Ianto was dying. Jack knew that. They both knew that. Jack wanted to save him but, down in the depths of his heart, he knew that Ianto wasn't

immortal like him and that there was nothing he could do to save him. Jack knew that he was also going to die, but he wasn't scared. Why should he

be? He had died before, and had always come back to life, time and time again.

"This time won't be much different." The back of his mind whispered, as it always did when he died.

"Of course it'll be different!" He thought.

"I won't have Ianto."

"How can Jack go through this? Does it always feel like this?"

Ianto's thoughts swam around in his mind. He'd seen Jack die countless times before; it was always a shock, and it always made Ianto's heart skip a

beat, but he knew that Jack would be alright.

"I…I love you…"

Ianto couldn't die without telling him that. He could hear Jack replying,but while Ianto tried to grip onto everything he said, every word that Jack said

was more mumbled and faded than the one before.

While Jack refused to believe it, Ianto knew it was the end.

"Ianto? Ianto, don't go. Don't leave me, please?"

In Jack's arms, Ianto breathed his last. Jack always knew that this day would come, but he'd never imagined it to be like this.

Never like this.

"So, someday I'll die and you'll just keep going?"

Words from their last private conversation rang in Jack's mind, and he immediately felt guilty. Here he was, the man who could never die, holding in his

arms one of his best friends who had died, so innocently young, to help him. Jack couldn't help but think that Ianto's death was his fault, and it

shouldn't have ended like it did. But that was all he was able to think. Jack leaned down, and gently kissed Ianto, knowing it would be the last time

he would be able to kiss him. Unafraid, Jack drew his last breath and sunk down dead, right next to Ianto.

So, here they were. Two best friends, sometimes even lovers, lying next to the other, side by side.

Jack knew this day would come, but he'd never imagined it to be like this.

Never like this.