Title: Kings of the World
Rating: PG-13
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jack, Ianto; Jack/Ianto
Summary: Jack is still a little lost after Gray's revenge. But Ianto is good on roofs too. Written for the schmoop_bingo on LiveJournal, prompt: "i love you" - first.
Timeline: Post Exit Wounds.
Disclaimer: Torchwood and all associated characters belong to BBC and RTD.
Ianto is drunk
It's not something Jack has a problem with. Drunk Ianto can be great. Drunk Ianto lets loose, and doesn't have the hang ups that he has when he's sober. Drunk Ianto doesn't blush when Jack gropes him in the pub, doesn't mind everyone seeing Jack's possessive arm around his waist, let's Jack kiss him in public.
Yeah, Jack likes a drunk Ianto very much.
Right now Ianto's stumbling slightly ahead of him, and Jack can hear snatches of blues that drift back on the cool breeze. The roads are still slick with rain and the yellow shine of the street lamps makes the red autumn leaves that have fallen shine like blood.
Jack feels a little sick. There's been too much death and loss, and some nights he can still feel Tosh's blood on his hands.
Ianto has stepped up to the lamppost and like a little boy, hangs on to it with one hand and swings, once, twice around it, before letting go and stumbling into Jack's arms.
"You're drunk," Jack says, pressing a kiss into dark hair.
Ianto leans against him and huffs a breath that smells like beer. "I know. 'm'not stupid."
"I know you're not. Just saying."
They get back like that, arms around each other, shuffling along in their own lopsided three-legged race. Jack tries to initiate a little snogging in the elevator, but Ianto seems more interested to just hug.
Any kind of drunkenness and lethargy Ianto has disappears when they arrive on his floor. Encouraged by his apparent enthusiasm, Jack perks up a little. Sex hadn't exactly been in the books for this evening. But much to his surprise, Ianto drags him right past his front door and up the stairs.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Roof. C'mon."
Jack's mouth goes dry. He hasn't been on a roof since Gray's attack on Cardiff. It hurts far too much to see the destruction and pain he's responsible for. It must have shown on his face, because Ianto stops suddenly, and cradling Jack's face gently between his rather cold hands, kisses him long and deep.
Everything fades away to the back of his head -the memories, the pain, the night sounds, the cold of the stairwell, the tang of beer- until all he can hear, touch, smell, taste and see is Ianto, just Ianto, Ianto, Ianto.
When they break apart, Jack quickly turns away to hide the hot prick of tears in his eyes. But Ianto knows everything of course, and he tilts Jack's head back so that he can brush them away with his hand. And then he slowly draws his glistening finger into his mouth and sucks.
Bastard knows how to push Jack's buttons. He smiles around the finger, sultry and sly, and before Jack can grab him and fuck him against the wall then and there, he runs up the stairs. The way he leaps up them two at a time tells Jack that his lover is likely not as drunk as he seemed to be.
He arrives on the roof to see Ianto standing on the precipice and his heart flies to his throat. As he races across the roof he curses himself for his self-pity, for wallowing while not realising that Ianto was hurting enough to want to kill himself...
As his arms fold around Ianto's waist, the younger man spreads his arms and shouts into the Cardiff night, "I'm king of the world!".
Jack could smack him.
"Ianto!"
Ianto's leaning back enough that Jack's the only thing that's keeping him up. He tilts his head back until it's resting on Jack's shoulder and nuzzles against the older man's neck.
"I know what you're thinking, Jack," he mumbles, his breath ghosting across skin, making Jack tremble. "I know everything. And I'm not leaving you." His hands slide across Jack's and he twines their fingers together. "Not ever."
Slowly, he spreads out their arms, until they're stretched out like wings. The sleeves of Jack's coat flap in the wind.
Ianto's voice is almost a whisper. "Fly."
Jack closes his eyes and with the wind in his hair, he can almost believe they are soaring.
"You miss it."
Ianto's voice, sexy as it is, jars him as it brings him back to earth with a bump. He's brought their arms back around his waist and they sway, gently, on the edge of the roof.
"You can leave."
"What?"
"The next time he comes," Ianto pauses to swallow audibly, "the Doctor. When he comes, you can go with him."
"Ianto-"
Ianto twists so suddenly in his arms that for a heartbeat, Jack's worried that he'll send them both hurtling over the edge. Then he finds his face once again framed by Ianto's long fingers and he can't look away from those blue eyes full of love. "You can go," Ianto is saying again, "but I am coming with you."
"Whether he likes it or not," he adds resolutely.
There is an almost painful pressure in Jack's chest and before he knows it he's laughing, laughing like- laughing like he hasn't done in a long time, really.
Ianto stands to the side, looking a little miffed, like he isn't sure if Jack has taken his words seriously.
"Oh, Ianto," gasps Jack and pulls his Welshman close, "He wouldn't know what hit him!" He lands light kisses on his lover's brow, nose and then pulls him even closer for a deep kiss. When they break apart, they're both panting and a little aroused.
"I love you," Jack says, the words spilling out of his mouth before he can think them through. He curses himself, blames the blood that has left his brain for his cock, and half-expects Ianto to freeze and pull away or maybe to blush and stammer them back to him, anything but-
-saying in that tone, "I know." Because Ianto knows everything.
He lets Ianto lead them back to the edge of the roof, but this time he's the one in front, with his arms outstretched while Ianto's arms are wrapped securely around his waist, holding him like they always do. Forever will do.
Ianto's breath is warm in his ear. "Fly with me."
fin.