Title: Peace and Quiet
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 25fluffyfics
Prompt: 20, Protection
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 lay back against the comfortable pillows that he'd thought to bring out of the Tardis with them, the Doctor in his arms. There was something so restful about being able to spend time on a planet that was peaceful and uninhabited, devoid of trouble.

It almost seemed to Ianto that wherever they went, he and the Doctor were followed by trouble. Even when they weren't looking to do anything other than explore a planet and find out about it, they were confronted by dangerous situations everywhere they turned.

But this .... this was different, a moment for them to relax and catch their breath. He hadn't felt so relaxed and peaceful in what seemed like a very long time, and he was sure that the Time Lord felt exactly the same.

He looked down at the man in his arms, smiling as his gaze took in the Doctor's relaxed demeanor. He hadn't had an easy time convincing the Doctor to put aside his usual pinstriped suit when they were out of the Tardis, but this time, the Time Lord had complied.

Those suits almost seemed like some kind of armor for the Doctor, Ianto told himself, letting his gaze wander over his lover's body. But he had to admit that he much preferred the jeans and t-shirt that the Doctor was wearing now.

It shouldn't be possible for a man to look so unbelievably sexy in such simple clothes. Even Jack, who had prided himself on being irresistibly attractive, couldn't come close to the beauty that the Doctor exuded, Ianto thought with an inward smile.

He wanted to be with this man for the rest of his life; once he'd met the Doctor, any other thoughts of what he wanted to do with his life had fallen by the wayside. This man was his life; the Doctor had become the focus of everything he'd ever wanted.

Ianto would never have thought that it was possible to love someone as fiercely and protectively as he loved the Doctor; he'd never felt this way about anyone before, not even the people who he'd been closest to in the past.

He'd been in love before, of course. He'd loved Jack with all of his heart, but a part of him had always known that he and Jack weren't meant to last. Jack was a learning experience for him, someone who had brought him out of a shell that he'd always hidden under.

If Jack hadn't been in his life, then he would never have become sure that he was more attracted to men than women, and he wouldn't have had the courage to step forward and be with the Doctor. He would have simply admired the Time Lord from afar.

Being with Jack had given Ianto a freedom and a courage that he'd never have believed he could possess. He now felt comfortable in his own skin; he was happy with who he was, and with the path that his life was traveling on.

He'd never felt that way with Lisa. He'd loved her, yes; but it hadn't been the sort of deep love that he had with the Doctor. It had been more hesitant, more unsure. He didn't think that they would have lasted for much longer, even if she had lived.

He had no reservations about his love for the Doctor, though he'd had them with other people. There had been times when he'd hesitated over things that he'd wanted to say or do; he'd wondered how they would be seen, and hadn't had the courage to be himself.

That had been less prevalent with Jack; maybe that was because Jack had been his first relationship with a man. That relationship had taught him so much -- and he was sure that he wouldn't have been able to be with the Doctor if he hadn't had the experience with Jack first.

He'd found himself during that time, and he had to be grateful to Jack for that. In fact, he was grateful to Jack for more than that -- the immortal had led him to the Doctor. If he hadn't been with Jack, then he would never have met the man who was the love of his life.

Would they have met? Ianto couldn't answer that question; a part of him thought that they would never have had the chance to be near each other without his involvement in Torchwood, but another part of him thought something very different.

He would have found the Doctor even if he hadn't been a part of the Torchwood team. Nothing could have kept him away from this man; their souls would have gravitated towards each other, no matter what obstacles might have been thrown in their path.

Nothing could have kept them apart; their attraction was too strong. Even if they had simply bumped into each other on the street, he would have found this man and fallen in love with him. They were destined for each other, fated to bond for the rest of eternity.

And he was destined to protect this man. He'd always had that streak of protectiveness in him for those he cared about; his family and the Torchwood team could vouch for that. Ianto had always been willing to put himself in danger to protect the people he loved.

But it was different with the Doctor. He would do anything for this man; he would gladly give his life if it would keep the Doctor from any sort of harm. There would be no hesitating, no moment when he would wonder if there was some other solution.

"I want to protect you too, you know," the Doctor said softly, drawing Ianto from his thoughts. The young man gaped at his lover; he hadn't realized that his thoughts were so loud and clear that the Time Lord could read them so easily.

"It always makes me a little nervous when you do that," he said with a soft, almost nervous laugh. "It makes me feel that I should try to cloak my thoughts more, if they're screaming so loudly to you that you can read them with so little effort."

The Doctor shook his head, laying one hand over Ianto's where they rested on the Time Lord's stomach. "It's not hard for me to read your thoughts, Ianto, but that's more because we share such a close bond than for any other reason," he said softly. "I'm not trying to pry."

"I know you're not, love," Ianto answered, leaning down to brush his lips across the Doctor's forehead. "It doesn't bother me that you can read my thoughts. And I know that you want to protect me. You've done a wonderful job of that ever since we met."

"So have you," the Time Lord murmured, tilting his head back and looking up at his young lover. Ianto couldn't help smiling; there was something about seeing the Doctor look so relaxed and carefree that made his heart soar and his spirits rise.

"Not as much as I'd like to," Ianto sighed, wishing that his words didn't ring so true in his own mind. He wanted to protect the Doctor, but there were times when he felt that he fell far short of his own expectations in that area.

"You can only do so much, Ianto," the Doctor told him, raising a hand to lay it against the young man's cheek. "And I don't expect you to commit some great act of heroism for me. I want you to keep yourself safe, too. I couldn't bear to lose you."

Ianto nodded, not wanting this conversation to get into more dangerous waters. They could argue for days about the Doctor's expectations versus his own, and he didn't want this quiet, peaceful time to be spoiled by any sort of disagreement.

"It's hard to imagine that we have any need to protect each other, not when we're in a place like this," the Doctor murmured, looking around them. "We should probably get up and explore, find out what it's like, in case we want to come back here at a later date."

"Those words are almost always a cue for trouble," Ianto laughed, shaking his head and placing one finger on the Doctor's lips. "Haven't you learned better than to say that we should explore? You know how that usually ends up for us."

"You're right!" the Doctor said with a laugh. He sat up, stretching his thin arms above his head as he smiled at his lover. "Exploring probably isn't a good idea. Let's just lie here and enjoy the day, and hope that we can make this peaceful little interlude last for a while."

As the Time Lord settled back into his embrace, Ianto felt a momentary regret that they wouldn't be exploring this place. But at the moment, he would rather take in the natural beauty all around him, put his protective instincts aside and enjoy a peace and quiet that more than likely wouldn't last for long.

***