Jack sighed as he walked down the steps of the Est-tribune of the Lille Metropole stadium and tried to remember where they had been sitting. He spotted Ianto halfway down the lower C section and shook his head.
When he'd opened his hotel room to see him that morning he'd groaned, closed the door and walked back to his bed. And even after being dragged out and to the game he still wasn't going to get used to the Welsh flag painted on Ianto's face. He wasn't sure if that was the weirdest thing about Ianto that day or if it was the absence of his suit which he'd ditched for a football top and jeans.
Jack eyed him as he excused himself to the people in the row he was now passing. Ianto took the folded up flag from Jack's seat so he could sit down, which he did, and passed Ianto one of the beers he was carrying.
"Didn't miss anything, did I?" Jack asked, sarcastically.
"Belgium scored," Ianto said as he put the flag in Jack's lap and Jack sighed.
The man behind them booed.
Ianto turned and smiled before he looked to Jack who sighed and closed his eyes. He then took a long drink of his beer and settled back into his seat, moving the flag slightly with his hand. Ianto had gotten him it, saying he would look out of place enough, since he refused to change his attire, so a flag would be a necessity. Jack had pouted and pointed out that Ianto usually loved what he wore.
Usually his pouts were fruitful but if he thought he was going to wrangle action out of the Welshman before an important Euro football game he was sadly mistaken and his pout went un-pandered to.
"Why did you bring me if you don't want to be here?" Ianto asked.
Jack raised his eyebrows, not exactly sure why he was acting like this either. He was right, he was the one who had brought him here, and it wasn't exactly just a case of getting tickets and getting on a plane, that was the easy part. It was the rest that Jack was trying not to think of.
But he still didn't know why he was being an ass about it.
"It's just soccer," Jack said.
"Football!" the man beside Jack said. "It's football, American."
Jack stared at him until he awkwardly looked away and Ianto tried not to laugh.
"It sucks," Jack said to Ianto and gestured out at the pitch. "It's just a bunch of guys running after a ball!"
"I would've thought that guys in shorts would be your idea of a perfect time," Ianto quipped.
Jack smirked and tilted his head. "Yeah…" he said and looked to the side where Ianto was smiling at him. He cleared his throat. "I told you that story, huh?"
"The World Cup 1984? Yes," Ianto said.
Jack grinned. "Yeah, those were short shorts," he added and then shook his head.
They didn't say anything for a while, just drinking their beers until, seven minutes later when the beers were finished and the cups discarded to the floor, Wales scored, equalising.
Ianto and the rest of the Welsh side stood up and cheered while the team celebrated Ashley Williams' goal, the captain powered home Ramsay's corner beyond De Bruyne on the line.
Jack however hadn't been watching and jumped with the surprise and then exhaled. His mind was too full of what would happen when Wales were put out by Portugal in five days time.
Ianto and the others didn't sit down right away, they all started singing.
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off you
You'd be like heaven to touch
I wanna hold you so much
Jack looked up at Ianto and couldn't help smiling as he held the Welsh flag up behind his back as he sang. He smiled wide, crinkling the dry Welsh flag on his face as he continued to sing.
At long last love has arrived
And I thank God I'm alive
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off you!
Ianto sensed he was being watch and looked to Jack before smiling as the singing continued. He reached out and took Jack's hand.
Jack let him take his hand but smiled and shook his head, feeling all of the boredom flow out of him. He'd been a football fan at one point but somehow, after years of news about who scored and who lost and then fights and tragedies of attacks and trampling it'd just lost its attraction. However, looking up at Ianto now as he tugged at Jack's hand and gestured his head, he couldn't have even guessed about any of it.
"Come on, sir," Ianto said.
Jack smiled as he reluctantly stood up, dropping the flag to his seat behind him without looking. "We're not at work now, Ianto," he said and exhaled. "Feels like it though."
"Unclench," Ianto said and used his left hand to pinch Jack's buttock.
Jack grinned and looked at him. "Sorry," he said. "I don't mean to be uptight."
"It's alright," Ianto said and leaned into him as the singing began to die down a little to talk but their attention was taken away by the Belgians closing in for a goal.
Jack watched as the Belgians began to cheer in support of their team and the Welsh shouted out encouragements to their players to stop the goal.
"No, no, no," Ianto said and then the relief sounded through the Welsh side as it was saved.
"Phew," Jack said, Ianto looked at him. Even though he was trying to get into the game it still fell flat.
Ianto smiled at him and Jack watched him, thinking about the last time they saw each other before this, not that Ianto would know it.
"I'll tell you what," Ianto said, bringing Jack out of his thoughts to his thanks. "If Wales win I'd be so happy."
Jack tilted his head, knowing how true that was. "Yeah, I know," Jack said.
"I'd be so happy that when we got back to the hotel I'd-" He leaned right into Jacks ear and muttered.
Jack listened, each word increasing his attention ten-fold. When Ianto finished and looked back to the pitch Jack observed his face. He watched the way the light hit his face and, even with the paint there, he still looked as gorgeous as the first day they'd met and the last. If he hadn't known better he'd have thought that Ianto knew, that he was telling Jack to enjoy this chance while they had it, because no one knew what tomorrow would bring. Right?
So Jack decided to agree. He replayed what Ianto had said in his head, wondering if he was serious about the honey and turned quickly to his seat, picking up the flag. He opened it and held it up against his chest.
"Come on Wales!" he shouted and a cheer rang out in the close proximity around them which then travelled to further parts of the Welsh section.
Ianto laughed as Jack transferred the flag corner to his left hand too so that he could put his right arm around Ianto's shoulder and take the corner again before he kissed his cheek and cheered.
Wales would later win two goals to one and Jack would discover that Ianto wasn't kidding about the honey.
Jack is ashamed to admit it but he doesn't say goodbye to Ianto, not really.
Ianto starts to fall asleep on Jack's chest that night, after their time is done.
"So tired," Ianto says with a slur.
Jack strokes his hand over the back of Ianto's head, feeling his hair a little damp with sweat. "You can go to sleep, Ianto," he says softly.
"You said you didn't want me to go to sleep," Ianto counters.
And Jack doesn't, because as soon as that happened then it would be all over.
"It's okay," Jack says anyway and kisses the top of his head, "go to sleep."
Ianto smiles and hugs Jack closer, making Jack smile too.
"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Ianto asks and Jack's smile falls. "Tell me."
Jack hesitates. "Well, I thought we'd get up early and roll around-" Ianto chuckles against Jack's skin. "Then we could have breakfast in bed." Ianto hums. "And then maybe order something to eat." Ianto laughs properly that time and Jack smiles hearing it, glad he could do that. "Then we could stroll around the town, look at everything and meet people." Jack smiles to himself. "As if time didn't affect us, like we had every second the world has to offer."
"Sounds good," Ianto says. "No schedule."
"Exactly," Jack agrees. "We could do whatever we want, with no one telling us we can't."
"Could?" Ianto asks but doesn't wait for an answer. "We will, I promise you that."
Jack smiles, almost out of habit, in case he was seen. "I'll hold you to it."
"You can hold me to anything," Ianto adds and Jack chuckles in his throat.
Sensing Ianto's breathing becoming heavier he says the one sentence he doesn't want to, and he almost chokes on it, "Do you want some water?" he asked.
"Uh-uh," Ianto says.
Jack closes his eyes and exhales before he speaks again, "I think you should," he opens his eyes again and reaches for a glass of water on the bedside table he'd poured earlier, "you've been singing and shouting all day, don't want you to lose your voice for the next game."
Ianto hums and takes the offered glass before he takes gulp and gives the glass back. Jack put it on the table and tightens his arms around Ianto as he settles back on Jack's chest.
"Ianto?" Jack asks and Ianto hums again. "I love you."
Ianto starts to open his eyes and lift his head in shock but he doesn't get that far before he conks out heavily against Jack.
Jack exhales hard and runs his hand through Ianto's hair, squeezing him tight before a tear slips out of his eye.
Ten minutes later Jack moves Ianto over gently and stands up. He lifts his hand in the air and, with a tight fist, he extends his arm quickly.
Where it should have sailed through the air it contacts with something solid and a loud thump is heard.
Suddenly a gap in the air appears and a man's face appears from, what seems to be, a door in the space there that leads into another room.
The man, with grey hair and a severe look, surveys the room quickly and then looks to Jack before he closes his eyes.
"Jack?" he says.
"Yeah, Doctor?" Jacks asks, still focusing on Ianto.
"Trousers?" the man says.
"Hmm?" Jack asks and looks to the man.
"Trousers?" he asks. "Or pants to you Americans. Pants of course referring to underwear in Britain as well. Either of those would be a good idea about now." He points inside the room. "I'll be in here." He disappears and shuts the room door.
Inside the TARDIS the Doctor doesn't turn when the door opens but continues staring at the console. "Is it safe?" he asks.
Behind him Jack is carrying Ianto's body over his shoulder; both of them are fully clothed, except that Ianto seems to be in pyjamas.
"Doctor, your clothes are projections. If anyone is unsafe it's me," Jack observes as he walks around the console area to a chair where he cautiously lowers Ianto's body to and gently moves his head so that it's not uncomfortable.
The Doctor watches him with a concerned face.
Jack stops and sighs, his back to the man. "What?"
"I didn't say anything," he replies.
"You didn't have to," Jack says. "I can hear you."
"No you can't," the man observes. "I'm not making any noise."
Jack sighs. "Can you just-?" He whips his hand impatiently in the air and then moves it back to Ianto's face and smiles a little.
The Doctor sighs and pulls the lever on the console, making the TARDIS shake as it takes off.
Barely a few seconds later Jack dips to catch Ianto and stop him from falling from the chair as the TARDIS stops.
"I'll stay here," the man says, as if it were a gift.
Jack barely nods, lifts Ianto up over his shoulder and then leaves the light of the TARDIS.
He stands there in a dark room looking at a man lying in bed asleep. He hadn't been there when Jack had last been there but he wasn't surprised, he'd expected him to be there. In fact, he'd counted on it.
He pauses a second and then walks to the other side of the bed where he gently lowers Ianto's body to the bed, letting his head lower slowly to the pillow. He pulls the cover over him and then strokes the right side of his face with his left hand and kisses his lips, his face tensing in pain. He touches his forehead to his and exhales.
"I really do love you, Ianto," Jack says again and then kisses him once more before running a hand through his hair and leans back to look at him.
"How'd it go?" the man on the other side of the bed asks.
Jack doesn't even seem surprised and doesn't even take his eyes from Ianto's face. "It was…" He sighs.
"Who won?" he asks.
"Wales," Jack answers him.
The man nods. "Good, bet he was happy."
"Yeah," Jack looks up and see his own face in the dark looking back, "he was."
Captain Jack Harkness looks at his future self and sees the pain there. "And you can't tell me when it happens?" he asks.
"When what happens?" Jack asks.
The Captain smiles a little. "Come on, you wouldn't be doing this if he didn't die."
The Doctor pops his head out. "Sorry, Captain," he says and then looks to Jack. "Jack, we really need to go."
"Yeah," Jack says and looks at Ianto one more time. "I know." He looks to the Captain. "Look after him."
"I will," the Captain says.
"No, really," Jack says.
"Jack-" the Doctor warns.
"You don't understand," Jack says to the Captain.
"Then tell me," the Captain says, "I can stop it."
"Jack!" the doctor says.
Jack closes his eyes. "But Doctor-"
"Get in here or I'll go back and stop you having this day," the doctor threatens.
"It'd be that bad?" the Captain asks.
He looks to Captain Jack Harkness. "It'd be that bad."
"Go," the Captain says, looking back to Jack. "Before he wakes up."
Jack reluctantly walks towards the TARDIS and stops to look at the Captain with the Doctor looking at him anxiously. "Tell him you love him," he tells his past self.
"What if I don't?" he asks.
"You will," Jack promises.
"Then I'll tell him when I do," the Captain says.
"But-" Jack starts.
"Jack," the Doctor says.
"Do you really think he'd want to hear it if it wasn't true yet?" Captain Jack asks.
"It's better than never," Jack says quickly.
"Jack!" the Doctor says and pulls at him. "In!"
Jack looks to Ianto turning on the bed as the Doctor pulls him in and closes the door.
"What were you playing at!" he asks and goes towards the console to get the hell out of there before Jack does something else. "Did you give him the Retcon Five?"
Jack sighs.
"Jack!" the Doctor says and runs to him, grabbing Jack by the shoulders "Tell me you gave him the Retcon!"
"I gave him the Retcon!" Jack shouts and pulls away. "He'll think it was a dream, okay!" he storms off. "He won't know!"
"Why are you shouting!" the Doctor shouts back.
"Because I wanted him to know I loved him and you couldn't give me that!" Jack hits one of the surfaces on the console and the TARIDS shifts to the side.
The Doctor runs to it and pushes a button. "If you have to hit something can it be me and not the console!"
"Don't tempt me," Jack says.
"You came to me, Jack," the Doctor points out.
Jack turns to him confused. "That's not true?"
The Doctor's severe expression becomes slightly confused too, although also annoyed at the emotion. "It's not?" Jack shakes his head. "Well what does it matter?" He begins typing on the consoles keyboard. "I kept up my end, now to yours."
He hit the screen with one hand and Jack looks at the image of Rex, an old colleague.
Jack closes his eyes and puts his hand up. "Later." He walks away.
"Jack, we have to find him!" he says but Jack doesn't answer as he turns right along the corridor. "Jack!"
Jack lets the tears come and continues to ignore the Doctor's voice as he thinks about Ianto singing with the Welsh flag painted on his face and draped around his shoulders while he looked to Jack and winked.
He knows that he would never see that face again and because of that he needs to lie down for a while before they get to work finding Rex Matheson who was, according to this new Doctor, a threat to the future of the human race.
Jack has a feeling there was more to the story that this man was telling him but right then Jack doesn't care, like he hadn't cared when the man had found Jack hitchhiking across the galaxy, having abandoned Torchwood Three (or what was left of it) and took off for the stars.
Jack just wishes it hadn't had to end so quickly. Jack wishes it hadn't had to end. And he knew he always will.