It took a solid week, but Jack managed to convince Ianto to take him out of the city. "Take a weekend," he'd said; the Welsh countryside was supposed to be the most beautiful thing there, second only to Ianto.

Laughing, Ianto had agreed, but only if you stop with the pick-up lines. They planned the trip together, and the only thing Ianto didn't budge on was that they stay in an accredited bed and breakfast. Ianto'd said: "It's part of the country charm," but Jack didn't quite believe him.

But a victory was a victory, and he really did want to see the famed mountains and meadows.

So far, he'd stuck to the city. It must have been fine for Ianto, who's spent his whole life in cities, but Jack liked the country almost as much as he liked the city. But unlike the city, it evened out his personality and offered a mellow atmosphere and serene sights.

Where Ianto was tense and quiet, Jack was excited. Ianto hadn't let Jack drive them out of the city, but had agreed to drive the rented SUV because it was easier on the roads.

As Jack looked at his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel, he began to feel bad. Ianto had obviously not wanted to come. He was stressed and uncomfortable. Jack's excitement waned.

"Ianto?" he said cautiously.

"Yeah?"

Jack tried not to insult his companion's pride, but the last thing he wanted was for Ianto to be

unhappy. "Wanna go back?"

"What?"

"Let's turn back. If you want to." Jack watched him cautiously. "Ianto?"

He took a deep breath. "Why?"

"'Why'?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why turn back?"

"If you want to." Though Jack didn't know why Ianto was so uncomfortable, it was clear that he was. "Ianto?"

"Yeah?"

"You alright?"

Ianto let out another deep breath. "Yeah."

"Can I… can I ask why?" Jack swallowed. "I mean… why do you hate it here?"

"I don't—"

"You're holding the wheel so tight, I think it's going to break!" He put a tentative hand on Ianto's arm. "I've never seen you so tense. I told you before that worry about you. And I'm trying not to, but don't think I'm not going to try to psychoanalyze you again."

Ianto laughed. He continued laughing as he pulled over the car. And though the tension didn't disappear from his shoulders, he looked much lighter. When he stopped laughing and faced Jack, he was serious, but smiling. "Cannibals."

"'Cannibals'?"

"Yup."

"Cannibals?"

He shook his head. "It's stupid, Jack."

"Not if it's scaring you, it isn't."

"Alright." He didn't look like he believed it, but he continued. "When I was little, my parents told me that there were monsters in the streets. So I didn't run off, you know? And I translated that to mean that there were monsters everywhere that wasn't home. The countryside seemed scary and it definitely wasn't home, so…"

Jack smiled lightly. "So you make up cannibals to keep yourself away?"

"No, of course not. It was just monsters at first. Banshees, vampires, ghosts, werewolves. But a few years ago, police caught up on a trail of missing persons. By and by, they were traced to a remote village… in the country."

"You mean?.."

"Cannibals," Ianto confirmed.

"Oh, god." Jack shivered. People dealt with things like that differently, and if Ianto had decided to never see the wild, Jack wasn't sure if he could judge him.

Ianto laughed again. "I did say it was stupid. But it just… happened."

"No, it's not stupid." Jack have his arm a reassuring squeeze. "And it's good you're out here again. It's… thank you for letting me take you out here."

Ianto glanced out the window before looking back at Jack, grinned, and pulled back onto the road.

.oOo.

It was sometime before dinner but after lunch when they approached a town. It was small enough to be quaint and appealing, but large enough to be considered civilization. Ianto parked the car next to the bed and breakfast they had picked.

"I'm sorry it's not as secluded as you wanted," he said.

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Who said I wanted something secluded?"

"You did." Ianto stared at him. "You wanted the country. Hills and dales, the lot."

"And you told me we can get to the wilderness from here." Jack smiled. "And that's a good idea. We can see the sights and still have all the comforts of home."

Ianto's lips twitched. He looked away, smiling, and Jack, just about to ask why, heard a quiet "Thank you."

On the B&B's website, they'd read about vacancy, cost, and menu. Ianto had baulked when he found out they couldn't register online—"I like to be organized," he'd said as Jack laughed—and had called ahead to let the owner know they were coming.

They left their bags in the SUV and walked around the town, noting restaurants and stores, as well as a mechanic and gas station. After about twenty minutes, they had run out of things to explore and went back to the B&B.

Ianto led the way into the old-fashioned building. The inside was brightly lit and inviting. It would have been cozy in the winter, but it boasted open windows and an air conditioner in the summer weather. While Cardiff had been cloudy for most of his visit, the country was more open.

Like Ianto, Jack was a city person at heart. But he loved nature and the wild, and he was excited to share part of his passion with Ianto, who was reluctant but clearly trying.

A tug on his sleeve made Jack stop staring at the building and walk forward to the registration desk with Ianto.

A woman, past middle-age but not old, smiled at them. "Hello, welcome to the Country Bed and Breakfast, how can I help you?"

"Hello," Ianto replied, and Jack was struck by the difference of his accent from the woman's. "I called ahead yesterday, your website said we had to register on-site."

"Of course." She flipped through a notebook. "What name?"

"Jones."

"Sir—"

"Ianto Jones." He paused when she flipped a few more pages. "I called at—"

"Two people, sir?"

"Yes." Ianto gestured towards Jack.

"Hi." Jack waved.

"American?" the woman asked.

"Tourist," Ianto clarified; Jack tried not to be offended.

"Coming to see the mountains?" the woman asked.

Jack nodded. "And everything else. The countryside is beautiful."

"That it is," she agreed. She typed on the computer. "So that's two roo—oh."

"Yes?"

"We've so much guests. I'm afraid there's only one room available." She looked at Jack, then

back at Ianto. "I'm sorry."

"It's no problem."

"It's just a single bed, sirs." She looked between them again.

It was just an administrative problem, but Jack felt like it was divine intervention; they stupidly hadn't discussed rooming arrangements. Jack smiled. "That's no problem."

She nodded and turned around, then gave them each a key. "Down the corridor, up the stairs, and to the right. Room 207. And I'm sorry again."

Ianto thanked her and Jack followed him back to the car. He supposed now was as good a time as any to address the issue of a single bed, because despite the fact that their affair was very active, it was very private. They didn't hold hands, let alone exchange kisses in public. Even overt teasing and flirting was kept to a minimum when they weren't completely alone. Sharing a room—and a bed—in a bed and breakfast… it was public. It was almost intimate.

Still, the B&B was miles from Cardiff, and the chance of them coming back or anyone in their lives finding out was small.

And if Ianto wasn't going to press the subject, Jack wasn't, either—for safety's sake.