3
Jack was not sure how to proceed. Not-Ianto acted so 'Iantoish' that Jack guessed where he was, when he found him again in a large room full of plants like a friggin jungle, complete with animals moving about.
"Remember Owen's Glass House?" Not-Ianto asked "Naked Hine-n-Seek."
"Yeah" Jack smiled softly as he was rewarded with one if Ianto's coy smiles.
"You cheated."
"Well.. I improvised."
"You cheated. You always cheated" Not-Ianto smiled, then let out that deep bellowing laugh Jack remembered so well. Ah, god. There it is. Ianto. Jack was about to say something when the Doctor stormed in and told them he had to land.
.
.
"What is it?"
"A Market Planet. Think… a flea market that is vast and endless" Jack said as he took Not-Ianto's' hand and pulled him along.
They tried different food and it was discovered that the taste buds were slightly different too. This Not-Ianto liked spicier foods than Ianto had. More Jack's taste. He is Windy-Woo and they are built to adapt and assimilate so maybe it was Jack influencing him. He had noticed some of his mannerisms creeping in. It should have worried him but it didn't. This was Not-Ianto after all. Bound to be differences. Jack thought about it as he watched Not-Ianto examine a stall of glass and knew that if it had been another replica of Ianto he might not have been able to accept. After all, in the House of the Dead Ianto had been so damned clear that he didn't' want Jack to do that to him. Maybe this Not-Ianto was not so bad at all.
Jack wandered over to find Not-Ianto locked in some sort of inner battle as the vendor waited patiently.
"What's going on?" Jack asked the man since Not-Ianto seemed oblivious to him even being there.
"I told him… I said each piece can speak to your soul. He chose these three and now is unable to decide which one is him." The man replied and Jack looked at the pieces of carefully spun glass.
A little red dragon.
A blue rose.
And a rainbow of multicolour fashioned into a butterfly.
"Wow. That's a lot sweetie" Jack said softly "A dragon for Wales. The rose is… what … I am not sure but the rainbow butterfly…that is surprising."
"A dragon for Ianto. The Blue rose is you of course and the rainbow butterfly… that is Windy Woo." Ianto explained.
Jack frowned "So… you see me as a part of you?"
"Of course you are. A smidgeon of me… of course. Don't' be silly, you are Javic. No… this is too hard. Who am I supposed to be? Who do you want me to be? Choose" Not-Ianto demanded with a pout "You choose. Who am I to be for you?"
Jack did not know what to say, startled by the anger that was REALLY not Mister Passive Aggressive Jones. The Windy Woo spunk I guess. Finally Jack said "We will take all three. After all… they all represent part of your life so… they should be the beginning of your hoard, right?"
The sun came out as Ianto shone though and Jack watched with awe as he eyes seemed to lighten to an almost stormy sky. There he was. Ianto. Hidden in the argument, there.
Jack leaned in and kissed him, the blush so 'Ianto' as well that Jack wanted to hold him.
Then it was gone, the man accepting the box of trinkets shy and accommodating yet still slightly flighty, like a wild horse with the whites of its eyes showing.
But it was a start, right?
.
.
"Pretty" the Doctor said as he stood looking at the shelf in Jack's room with the three little glass things on it. "He is starting his hoard here?"
"Looks like it." Jack said happily. "He still seems conflicted. It is like he is having an internal debate all the time. I mean… Ianto did that too. I knew sometimes he was arguing in his head but this is different."
"Why the blue rose?" the doctor frowned as he looked at them "I get the red dragon and even the pretty butterfly but… the rose?"
"Me. I am the rose. Blue is my favourite colour and what I wore the most. Also, uniform blue. The rose is because I can be pretty when blooming I guess and let's not forget the thorns that can make you bleed. Pretty yet dangerous." Jack said "Actually, come to think of it… I would have chosen this for me as well."
The Doctor stared at the shelf for a while then hummed to himself, going off in search of the Windy-Woo who had more on his mind than most.
.
.
"Kitty, kitty, kitty" Ianto was crouched, his hand out and fingers wriggling as the creature came from the foliage and the Doctor froze, watching the Lilos slither from the safety of the shadows to let him pet it. A dangerous and deadly venomous creature that hated… HATED… humans. It seemed to make a noise like purring as Ianto laughed and then started to sing.
Windy-Woo.
Ahhhhhh, he had forgotten how pretty they are.
"Ianto? We need to talk about that rose" he finally said and Ianto sighed, lifting his hand as the thing shot into the darkness.
"I know. I don't want to but I know."