Title: Damaged Indemnity – Chapter 1 (Anticipation Universe)
Author: Jaybird023
Genre: light fem-slash, light slash, Angst, UST, seduction.
Rating: M
Pairings: Tosh/Mary, Jack/Ianto
Summary: I had no idea how I ended up disappointing Jack so much, but I would figure it out in the end. I finally understood how Ianto had felt after everything that happened with Lisa. I could only hope that Jack would understand someday as well. - Tosh POV story - Some of this reiterates or goes over what happened in Anticipation from a completely different perspective.
Status: WIP
Word Count for this chapter: 5915

Authors Note: So, first no I did not fall off the edge of the world or forget about the continuation of the story. Instead of going into details I'll just say that I had a few RL issues that kind of took over my life. However, I'm somewhat back on track. I can't guarantee update times but I'm pretty sure it won't take months between. Can't guarantee anything though...lol. This story should have anywhere form 3-7 chapters only. After that we'll get to the sequel Entropy.

Thanks go to MamaRocks, as per normal (grin) for the Beta job. She really has no idea how much she helps make all my writing so much better!

Chapter 1 – Maybe This Time

I'm normally pretty adept at seeing things that others don't.

Don't get me wrong...I had absolutely no idea that Suzie was a nutter or that Gwen and Owen had snogged at some point.

No, the things I see would be classified more in the "so bloody obvious that the lot of you are blinded to the truth" category.

This isn't exactly a talent in my mind, but that could be because I only noticed it for the first time about five years ago, when Captain Jack Harkness came into my world and offered me a compromise. I could come and work for him at Torchwood as his technical advisor, or I could spend the rest of my life in prison, never to see or talk to my family ever again. To be completely truthful, I might have turned him down, considering that I had no idea what the offer really entailed. After all, when I'd asked him about my family, he'd sounded so cold and calculated. However, when he spoke about that bloody Sonic Modulator something about his voice and the animation I saw on his face, fascinated me.

It could have been because of the total sensory deprivation I'd lived through for months in that tiny cell, but I was stunned at how someone could put so much emotion into a discussion about something inanimate and ignore the more basic of human emotions. In that one conversation, I was left more confused and bewildered then I'd ever been before.

I mean, I may love computers, but my family and friends will always come first in my life.

Despite that disturbing first meeting, I never once regretted taking the job. Not only did I get out of that horrid cell, but I also got more freedom than I ever imagined. Jack even arranged for me to see my family on several occasions before the allotted time that UNIT demanded I remain in seclusion. Considering how he'd reacted when I first mentioned them as he sat across from me at that small table that had been a complete surprise.

It took me a long time to figure out that Jack really did care about people more than he did about what they could do for him. He tried to cover it up with callous disregard, but every now and then something would slip and I would see how complicated he really was. Ironically enough, even though I saw these deeply hidden aspects of Jack, it still took me nearly two years to actually realise that he lived in the Hub.

By the time I had figured out those small slivers of information about Jack, Owen was with us. Despite the fact that I spent an inordinate amount of brain power trying to understand my boss, I found myself drawn to the new medic. He was in so much emotional pain that it literally showed in every movement he made. I knew without a shred of doubt that Owen had lost someone close to him and that he was still suffering from that loss. What was odd was that as much as I was dying to know about Owen, I found I couldn't pry into his life prior to Torchwood. I hoped that he would come to be my friend and tell me about it when he was ready.

As for Suzie, well I'll be honest and say that it didn't occur to me to try to understand her. She was so ingrained, such a part of the woodwork, that I rarely noticed her unless she was missing. Considering she left work about as much as Jack seemed to, it wasn't often. I really don't think she started out as a nutter, but for all I know, she could have lost her mind the moment she started working at Torchwood.

I guess we'll never really know...

Anyway, for the longest time we did nothing but work in the Hub and take care of every rift alert that came along. It became almost monotonous without any of us even realising it was heading in that direction. I think by the time Ianto came around not one of us knew exactly how much of a change we actually needed.

I hadn't been remotely surprised when Jack hired the young man. I do remember being surprised when he'd shown up with a weevil thrown over his shoulder and demanding I look up information on one Ianto Jones, former employee of Torchwood One. When he'd stalked back up from the Vault after dropping off the weevil, he was already demanding a report from me. I very nearly fell out of my chair in shock. He had a hint of suspicion in his expression, but the main emotion I saw was more fascination than anything else. Considering the fact that I had seen nothing but stoicism, except on those rare occasions he had slipped up, I was just as curious to find out whatever I could, just to see where this was leading.

The facts that I pulled up on Ianto was not nearly as comprehensive as one might have expected coming from another Torchwood facility. Jack was avid about keeping all things documented and filed appropriately. He'd stated on many occasions that just because the archives were a wreck, didn't mean we couldn't keep the most recent information accurate and accessible at all times. Our employee files were the ones kept most up to date, with only Jack and Suzie having access to delete or edit the records. Ianto's file was nearly nonexistent, containing very little detail about what training he had imbued with Torchwood and his grades throughout school, as well as what little family he had. It was almost as if Torchwood had been deliberately trying to hide facts about him.

When I presented what little information I had to Jack, he'd actually looked frustrated, surprising me with yet another expression I wasn't used to seeing. Even when the rift was acting up more than normal, he'd never let his irritation or exhaustion show in the entire time I'd worked for him.

"That's it? Seriously?"

Jack stood up and dropped the file folder with a resounding smack as it hit the wood. The few sheets of paper I had printed spilled out across the surface as he began to practically pace back and forth behind his desk. I could barely contain my shock at his reaction, only remembering to snap my mouth shut when Jack suddenly glared towards me fleetingly.

"His school records? Dead parents and a sister who he barely talks to? A girlfriend who also worked for Torchwood? What the fuck is that supposed to tell me? There's not even a photograph in there to prove that he's the same God damn person!"

His last words were nearly shouted and I flinched away from him unintentionally. Jack must've seen the movement from the corner of his eye because he stopped pacing suddenly and dropped back down into his chair, placing his face in his palms as he struggled to regain his composure. When he looked up at me again, his expression was the familiar impassiveness that I was accustomed to. It took every bit of restraint I had in my body to stop from laughing. It was almost enjoyable to see him becoming this unravelled.

All over some young man who knew just a little too much about weevils.

After a few more hours, I was able to find a little bit more data, but it was still meagre compared to what we were used to. I think it took me yawning several times for Jack to even realise how long I'd been searching for information and how late it had actually gotten. As I was walking out the door I saw him slide into my workstation and start typing. Apparently he still wasn't satisfied with my prior results, but I was too bloody tired to stick around any longer.

When I arrived the next morning, the rift alarm was just going off again. Jack was rushing out the main entrance. He didn't say much to me so I pulled up the CCTV and was amused to see a young man standing outside the tourist office, holding a cup. From what I could gather by the way Jack paused when he saw him, I knew it had to be the elusive Ianto Jones. I was completely shocked when I saw Jack reach out and take the cup from the young man, barely hesitating before drinking from it. He handed the cup back with a stunned look on his face...

...once again shocking me!

As I watched their brief contact, I opened my eyes wide in astonishment. If I didn't know any better, I would almost swear that Jack was flirting with him. It was extremely subtle, especially for Jack who barely knew what the word meant, much less how to pull it off.

Next thing I knew Jack showed up later that night with an unconscious pterodactyl (I wasn't to learn until later that it was actually a pteranodon). I wasn't all that surprised to find out Ianto would be working for us soon. Jack tried to say it nonchalantly, like it was no big deal, but he actually made me smile to myself. It was strange hearing a hint of something new in his voice, like a thread of humanity that had slipped through without him even realising it.

Pathetic really in how bloody obvious he was, I know.

It didn't take long for me to realise that something was going on between the two of them. Of course, it didn't help that I walked in on them a couple of months later when I'd returned to the Hub to pick up something I'd forgotten. At this point I honestly couldn't even tell you what it was. All I know is I walked in from the back entrance (pretty certain Jack doesn't even know I know about that) and felt my jaw drop open.

Ianto was perched on the edge of Jack's desk with said man snogging him as if his life depended on it whilst they were grinding heavily against each other. I swear it was one of the hottest things I've ever seen in my entire life. I've never seen two men kiss who could take my breath away with just the passion of the moment. When Ianto pulled away and threw his head back, obviously in the throes of an orgasm, I very nearly moaned aloud myself, just barely muffling it in time. I took a chance while Jack was steadying Ianto to slip quietly back out the way I came in, feeling incredibly fortunate that I got out of there before they saw me.

From what I'd seen I wasn't quite sure if they were shagging yet, but even to the rest of the team the unresolved sexual tension between the two men was practically palpable after a while. Hanging in the air so heavily that all of us were beginning to take bets on when they would do the deed for real and if we'd even be able to tell.

Of course, that's when everything started to fall apart.

First it was Gwen sending Suzie to be the queen of Psycho-land...

...Okay, so I'll admit Suzie was already a nutter with all the murders she'd committed, but Gwen being nosy and butting in where she wasn't needed certainly didn't help. The only thing that Gwen's presence managed to do was push Suzie completely over the edge that she was already precariously teetering on.

So, of course, Jack offers her a bloody job to replace Suzie. I'm just grateful he didn't put her as second in command like Suzie was, otherwise I might've had a hard time listening to anything she said. As it was, I was hesitant to trust Gwen in the beginning. Owen stared at her like a dog in heat, which annoyed me to no end. But it was the way she looked at Jack that bugged me the most. It was sort of creepy, almost as if she worshiped him. On top of that, her knowledge on things was so sparse that we had to train her on practically everything. She couldn't get past UNIT without Jack's help, kept referring to Torchwood as if we were breaking some type of law because we had access to things she didn't have as a P.C., and misread Owen's natural sarcasm as him teasing her which led to her setting loose an orgasmic killing cloud. Then to top it all off, she tried to insist that she would solve what was now the entire teams problem on her own.

By that point, if I hadn't already seen the proof, I wouldn't have been surprised if she didn't even know how to drive.

But I digress...

After Suzie literally tripped over the edge and just as we started to recover, we find out about Ianto and his bloody cyber girlfriend in the lower level. I've never seen Ianto with such a vulnerable look...or so livid that he was willing to take a swing at Jack.

Something I still can't believe happened...

In spite of everything, I think if I hadn't noticed how hurt Jack was over the situation, I may have just retreated into myself. It seemed like the thing to do, go completely numb and stop seeing our team as a family. After all, when you realise the man you're in love with doesn't notice you, there's a new team member that you don't trust, and your boss is a reclusive man who has a tendency to hide his humanity (that is, until a certain young man came around to bring it out of him), it made more sense than anything had in a very long time. I ended up centring my concentration on Jack and Ianto just to get myself through it.

I learned a long time ago that it was always easier to focus on the problems that others are having instead of your own. When you have to focus on your own problems, life gets too complicated.

As I said earlier, I'd known for quite a while that Jack and Ianto had something going on behind closed doors. Just the look on Ianto's face when I handed him his tie that morning I found it on my desk told me things had progressed further then what I'd walked in on previously. I don't know if they were actually shagging by the time that Ianto's secret came out, but I do know that Jack was having a hard time getting over the fact that Ianto had betrayed him.

In his own twisted way, he was taking out his frustration about that betrayal by sniping and yelling at everyone on the team. Between his attitude and his reluctance to fire as well as Retcon Ianto, I was fairly certain that even he wasn't aware of how deeply he was already entrenched. For Jack, from what I know about him, he was actually falling in love with Ianto, even if he wasn't exactly aware of it.

Given the circumstances, convincing him to go over to Ianto's was much easier than it would have been if I hadn't paid such close attention in the past few months. Even if Jack wasn't falling for him, my reasons were sound enough for him to give Ianto another chance...

My words were just the life preserver that Jack needed to grab a hold of. I know that now.

When I arrived at work the day after our talk Jack's mood had definitely improved. I smiled to myself before logging onto my computer, grateful for any chance to keep from focussing on my own life. Jack was humming and singing softly under his breath as he wrote out a note and taped it gently to Ianto's coffee machine, essentially telling everyone that Ianto was coming back by stating not to touch the damn thing. It took every bit of restraint I had to not burst out laughing when he walked by Gwen's station and patted her on the head like she was a damn puppy.

Later, when he pulled all three of us into his office, he explained that Ianto would be staying and that no one was to Retcon him. I just nodded my head in assent, but I could tell that Owen was pissed off, and Gwen just seemed confused. I don't know if it was the fact that Ianto was staying, the pat on the head from earlier, or the fact that Jack wasn't flirting with her like normal, but she was definitely not happy.

However, as the days began to pass by, the more confused I became.

Instead of holding onto his great mood, he began to withdraw again. Jack started acting even more reclusive than normal. He'd taken to actually brooding whilst sitting silently in his office and not even bothering to glance around to make sure anyone was actually doing their jobs. When Gwen tried to go into his office to talk to him, he pretty much just gave her an order and sent her back out.

Okay, so it was a little amusing to see her lost puppy expression directed at Jack when she walked out, especially after what had happened barely a week before with the pat on the head, but still nonetheless odd. It was quite apparent to me that Jack had not been back to Ianto's since the first night that I'd convinced him to go there.

Of course, that's when things began to fall apart again.

On the plus side, it wasn't the life shattering destruction that had been happening so often as of late. It was gradual, which if I hadn't already noticed Jack's odd behaviour I might have actually been mildly surprised.

It started with a phone call from Ianto, asking if I minded stopping by his loft and dropping off a box full of things that he'd left in reception. I agreed, a little puzzled at why he hadn't just called Jack. It didn't take long to come to the conclusion that he still wasn't all that certain about Jack's intentions. I couldn't help but feel that maybe he was just looking for someone to talk to. Maybe it was the fact that I had brought him coffee on his one day back, or maybe I was just the lesser of the three evils left on the team other than Jack.

About an hour before Jack normally came out to tell us to go home when the rift was being quiet (which it was), I stepped into his office to ask him if I could leave a little early to go by Ianto's. From the moment I said Ianto's name, Jack sat up and stared at me with a suspicious look on his face.

"Why? You're not going to try to Retcon him are you, because I thought I explained to all of you that..."

"Jack," I said softly interrupting what was beginning to sound like the start of a tirade, "I was the one who talked you out of Retconning him in the first place. Remember? He just needs a box of stuff that he left up in reception and asked me to bring it to him."

I had no idea that Jack's lips could press that thin together. Either he was about to get really mad, or he was about to say something he might regret later. Whatever the circumstances, I had to stop him before he got started.

Still, I hesitated a moment before progressing on with what I wanted to say. For some reason I knew it was going to hurt him and I was loathe to do that. However he had avoided visiting Ianto, so the spot he was in was basically his own fault. That alone gave me the courage to continue.

"Jack...I think what he needs right now, more than anything, is a friend. We both know Owen's certainly not going to go there and he barely knows Gwen. It's not enough..."

My voice trailed away when Jack opened his mouth, perhaps in an attempt to tell me that I didn't know what Ianto needed. However, now that I knew I was right, I wasn't about to let him deter me from what my mind was insisting was the truth. When I spoke next, it was in a voice so low that I knew only he would hear, despite the fact that Gwen was staring avidly at us (almost hatefully), and Owen was leaning closer towards Jack's office in an obvious attempt to eavesdrop (which if he moved any farther back he was going to fall out of his bloody chair).

"What you have to offer is not enough. He needs a friend right now Jack...and you can't give that to him. You're still struggling against how much he hurt you by hiding who he is. It didn't matter nearly as much to everyone else because you were the one that let him get close to your heart, perhaps closer than anyone's been in a very long time."

Jack looked up at me in shock, but I didn't let that prevent from me continuing...even if I was about to hit him below the belt.

He'd been so in control, so stoic for such a long time, that I had to make him realise some things were now above and beyond what had become his comfort level for who knows how long. Especially considering the rumours that still persisted that he couldn't die.

"Jack, I told you a week ago that I found some of the CCTV that you'd missed and deleted it. What I didn't tell you was that I saved copies of them to your computer only. I also copied all of the ones you saved and moved them to the same place so that they would be a little more secure. They're in an easy to find folder, under a protection that only me or Ianto could possibly crack, but I think you'll be able to guess the password without too much effort. When you do get the folder open, watch both of your expressions in some of the less seductive videos. It may actually give you quite a few of the answers that you seem to be looking for."

Suddenly, I was having a hard time looking him in the eyes after those words had slipped out so casually. I don't think he'd realised I'd actually watched all the CCTV of them. I wanted to defend myself, maybe tell him that I simply watched them because I needed to make sure what to delete, but I couldn't do it.

Especially when I knew it was an incredibly substantial falsehood.

Don't get me wrong, I felt a little guilty about it. However, I don't know anyone who wouldn't get caught up with them in those moments. Anyone with a pulse would end up watching Jack and Ianto and find it interesting, particularly considering what they hell they looked like together.

Instead of saying anything else, I turned away and left, grabbing the box that Ianto needed before heading over to his loft. I wasn't ready to face Jack's inquisition when he actually did realise what I'd just let slip.

When I got to Ianto's I was a little surprised to find him acting overtly normal as he threw open the door and smiled shyly at me. For some reason, this actually worried me more than the smile. He was acting entirely too happy after the hell he'd gone through less than a mere fortnight ago and there was no way this was healthy healing. It was avoidance, plain and simple. I handed him the box he'd asked for, trying not to show my confusion at his behaviour, but knowing I'd failed when I tilted my head to the side. Just as I was about to ask him how he was doing, a heavenly scent of food drifted out of his loft to tickle at my senses.

"Ianto, what is that? Are you actually cooking food or is it something you picked up?"

"I'm sorry, I lost track of time Tosh. I'm just making some Teifiside Chicken, croquette potatoes, and fried courgettes. I was hoping you'd join me for supper since you were actually willing to bring me the box. I just wasn't expecting you this early. I also wasn't sure if you'd be able to get away in time…" Ianto smiled softly at me as his voice trailed away, obviously in embarrassment.

I wasn't quite sure what he was embarrassed about since the smell coming from his kitchen was damn near enough to make me physically drool. As much as I hated to admit it, even within the small amount of time that Ianto had been working there, we'd gotten so used to having him around to make sure that we had regular meals. When he wasn't at the office, sometimes we'd forget to call out for them and we'd end up just eating some of the snack foods from the kitchen. Of course, eating nothing but junk food all day could not compare to an actual home cooked meal.

After placing the box I handed him carefully on top of a stack of other boxes, Ianto motioned for me to follow him into the kitchen. The smell wafting from the room was entirely too tempting for me to pass up so I shut the front door behind me and trailed after him.

It was obvious that Ianto was still in the middle of cooking, so I sat down at his table to watch and wait for him. It didn't take him long to quietly set down a cup of coffee in front of me, leaving me to raise my eyebrows in amazement. Even though I hadn't asked and he'd been focussing on cooking, he'd still managed to make me a cup without me even realising what he was doing.

What was eerie was the fact that Ianto hadn't said a word since he'd met me at the door. The silence was almost becoming uncomfortable. Just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore, Ianto turned towards me and chuckled under his breath.

"Sorry Tosh, I guess I just got too used to not talking around everyone. Either that or I'm just not used to having visitors."

He smiled at me again, but this time I could tell it was slightly forced. Instead of acknowledging the issues I could see building behind his expression I diverted him as abruptly as possible.

"Why hasn't your sister come to visit you?"

I didn't mean to pry...really, I hadn't meant it in the least. I was originally hoping that he would open up to me when he chose to do so. Instead I guess I forced it right out into the open. I watched him as his mouth opened and closed almost comically for a moment, biting back my laughter the split second I realised that this might be just as bad of a subject as Jack would be.

Ianto's mouth stopped stuttering and he turned back to his oven, twisting a few of the knobs. I had no idea what he was doing but was amazed when he grabbed another cup of coffee and came to sit down across from me. When he finally looked into my eyes, I was surprised to see that he was actually more confused and angry than anything else. He also had tears in his eyes, which threw me off considering that the last time I had seen him even close to looking like this was right before he'd punched Jack.

"I...er...I haven't actually let Rhiannon or Johnny know I was back in Cardiff. Technically I wasn't supposed to still be here...so..." Ianto's voice drifted off softly as his eyes shifted back towards the stove, staring at it almost incomprehensively.

Without thinking I reached out, grasping and squeezing his hand lightly. His gaze snapped towards the touch and I could feel him fighting against the urge to just yank his own hand away. I held tight to it, knowing that if I let go, I was going to lose whatever connection had started between us. He almost seemed to be in a completely different world.

"Ianto...it's time," I spoke as softly as possible, still trying to hold onto what I knew was a tentative emotional state he was finally letting me see, "I think you need to realise that Lisa isn't coming back. Please call Rhiannon. I know she'll be there for you...she has to. If they truly care about you and you have nowhere else to turn, you can always depend on your family. Home is the place where when you go there, they have to take you in. You've heard that before right?"

Ianto nodded lightly a sardonic chuckle escaping his lips as he stared at me with a look of aggravation. Just as he opened his lips to respond, maybe actually tell me something about himself that I didn't already know, a loud harsh buzzing sound began to fill the room.

Ianto jumped up and turned away before walking towards his oven and flicking off the timer and pulling out each carefully wrapped dish. When he turned back towards me, his mask had fallen back into place. It was an expression I knew well by now. Unfortunately the last time I'd seen it was when I'd dropped off a coffee for him the morning after Lisa died. While he was dishing out the food in front of me, I stared at him. I knew I had to break through his facade again, I just didn't know how to do it.

It was almost as if my mind was at war with me. The only things I could think of to talk about were Jack and Lisa, and both were such tentative subjects that I wasn't going backtrack to them. As soon as Ianto sat down I reached over and grasped his hand again. He startled for a second then gently disengaged from my grip, before offering me a forced smile.

"You'll have to let me know if my cooking is all right. I mean...I don't exactly follow written recipes. Most of the dishes I know I learnt from Lisa..."

Either he realised he was babbling or he knew I saw through his smokescreen because his voice trailed away quickly.

For a moment, he closed his eyes as he reached up and rubbed his fingers on the bridge of his nose, before running his whole hand down his face. Once his eyes opened and settled on mine, I knew he was finally ready to talk.

He started as we began to eat and just kept going. What was odd was that he hadn't gone for his time with Torchwood One, but back to his childhood. I learnt all about his sister, how his mother died, and how his father once broke his leg. Long after we had finished eating, he was still talking. I kept him going by bringing him coffee and just listening to everything he said, laughing with him and frowning when I could tell he was having a hard time explaining things. After I had put all the leftover food away and cleaned off the table, I took his hand leading him into his living room to sit on the couch.

It was strange to hear Ianto speak so much. I'd never heard him say more than a few sentences and they were normally in response to something that someone else had asked him. It was the oddest thing, like somewhere inside of him a dam had broken. He wouldn't stop until everything was completely out there.

Sometime around two in the morning he began to wind down. He still hadn't reached how his relationship with Jack had started, but I didn't think he was going to give me that much information anyway. I started to notice his words becoming more and more disjointed as he went along. It took me a few minutes to realise he was actually falling asleep. I started to stand up and Ianto grabbed my hand, looking up at me almost pleadingly.

"Can you stay Tosh? Please? I'll sleep on the couch and you can have my bed. I just...I'm not sure I can spend the night alone without having nightmares after some of the things I've talked about tonight..."

I blinked quickly, shaking my head lightly as I tried to get the image of Ianto's face from my mind. If this is what Jack had seen in him, I could completely understand why he'd started to let him in. Ianto was a lot more sensitive than I'd originally thought.

I smiled at Ianto and pulled him up from the couch, asking him where the bedroom was. When he pointed me in the right direction I began to lead him back towards it. I was almost amused when I felt Ianto freeze outside the door. I turned back towards him with a half smile on my face before approaching what I knew was going through his mind.

"Ianto, I'm going to ask you a question. You can be totally honest with me. I promise not to be offended at your answer." I said softly, squeezing his hand as I whispered.

"Are you sexually attracted to me at all?"

His cheeks reddened and he shook his head lightly.

"No Tosh, I'm sorry. It's not that you're not beautiful, but..."

I chuckled and shook my head, hopefully dispelling whatever notion he was thinking. When he stared at me in confusion, I could tell he still didn't understand what I was trying to get through to him.

"What I'm trying to say Ianto, is that we can sleep in the same bed. Don't get me wrong, you're rather handsome, but you're not exactly my type either. As long as you have something I can sleep in, then we should have no problems. We'll just be two friends spending an innocent night in the same bed."

Ianto chuckled and released my hand, walking towards his wardrobe. He opened it and tossed some clothes towards me. They would be a little big on me, but more than comfortable enough. He pointed towards the bathroom, giving me an opportunity to change.

When I came back out, Ianto was already lying stiffly on the bed, above the covers. I bit back the laughter that threatened to come out and shook my head, climbing in next to him. When I glanced towards him he was lying there so tautly I thought he might actually pull a muscle.

"Ianto, would you please just get under the covers and relax. I'm exhausted and I don't want to take the time to convince you I'm that I'm not going to tackle you. Just think of this as if you were sharing your bed with your sister, like you did a few times when you were younger."

It took Ianto a minute to realise that I really had been listening to him when he was talking earlier. For the first time I saw him give me a genuine smile. He slipped under the covers and turned towards me, still smiling. I was nearly asleep when I heard him whisper softly.

"Thank you for being a friend for me tonight Tosh."

TBC

AN: Well, as per normal, I'm not going to demand reviews or hold the story hostage if I don't get them. Don't get me wrong, I love every review that's left, but I write for enjoyment, not for what others can give me. :)

I'm working on chapter 2 now and should be able to get it to my wonderful Beta soon...