Summery: Jack never seems to grow up and Ianto seems to grow up too fast. As Jack watches over Ianto in his childhood, Ianto is slowly falling in love with him.
Pairings: mostly Jack/Ianto, if you squint Jack/Gwen, one-sided Andy/Gwen and mentions of Lisa/Ianto
Ianto first met Jack Harkness when he was three years old.
It was in a middle of a busy street, one hand held tightly by his mother who was too busy telling Rhiannon off for throwing a tantrum over the newest Barbie doll. Ianto was holding his comfort toy – a stuffed dog – when someone walked into him, making him drop his toy. The person that had walked into him bent down and picked it up.
"Sorry" the man smiled and Ianto remembered thinking this man was the prettiest man he had ever seen. "Here you go mate" he said handing the toy back. Ianto took it shyly and the man winked before standing up right and walking out of Ianto's life.
The second time Ianto met Jack he was five.
He was crying because he fell down and no one was there to pick him up. His father was on the other side of the park playing with his sister and his mother was back at home. It was one of the first times Ianto ever felt alone when suddenly a pair of arms picked him up and he felt comforting warmth.
"Don't cry little man, you're a big strong boy and one day grow up to be a hero" the man said sitting Ianto on the bench. The man grinned and ruffled Ianto's hair. "Ordinary people like you and your family are the real heroes"
Ianto frowned not sure what the man meant before he could ask the man had left once more.
The next few times were just glimpses of a man in a long blue coat running through streets. Once he had seen the handsome man with a pretty lady, arguing while a little girl, younger than him clung to the woman. Another time the man was in his school talking to his principal...the next day Ianto's favourite teacher went missing.
When Ianto was seven his father broke his leg. He was rushed to the hospital and over night something unexplainable happened. He can't remember the exact details, his memory was extremely blurred as if someone had slipped him retcon (which he doesn't doubt at all) but he does remember the conversation between him and Jack that night.
"I remember you" Ianto said quietly. "I've seen you on the streets"
"I have a common face" Jack shrugged.
"You once made my teacher disappear!" Ianto snapped. "She was my favourite as well!"
"She was feeding on young children's energy" Jack shot back remembering the only school case that came to mind. "I saved you from becoming nothing but a shadow of yourself"
"Why don't you ever grow up?" Ianto asked curiously changing the topic. "I've seen you so many times and each time I have grown but you haven't"
"I can't grow up" Jack said patiently.
"Can't or won't"
Jack laughed and ruffled Ianto's hair. "This isn't a fairy tale kid, I'm no Peter Pan"
The years went by and Ianto stilled had his encounters with Jack Harkness. They would bump into each other on the street or Jack would sit down by Ianto in the park and have a little chat or Ianto would spot Jack at the distance and run up to him just to say hello. Sometimes the memories get blurred and Ianto could only guess that's when the aliens came in, when Jack had to retcon him. Sometimes Jack treated Ianto to a meal or ice cream and they would sit there talking for hours on end.
By the time Ianto was fourteen he was a complete loner with no friends. He worked hard at school and spent his free time either researching random facts or reading. He enjoyed the classics like Charles Dickens and the Bronte sisters. He often spent the summer at the park reading where Jack had once approached him.
"Come for a bedtime story Peter?" Ianto said not looking up from his book.
"Ha, ha very funny Wendy" There was a silence; Ianto had read five pages before Jack spoke up again. "Don't you ever do any normal teenage things? Like get drunk or eat lots of sweets and get hyper or snog a cute girl?"
"No" Ianto said primly. "I'm waiting for the right person. I don't like the taste of alcohol and too many sweets rot your teeth"
"Spoilsport" Jack said pouting slightly. "You shouldn't be so uptight, you're what fourteen? No need to act like an eight five year old"
Ianto shut his book with a snap. "And you need to grow up"
"Can't" Jack said smirking. A pretty girl roughly round Ianto's age walked past with a blonde boy tailing after her. "How about her? Go after her and just ask her out, on a date plant one on her"
"And if I don't want to?" Ianto said irritably.
"I'll do it for you" Jack said wiggling his eyebrows.
Ianto hit Jack with his book. "Paedophile" he said before leaving Jack.
The next four years the encounters were similar. Jack would appear and tell Ianto how to act like a teenager and Ianto would roll his eyes and ignore him. Jack would try to set Ianto up and Ianto would avoid it. Ianto did well in all of his classes, got high grades and applied to a London university it was his last night in Cardiff when his final non-Torchwood encounter with Jack happened.
"I heard you got into Kingston, congratulations" Jack said appearing from no where while handing him a bottle of beer. "What do you plan on doing?"
"I'm sure you already know" Ianto said looking out at the sea. "After all you seem to know everything about me and I don't know anything about you. Not even your name Peter"
Jack rolled his eyes and sighed heavily. "It's complicated alright? Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head over. So tell me have you got a girl yet?"
Ianto dropped the bottle of beer, it smashed on the pavement. "I keep telling you to stay out of it" Ianto said angrily. "After tonight I no longer want to see you in my life Peter fucking Pan"
Jack grabbed hold of him. "Whoa, whoa calm down just calm down" Ianto grabbed Jack by the hair and pulled his face down for a long harsh kiss. Ianto's tongue demanding entrance and Jack happily complying. When they pulled away they were both breathless and Jack looked stunned. "What was that?"
"A thimble" Ianto said.
He then walked away and never came back to Cardiff for six years. Three in university where Ianto Jones did a lot more growing up and met Lisa. Beautiful loving Lisa. He got hired by Torchwood One and learnt all about the aliens. It was a good life even if it did feel a bit empty without the mysterious Peter Pan.
Then Canary Wharf happened.
Left alone with an almost dead Lisa, Ianto had searched for another Torchwood and was surprised to find the Cardiff one. He was even more shocked to learn that Peter Pan – better known as Captain Jack Harkness – was the head of Torchwood Three. Jack probably didn't recognise him and much to Ianto's discomfort the tension between them was thick as ever.
Two years working for Jack. Two years of betraying him, re-earning his trust, shagging him and learning some of Jack Harkness' secrets.
Jack was immortal.
Jack doesn't age.
Jack can't die.
Jack will one day leave Ianto or maybe Ianto would die on him. Who knew.
"I won't do what you want" Ianto said once to a startled Jack. "I won't follow the story, I won't leave you and grow up and marry someone else and forget all about you. I tried that and it didn't work"
Jack smiled sadly and cupped Ianto's face. "One day you will leave me" he said.
"Only death will make me leave you" Ianto said fiercely.
And then they kissed.
