Title: Rise To the Occasion
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 20_est_relships
Prompt: 12, Anniversary
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.

***

Some of the things that humans celebrated were so strange as to be almost indecipherable, the Doctor thought, frowning as he propped his chin on his hands and stared down in the coffee cup on the table in front of him.

It didn't really make all that much sense to him for he and Ianto to celebrate the amount of time they'd been together. Why was that so important to humans? The important thing was that they were together, not how long they'd been a couple.

But Ianto seemed to think a lot of celebrating their anniversary -- though the Doctor hadn't given it much thought. He wouldn't have even remarked on it, or even remembered it, if Jack hadn't said something to him when he'd been at the Hub the day before.

The immortal had looked surprised when the Doctor had told him that he didn't think a six-month anniversary was remarkable, shaking his head.

"Maybe it doesn't seem like anything special to you, but in Ianto's line of work -- and considering who you are and what you do -- making it that long in a relationship is a pretty major thing," Jack had said, his tone of voice making the Doctor feel that he should adjust his way of thinking.

"Why should it seem like such a milestone?" the Doctor had inquired, turning around and heading back to Jack's office, though he'd been on his way towards the stairs. "Six months is a very short time in anyone's life, really, even a human's."

"Six months can seem like a long time when you don't know if you -- or the person you love -- will be alive from day to day," Jack said, leaning back in his chair and fixing his gaze on the Doctor. "Ianto's learned the hard way that nothing lasts forever."

The Doctor had stood there in the doorway, looking at the walls, the ceiling, down at the floor -- at anything that would help him to avoid Jack's gaze. When it was put to him that way, he had to look at the situation in an entirely different light.

"I didn't think of it that way," he finally mumbled, feeling foolish. Of course six months would seem like something special to Ianto. He was human, after all, and he was used to adhering to human customs. It was to be expected.

Jack hadn't told him point-blank that he should plan something special for their anniversary, but it had been obvious what his thoughts on the issue were.

The Doctor heaved a sigh, picking up the coffee cup and draining the last of the tepid liquid. Ugh. He shouldn't have let it get cold, he told himself, making a face. Stupid of him to sit here pondering his problem and not paying attention to anything else.

He looked up as Ianto entered the kitchen, slipping into a chair on the other side of the table. "What are you looking so serious about?" the young man asked him, tilting his head to one side and giving the Doctor the sweet smile that never failed to make the Time Lord's hearts melt.

"Nothing," he murmured, knowing that such a transparent excuse wouldn't satisfy Ianto. Looking up at the young man sitting across the table from him, he smiled and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, not really. I was wrestling with a problem."

"What sort of problem?" Now it was Ianto's turn to frown and look worried. "Whatever it is, Doctor, tell me. Maybe it's something I can help with." He leaned across the table, reaching out and taking the Time Lord's hand in his, twining their fingers together.

The Doctor sighed, trying to decide if he should say anything to Ianto about his dilemna. If he did, they might have some sort of disagreement, and he didn't want to mar what he knew Ianto thought of as a significant time in their relationship with an argument.

He looked down at their hands, entwined on the tabletop. Why was he so worried? He could talk to Ianto about anything. He was being far too cautious.

Ianto squeezed his hand gently, his voice soft when he spoke. "If it's not something you feel that you can talk to me about, I'll understand. But you know there's nothing I wouldn't do for you, Doctor. Don't feel like you have to keep any of your problems from me."

"It's about our anniversary," the Doctor blurted out, wishing that he'd approached the subject in a more roundabout way as soon as the words were out of his mouth. "I .... I'm not sure just what I'm supposed to do for that kind of occasion. I've never thought about it before."

"You didn't celebrate anniversaries on Gallifrey?" Ianto asked, his tone curious. When the Doctor didn't answer immediately, he nodded, his fingers tightening around the Time Lord's. "I suppose I can understand that. It must be a distinctly human custom."

The Time Lord shook his head, his gaze meeting Ianto's. "It's just never seemed like something I should celebrate, the length of time I've been with someone," he said lamely, feeling that there must be something about it that he was missing, that he just didn't understand.

"It isn't really important," Ianto said softly, shaking his head. "It's just something that I thought would be nice to do as a couple -- you know, to think about the time we've been together, and to focus on the times that are still to come. To celebrate our life together."

"That's a nice thought," the Doctor told him, his voice soft. "It really is, Ianto. But to me, it's much more important to just be with the person I love, living in the moment."

Ianto seemed to consider his words, his gaze focused on their intertwined fingers before he nodded again and looked back up at the Doctor. "I couldn't agree more," he whispered, a smile curving his lips. "But I'd still like to do something special for our anniversary."

"I'm not going to argue with that," the Doctor said, smiling back at him and feeling relieved. "I was just feeling a bit .... confused. I have no idea what to give you. Somehow, a mere gift doesn't seem to be enough to express how I feel about everything you've done for me."

"You don't have to give me a gift," Ianto said, standing up and coming over to where the Doctor sat, pulling the Time Lord to his feet and wrapping both arms around his waist. "Just being with you and having the chance to love you is the best gift I could ever have."

"You don't have to give me anything, either," the Doctor told him, leaning against his lover and slipping his own arms around Ianto's waist. "Knowing that you love me and want to be with me is all I need to make me happy."

"You're easy to please," Ianto laughed, nuzzling the Doctor's cheek with his own. "But I'll admit that I've been at a loss as to what to get you for our anniversary. It's not as though I can give a Time Lord much of anything that he doesn't already have."

"All I need is you," the Doctor murmured, closing his eyes and resting his forehead against Ianto's. "There's nothing else in the world that I want or need more than having you with me."

"So .... would you be happy with staying home for our anniversary and just having some quality quiet time together, just the two of us?" Ianto asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "I was thinking of taking you out somewhere -- but I'm starting to have other ideas."

"Oh? And what would those ideas be?" the Doctor inquired, raising his brows in question. "No, I don't mind staying in at all. In fact, I can think of quite a few things we can do that would actually require us to stay here -- in one particular room, of course."

"I'm sure we're thinking of the same place," Ianto said, pulling away slightly and taking the Doctor's hands in his own, backing out of the kitchen and heading down the hallway. "You'll have to follow me to find out what those ideas are, you know."

"I think I already have an inkling of what they might be," the Time Lord laughed, letting Ianto pull him along the hallway. "Though you might want to be polite and tell me."

His young lover gave him a teasing smile, continuing to back down the hallway. "I've really only had one thing in my mind since I've started thinking of what to do for this occasion. I didn't really know if it could be considered an anniversary celebration, though."

"Don't keep me in suspense, then," the Doctor said, his dark eyes warm with desire as they met Ianto's blue-grey gaze. "I think you should tell me just how we're going to be celebrating. After all, it's my anniversary too!" he added, laughing as he spoke.

Ianto stopped walking and pulled the Doctor into his arms, his lips brushing against the other man's ear. "I can't think of a better anniversary gift for both of us than spending the rest of the day making love to you," he whispered. "And there's nothing I'd rather be doing."

"I'm certainly not going to disagree with that," the Doctor whispered, turning his head so that his lips met Ianto's and wrapping his arms around his lover's shoulders. Those words made him feel weak at the knees, his hearts thundering in his chest.

"I think we should get started right away," Ianto murmured, starting to move towards the bedroom door again. "So we can get as much celebrating in as possible before the end of the day. That kind of celebration can go on for quite a while, you know."

"Are you sure that we'll both be up to it?" the Doctor asked, his expression making it obvious that he thought they would be.

"Oh, I'm sure we'll both manage to rise to the occasion," Ianto told him, his gaze moving down the Doctor's body, a suggestive smile on his lips.

The Doctor let his lover lead him into their bedroom, reflecting that maybe there was something to be said for this anniversary custom after all.

***