"Jack, Wait!"
The immortal spun around angrily.
"Why should I John," he snapped, "Why should I stick around and watch you two make your beautiful music together? What were you thinking? That I'd help you pick out curtains or play Uncle Jack to your adopted Peruvian orphans?"
"Oh stop it, do you know how annoyingly, childish you are?"
"No. Do you know how childishly, annoying you are?"
John pointedly ignored the retort and turned his attention to the young Welshman.
"Ianto," he said, "as much as I would love to have you all to myself, we can't send him out there alone. He'd be lost without someone to look after him. He can't even keep himself clean or wash his own clothes. Give him a week and he'll be wearing a welcome mat for a nappy."
"Hey, I've been alone before," Jack snapped.
"Yes we know. Satellite 5, blah, blah, blah. Tell me, do they have welcome mats there?"
Jack's lips twitched slightly, "Not anymore," he deadpanned.
Ianto let out a guffaw, throwing his hand up to his mouth in surprise when it ended in a loud snort. He looked so comical that Jack started laughing too. Even John struggled to hide a smirk, though not before giving them both a particularly sardonic eye-roll.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Ianto said, turning serious, "I was angry. I don't really want you to go."
"And I don't want to go but we can go on like this."
"I don't see why not. If I'd have suggested it a few years ago you would have jumped at the chance of a threesome with John."
"Probably," The immortal agreed with a shy smile, "but threesomes are about sex, not love. There's too much emotional baggage. Right now, I'll kill him if he even looks at you the wrong way."
John, who had been gazing dreamily at the man in question, sat up and looked away, clearing this throat awkwardly.
"I don't know what to do?" Ianto whined.
John sighed.
"The way I see it," he said, "there's only one solution."
He hoped they'd make some kind of protest, even if it was a half hearted one but they both stayed resolutely silent. He gave them a sad, tight lipped smile.
"Give us a minute, Jack," he pleaded.
When the older man hesitated, John turned on him angrily,
"For the love of all that is holy," he yelled, "show some compassion, man."
The immortal stood up lazily and snapped, "five minutes" in response before leaving the room.
John reached up and brushed a stray bit of fringe from Ianto's face.
"Why do we let him do this to us?" he said.
"We love him, I guess," the younger man shrugged. "Like you said he needs someone."
"He'll never say it back, you know?"
"I know."
He rested their foreheads together, running his fingers through the short, stubbly hair on the back of Ianto's neck.
"I've never even kissed you properly."
"You could kiss me now," Ianto gulped, "I mean if you want to."
John pushed their lips together and knowing it would probably be their first and last kiss, he poured everything he had into the kiss, pushing out at Ianto with all his pent up emotions. Ianto felt a familiar warming sensation flooding through his body but now he recognised it for what it was and it was both beautiful and terrible. For a moment he didn't know where he began and his bond partner ended and as they wrapped their bodies together in an exquisite melody, he felt his breath catch in his throat.
When they pulled apart they rested their foreheads together again.
"What will happen to us? To the bond I mean?" Ianto asked.
"It'll hurt at first. Like losing an arm or a leg but eventually it will fade and get better. You'll forget about me."
"I'll never forget you."
"No," John smiled, "I won't forget you either. I love you."
"I love you too," Ianto whispered, gazing at the other man through watery eyes.
John placed a hand on either side of his head and pressed one last kiss to his forehead, then he turned and walked away without looking back. When he passed Jack in the corridor, he growled at him.
"Hurt him and I'll kill you," he snapped.
"He won't get hurt."
The former time agent pressed a button on his wrist strap, stopping in front of the open portal and turning around to glare at the other man.
"We both know that's unlikely, Captain Harkness," he growled, before stepping into the portal.
A few weeks after John's departure, Jack bounded into Ianto's room and gave him a hug,
"So," he grinned, "The doctor says we can go home."
"That's good," Ianto sighed
"Okay. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," the other man snapped, "why should anything be wrong."
Jack turned away from the bed, blowing out a breath and pinching the bridge of his nose.
"It's John, isn't it?"
"I can't help how I feel."
"I know. It's just.......this isn't how I thought things would turn out."
"Oh Yeah," Ianto huffed, crossing his arms across his chest, "because my life turned out exactly how I expected. In fact, in school I was voted person most likely to be kidnapped by 32nd Century slave traders."
Jack gave a little sigh.
"I guess things don't always turn out how you expect. I thought I was going to ride in on my white charger, rescue you from the evil overlords and sweep you off your feet."
"You did sweep me off my feet. Look, Jack, you know how I feel about you. The way I feel about John doesn't change that. In any case, I made my decision and I chose you. I miss him but I'll get over it."
Jack sat down on the bed and swung his feet up, pulling Ianto into a hug so that the younger man's head rested on his shoulder.
"I know I'm too possessive," he said, "I'm spoilt and selfish and if you had any sense you'd run from me as fast as you can. You should have chosen John. He could have given you a normal life, well normalish anyway. I'm a poor excuse for a boyfriend."
Ianto lifted his head and Jack pulled away slightly so that he could look into his eyes.
"I chose you, Captain," the younger man reiterated, "Okay?"
Jack smiled and planted a kiss on his lips before he dropped his head back down on to the immortal's shoulder. The two men lay together in silence for a few minutes.
"So," Ianto grinned, "Boyfriend , eh?"
Ianto smiled, turning his body this way and that as he studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror. The outfit Jack had picked out for him wasn't his his usual style but the young Welshman assumed it was right for the period. The purple silk shirt had no fastenings but was open at the neck, slipping comfortably over his head. It was loose fitting and when tucked into the skinny jeans it billowed over the top of the waistband like a blouson. The outfit was complimented by a black waistcoat which he wore unbuttoned, giving the whole ensemble a pirate punk effect. It was a combination he would have considered far too flamboyant for a valley's boy but he was miles (and years) from home, so what did it matter if his old school friends wouldn't approve.
"Wow," Jack grinned, popping his head around the door and practically drooling, "you look...."
"Thanks," Ianto smiled back, "By the way, where are you taking me?" he asked.
"Huh?" the immortal said, his eyes drawn to Ianto's mid section.
"Um, Jack. I'm up here."
"Oh," Jack shook his head, "Sorry. What did you say?"
"I said where are you taking me? I know we can't go back to Cardiff."
Jack placed a hand on his arm and rubbed it up and down gently.
"Come on," he said. "I've got a plan. I think you're gonna like it."
Ianto felt a pang of trepidation as he stepped out of the hospital. Since the day he'd been kidnapped from the streets of his home town, he'd seen things beyond his wildest imagination. He'd experienced cultures and belief systems that seemed astounding even to him. However, he hadn't seen much beyond the confines of the pleasure resorts on Terrellian and he didn't even know which planet he was currently on.
His mouth dropped open as he took in the buildings surrounding the hospital, turning around on the spot as he stared incredulously.
"What?" Jack asked.
"I dunno," Ianto gasped, "I just thought the future would be a little more......futuristic. You know, tall shiny buildings, robots on every street corner.....hover cars."
"Ha," Jack barked out a laugh, "Hover cars. Really?"
The Welshman blushed furiously, smiling apologetically.
"Cars of any kind have been obsolete for centuries," Jack continued, "The only place you'll find one these days is in a museum. Most people get around by ship or by using a transportation device like our wrist straps. As for robots, well, let's just say the concept lost its appeal after the Android Wars."
"Android Wars?" Ianto asked.
"Yeah," the other man replied, "all human children of this time learn about the Android Wars. When the machines achieved sentience it was only a matter of time before they turned on their masters. They almost wiped out the human race and would have succeeded if it wasn't for the resistance. The robots even started sending droids back in time, trying to assassinate the mother of the resistance leader so that he would never be born, and when that didn't work......."
Jack stopped midflow. Ianto was standing in the middle of the street with his hands on his hips, glaring at him.
"What?"
The younger man rolled his eyes.
"That's the plot of Terminator, you idiot!" he said.
"Really?" Jack said, sounding surprised, "They made a movie about the Android Wars?"
Ianto narrowed his eyes and stared at him thoughtfully. Finally he sighed, throwing his hands up in a gesture which said, 'whatever.'
"I never know when you're joking."
"Never mind that now," Jack grabbed his hand and dragged him up the street, "I've bagged us a ride. We're meeting him in a cafe just around the corner."
"You still haven't told me where were going yet."
"It's a surprise. Don't worry you'll love it."
"What'll you have?" Jack asked, holding the cafe door open for the younger man.
"What's the coffee like in the future," he asked, "That stuff in the hospital was vile. Is all coffee that bad now."
"Ah," Jack looked sheepish, "I'm afraid it is. It seems the only place in the Universe where coffee can grow successfully is Earth. They've tried all kinds of substitutes but nothing comes close."
Ianto's eyes widened in shock.
"N..No, C...Coffee," he stuttered, "Oh god, please say we can go back. It doesn't have to be all the way back to the 21st Century but please say we can go back to somewhere where I can get a decent cup of coffee."
"Hey," Jack pulled out a chair, gesturing for Ianto to sit. "I promise, okay. I'll get you home."
He sat down opposite the other man, facing the plate glass window at the front of the shop.
"In fact, here comes our ride now." He nodded over Ianto's shoulder.
The Welshman turned around, and then quickly turned back, his mouth dropping open as he looked at Jack questioningly. Jack bobbed his head to the side, raising his eyebrows slightly. The questioning look on Ianto's face gradually morphed into a beaming smile and the immortal's throat constricted. Ianto had many smiles. One of Jack's favourites was the shy smirk that accompanied his clumsy attempts at innuendo, "You know I've still got that stopwatch if you're interested." But this smile was breathtaking and Jack felt as if he was basking in the light of a thousand suns.
"Go on, tiger," he grinned back.
Ianto jumped out of his seat, leaping out the door and throwing his arms around the newcomer. Jack felt hot tears pricking at his eyes as he watched John lift him off his feet and spin him around. He prayed that he'd have the strength to do the right thing by all of them. He swallowed any lingering doubts as the two men walked through the door hand in hand.
"What made you change your mind?" Ianto asked.
"You, mainly," Jack answered, "What you said about how you feel about him," he tried not to sound too bitter as his eyes flicked up to the ex Time Agent, "not affecting how you feel about me. I know you've been trying to hide it from me but I'm not so blind that I can't see you're finding it hard without John around. Breaking a telepathic bond hurts and I don't want you to suffer even if it means I have to suffer."
Ianto felt a fluttering in his chest as he looked at Jack. He gave John's hand a squeeze then let it go, using the same hand to stroke the immortal's cheek.
"Thank you," he croaked, choking back a sob.
Jack leaned into the touch.
"I don't expect the three of us to ride off into the sunset together. We'll have to sit down and bash out some rules about how this is going to work, and I'd still like you to choose when you're ready. But let's get home first and then we can talk about everything. Now John, where did you leave the ship?"
The former Time Agent looked a little uncomfortable, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he hummed and ha'ed.
"Ah, about that," he squirmed.