Title: At My Most Beautiful
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 4
Prompt: 39, Rainbow
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 opened the door of the Tardis, looking around cautiously before he stepped out of the ship. Even though they were on Earth, he'd learned that it was always best to look before he moved away from what he knew was a place of safety.

It had been raining, he thought as he looked around him. There was a sheen of dew on the grass, and a fresh, clean scent in the air. That was a scent that he'd always liked -- rain made everything seem shiny and new, ready for a beginning.

He wondered if the Doctor felt that way, too; the Time Lord had never seemed particularly fond of rain, btut that was when the two of them had been caught in sudden downpours. Though of course, there had been times when he'd seemed to enjoy it.

There had been that day they'd been walking through a park in London and had gotten caught in a sudden downpour; the Doctor had been annoyed at first, wanting to get out of the rain. But once they had found that gazebo, he hadn't seemed to mind being there.

Ianto pulled his thoughts away from the direction they were heading in, attempting to control the smile that threatened to spread over his face. He wasn't going to let his mind roam to that day he and the Time Lord had made love in the rain. No, he wasn't.

That day had been wonderful, he thought dreamily as he looked out over the sparkling expanse of green grass stretched out in front of him. Walking in the park .... the rain starting to come down .... taking shelter in the gazebo ....

He gasped when he felt the Time Lord's hand on his shoulder, jumping slightly and turning around. The Doctor was standing right behind him, a slight smile curving his lips. He raised an eyebrow at Ianto, evidently amused by his young lover's surprise.

"Why so jumpy, love?" the Doctor asked, sliding his arms around Ianto's waist and resting his chin on the shorter man's shoulder. "I'm sorry if I startled you," he said softly, sounding contrite. "I didn't mean to. You can sneak up on me to pay me back for that."

Ianto laughed softly, one hand moving to rest atop the Doctor's hands clasped at his waist. "I don't need to do that, sweetheart," he murmured, feeling a wave of relief surge through him. There didn't seem to be anything to worry about here; they could leave the Tardis in safety.

"It's just rained," the Doctor remarked, reiterating what Ianto had already gone over in his own mind. "I love this planet just after a rain shower. There's such a feeling of freshness -- a feeling that everything is just poised and ready."

"Ready for what?" Ianto inquired, turning his head slightly to look at his lover. He was curious as to just what the Doctor meant by that; his own thoughts hadn't gone in that direction, and it was interesting to know just how the Time Lord's mind worked.

"For anything!" the Time Lord laughed, sweeping a hand in front of him to indicate the expanse of park that they were observing. "It feels like a new beginning after a rain shower. Especially in the spring, when the world is so green and new."

"It's my favourite time of year," Ianto murmured, a smile tugging at his lips at the Doctor's exuberance. "Everything is starting to renew itself -- the flowers are coming out, and it feels like the earth is being reborn, in a way."

The Doctor nodded, leaning forward to press a gentle, lingering kiss against the young man's cheek. "It's my favourite season, too. There's such hope and promise in springtime, isn't there? Like I said, it's a new beginning."

Ianto couldn't help but smile and nod at those words; he hadn't expected to hear the Doctor say them, but he shouldn't be surprised. After all, one thing he knew about this man was that he treasured life. It made sense that he enjoyed the renewal of life in the spring.

"Ianto! Look!" The Doctor sounded as excited as he'd been when they had been to a world he'd never encountered before, and he'd met a new species. "A rainbow! Aren't those supposed to mean good luck? I believe I read that somewhere."

"I'm not sure if it means good luck or not, but it's definitely beautiful," Ianto said, smiling as he looked at the colorful sight in front of his eyes. The rainbow almost seemed to be glittering in the bright sunlight, its colors clear and defined.

"The colours are lovely," the Doctor said softly, his eyes on the rainbow, focusing on the prism of color as though it might disappear at any moment. "I've always liked rainbows," he mused, glancing at Ianto with a smile. "They feel like new beginnings, too."

"Do they?" Ianto asked him, leaning against the doorframe of the Tardis. "I suppose you're right," he said, turning those words over in his mind. "But I've usually associated them with a pot of gold. When I was young, I wanted to follow the rainbow to find it."

"Did you believe in leprechauns hiding their gold at the end of the rainbow?" the Doctor asked him, his tone curious. "It's an interesting little legend, that. I can't help but wonder how many children are told that -- and how many of them believe in such a thing."

"I did when I was a child," Ianto told him, his eyes still fixed on the arch of sparkling color in front of them. He felt as though he could almost reach out and touch the rainbow, feel it under his fingers -- but of course that wasn't possible.

"I've always thought that the rainbow symbolised unity," the Doctor murmured, his voice husky in Ianto's ear. The young man turned his head to glance at his lover; the Time Lord looked deep in thought, his dark eyes studying the colors in front of them.

"You're right, it does," he said slowly, thinking of what the rainbow had grown to symbolize. "It means different things to different people, I suppose. I've never been one to flaunt a rainbow symbol, but I do believe in what it represents."

"There's something beautifully pure and unspoilt about a rainbow, isn't there?" the Doctor said, finally turning his eyes away from the colors that were already beginning to fade a bit and looking at Ianto. "And yes, I agree -- it has different meanings for everyone."

"It's a shame that they don't last very long," Ianto sighed, realizing with regret that the colors were now fading quickly. Another few moments, and the lovely sight would be gone -- but it would be a memory that he and the Doctor could always share.

The Doctor nodded in agreement, sighing softly as his gaze turned back to the rainbow. "Yes, it's sad that things of beauty don't tend to last very long. But I'm glad that we were able to see it before it faded away," he added, his face brightening.

"What's that old saying? 'A thing of beauty is a joy forever,'" Ianto quoted, smiling as he turned to the Doctor. The rainbow had now all but disappeared, but he knew that he would remember standing here and looking at it with the Doctor by his side.

"Then that explains why you bring me so much joy," the Doctor told him, sliding his arms around Ianto's waist to pull the young man closer to him. "You're certainly the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, in all the centuries I've lived."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, you know," Ianto breathed, his gaze locked with the other man's. "In fact, it might just get you taken back to the bedroom." His own arms wrapped around the Doctor's slim waist, one hand moving down to slide over the curve of the Time Lord's ass.

"I think the outside world can wait a while to be graced with our presence," the Doctor murmured, his voice soft and husky. Ianto couldn't doubt what he was thinking; he couldn't stop himself from smirking, knowing that their thoughts had once again gone in the same direction.

"I'm not feeling at my most beautiful right now," he teased, moving back from the Tardis' door towards the few steps that led up into the control room. "Care to come back to our bedroom and prove to me just how beautiful I am in your eyes?"

"Oh, I have no problem with that. None at all," the Time Lord breathed, glancing quickly out at the fresh green day that awaited them outside the confines of the ship. Closing the door, he followed Ianto up the steps, the world outside forgotten in their hurry to create a world that belonged to them alone.

***