Title: Nature Boy
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: Epsilon, challenge_the
Prompt: 6, Purpose
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own Ianto Jones or the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

Ianto leaned back in the chair by the Tardis' console, propping his feet up and studying the ceiling. "Do you ever wonder what your purpose in life is, Doctor?" he asked softly, turning his gaze towards the other man. "Have you ever asked yourself why you're here?"

"Many times." The Time Lord looked up from where he was scanning the console, a surprised expression on his handsome features. "I think that's something everyone asks themselves, Ianto, whether they're human, Gallifreyan, or some other species. It's a universal question."

"I suppose you're right, though I've never wondered what other species might think of their reason for being here." Ianto had to smile at that thought; it was so typical of a human to think that only their race would question their state of being.

"I've spent a great deal of time over the centuries wondering just what my purpose in life was," the Time Lord told him, straightening up and crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned against a pillar near the console. "Most of the time, I never came up with an answer."

"Even though you were told what the purpose of becoming a Time Lord was before you even knew that's what you wanted to be?" Ianto asked, still smiling. He couldn't quite believe that his lover had ever had to question his purpose in life; it had been clearly set out for him.

"I might have known what their stated purpose was, but all of those principles weren't my own personal reasons for wanting to become a Time Lord," the Doctor told him, shaking his head. "I didn't agree with a lot of what they said, you know."

"It's a good thing you didn't, or a lot of people that you've helped when you weren't supposed to interfere wouldn't have had such good lives," Ianto said softly, his eyes on the other man. "You know when you should get involved, and when to steer clear."

"I try, Ianto. I try," the Doctor replied, sighing. "But I don't always know when I should steer clear. I've hurt people before, too. I've never done it because I intended to, but .... I'm proof that even the best intentions can go wrong and backfire sometimes."

Ianto didn't want to agree with the Doctor, though he knew that his lover hadn't always used the best judgement when he'd jumped head first into some situations. But still, he was sure that the Time Lord had always done that with the intention of helping, not harming.

"You can't always know when it's best to stand back, or to jump right in," Ianto finally said, his voice soft. "No one can blame you for that, Doctor. Everyone makes mistakes, and you're not infallible, as you've pointed out to me so many times."

"That's true," the Doctor admitted, a smile crossing his features. "All right, so maybe I don't have as much to feel guilty about as I think I should at times. But that still doesn't mean that I know exactly what my purpose in this world is. I don't believe anyone does, really."

"So .... do you think that we're just put here, and that we have to stumble through our lives searching for that purpose?" Ianto raised a curious eyebrow at the Doctor, wondering how the Time Lord viewed this particular question. It would be interesting to find out.

"Everyone asks themselves that question," the Doctor replied, his words coming out slowly, as though he was measuring them before he actually spoke and searching for the right thing to say. "But no one really discovers the answer. At least, I don't think so."

"Tell me how you feel about the subject," Ianto insisted, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. He looked up at the Doctor, tilting his head to the side and smiling. "Surely you have your own opinions on the matter. I'm interested to know them."

"I think that we all stumble for a while until we discover what our purpose is," the Doctor said, his gaze not leaving Ianto's. "Because I believe that at some point, everyone does find that out. Or else they create a purpose for themselves and pursue it."

"I'd never thought of that," Ianto said with a slight frown. "But you could be right, Doctor. If people don't find out what they were intended for, they just pick their own purpose and follow it. I suppose that's as good a way to find your meaning in this world as any other."

"Have you ever come to any decision on what your purpose is, love?" the Doctor asked with a smile. "I'd like to think that it's being here with me and loving me, but I somehow that someone as special as you are has a much more important reason for being in this world."

"I don't really know," Ianto said thoughtfully, frowning again. "I used to think that my purpose was to work with Torchwood, but I've known ever since I met you that's not so. Now .... I think my purpose is just to be with you and to keep you safe and protected."

"You're worth much more than just trying to protect me," the Doctor laughed, shaking his head. "Really, Ianto, I think you have a much higher purpose than that. Surely I can't be the only reason you feel that you were put into this universe."

"Maybe at one time, I might have thought that," Ianto said softly, standing up and stretching. "But now? Now, I think that I was just meant to be with you. Most people might not look at that as being some kind of accomplishment, but it's the most important thing in my life."

"I've never been that important to anyone before," the Time Lord said softly, holding out his arms to Ianto and waiting for the young man to approach him. "I think you're worth more than that, but I'm selfish enough to be glad that you're here to protect me."

Ianto wrapped his arms around the Doctor's waist, pulling the other man close against him and closing his eyes as he breathed in the tangy scent of his lover's skin, reveling in the feeling of having the man he loved clasped protectively in his arms.

This was indeed what he'd been meant for. Did he have to think that there was another purpose in life for anyone, other than to love and be loved in return? Whoever had written that old song "Nature Boy" had gotten it right, he thought with a smile.

Ianto began to hum the words to the song softly, under his breath. "The greatest thing you'll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return." He wondered if the Doctor knew the song; the Time Lord seemed to be conversant with music from so many different time periods.

"I've always loved that song," the Doctor murmured, leaning against Ianto and swaying gently. Ianto hadn't realized it as he was humming, but the two of them were almost dancing. It was almost as though they were both playing the song through their minds.

"So have I," Ianto whispered, brushing a gentle kiss against the Doctor's hair. "And you know, the lyrics are very true. There's no greater purpose in life than to love -- and to have that love returned. If you have that, then you have all the riches in the universe."

"I think that must be my purpose in life, too," the Doctor told him, his voice a little choked. "Just to love you -- and to try and be the best Time Lord I can be. You help me to do that, Ianto. Without you in my life, I wouldn't always strive to be a better man."

"I don't know about that, love -- but I accept the compliment," Ianto murmured, capturing the Doctor's soft lips in a gentle kiss. As that kiss became more heated, Ianto told himself that this had to be his purpose in life. There couldn't be any other purpose that gave him more satisfaction.

***