"What are my hopes?" Jack asked. "I hope that a certain young man comes home with me tonight." He smiled, but he knew that Ianto deserved more than that. "I hope that whatever happens, that he'll know how much I care, and that I dream about him every night."
"Do you dream, Jack?" Ianto asked softly. Jack nodded. "And what are your dreams like?" Jack reached up to stroke Ianto's cheek lightly.
"I dream about a gorgeous Welshman who came into my life and turned it upside down," Jack said in a low voice, moving closer so that his lips brushed against Ianto's. "And how this beautiful man has made life worth living again." He kissed Ianto, exploring the other man's mouth before it was his turn to pull back and stare back at Ianto. "Thank you for that."
"Thank you, Jack," Ianto said. "You gave my life meaning after a time I thought it never would again. You've taught me what it is to love again. To allow myself to even consider having hopes and dreams for the future." A breeze kicked up off the water and he shivered slightly as it ruffled his hair. "Look at us!" He laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. Jack smiled as Ianto broke the moment. It was often like this with them, moments of almost unbearable closeness until one of them had to back off, since it got to be too intense.
This time though, Jack didn't want to back off. He wanted to push the boundaries. He opened his coat and wrapped it around Ianto, pulling him in a close embrace. Ianto was surprised by his action, but let his arms encircle Jack's waist and he rested his head on Jack's shoulder.
"Everyone has dreams Ianto," Jack said softly in his ear, his lips tickling the sensitive skin. "Sometimes we just need to let go and let ourselves dream them, though." Ianto closed his eyes and hugged Jack tighter. "Dream for me, Ianto. Please."
"I'll try," Ianto said. In a way, he already had been for ages. He had dared to dream about Jack at a time when his life was laying in shattered bits about his feet. When he thought over the last year or so, never would he have ever imagined this moment. But in other ways, finally letting Jack into his heart was that leap of faith he knew stemmed from his hopes and dreams. Without either of those, he would have been an empty shell just going through the motions, as he had been after Lisa's death. Yes, sometimes it hurt, but sometimes getting through the misunderstandings made their commitment stronger.
They stood like that for a while, neither saying a word, but just holding onto one another tightly. Eventually, they broke apart, Jack stepping back and smiling at Ianto. Jack threaded his fingers through Ianto's and tugged him along. Ianto was confused, since they were no longer heading towards the Hub, but down around the waterfront, away from the Millenium Centre and towards the Alexandra dock. Ianto let Jack lead the way as they passed the oil refineries and industrial areas that dotted the waterfront.
Jack began talking as they walked. While he had told Ianto stories from his past before, they were usually little anecdotes and outrageous stories from traveling around the future. But this time was different. He talked about growing up on a world unlike the one they walked on now, but in some ways very similar. Crossing over the train tracks towards the waterfront, walking along the industrial area in the dark, Jack talked about growing up on a new world, about the colonists and their amazing will to create a new life on a new planet, under a new sun. He skirted the areas that were painful to him, but portions of which Ianto knew about – his family, losing Grey and his father. Ianto was content to let him talk. After a while, he stopped and they walked thoughtfully hand and hand along Locks Road. Without the construction equipment moving about, the area was quiet, making it a pleasant walk.
