Janto oneshots

Poppy fields

This is a war time au. Set in World War II. Jack is mortal seeing as it's an au.
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"Private Jones?" Captain Harkness bellowed into the trenches. "Yes sir?" Chorused many welsh voices but the Captain was only interested in one. "Let me clarify, Private Jones, Ianto" he called again and this time only one person spoke "Yes sir?". Ianto spoke with the determination and bravery of the soldier he was but also with the softness and care of a Welshman. "With me" Harkness beckoned as he disappeared into what could only be described as a room, undoubtedly a poor excuse for a room but still a room nonetheless.

Harkness sat on upturned crate. Ianto stood by the door. Just like every time. "Sir" Ianto stated blankly. "We're alone Ianto" the Captain clarified just like always. "Jack" Ianto breathed, making his way toward the man. His superior. But still, this man was his lover. He wasn't to be feared or worshiped. He was to be loved and cherished. Ianto fell into Jacks arms. Just like every night. Nothing ever changed. But they hoped it would. They wanted to go home. Run away somewhere. Together. Jack had told him stories. Stories of fields filled with poppies as far as they eye could see. A crimson sea flooding the land in such a different way than he was used too. It sounded wonderful. Jack was wonderful. Jack pressed a small kiss to the private's head. "There's rumours" Ianto informed him simply as they moved to look into each other's eyes. "Are we not careful enough?" Jack questioned, his eyes searching for the answer in Ianto's soul. Ianto merely shook his head in confusion, "I don't know" he stated honestly. "Does it matter?... to them it's just rumours... something to do" came the voice of the ever wise captain. That voice was always music to Ianto's ears. "No..." the Welshman concluded "no it doesn't". With those words their lips met. It was short and terrifying but so was life in the trenches. It was worth it. Jack was worth it.

They did this every evening. This week was like any other week. Sometimes they merely spoke. They spoke of what they would do when war was through. "We'll run away" Jack would exclaim excitedly. "Where?" Ianto would always ask, playing along. "The countryside" Jack would tell him eagerly, "oh Ianto it's beautiful, it really is... the rivers are so clean and the sun is so bright. None of it seems real, I know, but it is. It's so real". Ianto Jones was a remarkable man and Jack didn't know what he would do without him.

Sometimes Jack would tell ianto stories of America. That is, after all, where the captain grew up. "Tell me more" Ianto would always say, "tell me more about america". Jack only ever told Ianto the good parts of America of course. But the Welshman loved it. He enjoyed his evening time with Jack and sometimes he thought it must be the only thing keeping him fighting. He was fighting for their future, he told himself. "Promise me, Jack" Ianto would always say "Promise one day... you'll take me to America". Jack would always smile and laugh at his adamant request "I promise".

Jack was never scared when ianto was there. He knew he should be scared, after all there was a war on. But he couldn't be. Ianto was there. He and ianto would always protect each other. They had promised it the day of their first kiss when they were just 17 years of age, the day they realised they were different. Now they were 26 and absolutely nothing had changed. 'I promise' they had told each other all those years ago 'I promise... that I will always stick by you and keep you safe' they repeated that every year on the same day. Tomorrow was that day, as a matter of fact. But tomorrow was different. Tomorrow the world would end.

It began, as their usual meet ups usually did. They looked into each other's eyes and vowed what they did every year. "I promise" they said in unison "I promise... that I will always stick by you and keep you safe". Today though, jack added one last thing. Something they had never said before. Something they both feared. "I love you" he whispered. Ianto froze. Jack froze equally as still with fright. What had he been thinking? What would Ianto do? What would he- "I love you too" the Welshman seemed to finally decide before pressing a kiss to Jack lips. Then came the shouting. The shouting for all men to take positions. It was then that the world came to an end.

That night Captain Harkness will call out. "Private Jones?" And significantly less men will answer than before. "Perhaps I should clarify... Private Jones, Ianto?". This time there will be no reply. Harkness' blood will run cold and suddenly he won't be Captain Harkness anymore. He will be seventeen years old again and he will have lost the only person in his life who he could trust. He will simply be Jack. The men will pretend not to notice their leader who called frantically for Ianto Jones. They will pretend not to notice when he yelled at them for being slow at writing up the death reports. They will especially pretend not to notice how he frantically searched the papers.

Jack harkness will run his finger down the paper of Joneses until it falls on one particular name 'Ianto Jones'. He will stop and stare into the distance for a minute. Then he will weep. He will weep for the broken promises. He will weep for his future. But most of all, he will weep for the loss of his best friend. His lover. For the first time in a long while Jack Harkness will be scared. It will be war time and he will be so very afraid. He will have failed the only person in his life who truly matters. And he will vow, one last thing in Ianto's name. To never say 'I love you' again.

That's where we leave this story. Except not quite. Ianto never got to see the poppy fields, but now they grow where he died. They are the only thing to be left of all he did for his country alone with the many war heroes who fought valiantly beside him. So you see, dear reader in a way ianto jones along with many others was a flower himself, growing the future for you and me.

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⚠️Disclaimer⚠️
Ianto Jones and Jack Harkness are fictional characters as you know (though I don't doubt there were many people with that name who did serve in the war). I obviously don't to this to glamourise war at all and it is solely for entertainment purposes. I do however believe it is very important to pay our respects to the actual war heroes who fought for our future. We should always thank them and their bravery even when it's not  remembrance day because they did not fight for just one day so we shouldn't thank them for just one day.