Yaaay, finally the last chapter! Thankyou to everyone who's been reading and who's stuck with it through the terrible terrible update times I had. I feel really horrible about it, this should've been finished months ago! I must admit, the thing with the shower gel (no, it's not phallic) was because my brother hs a bottle of it which he doesn't use (thank god) and I just melt at the smell of it.

I really hope you enjoy this final bit!

Disclaimer: As always, I sadly don't own them, they belong to RTD and the BBC.

Chapter 9: Jack's World

Something smelled different, unusual. It was a smell he knew, but it wasn't one he'd expected down in his bunker.

As the remaining shackles of sleep fell away, he kept his eyes closed and concentrated on the scent. He couldn't pin point it, but it fired him up, made him remember the night before, the delicious sensations and sounds as Ianto all but fell apart in his arms. It had continued at a much faster pace once they'd moved down to the bunker, and they'd only fallen asleep from sheer exhaustion a couple of hours ago.

With a smirk of triumph, he opened his eyes and sat up, looking around the small room to find the bathroom door slightly ajar, steam curling out of the gap between wood and stone. There was that smell again, enticing and delicious and tantalisingly beyond reach.

He looked down, studying the state of himself and realised, without a doubt, that he needed a shower. With a shark like grin, he pushed himself up out of bed and headed over to the door. I can kill two birds with one stone, he thought, planning to discover the source of the scent and get himself clean at the same time.

Make that three birds, he realised as he stepped up behind the partially dressed Ianto, now wearing trousers and an under shirt. The young man froze on the spot as Jack wrapped his arms around his waist, nuzzling his neck with his nose and kissing the soft skin gently. Even he had to admit that there was something incredibly delectable about Ianto Jones, but then there always had been.

It was as he did that that he realised that the scent which had woken him was a little stronger on the young man's skin. Jack brought his head up in surprise to look at Ianto in the mirror.

"You smell amazing." Jack said with a playful smile. Ianto just looked at him with dry amusement.

"And I thought it was only supposed to work on women." Ianto replied in mock disbelief, slipping from Jack's arms and collecting the clothes hanger from the back of the door. "Would you like a cup of coffee, sir?"

"It's like you're reading my mind, Mr. Jones." He guessed that Ianto had rolled his eyes as he shook his head gently, walking from the room to finish getting dressed and allow Jack to have a shower.

After the door was pulled closed, Jack scouted around, now determined to discover what it was that Ianto had been using. He spotted a bottle of shower gel sitting of the side of the sink, obviously left there after it had been used.

He flipped open the lid and sniffed tentatively at the bright green soap, his senses going into overdrive as the smell filled his nose. It had to be one of the best shower gels he'd ever smelt, and he'd been to the end of the universe and back several times. He flicked it closed and had a look on the label. 'Lynx Recover', Jack read, musing at whether it had a double meaning in Ianto's case.

With a smile and a shrug, he stepped into the shower and continued his morning rituals as normal; a long, hot shower accompanied by a swift clean up session in front of the mirror and the tossing on of clothes. He emerged in his office twenty minutes later, stuffing his shirt messily into his trousers.

As the smell of fresh coffee drifted through his office door, Jack decided to venture out, running his hands through his hair as he walked into the Hub and across the kitchen area. He took a moment, as he approached, to appreciate the sight of Ianto, as immaculate and professional as ever. The only sign of what had transpired throughout most of the night were the bite marks being partially covered by his shirt collar.

Ianto had grown more comfortable and confident as the night wore on, or so it seemed to Jack. Whether it was because he was getting used to Jack or resigning himself to it, Jack didn't know. Personally, he hoped it was because Ianto, on at least some level, was enjoying himself.

With a jolt, he remembered that his motivation for the night had been entirely selfish, not because he cared for Ianto or wanted to spend time with him, but because he wanted to know something as trivial as the name of a book.

Jack now felt disgusted at the thought. Ianto Jones wasn't some play thing for him to have when he got bored, he was a human being and, from experience, he had very human emotions and feelings. This wasn't some petty game of cat and mouse to help bolster Jack's ego, it was another man's life and he'd overlooked it because he could.

For the first time since the night Lisa was discovered, Jack felt ashamed at himself.

"Penny for them, sir." Ianto said with a smile, holding a mug out for Jack to take. The captain smiled tightly and took the drink, taking a mouthful before putting it down and taking Ianto by the arms, looking at him seriously.

"Why did you stay last night, Ianto?" Jack asked suddenly.

"You asked me to." Ianto replied, looking a little confused.

"Did you stay because I asked you to, or because I forced you to?" Jack tried to clarify his question.

"Sir, you asked me to stay, so I stayed. I've never questioned it before, so I didn't see any reason to start yesterday." Ianto said, shrugging and moving back to the coffee machine, clearing up after himself.

"I have to be completely honest with you," Jack said, watching Ianto carefully, ignoring the feeling of trepidation in his stomach. "Last night started because I wanted to know what book you were reading yesterday, in the Tourist Office."

"Oh?" Jack was shocked at the amusement in the young man's voice, seeing the smile on his lips as he replied. "It was 'Catch 22', but that's not important."

"Then what is?" Jack asked, frowning now.

"Fair enough, you cornered me for a game," Ianto said, turning around and leaning back on the worktop. "But it didn't end like that, did it, sir?"

Jack stood, slightly stunned, and thought about it. He was right. Jack hadn't continued the game past that first time. As they'd sat on the floor of his office, he hadn't taken advantage of Ianto's scattered thoughts to get his answer, he'd continued on as if he'd started with more noble intentions. He soon found Ianto chuckling at what Jack could only assume was him.

"I stayed, sir, because yesterday was the first time in months that you've looked at me like I wasn't just the tea-boy." Ianto said quietly, eyes still fixed on Jack's. Then he laughed again and headed towards the archive, the sound of his amusement echoing around the Hub.