This fic is inspired by the lyrics of Come What May from the film Moulin Rouge. If you don't know the song you won't know which bits of it are lyrics but its not that essential and I can tell you that its just Jack's words that are the lyrics (but not all his words). Its probably best if you just read it to understand lol. I wrote this to mark the anniversary of Ianto Jones' death 3 years ago today, no I won't just get over it, I'm still very upset but I hope you enjoy this and please review, it means a lot to me, thanks and love to you all and to Ianto Jones, TheRisenMittenCrew xxx
Come What May
Jack walked slowly down the long road, the gravel beneath his feet making a soft crunching sound as it came into contact with his boots. He gazed absently at the neat flower beds and lawn that ran the length of the road, evidence that the place was well looked after. Glancing over his shoulder he checked that the man accompanying him was still there, just a step behind, letting him lead the way.
The clouds above had slowly been gathering over the past hour and they reflected Jack's mood well as they cast a shadow over the earth. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself, turned his collar up against the cold, and buried his hands in his pockets.
Silence fell as he came to a standstill in front of his destination, the footsteps behind him, again following his lead. He looked up at the large ornate, wrought iron gates that were the only entrance to the otherwise walled off area, and took a deep breath.
The man with him placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it gently before pulling away and stepping back. "Take as long as you need Jack," he said. Jack nodded distractedly, a distant look in his eyes.
"Take as long as you need Jack," Ianto said before turning sharply and hurrying out of Jack's office. It took Jack a second to realise and then he was up, skirting round his desk, and rushing after him. He stopped just outside his office; the other man had already reached the bottom of the stairs, "Ianto wait," he called out, halting him in his exit.
"Yes Jack?" he asked in a tired voice.
Jack opened and closed his mouth a couple of times, then shook his head and harshly rubbed his hands over his face before shoving them into his trouser pockets. Glancing back at Ianto he saw the other man gazing at him expectantly, and he knew that whatever he said next would determine the path he took for the rest of his life in the twenty-first century, and a long time beyond. He took a deep breath and looked directly at him, his eyes stinging with oncoming tears as he registered sadness and a little regret lingering in the stunning blue irises that challenged his own.
After a hesitant step forward he spoke, "Never knew I could feel like this," his voice was hoarse as though something was stuck in his throat. Keeping a close eye on Ianto, watching for movement, he took more slow steps towards him. As he reached the top of the stairs he paused and arched his head backwards to look up, "It's like I've never seen the sky before," he said, peering into the darkness above their heads. Swallowing hard he turned back to Ianto, his eyes glistening as they filled up, and he steadily descended the stairs.
Ianto followed his progress as he came to stand directly in front of him, mere centimetres separating them, and took a shaky breath, watching as Jack spoke again, his voice much softer.
"I want to vanish inside your kiss," he swallowed again before whispering, "Everyday I love you, more and more." He stared into Ianto's eyes, his own piercing them in place, before he leaned forwards and gently pressed their lips together in a soft kiss.
The protesting shriek of the gate ripped Jack back to reality as he opened it just wide enough for him to slip through. Briefly he looked back at the man on the other side before turning and continuing forwards on his own. He hadn't been here many times, but the journey was engraved on his mind nevertheless and he knew exactly where he was going.
He ignored the rest of his surroundings as he deserted the path and started to weave his way across the grass to his destination.
When he arrived, Jack turned and sat on the damp wooden bench, his greatcoat preventing his clothes from getting wet. The calm breeze that had picked up tugged gently at his hair as he stared straight ahead of him, his eyes seeing differently from what was actually there.
"Jack don't sit there! You'll get your coat wet!" Ianto cried out as Jack dropped ungracefully onto the grass.
"Oh Ianto," Jack replied, grinning up at him, "don't be so uptight, join me!"
Ianto screwed up his face in disgust, "Nothing you say will make me sit down there with you."
"Not even if I embarrass you by singing?" Jack asked, adding a sly grin to his question.
"Jack don't you dare-" Ianto glared at him, but there was no real malice in his eyes as he watched Jack throw his arms wide and sing to the sky.
"Listen to my heart… can you hear it sing?"
Ianto sighed softly and collapsed down next to Jack, "Okay, I'm down, you can stop singing now."
Jack lowered his arms and turned to look at him, "Telling me to give you everything," he sang, but more quietly, for Ianto's ears only.
Ianto blushed and looked away towards the horizon, "Don't Jack…you can't give me everything, we both know that." He played with his own fingers, avoiding Jacks gaze as he continued to stare at him, not saying a word. "Everything changes Jack," Ianto continued, wanting to fill the silence. "Everything moves on without us whether we like it or not and there's nothing we can do." Feeling more uncomfortable as Jack stayed silent he started to babble, "Like the seasons, they never stay long, constantly moving..."
Jack sighed and stood again, pulling Ianto up with him. He led him back to the hub and down to his bunker where they lay, holding each other and wishing for their time to never end. When Ianto was asleep, Jack pressed a hand to his bare chest and leaned over him, whispering, "Seasons may change, winter to spring, but I love you, until the end of time," then he pulled him closer and followed him into oblivion.
Jack shivered as a sudden gust of wind hit him from the side, tearing at his hair and howling in his ears. He sighed and shifted on the bench trying to shrink further into his coat. It wasn't the most comfortable place to sit, but he wasn't ready to move just yet.
Closing his eyes briefly, he let the tears fall, his emotions finally overcoming him. When he opened them, he had to blink rapidly before the world came into focus again and he noticed that it had begun to rain.
"Jack hurry, we're getting soaked!" Ianto laughed as Jack shook his head back and forth, water flying in all directions, in an attempt to rid it from his hair and face, but the downpour continued, and he was drenched once again. He laughed along with Ianto, the carefree sound easily falling from his lips, and the rain no longer mattered as he raced after Ianto. Stopping abruptly he called out, "Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place." He grinned as Ianto also stopped, slightly ahead of him, and turned, squinting at him through the rain.
"Jack come on!" he yelled, the rain was getting heavier and it was hard to hear over the noise of the drops on the pavement and the wind whipping around them.
Jack just carried on grinning at him and spoke as though they weren't in the middle of the street in torrential rain, "Storm clouds may gather, and stars may collide," Ianto frowned at him as though unable to hear what he was saying, so he proceeded to shout, "But I love you! Until the end of time!" Ianto smiled at him in return then spun on his heels and continued to run through the rain, Jack following behind closely.
Jack's focus came back to the present and he whispered the words to himself, "I love you, until the end…of time."
Peering through the drizzle, he stared at the gravestone before him, forcing his eyes to read the inscription.
After sitting for a while, his eyes fixed on the unforgiving words, he took a deep breath and rose to his feet, it was time to say goodbye.
Walking forward he stood so he was next to the black marble. "You were the only one who ever understood me, so thank you, and I'm so very, very sorry." He chocked on the last two words and placed a trembling hand on the smooth top of the stone, his eyes red raw as the tears raced down his cheeks, "Come what may, I will love you, until my dying day." That was his promise, and he knew it would never be broken.
Removing his hand, he bent down and gently kissed the cold surface before turning and walking away.
"We should go for a walk," Ianto declared suddenly as he stood behind Jack and wound his arms around his waist.
Jack straightened from where he was bet over his desk, and turned in Ianto's arms to look at him, an amused smile pulling at the corners of his mouth, "Why?" he asked.
Ianto returned his smile in full force, "Because it's a rare beautiful day and you need some fresh air."
"Well I could do with a break from this paperwork," Jack replied, gesturing to his desk, "but I can think of some much more entertaining things to do," he said suggestively with a leering grin, winding his arms around his waist to rest one hand on his lower back and ghosting the other further downwards.
Ianto rolled his eyes, reached behind him and slapped the wandering hand away. Jack pouted and brought it back up, pulling his young Welshman closer.
"Maybe later Jack," Ianto said, "but I defiantly need some air, you can decide whether you want to come or not." He leant in and pecked him on the lips before extracting himself from his arms and going to get his coat.
Jack dropped his arms and stood for a moment, staring at the wall then turned with his mouth open ready to ask Ianto something. He was interrupted, "No Jack, we're not going to any roofs," Ianto said with a fond smile as he stood holding out Jacks greatcoat ready to assist him in putting it on. Jack shrugged and let Ianto help put his coat on before following him up to the tourist office exit on the surface.
Ianto opened the outside door and the sunlight streamed in, bathing everything in a warm glow. Stepping forward they entered the bright sunshine, joined hands, and walked away.
xxx