Title: So Far From Normal

Author: Seether79

Characters: Jack/Ianto, Team

Rating: R overall

Spoilers: General spoilers for both seasons

Summary: Ianto isn't sure of what he wants anymore

Beta: lj user"the9thdoctor" at lj user"plotbunniesinc"

Author's Notes: Set after adrift.

Warnings: Mentions of Jack/someone else in previous chapter, nothing serious. Slight Ianto someone else in previous chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Torchwood (There would be a lot more boy action if I did)

Chapter 6: Together

Ianto blinked a few times as he looked at Jack; unable to form a sentence or even a thought. Jack looked sadder than Ianto had ever seen him before, Ianto almost laughed when he compared his fearless leader to a miserable little puppy.

"Please say something." Jack whispered. "Anything."

"I... I don't know what to say, Jack. I'm a little surprised to be honest." Ianto told him as he placed his keys on the kitchen counter. He leaned against it for a second and took a deep breath to prepare him for whatever was coming. "Why are you here?"

"I told you, I miss you." Jack repeated as he leaned back in the sofa and ran a hand through his hair; a nervous habit that Ianto had noticed him do many times now.

"And what, thought that now would be a great time to tell me? Right after the first date I've had in God knows how long." Ianto said with a slightly raised voice as he walked into the living room area and stood in front of Jack. "Please tell me; why now?"

"Because... I don't know, Ianto. I know you think it's because I'm jealous over your date, but I'm not. I've been missing you since I walked out of here last time, it's been so busy I didn't have the time to address it." Jack explained as he looked at Ianto with pleading blue eyes.

"Jack, please. We sorted all this out, why are you bringing it up again? We're better off as friends." Ianto told him as he tried to ignore the pleading look across the older man's face.

"I've had a lot of time to think. I can give you what you want, Ianto, because I want it as well. I want to know everything about you and I want you to know everything about me; I want to share my life with you." Jack said as he reached up and took Ianto's hand into his own. Ianto tried to ignore the tingle that shot through his body when their skin touched.

"Jack, what's changed?" Ianto asked him. He wanted to believe that Jack really felt this way, that he wanted to have a real life with him; but he didn't understand what had happened between now and last month to make Jack feel this way all of a sudden.

"Nothing's changed, Ianto. When I first met you, I was in lust; 'You're so young and beautiful I knew I had to have you, taste you. I always told myself I wouldn't fall in love with you; I've been in love before and it always ends the same way, with hurt and pain. So we started things and we evolved into more but I still kept telling myself I wouldn't fall in love with you, that I couldn't." Jack paused and Ianto knew the older man was deep in thought. "The strange thing is, you can tell yourself you won't fall in love; that you're not in love, you can say it repeatedly to yourself and refuse to believe the feelings that overcome you. Denial has always been my friend and I've been come an expert at ignoring the truth, and the truth is you have no control over love. It just happens and you can either lie to yourself or you can face it... I've decided to stop lying to myself."

"That was quite the speech." Ianto said with a dead pan voice, unsure of what else to say. It was hard to follow Jack sometimes but if he had followed Jack's words correctly then he was pretty sure Jack had just told him he loved him, in a weird Jack Harkness kind of way.

"Well, I never had a problem talking." Jack tried to joke, but it fell flat. "Please say something."

"I did say something." Ianto replied nervously.

"Say something real." Jack said as he shifted in his seat.

"We can never be normal, Jack." Ianto said sadly. "The idea is a nice one; but we can never have a normal life together."

'What's so great about normal?" Jack asked him, he was still holding Ianto's hand tightly.

Ianto wasn't sure how to respond to that; what was so great about normal? Did he really need normal to be happy, would a normal life satisfy him after everything he had experienced with Torchwood and Jack? "Nothing, I guess." Ianto said softly, he was overwhelmed with his own thoughts.

"Please, just give us a chance. I know I'm difficult and that I've hurt you in the past, but I can be what you need. All I want in this life is to be the person that makes you happy, and I can be that person if you let me." Jack told him sincerely. Ianto wasn't used to this from Jack, he wasn't used to the almost begging quality in the Captain's voice or the desperate way he was holding his hand.

"My life is so far from normal," Ianto began. "But maybe that isn't such a bad thing."

"Does that mean you're saying yes?" Jack said in an excited voice.

"It means that I'm agreeing to give us another shot, but things have to be different this time. I won't just sit back and let you get away with everything; if you make a promise you have to keep it." Ianto told him. Jack leaned into him and kissed him lightly on the lips, Ianto tried to ignore the flutter it caused in his stomach.

"I promise you, Ianto, I will be a better man for you." Jack whispered into Ianto's ear.

"You're already a good man." Ianto smiled.

"We'll make this work." Jack told him, he started to kiss Ianto again and the younger man couldn't help but get lost in the feeling. After a few minutes they broke apart, breathing heavily.

"This will be hard work, Jack. Are you sure you're up to it?" Ianto asked him, looking confused at the large grin that appeared across Jack's face.

"I'm always up for it." Jack laughed.

"Tell me something I don't know." Ianto grinned.

Jack's face turned serious as he placed his hand on the side of Ianto's face and stroked his cheek tenderly. "I love you."

Ianto smiled, feeling truly happy. "That's really nice to hear."

"I mean it, I really love you. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it." Jack told him. Ianto was still surprised to hear the words, Jack wasn't the type of person to be so open about the way he felt; but Ianto wasn't going to complain.

"I love you, Jack." Ianto replied as he kissed Jack.

"Where's Gwen?" Jack asked Tosh and Ianto. Ianto looked up from the coffee machine and shrugged.

"There's three or four life sign's at this location." Tosh said as she pointed to her computer screen. "Non-human and different energy patterns to a Weevil. Nothing we've faced before actually."

"Get Owen, us four will have to deal with it. Ianto, see if you can get Gwen on the phone and find out where she is." Jack told them.

Ianto nodded as he made his way to the garage to make sure the SUV had everything they would need. He couldn't help the little smile that was across his face, he couldn't stop thinking about the night before. He had no idea what the future had in store for him or Jack, but he couldn't help but think they could face anything as long as they stuck together. For the first time ever he finally felt as though he and Jack had a future together, and that made Ianto happier then he could ever remember being.

THE END

A/N: Thanks to my lovely beta, thanks to anyone who read and/or commented means the world to me, and comments are love :))