A/N: So this is the second oneshot. I hope you'll enjoy reading it!
Beta: OneWhoSitsWithTheTurtles. Thank you:)
"Oh, this is good!" Jack exclaimed loudly, throwing his hands in the air and stretching lazily.
His two companions, walking side by side along an alley in Cardiff, grinned at his cheerfulness.
"Well we did save the world."
"Again," added Martha Jones to Mickey's comment.
"It's really good for self esteem, isn't it? I always feel great after doing it. You know, defeating a Dalek or two is the best way to get rid of depression," Jack joked, turning around to look at his companions.
All of them had just left the TARDIS after saying their goodbyes to the Doctor; they chose their path randomly, feeling free, happy and almighty. 'Children of Time' Davros had called them and they proudly accepted this name, it felt like no one and nothing could defeat them.
"So what do we do now?" Mickey asked.
"How about lunch?" Martha suggested, looking at the two men for their answers.
"Sounds great."
"Good. What about you, Jack? Care to join?"
"I'd love to," Captain replied, smile not leaving his face. "But I need to check on my team first. I know they are awesome but I still want to make sure everything is fine."
"That's fine, I can go alone with Martha," Mickey agreed quickly.
Jack sent him a knowing look over the woman's shoulder and then proceeded to break his fantasy:
"You know, I think it'd be great to celebrate all together. With Torchwood, I mean. I'll talk Ianto and Gwen into joining us." Jack looked away from his friends, smile becoming a dangerous smirk.
Both of his co-world saviors agreed, Mickey somewhat reluctantly and Martha with enthusiasm. They turned from the alley to a larger street, now taking the shortest path to the Hub, Jack leading the way.
"The Doctor sure is a good man, dropping us of in the middle of Cardiff," Jack's voice was loud and happily flowing around, intruding on the peace of passersby. His posture was laid back as he spread his arms, coat swinging around.
They walked at a slow pace, taking one turn after another, looking around at citizens, some of them celebrating and some already back to their business. They exchanged jokes, but mostly Jack told his companions unbelievable stories of his scandalous adventures; he was restless in defending the ultimate truth of his words. Nothing can be truly tiring after defeating a huge fleet of Daleks. Finally they reached the Roald Dahl Plass. Half-way to the Hub, Jack suddenly turned around and, while walking backwards, suggested:
"There is a nice cozy café right there," he pointed to his right. "We sometimes order food from there when Ianto complains about constantly eating pizza. So how about you go there now while I fetch my team and we'll join you later?"
Martha and Mickey exchanged glances; the latter silently wondering why Jack would suddenly change his mind.
"He just doesn't want to let us into Torchwood," she answered Mickey's silent question with a smile, but deep down understanding it was more than that. She brushed it off with a joke. "But I've already been there…Which makes me think that Jack is trying to be kind and caring towards our poor nerves since the scene of 'reunion' wouldn't pass any censorship."
"Huh? He sleeps with that girl from Torchwood?" Mickey asked teasingly.
"No."
"With that boy," Jack answered, satisfied with the shocked silence he got as a reply.
"Okay…just go already," Mickey turned away from Jack and headed towards the mentioned café.
Jack chuckled, amused with the man's reaction, then winked at Martha and went to the closest entrance: the invisible lift. The platform descended slowly, giving the Captain time to look around the Hub. At the first glance nothing seemed out of order.
"Ianto! Gwen!"
The lack of answer brought confusion and the beginnings of worry. When the lift stopped, Jack stepped off the platform and proceeded to look around again more carefully this time. Taking a few steps forward gave him a view of the door as well and he stopped dead in his tracks when he distinguished a something standing there. It was what was left of a Dalek after an explosion, the wall behind it covered with bullet holes.
Jack called out for his friends again even though it was obvious that the Hub was empty. At least he hoped it was because the only other option in his mind brought dread to his soul. Still, he reasoned, there were no bodies or blood strains and the Dalek was surely dead.
The Captain moved back to the lift, activating it with his wrist vortex manipulator. As soon as it took him to the surface he rushed to the Tourist Office.
The bay was calm, only a few boats sailing in the distance, and there was almost no one on embankment. So Jack quickly spotted a lonely figure in a dark striped suit leaning on the rail and staring at the water.
"Ianto!" The shout was louder than he wanted, showing too much of his worry but it didn't matter because the Welshman turned and smiled at Jack as he approached. It was indeed Ianto Jones.
Without any notice, Jack's worries melted away and a smile decorated his face. Only one second later he was standing at Ianto's side, leaning over the rail as if to see what the other man found so fascinating about the water. He found it rather easily. A beautiful face, maybe a little too pale, was watching Jack's reflection in the water with open and sincere blue eyes. The Captain let out a small contented sigh, the sound echoing off waves crushing into the stone embankment. His right hand let go of the rail to settle on Ianto's waist.
"You okay?" He asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the calm atmosphere.
"Yep. Gwen went home, by the way. To check on Rhys," Ianto replied, leaning into the Captain's embrace.
"Good." Jack nodded. "I saw a Dalek in the Hub…"
"Oh, yes. I almost forgot about it…He appeared right after you teleported. We almost thought it was the end…"
The carelessness with which he said it had no connection to fear and despair he felt the moment that the door rolled to the side to reveal the threat and mechanical sound of 'Exterminate' in the Hub. Jack's grip on him tightened.
"You defeated him?"
"No. He exploded himself. I suppose this has something to do with the Doctor?"
"Hell yes. He was brilliant as always. And…I was awesome as well."
"Of course," Ianto smirked.
Jack couldn't see his face but suddenly got a very vivid image in his mind of Ianto rolling his eyes as the young man said that. He couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him.
"Something funny?" Welshman asked dryly.
"No, no." Jack covered the chuckle with a cough, not very successfully though.
They stood there, just the two of them in each others arms, staring off into the distance, only sounds of the sea destroying their silence.
"I'm glad you are back," Ianto whispered, not looking at the Captain.
"I'm glad you are still here," Jack replied in the same tone but with more strength in his voice.
"Yes…" Ianto threw his head back, resting it on the man's shoulder and showing Jack his beautiful smile.
Jack slipped his other arm around the Welshman, turning the younger man so that they faced each other.
"Tell me how you defeated them and saved the Earth?" The Welshman inquired, titling head to the side and staring at Jack with curiosity.
"Later," the Captain promised.
Now it was Ianto's turn to chuckle, but he was quickly silenced by a kiss from an over-confident savior of the Earth. Then Jack leaned back with an apologizing smile and said:
"I kind of have an arrangement to have lunch with friends, co-world savers, in that café; remember the one where you ordered delicious croissants? With Martha and a guy named Mickey. Yes, like Mickey Mouse," he grinned at his own joke. "I only came to get you."
"Let's go then," Ianto suggested.
He, albeit reluctantly, stepped out of Jack's embrace and managed to take five steps away from the rail when he was gently stopped by a hand tugging his. Jack looked at Ianto while dozens of thoughts rushed through his head. It was always difficult for him to admit the feelings he had for the young Welshman to himself, and he didn't dare express them more openly. When they started this relationship it didn't even deserve this name as it was all strictly physical. Since their first meeting, that bizarre pterodactyl hunting in an abandoned warehouse, his attraction to the young, handsome man developed and at some point turned into sincere care for a member of his team.
The two of them unintentionally went through a lot during the past few years, being thrown together on dangerous missions and bonded by secrets of Torchwood's collection of alien devices. Strangely, Ianto was the one who knew about Torchwood almost as much as the head of the institute himself, all of those dark little mysteries better kept unrevealed. Based on all that, a connection grew between them. But as time passed, as the Captain learned more about Ianto's true nature, it became something more…Jack only dared to give a name to this feelings when he was sure he wouldn't blurt it out on a whim during a romantic moment.
But suddenly now, after yet another near death experience and in the calmness of this beautiful morning on the saved Earth, it seemed like the best moment to confess.
Ianto looked at his boss expectantly, confused blue eyes searching his troubled features, trying to understand what was running through the other man's head. Uncertainty was the dominating feeling in Jack's bright blue eyes as he stared back.
"Jack?"
The Captain's gaze didn't waver. Ianto lifted the hand that was not trapped in the older man's tight grip and gently cradled his cheek in a tentative attempt to sooth his worries. His face stretched into a tender smile. They kissed. They kissed long and tenderly with the love they couldn't put in words. And when they parted, eyes closed and lips capturing each other's breath, Jack thought that Ianto understood. Understood his inability to voice his feelings, the vulnerability behind it and a promise to do it in the future.
It was all Jack needed. All he could give Ianto…for now.
When they finally reached the café and settled into wooden chairs across from Martha and Mickey, the couple had already had three cups of coffee each and were still engrossed in a conversation about parallel worlds. Ianto didn't get to express his opinion because Jack loudly and unceremoniously informed everyone, interested or not, of their arrival. The Welshman was introduced to Mickey Smith, a man he remembered from Torchwood One files. He had traveled with the Doctor, was Rose Tyler's former boyfriend and took a part in the Canary Warf incident; the last he knew from his own bitter experience. Thankfully, it hurt less to remember. Of course, Jack didn't miss a chance to tease the man, but Mickey wasn't much offended as he threw replies back at the Captain.
Hours of friendly banter later, the four of them were joined by Rhys and Gwen. Ianto was the one who came up with the idea to call them – it seemed unfair celebrating without the one person who shared this horrible day with him.
Hours later, when evening came, they all left the café and headed to the bar. As they walked they looked up at the dark sky, at the shining stars and the moon. They knew there was a blue police box up there somewhere even though they couldn't see it, and they all shared similar thoughts in that moment.
Nothing could be better than meeting with your comrades, friends and loved ones after successfully finishing a dangerous adventure.
I hope you enjoyed this story. Please tell me what you liked or what you didn't like. Leave a review:)