Summer 2009
Ianto woke suddenly, reaching for the back of his neck and nearly hitting Jack in the face. He took a deep breath, realizing he was in Jack's bunk, safe.
"You ok?" Jack mumbled sleepily.
Ianto swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. Dream. Stupid."
Jack moved his hand from Ianto's waist up to his chest. "Heart's pounding. Want to talk about it? Help you calm down."
Ianto was quiet for a minute. "Dreams are weird. Don't remember most of it. I was arguing with my dad and he put a knife to the back of my head. Fought back though… held him off while I rang 999 on the mobile."
Jack held Ianto tighter. "You're safe, I promise," he said, kissing Ianto's neck.
"I know," Ianto said, covering Jack's hand on his chest with his.
"Was it ever that bad?" Jack asked quietly.
Ianto shook his head. "No, not quite. I think I was always a bit afraid that it could be though. Like there was an… undercurrent."
"You're safe," Jack reiterated, lost for anything else to say.
"I know," Ianto said again, squeezing Jack's hand. "What time is it? Probably ought to be up."
"Early," Jack said, looking back to the old travel clock beside the bed. "Five to five. Well, four to five now."
"Stack of filing needing doing."
Jack knew when Ianto was trying to distract himself but wasn't about to let him go hide in the archives at 5 in the morning. "I have a better idea," he said, kissing Ianto's neck again and shifting out of bed. He tossed a pair of jeans and a jumper to Ianto. "Want me to make coffee?"
"Don't you dare," Ianto glared with tired eyes while Jack got dressed. As soon as Ianto was dressed, he climbed out of the bunker and set to making coffee.
"Put 'em in travel mugs?" Jack said, wrapping his arms around Ianto from behind and proceeding to do all sorts of things to that spot behind Ianto's ear that made him shiver.
"Take it that means we're going somewhere at this early hour?" Ianto asked as steadily as he manage.
"Not far," Jack said, letting his hands wander under Ianto's jumper to stroke his belly.
Ianto took a deep breath. "We're not going anywhere but back to bed if you keep that up."
Jack quickly withdrew his hands and settled them on Ianto's hips. "I'll be good," Jack said, giving a quick kiss to Ianto's neck.
Ianto snorted. "I'd like to see that day!" Ianto poured two travel mugs while Jack went to get his coat, then handed one to Jack. "Lead on, Captain."
Jack smiled and took Ianto's hand, leading him over to the invisible lift and sending it up. It was chilly and barely lightening outside, a peacock blue cast to the sky over the bay. Stepping off the lift, Jack lead Ianto down the oval toward the boardwalk as if they were going back in through the tourist office. Jack stopped and sat on one of the benches looking out over the bay, though.
"The scenic route if not the direct one," Ianto said, sitting beside him.
"I like the lift, don't get to use it enough," Jack said, putting an arm around Ianto's shoulders. "And before you ask, this is what we're doing here. Just sitting, having coffee, watching the world wake up around us."
Eventually, Ianto rested his head on Jack's shoulder. Jack rested his cheek against Ianto's head with a smile of love and serenity.
"You want to know something?" Ianto said after a long while.
"Of course I do," Jack murmured.
"It's taken more than a quarter-century, but I'm finally happy."
"Me too, Yan," Jack said, kissing the top of Ianto's head. "Me too, finally."