'...so I should be back in Cardiff by tomorrow afternoon at the latest' said Jack, 'I hate these bloody UNIT meetings. I don't see why I have to be the one to come to London; they could just as easily come to Cardiff for a change.'

'Would you want UNIT on your turf' asked Ianto

'Hell, no' shot back Jack

Ianto chuckled; he knew that's what Jack would say. 'If you text me the time of the train, I'll come pick you up' he offered.

Jack's dirtiest laugh echoed through the mobile phone connection, 'you can pick me up any time you want Mr Jones' he murmured suggestively.

Ianto blushed, 'behave yourself, Jack.'

'Only if you promise I can misbehave with you tomorrow'

'We'll see' the happy smile on Ianto's face could be heard in his voice.

'Well' said Jack hesitantly and reluctantly, 'I guess I'd better let you get some sleep. We've been talking for nearly four hours. I – I miss you, Yan'

Ianto felt his breath catch, this was new; he misses me? 'I miss you too, Jack' he said, evenly 'but this time tomorrow we'll be back together, yeah'

'Yeah' a heavy sigh, 'I can't wait. Goodnight Ianto'

'Goodnight Sir' replied Ianto adding, as he always did as soon as his phone told him that Jack had ended the call, 'I love you'

'Then tell him' said a familiar American voice from behind him

Ianto leapt to his feet and turned. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, 'Jack?' he gazed at the man standing insouciantly in his living room, hands in his pockets, wicked grin on his face, and did a comic double take at the mobile he still held in his hand, 'but...you... how...' he paused then, putting two and two together and stepping closer, asked softly, 'how long has it been for you?'

The man in front of him laughed, 'Ianto Jones, so clever, so sharp. Always was, always will be.' Ianto could see the minute differences, his Jack was considerably younger whist this Jack had a few more tiny laughter lines at the corner of his eyes and one or two sparkles of grey in the dark hair. Mesmerised Ianto reached out and laid a palm on the side of the man's face. Eyes drifting closed Jack leant into his touch. 'It has been a long time' he admitted.

'How long' whispered Ianto, 'surely you can tell me that without risking time lines?'

'About two and a half thousand years'

Ianto wasn't sure he could get his head around that, 'and you have remembered me all that time?' he asked with awe

Jack smiled happily, 'turns out you are not so easy to forget as you fear' he said, 'I still see your face every single day and thank the universe for our time together.'

Ianto felt tears pricking his eyes, his biggest fear had always been that Jack would forget him, that their relationship, such as it was,which so important to him was a mere dalliance for Jack but here was Jack not only telling him that he still held Ianto in his heart but that he rejoiced in the time they'd had . He felt a small glow of pride that he had given Jack a good memory, a happy memory, one that sustained him with joy rather than destroyed him with grief. More than that, he felt, for the first time, an optimism that he might one day manage to be someone Jack would love. The feeling of hope spread throughout his body like a warming balm. He looked down at the floor, not trusting himself to maintain his stoic facade

Jack pulled him into his arms and held him tight. 'Why did you wait until I had hung up the phone to say I love you' he asked gently

'We don't say those words' replied Ianto, 'you know that'

Jack slid two fingers under Ianto's chin and forced him to look into his face, 'but you want to, don't you?'

Ianto looked away, 'what I want doesn't matter' he said softly and matter of factly

'I think you should tell him how you feel' urged Jack, 'you don't have to be afraid, you know. He'd say it back'

Ianto huffed a small disbelieving laugh, 'You must have forgotten what it is we have right now.' He said, trying hard not to sound bitter, 'I know I'm just your part time shag. Anything else, that my own fault, I shouldn't have let myself fall in love with you but you are kinda hard to resist, you know? Anyway...those are the forbidden words, the ones I can't say to your face. Those are the words that will change everything and leave me with nothing'

'No' said Jack urgently, 'no, that's not true. Ianto, listen to me, tell him that you love him, he needs to hear it. If it helps, he is feeling as scared as you, he loves you Ianto, he really does but one of you has to take the first step. I can't tell you how important this is to you both'

Ianto frowned, 'what's going on Jack?'

Jack released him from their embrace and ran his hands though his hair, 'I can't tell you much...'

'Timelines, I know' interrupted Ianto with a smug grin. Jack smiled back affectionately

'Yeah timelines,' he confirmed, 'but I can tell you that this is a key point in time, the universe stands at a cross roads, Yan, the future is in flux and one small action can settle things for good or ill'

'And me telling my Jack that I love him is that small action?' said Ianto sceptically

'No of course not,' Jack laughed, 'but whether it is or whether it isn't would it be such an awful thing to do? Some bad times are coming, Yan, Wouldn't you rather face them knowing how you two feel about each other'

'I guess so' said Ianto slowly as he thought about what Jack had told him. Maybe I should take the risk, all love is a risk anyway and if it makes my Jack look as happy and contented as this one it will be worth it he thought. Jack's wrist strap suddenly began making a beeping noise, 'whoa' said Ianto shocked, 'that never beeps'

Jack flipped open the cover of his wrist strap and glanced down, a brief smile crossed his face but then he turned to Ianto again looking solemn, 'gotta go' he said sadly, pulling Ianto back into his arms and running his fingers over his face, 'it was good to see you again Yan, God, I had forgotten how young you were. I'd almost forgotten how we felt together when we were like this.' He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, 'perhaps you'd like to refresh my memory...' his wrist strap gave another irate beep and Jack laughed, 'ah...maybe not' he said.

For a brief second Jack and Ianto stood looking into each other's eyes. For the first time, Jack let Ianto see how much he meant to him, let him see the depth of the love he felt for the younger man. Ianto felt his heart stutter at what he saw, 'oh Jack' he stammered, 'I had no idea...I-I didn't know...oh god, I didn't...'

'Hush' whispered Jack and captured Ianto's lips in a passionate kiss that left the young man breathless and shaking. 'Bye, Ianto' he smiled, his eyes shining brightly, 'I love you, did then, do now.'

Ianto swallowed hard, 'Good bye Jack, I love you'

Jack laughed, 'don't tell me, tell him' and with a flash of dazzling light he was gone.

The next day

Ianto stood in the concourse of Cardiff station impatiently scanning the crowd. His heart leapt when he spotted the familiar tall figure moving confidently and authoritatively through the throng. It was with difficulty he restrained himself from jumping up and down and yelling Jack's name. Just as Ianto was about to move forward to meet Jack, the man himself spotted him and the look of sheer delight that crossed his face helped to turn Ianto's hope into certainty. Not caring if he looked like a parody of the most sentimental romantic movie ever Ianto rushed across the station and launched himself into Jack's arms.

'Whoa!' Jack pulled Ianto into a tight hug, 'someone missed me'

'I did miss you' gasped Ianto sprinkling kisses over Jack's face and neck.

Jack pulled him even closer so that their mutual arousal could be felt, hot and urgent through their clothes, 'I missed you too, so much.'

Oblivious to the travellers pushing by them, Jack and Ianto locked in each other's arms rested their foreheads together and smiled into each other's eyes. Ianto recognised the loving look on Jack's face as identical to that of the man who had visited him the night before, do it he told himself; he took a breath, 'I love you, Jack'

Jack gave a warm, soft, happy smile, a million miles removed from his usual incandescent grin but one that was loving and caring and just for Ianto. Gods, this man was so precious to him 'I love you too' he whispered, 'let's go home and I can show you how much'

'Home?' Ianto's smile faltered, 'er...Ok then...back to the Hub is it then, Sir?'

Jack hesitated, his smile fading slightly 'I-I meant your flat' he stumbled, 'I'm sorry, I guess I just think of it as home.'

Ianto thought about his flat, it was full of Jack. Jack had his own side of the bed, his own space in the wardrobe; at least a shelf and a half in the bathroom cabinet for his hair products and Ianto automatically bought the biscuits that Jack favoured when he shopped. He grinned, 'home it is' he said

Jack's fingers tangled tightly with Ianto's and together they walked out into the sunlight.

Two and half thousand years later

The brilliant white flash that announced Jack's return had barely faded before Jack found himself enclosed in a tight embrace, pressed against a long lean body.

'Hey someone missed me'

'Did you see him?'

Jack nodded, 'I did'

'Do you think he will do it?'

Jack smiled, 'I think so; I hope so. You telling me that you loved me was the push I needed to realise how much I needed you. It made me start to research how to keep you with me. Without you telling me you loved me that day in Cardiff station I would never have discovered how the juxtaposition of living and working on the rift plus exposure to my vortex energy would make you as immortal as me. But you know him better than me, what do you think he'll do?'

Ianto nodded, 'I think he will do it too. Allowing me see to how much I meant to you gave me Stendhal's small degree of hope' Jack looked puzzled, his companion enlightened him, ' Stendhal was the pen name of a the French writer Marie-Henri Beyle, he was big on the psychology of his characters, what made people act the way they did. Anyway he said that a very small degree of hope is sufficient to cause the birth of love. You gave me that hope'

Jack kissed his lover, tracing his mouth with his finger tips as he looked at him lovingly 'he was so young' he said, bleakly, 'but his eyes were so sad, I'd forgotten how sad his eyes were'

'Did you sleep with him?'

Jack held Ianto tighter, 'No I didn't' he said softly, 'I didn't have to because I knew I had you to come back to. I didn't want to because he wasn't you yet'

Ianto looked at the man who had been his lover and partner for over two and a half thousand years, 'I love you' he told him with a smile

Jack Harkness smiled back; Ianto Jones had been the love of his life and the reason for his happiness for two millennia. 'I know' he said, 'I love you too, did then, do now. Let's go to bed'