So the whole thing was inspired by this adorable work of art and I got the permission to write a ficlet about it, so I promptly abandoned all the projects I should be working on (sorry) because I couldn't resist. So there you go. Fluff. And then I ended up fixing CoE, too. Oh well.
art/Maybe-One-Day-Ianto-386722139
It begins a few weeks after Jack returned from those months away that he won't tell them about.
They have slowly fallen back into their old rhythm, many things the same but some very new – for example that Ianto stays at the Hub overnight more often than not and sometimes, when the Rift will allow it, even has Jack over at his own flat, which leads to scarily domestic breakfast scenes in the morning.
But it is a night on Jack's tiny bed down beneath his office that it first starts. Ianto is half-draped over the Captain, partly because of the small space and partly because he really enjoys the feeling of Jack's arms around him, the sound of his lover's (boyfriend's?) heartbeat lulling him to sleep.
Suddenly, though, Jack's chest is vibrating under him when the Captain starts to speak – quietly, barely above a whisper, something that would never have woken Ianto up had he actually been asleep.
"You know," Jack murmurs, something contemplative in his tone as his fingers draw soothing little circles on Ianto's back, "sometimes I miss being out there." Ianto wants to look up, confused, but the Captain just goes on like he doesn't expect an answer. "I mean, yes, this has its appeals, and I meant it when I said that I wouldn't change being with you for the world. But there's so much to see, you wouldn't believe it. A lifetime isn't nearly enough."
He pauses, thoughtfully, and Ianto thinks about whether asking about what Jack is talking about would be worth to give away that he's not asleep like the other man seems to assume. When Jack goes on, he decides that he can listen just a little longer.
"Remember that one orb that came through the Rift a few days ago? The one that you couldn't find again? Yeah, that was sort of my fault. I've been to the world it came from. It's nothing special, really, just a pretty stone, but it's very common on Carymee. They have beaches made up entirely of red, glinting sand and two suns, so it never really gets dark. Dusky at most. Then, the red gets deeper, it looks gorgeous. Come to think of it, I think you would look gorgeous on a beach like that, red goes so wonderfully with you. Then again, that sand gets everywhere, I'd have to take you swimming afterwards..."
Now, Ianto has to fight the urge to twitch or comment and he hopes Jack can't feel the way his cheeks heat up. After all, he's supposed to be asleep. Paying careful attention to keep his breathing calm and steady, Ianto keeps listening to musings about blood-red, glowing beaches and twin suns until the gentle murmur of Jack's voice carries him off to sleep.
The next morning, the Captain doesn't mention anything about the stone that has gone missing, so Ianto doesn't ask; however, he does catch Jack reaching into his coat pocket more than once, his hand closing around something before he pulls it out again, empty.
"Cardiff isn't the only place with a Rift," Jack muses another night. This time, he's spooning Ianto and has his face buried in the crook of his neck, which muffles his words somewhat. The tea boy is still able to make them out, though. "Granted, it's not so often that it happens to be in a city – but then again, that's how Time Lords started, so who knows what Wales is gonna be up to in a few thousand years' time?"
He chuckles faintly and Ianto bites his lip to prevent a laugh as Jack huffs against his neck. "There's another Rift I've heard of, running straight through the Medusa Cascade. It's said to be one of the most beautiful places in all of the universe – I've never been there, myself, you need a ship if you want a proper look and I just never got around to doing it. But it's said to be breathtaking."
His voice is soft with quiet awe in a way that it rarely ever is when Ianto is awake and he finds himself sighing quietly, snuggling closer to Jack. For a moment, the Captain tenses and Ianto consciously reminds himself not to hold his breath, but after a few seconds, Jack seems convinced he's still asleep and resumes his muttered tale.
"We could go and see Barcelona," Jack murmurs one night and Ianto has to try hard not to chuckle because Jack is all wrapped around him and would definitely feel it. Barcelona does sound a little less adventurous than the last few things he's listed. "The planet, not the city," Jack then adds and okay, that sounds a little less ordinary.
The Captain shifts slightly, pulling Ianto closer, and continues: "Then again, that's more the Doctor's running gag than mine. Oh, but I know what you'd like – Praecosc!" His voice rises in volume at the name and Jack stills briefly. Ianto makes a point of breathing slowly and deeply and after a few moments, Jack goes on in a more hushed tone: "It's not all that different from Earth, just... imagine the planet inside out. They have oceans and all that, but they live under the surface – that's not the fascinating thing though.
"Their planet is basically translucent. They don't live on the surface because it's too hot, but the uppermost crust is made of a sort of crystal, almost as see-through as glass. It's like living in a snow globe. There's even sections that are underneath the oceans – they're made up of water, well, mostly, you shouldn't actually drink it, but whatever. They're just deep enough to barely let any light through and when you're in the caverns there, it's like... like a darkened aquarium. Plus barely anyone ever goes there, the Praecoscians prefer the better lit areas. Imagine the things we could get up to there..."
Jack pauses, like he's following a train of thought that he won't speak out loud, and then whispers: "It's so quiet there, it's almost eerie. You can't hear the water because of the crystal, but you think you should, you know? Oh, and they have fish, it really is like an aquarium. Some of them glow in the dark, and there's tiny ones that swim in swarms and make real light shows, with formations and all." He pulls the blanket a bit higher, covering Ianto's shoulders. "It's cold underneath the ocean sections because the light doesn't get there. As good of an excuse to wrap you in a blanket and cuddle you as any other, don't you think?"
Tonight, Ianto is sprawled out over Jack again, the covers draped over them both, Jack's arms around him. He's that close to falling asleep when Jack quietly starts to speak again.
"Maybe one day, I can show you the universe properly," he whispers and Ianto has to keep himself from lifting his head. By now, he's used to Jack's mutterings when he thinks his boyfriend to be asleep, but he never gets tired of them. "You'd love it out there, Ianto," Jack continues, almost reverently, and although he can't see it, Ianto can hear the smile in his voice. "All those planets and people... there's so many things I want to show you, I wouldn't know where to start... you know, I think you'd love Khod'un. The people are completely asexual, which is a shame, but they have the most beautiful libraries. Wonderfully organised, too. And when the moons come up in the night..."
Ianto smiles, not daring to say anything no matter how much he wants to when Jack does not only describe the planet, but all the things he wants to show to Ianto specifically. After he doesn't know how long, he drifts off to the sound of Jack's voice in his ears, to the promise of maybe one day.
Then, there's no more sleepy mutterings and whispered promises because there's the 456 and everything goes to hell. They barely sleep at all and then, Ianto follows Jack into Thames House to confront the alien when...
"Stop!"
They turn, Jack more abruptly so than Ianto, and the tea boy takes in the sight of a lanky man in a pinstripe suit and a long brown (dramatically flapping) coat running towards them. Before either of them can say something, the man pushes himself between Jack and Ianto and grips the lapels of the Captain's (new) coat.
"Listen to me," he implores, out of breath, "Jack, I need you to trust me now." He glances over his shoulder at Ianto, then back at Jack. "You can't take him with you. Trust me. You can't."
Jack looks confused and, much to Ianto's concern, afraid; his eyes flicker back and forth between the Scottish lunatic and Ianto himself.
"Look," he says as politely as he can manage right now, gently but determinedly pushing the man's hands away from Jack's coat, "sorry, but who are you?"
"Oh!" the man exclaims, like the thought of introducing himself only just occurred to him. The concerned, urgent expression from before makes way to a blinding grin. "Right. I'm the Doctor, which makes you Ianto Jones. I've heard a lot about you, believe me."
Now, Jack seems to find his voice again and demands: "What do you mean, I can't take him with me?"
The grin vanishes as the Doctor turns back towards Jack. "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry, I can't tell you what happens and I can't stay. It's fixed. I can't do anything about that, but I can get him out of here before it's too late," he insists with a nod towards Ianto. "Please, Jack, just listen."
"Why would you want to get him out?" he asks slowly, carefully, like he doesn't know if he wants to hear the answer.
The Doctor hesitates, then answers, his voice low and urgent: "Because you told me to."
He doesn't like it, not at all, but he lets Jack convince him to go with the Doctor because this is one of the few times that he's seen the Captain look genuinely, honestly frightened and to be honest, it scares him a little. He does believe Jack when he says that he'll come back for him, though, because Jack keeps his promises and that's not the only one he's given Ianto (even if he thought him asleep at the time).
The Time Lord fills the silence in his ship with chatter about ah yes, it's bigger on the inside and believe me, timey-wimey, it's complicated and blimey, this is a mess, I'm sorry. Ianto half-listens, too worried about Jack to pay any real attention because he knows the Captain will be back, yeah, but that doesn't keep him from wondering when his luck will run out. It doesn't help either that the Doctor refuses to give him any details as to how Jack told him to get Ianto, except for a repeat of timey-wimey, that's all I can tell you.
Then, the Doctor is pushing him into a jump seat and tells him to stay put as he begins to twirl around the console, flipping levers and pressing buttons at a speed that makes Ianto wonder whether he knows what he's doing or just wants to look impressive.
Either way, after a sort of bumpy ride (in a phone box, no less), there's a thump with which the ship settles and the Doctor pulls him outside, pushing open the doors.
Ianto doesn't recognise the landscape, but he would know that coat anywhere and hurries off towards Jack, who is staring at the TARDIS as though he's finally waking from a bad dream. Even in the dim light of the moon, Ianto can see he's pale and has shadows under his red-rimmed eyes, but he's here and alive and he's kissing him the way he used to, so that's alright. Everything else, they can work out later.
A few minutes later, back inside the console room, the Doctor beams at them and asks: "So, I think you two deserve a holiday." Despite his cheerful attitude, Ianto can see the concern in his eyes when he looks at Jack. "Any particular wishes?"
Before Jack can come up with anything, Ianto laces his fingers through the Captain's, squeezing his hand slightly, and replies: "I think I'd like to see the beaches of Carymee, if that's alright."