10.
Ianto had watched the time travellers as they had marvelled at simple things like electronic doors and bananas.
He wondered what they would make of his take on the same things. How archaic they were to him yet so new to them. It made him look again.
He had lamented the old style paperwork and books that came with real paper. He could only shake his head now as he ran his fingers down the spine of his journal sitting innocently beside him. He did like the written word.
The visceral act of capturing your words, making them be still on the paper.
A noise made him look up. Jack?
Ianto rose from, the Tourist Desk and stared at Jack who stood inside the door weeping silently.
Each tear rolling down his face left a wet track on the overly pale face. Ianto blinked and saw.
Hands clasped together as he begged, the desperation as he tried to save a man who resembled him in so many ways. Alone. Lost. Adrift. Jack had sat with him in that car as the heartbeat in his chest slowed then stopped, Jack's own heart breaking at one more failure.
Ianto moved quickly, gotta love this gravity, reaching Jack within a heartbeat as he pushed the door shut with one hand and pulling Jack to him with the other.
He reeked. A bad, sour tasting smell.
Ianto didn't know what to do so he did what seemed to be working. He held his mate.
His mate.
Ianto pondered that for a few minutes as Jack shuddered and sobbed into his hair. My mate.
Ianto eventually got control of himself and realised he was catching Jack's pain, projected through their bond. The need for reassurance and love overwhelming them both.
Now he knew what to do, he did what Jack did for him when he needed to be grounded.
Ianto placed his mouth over Jack's and closed his eyes as their bodies merged and their bond thrummed.
Jack sighed and clung to him, bereft and full of self-hatred. He had failed. He had not saved the poor man who had nothing to live for. He had sat with him in the stinking car as they slowly clocked out. He had given up.
For a moment.
Ianto reminded him of this as he stroked his face and looked deep into his eyes.
"A moment." Ianto whispered, "We should agree right here, right now. We are allowed a moment now and then."
Jack sniffed and gave a watery smile.
"After Lisa I think I used several "Moments" up." Ianto smiled back and he felt Jack's mood shift.
"Ianto" One word spoken with such love.
Ianto pulled him back into his embrace. It had helped, both of them.
Ianto had been so belittling of the situation. Like a bloody childminder wiping their snotty noses but Jack had seen them as innocents to be saved. He had failed.
Ianto wondered if he could have helped if he had just taken a moment to look at this from Jack's point of view.
A moment.
Damn.