Chapter Twenty-Six: Where the Heart is

A/N: Just Jack and Ianto fluff with a little of our favourite pterodactyl thrown in for fun.

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Ianto looked around the Hub, half expecting to find the Doctor curled up on a sofa sleeping… however the only person who greeted him when he walked in the cog door was Myfanwy. She surprised him by gliding down from her alcove and landing just a few feet from where he stood. She gave a quiet sort of squawk and tilted her head inquisitively in Ianto's direction.

"I don't have anything for you," he told her as the door rolled shut behind him. He realized he was whispering, which was silly really. The alarm had sounded the moment he walked through the hidden door of the tourist shop upstairs. Jack must be asleep because if he were awake, he'd be out here already, he mused, looking around the dimly lit Hub.

It always looked so different when it was empty. There were just a few emergency lights on and a night light at the coffee station, so that in the morning when Ianto got up to make the coffee, he didn't stumble over things in the dark. Most of the computer screens were dimmed in 'sleep' mode. And it was quiet. So much more quiet than when everyone was there. It was almost a little bit eerie…

Myfanwy hopped closer.

Ianto sighed, "All right, I've got some chocolate in my desk," he told her, although he was well aware that she didn't understand a word he was saying. Just the same, she cocked her head at the word 'chocolate'. Maybe it was the way some dogs could grasp basic things like 'walk', 'bath', and 'biscuit.'

As soon as he turned towards his desk, he saw the bouquet of pink roses and carnations with baby's breath, and in a proper vase, no less. He smiled. For someone who really wasn't much of a romantic, Jack could be so incredible at times…

The smile on the Welshman's face deepened when he picked up the card and read the simple message in Jack's handwriting:

Don't forget to empty the bins…

XOXO Jack

'Don't forget to empty the bins' had become something of a running joke between, although it had earned Jack more than one dark glare from Gwen, who didn't understand what Jack was really saying when he said it. But Ianto knew and that's all that mattered.

Still smiling, he fished around in his drawer for the small stash of dark chocolate bars he kept there, well aware that the pterodactyl was still watching him. "Let's just hope you don't become like one of those squirrels people start feeding," he said over his shoulder at her. "You only do this with us, right?" he unwrapped the chocolate and she hopped a step closer. Ianto stepped away from his desk, aware of her wingspan and not wanting her to accidently knock anything over. Myfanwy followed him into a more open area, keeping one eye trained on the chocolate.

Ianto broke the bar in half and threw half of it out between them to see if she'd take it. She didn't even hesitate. "What did you make of him, then, Jack's Doctor?" Ianto asked aloud, "Right. Now I'm talking to a dinosaur." He chuckled and tossed the rest of chocolate bar to the floor and watched her snatch it up, gulping it back in one swallow. "Still, he's not really so bad, I suppose," Ianto mused aloud. "It might be nice to hear a few 'Jack' stories from someone else's point of view." He knew full well that Jack was going to hear plenty of 'Ianto' stories from Mam once she warmed up to him. "Of course Nerys's stories will be worse." He was grateful that Wendy didn't indulge in that sort story telling.

Instead of than flying off the way she usually did after having been fed anything, Myfanwy hopped a little closer, sticking out her head and crooning at him.

"All gone," Ianto held out his empty hands. "And I'm giving you any more," he added sternly.

She made another crooning of noise and hopped right up next to him like she had the last couple of times he'd given her her favourite treat.

"Assuming that's a thank you, you're quite welcome," he told her.

Standing there with a pterodactyl next to him, Ianto found himself thinking back over the conversations he'd had during the course of the evening with Cheryl and her friends.

It was all banal stuff, really. Cheryl worked at a bank. Two of her brides' maids worked with her. Another was a friend from University who worked as a receptionist, and the matron of honour was a mother already, married and doing a little temp work to help make ends meet. They and the other attendees of Cheryl's stag and doe (of which Ianto was the only stag) had chatted on about their jobs, their lives, their families… of course Nerys hadn't let it go unknown that Ianto was in a relationship with a 'dishy' American Captain. None of the girls seemed to care that he worked in a tourist office, they just wanted to swap boyfriend stories. In a lot of ways, it had been the most normal night out he could remember having in a long time.

"And it really shouldn't have surprised me that I was the only bloody 'stag' there," he told the pterodactyl as he stretched his hand out towards her. He was only a little surprised when she put her head up under it and let him stroke the top of it. This was the second time she'd allowed physical contact and if the soft little noises she was making were any indication, she seemed to be enjoying herself. "Unless it's the serotonin," he mused. "All right, I'm off to bed," he said, giving the top of her head a gentle pat. "And if I read any stories in the Sun about a dinosaur harassing farmers for chocolate, we're going to have to have a long talk," he warned her.

Myfanwy gave a little squawk and hopped back away from him before flapping back to her alcove. A pterodactyl taking flight from a standing position was a less than graceful thing.

He was surprised when he got down into their private quarters and realized that there was a lamp on in the bedroom. Unless he dozed off reading. It wouldn't be the first time.

But when Ianto crept into the now cheerfully decorated room, he found Jack awake in bed, book in hand.

"How come you didn't come up?" He asked. Even if Jack had known it was him, it wasn't like him not to come up and say hello.

"I wanted to keep my promise."

He smiled. Jack was right there. Waiting in bed for him when he got home. Just like he'd said he would be.

"What kept you?" Jack set the book down on the nightstand. It was something written in Russian, so Ianto hadn't a clue what the title was.

"Myfanwy."

"You're spoiling her."

Ianto shrugged; he kicked off his shoes and started to undress. "She's the last of her species left alive on this planet. You're not going to make me feel guilty about giving her a little chocolate once in a while, Cariad."

Jack chuckled; when Ianto started to crawl in next to him, he wrapped his arms around the younger man, bringing him in front of him instead, so Ianto's back was pressed up against his chest. Jack rested his head on his shoulder, "You have fun tonight?"

Ianto shrugged, "We went to a karaoke bar. They made me sing. I was the only guy. And I would have been home an awful lot sooner, but I had to drive Nerys because she got completely pissed. She could barely walk, so I had to help her into bed. Then Mam got up and wanted to make me a cup of tea, afraid that I was too drunk to drive."

"Were you?" Jack sounded concerned.

Ianto gave him a look over his shoulder, "You know I don't do that. I had two beers all night."

Jack pulled him close without admitting how much he worried sometimes.

"I realized something tonight," Ianto said then, in a quiet tone.

"Oh?" Jack kissed the side of his neck softly. "What's that?"

"I love you."

Jack stopped, "I thought you'd already realized that."

Ianto couldn't help but laugh at Jack's tone, "I don't just mean that I'm in love with you, I mean I really, really love you," he pulled Jack's hands tighter around his waist. "I love this. I love going to bed next to you and waking up next to you… or at least your pillow," he glanced back at the older man again, smiling because Jack rarely stayed in bed for more than about four hours in a night unless he was completely exhausted. "I love the way you hold me and the life you've shown me, as completely mad as it can get around here. I even love coming home to a pterodactyl begging for chocolate. And I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier tonight," he added softly.

"It wasn't entirely your fault. He makes me feel… like a kid, I guess," Jack admitted. "I did, for maybe a second, think about saying yes when he invited me to take that trip with him tonight." He paused, waiting for a response. Ianto just nodded, settling further back into him. "But time we have here is too important to me. Your life is too short," he whispered the last as he kissed the younger man's neck some more. "I don't want to waste it."

Ianto swivelled in Jack's arms so that their bodies were pressed together and he gave him the same kind of kiss he'd given earlier because there really was no way of knowing which kiss would be their last…

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A/N:

Flower meanings (Victorian era) because I believe that Jack is capable of romance, it's just lost on Ianto sometimes because he's so young… :

Rose(pink) - Perfect happiness; please believe me

Carnation (pink) - I'll never forget you

Baby's Breath - Everlasting Love

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