Author's Notes: This was meant to be a somewhat lighter chapter when compared to the last one, and I think I managed to make it so. The prompt was a bit overlooked this time, but the plot took over, so I think you'll still see the traces Greed's left over the whole thing if you read the description below.

References: Ianto using the loci method is from The House that Jack Built where it's mentioned that he uses it as a remembrance technique and had it based on the house he'd grown up with. If anyone's unfamiliar with what the loci method is – it's a memory palace.

I hope you enjoy the chapter and feel free to let me know what you think!

Greed – the need for material possessions or material wealth. Greedy people are usually easy to bribe and will take any bet.

"That's really not a good idea," Ianto said, eyes still closed. The fact that they'd got this far was a small victory by itself. Jack groaned.

"We've talked about this," he insisted. "We need to be able to control it, which means we need practice. Go on!"

Ianto had placed his fingertips on Jack's temples and had done little else so far despite the deal they had made.

"Okay," Ianto sighed. "Go on, then. You're first. Open up."

Jack tried to clear his head and then slowly lowered his barriers to let Ianto in. They'd been trying this for some time now – testing the boundaries of the control they had over their own minds. Ianto had had his training in Torchwood One and Jack – in the Time Agency, so they could exchange experience. They'd even made a bet about who would manage to stay longer in the other's mind.

Or at last, that's what Jack had aimed for. Truth was, though, Ianto didn't seem inclined to follow through.

"Jack?" Ianto's voice was persistent and rather irritated. "Are we going to do this or not?"

"Doing it now." Jack hurried to lower his shields even further and let Ianto in. "Go on."

He could feel the intrusion, but it was far gentler than he'd expected it to be. Ianto hesitantly made his way through Jack's thoughts, as delicately as he could manage, stopping here and there to look at one thing or another without really disturbing anything.

"You're doing great," Jack said. "Keep going."

He felt more than saw Ianto's agreement and Jack sensed it when Ianto kept pushing. He could feel it when Ianto reached places of his mind where even he didn't wander often. And then, just as he reached into lands that were unknown even to Jack himself–

"That's it," Ianto said and let go of Jack just as the Captain pressed the button on the top. "I can't get any further."

"And that's three minutes and twenty-eight seconds," Jack announced. "Good job," he admitted grudgingly. "Your turn."

Ianto grimaced. "Are you sure? Have you tried doing this with Gwen? Maybe she can help you just as much as I can to expand your skills."

"Come on, quit stalling," Jack protested immediately. He'd seen this coming, so he was prepared. "Gwen doesn't have any sort of training over this!"

"Well, 'bout time she got some, then."

"Ianto." Jack gripped his lover's shoulders tightly and forced him to meet his eyes. "This is supposed to be me trying to see how far I can go and you trying to not let me in too far. We agreed on this."

Ianto nodded quickly. "We did, yes." He licked his lips nervously and then smiled brightly. "Okay. Seeing as I lasted more than you thought I would and you owe me a fiver already, I'll try to be merciful."

"Ten quid says I'll make it up to five minutes," Jack said and raised an eyebrow, trying to make a challenge out of the whole situation. He knew Ianto wouldn't be able to resist.

"Ten quid says you won't last more than two," Ianto said unceremoniously and Jack could feel the need of a healthy competition rising in him too as he nodded.

"Good. Let's get started."

Ianto's smile grew all the wider and his fingers returned to Jack's face. "Okay." His hands reached for the stopwatch and he hit the button before dropping it back on the table. "Go!"

Jack wandered through the door Ianto had opened for him and found himself in a house – big and bright and strangely red wherever he looked; more of a mansion than an actual house. There was a corridor in front of him – high ceiling, coloured windows and all – and several doors on each side of him.

Turn around and get out of the house. Ianto's voice echoed down the corridor and Jack spun around to look at him.

But he wasn't there. The place was still discouragingly deserted. Jack was on his own.

Get out of the house if you want to see more. The words sounded urgent now and Jack found himself shaking his head and opening a room on his left.

He barely got a glimpse of what was inside – a rather large room filled with books and one woman sitting in a chair near the bed – before the door was slammed in his face.

"Okay, okay," Jack muttered and headed for the front door. "Although I don't understand–"

His voice died.

He was standing in mid-air. The house was still right behind him and now Jack saw that it was a dark green outside and had an observation tower with several complicated looking telescopes he could see all the way from here. The whole building was just hanging into the nothingness, but the door was closed now. Closed and locked, as it appeared to be when Jack decided to check.

"Come on, let me in!" He growled out loud. He didn't mean the house anymore; just anything at all. Anything that wasn't just a stubborn black barrier.

Still not a good idea. Even the thought had a mournful edge to it. Brace yourself.

And then Jack fell.

All around him were planets – the Solar System, he managed to recognise after a startled moment of sheer panic – that rapidly got farther and farther behind him until he could see the Milky Way (even though it was called Mutter's Spiral in Ianto's mind) and then its neighbouring galaxies – Andromeda and the Triangulum Galaxy – and then other, bigger ones, and each of their components was as bright and imposing as the other ones in Ianto's head. Their history started and then died right before his eyes and everywhere he looked, there was an incredible amount of information on every single star and planet and every particle of dust and–

Jack opened his eyes. He was back in his own head and even his usually overworked and rather burdened mind was currently an oasis of peace and quiet after the madness of Ianto's.

"One minute twenty," Ianto said as he put the stopwatch down. "I'm usually not the kind to say 'I told you so' but, well..."

"What the hell was that?" Jack's voice was strangely breathless and he tried to calm it down, not entirely successfully.

"It's the loci method." Jack just stared at him blankly. "I organise my brain so I can have access to everything I know as quickly as possible."

"No one can know that much about so many things," Jack objected incredulously, his voice still weaker than he was pleased with. "It's overwhelming; nobody would be able to function like that."

"I can," Ianto said softly. "When I say that I know everything, Captain, I'm not exaggerating."

The use of his rank was enough to tell Jack that Ianto was trying to be careful with him and the intake of information he was willing to give away.

"And where do you know the everything from?" Jack asked anyway, unable to stop himself. He'd given up solving the mystery that was Ianto Jones or at least, he'd done so outwardly, but the fire of the curiosity burning inside him was still going strong.

Ianto smiled. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he whispered in Jack's ear and then pulled back with a meaningful and rather pointed glance at Jack's coat pocket. "Now, I believe you owe me fifteen quid."

"Sorry?" Jack couldn't believe his ears. "You owe me a new brain!"

Ianto extended his hand expectantly and wiggled his fingers. "You said it. We agreed on this. It was a deal. Now pay up, Captain."

And this time, when the rank was used, Jack knew that the walls were firmly back in place and Ianto had hidden behind them yet again.