Title: Two Kisses II
Author: halfspokenwords
Characters: Jack/Ianto
Rating: PG-13
Series: 1) Two Kisses I
Summary: and one slightly angstier...

***

"You know what I can't stop thinking about?"

It was a surprise, loud but flat, spoken to break the silence of the archives. Ianto looked up from the files in his hands. "Captain?"

There he stood, hands in pockets, the look on his face the same as the day they'd sealed up Suzie's body for the second time, so many months ago. "I'm still alive."

"You are, sir," Ianto said slowly. "And I must admit I'm pleased to hear it."

"No." Jack turned and for a moment Ianto could see nothing in his eyes; briefly he wondered if that's what Tosh meant when she said she sensed nothing from his mind. "Not now. Then. When I'm born, I'll still be alive. When I was born..." He trailed off and shrugged. "You know what they say. Tenses. Won't be able to live with them... haven't been able to live without 'em."

Ianto set the papers down, choosing not to notice when they fell to the ground, and moved to him. "You're in one of your moods."

"I'll be-- what, three thousand and two hundred years old?" White teeth flashed, but his grin was empty. "Isn't time travel great?"

"Maybe the Doctor was right," he went on, as though Ianto too could recall that conversation. "One hundred trillion years. Ianto, tell me, can you imagine being alive for one hundred trillion years?"

Ianto couldn't imagine, but he didn't need to say so. Instead, he wrapped one arm around Jack, cupped one hand against the back of his neck, and offered everything he had.

***