Title: The Two of Us
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Doctor Who/Torchwood
Rating: PG-13
Table: 3, 50ficlets
Prompt: 16, Partner
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 looked over at the man beside him, a small smile turning up the corners of his mouth. He'd never felt as vibrantly alive as he had since he'd been with this man; it was as though he'd been reborn again through his partnership with the Doctor.

What was it about the Time Lord that brought out the best in him? Even in his time with Jack, he hadn't been as strong a person as he'd become since he'd been with the Gallifreyan on a permanent basis. The Doctor had somehow managed to bring out his best qualities.

Some might think their partnership strange; Ianto himself had to admit that if he wasn't the man who was involved with the Doctor, he'd probably look askance at the idea of a human being in love with a 900-year-old Time Lord from another planet.

But in reality, the two of them being together wasn't odd at all, Ianto told himself. The two of them fit together like hand in glove; their lives had entwined together so easily, so readily, as though they had always been made for each other.

He had slipped into the Doctor's life as easily as he shrugged into his favorite coat; it had seemed so utterly natural for the two of them to fall in love and to spend their lives together. It had never for a moment felt that he didn't belong with the Time Lord.

He was this man's partner in every sense of the word; not only the companion who protected him and watched his back when he was in a dangerous situation, but also his lover, his soul mate, the man who shared his bed and his life.

He'd never really had that feeling with Jack. Yes, they had been lovers, but the immortal had always held a part of himself back from Ianto. And, if he was completely truthful, he'd never really given Jack his heart entirely, either.

Yes, he had loved Jack -- in a way. But it hadn't been the kind of love he shared with the Doctor, a love that was written in the stars, a bond that would only grow stronger as time went by. He'd never had that sort of unbreakable bond with Jack.

They had been lovers -- but not partners. Their parting had been hard for him, but he'd accepted it was something that was fated to happen. He'd known in his heart all of the time they'd been together that he and Jack weren't meant to last.

That had made letting go so much easier. With the Doctor, it would be impossible to let go. This man wasn't just his lover -- the Time Lord was a part of his heart and soul, entwined into his very essence. This man belonged with him.

And their bond wasn't only emotional or physical; it was something that went much deeper than their surface partnership. It was ingrained in their souls, bringing them together in every possible way. They had been meant to be, long before either of them had come into existence.

The Doctor had told him one night when they were curled in bed together that he'd always had dreams of a man who would become a part of his very soul, a man who he would belong to in every way. He was sure that Ianto was that man.

Ianto could remember the words that the Time Lord had uttered. "You're my soul mate, Ianto. My partner -- a part of me. I was intended for you long before you were born, even before I was born. We're meant to be, love, in every way imaginable."

If anyone else had told him that, Ianto reflected, he would have laughed and shaken his head, pushed the idea aside and not thought about it again. Until he'd met the Doctor, he hadn't believed in that kind of bond. He hadn't believed in destiny, or soul mates.

All right, he thought to himself, a rueful smile quirking his lips, maybe he had -- even though he'd never have admitted it at the time. But he'd been skeptical. Meeting the Doctor and falling in love with him had erased that skepticism forever.

He was exactly where he belonged, though he'd never imagined in all of his many dreams that this was the kind of life he would ever lead. Every day of that life was precious to him -- because he shared that life with the man he loved. His partner, his soul mate.

Ianto looked up from contemplating the sidewalk in front of him as the Doctor's hand slipped into his own. He couldn't keep back a smile as he looked at his lover and heard the soft timbre of his voice. "What are you thinking about, love?" the Time Lord asked, his tone curious.

It took a few moments for the young man to answer; he wasn't entirely sure of just what to say. He finally settled for a few words -- words that were nothing but the simple truth. "Us," he whispered, smiling and squeezing his lover's hand. "I'm thinking about the two of us."

***