Title: Certain Things Are Likely
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 11, 50episodes
Prompt: 7, Kiss
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own Ianto Jones or the Tenth Doctor. Please do not sue.

***

"What do you think people would do if we suddenly decided to kiss, here in the middle of the street?" Ianto asked the Doctor, looking around him at the crowds milling around them. This wasn't exactly the time or place to bring up such a subject, but he was feeling adventurous.

The Doctor laughed, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't think they would take very kindly to it, Ianto," he said, his eyes sweeping the crowd. "This is Regency England, after all. It's not as though two men being together as a romantic couple was accepted then."

"Strange when you consider that the men here are wearing more makeup than the women!" Ianto said in a lowered voice. He didn't want anyone around them to hear such disparaging words; the last thing they needed was for either of them to be challenged to a duel.

"There were men in this time period who were lovers," the Doctor told him, lowering his voice slightly, but not whispering. "Several of them, I don't doubt. But it wasn't something that was spoken of openly. And most of them had wives and children, as well."

Ianto nodded, wishing that he'd read more about the Regency period before they'd come here. Still, it was an interesting place, even though he knew little about it. And it was a time period that he'd like to spend more time in, if they were given the chance.

He'd studied King Charles I and the Roundheads in school, of course. And he knew about the Restoration, the decadence that had followed the years of Puritan asperity. He'd wondered what it would be like to see a theater performance of that time, to watch the famous Nell Gwynne.

And now, he was going to do just that. Being with the Doctor had given him such a wide experience of things that until now, he'd only been able to read about. He'd done so much that no one in his world would ever have thought could be possible.

He had met Shakespeare. He had watched Queen Elizabeth christen the maiden voyage of the Armada. He had seen ancient Greece. He'd watched Michelangelo paint part of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. So many experiences that he'd never thought he could have.

It was all because of the man at his side, the man who he loved more than life itself. The man who had given him eternal life. The man who he wanted to take into his arms at this very moment, in the crowded street of another time, and kiss him breathless.

Who would ever have thought that when he worked with Torchwood, he would meet someone like the Doctor/ He'd thought that he would always be reduced to a life of making coffee, watching the office, and being nothing more than the trusted caretaker.

Yet here he was, the Doctor's companion and lover. No, more than that; he was the man who the Time Lord had chosen to bond with, the man who the Doctor had given his hearts and soul to. He could easily call himself the luckiest man in the universe.

This hadn't been the kind of future he'd ever envisioned for himself. He'd always thought that he would keep working with Torchwood in some capacity, that he'd either stay with Jack, or find someone else to fall in love with when their relationship ended, and be happy with that life.

His life had turned out to be vastly different from the plans he'd had -- but it had also turned out to be much better than he could have dreamed it would be. And it was all thanks to the man at his side, Ianto thought, squeezing the Doctor's hand as they walked along.

"If you wanted to kiss me in some secluded garden, I don't think that would go amiss, even in this time period," the Doctor said thoughtfully, glancing at Ianto with raised eyebrows. "We could sneak out into the garden of a large estate under the stars."

"We could even make love under the stars, if we found a place secluded enough where no one would have a chance of catching us," Ianto told him, warming to the idea. "Do you think we might be able to track down a place like that while we're here?"

"Ianto!" the Doctor protested, laughing. "As much as I'd love to do that, there are far too many risks of being seen. And if we were caught -- do you realise that we could be thrown in jail for public indecency, amongst other things? That's really not a good idea."

"Neither is kissing in the street -- but isn't that two men I see doing just that?" Ianto asked, pointing ahead of them. He was surprised to see such a thing in this time period, but maybe there were some people who were more willing to take risks than others.

"Indeed you do," the Doctor said, his voice thoughtful. "So maybe kissing publicly isn't something that could get us into trouble -- but I stand firm on the public indecency. That's not something I'd like to be dragged in front of a Regency-era magistrate for doing."

"I've read that they could be pretty strict in their sentencing," Ianto agreed, nodding. "Still, it's a shame not to try something like that while we're here. After all, what's life without a bit of adventure to spice things up?" He laughed, hoping that the Doctor realized he was joking.

To his relief, the Time Lord laughed right along with him. "I think we have quite enough adventure -- not to mention danger, at times -- in our lives without adding more," he said, his tone dry. "Or do you really fancy spending time in a Regency-era prison?"

Ianto shook his head vehemently, hoping that the people around them couldn't hear their conversation. It would probably be enough for them to be pointed out to those magistrates -- and he didn't want to have to make a run for it back to the Tardis!

"I don't fancy being in any kind of prison, in any time period," he said softly, sighing as he looked around them. "Though I have to wonder why those two men we just saw didn't raise any eyebrows. Could this time be more permissive than we might have thought?"

"There were a lot of questionable -- for the time -- practices hidden from the public eye during the Victorian era," the Doctor mused, looking thoughtful. "It could be that the same was true of the Regency era. Certain things are likely in any time, you know."

"Everybody has something to hide," Ianto murmured, glancing at the faces in the crowd around them. He was sure that each and every one of these people had secrets, though none of them would wish to have what they did in private exposed to the scrutiny of the public.

But what could a kiss between two men in a public street do -- especially as they'd just seen it happen and no one had blinked an eye? Before he could think about what he was doing and convince himself to hold back, Ianto slid both arms around the Doctor's waist, pulling the other man close.

He gazed into those fathomless dark eyes for just a moment before he raised a hand to twine his fingers through the Doctor's hair, leaning forward to press his lips against the softness of the Time Lord's mouth without a care as to what anyone around them might think.

The Doctor's arms had wound around his neck; the Time Lord was kissing him back, unmindful of the people in the street around them. Ianto didn't care if the whole world was watching; kissing the Doctor like this was worth anything he might have to face afterwards.

How could anyone think that a feeling like this could possibly be wrong? he asked himself, his senses reeling with the intensity of their kiss. This feeling ws more right than anything he'd ever felt in his entire life, with any other person.

When they finally broke apart, he almost didn't want to look around to see if anyone had shocked looks on their faces; he really didn't care what people might think of them. Besides, they didn't belong here; they weren't from this time, so they weren't bound by this society's rules of propriety.

Of course, the Doctor would probably think differently. Ianto's gaze focused on his lover's face, hoping that the Time Lord wasn't too shocked at being kissed here, in a public street, in view of so many people. If he was, it might be best for them to head back to the Tardis.

But the Doctor didn't look shocked; instead, he looked amused -- and pleased. With a soft laugh, he stepped back slightly from his boyfriend, running a hand through his hair and adjusting his tie before he reached out to take Ianto's hand in his.

"It looks as though people don't think it's unusual for two men to share a passionate kiss in the street during Regency times," he murmured, glancing around as if he was expecting people to have stopped in their tracks at the sight of their kiss. "Who knew?"

"This brings new meaning to the phrase about 'learning something new every day,' doesn't it?" Ianto asked with a smirk. "It doesn't seem as though anybody's too surprised at what they just witnessed. Maybe we don't have to watch ourselves so closely here, after all."

"Maybe not, but making love in a some secluded place is still out of the question," the Doctor said with a laugh, looping his arm through Ianto's as they continued on down the street, smiles on both of their faces and a spring in their steps.

***