Just over a week later, Ianto was driving back from a doctoral supervision session with one of his students. Kate Duncan was in a wheelchair due to a broken leg and so she and Ianto had agreed that her supervision sessions would be held at her home until she was more mobile. As he was driving through Sully, Ianto remembered that there was a gourmet coffee shop nearby where he could stock up on decent beans, slowing he pulled into the side of the road right outside the shop.


As Ianto entered a tall dark haired man behind the counter gave him a wide grin. 'Ianto!'

Hiya Dafydd, come for some beans'

Dafydd smiled, 'I have your special blend all ready' he said, 'I knew you be in soon'

'Great. I'll have a cappuccino too please.'

'Take a seat' instructed Dafydd 'and I'll bring everything over to you'

'Thanks' Ianto looked around the shop, his attention caught by a small familiar figure, huddled at the end of one of Daffyd's massive leather couches, tapping away on a laptop. He made his way over.

'Gethin?'

The boy looked up, 'Oh. Hello Professor Jones' he said.

Ianto smiled 'mind if I join you'

Gethin shrugged, unenthusiastically.

Ianto settled on the other end of the couch, 'I hope you didn't get into too much trouble the other night...' he began, then broke off as Dafydd placed his coffee down in the table in front of him.

'Everything alright, Gethin?' asked Dafydd

'Yeah' said Gethin, 'Professor Jones is a friend of my dad's' Dafydd nodded, reassured and moved off.

'You come here a lot, then?' Ianto asked Gethin

'Sometimes, after school. Dafydd keeps an eye on me until Dad comes to pick me up. I like it here, I can work and it smells nice.'

Ianto smiled, then asked hesitantly, 'Gethin, why did you come to my house, what made you decide to come and see me?'

With a very grown up sigh, Gethin closed his laptop and turned to face Ianto, 'I love my Dad, Professor Jones ' he said seriously, 'he's brilliant, we have a great time together and he tells me everything ...' Ianto raised a sceptical eyebrow and Gethin scowled, looking remarkably like Jack as he did so, 'yes everything.' He lowered his voice,' I know about him being from the future and I know about the dying thing, have done since I was six. A Denubian mercenary came to the house one night and shot him in the chest. I came down stairs and found him. It took dad nearly an hour to calm me down once he'd come back.' Gethin gave a grimace and Ianto ached to take the young boy into his arms but he knew he didn't have that right.

'Anyway,' continued Gethin, 'I love my dad and he loves me but...he's so lonely and sad. He thinks I don't notice because I'm just a kid but I do. Dad talks a lot about you and he gets the same look on his face as he does when he talks about me. I thought, even though you didn't want to know me...all those presents, Christmas, birthdays, must mean that you cared a bit about me and you might spend some time with us and stop dad being so sad'

Gethin looked at Ianto's confused face and immediately understood, 'the presents weren't from you, were they?' he said, 'it was just Dad making me think you loved me.' Ianto didn't know what to say, he felt as if his heart was breaking all over again. Before he could think of anything reassuring to say, Gethin's phone began to chime, he glanced at it, 'My dad will be here in five minutes' he said, 'you'd better go. ' He opened his laptop and continued with his homework, clearly dismissing Ianto who had no real choice but to leave.


Later that same day, Ianto was working in his study when, glancing up, he saw Jack striding up his garden path with a parcel under his arm and a determined expression on his face. He is still as gorgeous as he ever was thought Ianto and I'm still in love with him he realised with a shock. Trying to ignore the way his heart leapt in his chest at the sight of the Captain, Ianto jumped to his feet and ran to his front door.

As he pulled to door open, Jack had just straightened up from placing the parcel on Ianto's doorstep, he looked slightly embarrassed at being caught 'Ah Ianto' he said, 'Just...erm...returning your bathrobe.'

'You weren't going to ring the doorbell?' Ianto sounded incredulous and Jack blushed. 'Actually,' Ianto continued, 'I still have Gethin's clothes from last week, come in and I'll get them for you' He stood to one side and Jack reluctantly walked into the house. Ianto made his way to the laundry room and returned with Gethin's laundered jeans, tee shirt and hoodie in a carrier bag. He smiled as he handed it to a silent Jack and relieved him of the bathrobe.

Ianto gave him another tentative smile, 'I didn't think I was going to see this ever again.' Or you he added silently

Jack cleared his throat, 'Yanny was really upset the other night, he seemed to find your bathrobe comforting.' Jack frowned, 'in fact he has slept in the damn thing every night since but when we got home tonight he insisted that I should return it to you. It had to be tonight; he didn't want it anymore, So I left him with Mrs. Scott from next door and came to bring it back for him. Dafydd said you and Yanny were chatting in his shop today – have you said anything to upset him or explain this sudden change of heart?'

Ianto sighed, 'he mentioned that he knew I cared a little about him because of all the Christmas and birthday presents I have sent him over the years'

Jack's face fell, 'please tell me you didn't let him know that it wasn't you' he said pleadingly

'He took me by surprise' Ianto replied defensively, 'He worked it out from the expression on my face. I'm sorry, Jack'

Jack gave a bitter laugh, 'he is a very clever little boy, very intuitive like his tad' he looked away as Ianto flinched, 'Sorry, Ianto, that was unfair of me'

'No, it's Ok Jack' said Ianto softly, 'He's a brilliant little boy and you are a brilliant dad. If...if there's even a tiny bit of him that is me, that reminds you of me, that's more than I deserve.'

Jack smiled, 'he's kind and intelligent and caring. He looks after people and needs to be needed...he's ticklish behind his knees too; that remind you of anyone?'

Ianto stared at Jack, the two men were standing very close to each other in Ianto's narrow hall, Jack's eyes were as blue and appealing as they ever were; although Ianto was sure there was a profound sadness deep in them that hadn't been there nine years ago, Gethin was right he thought, Jack is lonely...and so am I. He took a steadying breath, his heart was pounding so hard he was having difficulty getting enough air into his lungs and stepped a little closer to Jack, 'he also loves you very much, Jack. Does that remind you of anyone?'

The look on Jack's face was heart-rending, 'Ianto...please' he whispered, 'I can't let this happen'

'I was so wrong,' murmured Ianto, 'so cruel, I don't ever expect you to forgive me, but...'

'Yan,' Jack gently pushed Ianto away 'This...won't...it can't...I...' he ran his hands through his hair in frustration

Ianto felt tears prickling at his eyes, I can't lose him again, I can't lose my son, I've pushed them both away too far once already, he thought. 'Tell me Jack,' he said, desperately 'you've lost lovers more times than I can count. How long before I forget you and your son? My son? How long before you aren't both in my mind at every moment of the day? How long before I can forgive myself even a little bit for the massive fuck up I have made of everyone's life? How long before it stops hurting? How long before I don't wake up every morning missing you? How long before you are not the last thought I have every night before I go to sleep? How long before I fall out of love with you? Because it's been almost nine years and none of that has happened yet. And here you are standing here in my home, looking at me like you still love me as much as I still love you, and all I want you to do is rip all my clothes off and shag me blind'

Jack made a sound mid-way between a laugh and a sob, lurched across the hallway and crushed Ianto against the wall in a searing kiss. For the next confused seconds everything was a blur of ripping and stroking and scratching and soothing licking. Clothes were unceremoniously removed and dumped on the floor as the two men fought to touch, taste, kiss and make up for nine years of loneliness and pain. Eventually, Jack physically lifted Ianto off of the floor. Ianto clasped his arms around Jack's neck and locked his legs around his waist; he could feel Jack's fingers exploring his puckered entrance, seeking ingress.

'Just do it' gasped Ianto, 'do me'

Jack groaned, 'No lube' he panted

'Don't care' moaned Ianto, 'need you, please Jack'

Ianto bit his lip as he felt Jack's well-remembered length and girth pushing into him; it had been a very long time for Ianto but he welcomed the familiar burning pain. Their frantic coupling had little to do with love or even with lust, although both were present, it was more about reclamation. Ianto sucked Jack's lower lip and sank his teeth into it relishing the metallic tang that flavoured their subsequent kiss. Jack's fingernails were digging into Ianto's body so desperately that Ianto knew he would carry the marks forever and he rejoiced in the thought of being marked by his lover in this way. The expression on Jack's face was that of a man who had, against all odds and expectation, regained a great treasure; one that he had believed was lost to him forever whilst every thrust felt simultaneously like penance and absolution to Ianto.

All too soon, Jack was empting himself in Ianto and the feel of his lovers hot release triggered Ianto's own and he spurted forcefully between their slippery, sweaty bodies. Slowly Ianto unwrapped his legs from around Jack and together they slid to the floor. Jack shuffled back to lean against the wall and Ianto curled up next to him, resting his head on Jack's chest and placing small kisses on any patch of skin he could reach. Noticing Ianto shivering Jack reached out and covered them both with his coat.

As he inhaled the familiar scent from their improvised blanket, Ianto stretched up and gently wiped away the tears that were staining Jack's cheek. 'Don't cry, Cariad' he murmured

'I never stopped loving you' whispered Jack, 'but, after what I did with the Doctor, I thought we would never have this again'

'I don't deserve you. I was horrible and stupid and cruel and...'

Jack stopped him with a kiss. 'Doesn't matter now, it's done, over. We can forgive each other, start again from right now. If...if you want to.'

Ianto smiled, 'Dinner? A movie?'

'Well, yeah, if by dinner you mean burger, fries and a milkshake so thick it gives you a nose bleed just trying to get it up the straw and by a movie you mean the latest cartoon blockbuster about ogres, donkeys and cats.'

'Ah'

'On the plus side, Yanny is now big enough to sit on his own and won't want to sit with us at all' pointed out Jack.

'So making out in the back row might be on the cards'

'Oh yeah' said Jack with deep satisfaction

Jack felt Ianto's laughter reverberate through his chest, 'well you had better be more prepared than you were today' chuckled Ianto

'What?'

'Since when does Jack Harkness not have lube?'

'Since your son, at the age of three, decided he liked the taste'