Title: Cross My Heart
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 3, 50ficlets
Prompt: 46, Hand on Heart
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.

***

Ianto sighed softly as he rested his head against the Doctor's chest, listening to the dual heartbeats. He'd found them a little odd at first, but that feeling had passed quickly. Now, he couldn't imagine not hearing both of those hearts.

The Doctor was stroking his hair, his chest rising and falling evenly with his slow breathing. Had he ever felt this peaceful, this much at ease with any other lover? Ianto asked himself, smiling inwardly. He didn't think so. No one else could possibly make him feel like this.

Even the people who he'd thought he was in love with in the past hadn't affected him in the way that the Doctor did. This man was his soul mate; he'd been destined for the Doctor ever since the moment of his birth, perhaps even long before.

That was something that seemed incredible to him; the thought that fate had intended that he, Ianto Jones, could have been destined to be with someone long before he was even conceived was a concept that it was hard to wrap his head around.

But it didn't really matter, Ianto thought, settling himself more comfortably. The only important thing was that he was here now, held close in the arms of the man he loved. He belonged here, and he always had. How he'd gotten here didn't really seem to matter.

He raised a hand to lay it against the Time Lord's skin, letting his fingertips trail over the other man's velvety flesh. Somehow, the Doctor's skin felt different from anyone else's; he would know this man by touch alone, if he ever had to find his lover in the darkness.

His fingers found one nipple, rolling the tender flesh between his fingertips and feeling it harden beneath his touch. The Doctor moaned softly, the sound coming from the back of his throat; that husky groan never failed to arouse Ianto whenever he heard it.

"I love it when you moan like that," he whispered, pressing a kiss against the Doctor's hardened nipple. He knew that the sensation would be felt in other areas of his lover's body; a devilish grin crossed his face as he looked up at the Time Lord's face to gauge his reaction.

The other man was smiling, though Ianto could clearly see the desire written in that dark gaze. The Doctor wanted him; he was as sure of that fact as he'd ever been of anything in his life. And he most certainly wanted the Time Lord.

"Do you?" the Doctor murmured, his voice still soft and husky. Ianto could feel those dual heartbeats speed up under his ear; it was obvious that the Doctor was becoming more aroused with every moment -- and that his lover's arousal matched his own.

"Of course I do." Ianto propped himself up on one elbow, looking down at the man he loved with a soft smile on his face. "Cross my heart." He raised a hand to his own chest, making a "x" over his heart and then laying his palm flat against his chest.

"But don't hope to die, sweetheart," the Doctor whispered, his dark eyes clouding for a moment. "That's never been a phrase that appealed to me." Ianto could feel the anxiety emanating from him; it was almost as though the Doctor was afraid to hear those words.

"Never," Ianto murmured, moving his hand from his own chest to rest it on the Doctor's. "I could never want to die as long as I'm with you, love. You make my life too happy for me to ever think like that. I want to spend all the time I can with you."

"Put your hand on your heart when you say that, Ianto," the Doctor told him, laughing as he reached up to lay his palm against his lover's cheek. "I want to know that those words are meant sincerely, and that they're coming straight from your heart."

Ianto laid his hand over his heart, unable to keep back a smile as he did so. "I love everything about you, Doctor," he said, the ring of sincerity in his voice. "Even the things that you might not think are all that attractive. They're all a part of you."

"You're the first person who's ever been able to accept all the sides of who I am, without turning away from some of them," the Doctor said softly, stroking soft fingertips down Ianto's cheek. "I'm grateful for that, Ianto. It's not easy for most people to accept my dark side."

"I love you," Ianto said, his voice husky with emotion. "And I can accept everything about you -- even if it's not perfect." He caught the Doctor's hand in his, bringing the Time Lord's fingertips to his lips and kissing them gently.

Ianto pressed the Doctor's hand against his own heart, letting the Time Lord feel his heartbeat strong beneath his palm. Their gazes locked, saying everything that they felt without words; and when their lips met again, Ianto could feel his lover's fingers gently tracing an "x" over his heart.

***