4
"You have a man living with you?"
Ianto laughed, nearly choking on his burger. He took a sip of his soda and gave his best friend Toshiko a shameful look. "Will you keep your voice down? I'm not sure the whole restaurant heard you."
"I'm sorry, but this is exciting," Toshiko said. "Isn't this too soon? Who is he? What's he like? I want details!"
Ianto leaned back into a laugh. He already regretted saying her anything at all. Of course, he'd failed to mention anything about being attacked by an alpha werewolf who now wanted him to be his lifelong mate - he kept that under wraps for now. The truth was that Jack had insisted on moving in to help him deal with the changes that were coming and so he could be there when Connor started to get into his head.
So far though, he'd had no nightmares or anything out of the ordinary happen. He even started to doubt Jack's story a bit. But he knew what had happened to him. He knew what he saw. It had to be true.
"His name is Jack," Ianto said. "He's tall, sexy, tough… and kind of spiritual."
"Ooh, he sounds mysterious," Toshiko replied.
"He is," Ianto said, "But I still don't know that much about him."
"Oh, well it's a good thing you asked this total stranger to move in with you," Toshiko said sarcastically. "What in the hell is wrong with you? He could be some serial killer. How did you even meet?"
Ianto thought fast. He blurted out "I was attacked"
Oops.
"What? What do you mean you were attacked? When?"
"It's okay. It was nothing. You remember the other night when that cow Lisa didn't show up for our date? Well, I was walking home and some idiot jumped out at me from the bushes. He tried to steal my backpack and Jack happened to be walking close by and yelled at the guy. He left and I was fine."
"How could you not tell me something about that? The guy could have killed you."
"It was nothing. I wasn't hurt. I wasn't robbed. I was fine. Besides I wouldn't have met Jack otherwise, so I'm kind of glad it happened."
Toshiko now stared at him like he was psychotic. "Are you sure you aren't hurt? Your brains didn't get scrambled or anything?"
Ianto laughed. "I'm fine. Jack walked me home and we started talking."
"Why did you ask him to move in?"
Ianto thought quickly. He really wished he hadn't brought it up at all, but it just slipped out. "Well, he just moved here and doesn't have a place yet. He was supposed to have a job and the company would take care of his accommodations while he worked, but it all fell through and he ended up stuck here."
Toshiko rolled her eyes. "That sounds legit."
"Come on. It's true."
"It sounds like he's some lazy jerk who got thrown out by some woman who finally came to her senses. And now he's trying to shack up with you."
"No, it's not like that. I like him, and things are going well," Ianto said hoping that Toshiko would leave it at that.
"It's your life," Toshiko said with a sigh. The two friends kept chatting and finished lunch until Toshiko had to go back to her job downtown.
Ianto was working from home for the rest of the day. He'd been a freelance photographer for nearly five years now and business was booming. He never would have dreamed that being a freelancer, he'd be working twice as many hours for the same pay as his previous day job. But it was well worth it. Being his own boss suited him and making a living from his passion was amazing. He had a meeting scheduled with a client that afternoon who wanted him to shoot her wedding, and then he needed to run to the local camera store and grab a few rolls of classic black and white film. He did all his professional work in digital, but he had recently started shooting and developing his own film as a creative outlet.
Now he found himself running down to the shop several times a week for supplies. If he was lucky, he might be able to squeeze in a few hours in the darkroom before it was time for dinner. Ianto grabbed a basket and pulled a few rolls of film from the glass cooler the store kept them in. There was so much more involved in non-digital photography. Ianto loved all the choices he got to make - film selection, processing method, paper choice. And once he was in the darkroom there were so many ways to manipulate a print - blocking light from some areas, applying a filter to others.
Yes, it all took time, and digital was fast, clean, and simple, but it was somewhere in all of those decisions, somewhere in the silent loneliness of his darkroom where the art of photography happened.
"Crap!" Ianto muttered to himself. A package of photo paper fell to the floor beside him.
He was on his tip-toes trying to grab a small box from the top shelf, but failing.
he started to wish he'd asked for some help or sought a step ladder, no one can reach this high even him with his six foot one frame can get things from the very top shelves. Ianto bent down to pick up the fallen package, but someone beat him to it and it was now firmly held by a strong, masculine hand. Lifting his gaze, he now stared into the most beautiful face he'd ever seen.
The person in front of him was a gorgeous man of about thirty-five. His wavy jet-black hair hung low, brushing his shoulders. His eyes were as green and bright as emeralds. His lips ruby red against his pale skin, which accentuated his deep dimples as his smile widened slightly.
"I think you dropped this," the man said. His voice was much deeper and stronger than he would have thought. It sounded soothing, even musical, ringing in his ears as he spoke. He could hear his beautiful lips wrapping sexily around every syllable.
"Oh, um… thanks," Ianto said.
Ianto took the package in his hands and stood up. He stood up as well and towered over Ianto, much taller than he would have guessed a moment ago. He was easily six feet four, with broad shoulders that threatened to burst out of his tight, black T-shirt at any moment. His body rippled with muscles, but it looked very natural and lean, like a soccer player or a swimmer's.
"You are quite welcome… Ianto," he said. Ianto froze still. His body suddenly felt cold and clammy. He instantly broke out into a cold sweat as his eyes locked with his and he immediately knew without question who this man was. They'd met before, hadn't they…?
"How do you know my name?" he asked, although he already knew. It just needed to be heard from his lips.
"Oh, I think you know the answer to that," he said.
It was true. All of it. Connor was here.
Everything was happening the way Jack had said… Oh God… please… Ianto tried to think, but his mind was flooded with fear. He tried to speak, but his mouth did not want to move.
"Bu… bu… but… I…" he stammered.
Connor held one hand to his lips.
"Shhh…" he hissed softly. "You don't have to speak. Just listen. You know why I'm here. You've known since the moment I put my mark on you. I know you've felt me, my presence…"
His deep voice soothed Ianto. He'd never been so calm in his life. The cold terror he'd felt a moment ago melted away, replaced by an all-embracing peace. It was as though Connor had bestowed some form of serenity on him, and he had a hard time even remembering what fear was.
"What do you want from me? Just let me go…" Ianto said.
Connor smiled and stroked his hair back from his face. His touch was like a small shock of lightning entering Ianto's bloodstream and illuminating every cell of his body. He felt instantly warm and cosy. Oh, it felt so good… he wanted more… needed more… He pulled Ianto close right then, his hands wrapping around Ianto's waist. His face was close to his. His sweet breath, so warm, his lips so inviting.
He wanted to give this man everything. All of him was his for the taking.
"You have no idea yet of just how important you are to me. I have given you a magical gift — the gift of immortality. I have given you the honour of being by my side as the Second of my new pack. You and I will be together forever. We will create family of eternal beings. You are now one of us. Your power will only increase from now on. And soon, very soon we will be united as one and our power together will make us virtually unstoppable."
Ianto stared into his eyes, unblinkingly. A slight smile formed on his face. Connor leaned in and kissed him hard on the lips. His mouth was so warm, it spewed angelic light into Ianto's body and infused his soul with a kind of energy and power he'd never felt before. He felt like he could float up to the sky and keep going, never to return to this plane of existence.
His life was about to change. And it was going to be beautiful.
