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Ianto knew he was being silly, he knew he needed to give Jack a chance but he was so used to being kicked in the teeth he had instantly thought this would end in the same way. So he decided to wait and see. I mean, every partner had betrayed him, why should now be any different.

When the men came into the Harkness-Jones house after an afternoon of talking they found him in the living area with a gun broken down on the coffee table in front of him, quietly cleaning it.

"There you are Eye Candy, I wondered where you were" John leered.

Ianto lifted his gave to meet the man's and John's leer faded as Ianto glared fire straight into his skull, the hands putting the gun back together swiftly even without looking, then came the soft click of the clip into the cylinder and Ianto rose, swinging the gun up to meet John's nose. Metal meeting skin as the snap if the spring loaded the charge.

"I was right here Puddin'… why… did ya amiss me? Be assured motherfucker… I don't miss"

Jack started to laugh.

John blinked as he tried to take it all in, then he turned to face Jack "So… we fight to the death?"

"I am not fighting for him, I don't have to" Ianto said calmly "He's already mine, but I will kill you to keep him."

John gaped at Ianto as Jack started to laugh louder and managed to splutter out "He means… he means him and me Tiger… no… not you. He wants to fight me for you."

"Oh. Well, that's stupid. Why would I want a weedy little thing like you?" Ianto asked with an eyebrow rising like he was amused now "when I know Jack is… soooo much more? Quite evenly matched."

"Evenly… evenly matched?"

Jack sighed as he leaned back on his heels and grinned "Yeah. He is more than a handful this one… two hands are best needed there."

Ianto did not blink, continuing to stare at the man who now couldn't work out if he was being made fun of or not, but the way Ianto's eyes bored into his soul, he knew games were not going to cut it.

"So. Ianto. What did you do for a crust? Before the infestation?" John asked as he finally gave up and stood more as a normal person, no longer struggling to pose like he was on a photo shoot.

"I was a Doctor"

"Of what?"

"Of what is going on now" Jack replied softly "Ianto warned for years that this was going to happen, the Powers That Be didn't believe him. These Buggers? Ianto has successfully killed several in hand to hand combat."

Ianto was shocked to see Jack crowing about him like that. Bragging. It finally hit him that Jack was proud of him. He was telling John that he was happy with him. Oh wow.

Ianto was not sure how to proceed. He had never bene anyone's catch before. He decided ot go for nonchalant as that seemed to upset John Hart the most.

"Well, I you two boys are finished playing best go wash up for dinner. Cariad, show John to the spare room hmmm?" Ianto said dismissively as he placed the gun in the holster on his hip, then started to walk away like it was a closed subject.

"Yeah, sure Tiger. Come on, I will show you around, wait until you see the office Ianto is building, he really is a brainiac" Jack was gushing again and Ianto paused outside the door, stepping around the door frame to listen to the conversation with a little bit of shame… but not much.

"So, how long have you been together?"

"from pretty much the jump. Not long after we parted ways, that fucking horse… were you trying to kill me? If he hadn't rolled up in that bloody military Transporter, one arm out the window like he was about to ask for directions to the nearest ice cream store… damn… even with bugs after me, I was stuck dumb for a moment."

"You" John laughed softly "Come on. You never miss a beat."

"Oh John… you have no idea mate. That man? IS my heart beat. Pure and simple. He's bloody insane. Didn't you see back at the house? He's the reason you're here ya know. He found you, he was the first one out firing. Come on, he was serious about washing up. We have to set an example for the kids."

Ianto moved away to consider things and reassess a few things himself.

It felt strange to be seen so clearly after a lifetime of trying to stay in the shadows, ahead of both the taunts and the lunatics. And the NSA, FBI…. Do I need to go on? For as much as they publicly ridiculed him for his theories even with some backup proof of what he knew were markers of contact, not a single agency didn't reach out to him for a quiet talk… interrogation… attempted arrest for 'the good of the crown' before he learned to cover arse.

After learning to hold back his thoughts and comments, with all those worst fears and threats now a reality, he was finally stepping into the light.

And it felt pretty damn fine actually.