40
Both men knew this was a make or break moment, their words could either heal or tear things apart completely and Ianto took a deep breath as he considered carefully then said "I have been with no other. I have tried to forget you, even allowed some mild dalliances but when it came time to… they felt wrong. IT felt wrong. Even women. And you know how I like the female figure but… no. you have ruined me."
"Well … I have had many since you. Lots and they all left me empty. I tried to fill the void but… you are gone. Gone forever and I knew I would never have that… you… again. I mourned you. Fuck… I tore things apart and let them lay there all broken because you were never going to put them back together again and now… here you are."
"Yes. Here we are." Ianto sighed, settling back in the chair "I am cold."
Jack rose and banked the fire, poking at it until it was roaring and turned to see Ianto watching him silently like a cat watching a mouse. Jack grinned as he admitted "you look like you are going to eat me."
"Later if you behave" Ianto said then snarled "Fuck it!"
Jack laughed, settling on the floor at Ianto's feet, his arms resting on Ianto's legs as he look up into his face "Tell me one thing. One. Did you ever think for a single moment that I would ever come back for you?"
"Honestly?" Ianto smiled then sniggered "well, have to be. Right. No. I always felt that… lacking. Like… you had me as a backup or a standby and someday somehow you would find a better one."
"Oh Ianto" Ianto let his head fall onto his hands and Ianto reached out to card his fingers through Jack's hair, petting him as they sat in the warmth of the fire.
"I missed you" Ianto said in a small voice, almost like an accusation.
"I have seen him… the new one. The Doctor. He never said about you. He must have known…"
"Spoilers." Ianto said in a silly voice and Jack laughed as he recognized the parody of River Song. So Ianto has travelled a lot.
"Can we do this? Just… be a family? The whole evening meals and homework… lighting the fire and making sure the locks are all in place before bedtime? Can we do that? Laundry, shopping… I mean… Torchwood is right there. I do not want to go back to it fulltime I want… well… I want you to know my child. Now that you know about him… the universe knows now that fucking Torchwood knows and has already added him to bloody protect and shit… I guess hiding him is over. So… I don't have to do that anymore but… can you? Can you give up shooting and blowing things up and … could you do domestic?"
"Yes" Jack said without even hesitating to consider the question "I can do Torchwood as an advisory thing… once Gwen is off maternity leave she can take over. She has always wanted to… Rex will hate that. Taking orders from her. You know I can never leave it completely… neither can you. You can't tell me, here and now with truthing between us… you can't tell me that you watched us just because of me bit because of the threat to the planet. Come on… you love running and shooting and blowing shit up too!"
Ianto snorted and then said softly "Hungry. Where is this even meal?"
"Come on… maybe we can get it set up in there by this fire. You do look cold. Tired?" Jack asked.
"Yeah, you know I feel the cold when tired. This has been a tiring time altogether for me. I think it's trying to keep myself from shooting Rex that is the hardest part. I really do NOT like him!" Ianto huffed as Jack rose and went to find out about the food.
Jack returned to find Ianto curled up in the chair like a child, asleep with a rug over him and the queen herself standing by the fireplace with a poker in her hand. "Ah, there you are Captain. I was worried for a moment…"
"That I had left him? No. No fear of that Lilibet. No … he likes the fire. He is like a little cat sometimes. Feels the cold and loves an open fire. I went to see if the meal can be brought in here. Join us?"
She seemed to consider, looking at him with that inscrutable stare of hers and he smiled adding "We have decided to make a go of it. Gods help everyone."
She relaxed, her demeanor changing as she nodded, "Yes, I shall join you both. Lovely, everyone is busy tonight and Phillip has some man's thing happening at the lodge. Lovely."
"How is he? I hear he turned his ankle rather nastily while dismounting from his horse. You know... he has to slow the fuck down. He is not getting any younger ya know. Poor man, you shall wreak him so you shall!" Jack said and she giggled as the staff rushed to make everyone happy, a table coming out of thin air before the fire and three chairs so they could all sit and see the flames.
Ianto woke as the roast meals were place down, groaning as he stretched and smacked his lips "I could never go vegan. I love gravy far too much."
"Me too sweetheart" the queen said happily watching as Jack rushed to help Ianto with his chair, a lingering hand on his shoulder before sitting on the other side of her. "Not piggy in the middle?"
"Nonsense. Just be warned… I like to play footsie so if I get you by mistake… go with it" Jack winked and she roared with mirth as she slapped at him with her napkin, as enamored as ever with the man she had know most of her life… well… both.
For Ianto has travelled.
And she has known him since first seeing him in her father's chambers as a small child. Oh yes… she knows full well that she is meddling here but really… they are made for one another.
These two enigmas.
