ANOTHER VERY SHORT ONE OFF

Pillow Talk

As Jack settled back against the pillow, he listened to the soft snores from the young man in his arms beside him. He smiled, kissing the top of Ianto's head.

"Sleep tight, baby."

Jack thought how the young Welshman would be mortified to be called 'baby', but to Jack, it was perfect, just like Ianto Jones.

A baby, after all, was someone you loved, cherished, adored unconditionally. All the ways Jack felt about Ianto himself. Though he'd never told him straight out…yet.

He closed his eyes and sighed, thinking back to the lonely times before the Welshman came into his life. It didn't bare thinking about. Those days were over...for now.

Ianto's motives weren't exactly honourable towards Jack back then. He'd worked his way into Torchwood and Jack's heart, just to help his girlfriend. But in the months since Lisa, he'd more than made up for the betrayal. They'd been sleeping together almost from the start, for Ianto had captured Jack's 'interest' from the first night he set eyes on him. He'd flirted and persude him until the Welshman finally entered his quarters and his bed.

After Lisa, Jack kept his distance, afraid that he'd be rejected, now Ianto's 'motive' for sleeping with him, had been eliminated…literally. But gradually, over the month Ianto served on suspension, they had worked through both their guilt; Ianto for Lisa, Jack for killing her. Jack visited Ianto's flat almost daily, to check up on him. At first, few words passed between them, just angry stares. But little by little, the walls came down. They had managed to rebuild the trust in their relationship and move on to what it was today.

Ianto moved in his arms, nestling against warm skin. He sighed, said something in Welsh and drifted back into sleep. Jack made a mental note to look the word up on Google Translator in the morning…if he remembered. He smiled. Maybe it was a swear word, in retaliation for calling him baby. Surely not! Ianto was sound asleep, wasn't he?

"Go to sleep, Jack."

Beautiful Welsh vowels made their way to Jack's ears.

"I can hear the cogs moving."

"Really?"

"Mmm."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "I can't hear anything."

Ianto shook his head, running a hand over Jack's smooth chest.

"Sleep, or you'll be too tired to save the world in the morning."

"Yeah, but you'll be my sidekick."

"Sidekick, lover, Tea Boy. My titles are growing by the day."

"Oh, and I could add a few more to the list."

"Baby? Yes, I heard that one."

Jack laughed. "Sorry about that."

"It's…okay."

"Really?"

"Yep. But not in public mind."

"Okay. Er, what did you call me?"

Ianto kissed Jack's neck. "Cariad. It means sweetheart."

"Yeah? I like that."

Ianto snuggled closer. "Go to sleep, Cariad."

Jack kissed Ianto's forehead. "Okay, baby."

END