When they got back to the hub, Owen and Gwen brought the new alien body they had for Owen to study, then went to Jack's office. Ianto nervously stared, then scratched his sore arm. He didn't have anything serious, just some more or less deep scratches, but it was now a reminder that he wasn't immortal any more, that his plan had failed... That Jack knew how exactly in love Ianto was with him, probably.

And Ianto would still die, and Jack would still be the one to live on. Ianto couldn't possibly help Jack, because there was nothing he could do. Ianto understood now, and he realised that Jack knew. Jack had accepted his immortality, despite the heartbreaks and the deaths it meant.

Ianto turned when he heard a sound, and smiled softly at Toshiko who was standing next to him.

"You were right," he said. Tosh shook her head. "I shouldn't have trusted that alien... And I should have talked to Jack."

"We all made mistakes, thinking we could change the world, or thinking we could do something for the people we... cared for. I'd have done the same for my mother."

"Is your mother immortal?" Ianto smiled.

"Maybe I should ask her," Tosh chuckled. "But I get it. And he does too, don't worry."

"I know," Ianto sighed. "But still, I didn't ask. It's a curse, and he would have never forgiven himself if someone else had taken it instead of him. I didn't think of that. He would have lived with the guilt, because that's how Jack lives, and it would have eaten him alive. I would have wasted the last years of his life. I didn't want that."

Toshiko put her hand on his shoulder, then hugged him in silence. She cupped her face when she pulled away, and smiled.

"You're special, Ianto. I think he likes that."

Ianto looked away, but couldn't help smiling.

"I saw that smile, Mister Jones," Tosh winked at him, then let him go. "I'm glad it wasn't permanent, however. I'm not sure any of us would be able to bear such a burden."

"So I am," Ianto whispered, watching Gwen and Owen leave the office with the smile of a day that was over.

He wished them all a good night and waited for them to be gone before walking – limping – to Jack's office. He knocked just to draw Jack's attention, but entered without waiting for a response. Jack was leaning against his desk, staring at a point on the glass wall, and Ianto didn't really think, coming to him slowly to take him in his arms.

Jack made a surprised sound, and almost pulled back, but then relaxed, putting his arms around Ianto and his head in his neck. Ianto broke the hug after a while, but Jack didn't let him go, his hands on Ianto's waist, so he just put enough distance between them to look at Jack.

"What was that for?" Jack smiled.

Ianto shrugged and looked away, then took a deep breath, staring at Jack. He kissed him hard, trying to come up with enough courage to say what he wanted to say. Apparently, breathing against Jack's lips in silence helped him, and he closed his eyes briefly before pulling a bit more distance between their faces.

"I know what it is," he said, but Jack clearly wasn't getting his point. "To die. I know what it feels like. And I- I'm sorry, Jack."

"It's okay," Jack smiled, taking Ianto in his arms once more. "You get used to it after a while..."

"Do you?"

"Not really," Jack admitted. "But I'm fine. It's worth it. I'm an adventurer, sometimes I tell myself this is all I've ever wanted, all the time in the world to discover places and times."

"And the rest of the time?"

"I try not to think about it."

Ianto nodded against him, but didn't move, just relaxing into Jack's arms. Letting go of his fears and doubts. He had seen death. It was empty and dark and so, so lonely. He didn't want to die, he didn't want to be alone. He didn't want Jack to be alone.

Seeing Ianto was struggling with what he had experienced, Jack slid his hands on his lower back. "I try to enjoy the local things I can find," he whispered against Ianto's hear.

Ianto shook his head, but he was smiling when he pulled back from Jack's neck, and looked at him before kissing him.

"Thank you," Jack whispered in his neck, once more pulling him close, taking a deep breath of Ianto's smell.

Ianto tried to answer something, but he couldn't come up with anything. Jack was thanking him for having tried. He briefly wondered how many persons had accepted Jack's immortality the way he had accepted it, and concluded that it probably wasn't a lot.

Jack suffered from rejection more than loneliness. At least, that was what Ianto had concluded. He had lost the count of how many times Jack had seemed genuinely surprised by Ianto's acceptance – his attraction to Jack, Jack's immortality, the fact that he was much older and more experienced, shagging his boss, Jack's origins from another planet and time, some of Jack's past... he had accepted everything because that was what life and Torchwood had taught him. Accept and adapt. He had discovered and accepted that aliens existed the same way he had discovered and accepted that he wasn't straight, or that Jack would outlive him by millennia. It didn't mean he liked it and didn't try anything. He was fighting aliens on a daily basis, he had tried not to let his attraction to Jack mess with his feelings, and he had tried to make Jack mortal again. One out of three he still managed.

"Jack?" Ianto asked as Jack was gently stroking his back and kissing his neck gently, as if checking that he was all right, that he was there.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?"

Jack briefly stilled. He seemed to hesitate but finally shook his head in Ianto's neck.

"I'm sorry," Ianto quietly said.

"It's okay," Jack sighed, pulling back a bit so he could look at Ianto. "The alien was a murderer, and you didn't directly pull the trigger. I'm not saying you did good, but we all did dumb things and trusted some alien which promised us something. I guess that means you're still human."

"I'm sorry it didn't work," Ianto whispered.

Jack shrugged and smiled warmly. The rare kind of smile that Ianto was the most fond of.

"I'm glad it didn't, I wouldn't want you to live this. I'm dealing with this. You go on living, and we'll consider it a good thing."

Ianto shook his head with a small smile. It sounded easy, but it wasn't. They both knew it wasn't.

"I have an idea," Ianto said. He laughed when Jack looked up at him, frightened, then softened when he understood that Ianto wasn't talking about making him mortal.

Ianto took his hand and led them to Jack's bedroom, undressing him slowly. Jack did the same for the younger man, but Ianto shook his head when Jack moved to take things further. Ianto took control, and Jack let him. It wasn't about sex, it wasn't about pleasuring themselves. Not this night. Ianto just lay on the bed, taking Jack in his arms, and he didn't move, except to stroke Jack's hair.

Jack looked like he would protest, but finally sighed and relaxed, listening to Ianto's heartbeat while he still could, enjoying the rising and falling of Ianto's stomach as he breathed, and the soft breath tickling his hair. He loved Ianto's embrace, and he closed his eyes, slowly falling asleep.

Ianto watched him for a moment, wondering if things had changed between them. They seemed to be in constant evolution, and Ianto briefly wondered where they could go together. He dismissed the thought, just relishing the moment. He didn't want to think about a future he wasn't sure to have. For now, he was with Jack, and Jack was the most forgiving person he had ever met, which he was grateful for.

Still, at the back of his mind, Ianto wished he could have saved Jack from his immortality.

Hi! So this is already over, it was rather short, but I hope you liked this. I just couldn't make Ianto immortal forever if Jack wasn't as well, so I decided to cancel everything. It could have been a dream too, but that was easy ;)

Anyway, good luck everyone who's currently in the middle of exams, and the others as well! Don't forget comments are always welcomed :D