AN- Okay, here we go. Chapter 25. I know Quiet Time and I both wanted to murder this chapter at one point, it was so stubborn. Thankfully, we believe we beat it.

I'm putting a tissue warning here, to cover my back for the final scene.

A huge thank you to all the readers XD Your comments make writing worth it.

A Galaxy sized THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU to Quiet Time for all her support whilst writing this chapter, letting me vent about this chapter.

Also, a big hug and thank you to Rietta, who let me rant at her down the phone.

Let me know what you think please! Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 25- I need inspiration, not just another negotiation.

Have you ever had that feeling were you want to do something amazing to impress someone? Someone you adore, of course, to prove how you feel about them. It has to be perfect, but you're not sure what they would appreciate. Sure, you've got lots of ideas, but nothing feels right. So you turn to your friends and they think it's the most amazing idea, but they have no clue what you should do? That's how Ianto Jones was feeling.

"C'mon Gwen, you must have some idea?" Ianto asked, close to desperate by now. They were sat in the coffee shop, opposite Tyler and Hart, waiting for the others. It had been forty minutes (Well, forty-one minutes and thirty nine seconds, but who was counting?) since Ianto had hugged Jack in the meeting for the signing of the final documents on Project Pluto (The finance for Uranus). Once they were signed, Hart ushered Jack out of the room and led him down the hall, offering what Ianto assumed was whiskey of some kind. Ianto wouldn't have minded a swig himself, but he was settling for an inferior coffee in the hopes that the caffeine would stimulate his thought processes. Or Gwen's.

The Welshwoman smiled sympathetically. "Not a clue, love."

Ianto sank back against the squishy arm chair the coffee shop provided, and groaned. Gwen sat up straighter and waved energetically as she spotted Tosh, Owen and Rhys enter the shop. The three placed their own orders and joined them on the chairs. "What's the emergency?" Rhys asked.

"Ianto wants to do something for Jack...to prove how he feels. But he doesn't know what." Gwen explained.

Owen shrugged. "Propose to him?"

"We're still technically married, Owen." Ianto laughed.

"Hmm, ooo! Sing him a song!"

"And we're back to the string quartet theme...I thought I already rejected this on our anniversary?"

Rhys beamed "You did, but Owen's got a point."

"He does?" everyone turned to look at Rhys, as Owen shot them all a wounded look and pouted.

"Yup" Rhys laughed. "We're having kareoke at our anniversary party tomorrow night. Sing him a song on that."

Ianto brightened. "That is a good idea!" His face fell again. "But what?"

Silence fell among the friends as they sunk into about what Ianto could sing.

"You're the one that I want!" Tosh offered brightly.

"Too desperate," Owen disagreed. "What about 'Leaving on a Jet Plane?"

Ianto groaned. "Owen, he's just got back. That'll sound like I can't wait for him to go again!"

Ianto continued to shoot down his friend's suggestions, until they subsided into silence, each determined to come up with the perfect choice. So lost in their musings, they were, that they didn't notice two brown haired men, looking wet from the rain that had begun to fall from the heaven not twenty minutes earlier enter the café. One of them laughed and headed over to the group.

"Well, this is a surprise."

The group jumped simultaneously and gaped at Jack Harkness. He looked exhausted and like he'd been crying, his eyes red rimmed and cheeks flushed. It took a moment for anyone to react, and then Gwen beamed and jumped to her feet, hugging Jack tightly.

"Oh, you better not leave us like that again, Harkness!"

The American laughed gently, and hugged her back. "I'll try not too. What are you all doing here anyway?"

Ianto blinked. "Oh,um…." He stammered. "Ah, I came over here for coffee after the meeting, met Gwen, who texted the others and we thought we'd surprise you as you left...but we must have got distracted."

Jack smiled. "Well, count me surprised then."

Tosh winked at Ianto, all relieved that the lie had worked. It wouldn't have boded well for Jack to have found out they were all conspiring to get him and Ianto back together...he needed to realise it himself. After handshakes and greetings throughout the group, Jack came face to face with Ianto again, and though they had been reunited as work colleagues, there seemed to be a need for another reunion, so Jack could point out that no matter what, he still wanted Ianto in his life in some way.

'Bean' hung on the tip of Jack's tongue, but he had to keep it there. 'Bean' was his lover's name, his husband's name. They needed a new footing. Jack's face cleared as he remembered the somewhat predictable nickname which had followed Ianto through university. A nickname Jack had teased Ianto with for years. It would put Ianto at ease, bring back memories of an easier time.

Jack struck a pose, hands on hips. "Alright, Jonesy." he drawled.

"Alright." Ianto chuckled. He stood up and hugged Jack tightly. It was like the moment in the meeting, joy and pain, comfort and chaos all clashing together between them. Ianto's face tipped up to Jack's, eyes searching them, seeking permission, or perhaps that was just what Jack wanted to see. Jack's head dipped in response, but Ianto's lips brushed his cheek instead of meeting his part-opened lips, before dropping his head to rest briefly on Jack's shoulder. After a moment, he stiffened in Jack's arms and pulled back.

"I should go." Jack's voice was barely above a whisper, almost as if he was talking to himself.

Ianto wasn't sure who moved first, him or Jack, but the next thing he was aware of, was stepping into the cold pouring rain. Alone. His coat in one hand and briefcase in another. Having gotten himself that far, Ianto was about to head off back to his car when he noticed Jack hurrying out of the café, head down against the driving rain. Without thinking Ianto grabbed Jack's arm and pulled him into the alley where the bins and skips were kept for the rubbish from the coffee shop.

"Shit." Jack gasped.

"S'only me." The Welshman murmured

"Scared me." the American panted

"Sorry, didn't mean to."

"S'ok..." Jack raised a questioning eyebrow. "What do you want?"

Ianto closed his eyes. He was pressed so close to Jack he could feel the American's heart pounding in his chest and their lips hovered so close. Waiting.

"I know in my head...this is such a bad idea." Ianto whispered, his voice breathy. "But I can't stop myself."

That said, he closed the remaining distance between them and kissed Jack hotly. Teeth clashed painfully, but neither man seemed to notice as they wrapped their arms around each other. The Welshman ran his tongue over Jack's lips, demanding entrance that Jack was all too willing to grant. The American grasped at the back of Ianto's head, his hands sliding down to grip the lapels of his coat. They pulled back, panting, flushed and confused. Why did the worst ideas always feel so good?

"Fuck me..." Jack murmured.

"Not in public." the traditional response forced a laugh from Jack as he pulled back completely, stepping away from Ianto, even that short distance between them clearing his head in a way that just didn't happen when they were touching. Jack smiled slightly. Awkwardly. The silence stretched between them.

Jack sighed. "Take care." He stepped close once more and placed a gentle kiss on Ianto's forehead. Then he turned and fled down the street with as much speed as dignity allowed, leaving Ianto panting against the wall.

Jack fled the alley way and darted around the corner. He saw a taxi pulling onto the street and noticed it was one from the rank near his flat. He raised his hand in the air and got a strange look from the driver, who stopped and wound down the window.

"This ain't America laddy!"

"I know, but I'm desperate..."

The cabby eyed his bedraggled appearance and smiled sympathetically. "Bad day?"

"Long." Jack sighed "Any chance I can jump in here...I'll pay you double?"

"Sure." the cabby, Max, Jack noted on the man's identification, smiled. "Jump in."

"Thank you. Just to your rank, I have a flat right near there."

"Brilliant. Anything I can do to help?"

Jack sighed "Unless you have a time machine to take me back to eighteen months ago."

"Sorry..." Max smiled gently at the young man "I don't own a time machine."

"Thanks for the offer." Jack smiled. They pulled up at the rank, some ten minutes later, and Jack hopped out of the taxi, trusting fifteen into the man's hand. "Double, as promised."

Max took the money and patted Jack on the shoulder "I hope your day gets better."

"Thank you." the American smiled and then turned, heading back to his cold flat, filled with suitcases and bags to unpack. On his way to the flat, he saw a small child. Bright red hair, with a blue rain coat and bright red wellingtons splashing in puddles. She jumped in one right next to him and splashed his leg. He glanced down at her, and felt his heart bounce at the innocence in her eyes.

"Carys! Carys! Say sorry to the gentleman for splashing his suit." an elderly woman admonished, obviously the grandmother.

Carys grinned up at Jack "Sorry mister!"

"That's okay, you have fun." He couldn't help but smile back at her.

The little girl grinned and hugged his leg. "You looked like you needed a hug mister."

Jack bit back the tears and smiled. "Thank you, Carys. Just promise me something?"

"What's that?"

"Don't let yourself get heartbroken yeah?"

"Okay mister." Carys turned and splashed in the next puddle and Jack smiled, gave the grandmother a casual salute and headed off. His heart that little bit lighter because a little girl gave him a smile.

Jack entered his apartment building and sighed in relief. He was out of the rain and being out of the rain meant he could stop thinking. Ever since he'd seen Ianto, all kinds of thoughts had been rushing through his mind. But the most important thought, the thought that really stuck with him, was thinking maybe he and Ianto could work it out. If they took it slow. If they could get past what had happened. Jack shook his head to clear it, rushed up to his flat and opened the door using the key. He gazed around the barely lived in surroundings and wondered bitterly how this was meant to be home without Ianto. He moved to the kitchen and flicked on the kettle. He found some instant in the cupboards and spooned some into a mug while trying not to think of what Ianto would say about Jack drinking instant in his own home, and then turned to face the living area and froze. The blank space above his artificial fire appeared to have gained some photos in his absence. A montage of all the copies of the photos from the tin he and Ianto had.

Jack blinked back tears as he eyed the photo holding pride of place dead center of the montage. It was from his and Ianto's Civil Partnership. They were wrapped in each others arms on the dance floor, talking quietly, his arms tucked under Ianto's suit jacket so he could feel the heat from Ianto's body as they swayed to the music. Jack's nose in the picture was tucked gently alongside Ianto's and the Welshman's arms were resting on Jack's shoulders. There was no need for smiling. Happiness radiated from the photo. Was it really only five and a half years ago? Jack gazed at the photo and felt a smile tugging at his lips, accepting how badly he wanted that happiness back.

He moved to the kitchen, but stopped half-way and spun back to the montage. His eyes closed as he heard Ianto's voice in his mind, as clearly as if Ianto was right next to him "Can you remember the last time we did something with each other- not a family party or a night out with friends, but just something for us?"

Jack eyes opened again, straying to the other photos surrounding the image varied from shots of their friends on their own, to their friends on their own wedding days. An image of Jack and Ianto with Mica and David. A young, innocent voice played in his mind, "Are you leaving us Uncle Jack?"

The 'failed human pyramid' photo. An image of Jack and his parents. They'd loved Ianto, too.

An image of them with Ianto's parents on the day of their Civil Partnership. Their voices rang clear in his mind. "You've failed us Jack, you broke his heart."

Graduation photos. "Watch out world, here we come." Always 'we'. They'd never considered making the journey through life alone, not back then.

A photo of Jack and Ianto in their first flat, Ianto lying with his head on Jacks lap, paper work open on their chests, but smiling at each other, another echo, this time, Ianto's voice "When was the last time we made love Jack?"

A shot from when they first moved into the flat. The one that Ianto lived in alone now, both wielding paint brushes on the only day Jack had helped decorate before SSLS took control of his life.

A snow fight picture, from the Christmas two years ago, both wrapped up against the cold, red noses and cheeks, laughing.

A shot of Ianto lying upside down on the bed, fast asleep and Jack straddling his waist armed with a marker pen.

A picture of them with Sasha, his parents' dog.

Their life, spread across his wall, and Jack had no idea how it had gotten there. Accusations glared out at him from every photo. He was a cheat. He had neglected Ianto.

But that wasn't fair. It wasn't right. Jack wasn't a cheat. He wasn't a bad partner. He was a good man. Ianto had hurt him so much more than he could have hurt Ianto...because he hadn't done anything that he had been accused of. Ianto had. Ianto had forgotten his birthday, Ianto had wrongly accused him of cheating. Ianto didn't trust him.

The revelation was enough to make Jack forget everything he'd been thinking earlier about making it work with Ianto. Ianto didn't trust him. And another revelation. A worse one. He didn't trust Ianto. Jack knew he'd been been wrong in what he'd said to Tanizaki. He had forgiven Ianto. He loved Ianto. He probably always would, but he didn't trust Ianto not to hurt him again.

Suddenly feeling rather exposed, Jack ripped the photo's down tears pouring down his cheeks. He couldn't spend his time wallowing in a past that was just images and memories. He needed to move on.

He knew he had to break the news of his promotion to his friends soon, but for now. He cried, right there, in front of the TV, the coffee table and the fireplace. Shreds of photo rained down on him as he collapsed to his knees. The torn civil partnership photo landed gently just in front of him, their once undisturbed, happy faces, now crumpled and bent. He cried harder as his world, literally rained down around him.