Lucky Ones
Ianto slid between the covers and chuffed softly as his feet seemed to throb with the cold, Jack's furnace of heat warming them like a hot foot bath.
"Shit a walrus sideways" Jack muttered as he shifted to let said feel slide between his for extra warmth, "you went topside?"
"Smelt something weird in the air" Ianto panted, wriggling closer so their heads torched, Jack's hand instantly coming out of the corers to cup Ianto's cold cheek, soothing and loving as he took a kiss that was languid and sweet.
"Anything?"
Ianto had to think for a second what Jack meant and then snorted at himself for getting lost in his mate's eyes so quickly, "Deer. A whole herd of them, at least forty. It was so pretty to watch, moving between cold snaps. Must know all the caves in the area and hid when it all hit."
"And?" Jack's eyes twinkled as he already knew the rest of the story, tasting it on his mate's lips.
"I took a couple of stragglers maybe" Ianto snorted at him, "Venison stew or tea tonight Cariad."
"The kids will go mad with glee, they need the extra iron" Jack kissed him again and then let him settle, his face now against Jack's chest as he sighed and closed his eyes to let the warm blanket of safety wash over him, Jack's heartbeat so soothing.
Jack knew he hadn't gone up there to look at passing bloody deer, it had probably been a chance thing and Ianto surprised for a moment before going into survival mode for the babans asleep below his feet in the Stronghold. No. He had gone topside to look at the hole in the ground that had been dug before the snows, the tunnel house covering the eight graves that had been dug so if there were any losses over the winter months there would be graves to settle them into. They had learnt that with the ground as hard as concrete it made digging impossible, a hard thing to swallow having dead you cannot lay to rest.
Ianto had picked the one for her. He had been preparing it with dried flowers and such for when they were to lower her into her place of rest. He had mourned and hated and raged up there even as she slept on the other room.
It was their curse.
To love and lose. To grow together as those around them only grew old and then grew silent as death stole them.
Jack tightened his grip and held his Holdfast tighter as he lamented the sad truth that they were the lucky ones, the gleaming of a set of eyes in the darkness as one of their pups approached the bed and whimpered to be let in shook Jack from his sorrow as he remembered there were them. Them too.
Jack stroked a little head as the child spooned his father and was soon breathing heavily as he breathed the scent of his Dam.
A lucky one too.
Jack told himself to be thankful, grateful as his journey would never again be a lonely one full of loss and despair.
Now he had something to hold onto, someone waiting for him each time.
Lucky, that.
.
.
.
.
.
Lay your head on me
As I fall asleep
Put your arms around mine
Stay here by my side
[Chorus: Both]
We're the lucky ones
Only just begun
Others leave too young
We're the lucky ones
Til' your eyes can't see
I'll be all you need
Put your hand in mine
Stay here by my side
[Chorus: Both]
We're the lucky ones
Only just begun
Others leave too young
We're the lucky ones
Promise me no matter (I promise)
How the years change us (eyes don't see)
You're perfectly imperfect
Just like you were meant to be
And all through our life please say you'll be mine
Hey you...
We're the lucky ones (we're the lucky ones)
Only just begun
Others leave too young (others leave, oh so young)
But we're the lucky ones
We are the lucky ones
Mhmm...
Jack & Tim - The Lucky Ones