Title: Tell Me What You Dream
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 4
Prompt: 18, Dream
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 propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at the handsome man asleep beside him. He reached out a hand to gently brush a stray lock of hair back from the Doctor's face, his fingertips lingering on that soft, satiny skin.

What was the Doctor dreaming about? he wondered, a soft smile curving his lips. Did the Time Lord dream of some adventure that took place out there in the stars? Or was he dreaming of the two of them, safely here on Earth, together?

His own dreams were mixed; sometimes he and the Doctor were in grave peril, and he would always wake from those particular dreams with his heart pounding in his chest, anxiously making sure that the other man was safe beside him in bed.

And then there were the dreams where the two of them were together -- either sweet and romantic, or so erotic that he awoke with desire for the Doctor making his body ache.

He definitely liked the more erotic dreams the best, Ianto told himself, smiling again as his hand slid down over the Time Lord's bare shoulder. Or any dream that involved the Doctor but didn't have him seeing the other man in danger.

Those dreams always frightened him, probably more than they should; he knew that he couldn't protect the Doctor, though of course the Time Lord could take care of himself in most instances. It still terrified him to think that he couldn't keep his love safe from harm.

Ianto sighed, closing his eyes for a moment. He had to get rid of the feeling that he always had to be vigilant and look out for the Doctor in any situation. As his lover had told him several times, that was a responsibility that went both ways.

He couldn't help but wonder just what the Doctor was dreaming about now; he had a contented expression on his face, indicating that his dream was a good one. He almost wanted to wake the Doctor up and ask him why he looked so happy.

Ianto stroked the Doctor's soft hair, leaning forward to brush a kiss across the Time Lord's brow. What went on in that beautiful, brilliant mind when the other man slept? He'd give a lot to know, but he didn't want to seem as though he was prying, so he didn't ask.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder. Maybe knowing what the Doctor dreamed about would help him to know the Time Lord a bit better.

Of course, they knew each other well already, he thought, another smile crossing his features. He knew the Doctor as well as anyone could -- considering that the other man had centuries of life to relate to Ianto. He could never completely know this man.

But he knew all that he needed to, he told himself. He knew the Doctor as he was now, and that was the most important thing to him. They lived in the here and now, enjoying what they had while they had it.

That was the only way for them to live, he knew. He'd already spent too much of the time they had together worrying about the future, something that wasn't going to add to their happiness in the present. It was useless to harbor those kinds of doubts and fears.

The Doctor had told him so many times that he wasn't going to look ahead, that he didn't want to know what would eventually happen in their lives. It was more important to him for them to live their lives in the present, and Ianto had to agree with him.

He knew from his time with Torchwood just how easy it was to let the good things in life slip away -- or to try holding onto them when they were already irrevocably gone. He wasn't going to do that with the Doctor. He was going to take each day as it came.

Their life together might not be perfect, but it was better than any life Ianto had known before. And he was determined to make the most of that life while he had the chance.

As though Ianto's thoughts had somehow come through to him, the Doctor opened his eyes and smiled up at his young lover. He yawned and stretched, snuggling closer to Ianto with a contented sigh as the young man enfolded him in his arms.

"What were you dreaming about?" Ianto asked softly as he pressed a kiss to the Doctor's cheek. "You looked so happy -- I was hoping that you were dreaming about me, or at least about the two of us. I like thinking that I've put a smile on your face."

The Doctor smiled up at him, yawning again and sliding his arms around Ianto's waist. "I was dreaming about us," he murmured, resting his cheek against the other man's chest. "I don't really remember exactly what the dream was about -- but it was a good one."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ianto replied, stroking the Time Lord's soft hair. "And glad that I could give you that sort of dream." He knew from experience that the Doctor too often had nightmares that he'd awaken from in a cold sweat -- at least now his dreams were more pleasant.

"What do you dream about?" the Doctor asked him, startling Ianto a bit with the abruptness of the question. "After all we've been through together, I worry that you might have some bad dreams about some of that things that have happened."

Ianto didn't quite know what to say; he didn't want to make the Doctor worry, but he couldn't lie and say that all of his dreams were good ones.

"Most of the time, I dream about you. About us," he said, deciding that honesty was the best policy in this case. "There are times when my dreams aren't so pleasant -- but I know that you've had nightmares, too, so it isn't as though I'm alone in that."

The Doctor nodded, sighing softly and moving closer to Ianto. "I wish you hadn't had to deal with those situations, Ianto. But I'm afraid that there aren't any guarantees when you're with me. I never know what the two of us could run into at any given time."

"I can live with that," Ianto told him, pressing another kiss to the Time Lord's forehead. "I've never expected our lives to be perfect, Doctor. I'll deal with whatever happens -- as long as I don't lose you. That's the one thing I'd never be able to cope with."

The Doctor was silent; Ianto was sure that he knew what the other man was thinking. He himself knew well enough that sooner or later, the two of them would be forced to part. He was human; he wouldn't be around nearly as long as the Doctor would.

"But let's not discuss that now, all right?" His voice was firm as he wrapped his arms around the Doctor and drew the other man close against his own body, his hands moving down the Time Lord's back to cup his ass. "There's no need to. Not now."

The Doctor groaned softly and squirmed in Ianto's arms. Even though the Time Lord hadn't said a word, Ianto was sure that he was in full agreement.

He pushed any thoughts of something happening to the man he loved to the back of his mind, ruthlessly slamming a door on them and refusing to let them come to the forefront of his thoughts again. That wasn't something he wanted to dwell on.

Telling the Doctor what he dreamed about was something that would come later -- when they were both ready to reveal more of the inner workings of their minds to each other. It was an ongoing process, and one that Ianto wasn't sure they would ever complete.

And knowing what the Doctor's dreams were wasn't really that important, he assured himself. After all, the two of them had to have some private realm that they could retreat to -- and what was more private then their dreams?

Right now, he had the Doctor in his arms, and he intended to take full advantage of that. Maybe, he thought to himself with a smile, they could spend the next few hours here in bed and create some memories that would be in their dreams for a long time to come.

***