A MOMENT OF HAPPINESS

Romance, Fluff

Jack Harkness, Ianto Jones

Words: 777

Coda to the ending of "The Dead Line"

...

Ianto watched Gwen and Stella wander off, and then, hesitantly, turned to Jack. Jack beamed at him, smiling, and grabbed his coat, ready to go.

"So...", Ianto started, slowly getting up as well. "You don't... remember anything about the trance?"

"No", Jack answered, and Ianto nodded. Silly, wasn't it? He felt the slightest bit of disappointment... but it probably was for the better. He'd asked anyway that Jack wouldn't bring up his little speech- well, not that Jack remembered.

"Did you talk to me while I was out of it? They say, that's what you should do..."

Ianto glanced away, feeling caught out all of a sudden. "I talked, a little..." He shrugged his shoulders, put his hands in his pockets, smiled a little smile. "But - I'm not really much of a talker..."

"I know..."

"That's just me." Ianto raised his eyes to Jack. His face brightened. In this moment, he was just... genuinely happy. He'd been so afraid. He was used to see Jack die - though that didn't make it easier - but the trance... that had been something new and terrifying, and Ianto was just glad that it was over, and that he had Jack back.

"Yeah...", Jack responded to his comment. He closed the distance between them, one hand reaching up to caress Ianto's face. They were in a crowded hospital, but this time the welsh man didn't care about the public display. "But... you never will just be a blip in time, Ianto Jones. Not for me."

Ianto's heart skipped a beat as he looked into Jack's eyes, surprised and overwhelmed. Oh...

There wasn't much that needed to be said as they gazed at each other. They leaned their foreheads against one another's and rested for a moment.

"I'm glad you're back", Ianto whispered after a while, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, inhaling Jack's scent.

"I'll always come back to you", Jack breathed in a soft voice. With a smile, he added: "And why wouldn't I? You took good care of me, once again. What would I even do without you?"

Ianto chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "Don't." He pulled back and sighed, absently entwining his fingers with Jack's. "Let's get out of here. Had enough of that hospital smell to last for a while. Coming?"

"Yeah. Let's... let's go home."

They wandered down the corridors, still holding hands. Ianto wasn't bothered. Jack leaned in to him a little, resting his head on the welsh man's shoulder as they waited for the elevator to arrive.

Whoever would've looked at them in this moment, wouldn't have seen anything but sheer happiness, the sort that makes the world around you disappear.

They didn't speak, exchanging a tender kiss in the elevator, hands caressing the other's face and hair.

Outside the hospital, the two man looked at each other. Jack raised an eyebrow and Ianto nodded with a wide grin as they silently agreed to walk instead of taking the SUV - quick text to Gwen on that behalf - or calling a cab to get to Ianto's flat - which was their flat for quite a while by now.

The weather wasn't the most pleasant that day; it was cloudy and windy and rather cold, and they had some way to go - but, still, they weren't bothered. They walked close together, the hand-holding soon turned into them walking arm in arm. People passed them by, glancing at them - most days, Ianto would examine the looks on their faces, probably soon stiffen, clear his throat, pull away a bit, anything to not raise any attention to himself being with another man. Sometimes, he didn't even know why he did that.

But today it didn't matter anyway. The smile on Ianto Jones' face was bright as he snuggled up closer to his Captain. He felt Jack gently squeezing his arm and tightened his own grip around the man's waist. Another case of Torchwood closed, and now they were walking home. They would cook together, having fun in making a mess out of the kitchen and cleaning it up afterwards; then a movie, cuddled up on the sofa in the living room, with snacks on the coffee table; then they'd go to bed, make love to each other, hold and caress each other, finally dozing off to sleep in each other's arms. Some hours of domesticity, some hours of normal-couple-happiness.

Ianto thought about Jack's words in the hospital, the Captain's acknowledgement of his little speech. You never will just be a blip in time, Ianto Jones. Not for me.

And after all, that was the only thing he needed to know.