TITLE: Adventures in Sparta.
DISCLAIMER: I don't know the people involved, TW belongs to BBC and their author but I really believe that Jack and Ianto belong to each other.
PAIRINGS/CHARACTERS: Jack / Ianto. LadyLight.
RATING: PG
WARNING: none
AUTHOR'S NOTES: My mother tongue is Spanish and I work without a beta so all the mistakes are mine. I do not write much about TW so sorry in advance for any mistakes.
FEEDBACK: yes, please any kind of them will help me to improve my writing or leave it forever.
Jack and Ianto had been looking at different holiday brochures when their eyes were suddenly drawn to a full page advert for a gorgeous five star luxury hotel in Sparta and Jack already knew it was it, he wanted to pamper his partner after the ordeal of CoE and the miracle of having him by his side forever ... they were now two fixed points in time until the stars grew cold …..
The ceremony was beautiful and simple; colleagues, friends and family were there sharing their happiness but the newly-wed couple wanted to elope and spend their honeymoon in Sparta as soon as the reception was over.
They took a plane from Cardiff International Airport, first-class seats, to Athens Eleftherios Venizelos Intl Apt where a nice big car was waiting for them. The driver, a plump brunette in her forties, greeted them enthusiastically and told them that she was going to be their exclusive tourist guide during their stay in Sparta.
"I'm sorry Mrs but we didn't ask for any guide," the always polite Ianto said.
"I know, my dear, I'm …. How can I say? I'm a gift from a very good friend of yours" she added while taking the trolley with their luggage towards the car.
"Okay, so would you mind telling us your name? We are Ianto and Jack" the younger immortal added.
"I know who you are! Just call me Light" she replied with a golden glow in her hazel eyes.
"Light, Light who?" he asked again.
"Okay just LadyLight if you feel more comfortable" she added and smile widely.
"Alright," Ianto said and it reminded him of another similar introduction but that time it had been a skinny man wearing a bowtie.
"Where are we going?" Jack asked as soon as they sat in the back seat of the car. He sounded so comfortable and calm in her presence that it made Ianto looked at his partner with surprise as he was always the one who was a bit more cautious …. sometimes.
"We are heading to your hotel, "the Maniatis" which has a prime location in the city centre and from which you can go everywhere, even though there is no need as I will drive you wherever you want" she added.
"That sounds good, we had a long flight and we need to rest," Jack said and looked at LadyLight in the rearview mirror and got a naughty smile in return.
"Don't worry, we have a ride of two hours until we get there so I will close the partition window now so you can have more privacy" she explained and did that.
Ianto looked at Jack, who had closed his eyes and rested his head on the seat, and smiled. His partner looked tired, not physically but emotionally and Ianto knew his death had added more pain to the one Jack was already feeling. Ianto's immortality had brought back true happiness to the older immortal and even though the Doctor had assured him that Ianto would not die anytime soon but exactly at the same time he did, he had been looking at him like a hawk for the first days, as if he feared something else could take his Welshman from him.
Ianto saw the commotion inside Jack's heart and mind and feeling bold enough, he proposed and Jack didn't doubt and accepted immediately. Since their civil partner ceremony, two days ago, Jack had been more relaxed and Ianto would do up to the impossible to achieve that and more.
"I can see you looking at me" Jack whispered.
"I know but I have the ring and the license to prove that I can do it without being a stalker" Ianto joked.
"You had that right since the moment we met that night in Bute Park … we only took some diversions until we got where we should" Jack said and squeezed Ianto's hand that was resting on the seat.
"Yes and here we are, about to start a new adventure together," Ianto said.
"Didn't you have enough adventures until now?" Jack asked and spied Ianto from the corner of his eye.
"Yes, but I want happy adventures with you and only you," Ianto said and pecked him on the lips.
"That I can do," Jack said and kissed him back, not chastely at all.
The drive was smooth and quite fast so by lunchtime, LadyLight pulled over at the five-star Hotel and woke her sleepy passengers.
"Gentlemen, we are here," she said in a soft tone of voice just not to startle them.
"Sparta, here we go," Jack said and his voice sounded more animated than ever.
"To new adventures," Ianto said and took his hand.
As soon as they had checked in, LadyLight told them they had time to freshen up and rest for a while and suggested they change into lighter clothes as the weather would be much hotter in the afternoon and that she would meet them for tea so they could organize the trip. Both men thanked her and quickly disappeared into their room.
By five, they met again and decided to visit the Archaeological Museum that was in the city centre where they could admire the ancient culture and listen to LadyLight's comments about the area. They finished the day with a visit to the Town Cathedral in the south-west of the city and a romantic dinner, only for two, in a small restaurant by the coast. Both men enjoyed the food and the warm evening that allowed them to stroll along the promenade, stopping from time to time to share long and toe-curling kisses.
Before they went back to their hotel for a long night of lovemaking, Jack swept his partner into a tight embrace and made them dance under the moonlight to a music that only people in love could listen to.
The next day started quite early, as LadyLight had promised to take them to the ruins of Ancient Sparta in the north of the city. They were marvelled at the architecture and they could appreciate it, even more, when the brunette woman took a thick book from her handbag and showed them how the original buildings had looked like. It was a book that had real and updated photos and then a thick tracing paper that showed the original structure and colours. Ianto was excited, he had never had the chance to leave Cardiff before and being there was his best dream came true. Jack looked at him and felt his heart swell with love and pride, this was Ianto Jones, his employee, his partner, his Forever and he would not change that for the world.
Then they drove for a short while towards the west and they stopped outside a group of rocks where the supposed last resting place of King Leonidas was. It was called the Leonidaeon and LadyLight started to explain the battle of the Thermopylae and the courageous deaths of 300 Spartans, King Leonidas among them. She also added that a monument to Leonidas was erected at Thermopylae in 1955. It featured a bronze statue of Leonidas. A sign, under the statue, read simply: "ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ" ("Come and take"), which the Spartans said when the Persians asked them to put down their weapons at the start of the Battle of Thermopylae.
"Hephaestion told me about Alexander's interest in Leonidas and his warriors," Ianto said to Jack.
"Oh, you have met Phai and Xander! Those two are so crazy for each other, just like you two" LadyLight added and went on walking without realizing that both men had stopped their walking.
"Do you know them?" Jack asked, a bit suspicious.
"Of course, I was there when Hephaestion gave birth to baby Phainder, the best baby I had looked after," she said and a golden glow lit her eyes again.
"But how is that possible?" both men asked together.
"Let's put it like this, Jack, you had your Rose with the heart of the Tardis, you Ianto, had the Doctor with his sonic screwdriver and I had Zeus and his rays" she explained and looked at them happily.
"But …." Ianto tried to ask but he was gently interrupted.
"But nothing, put your legs into motion, we have tons of places to visit, things to buy and friendly aliens to meet …" she said and went on walking with a big smile in her face.
And at that moment, the true adventure in Sparta began.