Ianto refused to open his eyes, he knew what he would see, the music was lighter and muffled and as the wind ruffled his shirt he became aware to the lack of roof above him and he shivered; acknowledging the frosted concrete against his back.
"Ianto?" He startled, wrenching himself to his feet and stumbled into the solid form named Thomas. Cold arms wrapped around him and Ianto felt his remaining warmth leave him. He was faintly aware that it was raining wherever they were; droplets of water dripping off his nose and acting as tears. "Let's go inside, Ianto." He was guided to a small door leading to dangerously steep stairs. His grip on Thomas as his guide never once relaxing until he found himself once again in the small side room of the ballroom. He was vaguely aware of the removal of his suit and being pushed and manipulated into warmer, dry clothing. A tux. His shoes were replaced and his face gently wiped with a soft handkerchief
"What happened?" He asked as a glass of bubbling liquid was pushed into his cold hand.
"You're asking me, one minute you were here then you vanished, I looked around and found you on the roof!" Thomas stated, his own bow tie now unravelled and hanging over one shoulder and his jacket unbuttoned.
"I think I may be becoming...stuck here Thomas."
"I know Ianto."
"Yan, Yannie please wake up."
"Yannie?"
"Shut up Owen." The group were gathered on and around Ianto's bed watching the youngest member of the team sleep fitfully. Gwen had been called and was no doubt pacing the hub with the ferocity of a weevil, while making sure the rift was stable in their absence. Jack and Owen were struggling to heat the Welshman and Tosh was quickly sent to reheat a water bottle.
"What's happening Jack." The captain startled, removing his gaze from his lover and looking up to meet the disgruntled face of the hubs medical officer. The man was paler than usual and was absently chewing on the end of one of his various medical tools, he had every medical system; human, alien and cross dimensional packed into the small space around the Welshman, scanning him constantly. But he knew he was out of his depth, this wasn't medical, this was something Torchwood and everyone was looking to the Captain for a solution.
Ianto leant against the other man, trying desperately not to cry, not to sob at the idea of becoming trapped here, like everyone else, like...Thomas.
"It's not so bad Ianto, okay the music is a little repetitive but with you around I know it won't be bad"
"Wait, wait, something is wrong" Ianto pulled himself away from the taller man. "You're wrong!"
"Come on Yan, what do you mean by that?" The man smiled; inching back into Ianto's personal space.
"Don't call me that!" he panicked, this wasn't right. "You! I'm not the odd one out here, you are! Where did this tux even come from? You...you know everything about this place, the extra rooms, the rooftop!" His voice rose in volume.
"Come on Ianto, I've been here a long time."
"Exactly, you said people remembered but it's only you who doesn't fit in with the atmosphere, they're all dancing, chatting and getting drinks. You stand there and watch! You never snapped out of it because you've always been an observer!" The fear adding a strained pitch to his cry. He rushed back to the ballroom, grabbing the first pair of dancers he saw.
"Excuse me, excuse me!" He pulled them apart. "Please speak to me... please!" Another couple, dancing stopped and staring blankly at him until the spell he had broken clicked back into place and they moved around him and the dance continued, the music repeating over and over, the dancers spinning in front of him until a cold hand clamped on his shoulder.
"You won't get a response Yan. You're stuck here, just like them." The man in front of him was no longer the Thomas from before, but aged, a hint of insanity twinkling in the dark eyes. His smile was disarming and handsome, but the smirk underneath showed he was anything but.
"No...No I'm not, I've left before!" This seemed to stop Thomas, giving the Ianto the answers he needed. He could escape; Thomas had no hold on him, yet. He ran dodging past the wall of dancers to reach where he remembered the stairs to the roof were and he could hear Thomas following at a slower, confident pace.
"Jack! Jack! Help!" He banged his shoulders against the door, the old lock banging against the wood with each hit until it gave way and the door swung open on unstable hinge;, a warm, aggressive wind flooded overhead and Ianto was left to fall.
"JACK!" The monitors exploded into a chaos of noise, and the team appeared, hearts racing to where Ianto was struggling to remove all the wires from his chest, mildly surprised to find Jacks coat around him as he forced himself to his feet and into the chest of one Jack Harkness himself.
"Ianto, you have to lie down, you've been out for hours, a day even, you can't just stand up!" But Ianto was taking none of it, instead choosing to stumble up the medical bay stairs, tripping on the third and shouting up towards the others.
"Tosh! Tosh I need you find every ballroom in Cardiff, hell the UK, abandoned or not and find out if any of them were owned or run by someone named Thomas!" He was bleeding now, from the knee skinned on the concrete step and sluggishly from the various IV and drug ports he had ripped out in his haste. He was quickly pulled up by Jack and Owen and Ianto found himself in an odd and squashed embrace, until only Jack was holding him up.
"No- one by the name Thomas owning a ballroom or anything like, but there was a dancer... in the early 20th century, hanged himself in the local ballroom after his wife was killed?"
"Close enough," Ianto panted, Jack's warmth was nothing compared to cold around him, seeping into his bones and freezing his breathes. "Jack... you have to go to where Tosh has found, I'll be there... I think."
"Ianto mate, what are you talking about" The doctors face filled Ianto's vision but Ianto had no more time. Pushing past him, he grabbed Jack by the braces are pulled him into what he hoped would not be their last kiss and let the cold take him.