Title: The Only One
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Ianto Jones/Tenth Doctor
Fandom: Torchwood/Doctor Who
Rating: PG-13
Table: 11
Prompt: 49, Soul Mate
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.

***

"When did you first realise that I was your soul mate?" Ianto asked the Doctor, his eyes resting on the man lying next to him. One hand moved up the Doctor's bare shoulder, fingertips stroking over his soft skin before threading through the Time Lord's hair.

The Doctor closed his eyes, contemplating the question. He wasn't entirely just when he'd known that Ianto was the man he was meant to be with; it hadn't come to him in a flash of lightning or some kind of epiphany. He'd just .... known.

But that sounded terribly unromantic, didn't it? And Ianto was probably looking for some beautifully romantic declaration, one certain moment that he could pick out of the ether, point to it, and say "This was it. From this moment on, I knew you were meant for me."

He couldn't do that. He wished that he could, but he couldn't make up some lie for Ianto. He'd sworn that he would always be truthful with his mate, and so he would be.

"I know it doesn't sound very romantic ...." he began, his voice a little hesitant, unsure of just how to tell Ianto that there had been no defining moment when he'd known for sure that they belonged with each other. "But I think I just .... knew. There was no one moment when I thought that, Ianto. My hearts were just sure of us from the very beginning."

Ianto bent his head to brush a light kiss across the Time Lord's forehead, a small smile curving his lips. "I wondered what you would say to that -- and how I would answer if you asked me. Because the truth is, I didn't have a defining moment either."

"You didn't?" The Doctor almost wanted to laugh with relief. He'd been agonizing over what to say to Ianto, afraid that he wouldn't sound romantic enough -- and his lover had been thinking along the exact same lines as he had all along.

Which was just proof to him, more than ever, that Ianto was the perfect man for him. He didn't need little coincidences like this to tell him that, though. As he'd said, he had known from the beginning that the two of them were meant to be.

How had he known that? He couldn't have said for sure; there had just been something in his hearts that had drawn him towards Ianto as he'd never been to anyone else. There was no word for that kind of attraction; it just was.

"No, I didn't," Ianto answered with a laugh. "I think something in my heart told you from the moment I saw you that you were the only one for me."

The Doctor's eyes widened at Ianto's words; his lovers' declaration had been almost exactly what he himself was thinking. Was this more proof that the two of them were soul mates? It seemed as if their thoughts were almost starting to merge the longer they were together. He'd never thought that could happen with anyone.

Of course, he'd heard time and time again that the longer a couple was together, the more they became like each other. But he and Ianto hadn't been together that long -- only a few months, in Earth time. Not even a year yet, though they were getting close.

Certainly that wasn't enough time for them to start melding into each other. Yet it seemed that they were .... and he felt strangely comfortable with that idea. With anyone else, he would have been bothered by it, but not with Ianto.

Nothing with Ianto seemed intrusive in any way. Even when they'd had their terrible argument that had made him leave for a while, Ianto hadn't been intruding on anything in his life. He'd been more worried for his lover's safety than anything else.

Still, that hadn't excused his behavior -- or what he'd done. The Doctor almost winced, just thinking about that time of their lives. It was over and done now, something that he looked back at with regret. It was something that he didn't want to remember unless he had to.

And he didn't have to, he told himself, snuggling closer into Ianto's embrace. He was here with Ianto, and the Master was nowhere near. They were both safe.

"Are you all right, love?" There was care and concern in Ianto's voice; it took the Doctor a moment to realize that Ianto must have felt the slight shudder that had traversed his body at the thought of his last encounter with the Master.

He nodded slowly, closing his eyes and resting his cheek against Ianto's chest. "Yes, I'm all right. I was just thinking about .... I'm sure you can guess what," he said, his voice sounding hollow even to his own ears.

Ianto nodded, his arms tightening around the Doctor's slim waist. "I'm not going to let him get to you again," he whispered, his voice steady. "If he wants to touch you, he'll have to get through me first. And I won't make that easy for him."

The Doctor couldn't help but feel a bit alarmed by Ianto's declaration; the terrible mental picture jumped into his mind of his lover lying lifeless and broken, killed by the Master. He had to bite down hard on his lower lip to keep from whimpering; he couldn't let Ianto know how much he feared that vision coming to pass.

Now wasn't the time to think about it, he told himself, trying to dispel that disquieting vision from his mind. He and Ianto were safe; they were here in Ianto's flat in Cardiff, far away from wherever the Master might happen to be.

That probably wasn't going to last for long; he was already feeling restless. They would be out in the Tardis before too much more time had passed, he was sure of it.

But at least then Ianto would be with him, by his side. He would know where his love was, rather than wondering if Ianto was safe and well. There would be no more nights alone, not for either of them. He'd learned the folly of staying away from his soul mate all too well.

"I don't want you to risk yourself for me, you know," he murmured, his voice sounding a little shaky even to him. He hoped that Ianto wouldn't pick up on that, but of course he would. His lover was more attuned to him than anyone else had ever been.

Ianto shook his head, his voice firm and strong when he answered. "No, Doctor. You would put yourself on the line for me, I know -- and there's no reason why I shouldn't do that same for you. Don't ask me not to risk myself, because you know I will."

"And then where would I be, if anything happened to you?" the Doctor whispered, a sob in his voice. "I can't lose you, Ianto. I know that I will someday -- but I don't want that day to come for a very long time. I don't want to invite it to come to us."

Ianto cupped the Doctor's face between his hands, forcing the Time Lord to meet his gaze. He stared into those blue-grey eyes for what seemed like an eternity, reading Ianto's devotion to him in their depths. Yes, this man would give his all for the one he loved. He could do nothing less for his soul mate -- just as the Doctor could do no less for him.

The Time Lord nodded, gulping. No words were needed to convey what Ianto was trying to tell him. He didn't need to hear the three words that he knew were in the other man's mind; he could read them in Ianto's face, in his eyes, as clearly as though they'd actually been spoken.

"Neither of us are going to risk ourselves unless it's necessary," Ianto told him, his voice a mere whisper. "I can promise you that, my love."

The Doctor could only nod again, knowing that he would have to take Ianto's promise to his hearts and hold onto it as tightly as he could. He knew that the man who was his soul mate, his destiny, wouldn't lie to him. Not about something as important as this.

"I know that," he whispered, raising on hand to press it against Ianto's cheek. "I've always known it. Ever since the moment we met. I knew, Ianto. I knew that I was meant for you. Even when I thought I didn't know -- I did."

"So did I," Ianto told him, his voice equally soft and loving. "And I'm only more sure of the two of us every day. Nothing will ever change that, Doctor. I've known that you're my soul mate from the very beginning. And I know that you always will be."

The Doctor closed his eyes, snuggling into Ianto's embrace and wrapping his arms around his lover. Anything else that needed to be said could be expressed in actions, and he was sure that Ianto would understand their meaning loud and clear.

***