Hey - this is the last chapter to this story. Thanks to everyone who has reviwed/added means a lot. This will most likely be the last thing I post until early September, late Aug as I'm going away next week. Though knowing me there will be some new random one shots. (I'm also taking prompts for oneshots, so if anyone has any just send them in a message and I'll do them, as I love writing but am running out of inspiration for ideas)
Owen let his head rest against his desk, his head was aching slightly. It had been a long couple of days. Secretly, he was glad that Ianto was the one who had gone on the undercover mission, because despite his dislike towards the youngest team member, he did a bloody good job. Everything that had happened, wasn't his fault, and Owen knew that he would be blaming himself for this. Gwen was staring at him with those annoying eyes, he almost regretted kissing her. Almost.
"Everything okay, Owen?" She asked. He had insisted that she went home, but she had insisted on staying, they both knew that she was staying for Jack. Owen just grunted a response and headed towards Jack and Toshiko who were walking towards them.
"How did it go, Jack?" Gwen asked, her eyes digging into his body.
"He doesn't know anything," Jack sighed, "Owen, I need you to run every scan on that toxin, then I need Toshiko to trace it through the rift, see if they're still here."
"She can do it while the scans still running, I'm guessing Torchwood has never come across them before, the scan must be digging deep into the files." Owen assumed.
"Right, Toshiko you do that. Owen see if you get the scans to hurry up."
"What do you want me to do?" Gwen asked.
"Clean up operation at the school," Jack said.
"On my own?" Gwen asked.
"Ianto's done bigger jobs on his own, Gwen." Toshiko said.
"Fine." Gwen sighed. "What about Brett?"
"What about him?" Jack asked.
"He should forget too."
"No." Jack said sternly. "Ianto deserves someone outside of Torchwood, Gwen."
"Why?" Gwen asked. "It's not as if his role here is that important, if he deserves a life outside of Torchwood maybe you should just make him out of Torchwood." She mumbled. But Jack had heard.
"Gwen, believe me when I say this, Ianto's job here is far more important then yours. Now go."
"Are you okay to take Ianto home?" A nurse asked Brett. They had been talking for about three hours, about anything and everything. Ianto wasn't in any pain and just wanted to leave the hospital.
"Sure," Brett smiled. "That's okay right?"
"Please. I want to get out of here. " Ianto laughed. Within half an hour the two were walking down the road.
"Do you want me to leave you on your own?" Brett asked.
"I'd like the company," Ianto smiled. Brett grinned. They sat on the sofa, talking aimlessly. Throughout their conversation, Ianto and Brett had been moving closer to each other.
"I meant it when I said back at the school, that I was glad I met you," Brett whispered, he leant in close pressing his lips to Ianto's. Ianto kissed back, just as softly as Brett. Even though he had kissed other men before, kissing Brett was different, it almost felt... wrong.
Kissing Lisa had been full of love, passion, lust. The men he had slept with in his teenage years were mainly all full of lust. But this kiss, as beautiful as it felt was nothing more than companionship, and comfort.
Brett broke the kiss and smiled. "Friends, right?"
"Friends." Ianto replied with a smile.
"Is the school safe now?" Brett asked, his head resting against Ianto's shoulder as they turned their attention to the television which was showing an old eighties sitcom that both men enjoyed guiltily.
"Should be," Ianto shrugged, truth is he wasn't too sure what was going to happen now. Even though he hadn't even mentioned Torchwood to Brett he might have to make him forget anyway.
The scans finished, making a large beeping sound. Toshiko, who had just ran a sample of the toxin through the rift monitor, headed down towards the autopsy bay along with Jack. "Well?" Jack started.
"No clue to what it is, whatever it is we've never seen it before." Owen sighed miserably.
"Okay. Toshiko?"
"I put it through the rift monitor and there has been no trace of it so far, but once it does we'll know where and what it is."
"Good work." Jack smiled. "I'll hand Richard over to the police, not much we can do with him now. Give him some retcon, let them deal with him."
"Do you want me to do it? You should go and see Ianto." Toshiko suggested.
"I'll do it, you two should go home." Jack smiled.
"When you see Ianto, make sure he has plenty of rest, and give him some of these." Owen threw Jack some of his industrial strength painkillers.
"I'm going to go, you should probably get some sleep. I'll leave you my number, phone me and we'll get a drink. Just as friends," Brett smiled, he had seen Ianto drift of slightly and knew the painkillers were starting to take effect.
"Kay," Ianto smiled. Brett placed a soft kiss on Ianto's cheek, scribbled down his number and walked out of the apartment. Ianto pulled his feet up on the sofa and stretched out, wincing slightly as he felt the wound stretch. He let his head full back and closed his eyes, he let his body full into a light sleep. Only to be woken up forty minutes later by a ringing at his door.
He answered the buzzer and smiled as he let Jack in, a few moments later Jack was in his living room. "Cup of coffee?" Ianto asked, his mind stll a little hazy from sleep.
"I'll make it, go sit down." Too tired to argue, Ianto headed back into the living room and sat on the sofa, a minute or two later Jack handed him a cup of coffee.
"Sorry, not as good as what you're used to." Jack smiled, sitting next to him. "How are you feeling?"
"A little tired," Ianto replied honestly.
"I called the hospital, they said Brett brought you home." Jack said, that jealous feeling rising in his stomach once more.
"Yeah, he brought me home, sat with me, and told me to rest and left about an hour ago." Ianto yawned.
"Do you want me to go? Leave you to rest..."
"No. You, I want to stay." Ianto smiled. Jack grinned and gestured for Ianto to lean against him, which he did with a smile.
"I was worried about you, I thought he killed you." Jack said quietly.
"I'm fine." Ianto smiled.
"Good, because I've booked a table at a nice romantic table down town."
"Romantic huh? I thought we were going to see how it went as friends first," Ianto teased. He couldn't fight the feeling in his stomach being around Jack. Being friends with Brett was easy, because with him all he needed was a friend, but with Jack... he needed something more.
"I have a lifetime and some, to make friends Ianto. But with you, I don't want to be just a friend. Who knows what we'll end up being, but if it can be more than a friend... I'd rather have you as that." Ianto looked up and pressed a chaste kiss to Jack's lips.
"Mm... I like the sound of that," Ianto said sleepily.
"You should get some sleep," Jack purred.
"Stay?"
"Course." Jack said strongly. "You need to get some rest. I'm thinking about having you go undercover as an alter boy..."