Sorry this took so long. Busy couple of weeks. I want to finish this and keep writing What Happens Now? but scheduling is tight. Will keep writing as soon as I can.
The feeling of emptiness came again when Jack pulled him into a loving embrace. Strong hands wrapped around Ianto's back, one resting near his waist, the other on his neck. Warmth surrounded him and the proximity alone made him weak. He buried his head against Jack's shoulder and closed his eyes. It felt good to be back in this position. He hadn't seen Jack in probably 8 hours, but for them, that was a long time. The night before had been hell. Alerts that never ceased to end until it was late enough to be morning. Ianto had been awake for 36 hours before that. Jack had sent him home to get some sleep and told him to come in whenever. Although Ianto slept, he kept waking up feeling like something was missing. So when Ianto walked back into the hub and Jack came in for a hug, Ianto was more than delighted to feel the warmth.
Ianto's eyes shot open. He felt sick. It had been 3 months since the incident in the warehouse and Jack had been true to his word that he wanted a relationship with him. They went out to eat at least once a week, rift permitting and did couple things. Jack started to referred to Ianto's flat as home once and Ianto kept using that terminology. Now Ianto didn't want to. He didn't know what he wanted anymore.
Jack smelled different.
Ianto dragged himself out of the hug and walked towards the coffee machine. If he was going to get his head around this, he needed coffee. Coffee never confused him. It never made him feel empty.
Jack smelled of someone else.
Ianto wanted to sit and think about his discovery. Jack had been with someone else last night. They were only separated for a few hours. Did Ianto really mean that little to Jack that even a few hours of sleep was a deal breaker? Would he have to prove himself everyday? Did he have the right to tell Jack what to do? Ianto needed these answers, but of course Torchwood got in the way. It wasn't until he was getting his coat that Jack approached him.
"Hey," Jack said bouncing down the stairs.
"Hey."
"Where are you going?"
"Home, sir."
"Oh, okay cool," Jack said grabbing his coat.
Ianto paused, "Are you coming over Jack?"
Jack stopped. He knew something was wrong. Coming over? He had started thinking of the little flat as their home, not something he needed an invitation to. "Yeah. Is that okay?"
"...yeah, I guess it is," Ianto smiled. They walked in silence to Ianto's car and the sort drive to the flat was also in silence. When they walked into the flat Ianto immediately walked towards the kitchen to start the coffee. Jack sighed and pulled off his coat. Ianto walked back into the living area and handed a mug to Jack. He then sat on the couch and began to look at the wall. Jack took the seat next to him and gazed at his young lover for a little while.
"Care to tell me what's going on?"
"I said the minute something went wrong, we were going to talk about it."
"Yeah, but nothing-"
"Jack something went wrong."
"Oh," Jack muttered. "What?"
"Where were you last night?" Ianto asked, taking a sip of his coffee, still not looking at Jack.
"Out."
"Who was it Jack?"
"What?"
"I could smell her on you," Ianto sighed.
"Oh. Her."
"Jack we were together half the night but I was still not enough for you."
"Ianto, I was trying to take care of you. You were dead on your feet, so I sent you home."
Ianto turned and looked right into Jack. "So you found someone else."
"Yes." There was no point in lying.
"There is our problem."
Jack rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Ianto, I don't do monogamy. Where I come from, it is practically inexistent."
"I know."
"Then what is the problem?"
"Because where I come from Jack, it is existent."
"Ianto, you knew this when we started. You knew exactly what I believe in and how I see relationships."
"And I know that Jack. I have also accepted that you are immortal, that you don't age, that you can't die, that one day you are going to outlive me, that you are my boss, that you have to put my and my friends lives on the line to save the world, that anytime the doctor calls you will chase after him, that your past may come back to try to kill us, that you have your secrets, that I will never know any of them and that you flirt with others. Now tell me Jack, what do you have to accept about me?"
Jack was silent.
Ianto smiled. "Now, I love you but I am going to ask something of you. I need you to accept that I need you to be committed to me because Jack, if I can't have that, I don't think I can do this. I can't accept all of that to know that you are just going on your merry way. I need you to give me something. If you don't want to, or I'm nor worth it, then fine. Just say and I will accept that too. I just need to know if this is going to work or not."
Jack studied his hands for a while. Ianto gave him the time to think. Finally Jack leaned back against the couch and sighed. "One condition."
"What?"
"I want a key and don't you ever refer to our home as yours again."
Ianto smiled, "Deal."
Tell me what you think - TOL