Title: Life Is A Celebration
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 11
Prompt: 44, Celebration
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.

***

"Did you have any special plans for New Year's Eve?" Ianto asked the Doctor, his voice casual. "It's never been a holiday that meant much to me. I'm not one for going out and partying, unlike some of the people I used to work with."

He was referring to Owen, of course; the Torchwood doctor had always jumped at any excuse to go out to a bar and drink. That wasn't Ianto's idea of a good time, though; he'd much rather have stayed at home with a good book or a movie he wanted to watch.

Though he'd had his share of partying days, of course. He could remember a time when he'd been much more social -- but of course, that was when he'd been dating Lisa, and her friends had been his friends as well.

Still, if left to his own devices, he was essentially a quiet person. He didn't begrudge anyone else their good times, but he rarely joined in on them.

The Doctor shook his head, looking up at Ianto from the couch where he'd been lounging. "No, I hadn't planned on doing anything in particular," he murmured, raising an eyebrow in question. "Was there some place you wanted to be?"

Now it was Ianto's turn to shake his head in response, a small smile quirking his lips. "No, not at all. I probably should have asked you about this earlier -- after all, it's the very day of the year turning, at least on Earth in my time. It's a bit late to make plans."

"Nonsense! It's never too late to make plans for a special day." The Doctor swung his long legs to the floor, sitting up and resting his elbows on his knees. "If there's something special you wanted to do as far as ringing in the new year, that's fine with me."

Ianto blushed, looking down and shaking his head again. "No, there wasn't anything. I only wondered if you had wanted to do something."

Did that sound horribly lame of him? It probably did, Ianto thought in disgust the moment the words were out of his mouth. But that was typical of him, wasn't it? He should be used to being the person who everyone else left behind.

It had always been like that, no matter how much he tried to join in the swing of things. He was always on the outside looking in, the person who didn't fit in with everyone else's gaiety. But he'd never thought that he could feel like that with the Doctor.

What if his lover began to feel that being with Ianto was holding him back? That was entirely possible; he never minded going to new places, but he wasn't as adventurous as some of the Doctor's former companions seemed to have been.

"Ianto." He raised his head to meet the Doctor's gaze; those dark eyes were full of concern. "What's the matter? Have I said something wrong?"

Ianto smiled, getting up from the chair he was sittng in to go to the couch and sink down beside the Doctor, taking the Gallifreyan's hand in his. "Not a thing, sweetheart. There are just times when I wonder if .... well, if I'm a bit boring."

"Boring?" The Doctor blinked, looking surprised. "How could you ever be boring? Ianto, I haven't had a single boring moment since we've been together. You constantly think up ways to surprise me and make my life magical. You're the least boring person I know."

"I just .... feel that I should be doing more." He was finding it hard to put what he meant into words; it wasn't easy to do when he wasn't quite sure what he meant himself. "Your other companions must have seemed much more adventurous than I am."

"How can you say that?" The Doctor squeezed Ianto's hand, moving closer to his young lover. "You've worked for Torchwood, Ianto. I don't think anyone can be more adventurous than that."

"You're the only person who's ever been in my life who doesn't seem to think that," Ianto blurted out. "Everyone I've ever been involved with has thought I didn't get out enough, that I wasn't social enough. In other words -- that I was boring."

The Doctor shook his head, sliding an arm around Ianto's waist and pulling him close. "That isn't true at all," he said softly, resting his head against Ianto's shoulder. "Actually, you should probably think I'm boring, since I don't celebrate things like the new year."

"It's understandable with you," Ianto told him, laughing a little. "You're a Time Lord. The new year can't mean much to you -- after all, you can go to any place in time. It could be a new year every day for you -- all you have to do is take yourself to the party."

"It doesn't work quite like that," the Doctor said, laughing ruefully. "But I suppose you're right in saying that time moves differently for me than it does for a human."

"What all this boils down to is that neither of us have made plans to celebrate the ringing in of the new year," Ianto said with a sigh. "I know that it shouldn't matter to me, because we're not on Earth -- but old habits die hard, I suppose."

"We can always go to Earth, love," the Doctor said softly, raising his head and turning to look at Ianto. "We can open a bottle of champagne, go to a party, watch the ball drop in Times Square -- anything you like. I'm more than willing to celebrate New Year's Eve with you."

Ianto thought for a moment, a small smile starting to tug at the corners of his mouth. "There is something that sounds like a perfect way to celebrate the new year. And we wouldn't even have to go to Earth to do it. Or be in a crowd of people."

"What's that?" the Doctor asked, sounding curious. "I don't mind crowds -- but I'll admit that I'd rather spend a quiet evening here with you."

"Opening a bottle of champagne and sharing it when the year turns," Ianto said, his voice soft and husky. "Preferably sharing it in bed -- which is where I'd like to be right now, rather than sitting here feeling a little melancholy."

"Why are you feeling that way?" the Doctor asked, his brow creasing in a frown. "I don't want you to be saddened at the idea of another year having gone by, Ianto. This past year has been wonderful for me -- I hope you've seen it in the same way."

"Oh, I have," Ianto hastily assured him. "This past year has been incredible, Doctor -- and I'm exactly where I want to be. I have no regrets on that score. I suppose it just feels strange to know that I don't really have a place on Earth to go back to now."

"That's just one more thing that the new year will bring you, then," the Time Lord told him, his own voice a little choked. "The knowledge that this will always be your home."

Ianto couldn't speak for a few moments as the truth of the Doctor's words sunk in. Yes, the Tardis was indeed his home. He felt more comfortable here than he ever had anywhere else. This was where he belonged -- and where he wanted to spend the rest of his life.

Anything that he had given up in this past year was nothing compared to what he'd gained. Not only in experiences, but in the knowledge that he had found his soul mate, the man who was the love of his life -- and the security that knowledge brought to him.

They didn't need to be on Earth to celebrate the new year, bringing it in with a lot of people neither one of them knew. The rest of their lives would be spent with each other, traveling in the Tardis, making a home here, and they should start the first step on that road with only each other for company.

"I think we should go find that champagne now, and get started on celebrating our life a bit early," Ianto breathed into the Doctor's ear, anticipation making his voice breathless.

Somehow, he had the feeling that their private celebration was going to last far into the night -- and the next day as well. After all, they weren't just celebrating the new year. They were celebrating the first step on the road that led to the rest of their life together.

Smiling, he stood up, pulling the Doctor to his feet and slipping an arm around the Time Lord's slender waist. He could almost feel the champagne bubbling on his tongue already.

***