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The Doctors life was brilliant. He'd been to half a dozen places since leaving Cardiff, Wales and its inhabits years behind or ahead of him – depending which way in time he'd traveled.
He'd revisited Barcelona telling himself he most definitely wasn't reminiscing "the good ol' days" he wasn't trying to recapture the memories of Beta-Nine or the hilarity of Potentillahepatica. With all that distance, time, and galaxies, sandwiched between he still couldn't forget.
Revelations and epiphanies were his forte, his fortune and trade, the workings of his absolute genius, but this was one he could have lived without.
This was one he couldn't outrun or, possibly, outlive.
He wasn't sure if it was couldn't or wouldn't, that's where the lines blurred dangerously but either way it was time to give his converses' a rest.
A little R&R was good for the soul, or was that health?
"Why couldn't I discover something new, something thrilling, like a second moon in the Earths atmosphere hidden in a gap in time and space, or a genetically mutated Chelonian in the Atlantic Ocean, or the existence of Caxtardis'. Why did I have to go and fall for a man, a human man with 200 years worth of issues and a inclination for violence? Of the trillion people in this universe, it just had to be Jack."
Revelations and great epiphanies were hardly something new but they were only as good as there usefulness. Einstein's theory of relativity was useful, Thomas' invention of the light-bulb was useful even if he really just borrowed it…realizing you were falling for an old friend?
That was about as useful as a heater in the Sahara desert.
It was after the arctic planet of Calufrax that he'd set course to Cardiff, Wales when a palm reader told him "Something new was on the horizon," he'd laughed at that because it was hardly an original line it was like something straight of a fortune cookie!
There was always something new on the horizon. The universe was full of new horizons, and dawns, and twilights, and midday's.
Each any every one jam-packed with new possibilities, new chances.
He'd been chased out shortly after. It turned out Palm reading was an old and ancient profession sacred to that planets culture, how was he supposed to know?
Which is how he'd ended up here.
Smack dab in the middle of the Torchwood Institute.
There was a lot of irony in the fact that the very institute Queen Victoria has set up to keep a watch on him was now upheld in his honor and lead by a man who'd traveled with him, and perhaps once upon a time loved him as much as the man he'd been then could.
Here in Jacks Torchwood is how he came to find himself looking down at the two intimately twined bodies on the bed below sweat slicked and flushed with arousal, gasps and moans sounding like cannon blasts in his ears.
His hearts beating furiously against his chest left him lightheaded and dizzy, he felt…strange.
Like he'd been kicked in the teeth by a mule and had his internal organs raked over hot coals.
He had the worst timing, didn't he?
The only thing preserving young Ianto Jones' decency was the blanket half draped over his hips sliding lower and lower with each movement until it fell away completely baring Iantos' pale buttocks as he hiked Jacks legs up onto his shoulders.
The Doctor tried to admire how well they fit together, or how, well, in this situation cute simply wouldn't apply but attractive would do in a pinch, except it wasn't working his gut was twisting in knots, his hearts were shouting jealously. But intellectively the Doctor was concerned.
Jack couldn't possibly be ready for this level of intimacy yet, the scars he took on his body may have healed, but the ones on his psyche hadn't!
What the heck is Jack thinking?
What is Ianto Jones thinking, for that matter?
"I should leave, I should really, really leave."
But he couldn't. He needed to stay, weather it was for his own sake or Jacks he wasn't certain. Nothing seemed certain anymore.
Then Jack was smiling up at him as though he weren't half-naked and spread out on the bed like Iantos' personal feast, as though he hadn't been about to have sex two minutes ago, as though he wasn't at all disappointed the Doctor had interrupted with his well-timed arrival.
Maybe his timing wasn't all-bad, in spite of everything.
Ah well, just reminded him to be thankful for the small things in life, like showing up in time to interrupt two lovers about to have sex, especially when you're falling for one of which. Or you know, actually making the jump to 1999 rather than 1989 successfully.
"Doctor" there was that Harkness charm oozing out, want to know how to seduce a man, woman, or alien life form with two syllables or less? Take notes from Captain Jack Harkness.
It had taken 200 some-odd years but the Doctor better understood the Harkness affect now.
Rose, Martha, Ianto, they never stood a chance and neither did the Doctor. Apparently not even nine hundred year old Time Lords were exempt from that Harkness charm.
"Hello Jack."
Author Note: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews, they mean the world I can only hope that "Incident on 36th Street" with prove worthy.