One Word Prompts {JackXIanto}

Breathe

The last thing he feels is fear, pain and cold. Why is it so dark? He doesn't remember the Hub being this dark. Snapshots of memories flash through his memory, too fast for him to properly examine as he tries to understand what's happening.

He tries to shout to his team but is only met with silence and darkness. Suddenly, he feels searing pain again as something seemingly yanks him through the darkness; but there's something strangely warm and calming about it so the man lets himself be pulled back.

The next thing he sees is a blurry outline slowly coming into focus while the odd sound of metal stamping on metal starts to fill his ears. He focuses harder on the blurry outline as he starts to breathe harshly; trying to take stock of his body's condition.

As the blurry outline finally takes a form, the younger man realises it's his boss as the older man puts a finger to own his lips; signalling that Ianto needs to stay quiet.

It suddenly all comes back in a rush to the Welshman; Lisa, his half cyber-converted girlfriend killing the doctor before trying to convert Gwen. Jack had threatened him and Ianto had tried to talk to Lisa before he was thrown across the room and fell into the darkness.

It's the first time Ianto meets the darkness, but it's not the last and everything Ianto Jones knows about himself is completely erased.

x..x

Jack holds onto Ianto long after the younger man has stopped breathing and wonders if the same trick will work twice. He kisses the younger man and prays to a God he knows doesn't exist that it will work one more time, just once more and he'll do a better job of protecting the younger man.

He knows he would die a thousand deaths and give every breath in his body to bring the younger man back to life. It has to work. It just has to.

Darkness overcomes him as the sounds of the siren and the 456 fade into silence around him. Not too long after, he let's out a breath and sighs at his surroundings. He hears the barely contained sobs of Gwen next to him and tries to breathe deeply before sitting up.

Jack looks over Gwen's shoulder at the man he loves so much but has never told and holds back a sob. Ianto's skin is too pale and his body too lifeless as he lays there silently amongst a sea of other bodies.

The tight clenching of Jack's heart has the immortal wondering if it's actually possible for him to die of a broken heart. He supposes hundreds of years of having his heart broken over and over again could theoretically have enough of an impact to kill him permanently. The thought is an oddly comforting one and doesn't that just sum up how tired Jack is with immortality?

The Captain takes a deep breath and drags Gwen to her feet, unwilling to look at the dead body of his lover any longer. Jack has to half carry Gwen away past the numerous bodies in the room towards the door.

The deep gasping inhalation behind the pair has Gwen falling to her knees with a gasp, almost dragging Jack down with her as the Captain tries to keep her standing. The Captain doesn't dare to hope as he tries to pull a shaking and sobbing Gwen to her feet.

It's only the confused sigh of his name that has the immortal releasing Gwen and spinning on his heels.

"Ianto." Jack gasps, shakily walking back over to where the man's body is.

Jack collapses to the ground when he's met with the gaze of the younger man; who is still confused but apparently back from the dead once again. His once pale skin has now regained it's colour and Jack watches as the younger man's chest rises and falls with his breath.

"Ianto." The Captain sobs, reaching out to touch the younger man's face tentatively.

"Jack." Ianto whispers, his hand grasping Jack's.

"What the ... how?" Jack sobs, head bowing as tears fell from his eyes.

"I don't know, Jack. But ... it's good, right? You're ... happy?" Ianto asks unsurely, still trying to get his bearings.

Jack chokes on a sob as he lifts his head to look at the younger man and struggles to speak.

"Happy? Ianto ... you died. And now ... you're back. I-I, Ianto, I love you so much it hurts." Jack cries, his resolve crumbling as he curls into his lover's side and just cries.

Ianto breath catches with such raw emotion that he gathers Jack into his arms and just lets him cry uncontrollably.

Neither man knows how much time passes before Jack's crying finally subsides and his breathing returns to normal but a quick look tells them that Gwen has already left.

"Can we go home now?" Ianto asks softly, kissing Jack's hair.

Ianto doesn't get a reply as Jack just pulls the red sheet off the younger man, gathers him in his arms and carries him to the door.

"Jack, I can walk." Ianto laughs, despite snuggling into Jack's embrace.

"I'm never letting you go again." Jack replies simply, squeezing Ianto tighter.

Ianto gasps and looks up into Jack's eyes before nodding to himself and resigning himself to his fate.

x..x

"Rhosyn Gwen Llewellyn. Gwen and Rhys' granddaughter." The man says sadly, laying a lily on top of the headstone.

"Come on, sweetheart. Time to go." The older man replies softly, wrapping his arm around his partner tightly.

"Doesn't get easier, does it?"

"No. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know you never asked for this."

"You didn't either. At least now you don't have to do this alone."

"Have I ever told you how much I love you, Ianto Jones?" Jack asks with a bright smile, running his hand through Ianto's hair.

"Everyday, cariad. And I love you too."

Ianto leans up and kisses his immortal Captain, smiling as Jack's arms instantly wrap around his waist and pull him closer.

"Oi, come on you two." A voice yells across the quiet graveyard.

Ianto and Jack break their kiss, laughing like two schoolboys as they look over at their friend.

"Bossy one this regeneration, sorry about that." Jack laughs, shaking his head.

"It's alright. I suppose I can get used to it, given what he did for us." Ianto chuckles, leaning up to peck Jack on the cheek.

'Us.' The word bounces around in Jack's head like a promise never to be broken and provokes butterflies in the Captain's stomach.

"I'll never be able to thank him for what he did." Jack replies with a wistful smile, pulling Ianto into his chest.

Ianto buries his face in his partner's neck and breathes in the scent that's had him hooked like a drug addict since the day they met.

Jack reluctantly pulls away; lest they get another reprimand from the Doctor and grabs Ianto's hand as they walk away from the grave.

"Don't think I'll ever get used to having a chip in my head though." Ianto muses, causing Jack to chuckle.

"Of course that's the thing you'd focus on."

"What? We can't all be gifted with heart-of-the-TARDIS energy. It takes some getting used to."

This only makes Jack laugh even more and soon the younger man joins in.

"It's been a hundred and fifty years, darling. If you're not used to it now, you'll probably never will be." Jack chuckles, nudging the younger man; who laughs in reply.

As they reach the TARDIS, they stop for a moment and just look around at the world around them; a world they know well but so different from the one they first met in.

"Where to next?" Jack asks Ianto, his hand on the door of the TARDIS.

"Everywhere." Ianto replies with a smile, as Jack pulls him into the TARDIS.