I suppose I fooled you the first time we met, so I shouldn't be surprised you fell for it a second time.” He came over with two coffees, handed one to Jack and sat down next to him. “You killed Lisa.”

Jack blinked and turned to face him, “I did what?”

“You killed Lisa.” He took a sip of his coffee. “You killed the woman I loved.” Suddenly he laughed, “And you think I then fall in love with you? I was using you, Jack, the same way everyone does.”

Jack shook his head, “N-N, ... No, it wasn't like that. You grieved, you moved on. We saved you from her, from your … madness.”

Ianto shook his head and put a hand on Jack's shoulder, “Yeah, yeah, if that's what you wanna believe.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to get close to you so I could hurt you the way you hurt me. And it was easy, so easy. I suppose though, deep down you've always known you couldn't trust people, 'aven't you?”

Jack pushed back into his chair, scared as Ianto's dark eyes bored into him, staring into his soul. “Even your hero.” Ianto took another sip of coffee, “Even he abandoned you after your first resurrection.”

“No” said Jack quietly.

“Then there was Alex and Suzie and how many others? Eh, Jack? How many others have betrayed you? And you go on and on about the darkness, but … ”

Suddenly Ianto flung his coffee against the wall, the mug shattered into a thousand pieces, noise burning into Jack's mind. “The darkness is here, Jack, it's in us, it's in all of us. You can't save us from ourselves. We all use you in the end.”

“No” said Jack again “No”

“Yes, yes, I used ya, Jack, the same way we all do.”

“Ianto, I trust you, this isn't you. I know who you are and this isn't you.”

Ianto stood up calmly “You always think you know best don't you? But yeah, you got it wrong, again.”

“Oh, you're not drinking your coffee?” Jack shook his head.

“You think I've poisoned it?” Jack nodded.

“You still don't understand, you. God, you're stupid.”

Jack shook his head. The whispering voices were back, taunting him.

“I'm not here to kill you, Jack. I'm here so you can kill me, like Suzie, like Gwen.” Jack looked up at the man he … the man he loved. Then, tears pouring down his face, he opened up the box of matches.

“That's it, Jack.” Ianto grinned. He held his arms aloft and laughed, “Bring it on!”

Jack didn't look as the shadow lunged out of the box, enveloped Ianto and took him to hell.

* ~ TW~ *End of excerpt from the audiobook, 'In the Shadows by Joseph Lidster* ~ TW~ *

Ianto choked back the rising lump in his throat as he listened to the anguish in Jack's voice as he recalled the events in the boardroom. Finding him in Darren's arms, kissing him, Ianto unashamed and unapologetic when Jack caught them, cruel even. Ianto's heart ached as Jack repeated the hate-filled words the hellish version of himself had hurled at him.

“You said … you didn't love me, that you were just … using me” Jack paused, tears in his eyes, “To-to … get back at me for killing Lisa.” Ianto closed his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. Jack put his hand on Ianto's thigh and squeezed. “But it wasn't you, not really and I should have known that.”

“But how, Jack? You couldn't know that! You thought it was me! How could ya not? Even if it was saying all those disgusting lies, the thing standin' there, wearin' my face! My god, Jack, I can't even imagine- ”

Ianto could not finish, his thoughts racing, the pain in his heart, the sick feeling in his stomach, how it would have shredded him to hear Jack utter even a few of those same words to him, much less all at once and delivered so hatefully.

“How? How could you ever look at me, Jack, without feeling it all over again?” Ianto finally whispered, putting his head in his hands, tears still in his eyes. “I'm so sorry-”

“Look at me, Ianto.” Jack said firmly as he turned towards him, cupping Ianto's face in his hands.

“Can't ” he whispered refusing to look up.

“Look at me, Ianto, and listen to me very carefully when I say this.”

Ianto lifted his tear-filled eyes to Jack's face, eyes that were now full of sorrow and anguish knowing the heartbreak that had been delivered to Jack, for all intents and purposes, by his own hand. After a long moment, Ianto finally looked deeply into Jack's eyes, astonished to see them full of love, just as they always were when Jack looked at him.

“You want to know how I can look at you and not remember those words?”

Ianto opened and then closed his mouth as if to speak but only managed a nod.

Jack looked Ianto square in the eye, unblinking and said, with tears welling in his eyes again.

“You, this right here, that's how.” Jack paused, placing his hand firmly over Ianto's heart.

“It wasn't even your fault, it was some alternate version of you and yet you still feel responsible.” Jack smiled at him in loving wonderment and continued, “Your heart, Ianto. That wonderful part that is so uniquely you. That's how I can look at you and not see him. You could never be like that, it's just not you.” Ianto, in his embarrassment, tried to look away, but Jack held tight, kissing his lips softly.

“You … came to hell to save me, to bring me back, even when you weren't sure it would work and even though it meant you might be stuck as well. You risked your life for me, Ianto,” he sighed, closing his eyes “That is so much stronger than any words-”

Ianto interrupted him. “I love you, Jack, what else could I do? I couldn't just leave you there.” he whispered vehemently.

“I love you, too, Ianto, so much. I'm glad you found me, just please don't ever risk your life for me like that again.” Jack kissed Ianto deeply. 'I know what it's like to lose you now.' he thought to himself.

Ianto unconsciously patted his pocket while he silently debated with himself whether he should get Jack's permission or just slip it in his drink and damn the consequences. After the day that Jack had, though, he decided to not make the choice for Jack, but to let him make the decision himself.

“I , uh, took the liberty of procuring these before we left tonight, just in case.” He took out two Retcon pills and silently placed them on the table in front of Jack.

“The last few hours or the whole day?” he asked quietly.

“The whole day, if the dosage is correct.” he held Jack's hand.

“If I'm taking it so are you, Ianto. I don't want you remembering this either.”

“I had already figured as much, sir.”

They each took a pill, placed it in their mouth and washed it down, or so Jack wanted Ianto to think. In truth, Jack had merely palmed the retcon, knowing he needed to remember this day, all of it, even 'hell' so that he would never forget how much he loved Ianto, needed Ianto, how it would feel to lose him, or more importantly, how Ianto had risked himself to save him.

He hated lying to Ianto, but he couldn't stand the look of pain and guilt on his young lover's face, guilt for things he wasn't even responsible for. Ianto would never remember and Jack would make sure it was never again brought up, and pretend it had never happened. He slipped the pill in his pocket while Ianto wasn't looking.

How similar he and Ianto were, like a matched pair, though neither one of them realised just how equally so. Great minds thinking alike, his young Welshman had palmed his pill as well, shoving it into the couch when Jack wasn't looking, for he had no intention of forgetting this day. Ianto hated lying to Jack, he had promised himself after Lisa never to do it again, for any reason. These last few hours spent with Jack at his flat were worth remembering, hell or no hell.

Ianto's only thought was for Jack, and for him to forget all that had happened to him today in 'hell', but he brought two pills because he knew Jack would not take it without letting Ianto forget as well. Ianto, with his almost mechanical ability to compartmentalize and bury emotion, never had any intention of taking the Retcon. He preferred to keep his memories intact, whether good, bad or indifferent.

Ianto laid back on the couch, pulling Jack with him, enjoying the closeness of Jack's body as they kissed languorously with Jack settled in next to Ianto. Jack burrowed himself contentedly in Ianto's arms, his head resting on Ianto's chest, his pelvis pressed against Ianto's hip, with their legs comfortably twined together. Thoroughly exhausted, each man's breathing quickly evened out, their breathing almost perfectly matched as they began the slow descent into sleep.

On the edge of slumber, Ianto closed his eyes and pressed his lips to Jack's forehead, Jack's hair tickling Ianto's nose. The intoxicating smell drove Ianto wild most nights, but now it acted as more of a sedative, though most likely it was the alcohol making his eyes drift closed, his arm possessively around Jack, slow fingertips ghosting up and down Jack's arm as it rested on Ianto's chest. Ianto's other hand was curled firmly around Jack's, which lay directly over Ianto's heart.

Ianto opened his eyes slowly becoming aware of several things. First, he was in his flat on his couch and it was still dark out, the dull headache alerted him that he was more than slightly intoxicated, and then lastly he felt a heavy weight holding him down … Jack . Jack was here with him, in his flat, asleep in his arms. That last thought brought a contented sigh and also a sudden flush throughout his body.

“Ianto, you 'wake?”

'Unnhh … g'back to sleep, Jack' he thought, not wanting to answer. No matter how uncomfortable the sofa had become, and it was definitely more 'form' than 'function', he loved having Jack this close and didn't want to move. He had the nagging feeling, however, that Jack was not about to let him go back to sleep anytime soon. So it greatly surprised him that Jack lay motionless long enough for Ianto to fall back asleep again … almost.

“Hey, Ianto, you 'wake?” Jack softly and sluggishly whispered.

Ianto could feel Jack's soft breath on his cheek now, the rich smell of alcohol and something totally 'Jack' filling his nostrils, leading him to believe that maybe Jack was drunk as well, and was currently nose to nose with him staring at him for some sign of Ianto being awake. 'Can Jack even get drunk?' came the fleeting thought as he lay still and silently waiting, until a few seconds later, he felt Jack lay back down. He silently laughed before he could stop himself at the sudden image in his mind of Jack staring into his face, like a kid waiting for parents to wake up at Christmas. He hoped Jack hadn't noticed and would go back to sleep, but his instincts had told him differently and he should have listened.

“You are and you're ignoring me!” Jack cried indignantly as popped up to look at Ianto. Ugh, he had felt the laugh.

'Shit.' Ianto thought to himself, unable to help the involuntary roll of his eyes beneath the closed lids.

“Did you- you did! You just rolled your eyes at me, Ianto Jones!” he cried in mock outrage.

“M' eyes are closed, Jack … cos unlike you, was trying t'sleep” he mumbled groggily, eyes still shut, maintaining a straight face as he rolled his eyes again, for fun.

“You just did it again!”

“Yes … and now that I've been so rudely awakened” saying playfully as he opened his eyes “I'm going in there to my rather large bed, instead of this tiny little sofa.”

“But, don't you like this tiny little sofa?” Jack snuggled closer as he put emphasis on the word 'tiny'.

“Yes, in fact, that would be why I bought it, Jack.” he sighed heavily in aggravation, “I wouldn't look at a sofa in a store and say 'You know, I really hate this sofa, but I'll just buy it anyway', honestly Jack.” he punctuated his statement with a genuine eye-roll before continuing, “Anyways, you're not the one with a sore neck and back, plus I much prefer my bed, so off you go.”

“I think maybe I could do something about your neck and back”, the words dripping seductively off his tongue as his eyes traveled from Ianto's lips down to his groin. “Among other things...” .

Ianto shook his head smiling and gave him a playful push, sliding out from under him. Jack let out a disappointed grunt, dropping face-down back onto the couch. Ianto shivered as the cool air hit the warm spot that Jack's body had previously occupied. He took a step, then turned back to the couch and held his hand out, palm up, wiggling his fingers in invitation.

“You coming to bed or not, Sir?” he teased with a smirk, words slightly slurred.

It seemed quite odd sometimes that Ianto still address him so formally especially as intimately as they knew one another. However, Ianto knew how a well-placed or inflected 'Sir' left Jack almost always like putty in his hands and powerless to resist. Just now, it's utterance made Jack's eyes spark and he flashed those killer dimples. 'Dimples' Ianto thought as he stared at Jack, 'those really should be a crime' the thought evoking a familiar sensation in his groin, his trousers becoming increasingly constricting.

“Well, are you?” motioning again with his hand, “Or am I going to toss you over my shoulder 'n carry you?” he teased, emboldened by the alcohol he'd consumed, his smile morphing into a mischievous smirk.

Jack thought for a moment about the prospect of his young Welshman carrying him bodily to bed. Maybe a moment too long, considering he now felt that all-too-familiar strain against the fabric of his trousers. 'This could turn out to be quite fun.'

He propped himself up on an elbow and smirked at Ianto, taunting him, “I'd like to see you try, Jones.”

'Was he serious? Well, he certainly looked serious - seriously fuckable' Ianto thought, unconsciously wetting his lips, the familiar heat stirring in his groin. 'This could turn out to be quite fun.'

He raised an eyebrow and rushed the sofa, pushing his shoulder into Jack's stomach, grabbing his legs and quickly lifting him in the air, draping him over his shoulder. Jack emitted a rather high-pitched sort of screech, which he'd vehemently deny later, caught by surprise that Ianto would actually do it.

“I'm sorry, Sir, you were saying? Something about trying?” he deadpanned.

“Alright, Ianto, you made your point, you can put me down now.”

“And I do believe you've made your point as well, sir.” he said seductively, shifting his shoulder under Jack's burgeoning erection as he started towards the bedroom.

The movement was not lost on Jack, who was now fully aware that his erection was increasing, quickly progressing towards raging, and currently pressing into Ianto's upper shoulder. He could feel Ianto's hand firmly pressed into the crease between the back of his thigh and arse cheek as Ianto slowly squeezed, eliciting a soft moan from Jack.

'Two can play this game' he thought, slipping his hand inside Ianto's trousers, grabbing his sexy Welshman's arse.

“Oi!” Ianto yelped, causing Jack to laugh uncontrollably.

Ianto knew he had Jack right where he wanted him. He slipped his hand inward to squeeze Jack's inner thigh, his fingertips barely brushing against his ball-sac, hitching Jack's breath in pleasured response. That small sound, combined with the feel of Jack's strong hands fondling his arse had progressed Ianto from semi-hard to fully erect in a fraction of a second.

He carried Jack through the bedroom doors, and in one fluid motion, flipped Jack off his shoulder and down onto his back. Ianto fell on top of Jack, playfully grinding his hips down into him, both of them erupting into laughter.

“So I guess we're not going back to sleep now, then?” Jack grinned.

“Well, if you'd rather sleep-” he trailed off grinning as he started to roll off of Jack.

“Oh, no you don't, Jones!” laughing, he grabbed Ianto's hips firmly, pulling him back down again.

Smiling, Ianto slipped his hand behind Jack's neck, pulling his lover into a crushing kiss, pressing his tongue between parted lips, licking his tongue, sucking it into his mouth. Ianto ran his hands up the inside of Jack's arms to his wrists, kissing him into distraction, then pinning them to the bed, grinning, while he straddled his hips, pressing Jack's hard-on against his own between them, the fricton making them both even harder. Ianto stared directly at Jack with a wicked smile and lust-darkening eyes as he pushed his hips downward and rolled them in a slow seductive circle. Jack, his eyes closing involuntarily while moaning loudly, tried to wriggle free, but Ianto resisted his efforts, chuckling as he kept Jack pressed to the bed beneath him.

“You really should get drunk more often, Ianto - you're so much fun.” Jack grinned.

“Not drunk.” he paused, thinking, “'nebriated, maybe.” he paused again, then pouted. “Wait, y'think I'm not fun?”

“I never said that. I just like it when you're playful.” he bucked his hips up into Ianto's “It makes me so hard.”

“Mmm, does it now?” Ianto licked his lips and stared lasciviously down at his lover.

“Unh … I-anto … ” Jack moaned tauntingly, knowing full well that the way he moaned Ianto's name always made his young lover's heart skip, his blood rush, cock twitch. Ianto had made the mistake of putting that little gem of information in his diary, which, of course Jack had snooped and found … and subsequently read.

Ianto slowly began to grind against Jack a little faster and with increasing friction, still pinning his wrists together above him. He trailed soft, open-mouth kisses down Jack's neck, nipping playfully every so often, as Jack's low guttural moans and panting breaths quickened.

“You know, you still haven't been properly punished for that, don't you Jack?” he queried, thinking of the pilfered diary entry, as Jack moaned deeply, becoming increasingly aroused as he thought about a few of Ianto's previous (and more delicious) forms of 'punishment'.

Jack half-grunted, half-moaned in pleasure, deftly pulling his hands free and sucking in much needed air through his clenched teeth. He grabbed Ianto's hips, holding his lover down on himself, rocking his own hips upward in answering reply. Jack put his hands on Ianto's shoulders and pushed in an effort to flip the younger man onto his back, however, Ianto pushed back equally, holding his Captain's shoulders to the bed.

He waited to see if Jack would try again, or not, giving Ianto a clue as to what kind of sex it would be this evening. Would it be wild and adventurous? A little more fun and playful? Gentle love-making? Or maybe even something new altogether.

“Tell me … how you … want it, Jack.” Ianto breathed into Jack's ear between nips to his neck, flicking his tongue over Jack's earlobe, gently nipping here and there along his throat while he continued slowly grinding his hips against the older man's. Jack didn't answer, the ability to speak actual words failing him, he simply moaned while running one hand down the small of Ianto's back and into his trousers to his arse as the fingers of the other tangled itself in dark locks.

Ianto bit and sucked Jack's neck roughly, confident that no matter the amount of pressure he applied, it would not mar Jack's immortal skin for long, plus he knew from previous experience that Jack rather enjoyed it. It was one of the many things that Jack was unaware that Ianto knew that Jack loved him to do. His hand twisted in Jack's hair, roughly twining strands around his long fingers, pulling them slightly as he continued his attack. Jack growled and slid Ianto's hips down towards his thighs as he sat up, with Ianto still at his throat.

“So, do you want to … fuck me now … Sir?” his lust-laden voice heavily emphasizing the words 'fuck' and 'sir', in panting breaths that were hot and quick on Jack's skin. Ianto licked the shell of his ear and then his earlobe, sensually sucking it into his mouth.

'That word, that one single word.' Jack thought to himself, 'Sir.' One word that that had so many desired results. The way Ianto said it just now, set his already raging cock throbbing. Ianto Jones knew just when and with what inflection to use it to achieve each and every dizzying result. Just from it's mere utterance now, Jack was hard as stone.

Dropping his head back, Jack squeezed the back of Ianto's neck, pulling him closer as Ianto bit down hard where neck meets shoulder. Jack closed his eyes and arched his back into the pain, moaning loudly. His arms clutched Ianto's back, hands up on his shoulders moving one to his neck as he trapped him in another crushing kiss. Then, in one fluid movement of his own, he grabbed the back of Ianto's thighs, stood up and turning around, dropped onto the bed on top of him.

Jack kissed Ianto, fierce and frenzied for a few minutes at first, then gradually slowing while his hand trailed up Ianto's thigh and came to rest at Ianto's waist. In that delicate sequence of movements, Jack spoke volumes and had just told him exactly what he had wanted to know.

Like most poker players, lovers have their 'tells'- this move was Jack's 'tell'. He had often kissed and touched Ianto in this exact way, always before a slow session of love-making and Ianto had realized after a while, whether Jack had done it consciously or not, it indicated he wanted to make love- not fuck.

Ianto gently kissed him back, curling his fingers more loosely in the dark locks, then ghosting the nape of Jack's neck with his fingertips. Jack moaned hotly into his mouth, his hand sliding in slow, sinuous circles over Ianto's hip, then his ass, finally stopping on the back of his thigh, pulling Ianto's leg up over his. Now it was Ianto's turn to moan as Jack's thigh pushed up tight against his groin. He cupped Jack's arse and pulled him closer, rutting his cock against Jack's thigh.

Jack set himself on Ianto's neck in an agonizingly slow and specific combination of sucking, licking, and soft biting that Jack knew alone was guaranteed to have his young Welshman moaning, but when combined with the tortuously slow way Jack was moving his thigh against Ianto's hard-on, it exponentially increased the effect. 'One last lick behind his ear, and...'

“Ja-” the rest of his moan muffled as he bit into Jack's shoulder in pleasure, his fingers finding purchase in Jack's back .

“You're so easy...” Jack sort of giggled almost childishly into Ianto's throat. Ianto really loved that laugh, though sadly he didn't hear it often.

“Are you- calling me a whore, Sir?” he questioned in mock pout.

“Why? You like it?” As Jack whispered the question in his ear, Ianto moaned blissfully, “Oh, you do, don't you? Such a naughty boy, Ianto.” he cooed huskily, ghosting a trail of kisses on his throat, sending shivers down his spine and blazing heat surging through his engorged cock.

“Fuck y-” he shook the rest of the thought away, slamming his mouth against Jack's in a burst of sudden desire, his tongue savagely plundering Jack's mouth, his hand firmly gripping Jack's neck and trapping him in the kiss, whose raw intensity faded after a few seconds.

Ianto arched his back off the bed, pushing his shoulders down into the bed for leverage and rolled himslef on top of Jack. Their pace slowed as if all the time in the world suddenly belonged only to them. Ianto pulled Jack up to sitting, still straddling his lap and kissing him, his tongue slowly wrapping around Jack's.

Jack tenderly stroking his back, Ianto trailed his hands down Jack's chest, sliding them under his braces, pulling them over his shoulders. Jack unfastened and removed Ianto's waistcoat while he probed Ianto's hot mouth with his tongue,. Ianto tugged Jack's shirt from his waistband, deftly unbuttoned it one-handed, then tossed it on the floor as Jack's soft tongue continued tangling lazily with his own.

“Want you to ....” he purred into Jack's mouth, his voice trailing off inside it.

“To what, Ianto?” his breathy reply paired a questioning eyebrow. “Huh? What do you want me to do to you?”

“T-Touch … ” Ianto managed to stutter before losing the clarity of words, his eyes rolling back, pupils blown wide and dark with lust. His heavy eyelids closing of their own volition, losing himself in the heady mix of Jack's touch and scent.

“You want me to touch you, Ianto? Is this what you want?” he panted, slipping his hands up under Ianto's shirt. Slowly ghosting his hand down Ianto's trembling chest, his hand continued down past the waistband to gently cup, then massage the warm hardness in the Welshman's trousers, causing them become even more visibly constricting.

Then, in tantalizingly slow movements, Jack manipulated his hand over the increasing heat of Ianto's erection, massaging it lovingly. The soft, breathy moans escaping Ianto increased, only to be followed by a desperate whimper of disappointment when Jack released his loving hold. Turning his attention instead to freeing Ianto's belt clasp, he swiftly unfastened the button and zip, pushing him his lover up off his lap and onto his feet, standing him up, so he could more easily remove the offending garment.

Jack sat on the edge of the bed, captivated, watching his young lover standing nearly naked in front of him, his trousers pooled at his feet for mere seconds before Ianto impatiently kicked them away. Then, staring at Jack with lust filled eyes, Ianto slowly stripped for him, painstakingly slipping button after button through it's tiny hole, then letting the fabric slither down his strong arms to the floor, all the while touching himself sensuously as his lover watched him. Surprisingly, Ianto found the act as much a turn-on for himself as it obviously was for Jack.

Jack rubbed his painfully thick erection in slow circles with the heel of his hand through his trousers, trying to alleviate some pressure while watching the extremely erotic display before him. This was the first time Ianto had stripped for him like this, not playfully, but purposefully, with the sole intent being to turn his lover on.

“Shit! Ianto, can't take much more of this, watching you touch yourself like that it-” he stopped talking, his breath hitching as Ianto, his eyes locked with Jack's, slid his thumbs in the sides of his waistband and pushed his skin-tight boxer briefs down just enough for his cock to proudly spring free of it's confines and he began languidly stroking himself.

“I wouldn't be if you hadn't done it first-” his motioned with his eyes, his teasing gaze drifting down to Jack's cock, as he gently stroked a few more times before tucking himself away and pulling them back up, so as not to tempt Jack further into rushing things, he wanted to take his time and fully enjoy this.

'When the hell?' Jack hadn't even realized that he had been sitting there, hand down his pants and wrapped around his swollen cock, stroking himself as he watched Ianto. Ianto was the only lover Jack had ever had who had been able to drive him to this level of distraction so effortlessly. 'And I love every minute of it.'

Ianto pulled Jack to his feet, kissing him softly on the lips as he unbuckled Jack's belt, freeing the button and zip and letting them fall to the floor at his feet before Jack mimicked Ianto's earlier motion and kicked them away impatiently. Ianto gripped the hem of Jack's t-shirt, breaking their passionate lip-lock only long enough to pull it up and over his head to join the rest of the discarded clothing on the floor. Jack's hands tenderly explored Ianto's bare flesh, searching and groping hands that quickly came to rest at his waistband.

“Uh-Uh-Uh” Ianto mumbled, grinning against Jack's lips, smacking his roving hands away.

Pouting, he moaned for effect, “But I-anto … ” Ianto's breath hitched, his hips jutting forward of their own accord. 'God, I'm gonna kill him for reading that!' he thought as his entire body flushed at the sound.

In a mockingly stern voice Ianto taunted, “Did you forget about your punishment, Mr. Harkness?”

Jack pouted and groaned “Waiting to get into that sweet ass is my punishment, isn't it?”

“Ah, but it's well-worth the wait, Jack.”

“Yes it is, Ianto, you are so worth the wait.”

“Charming me out of them isn't going to work, Jack. Now take your punishment like a man.” A loud groan rumbled deep from within Jack.

“Unh, I love it when you talk dirty to me Ianto!” Ianto rolled his eyes and huffed a laugh.

As they laid down together on the bed, they held each other close, chest to chest, their bodies touching from nearly head to toe, kissing lazily and gently. They lightly caressed each other's flushed bodies, hands exploring each other, teasing each other, tongues and bodies shamelessly intertwined.

Ianto rolled flat on his back pulling Jack on top of him. Jack's hands came to rest on Ianto's hips, which Ianto lifted to help Jack pull off his boxer briefs more easily, but Jack shook his head and pushed Ianto's hips back down on the bed, leaving open-mouth kisses and licks down Ianto's torso until Ianto could feel hot breath on his groin. Jack kissed and mouthed Ianto's erection through the fabric, his warm mouth lavishing attention on the pulsing bulge, the room's cool air seeping through the fabric, biting the hot flesh between breaths. Jack kissed and sucked at Ianto's abs, peeling down Ianto's boxer briefs, almost a fraction of an inch at a time, heightening his desire by delaying the freedom he knew his Welshman's cock was waiting for.

His ample cock once more springing free proudly, a now very naked Ianto rolled on top of Jack, pinning him under his rutting hips, making no attempt to extricate Jack's cloth-sheathed hard-on, instead, he began to kiss Jack's chest and neck, increasing Jack's arousal. He'd done this for two reasons, one obviously being well-deserved punishment, the other to give Jack the feeling of sudden freedom the way Jack had done when he had finally stripped Ianto bare, releasing his trapped arousal.

Laying on the bed facing one another, they kissed and touched, slowly stroking each others' heated skin, building their desire. Instinctively, both men avoided the others' cock in an attempt at raising the intensity of their eventual orgasms by denying each other what they each so desperately craved, while eagerly touching and tasting everywhere else. Jack palmed Ianto's bare arse, pulling him impossibly close, hardness rutting against hardness between them, while ghosting his fingers up and down along the crack between those beautiful arse cheeks, eliciting the soft pleasure-filled moans Jack so loved to hear.

Ianto pushed Jack onto his back laying half on top of him. He kissed Jack slow and deep, his tongue languidly tracing inside Jack's lower lip, bringing a guttural groan from deep in his throat, Ianto's body melting against his lover's at the sound. While they kissed, Ianto moved to straddle Jack's hips, his hands skimming slowly up Jack's torso to his armpits, then continuing upward and raising his arms, until he had them stretched over Jack's head and held them there, breaking the kiss.

“Now, stay still” Ianto ordered, his face serious “No touching, Jack, I mean it.”

“Yes, Sir.” Jack mock saluted while grinning so adorably Ianto couldn't help but smile at his playfulness.

“You're incorrigible, Jack.”

“You love it.” he murmured, his hand snaking around Ianto's waist as he kissed his throat.

Ianto slapped his hand away, attempting a glare, but making more of a grin “I mean it, Jack.”

“You're no fun.” Jack muttered, his bottom lip stuck out in a pout, his hands gripping the headboard.

“That's not what you said the other night … ” Ianto purred in his ear, warm breath sending shivers of electricity through Jack.

“You know, I could always tie you down, though.” Jack's face light up, obviously enjoying the idea, but he began to pout when Ianto grinned wickedly before adding, “You'd like that far too much, I think and after all, this is supposed to be punishment.”

Ianto began trailing teasing fingertips over the taut skin of Jack's rigid cock, no more than soft whispers of sensation, barely felt and then quickly disappearing, only to return again somewhere else a moment later. He slowly pushed a finger into Jack's mouth and Jack sucked and bit at it greedily, his eager tongue teasing and laving the digit as if it were his lover's cock. Ianto pulled his finger from Jack's lips with a wet pop before tracing feather-light circles around his lover's nipples, bending down to suck them between warm lips and tongue, pebbling them by gently blowing cool air across the tiny nubs.

Ianto kissed and tasted his way over the quivering muscles of his torso ending down between Jack's wantonly spread thighs, his warm breath engulfing Jack's pulsating cock. Flat-tongued, he lazily licked up the crease between thigh and cock, flicking the tip of his tongue up at the end of each stroke. Jack moaned and canted his hips up to meet Ianto's wandering tongue. He kissed and suckled the soft skin of Jack's inner thigh to bruising, then moving to nuzzle his nose in the soft hair while breathing in Jack's scent. Playfully nipping and biting, he kissed and licked his way to Jack's straining cock, laving the underside of Jack's shaft from balls to crown.

Jack visibly trembled, his breath hitching at the feel of Ianto tongue-bathing his cock, his hand reaching on instinct to find purchase in Ianto's silky soft locks. Jack whined his displeasure when Ianto stopped abruptly, feeling Jack's fingers gently twisting in his hair, silently staring up, his steel blue eyes locked with Jack's. Jack got the non-verbal message and immediately uncurled his fingers from Ianto's hair, resorting instead to clutching the duvet in his fists as Ianto flicked his tongue across the slit.

Jack's pheromones were now working overtime, his scent making Ianto moan in appreciation against his groin. Jack sucked air in sharply through clenched teeth in response to the vibration, clasping Ianto's shoulder and squeezing gently.

“Please, I need your mouth, I can't wait anymore.” his eyes silently echoing his plea.

“Jack.” Ianto cut his eyes to the hand on his shoulder, then back to Jack, his head never moving.

“Can't help it … no one's made me … lose control … the way you do.” his expression changing to almost embarrassment as he spoke those almost inaudible words between ragged breaths and taunting flicks of Ianto's marauding tongue.

Ianto was stunned, raw desire surging through him at Jack's sudden moment of honesty. Ianto pulled Jack up into a lip-crushing kiss, tongues desperately dueling for dominance as Jack flung his arms around Ianto, pressing their sweat-slick chests together. Ianto sat astride his lap as they were kissing and touching each other with reckless abandon. Jack rocked his hips against Ianto, their groins molded together, cocks rutting against one another with delicious friction, the frenetic pace driving them both quickly into oblivion.

Jack fought to still himself, to delay his orgasm, but quickly lost the battle to Ianto, who was continuing the frantic pace at which he was frotting against Jack in sheer desperation. Jack's hips began a punishing answering rhythm, both men slick with sweat, cocks drenched in pre-come, panting and moaning as Jack clutched Ianto close.

Jack felt his impending orgasm coiling in his groin, the sound of Ianto moaning his name over and over as his balls drew tight, filling his ears and and sending blood rushing to his already stone-hard cock. Ianto felt Jack swell between them as he reached closer the edge with each movement of their hips.

“Fu- … if we … don' … stop … I'm gon' … gonna come.”

“Unh … yes … god, yes … Ianto … with me … come.”

As their simultaneous orgasm had crashed over them, Ianto babbled incoherently, biting down hard into Jack's neck, the taste of copper heavy on his tongue, as his body was violently wracked with spasms, his copious release streaming hot and thick between their bodies.

Jack groaned as felt the white-hot burn of the bite elevating his pleasure when he'd come, shooting hard and shouting Ianto's name, burying his face in Ianto's neck as his thick white ribbons of come mingled with Ianto's. They clung to each other, riding out wave after mind-blowing wave of shuddering spasms, before they fell flat to the bed, their bodies still entwined in a burning, boneless heap. Seconds turned into agonizing minutes before the burn finally began to subside.

“Fn phrmns” Ianto muttered into Jack's throat, the vibration tickling his over-sensitive skin, making Jack twitch and laugh.

“What?” Jack tilted his head back, putting space between his neck and Ianto's mouth as he looked at Ianto, who didn't move, except for the smile Jack felt against his skin.

“I said … 'Fuckin' pheromones' ”

Jack laughed loudly, pressing a kiss to Ianto's forehead while Ianto's hand traced abstract shapes on Jack's rapidly cooling, sweat-slick skin. Ianto's tongue flicked out tasting Jack's salty-sweet flesh, slowly moving to Jack's come-coated stomach, his tongue wantonly lapping up the heady mixture.

Jack hooked his finger under Ianto's chin, bringing their lips together, their tongues lazily twisting, both men moaning in pleasure at the combined taste of himself and his lover on his tongue. He flipped the younger man swiftly to his back, sucking and kissing his taut stomach, his tongue greedily lapping the sweet essence from Ianto's skin, stopping only to bite the young Welsh flesh now and then.

“So now that we've gotten all dirty, don't you think we should shower?” he asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“You DO remember the point of a shower is to get clean, Sir?” Ianto queried with a knowing smirk.

“Oh, Ianto, you wound me!” he replied in mock indignation. “Are you implying that I have so little self-control that I might accost you in the shower?”

“The thought never occurred to me, Sir.” Ianto answered with a chuckle as he shoved the older man up off him and towards the bathroom, following close behind.

Jack whistled,“Oh, this is nice, Ianto – very nice.” he stood openly admiring Ianto's spacious walk-in shower enclosure as Ianto entered the room.

“I'm glad you approve, sir. Hate to have to renovate again because it didn't met your approval.”he mocked.

“Don't get cheeky, Ianto.” Jack lightly slapped Ianto's bare arse, eliciting a grin and a breathy moan of approval from the younger man.

As Ianto reached in the shower and turned the knobs, Jack plastered himself to the Welshman's back, kissing and biting his neck, his hands caressing Ianto passionately while they stood waiting for the water to come to temperature.

“Ahhh, Jack, that feels so good.” Ianto moaned and leaned back against Jack, letting his head fall back on Jack's shoulder and turning his face away, giving Jack unencumbered access to the smooth expanse of his neck.

Jack's husky voice murmured in his ear, “Ianto … so good ” He kissed, sucked and nipped at Ianto's pale skin while his hand stroked Ianto's cock to immediate hardness.

Ianto tested the water quickly, then dragged Jack in behind him, slamming him hard up against the glass wall as water cascaded down over Jack's taut flesh, the clear liquid running in small rivulets, tracing muscles along the way down his torso. The sight of a wet Jack was breathtaking, always turning him on no matter what the reason and right now the sight ramped up Ianto's existing arousal more than a few notches. And so, quickly and completely overrun by his desire, he crushed his mouth to Jack's, forcing his tongue between his lover's soft lips, relentlessly conquering the warm cavern.

Jack's desire increased ten-fold as his Welshman became uncharacteristically aggressive in his ministrations, reeling from the raw need that was rolling off of Ianto in waves. 'An aggressive Ianto is truly a sight to behold, but a wet Ianto- ' Jack thought, his cock hardening almost instantly as he watched the water running over Ianto's body, but was most entranced by the pearly-hued water slowly dripping from the tip of Ianto's hard cock. He dropped to his knees without a second thought, urgently taking Ianto deep in to his throat in one swift motion, needing to feel the warm weight on his tongue, taste the sweetness of Ianto's release.

“Bloody hell, Jack!” he cried out, his hips bucking forward of their own volition, the move driving his thick cock in Jack's mouth balls-deep and slamming Jack head back into the glass.

Much to Ianto's surprise, Jack took him in in his entirety, never gagging once, instead moaning deeply and swallowing rhythmically, his throat closing around the head again and again milking out drop after salty-sweet drop of pre-cum. Jack moaned with almost every downward stroke, enthusiastically bobbing his head up and down the steely shaft as he circled his fingertips around Ianto's tight pink pucker.

The feel of fingers teasing his arsehole nearly did Ianto in, but instead only caused him to fall forward, barely catching himself with a bracing arm on the glass. Once again, the sudden forward push drove him deeper into the hot depths of his lover's eager throat, causing him to lean against the glass and moan loudly. Jack groaned as well and he worried he'd hurt him as Jack suddenly pulled back, the swollen cock-head slipping from his lips with a soft pop.

“Did- did I hurt you?” his concern showing clearly on his flushed face between panted breaths while reaching a shaky hand to cup Jack's cheek.

“God, no - loved it, Ianto – please fuck my mouth.” he pleaded with lust-darkened eyes, down on his knees with water sluicing down his tanned hard body as he licked it from his swollen, red lips

The combination of his words and the thoroughly needy and wanton look as he'd asked them, went straight to Ianto's cock, ripping a guttural moan from somewhere deep inside him. Gripping his cock, he guided it between Jack's parted lips, encasing himself in the warmth. He felt Jack still in anticipation of what was to come, and though he himself felt more than a little apprehension at the moment, he was emboldened into action by the sight of Jack on his knees eagerly awaiting the plundering he desperately desired.

Warm water cascading down over his heated body, the tentative and shallow thrusts slowly began, his pace increasing as did the depth of the strokes and before long, Ianto was ravaging Jack's willing mouth. The sensation of using Jack this way and the fact that Jack was letting himself be used, even encouraging him in his pursuit with enthusiastic moans of delight clearly exhibiting the level of intimacy and trust Jack had in him was dizzying and had Ianto approaching his orgasm quicker than he ever had before.

One of Jack's hands was fondling and caressing Ianto's tightening sac, as his welcoming mouth was ruthlessly abused while his other furiously stroked his own weeping cock in a punishing rhythm. While continuing his own race to oblivion, Jack released his grasp on Ianto's sac, running his fingers back to the flexing pucker, circling the twitching opening a few times before inserting a single slick digit to the hilt, his fingertip grazing the small bundle of nerves hidden inside.

Jack slid the digit in and out with varying speed while adding a second, then brushing the sensitive bundle on every single stroke, keeping the rhythm just erratic enough to tease and draw out repetitive moans, but not consistent enough to aid in pushing him over the edge. Three more moaning thrusts from Ianto with constant pressure to the Welshman's prostate by Jack at the last second and Jack felt the hot gush of sweet release flooding his throat, delightedly consuming every last drop while his own release simultaneously painted the shower floor.

Now, his back against the glass, Ianto panted out between ragged breaths, “Fuck'n hell … that was-”

Jack beamed as he stood up, his eyes twinkling mischievously. “Amazing? Fantastic? Stupendous?”

In his post-coital haze, he was unable to find the right descriptor, “Indescribable, haven't the words ...”

Jack lovingly teased him, “You can't find the words? With as many languages as you know? Wow.”

He chuckled then grabbed Jack and pulled him close, “Shut up and kiss me now, Jack.”

Jack looked him up and down and leered. “So bossy tonight, Ianto. I like it!”

They kissed unhurriedly, well unhurriedly that is until the water suddenly ran cold on them, with both men jumping aside as if burned and emitting similar girlish yelps. Ianto quick shut the knobs, cutting off the freezing deluge and exited the stall, pulling Jack out of the shower gently behind him. Now at least temporarily sated, they traded many teasing touches and kisses to exposed skin as they each took their time in drying the other off. Ianto then rather playfully snapped the wet towel lightly at Jack's bare arse, eliciting a shout from the older man before he chased his young lover to the bedroom.

Jack caught Ianto around the waist when he was about a foot from the bed, pulled Ianto's back up tight against his chest and then tackled him on to it. They landed together harshly, Ianto on his stomach and taking the weight of the fall, with Jack on top of him. As they landed, Ianto felt Jack's rigid erection pressing against him at the crack of his arse and couldn't help the needy whimper that rose from inside him. He heard Jack snicker by his ear when he heard Ianto whimper, then felt him immediately grind his hips down, rubbing his aching cock against Ianto's bare skin.

Jack whispered hotly in Ianto's ear as he rolled his hips, “That what you want, Ianto? My cock? You want me to slide it inside you, to fuck you?”

Ianto let out a deep moaning sigh, pushing his hips back eagerly to meet Jack's, while Jack's mouth attacked every expanse of skin within his reach. “Yes, Jack. I always want you. Only you. Now, fu- aahh!”

Ianto's words were abruptly cut off as Jack slipped his throbbing cock in, gently breaching the relaxed ring, grateful that Ianto was still quite open and delving deeper until he was in to the hilt. His pace was slow and steady, in no hurry was he to rush the exquisite bliss he always felt when buried deep within his lover. Again and again, he lovingly entered Ianto, gently brushing his sweet spot, drawing moan after soft pleasured moan out of the man wriggling beneath him.

Ianto reached back with one arm to curl behind Jack's head, clutching the soft hair there while his other hand groped Jack's thigh and arse cheek, desperately trying to pull his love closer. Indescribable pleasure was all he ever felt when he had Jack inside him, whether rough or gentle, always pleasure with tonight being no exception. Jack expertly drew out moan after delicious moan with every stroke of his cock and Ianto, as always, was the immeasurably grateful recipient of Jack's near-century of 'practice'. While Ianto still panted and moaned beneath him, Jack suddenly stilled his movements.

Confused and worried, Ianto turned his head to look at Jack. “Wha- What's wrong, Jack?”

Jack simply smiled at him, his eyes shining full of love, “Nothing, nothing at all. Roll over for me, Ianto. I want you to see just how much pleasure you give me and I wanna see your face, see the pleasure I give you. ”

Ianto turned over underneath Jack, his legs falling open wantonly, a silent plea for Jack to settle there and resume their lovemaking. “Please, Jack, I need you inside.” His added whisper of, “Feel so empty without you.” was almost lost in the air, except at that moment, Jack had settled back between Ianto's heated thighs once more and had moved forward to kiss him, catching every heartwarming word.

The whispered declaration brought forth one from Jack in reciprocation, “Me too, you make me whole, Ianto. For the first time-” he paused for a moment to steel himself for the next words. “Ianto, I lo-”

A hand wrapped around the back of Jack's neck, strong fingers squeezing tight as they pulled him forward to deliver his lover's soul-infusing kiss to his immortal lips. Lips crashed together roughly, tongues wrestling frantically while arms and bodies tried in vain to melt together as one. Ianto cried out into Jack's mouth in ecstasy, his back arching and his eyes rolling back as he felt Jack's warmth slide home again, deep within his body, soul and heart – where he belonged.

Jack's deep loving strokes continued as they kissed and tasted, tongues lazily mapping every crease and curve of the other one's mouth, committing them to memory until the urgent need for air forced them apart, both men gasping and inhaling deep lungfuls of air.

“Oh, god. Jack, please. ” Ianto writhed beneath his lover, his body a giant mass of over-sensitized nerves, every feeling magnified by the deep emotions running between the two men.

“What do you want me to do?” Jack loved this man, loved to hear him beg to be touched, kissed carressed and desire swelled in him as he began thrusting into his lover in earnest.

“Don't stop, never stop.” Ianto wanted this feeling to go on for eternity, this overwhelming sense of completion and unity he felt while with Jack like this to never end, never change … never die.

“Never, Ianto. So damn good. Only you.” Never in all his long life before had Jack ever felt such an all-encompassing sense of fulfillment and wholeness as he did while making love to Ianto or being made love to by Ianto.

“Faster Jack! oh fuck, so fucking good … so clos- Unnh! ” Ianto's body arched up off the bed violently in the throws of his orgasm, though his eyes incredibly stayed locked on Jack's, nearly drowning in the unadulterated bliss he saw there – bliss that his body had been responsible for putting there.

“So right. Feels like … hom- Ugh!” Jack's eyes locked with eagle precision on Ianto's as their orgasms overtook them, reveling in Ianto's face which was a mask of sheer ecstasy as his chest heaved and his body trembled – trembled for him. No, becauseof him.

The love they felt for one another clearly projected across their faces and no words needed to be spoken as each pair of eyes pierced the other as if seeing into the other's soul, while wave after wave of intense orgasmic pleasure crashed over the sweat-dampened bodies in tandem, each man's hips stuttering out the unique rhythm of his own spine-shattering release. Jack exploded while buried deep inside Ianto, filling him well beyond capacity, his essence over-flowing as Ianto's cock, which had been pressed almost painfully tight between them was expelling his own copious release, generously coating both of their torsos.

The lovers lay as they fell, spent once more and tangled in a heated heap of flesh and fluid, both breathing deeply in an effort to calm their racing hearts. Once Jack caught his breath, he started to lift up off of Ianto and pull out, but before he moved more than an inch, Ianto had clutched his hips and pulled them back down tight and essentially locking them together.

Ianto internally chastised himself for acting so needy, but still spoke the words as he looked away embarrassed. “Jack, no. Please. Stay?”

Jack smiled genuinely as he turned Ianto's face back towards him, stroking the flushed cheek lovingly with his thumb. “Always.”

They lay there still connected for long moments until Jack eventually had gone flaccid and slipped out, producing tandem moans of disappointment at the loss. Jack slid down to the bed, laying close beside him instead, with his head propped on his elbow and watching Ianto, wondering again how he ever got so lucky. When he let out a wistful sigh, Ianto turned to look at him and blue met blue, “Ianto, I...”

Ianto stopped him with a finger to his lips, “I know, Jack, me too.”

Jack laid his head on Ianto's chest, wrapped his arm tightly across his waist and settled his leg between his lover's as Ianto softly carded his fingers through Jack's sweat-dampened hair. More to himself than anything, Jack muttered almost inaudibly “I wish we could be like this forever.”

Ianto felt his chest tighten at the sorrowful tone in Jack's voice, not knowing exactly how to respond. He stroked his fingertips up and down Jack's arm absentmindedly as he thought of how best to soothe his lover. “I can't promise you forever, Jack, nor can you promise me forever. You said yourself the Doctor can't explain your immortality, if it will ever 'run out', as it were, but what we can promise each other is now.”

Jack lifted his head and saw the truth of what Ianto had said shining in his eyes. His heart clenched painfully with the knowledge that he would most definitely lose his beautiful Ianto long before he was ever truly ready to, but Ianto was right, they had now and even though it wasn't forever, it would have to be enough. Pushing the painful thoughts away, he simply pulled Ianto closer to him as again he wondered what he ever did in his long life to deserve the love of this man - a man that had truly stolen his heart.

*< The End >*