Boeshane Kiss

Jack was looking for Ianto. Owen and Gwen were out on a weevil hunt, Tosh was running an errand. Jack needed to talk to someone relatively sane after a particularly contentious call with UNIT.

He looked out across the dim Hub from his office, and spotted Ianto disappearing into the tunnel that led down to the archives. Jack set off after some searching he came across Ianto bending over an open file drawer in the g to j section. There was a moveable computer desk, with laptop and coffee pot on it. Several files and artifacts were neatly piled on it and around it. It was a sort of portable Ianto effect.

Jack took a moment to admire Ianto's trim behind. He wondered what underwear if any he wore in order to keep that smooth shape.

"Spongebob squarepants, my mother bought them for me"

"I didn't realize I'd said that out loud" In fact Jack knew he hadn't.

Ianto shook his head. "Sign of old age Jack, not realizing when you've said something."

Jack left it for the moment. It had probably been a guess. Jack did often look at Ianto's behind. Jack grinned. "Talk to me Ianto, make me realise that there is some sanity in the world."

"Bad call to UNIT?"

"The most annoying, pedantic, boring and illogical I have ever had."

"Poor Jack. I'd offer you some coffee, but it's been made a couple of hours. It'll be foul."

"But you only just came down here. I followed you, you were carrying it."

Ianto looked at him, confused, he looked at his watch. "I've been here a couple of hours Jack."

"But I definitely saw you, less than five minutes ago, walking down the tunnel with a pot of coffee in your hand. I thought I'd catch you up, but you must have walked too fast."

Ianto looked at Jack. "You must have seen me earlier. Got confused about it." In his head he thought "Jack looks tired. He needs to get some decent rest"

"I don't need rest Ianto, I'm just wondering what's happening."

Ianto's voice dropped lower. "Jack, I didn't say that out loud. I just thought it."

"Ah." Jack thought for a moment, " Ianto at canary wharf, they did experiments with ESP and telepathy, did you?"

"No. It was just a rumour. Never met anyone who had actually done it. It was always a friend of a friend."

"Well you seem to be able to do it now."

"So do you. Is that usual for you?"

"To be honest? A little, there are a lot of telepaths on my home world, but I left before I was an age to be trained."

"I'm not sure I'm comfortable with this Jack. Why is it happening now, to me?"

"Don't worry Ianto, we'll sort it out." He lent forward and ghosted a kiss on Ianto's forehead. Suddenly he was aware of his world view shifting. Ecstasy and pleasure flooded his mind. He was joined with Ianto, he knew Ianto, Ianto knew him and it was glorious. All the good and the bad, it didn't matter, he was accepted for who he was.

Ianto felt Jack's kiss ghost across his forehead, he started to smile. Suddenly he was aware of his world view shifting. Fear and self loathing. Jack knew him. Knew everything about him. From the time he wet himself in school, to his first kiss, the teacher who called him a queer in class after he had rejected his advances, the sheer embarrassment of being a teenager, his pain when his dad died. His grief and love for Lisa, his lies. Jack knew. It was too much. Underneath that he felt Jack's utter acceptance of him, the real him. How could that be? Didn't he realize how worthless he really was? That was why he needed Jack, he made him feel real, worthwhile. Letting Jack know everything was too much. Jack couldn't possibly like him once he knew the real Ianto…

Ianto jerked back from the kiss as though shot. Eyes wide and terrified. Jack looked so happy, peaceful. Opening his eyes Jack noticed Ianto's terror "Ianto, what's wrong?"

Ianto was panting in fear. "I. I don't know, Jack I feel invaded, you shouldn't – must never do that to me again. My privacy – you took every thing I have."

"Ianto – it wasn't like that" Jack breathed." I don't know all your secrets. Just an amazing feeling of being one with you. Being accepted for everything I am. Isn't that what humans always want? To be accepted for who they are – good and bad?"

"Never do that to me again. It was too much, it was terrifying."

"Ianto, I am so sorry" he reached out to touch him. Ianto jerked his hand away in fear. Jack lifted his hands, palms up. "It's OK Ianto. Let me explain what I think happened."

"OK, but don't touch me Jack"

"I told you that on my planet some people become telepathic?" Ianto nodded. "Well it's evolutions way of ensuring that couples know and accept each other fully. A way of becoming fully accepted by at least one person. It's called the Boeshane Kiss. Couples who do it tend to stay together for life, and society is much stronger because of it. When it happens the brain releases only feel good neurotransmitters. That way, although the other person knows everything, good and bad about you, there is only a feeling of love and acceptance associated with it."

"So what happened to me?"

"Well, 1. you have never been telepathic before today and my ability is suddenly much stronger, so I think we can say something has interfered with us. 2. Your brain hasn't had the chance to evolve any protective mechanisms, so you felt horridly invaded."

"Are you trying to say I am a lesser species than you?"

Jack laughed, pleased Ianto seemed to be calming down.

"Point 3 is that it only happens between soul mates"

"I'm not sure one night playing with a stopwatch counts as soul mates Jack"

"I think we need to find out what's been interfering with us, Owen's back and the other's aren't far behind."

"Jack how do you know?"

"I just heard the door alarm go off"

"I think I need to get my hearing checked."

In fact as they got back to centre of the hub, Owen was just coming through the cog door.

He was carrying a containment case, blue light seeped out through a bullet hole in the side.

Ianto exchanged a glance with Jack, then Jack noticed the bullet hole in the containment box.

"I need to make Gwen do more target practice, what have you got in there?

"How did you know it was Gwen? "

"Ah, need to talk to you about a little problem I've just acquired. My telepathic ability has suddenly increased."

Gwen and Tosh walked through the cog door a few seconds later.

"Thank's Gwen, I sure as hell do look good in these pants."

Gwen blushed, "How did you know what I was thinking?"

"Oops, ah well seems I've just acquired amazing telepathic skills, are any of you able to hear what I'm thinking?"

The others all shook their heads, apart from Ianto, who thought "you're actually blocking them from reading your mind. " Jack glanced at Ianto amused. Ianto wondered why Jack hadn't mentioned his new ability to Owen.

Jack was sat in the autopsy bay being examined by Owen, but carrying on a silent conversation with Ianto, who was several metres away getting coffee.

"Why haven't you told Owen about me?"

"If UNIT found out about your ability you would be so much laboratory fodder. They already know about me."

"You don't trust Owen?"Ianto felt Jack thinking it through. "I do, but I just can't risk you Ianto."

Ianto felt affection wash over him, but it came from Jack, and left him a little shaken. Gwen noticed his hand shaking as she walked into the kitchen,

"I should go easy on the caffeine if I were you Ianto – I think Owen should prescribe decaff."

Ianto felt Jack laughing before he heard it.

"Jack!"

"What?"

" you need to calm down a bit I can't hear myself think!"

"Sorry, is that better"

"thanks."

Unfortunately Jack then started thinking about what he wanted to do to Ianto when the others had gone home, Ianto found his own breath coming short and fast.

"For gods sake Jack!"

"Are you all right love?" asked Gwen, Ianto realized he had spoken out loud, he blushed. Jacks silent laughter echoed through his head.
"Perhaps Owen should take a look at you" she said. Ianto nodded and headed down to autospy. He took one look at Jack, sending pictures of exactly how he would make his coffee for the next month. Jack grinned,

"you wouldn't would you?" he said, Owen looked up confused, "I wouldn't what Jack?"

"I didn't say anything Owen," replied Jack

"Yes you did, you said 'you wouldn't would you? And I said I wouldn't what Jack?"

"Seems like an awful lot of wouldn'ts in there Owen, are you sure you're not protesting too much?"

"Am I going to get any sense out of you? It's like half your mind is somewhere else, no wait, that's it isn't it? Your mind is off somewhere else. Who are you thinking at?" Owen turned round and spotted Ianto, who was desperately trying to look innocent.

"And why the fuck didn't Teaboy tell me he was telepathic too? How else would you have known about your powers unless someone else was involved? You don't trust me do you? Thought I would want to do all sorts of experiments or tell UNIT or something. You can be such a stupid git sometimes Jack."

By this time Gwen and Tosh were leaning over the railings, brought over by Owen's rant.

"Ianto's telepathic too?" asked Gwen. Ianto nodded. "It would appear so."

"So why only you two? Why not all of us?" asked Gwen.

"You were all out when it happened, fetching the blue light thingy, and shooting up the containment box." Said Jack

"Blue light thingy? That a technical term Sir?" smirked Ianto, Jack grinned at him "Got a better name for it? Perhaps something as good as 'risen mitten' for instance?"

"It was a good name, very appropriate, to the point…."

"It would be helpful if we could all take part in the conversation boys!" Tosh interrupted.

"Sorry " Jack smiled, Ianto looked abashed at his lapse of manners.

"I have initiated full scale scans of the Hub, using multiple search parameters. The blue light thingy needs to be transferred to the secure examination area please Ianto." She asked.

"OK, blue light thingy it is then. By the way how did Gwen manage to shoot the containment box?" he asked as he went up the autopsy bay steps and over to Tosh's desk.

"I saw a rat, it was huge. Can't stand the bloody things, and Jack's always telling me I need to practice on a moving target, so I shot it."

"So how come the containment box has a hole in it?"

"The rat was in the boot of the SUV. The bullet passed through the rat and the containment box."

"Gwen – have you been taking an augmented weapon on a routine fetch and carry run?"

"What? No of course not! Wait – are you reading my mind?"

"Don't need to Gwen. Ordinary guns won't put a bullet through a containment box. Also you're blushing madly. Oh bugger. Don't tell me there's exploded rat all over the boot of the SUV?"

"Um, OK I won't tell you that, but it is a bit of a mess."

"I am going to find a really large rat and set it on you Gwen Cooper."

"Couldn't I just have decaff instead? I really hate rats."

Later that evening Tosh finished up her analysis of the scans. They had shown exactly nothing. The only thing that was different was the blue light thingy, but initial examinations were negative. Jack had sent them home. The telepathy wasn't a threat as such, it could be worked on during normal working hours.

Jack knew Ianto would often go for a stroll along the bay before heading home on fine days like this. The sun set across the bay and he smiled to himself, liking the idea of watching it with Ianto. He opened his mind to Ianto, sending that picture with a question attached "May I join you?"

He received a slightly startled "Yes" and a picture of where he was exactly.

Jack approached Ianto, enjoying the way he leant forward, elbows on the railings of the pier, one foot resting on the bottom rung as he stared out across the bay.

"Hi"

Ianto turned around, with his back to the railings, leaning back, now watching Jack approach. His face was blank, one eyebrow questioning. Jack didn't do romantic, but the picture he had sent Ianto was – slightly disturbing, more Mills & Boon than randy space captain. That's if Mills & Boon did gay of course. He would have to investigate that one.

"Yan your mind is really rambling."

"sorry. Nervous."

"What of?"

"You."

"Eh?"

"This seems a little too normal for you."

"Telepathy seems normal to you?"

"No, romantic walks along the pier whilst the sun is setting."

"After that kiss I feel…."

"What Jack? What do you feel?

Ianto felt that wave of affection again, with an underlying feeling of hesitation and connectedness. Also, lust, well not lust as such. He understood better now, sex was the way Jack expressed his affection in much the same way that Ianto would help him into his greatcoat or Gwen would want to know everything, and couldn't stop touching people.

"But a lot more fun though." Jack's amusement rolled through his mind like a wave.

"Do you know everything I am thinking? Only it feels very invasive." Ianto spoke out loud and sent Jack his annoyance.

"Sorry Yan. It's new for me too. You need to learn how to block. We'll start on that in the morning. How about we go for that walk, look at the sunset then get some fish and chips?"

"If you promise to keep out of my mind whilst we do it."

"OK, but you know mind sex is really really fun….."

"NO Jack. Sometimes you remind me of one of those dogs that hump your leg all the time. Can't you leave it for even a moment?" his voice was exasperated but Jack could feel his amusement and affection. With just the tiniest hint of nerves. Whether it was to do with him or the telepathy Jack couldn't tell, but there would be time to work that one out. Jack suspected that they never would find out what had caused the link, in his mind was the idea that evolutionary changes had to start somewhere and Ianto was just the right age for telepathic abilities to start manifesting.

Mills & Boon are the largest publishers of romantic fiction in the UK. This is probably a one shot. Its been sat on the computer unfinished untill today, when I decided it would be more fun to finish it than re write the assignment I failed. Any one else out there training to be a BIA for DOLs? If you don't know what the initials mean be thankful. Be very thankful.